We've allowed 15g each of sugarpaste and marzipan per square inch of cake. Using the quantities suggested should cover the cake to a depth of approx 5mm - the exact weight you use will depend on how thinly you roll the paste!
Don't forget you will need to allow more sugarpaste if covering the board - the exact quantity will depend on your method of covering.
Order Sugarpaste now!
Rich fruit cakes are traditionally cut into pieces measuring 1 inch x 1 inch, whilst sponge cake portions are usually larger, about 2 inch x 1inch. This means a sponge cake cuts into fewer portions than a similar sized fruit cake
Shapes such as ovals, hearts and hexagons will give roughly the same number of portions as a round cake of the same size. Bear in mind that square cakes are easier to cut into rows of neat and tidy portions than round cakes!
Looking for a ready made cake? Order our rich fruit cake or sponge cake bases online here!
Order Chocolate Cigarellos Online Now!
The exact number of cigarellos used will depend on your spacing. Remember, it is always best to allow a few extra in case of breakages! This guide is based on using 3 cigarellos per inch - this is closely spaced, almost touching. For unusual shapes not shown on the chart, you can use a piece of string or ribbon to measure the distance round your cake, then use the 3 per inch rule to estimate quantities.
The cigarellos we sell in our online shop are approximately 10cm (4 inches) high, and one 700g box contain approx 140 cigarellos. Order cigarellos now!
3. What ingredients are you using?
How to Use the Recipe Scaler
The scaler doesn't need to know what ingredients you are using - ie , if it is butter, flour, eggs etc.
It only needs to know the WEIGHT of each ingredient. So simply go down your ingredient list and enter a weight for each one - you just need to remember which is ingredient 1, which is ingredient 2 and so on.
The weight can be in grams, kilograms, ounces or millilitres. You only need to enter a number in the box, not the unit of measurement. The scaler will work in the same way for any unit of measurement, and it won't matter if some ingredients are entered using imperial weights and others in metric. You just need to remember which unit you used for each ingredient, so you can use the same unit to measure out the amount given in the 'results' column.
The 'result' may end in a tiny fraction of a gram, as the scaler is VERY accurate! You can just round it to the nearest sensible number, depending on the unit you are using. EG rounding to the nearest whole number is fine if you are using grams. If you are using kilograms, pounds or ounces you will still need to pay some attention to the numbers after the decimal place!
Good luck!
The table below gives a rough guide to how much ribbon is needed for various sizes of cakes and cakeboards. The quantity is more for a cake than for the same sized board ~ this is because once the cake is covered, it will be larger than the size of the cake base.
Shapes like hexagonals and ovals will need a little less ribbon than a round of a similar size.
Shapes with indentation, like hearts and petals, will need slightly more ribbon than the equivalent round shape.
Remember to allow at least an extra half metre of ribbon for a bow, if wanted!
All lengths are in metres.
| Size in Inches |
Round Boards |
Round Cakes |
Square Boards |
Square Cakes |
| 5" |
0.44 |
0.52 |
0.55 |
0.65 |
| 6" |
0.52 |
0.60 |
0.65 |
0.75 |
| 7" |
0.60 |
0.68 |
0.75 |
0.85 |
| 8" |
0.68 |
0.76 |
0.85 |
0.95 |
| 9" |
0.76 |
0.84 |
0.95 |
1.06 |
| 10" |
0.84 |
0.92 |
1.06 |
1.16 |
| 11" |
0.92 |
1.00 |
1.16 |
1.26 |
| 12" |
1.00 |
1.08 |
1.26 |
1.36
|
| 13" |
1.08 |
1.16 |
1.36 |
1.46 |
| 14" |
1.16 |
1.24 |
1.46 |
1.57 |
| 15" |
1.24 |
1.32 |
1.57 |
1.67 |
| 16" |
1.32 |
1.40 |
1.67 |
1.77 |
| 17" |
1.40 |
1.48 |
1.77 |
1.87 |
| 18" |
1.48 |
1.56 |
1.87 |
1.97 |
| 19" |
1.56 |
1.64 |
1.97 |
2.08 |
| 20" |
1.64 |
1.72 |
2.08 |
2.18 |
