Introduction: How I Made My Threadcakes "Hooded" 3D Cake
Here is my step by step tutorial on how to make my threadcake entry.
Don't forget, I am competing once again to represent Portland in New York on the hit TLC show, The Next Great Baker! The final spot on the show is determined solely by votes so getting the support of my fellow cake lovers is key! This is where you come in! Vote for me and help send me to NYC in two weeks to compete against 12 other bakers for the grand prize of $100,000!!!
I really think I can bring some good caking to this show without the catty drama. I really want to make it on for my talent not my "bitchy" personality like some other contestants. I really want this chance so bad to open a bakery in my community and bring the FIRST 3D and sculpted cakes bakery to Portland.
Here is the link to vote http://tinyurl.com/lizmarek you can vote every day!
When I win, I plan to use the winnings to open the most kick ass bakery PDX has ever seen!
I would be happy to talk on the phone, or just email any information you need!
Thank you so much for your support!
Liz Marek
www.artisancakecompany.com
Step 1: Bake the Cakes!
I baked 3 full sheet cakes for this project. I used a vanilla butter cake recipe but pound cake or any other dense cake would work great. It also helps if you let the cakes sit overnight (wrapped in plastic wrap) so they are not as fragile when you need to start sculpting.
*Note: This is not really a beginner tutorial. I am assuming you know how to bake a cake, what fondant is, buttercream etc.
Here is the link to vote http://tinyurl.com/lizmarek you can vote every day!
Step 2: Make the Stand
To make the stand, cover a 12" wooden cake board with cake foil. Attach a 1/2" floor flange with screws then a 1/2" PVC adapter to hold your 1/2" PVC pipe. Use PVC cutters to cut the pipe down to 18". This will ensure your cake doesn't fall over.
Here is the link to vote http://tinyurl.com/lizmarek you can vote every day!
Step 3: Start Stacking the Cake
I started cutting pieces of cake off the main sheet cakes and stacking them onto the structure. I used white chocolate ganache as my filling so that it would be strong and tasty! Every few layers, I cut a piece of cardboard to support the next few layers. Support your cardboard with straws or dowels so the bottom layers do not get crushed by the weight of the cake on top.
Vote Elizabeth Marek for Next Great Baker! http://tinyurl.com/lizmarek! August 19th at Midnight is when voting ends!
Once all the layers have been stacked and carved, I covered the whole cake in buttercream and put it in the fridge over night to chill before covering in fondant. *note, I had to take pretty much all the shelves out of my fridge to get the cake to fit.
Step 4: Sculpting the Face
I used white modeling chocolate to sculpt the face. You can look up a recipe or use mine. Add 4 oz of warmed karo syrup to 8 oz of white melted chocolate (good quality, not melties)
Vote Elizabeth Marek for Next Great Baker! http://tinyurl.com/lizmarek ! August 19th at Midnight is when voting ends!
The modeling chocolate takes a few hours to set up so you might make this ahead of time while the cake is cooling in the fridge.
I applied a layer of modeling chocolate all over the face area then slowly built up the features like the nose, lips, eyes and ears. This will take a lot of time depending on how good of a sculpter you are so be patient!
Step 5: Make the Bird
To make the bird, I used lollipop sticks and gumpaste. I made the body and then attached the wings. This is another thing you should make a head of time.
Vote Elizabeth Marek for Next Great Baker! http://tinyurl.com/lizmarek August 19th at Midnight is when voting ends!
I made each feather individually and used a sculpting tool to give dimension to the feathers. After the bird was dry, I rubbed some dark blue food color into the detail of the winds and then wiped away the excess with a damp paper towel.
Step 6: Painting the Eyes
To create the eyes you will need oil based food coloring for tinting chocolate candies.
Vote Elizabeth Marek for Next Great Baker! http://tinyurl.com/lizmarek August 19th at Midnight is when voting ends!
Regular food color will bead up and not blend since it is water based and chocolate is oil based
I used a large piping tip to put an indentation where the iris will be. I filled in the iris with dark blue at the top and lighter blue at the bottom. This creates a realistic gradient.
I filled the pupil in with black food color as well as around the edges. I used a dab of white food coloring (water based) to add a little highlight to the pupil. Lastly you use more modeling chocolate to create the upper and lower lids.
Use more food color for eyelashes, eye shadow and eyebrows.
I also used a little blue mixed with vegetable oil to tint the lips
Step 7: Adding Hair
To make the hair, you will apply strips in layers
Vote Elizabeth Marek for Next Great Baker! http://tinyurl.com/lizmarek August 19th at Midnight is when voting ends!
Roll out a strip of fondant, create texture with your fondant tool and apply in layers using a little gum glue (water mixed with tylose powder)
I used some plastic wrap to keep the bangs off her face until the hair set up a little
Step 8: Adding Ruffles
To add the ruffles, the concept is similar to the hair.
Vote Elizabeth Marek for Next Great Baker! http://tinyurl.com/lizmarek August 19th at Midnight is when voting ends!
I rolled out long strips of blue fondant (I varied the darkness of blue as well) and ruffled the edge using a ball tool and flower sponge.
Apply in strips with gum glue
As you can see, I inserted dowels into the shoulder areas to support the longer pieces of fondant.
I also added our little bird friend during this step
In the front, I made an area to suppor the sugar flower by inserting a long popcicle stick into the chest and bending it. I molded a piece of fondant around the end to support the finished sugar flower. I also created some buds with flower wire and fondant
Step 9: Adding Sugar Flowers
To make the sugar flowers, watch my tutorial on youtube
Vote Elizabeth Marek for Next Great Baker! http://tinyurl.com/lizmarek August 19th at Midnight is when voting ends!
<object width="480" height="360"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/yqjACH2Rc7c?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/yqjACH2Rc7c?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="360" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>
Step 10: Eat and Enjoy!
If you enjoyed this tutorial, please vote for me to show my skills on TLC's Next Great Baker where I will compete against 12 other bakers for the grand prize of 100k! I plan on using the prize money to open my own bakery!
Vote Elizabeth Marek for Next Great Baker! http://tinyurl.com/lizmarek
You can read more about my story on my website
www.artisancakecompany.com
Thank you for enjoying this tutorial!
