The cake base can be Madeira or a pound cake, or a rich fruit cake.
The cake may be round, or an oval cake may be cut
from a large square cake using an oval-shaped template.
Cover a rich fruit cake with almond paste
and coat* with sugar paste (rolled fondant),
or royal decorator's white frosting first,
before piping with royal icing.
Use a butter-cream frosting for a light cake.
And coat the top of the cake with certain butter cream
first before piping on a basket weave pattern

The basket weave piping
technique is easy and is same for butter cream and royal icing.


*Before applying any coating to the cake,
cut a template, the same size as the cake,
then fold it in half and cut along the fold.

Roll out gum paste fairly thinly and cut out
two pieces of the shape of half the cake top -
they will form the lid. Leave to dry.

Weaving:
1

The basket weave tube has a flat, jagged end.
Pipe a plain vertical line through this jagged end.
Then pipe short length of basket weave across the line.

2

Then pipe another plain line along the ends of the basket weave strips.

3

Pipe the next row of basket weave strips in the spaces left
between the existing strips and over the new plain line.
Continue building up the basket weave until the whole area is covered.

4

Brush the underside of the gum paste lid
with an appropriate powder food color.
Then pipe a basket weave on top.

5

Divide the top of the cake in half and
pipe a line of basket weave along this central line.

6

Now take up the dried paste lids.
Pipe weave basket patterns on each of them.
Use 2 or 3 lumps of gum paste to support
each lid half in an open position on the cake.

Fill the area under each lid with chocolates and candies.
If using decorators' white icing, the join between each open lid
and the cake should be edged with piped shells,
both on top and underneath.

In this case you turn out a truly sumptuous presentation for your dad.