3D Finalist 3
Celestial Cephalopod
by Corinna Maguire · submitted Nov 4, 2014 · 2014 contest
1 / 19
Description
I had a hard time choosing which design - but ended up with this little guy. He looked like some fun modelling with loads of texture.
I started with the baking the chocolate cake using a ball tin (my first time using one!) and filled and covered it with a dark chocolate ganache using my flexible plastic smoothers to scrape it smooth.
Next I covered Jupiter in slightly orange modelling chocolate. And after that I changed my mind and covered it with white sugarpaste. I then hand painted Jupiter with a bit o' vodka and some edible food colours - Autumn Leaf, Navy, Black and Red.
Moved on to the Octopus using homemade candy clay I made out of Candy Melts and Golden Syrup. Tried a load of ways to get the texture on him and finally ended up using a stipple sponge, piping nozzle and plain old dots of more modelling chocolate stuck on.
For the base and the background I tried to use florist sugarpaste in a big salad bowl and let it sit in my hotpress for 3 days. Left it until I couldn't leave it anymore and took it out in hopes of it being nice and hard and in the right shape for a dome over the octopus.... Alas it wasn't done in time so I had to rethink and went with my old favourite - modelling chocolate/candy clay. Rolled out a big piece and sat it up on the cake board and carved it in to shape. Mixed some petal dust with vodka and spray painted it. Wasn't happy with that so dry dusted it more which gave a bit of a water-coloured effect which I kinda like! So went with it. The stars are then a mix of tiny dots of sugarpaste and I hand painted smaller white dots all over.
Then... he was eaten! He turned out to be very tasty - but tastes nothing like calamari.
Loved making him and am fairly happy with him too. If I had more time I would have liked to have suspended him - but I'll live. Next year I promise to leave more time and challenge myself a bit more!
I started with the baking the chocolate cake using a ball tin (my first time using one!) and filled and covered it with a dark chocolate ganache using my flexible plastic smoothers to scrape it smooth.
Next I covered Jupiter in slightly orange modelling chocolate. And after that I changed my mind and covered it with white sugarpaste. I then hand painted Jupiter with a bit o' vodka and some edible food colours - Autumn Leaf, Navy, Black and Red.
Moved on to the Octopus using homemade candy clay I made out of Candy Melts and Golden Syrup. Tried a load of ways to get the texture on him and finally ended up using a stipple sponge, piping nozzle and plain old dots of more modelling chocolate stuck on.
For the base and the background I tried to use florist sugarpaste in a big salad bowl and let it sit in my hotpress for 3 days. Left it until I couldn't leave it anymore and took it out in hopes of it being nice and hard and in the right shape for a dome over the octopus.... Alas it wasn't done in time so I had to rethink and went with my old favourite - modelling chocolate/candy clay. Rolled out a big piece and sat it up on the cake board and carved it in to shape. Mixed some petal dust with vodka and spray painted it. Wasn't happy with that so dry dusted it more which gave a bit of a water-coloured effect which I kinda like! So went with it. The stars are then a mix of tiny dots of sugarpaste and I hand painted smaller white dots all over.
Then... he was eaten! He turned out to be very tasty - but tastes nothing like calamari.
Loved making him and am fairly happy with him too. If I had more time I would have liked to have suspended him - but I'll live. Next year I promise to leave more time and challenge myself a bit more!
