This cake was inspired by the Chinese year of the Horse. My approach was to tie the old with the new as we come into this new year. By taking an old, traditional pattern and incorporating it into the cake was a wonderful lesson in both patience and detail, as each tiny piece was cut and painted by hand! I modernized the Chinese symbol for "horse" a bit to actually incorporate features of the horse itself into the traditional character. This calligraphy was done in black edible ink for a dramatic effect. What a fun challenge and looking forward to this New Year!