Okay, so I made my pony last night. I think it came out pretty good! Is there a way I can make it glossy? Or a more finished look?

Also looking to find out when I should actually bake and then decorate the cake... The day before? Or should I freeze for a day, decorate the next, then serve the next?

Thanks for all you help!

Okay I tried to post a pic but for some reason it didn't work. Here goes, I'll try again.... Nevermind, it's not working.. Sorry

You could put it in your gallery or post it somewhere else like Facebook or photobucket and post the link.

So again, is there a way to give it a finished look or make it shiny? It's still pretty darn cute either way, but just wondering

Also, about when to bake and decorate and whether or not to freeze? I'm gonna try the vanilla 3d recipe...

Thanks!

Put a steamer on it for a minute to shine it up a bit.

For edible varnish I use a 2:1 vodka to light corn syrup and brush it on. See my poinsettia on my photo gallery. Your pony turned out great! My daughter would love it! Any tips on how to make it?

I just used modeling chocolate and did each body part seperate, (each part was cooling in the fridge while I was working on the next) Then i just blended them all together. I still need to smooth it out a little more too though...

But I really need to know when I should actually make the cake? 2 days before? Freeze a day, then decorate the day before the party? I've never made a cake before!! My questions may seem silly, but I want her party to be perfect and I don't want to mess this up! Thank you so much! You ladies have been so nice!

Nice poinsettia! Will that vodka mixture work on modeling chocolate the same way? Thanks! The steamer idea seems like it would work good as well, only problem is I don't have one... :/

I've never used it on modeling chocolate but try it on an inconspicuous place to see. I would assume it would work though. On the pointsettia I also sprinkled it with white pixie dust which might also look cute on your pony.

Very cute pony!

Wow, that turned out really nicely. Am I correct that you are the same lady who also made a rainbow? Can't wait to see the final product!

As for when to bake the cake, that's up to you. Some people want fresh only, and won't consider freezing. Note that when I say 'fresh' I just mean freshly baked, not frozen. Many people (myself included) believe that a frozen cake tastes just as fresh as the moment it went into the freezer.

Since this is one of your first cake experiences, I would suggest baking your cakes now and freezing them. You can do the same with your buttercream icing too if you like.

And now for the good news. You can decorate your cake several days before the party if you like. In fact I would suggest that you do, as I bet you probably have lots of other things to cook in preparation for it. Once you have put your buttercream or fondant on, you have in effect sealed it from the air, so your cake will sit under the icing getting yummier and yummier. Honestly I really do believe that cakes which have sat for a few days are better than ones baked that day. Just my humble opinion though! ooh... I'm a scratch baker, not sure if it's the same for boxed cakes, or if you are making a boxed or scratch cake.

Doing it all in advance also means you can re-do if something goes wrong. If you have your cake done two days prior, you will feel so much more relaxed. And understand that professionals do the same thing, your cake is not going to be stale underneath there! If you're unsure, brush some simple syrup onto each layer before filling them. Maybe a tablespoon per layer, mostly around the edges, not so much in the middle.

You're doing fine, your pony looks amazing, I am so envious, you clearly have an artistic streak. I don't think I would bother making her shiny either, she looks amazing as she is!

Will the steamer melt the modelling chocolate? I know people do this with fondant, but not sure about modelling chocolate..?

Thank you Zespri! That does make me feel so much better! I think I'm gonna try that vanilla 3d recipe that's listed on this site, a lot of people said it's good. Can I crumb coat while it's still frozen? Or should I let it thaw first? I'm assuming it doesn't matter? Again, thanks so much!!!! I feel so much better now! I'm gonna go to the store today and get my supplies!!

Yes, you can definitely crumb coat while frozen, it will make it a lot easier. In fact often I find I can skip the crumb coat and go straight to the main event, as freezing the cake holds it all together so well I don't have a problem with crumbs. If you're covering in fondant, make sure you wait until it's defrosted first though.

Post back in this thread when you're done, can't wait to see it!

I'm so sorry, but I can't find on here how to freeze a cake properly, then how to thaw properly.. Is it listed here or is this something everyone just knows how to do? Just got back from the store, I'm gonna bake my cake!! (crossing fingers)

oh my gosh, that's another thing that varies depending on preference. There are so many choices to make, but I will tell you how I do it.

I bake, leave in pan for 10 minutes with a teatowel over the top to keep in the steam/moisture. After ten minutes (which is to help prevent the cake from falling apart), I turn it onto a wire rack, which leaves the cake upside down. I then put a cake board on the bottom (which is now facing up), and flip it again. You do this because if your cake is domed, leaving it upside down could cause the sides to slip down. If it's a flat cake then not such a big deal. Personally I then cover with a tea-towel again to keep the steam/moisture in. When it's settled a bit, I level it, and torte it, and immediately wrap it in plastic wrap, while it's still warm. Be careful not to wrap it too tight or you might distort the shape of the cake. I then put it in the freezer with lots of space around it so nothing knocks it, and with boards underneath each layer. If you stack each layer on top of the other the plastic wrap sticks and they can be hard to seperate later. I also find putting them cut side down seems to help it keep the shape a bit better, but that's only for some recipes, weird.

When it comes time to defrost, if you wish to leave your cake until fully defrosted before working on it, then do NOT take the plastic wrap off the cake. If you do, the 'sweat' will form on the cake itself. If you leave the wrap on, the sweat will form on the plastic. That's why it's so important to make sure it's airtight, if air gets into the cake you might get sweat on the cake. (it's not realy sweat by the way..hehe). But if you are happy to decorate frozen, just whip it out of the freezer and have at it! Just don't take the plastic off until you have your bowl of icing sitting next to you, ready to ice.

Please bear in mind that different techniques work differently for everyone. This is just the way that works for me. Don't be scared about the steam being trapped in the cake, it's commonly held belief that it traps in both the moisture and the flavour by wrapping freezing while still warm.

I follow a similar workflow as Zespri, but I do take my cakes out of the freezer the night before I plan to ice and stick them in the refrigerator. Then I level. I find it easier to level straight without a bunch of tearing and crumbs if it's been chilled for a while versus while still warm or at room temp, but it's too tough if the cake is still frozen.

If you've never made a cake before, definitely make your cake a few days before so you can remake if something goes wrong. I'd also suggest icing a day or two before for the same reason.

Good luck and your pony reminds me of the "My Little Pony". So cute!

Interesting! I thought it was just my heavy handedness that makes it a bit crumby/tear a little when the level comes out the other side. I don't want to stop levelling before I freeze as I love taking it out of the freezer and just jumping straight into decorating while still frozen, but I might try freezing it for ten minutes or so and then levelling, to see if it makes a difference. Love these forums, so much to learn from each other!

Probably not your heavy handedness. I've stuck in the fridge for a couple of hours and been able to level then too and then freeze. I work around a 1 year-to-be's schedule so most of the time my cakes cool for longer than I like or spend more time in the fridge before moving on to the next step than I like. Thankfully, cake isn't an exact science so there's no absolute right.

I hear you! I have an 18mnth old, I've learned to be more flexible than I'd like

Cute pony! To make it shiny, you can paint with confectioner's glaze.

Um... So it's in the oven now. The round one looks okay. The quarter sheet is still not done. Should I turn down the temp and cook it longer? It actually now has a crack in it from it puffing up so much. Hmmm?

Often the crack and the puffing is because it's up high to start with, so if you're worried, you could try turning it down. Most people cook their cakes at 350 or 325, depending on the oven. Of course if you are planning on levelling it afterwards (as you probably are since you'll need the pony to stand on it nicely) the cracking isn't the end of the world as it will be cut off anyway.

Yeah, it was at 350, I just turned it down to 325. It's almost done now. I was gonna level it out anyways.
So I got the little one leveled and wrapped and in the freezer! I ate the part that I cut off and boy was it good! Yum! I think I will just frost right out of the freezer, seems easier. Thank you so much Zespri! You've been so quick to answering my questions. If you don't mind I"m gonna add you as a buddy!

No worries at all, I know what it's like to need answers before you can progress any further. I'm not sure what a buddy means, but it sound snice, so yay!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by shadylady23

Yeah, it was at 350, I just turned it down to 325. It's almost done now. I was gonna level it out anyways.
So I got the little one leveled and wrapped and in the freezer! I ate the part that I cut off and boy was it good! Yum! I think I will just frost right out of the freezer, seems easier. Thank you so much Zespri! You've been so quick to answering my questions. If you don't mind I"m gonna add you as a buddy!

lol, you can add buddy's on this forum. One last thing, I can put these in the freezer before they are fully cooled right?

yep, as long as they are nicely wrapped up to stop air from getting in/out. And don't wrap them too tightly, while the cakes are soft their shapes can be distorted.

Definitely freeze and then use, makes the cake so much more moist.
Quick question, can I use honey instead of syrup?

[quote="Claire138"]Definitely freeze and then use, makes the cake so much more moist.
Quick question, can I use honey instead of syrup?[/quote

To make modeling chocolate? I'm the wrong person to ask! I wouldn't think so, but I don't know much... lol. I guess you could try it out?

Shadylady, your pony looks awesome! Please post a link here for us to see the final cake! I am making a pony cake with a rainbow for my daughters' birthday as well, but not until the end of February. I would love to see how yours turns out!

I was planning on using a plastic pony to make a mold and pour white chocolate into it, but your modeling chocolate one looks great! Maybe I will try that, but last time I tried modeling chocolate, it wouldn't hold it's form and just kept sagging, so I'm hesitant to try again.