Introduction: How to Make a Farm-Themed Cake
I'll show you how to make the barn, the animals, and the grass
Materials:
-2 13x9 cakes, any flavor
-Something for the base (I used the top of a large shoe box covered in foil)
-4 cups of frosting (2 containers of store bought, or 2 batches of homemade frosting)
-2 lbs of fondant (white or red: I used white that I colored red)
-2 bags of white candy melts
-1/3 cup of corn syrup
-toothpicks
-oil-based food coloring (red, pink, black, green, yellow: I used Wilton brand) (also called candy colors)
-Frosting bags
-Frosting tips (crescent, grass, small circle, big circle)
Materials:
-2 13x9 cakes, any flavor
-Something for the base (I used the top of a large shoe box covered in foil)
-4 cups of frosting (2 containers of store bought, or 2 batches of homemade frosting)
-2 lbs of fondant (white or red: I used white that I colored red)
-2 bags of white candy melts
-1/3 cup of corn syrup
-toothpicks
-oil-based food coloring (red, pink, black, green, yellow: I used Wilton brand) (also called candy colors)
-Frosting bags
-Frosting tips (crescent, grass, small circle, big circle)
Step 1: Getting It Ready
1. I used the top part of a big shoe box, and covered it in aluminum foil. Set this aside
2. Level the cakes by running a knife parallel to the table over the top of the cake.
3. Cut the cakes in half, like in the picture
4. Put one half of one of the cakes on the base.
5. Use a big, round frosting tip. Fill the bag with frosting, and twist above the frosting. Hold onto the twist while you frost.
6. Frost the whole half of the cake, going back and forth across the surface. Use a generous amount of frosting, but don't apply more than one layer of frosting.
7. Stack a second half on top, and again cover it in frosting. If your frosting bag runs out of frosting, refill it by untwisting the twist and putting more in. (Be careful when you start again because often there is a pocket of air between the original frosting and the new frosting that squirts out onto the cake)
8. Put a third half on, but don't cover it in frosting until you have completed the roof
2. Level the cakes by running a knife parallel to the table over the top of the cake.
3. Cut the cakes in half, like in the picture
4. Put one half of one of the cakes on the base.
5. Use a big, round frosting tip. Fill the bag with frosting, and twist above the frosting. Hold onto the twist while you frost.
6. Frost the whole half of the cake, going back and forth across the surface. Use a generous amount of frosting, but don't apply more than one layer of frosting.
7. Stack a second half on top, and again cover it in frosting. If your frosting bag runs out of frosting, refill it by untwisting the twist and putting more in. (Be careful when you start again because often there is a pocket of air between the original frosting and the new frosting that squirts out onto the cake)
8. Put a third half on, but don't cover it in frosting until you have completed the roof
Step 2: Make the Roof of the Barn
Cut the remaining half into two parts, one part that is about 2/3 of the remainder and the other about 1/3. Put the 1/3 section to the side.
With the 2/3 section, cut the cake diagonally (like in the picture!) to create two parts of a sloped roof.
Cover the barn with frosting and place the new pieces on the roof in the order Diagonal, Flat, Diagonal, so that it resembles the roof in the picture.
Cover the whole barn in frosting, and smooth out the edges.
With the 2/3 section, cut the cake diagonally (like in the picture!) to create two parts of a sloped roof.
Cover the barn with frosting and place the new pieces on the roof in the order Diagonal, Flat, Diagonal, so that it resembles the roof in the picture.
Cover the whole barn in frosting, and smooth out the edges.
Step 3: Fondant
Put the fondant on a paper plate and microwave on 7/10 power for 10 seconds to soften it.
Cover where you are going to work with wax paper, held down by masking tape.
If the fondant starts sticking, sprinkle a little powdered sugar on the surface.
Knead the fondant until it is soft.
Mix in red food coloring. Dip a toothpick in the coloring, and the "scrape" it off on the fondant. For this, don't be afraid to use too much color because it's such a big piece of fondant, but, as you'll see later, a little bit of color goes a long way. You can always add more color, but you can't take it away.
Knead in the color until it is well blended.
Take a rolling pin and roll out the fondant until it is about 1/8 of an inch thick.
Wait for about a half an hour for the fondant to get a little stiffer, so it doesn't break as easily when you put it on the cake.
Carefully lift the fondant and center it on the cake.
Carefully smooth it over the edges of the cake.
Run a steak knife or other similarly sharp knife along the bottom of the cake to cut of any excess fondant.
Moisten your clean fingers and run them over the cake to remove any leftover powdered sugar and smooth the fondant. If there are any breaks in the fondant, just pinch them together and go over the seam carefully with moistened fingers.
Cover where you are going to work with wax paper, held down by masking tape.
If the fondant starts sticking, sprinkle a little powdered sugar on the surface.
Knead the fondant until it is soft.
Mix in red food coloring. Dip a toothpick in the coloring, and the "scrape" it off on the fondant. For this, don't be afraid to use too much color because it's such a big piece of fondant, but, as you'll see later, a little bit of color goes a long way. You can always add more color, but you can't take it away.
Knead in the color until it is well blended.
Take a rolling pin and roll out the fondant until it is about 1/8 of an inch thick.
Wait for about a half an hour for the fondant to get a little stiffer, so it doesn't break as easily when you put it on the cake.
Carefully lift the fondant and center it on the cake.
Carefully smooth it over the edges of the cake.
Run a steak knife or other similarly sharp knife along the bottom of the cake to cut of any excess fondant.
Moisten your clean fingers and run them over the cake to remove any leftover powdered sugar and smooth the fondant. If there are any breaks in the fondant, just pinch them together and go over the seam carefully with moistened fingers.
Step 4: Piping
Remove the tip from that first frosting bag and replace it with a smaller circular tip.
Slowly and carefully pipe lines along the edges of the barn.
Pipe a door and lines going across, like barn doors.
Slowly and carefully pipe lines along the edges of the barn.
Pipe a door and lines going across, like barn doors.
Step 5: Candy Clay
Melt 1 bag (1 pound) of candy melts in the microwave: To do this, put them in a microwaveable container and microwave them at 7/10 power for 30 second intervals, stirring after each one until it is fully melted.
When they are melted, mix a third cup of corn syrup into the melted chocolate. Mix well.
Let cool for 2 1/2 hours, until room temperature. DO NOT skip this step, or your animals will not hold their shape.
Separate your candy clay into parts, laying them out so you see what colors you need for your animals.
Color the candy clay like you did the fondant: by kneading the color in. Use little bits of color at a time.
When you're working with the candy clay and it stops holding its shape, just let it rest for about a 1/2 hour to get back to room temperature.
When they are melted, mix a third cup of corn syrup into the melted chocolate. Mix well.
Let cool for 2 1/2 hours, until room temperature. DO NOT skip this step, or your animals will not hold their shape.
Separate your candy clay into parts, laying them out so you see what colors you need for your animals.
Color the candy clay like you did the fondant: by kneading the color in. Use little bits of color at a time.
When you're working with the candy clay and it stops holding its shape, just let it rest for about a 1/2 hour to get back to room temperature.
Step 6: Make the Piggy
Split the pink clay you made for the pig into:
4 legs
1 head
2 ears
1 snout
1 curly tail
1 body
Stick half toothpicks into the legs and arrange them into a square.
Stick the body on top of the legs.
stick a whole toothpick into the head, leaving a little bit sticking out of the front and a lot sticking out in the back.
Stick the back of the head into the body.
Use a little bit of extra pink and roll it into a scarf shape for the neck. Cover the neck with this and smooth it with the edges of the toothpick (as though the toothpick is a rolling pin)
Take a little bit of pale pink (the same pink that you will use for the cows' snouts and all the animal's ears) and form a slightly smaller triangle than the pig-pink triangle. Place the light pink on top (like it's the inside of the ears) and stick a half toothpick into the bottom of the ear. Stick the ear in the head.
Put little black spots on the snout and in the middle of the eyes. I had my pig's eyes going in opposite directions for maximum cuteness.
4 legs
1 head
2 ears
1 snout
1 curly tail
1 body
Stick half toothpicks into the legs and arrange them into a square.
Stick the body on top of the legs.
stick a whole toothpick into the head, leaving a little bit sticking out of the front and a lot sticking out in the back.
Stick the back of the head into the body.
Use a little bit of extra pink and roll it into a scarf shape for the neck. Cover the neck with this and smooth it with the edges of the toothpick (as though the toothpick is a rolling pin)
Take a little bit of pale pink (the same pink that you will use for the cows' snouts and all the animal's ears) and form a slightly smaller triangle than the pig-pink triangle. Place the light pink on top (like it's the inside of the ears) and stick a half toothpick into the bottom of the ear. Stick the ear in the head.
Put little black spots on the snout and in the middle of the eyes. I had my pig's eyes going in opposite directions for maximum cuteness.
Step 7: Cows
I made two of these, one bigger than the other.
(Instructions for one cow)
Separate the white clay into:
1 head (Shaped like a sphere with a square cow snout)
4 legs (3 if you want one leg to be black)
2 ears (or 1 if you want one white/ one black, or 0 if you want both ears to be black)
1 body
Separate the black clay into:
Miscellaneous spots (about 1/8 of an inch thick)
Any of the body parts listed above that you want to be black. (I had one ear be black on one of my cows)
Connect the body like you did with the pig: by putting half toothpicks into the body parts and sticking them together.
Before you put the head on, cover the snout with a thin layer of pink, and poke nostrils into it.
Make the ears like you did for the pig.
Cover the body and head with black spots.
Add eyes.
If the head doesn't stay upright, it's OK because it makes it look like the cow is grazing.
For my bigger, adult cow, I also added a tail: a thin white string of clay with a black tip.
(Instructions for one cow)
Separate the white clay into:
1 head (Shaped like a sphere with a square cow snout)
4 legs (3 if you want one leg to be black)
2 ears (or 1 if you want one white/ one black, or 0 if you want both ears to be black)
1 body
Separate the black clay into:
Miscellaneous spots (about 1/8 of an inch thick)
Any of the body parts listed above that you want to be black. (I had one ear be black on one of my cows)
Connect the body like you did with the pig: by putting half toothpicks into the body parts and sticking them together.
Before you put the head on, cover the snout with a thin layer of pink, and poke nostrils into it.
Make the ears like you did for the pig.
Cover the body and head with black spots.
Add eyes.
If the head doesn't stay upright, it's OK because it makes it look like the cow is grazing.
For my bigger, adult cow, I also added a tail: a thin white string of clay with a black tip.
Step 8: Sheep
I made 2 sheep.
Separate the clay into three parts, 1 small sphere for the tail, 1 oval-shaped form for the body, and 1 head shaped like the cow's head, but with a slightly smaller snout.
I made the sheep be opposite: 1 had a black head and a white body, and the other had a white head and a black body.
Make ears like the other animals and stick them into the head. Attach the head to the body, and attach the tail.
Add eyes to the sheep.
Using a crescent moon-shaped decorating tip, poke indents on the body to make it look fluffy.
You can add feet to the sheep, but I didn't because I was running low on candy clay because I messed up the coloring of the sheep a few times. That is why you need to use little amounts of coloring at a time.
Separate the clay into three parts, 1 small sphere for the tail, 1 oval-shaped form for the body, and 1 head shaped like the cow's head, but with a slightly smaller snout.
I made the sheep be opposite: 1 had a black head and a white body, and the other had a white head and a black body.
Make ears like the other animals and stick them into the head. Attach the head to the body, and attach the tail.
Add eyes to the sheep.
Using a crescent moon-shaped decorating tip, poke indents on the body to make it look fluffy.
You can add feet to the sheep, but I didn't because I was running low on candy clay because I messed up the coloring of the sheep a few times. That is why you need to use little amounts of coloring at a time.
Step 9: Grass & All Together
To make the grass around the animals, Melt the last pound (bag) of candy melts in the microwave until it is completely melted.
Use a new frosting bag, and put on either a grass tip or, if you don't have one (or if you lost it like me) a star tip.
Color the melted melts green using a 2 to 3 mixture of green and yellow coloring.
Put the melts into the frosting bag and pipe the edges of the barn and the front "lawn", leaving little spaces where the animals will go. Try to go quickly so the melts don't harden. I was going so quick that I didn't have time to take pictures, sorry! But here are some nice pictures of the finished farm!
Use a new frosting bag, and put on either a grass tip or, if you don't have one (or if you lost it like me) a star tip.
Color the melted melts green using a 2 to 3 mixture of green and yellow coloring.
Put the melts into the frosting bag and pipe the edges of the barn and the front "lawn", leaving little spaces where the animals will go. Try to go quickly so the melts don't harden. I was going so quick that I didn't have time to take pictures, sorry! But here are some nice pictures of the finished farm!
Participated in the
Cake Decorating Contest
