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How to decorate an Owl Cake

Tuesday 17th March 2015

Owl cakes are really popular at the minute, and are a great idea for baking at Easter. We’ve used our new range of coloured Marzipan to decorate this owl, but you can use the same technique with fondant icing too.

What you will need

Ingredients:

  • Pre-baked cake, layered and shaped
  • Jam
  • Buttercream
  • Cocoa powder OR brown food colouring
  • 6 x 250g Renshaw Pink Marzipan
  • 2 x250g Renshaw Green Marzipan
  • 1 x 250g Renshaw Red Marzipan
  • 1 x 250g Renshaw Yellow Marzipan
  • 1 x 250g Renshaw Blue Marzipan
  • 1 x 1 kg Renshaw Original White Marzipan
  • 2 x 250g Renshaw Duck Egg Blue Ready to Roll Icing
  • Marzipan is available here

Equipment:

  • 10″ round board
  • Carving knife
  • Palette knife
  • Plastic ribbon cutters
  • Oval and round cutters
  • Heart plungers
  • Daisy and blossom plunger cutters
  • Heart cutters
  • Cooled boiled water
  • Brushes
  • Smoother
  • Textured rolling pin/Embossing mats

How to decorate the owl cake

  1. Once the cake is baked, let it cool then remove from the tin. Trim and shape the cake into an owl shape using a carving knife.
  2. Layer the cake with alternate layers of jam and buttercream. Skim the outside with a thin layer of buttercream.
  3. Knead the duck egg blue icing until pliable and roll out on a clean, dry surface lightly dusted with icing sugar. Lightly brush the board with the water brush and cover with the icing. Smooth over with a smoother and trim off any excess.
  4. Knead the pink marzipan until pliable and roll out on a clean, dry surface lightly dusted with icing sugar. Cover the owl shaped cake with the pink marzipan, unfolding any pleats and creases as you go. Carefully place the cake in the middle of the board.
  5. Knead the green marzipan until pliable and roll out on a clean, dry surface lightly dusted with icing sugar. Use a textured rolling pin, embossing mat or simply put markings on by hand using a Dresden tool. Use a large oval cutter to cut out an oval shape for the owls chest. Attach to the owls belly using a small amount of water.
  6. Using contrasting colours of marzipan cut out some hearts and stick to the belly as shown.
  7. Create the wings following the guide in the picture below. Attach to the sides of the owl using a little water.

  8. Colour some white marzipan to make it brown with food colouring, or use a little cocoa powder to achieve the correct shade. Roll long tapered twig shapes and begin building the nest around the base of the owl. Use a little water if required to stick all the shapes together. Mark in the bark using the back of a knife or a Dresden tool.
  9. Create 2 matching eyes following the guide in the picture below. Attach with a little water.

  10. Create the beak by shaping a small ball of yellow marzipan into a cone and flatten. Mark in the beak line and attach to owl with a little water.

Tips:

  • If you’re short on time use the Renshaw Chocolate Flavour Ready to Roll Icing instead of colouring up your own marzipan for the nest.
  • Working with marzipan can sometimes create a sticky layer on your hands. Wash and dry them at regular intervals and dust your hands with a little icing sugar, especially when covering the cake.
If you like this idea then check out our Owl Biscuit Recipe too.