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Sponge fingers
Cakes can be decorated in the same wayÌýusing sponge fingers instead.Ìý They’re the easily available cake/biscuit hybrid that you frequently find in tiramisu and at the bottom of trifles.Ìý

Sponge fingers can either be made at home or shop bought, depending on the time and expertise you have at your disposal. One advantage of making them at home is that you can flavour them to match that of your cake (the disadvantage being that they’re a devil to get perfectly uniform unless you’re a dab hand with a piping bag).

They’re simple to use, just attach them to the sides of your cake with buttercream. I like them best when they’re used to decorate simple sponge cakes that are . A similar effect can also be achieved with .

Chocolate transfers
These are acetate sheets embossed with a pattern made from edible colourings or cocoa butter. You’re unlikely to find them on the high street, but they are widely available online in a wide variety of designs and colours. Prices aren’t exorbitant and you don’t need any special equipment to use them.

To use, pour melted chocolate over the patterned side of the sheet, spread thinly (approximately 2-3mm) and allow to cool. Once the chocolate has set, peel off the sheet and the pattern will beÌýleft on the chocolate. Now the chocolate can be applied to your cake, either cut pieces to size or, more simply, break into shards as Edd Kimber demonstrates in our How to use chocolate transfer sheets video.ÌýIf you really want to go to town for what can be achieved with practice and patience.

And finally…
My last suggestion is to almost abandon icing altogether. Different look fantastic when precision cut and stacked. The top of the cake can be decorated however you wish - you could try covering it in matching flowers, a bright or - but I like the simplicity and gloss of glacé icing (made with water or sieved fruit juices mixed with icing sugar).

When baking the cake, try using a ²µÃ©²Ô´Ç¾±²õ±ð or Madeira sponge recipe instead of the usual victoria sponge cake as they have a closer crumb, making them easier to cut neatly.