Our Air National Guard unit is having our annual Hail and Farewell party on the 14th and I'm making the cake. The party has a Mardi Gras Theme.

The cake will be 16"x16" (two squares of chocolate and two squares of white) made into a sheet cake. I will cover the cake in royal icing and paint our flyer design on the top.

Standing off each of the back corners (I will be glueing hand made mardi gras masks to lollipop sticks and using fondant to make ribbons wound around the sticks).

Here are the masks. I made them from gum paste and hand painted with food coloring and luster dust. The feathers are real and glued onto the back. I still have to finish the medallions for the center of the foreheads.

Let me know what you all think. It is a very ambitious job for a newbie.

The masks are lovely. I think it souds like a great idea.

The masks are lovely. I think it souds like a great idea.

You did a really great job on the masks. Are you going to cover the whole cake in royal icing? It will make it rock hard.

nope, I'm also using fondant in yellow, green and purple. The only place that will be royal icing will be where I paint on the flyer picture.

Unless someone else has a better idea? I have painted on fondant before, but the SMSgt in charge of the party asked that it not all be covered in fondant because not everyone likes to eat fondant.

I need a really smooth surface that won't cause the colors to run.

GORGEOUS masks!!

Jen

Thanks everyone. Those masks took days and hours to make. I've come up with an idea to put the picture on the cake. I'm giving it a shot...I was so hoping they would close the base today due to the snow (we have about 6" outside right now with more coming), but we are on a 2 hour delay instead. I guess I'll work on it tonight after I get home. Once I finish the picture I'll post it and you all can give me your opinions.

I love this forum. The comments are all positive and the help and suggestions are wonderful!

You did a beautiful job on the mask! Can't wait to see the cake!

From someone who is fascinated with masks, you did a fantastic job. Can't wait to see the cake.

I finished the cake and the party was last night. What I did to get the picture from our flyer announcing the party was .... I blew up the picture and taped it to foam board. I then took royal icing and sat there and filled it all in. I covered the cake with white decorator's icing and then used yellow and green food coloring gel mixed in vodka and painted the top of the cake. With the help of two friends, we took the royal icing picture and placed it on the top of the cake. I made fondant diamonds in green, yellow and purple for the corners. I also took all three colors and made icing and put them all in the same icing bag and did the borders (it really was cool to see the borders with all three colors in them).

Everyone loved the cake (it was half white cake and half chocolate).

Beautiful....you did a great job.

What do i think????????

Are you kidding me !!!!! - i think it is bloody marvellous
(a great Aussie saying) -

How ironic that i see this thread as yesterday i was asked to make a cake (any kind) in April, for a women who is turning 30 and comes from South America - so in my wisdom i thought i would do *something* with a mask floating from the top.
And then i see your beautiful masks AFBarbie.
What fantastic masks you made - congratulations i think the whole thing looks just brillante.

Bluehue.

well, if it tasted anywhere NEAR as good as it looked it was a hit all around !! CONGRATS........ good job !

Thank you all very much. I asked the General to cut the cake, but he declined and had me get one of our newly promoted Colonels to make the first cut. I took over after that (I was part of the whole planning committee). Everyone loved the taste of the cake. I'll never tell them that it was box cake mixes made with a whole lot of love.

You did a GREAT job!! I know everyone must have been amazed!!

What base are you at?

Thank you! I'm full time Air National Guard stationed at McGuire........New Jersey.

Wow, I'm truly amazed. You make yourself sound like a beginner who's not so sure of yourself. The whole project is stunning. I could have never done the masks, what a great job!
Congratulations, and thank you for serving America, as well!!!!

You did a great, great job!!! Judging from the masks, you must have an art background. All of the praise on CC and from your fellow patriots was very well deserved!

Beautiful! Beautiful! Beautiful!

Great cake! I would have never thought of the technique that you used for the top of the cake, and the masks are beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you all very much. I am a beginner at this. It all started about a year ago when my daughter got engaged. She asked me to make her wedding cake (for this coming June). So, I started making practice cakes and taking them into work and making the people there eat them. Then this past January one of the ladies asked if I would make a cake and she would pay me for it. And that's how things began.

I have absolutely no art background at all........good grief I can't even draw a straight line with a pencil (but I do have an active imagination)! Both my grandmothers made wedding cakes when I was little and when they passed on being the oldest grandchild, I inherited their icing tips (and maybe a little of their talent).

You all here at CC are great! I love the input and encouragement you give us newbies and to each other. I am so lucky to have found you as I progress on my cake making journey!

Thank you all again for your support!