Sketch to Cake: Melanie Mangrum’s Beatrix Potter Cake

“When I was notified by Cake Central and asked to submit a cake based off of ‘The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes,’ I have to admit that I had never heard of it. My first step was to get the book and read it. After reading the story, I was mostly moved by the beautiful, soft illustrations. I knew right away that my cake would somehow involve a tree or trees. That is where the idea for the bottom tier came from. I also wanted to have tiers that had the same soft, painted look that Beatrix Potter’s illustrations had. That’s why I hand painted the top two tiers of the cakes using the books illustrations as inspiration. I planned all along to make Timmy Tiptoes and his wife. I wanted them to look realistic to the book, but didn’t want them to be merely flat pieces of gumpaste. I decided to add royal icing with a paintbrush to give them the look of soft fur. I let it dry and then hand painted them. I may not have known the story ‘Tale of Timmy Tiptoes’ in the beginning, but now I will treasure the story and forever remember it.” — Melanie Mangrum