Image © wasseguro, under a Creative Commons license.Princess castle cakes are a popular wish list item for any birthday party but the structure and size can be daunting if you want to make one at home.There is no need to worry though, as our easy castle cake tutorial gives you a step by step guide on how to make a princess castle birthday cake that will wow party guests, and add a special touch of magic to the occasion. This method is just one of our many wonderful cake ideas, and can serve up to 30 people.So, roll up your sleeves, get your children to help with measuring and mixing, and let’s get started with how to make a castle cake.Equipment:Large mixing bowlTwo 15cm sandwich tinsTwo 20cm sandwich tinsSieveGreaseproof paperWooden spoonPalette knifePiping bag30cm round cake boardSix large strawsPair of scissorsImage © Raychan, under a Creative Commons license.Ingredients:For the 15cm cake:300g softened butter300g caster sugar6 eggs1 tsp vanilla essence300g self-raising flour (sifted)‍For the 20cm cake:450g softened butter450g caster sugar8 eggs1 tsp vanilla essence450g self-raising flour‍For the turrets:Five ice cream cones‍To decorate:1.2kg buttercream icing340g good-quality strawberry jamPink food paste colouringGreen food paste colouringPink sprinkles (to cover the turrets)10 -12 sugar cubesEdible pearl sugar ballsMini sugar blossoms and leavesA small amount of royal icing (for attaching decorations to the cake)Image © freepic.diller, under a Creative Commons license.Method:1) Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3.2) Grease each of your sandwich tins with a little vegetable oil and line the bottom with greaseproof paper.3) In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together for your smaller cake until pale and fluffy.4) Gradually add in the eggs, flour and vanilla essence to the bowl, mixing together until the batter is smooth and light in colour.5) Divide evenly between your two 15cm sandwich tins and smooth the surface with a palette knife.6) Bake for 45-50 minutes until the cakes are golden brown and springy to the touch.7) Repeat this process but with the larger quantities of ingredients for the 20cm cake layer. Bake these in the oven for 50-55 minutes. Once baked, turn out all the cakes and leave to cool completely before decorating.8) Trim a thin layer from the top of each cake so they are level and then slice each cake in half.9) Spread three out of the four cake layers for each size with buttercream and jam before sandwiching together to give you two complete cakes that both have four layers of cake and three layers of filling.10) Take two-thirds of the buttercream that is left and colour it with pink food colouring until it reaches your desired hue. Take the remaining third and colour this green. Put to one side for later.11) Place the larger cake onto the centre of the cake board. Insert the six jumbo straws and cut them so they are level with the top of the cake. Carefully place the smaller cake on top.12) Cover the entire structure with some of the pink buttercream that you made earlier.13) Also, cover the five ice cream cornets in the buttercream. Pour your pink sprinkles onto a plate and roll each cone in them to cover completely.14) Place four of the five cones around on the ledge of the bottom cake, spread evenly apart. Place the remaining cone on the top cake, right in the centre.  If you want to make your turrets extra tall, you can place your cones on top of paper towel rolls and then cover the entire thing in buttercream instead.15) Use a palette knife to create vertical grooves over the entire structure.16) Use three-quarters of the green buttercream to cover the exposed cake board and use the palette knife to make grass-like tufts.17) Place the sugar cubes between the two front turrets, fixing them in place with a little royal icing to make a decorative wall.18) You now need to attach the final decorative details. Use the remaining green buttercream in a piping bag to pipe vines on the walls and then attach the sugar blossoms and leaves to these using royal icing. You can also use piping gel if you prefer. Finally, place the sugar pearls in an arch shape at the front to create a doorway.Your finished masterpiece is guaranteed to be enjoyed by everyone from toddlers to grandparents but we would recommend removing any sugared pearls when serving slices to young children.Image © portalaporanews, under a Creative Commons license.Top Tips:If you want to create a fantastic Disney castle cake, you can alter the decorations to make it Elsa inspired. To make a Frozen castle cake, simply swap the icing colours for icy blue and white and use shimmery sprinkles to decorate the turrets.To make a different Disney princess castle cake, just use the colours of the main characters clothing to inspire your decoration.  Using purple, for instance, would be ideal for a Tangled theme, and you could even have a long, blonde plait trailing down from one of the turret windows and a little Pascal made from fondant.If you need to cater to allergies such as gluten or dairy intolerance, you can swap the flour for an alternative such as almond or oat flour.  For the butter, you can try a mixture of half coconut oil, half unsweetened applesauce instead.Storage:Your finished creation can be stored at room temperature for up to three days so long as it is wrapped up or in a sealed container and the same goes for if you want to refrigerate it. This cake can even be frozen for up to three months so long as it is firmly wrapped. We would advise leaving off the cones, however, and adding these just before the cake is needed.

Image © wasseguro, under a Creative Commons license.