I am doing my first set of Fondant Animals (jungle themed cake). I haven't started yet, but think I have a pretty good handle on what it is that I am doing. The only things I have made from fondant were a pumpkin, leaves, and an acorn....the rest of my fondant work is covering a cake.

I'm wondering if I should make my fondant a little tougher or if the same type of fondant I would use to cover a cake is the same I would use for modeling figures.

Any pointers or help would be much appreciated Thank you in advance!! I am really excited about this cake!!

Id love to know this too... Hope we get an answer!
Your cake sounds cute, good luck

I'm doing a Jungle Cake for a 1st Birthday myself next month, must be a trend. As for modeling, I either use a 50/50 mix of gum paste and fondant or just gum paste by itself if the pieces are delicate, or if they are going to be kept for a time afterwards. You could also mix Tylose Powder into your fondant to strengthen it instead of gum paste, but I'm not sure of the ratio. Give your pieces at least 24-48 hours to dry, more if they're thick. Have fun & good luck!

Hi, Mandy is right, but you could also do them with just fundant and let them air dry if you don't have tylose.

I did a jungle safari theme for a baby shower earlier this year. I'll attach a copy of the cake and if it's what you're looking for let me know. I can send you a close up of the animals and tell you how I made them.

Close up of the jungle animals.

Thanks Lynda, those are definitely cute, but the ones my customer requested are actually a cake done by KarolynAndrea, but we're changing it up a little.

I'm glad to know I can do them straight fondant. I don't have Tylose, and I have not been able to find it besides online and the cake is due next Sunday. And I don't have much gumpaste (unless someone has a good recipe to make homemade kind) left to do 50/50 and we just had a snow storm so I can't really get out to buy any and I was thinking about starting the animals tomorrow. I made some MMF today. So I just wondered if extra PS would help stiffen the MMF and perhaps make them hold shape better........Thanks for all your input...keep it coming

I love the Marshmallow Fondant and yes you may need to add more PS. I did the animals in rice crispies, covered them in icing and then fondant. I have heard modeling chocolate seams smooth out better but I was happy with the results. (Should have cut the dowels shorter though).

Anyway, I like using rice crispies because: you can see the animals take shape and modify them (add too or take off), it's lighter and dries much faster than a glob of fondant. No one's going to eat the fondant but they'll eat rice crispies covered in icing and fondant.

I did my daughter's first birthday in a Jungle Animal theme also. I covered the cake in fondant but I made the animals from molding chocolate. Here is the link to the cake pics. there are close ups of the animals.
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo_1458114.html

Beckup, that is so cute, I especially love the waterfall with the hippo. This must be first birthday theme..haha. The person I am making this for, its for her daughter's first birthday, but I had been thinking about when my 5 month old turns one doing it for his birthday. I have a 3 year old girl also, and I'm ready to do something not princess Here is the link to KarolynAndrea's beautiful cake that I am recreating http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo_1540604.html It will be like this but we're going to "Girl" it up. Not that this isn't unisex, because I believe it is, but she wanted it to be pink and purple--and I want to change it as much as possible so I'm not a total copy cat, although I just love this cake the way it is!!! SOOOO The Giraffe will be light pink with dark pink spots, the Elephant will be Purple, the Monkeys will stay the same (maybe a little lighter brown) but one will have a bow, the other a pearl necklace, not sure if we'll do all three monkeys, and then there will be a lion in yellow and pink, and then possibly a zebra white with purple stripes. We're going to add some vines on the bottom tier and the little girl's name on the bottom tier in PInk. And the one will be a curly one in, you guessed it, PINK.

For those of you that have done these before, so I just thought of this, and forgive me for sounding dumb, do you use Skewers/Dowels/Tooth Picks or Royal Icing to attatch them to the cake so they don't fall off. And when you attach the arms and head do you use a toothpick? I was going to use spaghetti, but If you read earlier we just had a snow storm and I'm not up for getting my kiddos to the store in this mess and we don't have any spaghetti (because I don't like it ). And Hubby works has been taking the car with AWD--I guess I could send him if Toothpicks wouldn't work. Thoughts?

Sometimes you need to use toothpicks. But If you start making this weekend so you have plenty of time to dry. I would just find batting/ papertowels or something to prop up your arms or other parts until good and dry. If you are using straight fondant you will need more than a couple days. You will probably need toothpick or small coffee stiring straws for stabilizing the body and heads. You can use spagetti also. I also just find stuff for the animals to lean against and prop stuff around them to hold them up. I am sure it will be cute all girled up like that. Much more playful looking. That is a beautiful cake to use as a guide.

I LOVE the jungle cakes! I did this for my DD's birthday http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1342445

If you have quick access to the Wilton candy melts, I would do a BUNCH of different colors of modelling choc to make your animals with. It really does make an excellent medium to work with. I've made wrestling men, horses, and mermaid tails with it. It's awesome!

wow, I had a lot of typos in my ealier post My 3 year old was demanding my attention. What about when attaching it to the cake, dowels, or royal icing? Its going on buttercream.

For those of you that use modeling chocolate, what recipe do you recommend. I recently did a monkey themed cake for my DD 1st birthday using strictly fondant. It came out ok for my first time, but I always see Cake Boss using modeling chocolate and would love to try it. It looks so much smoother. Also, when using RKT, do you modify the recipe when using it for figures because it seems to get soggy when left out. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thx,
Jackie

So I started with some of my fondant animals tonight, the elephant and the zebra. The Elephant looks okay, he's a little fat and squatty, Normal for an elephant...My Zebra on the other hand is fat and squatty and looks bad IMO. It kept sinking...has anyone had this issue? Should I make the body one day, and come back the next day to do the head? I added extra PS and that didn't help any, like I hoped it would. And remember, I'm doing them straight fondant, and have nothing to add it is as far as Gumpaste, or Tylose. I have a packet of Gumtex (which I have never used--came in one of my Wilton class packages).

well I think I figured it out, I think I must of had too much fondant going on for the poor elephant (I remade it)!! here they are.....first time doing figures. I think they turned out okay, learned a lot on the way. (Not the best picture--it was taken with my phone). Just thought some of you might be interested in seeing them

I think they're absolutely adorable. I find that without a professional camera none of the pictures I ever take do any of the cake items justice.

Great JOB!

I have to learn how to do this for my new grand baby's mommas shower lol...she wants jungle animal theme.......you did great they are all so darn cute

Yes, take him up on it. Example, with a regular camera (no special filter), purple looks grey or blue. Rarely is the color on the cake the right color.

If nothing else, as part of your commission, ask the bride to send you a picture done by the professional photographer.