How To Make 3D Goose Shaped Cake

Posted by kakeladi

This project is a cute idea and a great place to start if you have never carved a cake before. I've made this goose a couple of times, each time used a different combination of cakes to work with. One could use a 1/2 egg or football shape cake for the body and a small (6" OR 8"?) square to create the head, neck and tail; cut from a 9x13 sheet or even use round layers.





Step 1) I had three 9" x 1&1/2" heart cakes to work with. Two layers of heart cakes are stacked - the point of the heart is the tail section.  The 3rd heart is cut for the head, neck, and fill in to make the body rounded. Also the widest point of the heart on each side is built up to represent the 'tucked-in' wings.  The two layer heart is trimmed some for shaping with the cut-off pieces used for more fill in on the top &/or the tail.  Be sure to build up the tail high.

Step 2) Once you have the shape you like, crumb coat it.  It's easier to do this if you take about 1/2 cup buttercream and heat it in the Microwave oven for about 5 seconds until it melts.  Don't overheat!  Just melt it - watch carefully.  Now work quickly to pour and spread this all over the cake - very, very thinly.  Make sure you completely cover ever bit of the goose.  Melt more if needed but any leftover cannot be re-used - it must be thrown out. This picture shows the build up of the wing well.

Step 3) Make feet by cutting orange colored fondant into piece about 3-4" long, about 2" deep; make rounded with an indent (see pic); mark with toothpick or gumpaste tool to look like toes.  Make 2 and place on either side of body at heart's widest point.

Step 4) Ice your goose - I've used buttercream.  Not sure how fondant would work.  You might want to give that a try:)   In this pic you see how I've marked the beak. Step 5) Paint the beak using straight paste/gel color. Step 6) Finish by adding a fondant ribbon around the neck; some bugs and grass. I made tiny fondant ladybugs and piped the grass with tip 233 in buttercream.