CHRISTMAS BAKING GINGERBREAD CAKE

LEVEL: EASY

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• 'Roberts Confectionary' vanilla mud cake
• 8 inch round 'Mondo' pro cake pan and
• 12 inch white 'Mondo' round cake board
• 'Mondo' cranked spatula
• 'Mondo' cake turntable
• 2 tubs white Over the top buttercream
• Piping bag and coupler
• Piping tips - round size 1 or 2, star tip 16 or 18
• 'Mondo' Royal Icing (optional)
• Fondtastic mat
• 'Mondo' snowflake plunger cutters
• 225 g pot white Fondtastic Fondant or Gumpaste Gingerbread kit

Note: This kit is the house only, additional gingerbread was baked to achieve trees.

INSTRUCTIONS

Gingerbread kit preparation (optional)

Lay out kit house panels to decorate with own design. Prepare piping tip and bag according to instructions. Fill with royal icing (do not overfill as it will be difficult to pipe) Commence piping design on gingerbread panels using templates available on Pinterest or from your own imagination. Refill bag as needed to complete process. Allow to dry prior to assembly.

Step 1. Bake cake according to instructions 3 x 1.5 inch high layers. Let cakes cool and trim to level.

Step 2. Stack cakes on cake board with buttercream in between layers. Makes sure base of cake is stuck to cakeboard using buttercream or melted chocolate. Smooth buttercream over outside of cake in thin layer with spatula and chill for at least 15 minutes (Crumb coat). This initial Crumb coat layer does not have to be perfect. The aim is to keep the crumbs of the cake from showing in the second layer.

Step 3. Repeat process of covering Crumb coat in smooth layer of buttercream for final outer layer. For semi naked appearance (cake can be seen through buttercream), chill final outer layer for 15 minutes. Warm long spatula (or metal cake scraper) and carefully spin cake around on cake turntable whilst scraping outer layer off to achieve desired effect. This will minimise outer layer becoming "dirty" with cake crumbs.

Step 4. Prepare piping tip and bag according to instructions or use icing available in kit. Assemble kit panels according to instructions. Allow to dry and set.

Step 5. Once house set up on cake complete decoration using items in gingerbread house kit. Using royal icing from kit or in piping bag, create snow effect. Star tip will give textured effect.

Step 6. Prepare fondant or gumpaste according to instructions. Roll out using rolling pin to thin layer on Fondtastic Fondant Mat. Cut out snowflake shapes using plunger cutters. Allow to firm up (gumpaste will dry quicker than fondant) so they can be handled and placed on cake and or cake board as you wish. You may need small amount of buttercream or royal icing to fix to cake.