Perfect Gift

When I was picking a design I was taken in by this cute little guy! I love soy sauce, and I love sushi, perfect! He just looks so happy, and I like graphic very straight forward designs rather than ones requiring an arty interpretation. I worked on this over a couple of weeks because I was really busy with work and my son's christening at the same time, but it probably took me about 4-5 hours altogether, excluding drying time of cake, icing and each painting stage. I realised I had a perfect old style measuring cup to make this shape after I had chosen the design, how handy! So it was much easier and quicker to make the shape than I had thought it would be, I thought I'd be hand carving it. I used a tablespoon measurement to make the roundy bit to start off his lid, everything else was made freehand which is how I usually like to work. He was chocolate biscuit cake on the inside, and all sugarpaste (fondant) icing on the outside, painted and coloured with paste food colourings. I loved painting all the light and shade bits, reminded me of doing Still Life in art college. I find painting really relaxing so I enjoyed doing this in the evenings when I had finished work cakes and baby was gone to bed, or was sitting on my lap "supervising". With cakes like this they are just an object during most of the work and then all of a sudden when you give them eyes and mouth they light up with personality. It broke my heart to cut him and eat him, I wanted to spend some more time with him. If it wasn't in the rules to cut him I would've left him for at least another week. Next time I must remember not to choose a design with a cute happy face! My husband knew well I would cut his face last...but once I had started cutting the urge to EAT ALL THE CAKE was too much, and his precious face was indeed eaten.