I have spent a lot of time this summer designing my official website. I still bake though, and had a fun opportunity to make a special birthday cake for a family friend's mother. My first fondant sculpture [Bob Marley] had some technical problems, so I was determined to make this one work.
My son, Kevin, is an ever present helper and critic. At one point he told me there were cracks in my gum paste bear! I made the gum paste flowers [first time for roses] a week ahead of time.
I did a lot of online research on how other people have made teddy bear fur. I knew from the beginning that piping it on [Wilton Style] was something I would not do. Finally, I found a few blurbs about a Williams Sonoma Build a Bear Cake Pan that came with a kit to decorate the bear. I saw that it included some sort of glaze and assortment of brown sugars. I made my own glaze by mixing Karo Syrup and brown food coloring. Then I sprinkled brown sugar mixed with crushed golden sprinkles [I crushed them with my Pampered Chef Onion Chopper to get smaller flakes].
I was very happy that my technique worked! I experimented on a piece of extra fondant before I actually did it to the bear.
I did the small rose petal by petal too, tiniest one I've made so far. I've been drawing butterflies since I was in middle school, so I cut them by hand without the help of a template. This cake was a lot of fun for me and I can't wait to start baking again :]
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These are so cute I will try this for my grandaughters birthday.
ReplyDeleteWow! Andrea, that bear is amazing. I never would have thought of using teh sprinkles.
ReplyDeleteThank you! The sprinkles I liked (wanted something golden, not dark brown), were too big in the flake. But sprinkles stick better than brown sugar because brown sugar tends to get wet in the syrup or not stick at all (my experience from a Beach Cupcake, will have to post!) So chopping the sprinkles gave me smaller pieces (yay) and a variation in color too (yay). Then I added some brown sugar for variety.
ReplyDeleteI'm convinced if I just give myself more than enough time to work on a cake, good things can happen.
Do you have any tips for how you got the sprinkles on so evenly? I've seen other pics online of bears where the individual really struggled to get them on the sides and chin, etc. Any advice you have would be appreciated!
ReplyDeleteSarah
the bear is so cute :)) i'm still learning all this sculpture to decorate cake!
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