3D 1
Test Pattern
by Heather Pelletier · submitted Aug 3, 2009 · 2009 contest
1 / 18
Description
One of my coworkers sent me a link to this contest and said I should do it. At first glance I thought it seemed really cool but didn't think I'd actually end up doing it. I've never entered any kind of food contest before. I am in pastry school, but I've never really thought cake design would be my niche, and we haven't gotten up to it in class yet so I don't really know the techniques. I've never made any kind of 3D cake before, never used fondant, never sculpted anything...basically, I've made tons of "regular" cakes, but this was a big experiment. Now at least I have an idea what I'm in for in the coming months!
Even before I started this, I was skeptical of the taste of big, shaped, fondant-covered cakes...so I wanted to be sure to make it taste like any other layer cake I might make. I did just a plain butter cake for the layers and made lots of chocolate buttercream to hold it all together. I was really surprised at my sculpting abilities-albeit t.v.'s are mostly square-and I really enjoyed that part. I had issues with the fondant, which weren't helped by the extreme heat and humidity in my tiny apartment kitchen. It tore a bunch, and although it chilled overnight before I took it out to do the final details, it was really melting by the time I took my final picture. The t.v. screen, which I attached separately (a piece of fondant with royal icing colors) even started sliding down a bit, although the melting may have enhanced the effect of the bleeding screen!
The whole process took about a week, but that was just the baking of the cake layers...I made two at a time whenever I got a chance in between working and school. I put the whole thing together this past weekend.
All in all, despite the melting and the somewhat unsmooth fondant, I'm really happy with the result, especially the shape and the colors. I'm looking forward to next year, when I'll be able to combine the cake decorating skills I learn with the ideas and sculpting I came up with this time around!
Even before I started this, I was skeptical of the taste of big, shaped, fondant-covered cakes...so I wanted to be sure to make it taste like any other layer cake I might make. I did just a plain butter cake for the layers and made lots of chocolate buttercream to hold it all together. I was really surprised at my sculpting abilities-albeit t.v.'s are mostly square-and I really enjoyed that part. I had issues with the fondant, which weren't helped by the extreme heat and humidity in my tiny apartment kitchen. It tore a bunch, and although it chilled overnight before I took it out to do the final details, it was really melting by the time I took my final picture. The t.v. screen, which I attached separately (a piece of fondant with royal icing colors) even started sliding down a bit, although the melting may have enhanced the effect of the bleeding screen!
The whole process took about a week, but that was just the baking of the cake layers...I made two at a time whenever I got a chance in between working and school. I put the whole thing together this past weekend.
All in all, despite the melting and the somewhat unsmooth fondant, I'm really happy with the result, especially the shape and the colors. I'm looking forward to next year, when I'll be able to combine the cake decorating skills I learn with the ideas and sculpting I came up with this time around!