Life's a Beach! a Free-Hand Cake Decorating

It's fun reminiscing childhood fun with clay.

This project is stress-free and so much fun.

Hope you enjoy it!

Step 1: Getting Ready

You will need:

Fondant, ready-made fondant is widely available.

Gum-paste, ready-made gum-paste is widely available, too.

Royal icing, just-add-water royal icing is also available.

Butter cream or ready-made frosting, preferably light-colored so it does not show through.

Crushed Biscoff cookies or Honey Grahams for the sand or even Oreos for a volcanic black sand beach!

Parchment paper for rolling the fondant on.

Powdered sugar for kneading the fondant and gum-paste in.

Food coloring.

Tools:

Scissors.

Rounded needle tool or anything pointy enough but not sharp.

Rolling pin or a clean bottle.

Step 2: Preparing the Cake

Bake any cake of your choice and let it cool off.

Frost with butter cream. It does not need to be even at all.

Step 3: Creating Creatures

This step takes the longest time but it is the most fun. This could be done a few days in advance.

Mix a small piece of gum-paste with red food coloring, knead a little powdered sugar to prevent sticking.

Make a round ball for the body, tear drops for legs and pinchers. Don't worry about being anatomically correct, decide what number of legs would look cute.

Cut part of pinchers using scissors.

Make 2 little eye balls using white and blue or black gum paste.

Assemble the crab using a dab of water to connect each part.

Make other creatures and beach toys of your choice. The possibilities are endless!

Step 4: Creating the Waves

Mix fondant with light blue food coloring.

Roll it long enough to cover the circumference of the cake. Decide on the width.

Cut one side straight for the bottom of the cake.

Wrap it around the cake, leave part of of the top open for the sand.

Create the wave bymaking ripples randomly and pinching and pulling the top edges.

Fill the open space with crushed cookies.

Step 5: Assembling

Scatter the sculpted creatures and beach toys, attach them with a dab of water.

Pipe royal icing as water splashes randomly on the edges and on the water.

Enjoy!