The Customer has ordered a 10" square cake to match these party plates:
Does anyone have any good ideas. I know I could just make the top of the cake look like the plate - simple. I just want to see if anyone comes up with anything unique. If I do make it look like the plate, then how should I color the fondant for the map paper. I don't have an airbrush. Suggestions on that?
You could make the cake look like a treasure chest? And just match the colors/theme. Perhaps put sand around it, and "booty" spilling out.
If you do decide to match the plates, you could make the icing stripes in buttercream, or cover the cake in one color fondant, and paiint the stripes in the darker color gel, or even cut out the stripes from the darker fondant. Then you can separately make the parchment out of fondant . . . you can use a hint of yellow, and sort of "marble" it through. You can probably use some vanilla or something like that to hand paint and antique it a bit, and then lay the parchment on top.
Good luck!
how about...make the square cake...
>board under cake -- the red stripes.
>sides and top under map -- the blue stripes
> map -- fondant.
> then make small 3-D shapes out of fondant of the chest, dragon, swords, bones, hat, rocks, ship, and even palm trees if gutsy enough -- and stand them up on map.
>blue piping gel for water under ship.
>black coloring brushed on for map trail
> brown coloring brushed on for words.
too get mottled shading on map ... spread some brown color on nonporous surface and dilute to several different shades. them use balled up paper towel or very clean rag and dip in diluted color and pat randomly on fondant (variation of sponge/rag painting of walls but on fondant)
Good ideas guys! Thanks! I was trying to figure out how to do both sets of stripes, and I love your Idea, Doug, about the cake board. Perfect! I think I will make all of the little objects out of fondant. Believe it or not, I find that easier than doing a FBCT. There's just something about those transfers that I can't get quite right. Thanks for the inspiration! I'll post when I'm finished. It should be the 14th.
Two words... edible image. You could make the cake super cute, and exact match to the plates, and it would be toooooo easy on you!! You'd just apply the image and then border the cake. While it wouldn't take a TON of awesome skills to do it, the kids would think it was the coolest. You could even add a few 3-D features like a little treasure chest or something to make it more interesting if you felt it was too flat and 2-D. That would be totally cool! Of course Doug's idea sounds like the most awesome detailed cake... but if time were a factor, or if you were looking for a slightly easier option, you know? Either way, I can't wait to see this. Post a note here when you post the pic of it if you don't mind... some of us forget who we are waiting for pix from! Hahahaha!
While I do like to make my cakes more detailed and I really like to mold things out of MMF I DO have 4 cakes that weekend. (Which I know isn't a lot to some of you, but I think it's a lot). Would that be considered a copyrighted image? I don't have a printer, so I have to buy my images at the grocery store.
You asked about the map paper color and I think you could roll out the map separately on a sheet of wax paper and curl up the edges randomly and support until dried. Then with a mister bottle filled with color spritz on some color and wipe around the surface leaving darker lines at the curled up corners. This would be like applying stain to wood surfaces, the same technique. Reapply until you get the shade of golden/brown you desire
When dried place on top of your cake and proceed with your other fondant decorations. I can hardly wait to see the finished product.
I did I treasure cake where I drew the map onto a piece of fondant, coloured the fondant with a tinsy weensy bit of VERY diluted brown, edged a bit darker, drew in the map when it was dry. Then made a sheet cake to resemble the map with little fondant chest, skulls and bones etc. The mountains were made with the small Dolls pans, could use muffins as well I'll see whether I can attach the pic but its in the Gallery as well
how much are they paying you and what are your expenses?
I quoted her $50, not knowing exactly what I would be doing and figuring that it would be detailed fondant work.
It will cost me $18.33 in baking supplies only to make the cake (according to my own little chart I made). I always have trouble figuring in the electricity, time, etc. But that gives you a general idea of my cost.
Cookie4 and Ursula40, I was thinking about how to get the "antique" look not only in color, but in shape as well. Great Ideas!
I don't think you'd have a problem with copyright since it isn't a recognizable character or image, you know? But you could check over the packaging and back of the plate really well to be sure. If it's copyrighted, I think it will say so. Someone correct me if I'm living in a dream world, but it will usually have some copyright information on it. At least a little c in a circle by the name...
Anyone?
you can use Marzipan to get the color, then place it on a sheet pan and then you can use a portable torch, or chefs torch...the kind you blast a creme brulee with and "burn" the edges to make the map look old and parchment like.
You can see a sample of the technique on one of my cakes..the pink Happy Birthday Cake with the marzipan roses on it.
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&meta=allby&uname=RisqueBusiness&cat=0&pos=54
Here is the link on what it looks like.
and the map, exactly as it is...is a copywritten image, but, you can make a similar map that is your own creation..similar to the plate...or heck...just do what everyone else does..lol and copy it!
It may be a royalty free image if you don't find the c in a circle anyplace on the drawing..lol
if it was me, i'd totally go with dougs idea. i think to make the fondant decorations in advance is wise...and maybe even the map (you could paint the other details) AND the cake board early. honestly i dont think people want to eat EXTRA fondant. then when the time comes to make the cake, bake fresh, cover in light blue fondant, add dark blue stripes...then just top with all the premade map and dec's. viola! you could make all that stuff about a week in advance...also giving you time to redo if you arent satisfied with the results.
You could do exactly what is on the plate. . .to make the map you could use fondant make it look like torn edges and make some slits. . .Then you could piece it with different colored fondant. For the border around the top and bottom you could do red and white pearls.
You've inspired me!! Hi Coolmom ..the cake looks great!! Did you make the chest as well? I always have a hard time on what I should charge ..I noticed that you quoted $50 for the cake not knowing exactly what you would do...with your baking supplies being 18.33 and you using all fondant does that even leave you a profit? Fondant is so expensive....what size cake was that?
Hi Coolmom ..the cake looks great!! Did you make the chest as well? I always have a hard time on what I should charge ..I noticed that you quoted $50 for the cake not knowing exactly what you would do...with your baking supplies being 18.33 and you using all fondant does that even leave you a profit? Fondant is so expensive....what size cake was that?
I did not make the chest - I found it in the dollar spot at Target. I dont' usually like to use plastic, but I was SO short on time this week to begin with, and then I got 2 last minute orders to top it off.
$18.33 included the MMF that I used. It costs me just under $4.00 to make an entire batch of MMF, and I didn't use one whole batch. The cake itself was iced in Cream Cheese Icing, only the stripes and most decorations were done in MMF.
It was a 12" square cake. I quoted her $50.00 for a 10" square originally, but then I realized I don't own a 10" square pan...I really thought I did, but oh well! 
I decided to just make her a 12" square instead of buying a new pan. I know I need to start charging more, that's the hardest thing for me to do.
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%