Help!!! 3D Sculpted Cake Of A Woman In A Dress Ttrue To Life
Decorating By sophiasam Updated 10 Apr 2011 , 11:36pm by bobwonderbuns
Hiya
I've been asked to make a large 3D sculpted cake of a woman in a dress copied from a photograph of the woman, but she has asked that the whole cake be of sponge, head, face, arms, legs!!
Has anyone ever made a cake like this?
Could anyone tell me if it can be done, I'm not sure my skills stretch to sculpting the face out of sponge to make it look true to life....Is she asking the impossible??
Any advice, tips, hint or even comments would be greatly appreciated!
Who wants to cut THAT? haha. Regardless...
If its a floor length dress, then that makes it easy so you don't have to make legs. Also you can have the arms down at her side, so they don't have to be supported with anything too wild. You will have to support the head above the neck, internally with some sort of platform/support.
As far as the facial details...I would just carve the general shape of the head out of cake. Then use buttercream to sculpt the features. Below is a link to a cake I did, the photo is horrendous but I did the wizened old guy's face using a RKT head and then LOTS of buttercream...I piped the nose and such...then when you get the fondant on you can kinda manipulate it where you want it to go. Then chill it really well to firm up overnight.
http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1353843
Kitagrl, your cakes never cease to amaze me. I wish my black fondant looked that good!
Oh...that's a really bad picture....but I think I airbrushed that pot. Hm I can't remember if I did or not. But if you need a dark, shiny black its always good to do a coat of airbrushing! Or at least use the precolored kind you can get at the craft store (but don't airbrush that...it will bead up).
I initially thought she wanted a doll cake, but I was so wrong, the dress is short so will have to sculpt legs, thinking of attempting to do the legs as one, and try and make them look like they are crossed at the ankle (If I've explained that correctly) I've never worked with RKT, but thanks for the tip Ill try and sculpt the head out of RKT and won't forget the support, going to do a practice cake first to see if it can be achieved....thanks again 
Sophiasam,
Back in the day, Roland Winbeckler did a number of life size "people" cakes. Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, Cher, Princess Di. Primarily buttercream.
While you may not be doing life size, you can get some pointers from a book he did, Cake Sculpture.
He has pics of them on his website.
Hazel
I've found that just about anything can be sculpted with good photos, good tools, good materials, alot of patience and a little luck - if you can figure out the support system. Can you place your woman in a chair, for example? An upholstered chair, for example, with her legs "attached" to the cushion and skirt of the chair? If this would work, then you can stack multiple layers, with supports in between the layers - and carve the cake from a large block. Her shoulders could be about even with the top of the back of the chair. Then I'd do a neck and head from fondant. Her hands could be folded in her lap, allowing you to also cut their shape into the cake and make her hands from fondant.
This sounds quite difficult! Good luck with your project.
That project reminds me of these.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-507390/Bride-wedding-cake-life-size-model-herself.html
http://www.bestweekever.tv/2009-01-16/this-oprah-winfrey-cake-looks-surprisingly-delicious/
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/royal-wedding/2011/03/14/prince-william-and-kate-middleton-sculpted-into-royal-wedding-cake-115875-22989610/
I would pass on this one, lifelike artistry is difficult enough on a flat canvas much less frosting and fondant. I totally wouldn't do it.
I would pass on this one, lifelike artistry is difficult enough on a flat canvas much less frosting and fondant. I totally wouldn't do it.
Me too, unless I would be getting thousands of dollars and I could hire an sculptor to help.
I don't know where people get these ideas. This stuff, when done in cake, is not pretty at all.
Oh what a relief. Did you look at the links of the cakes that made it to print? Scary! Imagine the ones that aren't as "well done".
Roland Winbeckler made his name doing cakes like that and I believe he has a book out on cake sculpting (but don't quote me on that.) 
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