Tutorial Preview
Highlights
Some highlights of our spooky witch cake tutorial
1. Making the stand
As you can imagine, a cake like this requires a structured stand. In this lesson, Paul explains all the components and shows how to put the stand together for our Halloween Witch.
2. Carving the cake
Paul makes some adjustments to the stand then starts to stack and carve the cake. Although he’s using dummy cake, it’s exactly the same principles. As Paul says in the lesson, don’t be scared as ganache fixes everything!
3. Covering the legs and making the shoes
Decorating the stand structure is key to getting that ‘How did they do that?’ question. In this lesson Paul gives our witch her stockings and distinctive witchy shoes.
4. Adding the boot tops and buckle
Paul finishes the witch’s boots and adds a buckle just for extra effect.
5. Adding the jacket
The jacket is added in three stages starting with a striped pattern on the undercoat which can be seen from the front. Paul then adds the jacket in two pieces which have been texturised.
6. Adding the arms and broomstick
The distinctive features are all coming together now when Paul adds the arms and broomstick. He uses armature wire for the arms and a threaded rod for the stick, then decorates with texturised sugarpaste.
7. Adding the neck and scarf
Using some simple techniques which he adds his own twist too, Paul adds the neck, scarf and collar before moving on to finish off the broomstick.
8. Creating the facial features
Up to this point Paul had left his options open whether he was going for a friendly witch or a scary witch. A Facebook poll decided that it should be a scary witch, so Paul creates the all important scary facial features from modelling chocolate.
9. Covering the head and adding the ears
This can be a little tricky, but watch how Paul covers the head making sure to bring out the key features, before adding the ears to really bring the face to life.
10. Airbrushing the body
Time to get the airbrush out! The colours are of course your choice, but Paul starts with the purple to decorate the stripes and some shading before moving over to the black for the jacket and shoes.
11. Colouring the stripes
Those with a steady hand can airbrush the stripes on, but Paul chooses to paint them by creating a rusty red colour, in keeping with our scary witch.
12. Painting the face
Time to get to work giving this witch her scary look. The face is always the main character point so watch how Paul colours the face adding all those extra details to great effect.
13. Adding the hair
Paul uses shades of grey and black textured sugarpaste sausages to make the hair. Remember that there’s a hat to go on so it doesn’t need to be perfect at the joins!
14. Adding the hat
No witch is complete without a pointed hat. Paul works with some shapes before deciding on the final design, which he then places on the head carefully making sure that the face can be clearly seen.
15. Painting the hat and finishing touches
Paul gets the airbrush out again to paint the hat then adds the belt and buckle, before painting them gold. He then finishes the eyes to give us one scary witch!
16. Other ideas
Paul shares with you some other ideas for this spooky witch design!
17. Pro lesson
Paul teaches you everything you need to know about selling a cake design like this.
Wicked Witch Cake Tutorial – Halloween Cake Decorating
Halloween is the perfect excuse to get creative with cake decorating, and this Wicked Witch Cake Tutorial from Paul Bradford is full of character, clever techniques and just the right amount of spooky fun!
With her bright green face, exaggerated features and wonderfully wicked expression, this witch is guaranteed to attract attention. Whether you’re making a centrepiece for a Halloween party, creating something special for a customer or simply looking to develop your cake decorating skills, there’s plenty to learn from this tutorial.
Paul takes you through the process of turning cake into a striking 3D character, showing how a combination of carving, modelling, airbrushing and hand painting can bring a design to life.
What You’ll Learn
Building a strong internal structure
Every successful sculpted cake starts with a solid foundation. Paul demonstrates how to create the internal support needed to keep the witch secure while allowing you to achieve the shape and proportions of the design.
Carving and shaping the cake
Learn how to carve the cake into shape, gradually building the witch’s distinctive appearance. It’s a great opportunity to develop your confidence in creating three-dimensional cakes rather than traditional round or square designs.
Creating expressive facial features
One of the highlights of this tutorial is the witch’s face. Paul demonstrates how to develop her exaggerated features, giving her a wonderfully mischievous personality. These techniques can be adapted for all sorts of character cakes.
Airbrushing and hand painting
Discover how airbrushing adds colour, shading and depth to the design before hand-painted details bring out the witch’s expression. It’s these finishing touches that really make the character stand out.
More Than Just a Halloween Cake
Although this design is perfect for Halloween, the techniques you’ll learn are useful throughout the year.
From sculpting faces to creating realistic expressions and using colour to add dimension, these are skills you can apply to countless other cake decorating projects.
If you enjoy character cakes, explore more of our cake decorating tutorials and in particular the Halloween Section so you can discover new techniques to develop your confidence.
For inspiration on Halloween traditions and celebrations, visit English Heritage’s Halloween guide.
Ready to Create Your Own Wicked Witch?
Gather your tools, prepare your cake and join Paul as he brings this wonderfully wicked character to life.
Whether you’re an experienced decorator or looking to challenge yourself with something new, this is a fun project with plenty of transferable skills.
Happy Halloween and happy decorating! 🎃🧙♀️
