Introduction 6 Basic Recipes & Techniques & Cake Quentities Chart 12 CAKE DESIGNS FIREMAN SAM™ 14 THE FLOWER FAIRIES™ 19 THE WOMBLES™ 24 MY LITTLE PONY 28 DENNIS & GNASHER™ 32 KIPPER™ 36 GARFIELD 40 LITTLE MISS™ 43 SONIC™ THE HEDGEHOG 47 BRAMBLY HEDGE™ 51 BANANAS IN PYJAMAS™ 56 SUPER MARIO™ 60 WALLACE & GROMIT™ 64 GROMIT™ 69 RUGRATS® 72 RUPERT™ 77 BABAR™ 80 SESAME STREET™ 84 BARNEY™ 83% Templates 91 Index 95 Acknowledgements & Suppliers 96F ollowing the phenomenal success of Favourite Character Cakes, shown on page 96, I felt that a collection of lovable characters would be just as popular and a big hit with children and adults alike fo any people want to see their own particular favourite character and when Favourite Character Cakes was published I was often asked ‘But where is Rupert?’, or ‘How could you leave out Sesame Street?’ Hopefully, this new collection of cakes will fill the gap rom timeless Rupert Bear, the delightful Flower Fairies and lovable Barney, to gorgeously cute Kipper, there is a character for everyone, including cakes for the young at heart who remember their own favourites the first time round.#™ hildren just adore the characters they see everywhere around ~ them. They become their friends in toys, videos and books. Many will net go to bed without their favourite character toy to cuddle up to at bedtime. o™ { course, the bright colours associated & with many characters appeal to dren, Some cakes in this book been painted on the ce. to cut down on d colouring content, ut remember, their al day comes but once a year. birthday cake emed ona te lovable cter will someone’s hday a special ory, forever.Basic Recipes @ Techniques These simple recipes are suitable for making any of the cakes this book. Together with the helpful section on Techniques that follows, they will guarantee good results. Basce Recipes MADEIRA SPONGE CAKE ‘The secret of successful novelty cake- ‘making isto start with a firm, moist cake that can be cut and shaped without erum- bling. A Madeira recipe is a good choice and can be flavoured to give variety. ‘To make a Madeira cake stable for any of tho designs in this book. first grease and line the required bakeware (Gee the chart on pages 12-13), then fol low the slops below. For ingredients. see pages 12-13 Preheat the oven to 160°C (25°F) Gas 3, Sift the two wpes of flour together into 2 bow! Put the soft margerine and caster (superine) sugar together in @ large arising bout, and beat unt the mistre = pale and fify Gradually add the eggs. one at @ time. wth a spoonful of the flour. Beating well altar cach addition. Beat in any flavouring required (see righ) Fold the remaining our into the mibstore Spoon the mixture into the bake- ware. Make 2 dip in the top with the Back of the spoon, Bake in the centre of the oven unt a shower inserted In the centre comes ‘out clear (see chart for approximate time), Leave | for § minutes. then turn out on t0 a ure rack andl leave £9 cool completely, When cold, store in ‘an airtight container until ready to use. Flavourings Vania Add 1 teaspoon vanilla essence to every G-egg mixture, Lemon Add the grated rind and/or Julce ‘of 1 lemon to evary 6-053 mixture. Chocolate Add 2-3 tablespoons unsweet- ‘ened cocoa powder mixed with 1 table spoon milk 10 every 6.09g mixture Almond Add 1 teaspoon almond essence and 2-2 tablespoons ground almonds to every Gregg mixture SUGARPASTE For convenience, 1 recommend using readymade sugerpaste (rolled fondant) Which is of high quality and easily avail able from cake decorating suppliers and supermarkets, However. if vou prefer to make your eum, use ths simple recip. Makes 625g (1%tb) Legg white 2 tablespoons liquid gluroxe 625g (1 1b) ing (conlectioners') sugar 4 litle white vegetable fa required 8 ening). i ut she egg white and liquid ghicose into a bowl Sift the icing sugar inte the bowl, a litle at @ time, sting unt the mis: ture thickens. Tum out on to 2 surfece dusted with Ichng suger and Knead the peste until Smooth and pliable. Ifthe paste i a lite dry and cracked, knead ina litle white fat. Put immediately into a pohthene bag. or wrap in cling fim (plastic wrap]. and store in an altight container BUTTERCREAM As well as making a delicious filing between lavers of cake, a thin coat of burtereream spread all over the cake fils any small gaps and provides a smooth surface on which to apply the cugarpaste (tolled fondant). Buttercream can ago be flavoured 2 about 500g (Lb) cup) butter, softened, oF soft margarine 1 tablespoon milk 375g (1202/2 cup) icing suger. sifted 1259 (toxPut the butter or soft margarine in a bowl Add the milk and/or any flavouring ($02 below) Sift the cing sugar into the bowl. 2 litie at a time. beating well after ch addition. untl all the sugar is wer otated and the buttercream has a light. creamy fenture. Slote the buttercream in an. aitight [container until require. Flavourings \Vanille Add 1 teaspoon vanilla essance. smion Replace the mill with fresh or oncentrated lemon Nice. sacolate Mx the milk and 2 teble- a0ns unswpetened cocoa powder 10 a and add to the minture. Coffee Mix the milk and 1 tablessoon siant coffee powder to @ paste and add he mixx ROYAL ICING Mokes about 2805 (92) Legg white )-280g (-Boe/L cups) icin (confectioners) sugar. sited fete teste ee the icing sugar. 2 lite at a time, until the icing is firm and glossy. and forme peaks when the spoon is pulled out Cover the boul with a damp cath for a few minutes before use PASTILLAGE When pasiilage icing is rolled out and leit to dr it dries so hard it ‘snaps’ when ‘broken. It wil not bere or lose its shape when dry ané resists moisture, although ‘extremely damp conditions will affect i When using pasilage. you have £9 work quite quickly as it forms @ crust scon after being exposed to the air. Its therefore unsuttable far medeling unless you mix it 50/50 with sugarpaste (rlled fondant Pasillage can be obiained in bigh- uely poder form irom cake decorating supple. bur this rocipe ie very simple. Makes about 3758 (1202) 1 egg white 345g [1102/2 cups icing (confectioners) sugar. cited 2 teaspoons gum tragacanth see ‘page 10) Put the egg white in a bowl and add 280g (902) icing sugar a litle at a time. mixing well efter each addition, Sprinkle the gum tragacanth over the top and put aside for about 10 manutes, Tum the mixture out on to a surface ind knead im the remaining icing suger Double wrap in polythene or cing ‘iim (plastic wrap) and store in an air- tight container until required 2 PETAL PASTE Peial [or lower) paste produces very ne results and, as i name suggests, is ideal for malking flowers and leaves, such as, those on the Flower Fairies cake, for example. Mt can be bought readlmade from cake decorating supplers (erther direct or by mail order), or you can make your own as fellas. Makes about 500g (11) 5 teaspoons cold water 2 teaspoons powdered golatine £5004 (11b/3 curs) ing (confectioners) suger. sifted 3 teaspoons gum tragacanth Gee page 10) 2 teospoons lui glucose 3 teaspoons white vegetable fot (horteniag| 1 medium ogg white Mix the water and gelatine together ina small heatproof boul and leave {tp stand for 30 minutes, Sift the icing sugar end gum tragacanth into the boul cof an electric mixer and ft the bow! to the machine Place the bow! with the gelatine mis- ture over a saucepan of hot water fend siir until the gelatine has dissolved. Warm tzaspoon in hot water, then measure out the liquid glucose (the heat should hela ease the glicose off the spoon), Add the ghicose and white fat to the gelatine misture. and continue to heat until all the ingredionts have melted tend are thoroughly mixed together. ‘Add the dissolved gelatine mixture to the icing sugar. along with the egg ‘Shite. Ft the beater to the machine and turn it on at its lonest speed. Beat until mixed, then Increase the speed to maxi mum and continue beating until the paste is white and siringy