Describe the most ambitious DIY project you’ve ever taken on.

I am an engineer, as such, quite practical, and able to turn my hand to most things.

Back in May 2015 my youngest favourite daughter was married (I also have a eldest favourite daughter and a favourite son), and I was asked to make their wedding cake. Although I had produced many Christmas cakes over the years, a full three tier wedding cake, fully decorated was a new venture, and one that would be on public display. As we live by the sea and the reception was being held at a beach side hotel, the theme for the day was ‘the seaside’.

Most sensible people would have had a trial run and perhaps made one layer in advance as a practice run. However, I didn’t think of that until after. So, it was straight in with the real thing. Cakes were made two months in advance to allow them to mature and soak up the alcohol, marzipan applied two weeks in advance and the icing and decorations a few days before the big day.

There were three layers of rich fruit cake (Christmas Cake), marzipan and icing. All the various shells, seahorses and starfish were all hand made by me and carefully applied. The cakes were stored separately and assembled on site with much trepidation.

Personally, I think it turned out quite well and saved them several hundred pounds. I had no complaints either, fruit cake being my favourite cake!

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© Richard J Kirk, writing as Joseph R Mason – 2025

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