Blooming lovely celebration cake

Place the cake on the cake board, and brush all over with apricot jam.

Dust the work surface with a little icing sugar and roll out the marzipan until it a circle large enough to generously cover the top and sides.

Lift and support the marzipan with the rolling pin, then drape it over the cake. Using the palm of your hands, smooth the icing on the top and sides, easing out any pleats of marzipan. Trim the edges.

Brush the surface of the marzipan with a pastry brush dipped in a tiny bit of boiled water, gin or vodka- this allows the icing to stick, without making the marzipan wet.

Dust the work surface with a little icing sugar and roll out three quarters of the icing until it is a circle large enough to generously cover the top and sides of the cake.

Lift and support the icing with the rolling pin, then drape it over the cake. Using the palm of your hands, smooth the icing on the top and sides, easing out any pleats of icing. Trim the edges. If possible use an icing smoother to flatten the sides and top to give a really smooth finish.

Roll the sugar paste trimmings and colour the sugar paste with your chosen colours. Dust the work surface with icing sugar and roll out one colour at a time.

Cut out the flowers and place them on the cake, brushing underneath each one with a damp paint brush. Layer the flowers and add a couple of butterflies too. If liked, fold the butterfly wings up and leave to dry on cling film so they keep their shape.

Decorate the edge of the cake and board with tiny blossoms. Keep sugar paste covered when not using to avoid it drying out. Keep any remaining sugar paste tightly wrapped in an airtight container.