Fish Cake

It was with some trepidation I agreed to make a birthday cake for one of my daughter's friends.  It's one thing making a cake for family celebrations but this was quite another undertaking.

I checked that my friend and her daughter  understood that the cake would be completely homemade (and more importantly look homemade) and as they were happy with that I asked what the little girl would like.

A Chocolate Gold Fish!

Actually not as daunting as it might have been.

I made a chocolate sandwich cake, using a 4 egg Victoria Sandwich cake mixture, and substituting 1oz of cocao for 1oz of self raising flour.  I baked the cake in rectangular tins (the one's I usually use for brownies).

Once the cakes were cooled I sandwiched them together with chocolate buttercream.

Then I had to design the fish!

Using the tin as a template, I drew a rectangle and then  drew a fish shape onto it.  I had decided to use the spare triangles to form the fins of the fish, as you can see this worked quite well,  I used buttercream to secure the fins to the fish.

I used yellow sugar paste to cover the fish and then used orange sugar paste to cover the tins and tail,  adding a fin on top and to make an eye and mouth.  Finally I sprinkled edible primrose glitter over the whole fish.

I was pleased with the result and was gratified to hear that the little girl loved the cake.  I also made  the cupcakes for the birthday party.

The cake, packed and ready to party

The two rectangles of chocolate cake with buttercream

The fish template

Cut out

Checking the fins will fit

The fish

With fins

Yellow sugar paste

Covering the cake

The completed cake

Vanilla cupcakes with deep pink icing 

With butterflies

The girls enjoyed these too

A close up of the glittery fish