So, you've decided to bake your own cake.

The next decision is what kind. I would suggest a Madeira Cake. It's a plain sponge, which handles any icing type and is good for building weird and wonderful shapes. For something different you can also flavour or colour it. You can make a Madeira Cake a few days in advance so long as you store it in a cool, dry place so it's ideal if your construction project is likely to take a while.

For Christmas and weddings a Fruitcake is the more traditional choice. A fruitcake can be stored for weeks or even months. It's dense, so can handle any icing but because of the lumps of fruit it's not a good choice for intricate shapes.

Not a fan of fruit or sponge cake? Almost everyone loves Chocolate Cake. There's many, many chocolate cake recipes. If you're planning something elaborate make sure you pick a firm version. If you pick a Gateaux or Chocolate fudge cake recipe you'll have to stick to careful frosting or Buttercream icing, they won't hold up under a full Sugarpaste construction.