Princess Castle birthday cake

It’s fair to say she was pretty impressed!

IF YOU’RE friends with me on Facebook or Twitter, you’ll know I’m not half proud of my last-minute Princess Castle Birthday Cake whipped up for Baby Holly’s first birthday on Saturday.

It started badly when I ran out of eggs to cook the cakes on Friday. Thankfully, it was The Bloke in The Shed to the rescue that night and before bedtime I’d managed three cakes. The next morning, again with a little help from The Bloke in The Shed’s rolling pin skills, we’d finally assembled and decorated the castle well before the afternoon party.

I must give credit to the Donna Hay Kids’ Magazine for the inspiration for the castle

castle birthday cake party food

 and my trusty Women’s Weekly Kids’ Perfect Party Book for the cake recipe (although, I’ve made just a few tweaks).

Here’s how to make it:

NEED:

CAKE:

2 2/3 cups self raising flour

1 cup cocoa powder

250g butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ½ cups caster sugar

4 eggs

1 1/3 cup water

CASTLE:

Princess Castle Birthday Cake1 cake board

3 x cakes (as per above)

4 large ice cream cones

4 small ice cream cones

100g white chocolate, melted

5 x 500 g packets store-bought ready-to-roll icing

2 x 300g jam rolls

Pink food colouring

Large white and pink marshmallows, to decorate

METHOD:

CAKE:

Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan forced. Grease and line 2 x 21cm round by 3cm deep tin + 26 x 21 cm rectangle tin.

Princess Castle Birthday Cake

Place flour and cocoa into medium bowl, add remaining ingredients. Beat on low with electric mixer until combined, then increase to medium and beat for 3 minutes.

Princess Castle Birthday Cake

Spread evenly into three pans and bake for 35-40 minutes or until cooked.

CASTLE:

Place rectangle cake onto a cake board.

Princess Castle Birthday Cake

Knead 2 packets of icing on a clean surface until soft, then roll out between 2 sheets of non-stick baking paper to 3mm thick.

Princess Castle Birthday Cake

Use the baking paper to lift the icing over the rectangle cake. Trim excess and smooth out any corners, creases etc.

Princess Castle Birthday Cake

Place two circle cakes onto top of the iced rectangle cake. Knead another packet of icing and roll. Cover the two round cakes with the icing.

Princess Castle Birthday Cake

Cut the 2 jam rolls into halves. Repeat with another 2 packets of icing and cover all 4 pieces of jam roll. Place the rolls at the corners of the rectangle cake, on the board.

Make sugar syrup to brush over the cake for a glossy effect. We used one part sugar to two parts water and boiled for five minutes. Then brushed on with a cooking brush.

Princess Castle Birthday Cake

Add pink colouring to leftover pieces of icing and knead in until the colour is even. Roll and then cut into various shapes. We used a large heart cutter for the top of the cake and smaller hearts for the top. Medium-sized hearts were used for the windows in the tower and front of the castle. One section of the large heart cutter was used to create the shape for a door and indents were made with a knife to create door handles and “two doors’’. Each should stick onto the sugar syrup coating. If not, stick with melted white chocolate.

Princess Castle Birthday Cake

Melt the white chocolate, dip the 4 large ice cream cones into the chocolate and then press into the tops of the 4 jam rolls. Place 4 small ice cream cones on top of the large cones.

Decorate with fairies (or princesses) and marshmallows around the edge of the board.

Princess Castle Birthday CakePrincess Castle Birthday Cake

 

 

 

 

 

Princess Castle birthday cakePrincess Castle Birthday Cake

 

 

 

 

 

Do you have a favourite birthday cookbook? 

For more birthday inspiration, try…

How to make a Princess tiara birthday cake in two hours

How to keep guests happy at a one-year-old’s birthday party – birthday party food ideas

Free downloadable birthday party invitation

Fabulous gifts for a one-year-old girl’s birthday

Gift ideas for kids – girls

Please note: Some links are affiliate links. This means if you choose to buy from the company in the future, I may receive a commission. This doesn’t impact how much you’re charged.

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18 Responses to How to make a Princess Castle Birthday Cake – just hours before the party

  1. Di says:

    Awesome cake Kel! No wonder Holly has such a big grin on her face!

    We’re planning a pirate party for Olive in December so I’ve decided to make a Pirate Barbie cake (a la Dolly Varden tin style!). I found a Barbie pirate costume on eBay and I’m waiting for it to be delivered from USA.

    I always wished for a Woman’s Weekly kids cake growing up so I think I’m living vicariously through Olive’s birthday parties. It’s a good thing I love cake decorating 🙂

    • Kel says:

      How fabulous, Di. I would have loved a Pirate Barbie cake as a child! Can’t wait to hear all about the party.
      And I’m the same with the Women’s Weekly cakes! 🙂

  2. LOVE the cake! I did a similar one of Hello Kitty for Moo last year.

    For her NINETEENTH birthday.

    Girls never out grow a castle.

    • Kel says:

      LOL! Fabulous, Kelley! Does this mean I’ll still be making castle cakes in 18 years’ time? At least I’ll have it well perfected by then! 😉
      Love the idea of a Hello Kitty one. Very cute! xx

  3. Fantastic job!
    No wonder she looks so excited. x

  4. Mary Preston says:

    You are incredibly clever. It is just beautiful.

  5. Jane says:

    You take beautiful photos.
    That cake is really clever. I might have to do that one for my daughter’s party. 🙂

  6. Lisa Wood says:

    That looks like a great birthday castle cake. We made one like that (except it wasnt pink!) one year for our boys birthday – instead of being a princess cake we had a dragon/castle theme!

    Hope she got to have lots of fun on her birthday – with lots of great gifts and laughter.

    Cheers
    Lisa

    • Kel says:

      I like the idea of a dragon/castle themed cake, Lisa. Very clever!
      And yes, the birthday was a big hit. Not sure Holly knew exactly what was going on, but Ella well and truly enjoyed it! 🙂

  7. […] I’m including the baking of the cake too. Oh yes, this was definitely not in the realm of the princess castle cake. It's fair to say she was pretty […]

  8. […] This is the perfect gift for the foodie in your life. Especially those keen to relive her 13-part series fast, fresh, simple on the Lifestyle Channel. For those that are already collectors of her books and magazines, it includes recipes from these. You may remember how the castle cake from her latest magazine inspired Holly’s princess castle cake. […]

  9. […] to work creating your masterpiece. Pull together elements of a few cakes you like. For Holly’s Princess Castle Cake, I took the castle concept from a Donna Hay cookbook, along with the colour scheme. The shape from […]

  10. Michelle O'Rielly says:

    I love this. Going to show my six year old and convince her it will be great for when she turns seven. Thanks Kellie.

  11. […] one definitely needs to be made a day before. Unlike last year’s princess castle cake. It took a long time and plenty of things can go […]

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