Joe and Ju decorate cakes with sugar paste

For quite a while,  I'd fancied having a go at decorting cakes with sugarpaste.  I have for some time been harbouring secret thoughts that with a bit of practise I could become really good at this...that it could become my 'thing' as it were.

My first attempt a few weeks ago was for the Star Wars party we had for Joe and Andy's birthday - yes, they share the same birthday.  As first attempts go, some would say that R2-D2 as possibly a little ambitious.  Especially for a woman who has very little spare time on her hands.  I would have to agree.  I gave it my best shot though and this was the result...

Both Joe and Andy were impressed and that was good enough for me.  I used ready made sugarpaste which is now readily available in supermarkets. And decrated with a tube or bought blue icing.

My second attempt (last week) became a joint venture with Joe.  I was delighted that he wanted to help decorate the cake I had made for my Mum's birthday.  This was the finished product...

We used icing cutters to make the flowers which makes life a lot easier!  The flowers were then easily stuck on with edible glue. We finished off with a pretty ribbon.

The following day I was busy cake making again.  This time for the Harry Potter party for Joe's school friends to come round as a belated birthday celebration - hardly anyone attends if you hold the party in the school holidays and so we wait until everyone has settled back in to school.  I was in a massive rush to decorate this cake just in time for the party and unfortunately ran out of the icing I used to do the writing - hence the two tone appearance...

 

All of the  cakes above were made following Mary Berry's 'perfect victoria sponge' recipe which I'll post another day.

I am most definitely a novice.  I have a lot to learn.  I have a lot of 'kit' to collect - certainly some cake smoothers wouldn't go amiss! But y'know, I really enjoy doing this and if for no other reason than that then I shall continue!