Christmas cake with piping gel plaque

Materials/equipment

Royal icing Gum paste

Cake covered with fondant Rolling Pin

Powdered sugar in a sifter Rolling out board

1/8-inch thick space bars Side scraper

10 Small parchment piping bags Piping tip No. 1

Small scissors Tooth picks

Pallet knife No. 1 round paintbrush

Piping gel Liquid food colors

Piece of Perspex Food grade cellophane

Artist pallet knife Turntable (optional)

6 inch cardboard disc

Patchwork Cutters – Mary and Joseph cutter plus the shepherd cutter set

Cover the piece of Perspex with the food grade cellophane.

Roll out the gum paste out (use the space bars to ensure the gum paste is an even thickness). Transfer to the Perspex (covered with food grade cellophane. Place the cardboard disc on top of the rolled out gum paste and cut.

Lightly grease the Mary and Joseph cutter with vegetable shortening and emboss the disc of gum paste. Lightly grease the Bethlehem sky and emboss either side of Mary and Joseph. Lightly grease the palm leaves (from the shepherd set) emboss a few times around the edge of the disc. Leave to dry (24hrs).

Fill a small piping bag No.1 piping tip with royal icing colored dark brown. Pipe the embossed outline of Mary and Joseph.

Dry dust the background with petal dust – biscuit, blue, green.

Paint the detail (mix petal dust with alcohol to create a paint)

Place the cardboard disc centrally on top of the cake (which has been covered with fondant). Scribe around the disc. Cut along the scribed line.

Remove the disc by inserting the knife blade into the centre of the disc.

Release the gum paste disc from the Perspex (covered with food grade cellophane). Place the dried gum paste disc in the hollow.

Use your index finger and round off the cut edge.

Place a small amount of piping gel on a side scraper; add a small spot of liquid food color. Paddle the gel till the color is evenly mixed and there are no lumps visible in the gel. Place in a small parchment bag (with out a piping tip). Fill nine bags of gel – neutral, flesh, pale blue, blue, light brown, medium brown, dark brown, light grey, grey.

Cut the tip of the filled small parchment piping bags (about the size of a No.1 piping tip). Fill the outlined picture if Mary and Joseph with the piping gel. Use a toothpick to pull the gel into any tight space.

Roll out a long strip of fondant. Cut one straight edge. Roll the strip up (just like a bandage).

Wet the cake board with water (damp only). Carefully unwind the fondant strip (around the cake). Overlap and cut through both layers.

Remove excess and smooth the join.

Trim the excess fondant from the cake board.

Press your thumb against the edge of the fondant-covered board (45 deg angle) to create a rounded edge. Smooth the rounded edge with the palm of your hand.

Roll out a piece of gum paste. Lightly grease the Bethlehem sky. Press the cutter firmly down on the rolled out gum paste (rub your finger firmly all over the cutter)

Carefully remove the excess gum paste.

Moisten the base of the cake with water and attach the gum paste Bethlehem skyline. Repeat till the skyline is all the way round the base of the cake.