How The @&%! Do I Appoach This Cake Request!!!please Hel
Decorating By aimers Updated 6 Apr 2008 , 9:47pm by beachcakes
I second that, revel!
Who even asked you to do this?? I'm just a novice, for sure, so my approach would be something along the lines of an edible image, plaque, or even a FBCT.
Sorry I'm not much help.
I would do a fbct, but I'm still fairly new. If you do 3d, make sure it's well worth your time!
If you do that in 3D, first, charge them a bizillion dollars for it, and second, post the picture so we can see it!
I'd tell the person I'd put the picture on the cake with a transfer method of her choice, but no way I'd do that 3D.
Deanna
Yea right! No way I'd be able to duplicate that! I'd stick w/ FBCT, color flow image or something of that nature. Maybe a life-time caker can give you better advice.
GOOD LUCK!!! And post your picture...can't wait to see!
Tippyad
here's a start.
note diagram in lower right corner....
the board is not a normal shape but specially tapered toward the tail and has little wings for the knees.
then lower left corner -- side view of supports -- remember TWO of the front ones
then overlay on pic -- generally idea of how the supports go inside the cake.
ALL supports are copper or plastic tubing-- type used for WATER in a home (ie food grade) attach by drilling, screwing and using flanges. Curved supports for tail and arms will have to be copper so you can shape/bend them
Board is plywood.
tail & head -- RKT
main body -- i'd start w/ wonder mold and then build up w/ added pieces of cake from rounds or sheets.
legs -- squares of cake cut / fitted / carved -- should be very angular.
hide back support that hold ups tail-end by crafting a crushed car or building around it -- so it looks like he just wholloped it!
HTH
If you want a sturdy structure you could always use pvc pipe with the elbow and t connectors to "build" the basic structure of the dinosaur. I think you will need something stiff like that to ensure that the tail holds up. I watch all the Food Network cake contests, they make using armatures look simple. Good luck, please keep us posted and take pictures!!!!!!
Melanie
Holy cow!!!! I think I would go with a transfer, edible image or draw it on with icing. I don't think I'd attemp a 3D sculpture...well, mayba a laying down one, but not standing up.
forgot to add....there would be an oversize plywood baseboard that this thing would rise from...with the copper pipes firmly attached to it too.
it would extend at least 3 inches in all directions past the longest/widest point of the cake.
HOLY MOLELY!! I second to motion to charge an arm & a leg. Have you quoted the customer a price yet? Maybe when you disclose the price, they may change their mind.
Good luck!
First off, you are so very brave to attempt this, my hat is off to you!!!! Second is that an actual Transformer? My sons 2 fav things are Transformers and Dinsaurs so he would love this, and his b-day is coming up!
Ok back to you, Doug is a cake building genius if anyone can help you its him! Also I would go with what everyone else says and charge and arm and a leg, maybe you can set up a finance plan for the customer?And please post pics when you are done!!!
Doug, I think I love you !!!! That diagram is awesome. I'm going for it. This cake if for my husbands BFF. So I am pretty sure I'm not getting paid but my DH is paying for all the supplies and making the support system. I will chalk it up to a HUGE challange and one for the portfolio. I am really wishing I had an airbrush right now. I will post the pics next week. Thank you all for your help and cross your fingers for me. Doug thank you again.
P.S. Dinobots I think were the last group of Transformers from back in the eighties. I don't know much more than that but I will find out more info before I post the finished product.
Success or Disaster I will post it so please be kind.
Hey aimers!
You are a great friend to make this for free. I agree, it will be so nice to have in your portfolio and it is nice of your husband to build the supports
I really think this cake would be super=hard without an airbrush. You may want to see if someone from your local cake club would let you borrow theirs. In picturing this in my head, I am thinking:
-Getting good angles on the legs, arms, body by letting the fondant or BC set up a bit and then using a fondant smoother to get flat angles.
-using an airbrush with dark grey or black on your steely grey BC or fondant and going around the angles for shadows. (see Ace of Cake's recent episode where they did an Ear Cake - they used flesh airbrush to shadow the ridges of the ear)
-using some metallic airbrush spray too, if you can find one to use. Especially if you are using buttercream. You will need a metal-looking finish to this to get this transformer not to look like a dinosaur tha
Wow I love this idea! What a great challenge! While researching another cake design I found the cake below & this seems like just the help you need.
Edit- Made by www.frenchconfectioncakes.com
Doug- wouldn't you need to still have cake boards (foam-core) in between the layers? I would make the support boards slightly smaller than the cake you are placing on each so as not to show edges when frosting. Each board would need to be doweled too? Your cake recipe would have to be very firm a pound cake that doesn't crumble easily. Each time I see the FNW challenges their cakes look dry, firm and easily man handled. Would an extra egg in the recipe make the cake more spongy/elastic and less likely to crumble?
Hey Aimers!!!! First of all......good for you to want to take this on!!!! Also, second....you mentioned that your DH is buying the supplies and that you wish you had an airbrush.....well, I would tell him that this is part of the supplies For all this effort......at least get an airbrush out of it!!![code:1:ba980fa6ab][/code:1:ba980fa6ab]
Anyone besides me think that Doug is Duff in disguise? lol
Good luck Aimers - you brave, brave soul! Can't wait to see those pics. And we promise to be kind...I mean are you kidding? We're all holding our collective breaths on your behalf as you boldly go where no other caker (or at least not many) has dared to go before! So of course we will be kind! You're our hero!
Doug- wouldn't you need to still have cake boards (foam-core) in between the layers? I would make the support boards slightly smaller than the cake you are placing on each so as not to show edges when frosting. Each board would need to be doweled too? Your cake recipe would have to be very firm a pound cake that doesn't crumble easily. Each time I see the FNW challenges their cakes look dry, firm and easily man handled. Would an extra egg in the recipe make the cake more spongy/elastic and less likely to crumble?
depends upon how many layers of cake used. If main body is wonder mold and then at most two layers used to create tail, etc. --- then NO....
and head due to complex shape and gaping jaw would best be done in RKT smooshed around the internal armature support -- so again no.
and the feet wouldn't be all that big or heavy so probably not (and just might get done in RKT too.
since I didn't/don't know just how big this was going to be, I didn't delve into all that.
---
Anyone besides me think that Doug is Duff in disguise? lol
now why would you want to insult duff like that!?!?!?
Yea right, if that's an insult then I'm Martha Stewart! "It's a good thing!" [/quote]
geeze they arent asking for much are they, and for free to boot
you are a brave brave person good for you I would probably laugh myself to death if someone asked me to make that.
Anyone besides me think that Doug is Duff in disguise? lol
now why would you want to insult duff like that!?!?!?
all i know is that Doug is my hero! and I think he could rivel some of Duff's designs for sure... btw, Lumberton is not that far from the Charlotte area... i may need to pay a visit! LOL
OK I said I would post this cake success or disaster. I will make this quick so I don't get shut down again. I decided to go off the actual toy which was much easier but still a pain in the butt. Base is wooden dowels and bolsa wood. Legs, neck and tail are RKT, back is cake and the belly is styrophome (only after a failed attempt at defying gravity with RKT). Covered in BC and MMF. It was a disaster on my end but our friend loved it. Thank you everyone for all your help!
Can't figure out how to add my pics right now. I will add them to my photots in an hour
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