CHEESE & CRACKERS

This creation came into existence thanks to a gorgeous little tyke called Archie. His parents, before he was born, nicknamed him ‘little cheese’, and asked us to make them a cheesecake for his christening. Little did they know they’d be getting our version of a cheesecake — mice and all! We usually buy ready-coloured sugar paste for decorating the cake, but you can tint yours with food colouring paste if needed.

SERVES 20–25

FOR THE CAKE

•  25 cm (10 inch) round cake

•  filling of choice, such as creamy vanilla frosting or ganache ; quantities guide

•  red sugar paste (rolled fondant), for covering the base board; quantities guide

•  yellow sugar paste (rolled fondant), for covering the cake; quantities guide

•  brown, black and white sugar paste (rolled fondant), for modelling the mice

•  10 g (¼ oz) CMC gum

•  yellow and light brown airbrush colours (optional) or edible dust colours

•  sugar glue

YOU WILL ALSO NEED

•  35 cm (14 inch) round base board

•  25 cm (10 inch) round cake board

•  airbrush (optional)

•  ribbon

First, cover your base board with sugar paste. Finish with ribbon trim, then set the board to one side until needed.

Cut each cake horizontally into three equal layers, then place the bottom third on the cake board. Layer the cake with your choice of filling, then dirty-ice.

Cut out a generous wedge of cake (to decorate the top of the cake) and set aside.

Before icing the main cake, take a melon baller and cut random pieces out of the cake to create a Swiss-cheese ‘hole’ effect. Now cover the cake with a layer of yellow sugar paste, about 5 mm (¼ inch) thick, smoothing the paste gently into the indents to create the holes. Repeat with the reserved wedge of cake. Place the cake on the covered base board.

Using an airbrush or paintbrush, lightly highlight the holes of the ‘cheese’ with a darker yellow colour, and then light brown, to create an illusion of depth.

TO MAKE THE MICE

Mix some brown sugar paste with a little CMC gum. For the body, roll into a long pear shape.

Make two small teardrop-shaped pieces for the feet. Mark the toes with the back of a knife, then flatten slightly to put under the body.

Roll two sausage pieces for the arms. Indent slightly at one side, leaving a small amount at the end to make the hand. Flatten slightly, mark the fingers, then attach the arms to the body.

For the head, roll a ball, shaping one side into a pointy teardrop for the nose. Turn the nose up slightly. Using sugar glue, attach a small ball of black sugar paste at the tip. Cut the mouth opening with a knife. While the paste is still soft, create indents for the eye sockets, using a ball tool. Fill the sockets using a little ball of white sugar paste, placing a little ball of black sugar paste on top. The black ball can be placed anywhere, depending on which direction you’d like the mice to look.

FOR THE CRACKERS

Roll out some sugar paste quite thinly, then cut out 5 cm (2 inch) discs. Create little holes with a toothpick.

Lightly highlight the edges with a light brown colour to make the crackers look golden and just baked. Arrange the mice and crackers around the cake.

CHARACTER CRITTERS

The mice and crackers can be shaped well ahead of time. Make sure you lay them out on pieces of foam to allow them to dry in their correct positions. To give the cake extra character, try to give the mice different expressions and attributes while you are moulding and shaping them.