1.Trim cakes. Secure large cake to largest board, secure small cake to remaining board. Prepare cakes for covering with ready-made icing.
2.Knead ready-made icing on surface dusted with cornflour until icing loses its stickiness. Tint 100g of the icing pink, enclose in plastic wrap. Tint the remaining icing green.
3.Roll 400g of green icing on cornfloured surface until large enough to cover small cake. Using rolling pin, lift icing onto cake, smooth with hands then smoothing tools. Trim icing neatly around base of cake. Use remaining green icing plus any scraps to cover large cake in the same way as the small cake.
4.Carefully press scallop cutter around side and over the top edge of large cake while the icing is still soft. Dry cakes overnight.
5.Push trimmed skewers into centre of large cake to support top tier. Secure small cake to large cake.
6.To make royal icing, sift icing sugar through a fine sieve. Lightly beat the egg white into a small bowl until mixture is just broken up (do not whip into peaks). Beat in the icing sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches desired consistency. Using a wooden spoon mix in the lemon juice.
7.Colour half the royal icing the same green as the cakes. Three-quarters fill a piping bag with icing. Pipe green icing around base of each cake. Use fingertip to blend icing into any gaps where cakes join the boards. Dry cakes overnight.
8.Measure around base of top tier. Roll pink icing on cornfloured surface into 2mm ( 1 1/6-inch) thickness, and long enough to wrap around cake. Cut a straight edge down one long side. Brush bottom 2cm (¾-inch) of small cake sparingly with water, secure icing strip around base, trim ends neatly. Use perspex measure and a small sharp knife to trim strip into a 2.5cm-wide ribbon, don’t cut into icing underneath.
9.Re-roll pink icing scraps to 3mm thick. Using scallop cutter, cut a scallop from the icing, secure to side of small cake with a little water.
10.Tint remaining royal icing pale pink. Half-fill piping bag with icing, pipe decorations onto cake. Pipe a 5cm (2-inch) line of pink icing around base of small cake, position pearls on icing before it sets. Repeat all around cake.
Equipment 30cm (12-inch) round wooden cake board 15cm (6-inch) round wooden cake board Smoothing tools 3cm x 3.5cm (1¼-inch x 1½-inch) scalloped cutter 3 wooden skewers 2 paper piping bags Tape measure Fine artist’s paint brush 2.5cm (1-inch) perspex measure Tweezers Pale minty green and soft dusty pink blend together for a sweet old- fashioned effect. This is definitely a girly cake for old and young alike. As soon as the cake has been covered with icing, gently press the cutter into the icing starting from the bottom of the cake. Use the perspex measure and a sharp knife to trim the ribbon into a 2.5cm width. Be careful not to cut through the icing underneath. Pipe a line about 5cm long, position pearls with tweezers on icing before it sets. Repeat with icing and pearls all around the cake. Mark the pattern on the icing before it sets. Do it carefully and slowly, and you’ll be pleased with the outcome. The cake would be suitable for birthdays, christenings, baby showers and kitchen teas. The `pearlized blush sugar pearls’ are small edible pearls, and are available from cake decorating suppliers. The cutter we used came from a kit of patchwork cutters.
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