I need a little advice. My daughter has requested a difficult cake for her birthday. It will be a topsy turvy cake with zebra print on the bottom layer green on top. There will be a tree at the top and on the side a giraffe reaching for the tree. I plan to make the giraffe out of rkt and cover with fondant however I have never used fondant. I was planning on using Mmf because it is cheap. Can anyone give any suggestions on the best way to cover the giraffe? Also I plan to do everything else in buttercream. Should I paint the zebra stripes or draw them on with buttercream?
Thanks for your help!

Also: We will be traveling 3 hours away for her party. I will finish the cake there but would like to have the giraffe done. Best way to transport? Box? Cooler?
Thanks again!

How big is your giraffe? If he is small you may not need to use RKT and just make him out of fondant (thats what I have done). The rest is not my area I work with fondant. All of my zebra print cakes are fondant stripes.

You could do it in fondant mixed with tylose pwder, but if you really wanted to make the figure out of RKT (personally id do it out of modeling chocolate or fondant) Than in my opinion I would cover the RKT out of Modeling chocolate, its easier imo.

The giraffe will be about the size of the cake which is why I thought to do it with rkt. Thanks for all your help!

RKT is not amazing strong. It's amazingly light in weight.

I don't think that's your problem here.

Properly framed, the giraffe would have the most stability made out of a fomdant/tylose mix.

I would make a frame with wooden dowels for the feet and neck, and a rectangular piece of wood for the bottom of the body. Make it early and give it time to dry. It will be very solid

Ok if it is going to be the size of the cake then yes RKT will be fine. When I use RKT I like to get store bought because they are stiff and not as sticky as homemade or cut down on marshmallow and butter in the homemade ones. Either can be put in a foodprocessor or blender this helps to make them smooth when molding. Or you can cover the RKT in melted chocolates after you mold before you fondant. Use a dowl or something for support so the head neck and body stay together. I hope this helps.

Thanks foreveryones help. I tried the rkt with wooden dowels but it was so hot and humid here in nc that the rkt wouldn't stick! I stuck it on the fridge, but then I ran out. Oh well, Ill try again when I'm not on a time constraint. Luckily my client is my daughter! We bought a wooden statue and are going to use that.

I appreciate all the wonderful advice and will use it next time!