21st Birthday cake

Its not too often that I get the chance to make a proper celebration cake, and I certainly do not profess to being a professional decorator, but when my Daughter turned 21 recently and decided to throw a party, I just had to rise to the challenge and produce something a bit special. I would have loved to make her one of those fabulous topsy turvy cakes that you see on Ace of Cakes, but that was stretching things a bit so I had to decide on a simpler design.  It had to be pink (everything has to be pink where she is concerned) and she wanted it stacked like two presents. We made a chocolate biscuit cake for the base, Nigella's buttermilk birthday cake (How to be a domestic goddess) for the top.  The cakes were covered in a thin layer of white marzipan before I covered them with fondant icing. I was pleased as punch with the bow I made for the top of the cake with some Sugar Florist Paste as it was the first time I had used it. I made the bow a few days beforehand and filled the centres with paper towel before leaving to dry out. Then I simply stuck on cut-out flower shapes and piped a few swirls on the cakes. I wrapped the stems of a few ready made sugar flowers around a pencil to add a quirky corkscrew effect. The finishing touch was a light coating of pearl lustre spray all over the cake to add a nice glistening shine. Not such a professional cake close up, but I dont think it was a bad amateur attempt!