Super Mario Cake

Ok, I have a secret. My very first cake is the best cake that I have made yet! It took me almost a week and there were several amateur disasters (not to mention the tantrums!) such as covering the cake with marzipan, lots of turtle and mushroom discolouration (!) and the melting on its journey to its destination (so don't zoom in on the photos)! I designed the cake and used several ideas from the internet to create this for my partner's birthday this year! It was a lot of work but it was so much fun!

Super Mario Cake - butter cake top tier, chocolate cake bottom tier

     

    

Tricks for Using Marzipan

It's often difficult to work with marzipan, especially if it has been left out unwrapped, overworked or even too wet and sticky after adding a coloured paste. Here are some quick fix-it tips to using marzipan. If your marzipan is too:

STICKY & WET:  Sift some icing sugar gradually into your marzipan and knead.

Stickiness and wetness may result from the addition of coloured paste, particularly those darker colours such as black and even red. It can also result from heat - even just overworking the marzipan with your hands.

A sticky and wet marzipan tends to either stick to your working surface or on the rolling pin so it's best to resolve the problem as soon as possible.

DRY:  Add a small amount of water and knead.

Dryness may result from leaving the marzipan unwrapped or uncovered.

This was the difficulty I faced. It is vital that the marzipan is pliable. Otherwise, if it is too dry, cracks will appear and it will begin to tear on the cake. You want to avoid adding water whilst the marzipan is on the cake because it can possibly discolour it. So, ensure that you prevent this from happening and add water to your dry marzipan before covering your cake.

Covering Your Cake With Marzipan

The best way to learn how to cover a cake with marzipan is to see it being done. Check out the YouTube video below from Planet Cake that explains it all!

 

For more tricks on marzipan, I recommend buying a copy of Planet Cake's book. It is a fantastic resource with step-by-step instructions ranging from baking an assortment of cakes and covering them with marzipan to creating masterpieces such as a handbag cake or even a rocket or record player cake! Ger your hands on this book now!