Christmas Countdown: Cake decorating

Before we start today, I should warn you that this may be a bit of a letdown. As my mother would tell you, I am not the most organised and forward thinking of people. I like to jump straight in to situations and sort out problems as they arise. Unfortunately, lack of planning means that problems frequently do arise. My first attempt at Christmas cake decorating is a case in point.

Problem 1: The cake needs a board to sit on.
Solution: To my delight I found a board at the back of a cupboard. It was round, but no matter. It just fit underneath the cake. Hurray!

Problem 2: Once the marzipan is on top, the cake board is too small.
Solution: A mayday call to my mum yields an excellent solution. The cake can sit on the lid of my cake tin and the tin can then be placed back on top for transportation. Genius.

Problem 3: Once the icing is on top, the cake doesn't fit on the lid.
Solution: No problem. A cereal box covered in foil stuck down with parcel tape is an excellent back up. Well, it's a back up.

Problem 4: The cake will need transporting in the car for an hour and a half. It has no container.
Solution: With no large enough cake tin to hand, I have made a valiant attempt at making my own using a roasting dish with a carving board and sealed with foil and more parcel tape. Necessity is the mother of invention.

I had hoped that this blog post would record the beautiful embellishments I had dreamt up to decorate my cake with. Instead it shows rather more parcel tape and foil than I had imagined possible. Tiny snowmen and cut out stars will have to wait for another day.