Cake Design

[scudsucker]

Probably need suggestions from @emam on this, although it is going to to be a VERY amateur effort.

My 4 year old son has chosen a theme for my wife's upcoming birthday (which, in a 4 year old's mind absolutely MUST include cake).

The theme is "Coronaraptor" - a portmanteau of current events and his favourite dinosaur type.

My plan is to get him to draw what he imagines as a Coronaraptor, then make a very flat carrot cake, gingerbread, or choc brownies, and then ice it in white. I will draw the outlines, copying my sons drawing, using an icing bag and some black icing colouring we happen to have.

I will then make dilute food colouring/icing sugar mixes of a few colours and the kids can "colour in" my copy of his work of art.

Aside from managing the artists, the biggest problem is making an all-white, very flat, cake covered with iceing that can stand getting a little damp - the additional painting. I would guess adding egg white to the initial icing would work, so it has a slightly "slick" surface, and the wet coloured icing painted on may not sink in much before drying. The ideal is minimal "spread" of color.

The target market is both grans who will unconditionally love his effort no matter how bad, but I also need to instill some semi-professional advice.

 

[emam]

I think your best bet would be to cover your cake in fondant, which I hate ...but I'll do a little research and get back to you

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[emam]

Ok, Google is your friend here, plenty ideas and ways to paint on buttercream
Post pics when you've done it

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[scudsucker]

I think your best bet would be to cover your cake in fondant, which I hate ...but I'll do a little research and get back to you

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I also do not like fondant. Seems too artificial. Like wrapping in plastic.

 

[emam]

Today's master piece

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[scudsucker]

Thats very impressive.

 

[scudsucker]

I'm nowhere near that level - I can bake bread but getting cake to work is hard, let alone the icing.

I am thinking of a much less complicated version of this - and when I say, much less complicated, I mean preschooler levels.




This cake looks very amateurish. I am going for something way, way more amateur. It just needs the "Coronaraptor" and facility for kids to help out, not all the extra stuff. We are not looking at @emam professional level... we are looking at impressing a 4 yr old.* And mostly, a way to involve that 4 yr old in building the cake.





Edit to add... and to impress his mother, my wonderful wife.

 

[scudsucker]

Actually, now I think it through, fondant might be easiest. I can prepare flat pieces in the right colours and we can "stencil" onto them to cut.

Too much sugar for me to eat it, though

 

[emam]

Actually, now I think it through, fondant might be easiest. I can prepare flat pieces in the right colours and we can "stencil" onto them to cut.

Too much sugar for me to eat it, though

Yes, that may be your best bet.
Find a baking supply shop, not sure where you live. You need to buy a powder called cmc to mix into the fondant for the cutouts so that they dry.

Oh, and this is what your hands will look like after coloring fondant

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[scudsucker]

Yes, that may be your best bet.
Find a baking supply shop, not sure where you live. You need to buy a powder called cmc to mix into the fondant for the cutouts so that they dry.

Oh, and this is what your hands will look like after coloring fondant

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That's what my kids hands look every day, all day.

Without the well groomed nails, of course.


I live in Capetown, I am sure I can find a bakery supply store.

 

[scudsucker]

I may have to admit defeat.

The "Coronaraptor" illustration does not lend itself to my limited skills...


The Coronaraptor is the largest of the two green animals. Notice that it has three heads, each with four eyes and two mouths. It also has an extremely long, thin tail. I am reliably informed it has webbed feet, which looks like the easiest thing to do.

I've also underestimated the importance of sprinkles to a 6yr old girl. Any effort I make will be graffitied with cake accessories.

I will do something more mundane sadly.

 

[Tribs]

Make the cake idea as you had in mind. Then have a dozen cupcakes they can decorate with butter icing and sprinkles.

 

[emam]

Who drew that picture?
You can have that printed in rice paper or
get a picture off the internet and have it printed on edible sheets at a bake shop.

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[emam]

Sorry, why I'm asking who drew that picture, is, because if your child drew it, I think that that will be very special to put on the cake

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[scudsucker]

Sorry, why I'm asking who drew that picture, is, because if your child drew it, I think that that will be very special to put on the cake

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My four year old son is the conceptual artist behind this work in the surrealist style

 

[emam]

My four year old son is the conceptual artist behind this work in the surrealist style

I'd print that
It's so cute and special
Only thing is I'm not sure when you need it for and the bake shops are probably closed today

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[scudsucker]

I was hoping for something simpler, and more like a regular raptor. He nailed this scorpion recently.

Maybe I should convince him that we should have a scorpion cake!