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Mermaid Cake
N.B. Please make the mermaid’s upper body no less
than seven days before the cake.
Materials/equipment
Mermaid upper body –
Gum paste Shortening (vegetable) Flesh colored gel/paste food color Small polythene bag A small amount of cornstarch in a dusting bag Toothpick Edible glue plus brush Artist pallet knife Woman figure mould (Aztec or similar)
The cake -
Royal icing Piping gel Butter cream Gum paste 8 inch round cake 2 lb fondant Rolling Pin Paste/gel food colors Tylo powder ¼ inch space bars Powdered sugar in a sifter Rolling out board Smoother Side scraper Small parchment piping bags Piping tip No. 1, 2 Small scissors Tooth picks Pallet knife No. 1 round paintbrush Small sharp kitchen knife Liquid food colors Alphabet cutters (Patchwork Cutters or similar) Modelling tools Latex petal veiner (optional) Artist pallet knife
Lightly dust the Aztec mould with cornstarch. Knead/soften the gum paste to the right working consistency. Color the gumpaste flesh color. Take a piece of the colored gum paste roll into a ball (to remove the cracks) then roll into a cylinder shape. Place/shape the gum paste into the mould (back half).
Trim the gum paste level with the mould. Place the filled mould in a polythene bag (to stop the gumaste skinning over, while you make the front half of the torso).
Repeat the procedure and make the front half of the torso (insure you apply sufficient pressure to the head area for good features). Once the excess gum paste has been removed from the mould, paint the surface with edible glue. Position a toothpick centrally on the torso. Paint the toothpick with edible glue. Place the two torso moulds together.
Press the moulds firmly (together). Remove the excess past from the base of the mould.
Carefully remove the back of the mould. Trim/cut away any surplus gums paste.
Turn the torso (mould) over on you hand and carefully remove the mould.
Use your finger and smooth the joins. Carefully tilt the head into a more realistic pose. Leave the torso to completely dry (no less than seven days).
Sculpt the cake; remember to create a seat area (with a back support).
Coat the cake with butter cream.
Color the fondant – 14 oz white, 6 oz green, 4oz blue, 2 oz yellow, 2 oz brown (the remaining 4 oz of fondant will be used for the mermaid tail, octopus, and fishes)
Flatten the piece of white fondant add the green fondant. Roll the fondant up into a cylinder.
Flatten the cylinder of fondant add the blue fondant. Roll the fondant up into a cylinder.
Flatten the cylinder of fondant add the yellow fondant. Roll the fondant up into a cylinder. Lightly knead the fondant.
Lightly dust the work surface with powdered sugar. Roll the fondant out (use the ¼ inch space bars to create an even thickness). Cover the sculpted cake.
Attach the fondant to the cake board - by carefully wetting the cake board with a small amount of water. Trim/cut away the excess fondant.
Moisten the stone/set area with water. Roll out the piece of fondant colored brown and position on the cake.
Trim/cut away the excess brown fondant. Smooth into place. Use your finger to create indentations/crevices in the stone.
Coat the fondant (excluding the stone) with a thin layer of piping gel.
Lightly dust the cheeks of the dried torso with peach petal dust.
Paint the eyes white (petal dust and alcohol)
Use petal dust and alcohol and paint the pupils of the eyes. Paint a thin line in brown for the upper eyelashes and eyebrows.
Mix a ½ teaspoon of Tylo to 4 oz of fondant. Color 2 oz of the paste green (mermaid’s tail). Shape the piece of paste (minus a small ½ inch ball of paste which will be needed later) into a ball then into a cone. Texture the surface using a modelling tool (or a plastic drinking straw cut in half).
Use a fine pair of scissors and make a cut (approx.1 inch in length) at the pointed end of the cone/tail.
Separate/shape the tail fins. Texture the fins either using a latex veiner or modelling tool.
Use your thumb and make an indention in the top of the tail.
Paint a small amount of edible glue in the indentation and secure the torso.
Roll a small sausage of green modelling paste. Paint a line of edible glue at the join (torso/tail). Attach the sausage of green modelling paste. Texture the sausage of modelling paste.
Secure the mermaid to the rock with a small amount of royal icing
Make the arms for the mermaid (one at a time). Dust the mould with cornstarch. Roll a sausage of flesh colored gum paste. Place the gum paste in the mould.
Cover with the other half of the mould and firmly press. Remove one half of the mould and trim away excess.
Make a small amount of flesh colored gunge (gum paste mixed with edible glue till it resembles well chewed chewing gum). Attach the arm to the torso; use the gunge as the glue.
Make the shells for the bikini top – a small ball of modelling paste flattened/textured with a modelling tool. Attach to the torso before making the other arm.
Color a small amount of royal icing for the hair. Pipe the hair (small piping bag with a No. 2 piping tip). Use a damp paintbrush to create the texture.
Optional - Attach a small blossom flower to the hair for decoration.
Color half of the remaining modelling purple for the octopus. Shape the piece of modelling paste into a ball then into a cone. Use fine scissors and cut the legs. Roll the legs carefully between your fingers to lengthen/remove the cut edge.
Place the octopus on the cake. Use a modelling tool to create the eye sockets/mouth. Use royal icing to pipe the eyes (No. 2 white and No. 1 brown).
Color the remaining modelling paste yellow/orange. Cut the paste into two pieces. Shape one piece into a ball then into a fat cone. Use your index finger and thumb to create a waist. Flatten the smallest section (tail). Pinch the top/bottom edge with your index finger and thumb to create the fins.
Use the fine scissors and make small cuts in the fins/tail. Use a toothpick to create the eye socket. Pipe the eyes with brown royal icing (No.1 piping tip). Repeat and create the second fish.
Create the grass/seaweed by rolling long cones of green modelling paste. Squeeze into bunches. Pinch/flatten and shape each piece, before removing the base.
Rollout a piece of gum paste for the name. Lightly grease the Patchwork cutter with vegetable shortening. Press the cutter firmly down on the rolled out gum paste. Carefully remove the surplus gum paste from around the letters (which are required).
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© 2004 |
