I got to make another cake for the charity Free Cakes For Kids last week. It was a really good one. Sleeping Beauty for a 6 year old girl called Abigail.

I had been shooting cookies and cakes earlier in the week and as part of the step shots I needed to make up a cake mix. Never one to waste cake mix I quickly used what I didn’t need for the shoot for Abigail’s cake. But it was only a loaf tin size so I decided that a quick tray bake was needed to ensure there was enough cake to go around.

How to make a Sleeping Beauty cake

I used the loaf tin to create a bed, covering the cake in a crumb coating of buttercream and then a layer of white sugarpaste. I then made a pillow and valance using a shaping tool. To finish the bed I made a thin yellow blanket which I curved on the bottom edges so it looked softer.

The tray bake was also covered in a crumb coating and then that cake and the cake board were covered in a layer of green sugarpaste. This is a really good way to use less sugarpaste and get the cake covered quickly but if you’re anything like me it’s also a great way to get fingerprints and dents in the covered cake board! Still, I wanted a seamless look for this cake so I just smoothed those knocks out. I set the cakes towards the back of the board so there was room for the name. I like doing this as it looks different and more personal than shop bought cakes and leaves plenty of room for names and messages.

The bed was secured onto the tray bake with royal icing and then I made Sleeping Beauty. I used a little pink sugarpaste mixed with natural marzipan for the body parts (yes I ate more than I modelled!) and used sugarpaste for the rest. A flower embosser was used to decorate the dress and her shoes were adorned with pearls (aka decorative balls). For the hair I just rolled strands of yellow sugarpaste and stuck them in place with edible glue.

Abigail is disabled and is only able to eat through a feeding tube and I knew that the cake was going to be taken into school to celebrate her birthday with her class mates. She is however able to eat (and hopefully enjoy) buttercream so I had to find a way to ensure there was plenty of buttercream for the birthday girl. I came up with all sorts of ideas – make a hollow bed side cabinet that I could fill with buttercream, make grass using a piping bag and nozzle – which was my initial plan but once I had the rose nozzle in the bag I decided that roses all over the grass base was going to look prettiest.

Luckily, the name ‘Abigail’ just fitted onto the cake board perfectly so she was bedded into the buttercream roses with a few extras just for fun.  Finally I added a few flowers and I finished just in time to collect the kids from school. I find it really difficult to decorate with sticky fingers scooping up buttercream and random sugarpaste flowers!

I was really happy with this cake. I delivered it as arranged to whom I thought was Abigail’s mum but it turned out to be a relative. (I thought she looked a bit confused by some random lady delivering a cake!) About an hour later I got a very enthusiastic phone call from Abigail’s mum to say a massive thank you for the cake.  She absolutely loved it and I have to say that her phone call made my day. I’ve made cakes for lots of friends and family since I started decorating but the ones I make as a volunteer that are so well received just give me that warm and fuzzy feeling.

If you would like to volunteer and get that warm and fuzzy feeling then get in touch with your local group. Check out the Free Cakes For Kids website for more details.

EmmaMT x

Posts from the past you may enjoy

Fab Flapjack Recipe

Sultana Scone Recipe

Amelia’s Brightly coloured birthday cake

My Mum’s almond biscuits 

The RG’s breakfast pancake recipe. Sugar free and delicious

Mini Strawberry Pavlova recipe….well it is the Wimbeldon season!

Cherry Clafoutis Recipe