Cake decoration

Making these cute Christmas treats is truly a piece of cake. The special skill comes in adding the festive decorations. You'll need star and snowflake cutters, edible gold paint and a small brush. Bon Noel!

An easy coffee cake to make for afternoon tea. Spread with butter and serve warm.

This recipe is from The Australian Women's Weekly Cupcakes and cake pops cookbook

Tubby the well-rounded bear makes the cutest birthday cake, and there's no baking involved! You could even opt for a fairy-tale theme and make three for a Goldilocks tableau.

Lightly spiced with cinnamon, this carrot cake slice is always popular. Piping the decorations is easy if you use a little sandwich bag with the corner snipped off.

These gorgeous cupcakes by Woman's Day are exquisitely delicate and absolutely perfect for a fairy themed birthday party or even an afternoon tea. Serve them on your daintiest china.

Remember to discard any rhubarb leaves. Apple, pear or pineapple would also be delicious in this cake. Note

Chocolate mud cake is possibly the most popular choice of cake, and for good reason. It's quite delicious! Use the best-quality chocolate you can afford for this version.

A smaller amount of mixed fruit results a lighter, but equally delicious fruitcake. A generous slosh of sherry has still been added though, so there's no need to fret.

To make chocolate curls, melt 1 cup white chocolate melts. Cut out several 8 x 10cm squares of baking paper. Spread or pipe (in a lacy pattern) a thin layer of chocolate onto paper in an oval shape. Fold over and carefully press tips of chocolate together to create a hollow loop. Support loops on […]

Do you need something spectacular for your Christmas table? Look no further than this celebration Christmas cake. Sophisticated and elegant on the outside, it has the perfect balance of fruit and liqueur on the inside.

Give your next batch of cupcakes a special lift with this beautiful looking marbled frosting. Get the kids involved and decorate with 100s and 1000s, cachous and little icing flowers.

One of the most important accessories for any young glamourette is her designer handbag and this stunning cake will be the envy of all the guests. It can be completed a day ahead, and decorated on the big day.

Put these lovely little gift cakes on pieces of thick cardboard, measuring about 9cm-square, covered with special foil or glossy paper or wrapped with brightly coloured ribbons. They can be made a month ahead.

Surprise and delight at your little one's next birthday with this amazing party piñata cake. Watch little faces light up with glee as they discover the sweet treasures contained within the chocolate shell.

Give your child's birthday a fun nautical theme with this delightful Wally whale birthday cake, if you make the cake the day before and freeze it, it will be easier to decorate.

equipment deep 23cm (9¼-inch) square cake pan 30cm (12-inch) square prepared cake board Note

Equipment: 2 x 10cm (4-inch) round cardboard cake boards. 10cm (4-inch) round wooden cake board 2 x 12cm (4¾-inch) round wooden cake boards. 6 wooden skewers. Use ganache instead of butter cream, if you prefer. Once the cakes are covered in butter cream or ganache, they will keep for about a week at a cool […]

Juggling is so much fun, people have been doing it since ancient Egyptian times. This delightful fellow is constructed from lots of little cakes, so it's simple to make and easy to decorate.

EQUIPMENT deep 22cm (9-inch) square cake pan 25cm (10-inch) square cake board. While it is cute, it’s best to serve this to older children as the small noodles can be a choking hazard for younger children. Using a small serrated knife cut ‘V’-shaped indents into the middle of each piece of cake. Note

A ballet spectacular that will leave any prima ballerina stage-struck. Note

Equipment: 12cm (4¾-inch) length 18-gauge floral wire long-nosed pliers white florist’s tape pasta machine vinyl mat small, medium, large and extra large peony cutters wire cutters 7 lengths x 26-gauge floral wire flower glue 2 x 12-hole round-based, shallow (1 tablespoon/20ml) patty pans peony petal veiner flower mat ball tool fine artist’s paint brush 35cm […]

6-hole (¾-cup/180ml) texas muffin pan 2 x 12-hole (1-tablespoon/20ml) mini muffin pans 15 mini muffin paper cases (red) 40cm x 50cm (16-inch x 20-inch) rectangular cake board (page 334), see tips 40cm (16 inches) black licorice strap 250g (8-ounce) packet Musk Sticks 1 pink Smartie 4 red sour straps 35g (1-ounce) tube mini M&M’s 35g […]

Use toothpicks to position paper pattern on cakes, ready to cut out. Assemble cake on prepared board ready for icing. Note

Brought to you by the classic Australian Women's Weekly's children's birthday cake cookbook.

Transpose the leaf pattern onto cardboard, then use the cardboard leaf as a guide when cutting the leaf shapes from icing. The leaves can be made up to 3 days ahead; store in an airtight container. Using the leaf pattern, cut five lily leaves from the icing then drape over a rolling pin to dry. […]

Edible glitter is available from specialist cake decorating shops. Long (30cm) pipe cleaners, sometimes known as tinsel sticks, are available from craft stores. Note

EQUIPMENT 35cm (14-inch) round cake board 8cm (3¾-inch) round cutter 3 long bamboo skewers We only used the white marshmallows from the packets of marshmallows; serve the pink marshmallows at the party. You can make the castle pink and white if you like; in this case you will only need 4 packets of marshmallows. Use […]

It's sure to impress.

Only remove the legs of the doll if she’s too tall for the cake. Just push the doll, with legs, gently through the cake until the doll’s body is in the right position. Dolly Varden cake pans can be bought or hired from cake decorating suppliers. Note

Be sure to remove toothpicks from cake before cutting and serving. Note

equipment 30cm x 45cm prepared cake board, strong wooden toothpick decorations 27 Maltesers, approximately 2 green snakes, halved lengthways 5 mint leaves 3 yellow ready-made icing flowers 3 foil-wrapped chocolate ladybirds If Easter eggs aren’t available, you can use Kinder Surprise eggs. We’ve made quite a long wall out of bought lamingtons; you could have […]

Inspired by the classic nursery rhyme, this gorgeous yellow moon cake - straight from The Australian Women's Weekly's famous 'Children's Birthday Cake Book' cookbook - is sure to thrill your child on their birthday.

EQUIPMENT 5 x 12-hole (1-tablespoon/20ml) mini muffin pans 12-hole (⅓ -cup/80ml) standard muffin pan 2.25-litre (9-cup) pudding steamer 60 mini muffin paper cases (28 yellow, 32 dark brown) 35cm (14-inch) square cake board Make the mini muffins in batches; the cake mixture will be fine to stand at room temperature. Make the toffee wings up […]

Make a cake in shape of a football jersey, ­decorate it with the colours of your child’s favourite team to make him the hero of the day. Note

equipment 5cm (2-inch) square cutter 4 paper piping bags small stencils (see tips) small offset metal spatula 16 plain coloured paper cases 30cm (12-inch) square wooden cake board (page 208) Square paper cases are available in specialty food or kitchen shops, but we found round cases happily change shape to accommodate the square cakes. The […]

Your guests will be trumpeting praise when they see this cute elephant cake from The Australian Women's Weekly's famous 'Children's Birthday Cake Book' cookbook on the party spread.

Attach pattern to cake using toothpicks before cutting out cake. Note

You could fill the cones with scoops of ice-cream instead of the cupcakes just before serving. Tint the frosting a colour to match your party theme. Note

equipment 20cm x 30cm lamington pan 20cm x 50cm prepared cake board (see basic know-how number 2, pages 160-161) decorations 165g packet mini musks Piping takes a little practice. You might find it easier to do the piping, numbering and lettering before using a spatula to position the cakes on the board. Note

This fun children's cake is great for the little ones that love playing with trains and automobiles. They'll love the taste and look of this tasty dessert!

Who could resist the tropical turtle with her yummy chocolate shell? Note

These colourful cupcakes are perfect for a birthday party and will delight both the kids and adults.

It’s important to measure the cake mixture carefully, so the cakes are all the same depth. Make the full amount of mixture; it will be fine standing at room temperature while you bake the cakes in batches. We used standard sized foil cases and scrapbooking decorations, available from craft and shops. Note

EQUIPMENT deep 26cm x 36cm (10½-inch x 14½-inch) baking dish 45cm x 50cm (17-inch x 18-inch) rectangular cake board small paper piping bag. DECORATIONS silver cardboard, for buckle; 1 black licorice strap; 100g (3 ounces) white chocolate Melts; coloured sprinkles. With magic and mayhem being all the rage these days, there are sure to be […]

6 serving plates, or a large serving tray Use a mixture of jam and cinnamon doughnuts, mini jam doughnuts and doughnut holes, if you like. Note

EQUIPMENT 30cm (12-inch) round wooden cake board 20cm (8-inch) round wooden cake board 15cm (6-inch) round wooden cake board 6 wooden cake skewers small offset metal spatula 2 x quantities fluffy frosting Fresh organic flowers white florist’s tape Make the frosting after you have stacked and secured the cakes. You need to work quickly once […]

The cave is made up of three cakes, so while it may look fiddly and complicated, it isn’t. The kids’ll think you used magic to make it. Cooked cakes can be frozen for up to one month. Thaw at room temperature for about six hours. Cake can be iced and decorated one day ahead (except […]

Two is never terrible when it comes to this delightful birthday cake by the Australian Women's Weekly. Buttercream hides a multitude of sins, so don't worry about any little mistakes!

Double digits at last! This ten cake by Australian Women's Weekly is colour galore. When cutting the jubes dip the knife in hot water, then dry before cutting to avoid sticking.

26cm x 35cm (10½-inch x 14-inch) baking dish; 30cm x 40cm (12-inch x 16-inch) rectangular cake board; small paper piping bag; wooden skewer. This cute cake is a bit fiddly to make, but it looks so good and you’ll get plenty of wow’s that it’s well worth the effort. Note

Store tiramisu cups upright in the refrigerator until ready to serve. They are best made on the day of serving. Note

Let your imagination run wild and create your own sweet menagerie with these clever little animal cupcakes by the Australian Women's Weekly. Be prepared for squeals of delight!

You will need to buy a 300g packet of chocolate-covered fruit and nuts for this cake. Note

Equipment: 32cm (13-inch) square wooden cake board 18cm (7-inch) square wooden cake board large plaque plunger cutter smoothing tools 5cm x 8.5cm (2-inch x 3½-inch) diamond patchwork cutter 4 wooden skewers paper piping bag (page 221) fine pearl-headed pin tweezers white florist’s tape Decorations 1.8kg (3½ pounds) ready-made white icing cornflour (cornstarch) 1 quantity royal […]

deep 20cm (8-inch) square cake pan 25cm (10-inch) square prepared cake board small piping bag fitted with small plain tube You might need to buy two 100g (3-ounce) packets Mallow Bakes. Use sharp scissors to cut Mallow Bakes in half. This cake can be made a day ahead Note

strike a patriotic note with one of these berry imaginative creations for the cake (the quantities given for cake, cream and berries are enough to make one flag.) Note

Colour the icing on these cupcakes to match your favourite footy team.

Use a small amount of buttercream to attach the ears and nose to face. Make sure you buy the large marshmallows that look as if they’ve been piped, with a soft tip at the top. Note

Cut a 2.5cm piece from one half of the square cake and trim a 3.5cm piece from the jam roll. Assemble the cakes on the board to form the train; discard any remaining cake and jam roll. When it comes to eating this cake, remember that a small segment of stick is still embedded in […]

Decorations; 3 x 190g packets Allen’s Funfair Thrills jellybeans; 2 green Nestle Smarties; 2 x 30cm thin yellow chenille sticks (pipe cleaners) Equipment; (x2) 18cm heart-shaped cake pans; 12-hole (⅓-cup/80ml) muffin pan; 4 yellow paper muffin cases; 40cm x 55cm covered cake board Note

Thrill your child on their birthday with this adorable (and delicious) red fire engine cake.

Home-made icing

Get the kids busy in the kitchen with these adorable kitty cat cupcakes.

Equipment; 5cm (2-inch) square cutter buckle template; 4 paper piping bags; 16 plain yellow paper cases; 5cm (2-inch) square cutter buckle template; 4 paper piping bags; 16 plain yellow paper cases. The squares of icing and the buckles can be made at least two weeks ahead. Make a few more buckles to allow for breakages. […]

26cm x 35cm (10¼-inch x 14-inch) baking dish; 6-hole (¾-cup/180ml texas muffin pan; 30cm x 40cm (12-inch x 16-inch) rectangular cake board. 10 white chocolate Melts; 3 rainbow sour straps; ½ cup (135g) blue jellybeans. A cake for budding gardeners. Note

Brought to you by the classic Australian Women's Weekly children's birthday cake cookbook.

Equipment 12-hole (1-tablespoon/20ml) shallow round-based patty pan 12-hole (¹/³-cup/80ml) standard muffin pan 6-hole (¾-cup/180ml) texas muffin pan 4cm-round cutter 2 strong wooden toothpicks 40cm-round or 40cm x 45cm rectangle prepared cake board Little girls love tea parties ­ the whole party could be themed this way. The cakes are not difficult to make, but they […]

Position the large cake on the small cake, then spread pink butter cream over toadstool cap. Split the spearmint leaves in half through the centre then slice the halves into three pieces. Note

Celebrate your child's birthday with this adorable yellow beehive cake!

Equipment – 1 x deep 20cm-square cake pan, 1 x deep 22cm-round cake pan, 1 x 30cm x 60cm covered cake board. Decorations 2 x 25g packets WONKA NERDS Rope 2 NESTLE Melts White Cooking Compound 2 blue NESTLE SMARTIES 2 ALLEN’S CHICOS, sliced thinly 1 ALLEN’S JAFFAS 1 ALLEN’S FRECKLES 2 ALLEN’S Ripe Raspberries […]

These pretty teacups and teapots are versatile little biscuits. They'd be perfect to serve at a kitchen tea, but would also be great at a little girl's first tea party, or as a delicious gift to take to a house-warming party.

This super cake turtle birthday cake is perfect for a kid's party at home or school.

Covered in lollies and heart-shaped lollipops, this impressive crown cake is sure to be a hit.

Equipment: 45cm (18-inch) round wooden cake board (page 208) 30cm (12-inch) round wooden cake board (page 208) 25cm (10-inch) round wooden cake board (page 208) 20cm (8-inch) round wooden cake board (page 208) 15cm (6-inch) round wooden cake board (page 208) smoothing tools quilting tool tape measure embossed rolling pin plastic ruler pizza cutter small […]

4 x 12-hole (1-tablespoon/20ml) mini muffin pans; 48 mini muffin paper cases (purple); 40cm x 55cm prepared cake board. Decorations; purple edible glitter; 60g jar silver cachous. You’ll have about ⅓ cup of the cake mixture left over, enough for another eight or so little cakes. Note

EQUIPMENT 20cm (8-inch) square cake board We’ve use a mixture of lollies to turn this into a rubbish bin. To make this a recycle bin, use a variety of milk bottles. Save any licourice off-cuts for another use. Note

Use white Candy Melts in place of chocolate Melts for an extra-white finish. Note

Broderie anglaise, French for `English embroidery', is characterised by cutwork, lace and small eyelet patterns, just like we've used in this cake.

Equipment; deep 30cm-round cake pan; 5.5cm round cutter; 40cm-square covered cake board; 3cm round cutter. Decorations; 100s & 1000s; 8 Allen’s Jaffas; 35 vanilla Allen’s Milk Bottle Mania, halved; 36 lime Allen’s Milk Bottle Mania, halved; 19 banana Allen’s Milk Bottle Mania, halved. The cutter we used was about 5cm deep, which made it easier […]

Get the kids helping in the kitchen with these adorable funny face cupcakes.

EQUIPMENT 30cm x 40cm (12-inch x 16-inch) rectangular cake board You can use butter cream instead of the vanilla frosting. We used a variety of different jubes to get different shapes. Note