FEATHER CAKE

This is the most talked-about cake in the shop. Standing five tiers tall, its elegance is astounding, its whimsical airiness created by the use of feather-like triangles of rice paper. Most customers cannot believe it is all edible… although rice paper is not the tastiest!

SERVES 100–120

FOR THE CAKE

•  10 cm (4 inch) round cake

•  15 cm (6 inch) round cake

•  20 cm (8 inch) round cake

•  25 cm (10 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

•  1 quantity of royal icing

•  36 sheets of rice paper, measuring about 15 x 25 cm (6 x 10 inches)

•  edible glitter

YOU WILL ALSO NEED

•  35 cm (14 inch) round base board

•  10 cm (4 inch) round cake board

•  15 cm (6 inch) round cake board

•  20 cm (8 inch) round cake board

•  25 cm (10 inch) round cake board

•  30 cm (12 inch) round cake board

•  dowels

•  piping (icing) bag

•  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 five filled and dirty-iced cake tiers, each with three layers.

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

Place the largest cake onto the covered base board. Using dowels for support, and working from the largest cake to the smallest, stack the cake tiers centrally on top of each other.

Prepare the royal icing and place in a piping (icing) bag.

Cut each sheet of rice paper into isosceles triangles, measuring about 2.5 cm (1 inch) at the base, and 12.5 cm (5 inches) along the sides.

Pipe royal icing onto the base of each triangle and spiral the triangles around the cake in layers.

For the very top, overlay each triangle around your finger or rolling pin — you’ll need about 20 triangles all up — to get one large round of triangles stuck together by royal icing. Place in the middle of the top tier.

Finish with ribbon trim around the base of the cake. Dust with a little edible glitter to give it that extra sparkle.