3D
As Fast As I Can
by Bea Jarocha-Ernst · submitted Aug 8, 2010 · 2010 contest
1 / 22
Description
In searching the Threadless Tees designs, I was struck by the simplicity of the As Fast As I Can design. I liked the limited colors and simple animal (and plant) figures. I imagined a 3D cake that from the side appeared slightly abstract, but from the top looked like the complete speedometer. I think it turned out pretty well even though all of the figures did not fit perfectly on the cake. Space issues forced me to be creative and I think it worked out well. The snail may be my favorite part of the whole thing.
I had visions of this cake coming together over a number of weeks as I gradually put the pieces together in my free time. Pretty much every other cake I have made for an occasion came down to a last minute crunch where I was either up late the night before or scrambling as I was supposed to be walking out the door. This has gone horribly wrong in the past, but I imagined this one would be different, a far off deadline, no pressure, a cake just for fun. Of course many things got in the way and it took me three weeks to complete the gum paste figures. The figures grew increasingly difficult from the slow animals to the fast ones as their legs got longer and their forms less round. I wish they had all been as easy as the turtle... I had to employ some crafty wire frames to support the legs of some figures, but I used it as sparingly as possible.
The rest of the elements of the cake came together in a single Saturday. It happened to coincide with my boyfriend’s birthday so he got one sweet birthday cake. More of a DIY person than an artist, I try to make as much of the cake from scratch as possible. On this one Saturday, I had four cake layers, chocolate marshmallow fondant, chocolate buttercream and all the final touches to complete before the end of the day. Surprisingly it worked out and we were digging in right after dinner. I still feel like my teeth are black from all that black fondant, but it sure was tasty!
I had visions of this cake coming together over a number of weeks as I gradually put the pieces together in my free time. Pretty much every other cake I have made for an occasion came down to a last minute crunch where I was either up late the night before or scrambling as I was supposed to be walking out the door. This has gone horribly wrong in the past, but I imagined this one would be different, a far off deadline, no pressure, a cake just for fun. Of course many things got in the way and it took me three weeks to complete the gum paste figures. The figures grew increasingly difficult from the slow animals to the fast ones as their legs got longer and their forms less round. I wish they had all been as easy as the turtle... I had to employ some crafty wire frames to support the legs of some figures, but I used it as sparingly as possible.
The rest of the elements of the cake came together in a single Saturday. It happened to coincide with my boyfriend’s birthday so he got one sweet birthday cake. More of a DIY person than an artist, I try to make as much of the cake from scratch as possible. On this one Saturday, I had four cake layers, chocolate marshmallow fondant, chocolate buttercream and all the final touches to complete before the end of the day. Surprisingly it worked out and we were digging in right after dinner. I still feel like my teeth are black from all that black fondant, but it sure was tasty!
