Top tips for making fairytale castle cakes

Our #BakeAWish Twitter party celebrated Fairy washing-up liquid’s search for the best fairytale castle picture to turn into a colossal cake, in its attempt to break the Guinness World Records™ title for the world’s largest cake sculpture. (The washing up from all 10,000 slices of cake will be done with 1 bottle of Fairy.)

This massive effort is in support of Bake-A-Wish®, Make-A-Wish® UK’s* annual baking fundraising drive. Make-A-Wish grants magical wishes to children and young people fighting life-threatening conditions.

If you submit your child’s fairytale castle picture in the Bake-A-Wish competition (children must be between 5 and 11), your design could be the one transformed into a giant cake at London’s Westfield Shepherds Bush Shopping centre, from Friday 28th November 2014 to Sunday 30th November 2014! The Bake-A-Wish winner will also receive a weekend trip to London and two night’s stay at a top London hotel so they can see and taste the winning creation. Not only that, Fairy will give the winner a Westfield gift card worth £100, a pass to the best London attractions and spending money. Two lucky runners-up will win a weekend in London and two nights in a top hotel to sample the cake and enjoy the city. Enter your child’s design now!

In the meantime, make your fairytale castle cake using BritMums bloggers’ amazing decorating ideas, best construction tips and more creative ideas.

How to build up a multi-layer cakes

Planning is key — sketch a design and use a sponge recipe you’re familiar with otherwise it could be an costly experiment @roxycampbell

Make sure the cake board is strong as cake castles are heavy @susan1375

Stack – fruit cake then madeira cake then sponge cake followed by meringue & top with wafer = maximum height! @Tonkatel

During assembly stabilise layers and sticky out bits with bamboo skewers for a steady and solid finished cake @hoogervaaner

Straws or hard spaghetti help to give support to tall walls etc. and easily hidden @ljbarton

When assembling a cake with tall towers use some dowels to keep them in place. No sliding will happen @caro_mad

How to make cake towers and turrets

Use square cake tins as not only do you get the castle structure, you can cut rectangles and triangles to make turrets @DaniellaBlogs

Use ice-cream cones as towers instead of sugar paste or icing. They’re lightweight and won’t make your cake collapse @caro_mad

Dip the turrets in melted choc and cover with edible glitter — so sparkly @susan1375

The cardboard from kitchen towels is also the perfect length for towers and can easily be covered in fondant icing @caro_mad

Give your turret a light coating of royal icing to make the fondant stick better @caro_mad

Hulled strawberries filled with cream look great on top of the turrets especially on a chocolate castle. @susan1375

Putting a swiss roll on its end will create a solid turret! @domesticgoddessq

Decorating ideas

A cocktail stick is good for adding details to icing @thesoupdragon44

Use popping candy on top of the towers for an extra surprise @dianestar17

Love coloured sugar for magical sparkly ground on the base of the display board @JS0600

Dye dessicated coconut green and sprinkle for lovely looking and tasting grass @freerfelix

These are meringue crowns — could be used on a castle cake @emmfurn

if you’re no good with fondant (like me) use chocolate frosting & cover with sweets/sprinkles/edible glitter etc…tastes better @JennyPaulin

Marzipan can be rolled into flags, made into characters and used to make window frames etc. @susan1375

If you have dried icing — grate it! Makes wonderful soft snow or grass @ljbarton

Use chocolate fingers or chocolate orange segments to make a fort around the cake @clarateddy

Melting boiled sweets makes fab stained glass castle windows @nat_zin85

Fudge for doors or wooden framed windows. Smarties for jewels @CarlaRTOATSblog

Chocolate buttons layered make great roofing tiles! @ljbarton

Hide mistakes under sprinkles glitter or lustre spray – kids go wild for everything fun and colourful @caro_mad

How to avoid cake-making disasters

Weigh ingredients out first, then you have them to hand and save fumbling about halfway through @KirstyGreer

When working with royal icing & fondant you need 2 be really patient! Don’t let the icing dry out & don’t have warm hands @CarlaRTOATSblog

Make sure you have tin foil for bigger cakes – the top can get very brown in the oven @pipersky1

Being a stay-at-home dad I bake a lot. My top tip is to have your butter and eggs at room temperature when making sponges @freerfelix

Make sure you allow enough time for cake to cool before decorating @goriami

Measure ingredients properly — baking is a science and needs correct amounts @KirstyGreer

Resist the temptation to open the oven door when baking to check your sponge. It will flop in the middle @freerfelix

 

Be inspired by these creations

Have a look at these marshmallows!! @cafebebe

A Fairy Princess Castle Cake which I made for a friend’s daughter last year http://t.co/Rs3ezvqHN1 @JennyPaulin

How about having surprise treasure inside the castle cake @BenAlder

My daughter Charlotte’s aged 11 cake design @annawarner5

My daughters castle cake. It was hard work. I wasn’t happy with it but she loved it @Supermommy1983

Fairy Tinkerbell on her castle giant cupcake @newtlyn6

My castle creation for my friend’s daughter’s birthday @dupton37

Daughter’s cake I made for her birthday. Two tiers of chocolately goodness @GetcakedGlasgow

I once made a 3 layer builder cake 😉 @newtlyn6

Made this for big man last year. Not sure if i can top it this year http://t.co/Ehan8WSck2 @astrongcoffee1

 

Get more tips and ideas for baking cakes, goodies and delicious meals on our Pinterest Cake + Wine board and in our Food & Drink section:

How to make macarons

41 spooky Halloween foods, crafts & decorations

How to make a fairy castle cake by Crumbs

 

Castle cake picture by Wollertz via Shutterstock