Showing posts with label penguin cake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label penguin cake. Show all posts

Monday, December 8, 2008

The penguin cake

The cake was a hit! And it came together so easily too. This is the 6" top, with the slide carved out. The top of the cake was very uneven, but we left it that way. To carve out the slide, cut a strip of paper about half the circumference of the cake and the height of the cake. My paper piece was 9" x 3". Cut in half to make a triangle. Attach to the side of the cake with toothpicks, then with a sharp knife cut into the cake horizontally along the paper edge, going into the cake about 2" for the width of the slide. Then cut down from the top the same 2". Then clean up the side. Here both cakes are together, the top one pushed back to give room at the front for the pond. I used a half and half mixture of my buttercream, (icing sugar, butter, vanilla and water) and Betty Crocker's Fluffy White Whipped Frosting. It was easy to work with and crusted over well. Finished! Here's a good shot, you can see the little guy coming down the slide on his tummy and one already head first into the pond. I don't have a photo of Josh with the cake. I'll add that later. For the penguin tutorial, click on "penguins" in the label bar below.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

A Penguin Tutorial

What a day I've had with these cute little guys! Wednesday afternoons are my sugar days with my friend Verdie. Today our mission was a flock of penguins for my grandson's birthday cake in ten days time. As we were experimenting with the little creatures I took photos, so it is going to be a tutorial of sorts. I will start with the finished flock.
To start, using gumpaste or a mixture of gumpaste and fondant, or fondant with some tylose or gumtrag, measure some pieces of white paste about 15 grams each for the bodies.

Form them into the shape of the body, as above and push a toothpick into it to hold the head later.
Next, using black paste, make pieces 4 grams for the head and roll into balls. Next, make the eyes and beaks. For the eyes, roll white paste very thinly and cut circles with a #6 piping tip. The little circle will be the cornea. Cut the same out of black paste and divide it in two, make a ball and flatten it for the pupil. Stick in place on the head. For the beak, cut a small square, I had to trim it smaller than the cutter below. Press with a pin to fold it in half. Press the pin flat into the head to make a small indentation. Brush a little water into the indent and gently push in the beak.


Cut out the wings and feet from black paste using small heart cutters for the feet, and an oval cutter for the wings. You may have to trim the hearts to fit. The oval shape gets cut in half, and it's glued with the rounded side to the front.
Make a small cone of coloured paste and work with a pointed modelling stick to create the toque. Push the head onto the toothpick, adding a little gum glue to keep it in place. Then glue the toque in place.
Now, aren't they just the cutest little guys!!! If you make the penguins for your own cake, I'd love to see the finished result. Leave me a message please! My finished cake is posted here on December 8th. Click on "penguins" under Labels below.