PEARLS & LACE

For the vintage-style wedding that seems to be extremely popular in our neck of the woods, this cake has an elegance that can be personally tailored for each bride. It can be created in beautiful tones of creams, ivory, pale pinks, apricots and mushroomy browns, using lace border moulds in different patterns and sizes, or real lace trimmings to match the bridal dress or theme. This design can be uniquely different every time.

SERVES 80–100

FOR THE CAKE

•  15 cm (6 inch) round cake

•  22.5 cm (9 inch) round cake

•  30 cm (12 inch) round cake

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

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

•  marzipan or almond sugar paste (rolled fondant), for covering the cakes; quantities guide

•  1 quantity of royal icing

•  sugar glue

YOU WILL ALSO NEED

•  37.5 cm (15 inch) round base board

•  15 cm (6 inch) round cake board

•  22.5 cm (9 inch) round cake board

•  30 cm (12 inch) round cake board

•  17.5 cm (7 inch) foam disc, about 2.5 cm (1 inch) high

•  10 cm (4 inch) foam disc, about 2.5 cm (1 inch) high

•  dowels

•  a lace mould, or fabric lace and double-sided tape

•  shimmer dust

•  scriber tool

•  pearls

•  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 of each cake on a cake board of the same size. Layer each cake with your choice of filling, then dirty-ice.

You should now have three filled and dirty-iced cake tiers, each with three layers.

Cover each tier with a layer of marzipan or almond sugar paste, about 3 mm (¹/₈ inch) thick. Leave the cakes out on the bench overnight to set the sugar paste and make it more manageable.

IF USING A LACE MOULD

Cover each tier with another layer of plain sugar paste, about 3 mm (¹/₈ inch) thick.

Roll out some sugar paste, in the desired colour, into strips the same size as the mould. Place the sugar paste onto the lace mould, pushing it into all the crevices to create the lace effect, then trimming the edges neatly.

Using sugar glue, paint the sides of the cake and wrap the lace sugar paste design around the cake, making sure to join each piece securely to the next in a consecutive pattern, to prevent a line where they join. Repeat for each tier.

Brush shimmer dust over the pattern to enhance the design.

IF USING FABRIC LACE

Cover each tier with another layer of plain sugar paste, about 5 mm (¼ inch) thick.

Wrap a length of fabric lace around the cake and secure with double-sided tape. Repeat for each tier.

TO FINISH THE CAKE

Take the two bottom tiers and, using a scriber tool, mark out the size of the tier above. Place the pearls around each line, securing them in place with a small dot of royal icing.

Place the largest cake onto the covered base board. Position the 17.5 cm (7 inch) foam block in the centre and hold in place with royal icing.

Place the 10 cm (4 inch) foam block in the centre of the middle cake and secure with royal icing.

Using dowels for support around the foam blocks, and working from largest cake to smallest, stack the cake tiers centrally on top of each other, topping each foam block with more royal icing to secure.

Finish with handmade or fresh flowers that are full and fluffy, for that beautiful vintage feel.