Michelle has been my best customer since I started out making cakes. I had planned not to make any cakes between Christmas and the New Year and spend much needed time with my family but when Michelle’s daughter asked me to make this cake for Michelle’s surprise 50th party I just could not let Michelle down. The bottle is a real bottle of champagne and the ice cubes are Fox’s Glacier mints. I used 2 × 8″, 1 × 9″ and 1 × 10″ cake. The cake was treated as a double-barreled cake as it was 8.5" tall and there was a cake board in the middle with dowels top and bottom as I assembled the bucket upside down as well as ganashing it and even putting the fondant on it upside down. I then had to flip it the right way up – I had to ask my husband to help for this bit as my hands were too small to support it and it was a very heavy cake – vanilla sponge filled with buttercream and jam. The fondant was pale grey and I airbrushed it in silver. As with every cake I learnt along the way and I think next time I will try and melt some of the mints slightly in the oven to give a more realistic look – I’ve learnt that this can be done since finishing the cake! I was happy with the overall look though and Michelle was over the moon with her surprise party and cake!