Showing posts with label Dolphin Cake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dolphin Cake. Show all posts

Monday, August 15, 2011

The Infamous Dolphin Cake

OK. Say you're sitting at a bar and you look across and see me sitting there. Chances are you're not going to assume that one of my hobbies is making sculptured cakes. Actually, I dunno what you'd think because I don't remember ever asking someone. This was all an accident, really, like my main career. It was something I just tried because 'it couldn't be that hard'. I was half right.

I'm not leading off here with my first piece. I'm doing you a favor. This is my most famous one. It was a going away party for a co-worker/friend of mine back at a previous employer in August of 2007. She liked Dolphins, I was looking to prove myself a little in the cake arena and it seemed like a good opportunity. I dug out some cake pans and make my building blocks, printed some reference pics off the internet, turned on some Hearts of Space and went to work. At this point I still took pictures of me actually 'Making & Baking' mostly just to have proof I did it. I don't bother now - if they don't believe, then they just can't have any :P

Here's a set of pictures. By the way - this is the very first time I sculpted and used fondant on a cake. Ever. Turned out pretty well. The head is life-sized (to a Dolphin) and it felt like the whole deal weighed in over 25 lbs including the half sheet. I hear she still has the head in her freezer...


Above pics are of initial rough assembly.
I was trying to get the feel of a Dolphin head.



The dirty icing / fondant glue with a gum paste schnozz.








Laying the fondant and sculpting in the details. 
I remember grinning incessantly at the smirk it has. 
I guess artists* DO put a little of themselves in their creations.
*term artist used loosely


Airbrushing the petal dust. 
Finally got to use the bottle of Everclear.

Placed on the sheet. 
Used a cookie cutter to make the little ones on the sides.



Lettering is hand-painted. 
My least favorite task.

So there you have it.
To this day the wording irks me a little, but that's what was ordered.
I'm sure someone will Grammar-bomb me for it.