3D
We're Not Savages
by Georgette Gamel @Getteness · submitted Aug 14, 2012 · 2012 contest
1 / 33
Description
"After all, we're not savages. We are English..."
The journey of making this cake actually began about a week before I even started! I decided to read Lord of the Flies (which is a very compelling tale) in order to get a feel for the characters that were to be sculpted in cake. I could have gone with the red and black design, but I wanted to use naturalistic colors to add a bit more to the story being told.
I started with 8" and 6" almond pound cakes made from scratch. I filled the layers with caramel buttercream, and also iced the cake in a thin layer of the same butterceam. I carved the cake in a sort of skull shape (I didn't want to take off too much because the cake was actually going to be served at a birthday dinner). The cake was covered in two different colors of fondant--skull-colored cream for the front, and pink for the back, since the mountain in the novel was made of pink rock.
Next, I sculpted the main characters out of fondant, using uncooked spaghetti noodles as support for their limbs. I kept in mind each character's features as described in the novel. I filled in the mountain with fondant trees and bushes. I finished the cake off by putting the characters in place then "painting" the fondant with layers of food color mixed with vanilla vodka. Since the story takes place on an island, I covered the board with "sand" (brown and white sugar mixed together).
The whole cake took about 15 hours to bake and construct. The only supports used were uncooked spaghetti noodles (the cake itself was able to stand on its own). As for the flavor of the cake- almond and caramel go famously together! It was a hit at the birthday dinner!
I was glad to finally conquer my fear of 3D sculpting (something I've had an issue with since high school art class!)
The journey of making this cake actually began about a week before I even started! I decided to read Lord of the Flies (which is a very compelling tale) in order to get a feel for the characters that were to be sculpted in cake. I could have gone with the red and black design, but I wanted to use naturalistic colors to add a bit more to the story being told.
I started with 8" and 6" almond pound cakes made from scratch. I filled the layers with caramel buttercream, and also iced the cake in a thin layer of the same butterceam. I carved the cake in a sort of skull shape (I didn't want to take off too much because the cake was actually going to be served at a birthday dinner). The cake was covered in two different colors of fondant--skull-colored cream for the front, and pink for the back, since the mountain in the novel was made of pink rock.
Next, I sculpted the main characters out of fondant, using uncooked spaghetti noodles as support for their limbs. I kept in mind each character's features as described in the novel. I filled in the mountain with fondant trees and bushes. I finished the cake off by putting the characters in place then "painting" the fondant with layers of food color mixed with vanilla vodka. Since the story takes place on an island, I covered the board with "sand" (brown and white sugar mixed together).
The whole cake took about 15 hours to bake and construct. The only supports used were uncooked spaghetti noodles (the cake itself was able to stand on its own). As for the flavor of the cake- almond and caramel go famously together! It was a hit at the birthday dinner!
I was glad to finally conquer my fear of 3D sculpting (something I've had an issue with since high school art class!)
