Made a Carousel cake for a customer. Wow, this was one of those times where I almost cried every step of the way. I followed Jessica Harris' carousel cake tutorial on bluprint called "Clean & Simple Birthday Cakes". The tutorial and subsequent cake making and decorating were NOT clean and NOT simple. Agh! I'm looking on the bright side and listing what I learned, because in the end I did learn a lot. I made the biggest cake I've made so far and it turned out lovely (a 12 x 12 2" 2-layer cake so about 3 or 3.5" tall), and I learned the following techniques/tried the following: making chocolate ganache for the first time, using wax paper transfer method, using a central support (2" pipe), trying a new rice krispie treat sculpting recipe, sculpting a cone, using rice krispie "cakes" as part of a cake, covering a cone (so simple but without the tutorial would have been a mess)....I'm sure there's more. I ended up getting only 3 hrs sleep the night before it was due so my time management was off for this one. Things that went wrong: I sculpted a cone with my hands after I bought the wrong size funnel and it was awful (after which I bought the right size), I got the heights wrong on several rice krispie pieces (not clear on the tutorial) and had to re do them, I had to cut the 2" central pipe 3 times to get it right, I tried to write neatly on the name plate (but I think it's horrible), tried to follow her tutorial on how to transfer a name using pencil graphite at 1:00am in the morning and it didn't work, very last second I stuck a bow above the name plate with a 50/50 mix of corn syrup/water and it dripped onto the name plate and I had to remake it, got the cake to the location and 2 horses fell apart...I had no tools...managed to stick them together using a tiny bit of fondant mixed with a drop of water.....boy am I glad it's over.. 
Looking at these pictures, you would never be able to tell that you had one bit of trouble. Everything about it is beautiful and give yourself a pat on the back and a good rest!
You did an awesome job, Louglou! Your little model is beautiful!
Thank you Sandra and Louglou.
Maybe you have some answers to these questions:
* what do you use to stick pieces on to fondant? I always used tylose mixed with a little warm water, or candy melts. Jessica Harris uses a 50/50 mix of corn syrup and water.
* do you create pieces to stick on ahead of time and let them dry in the shape they will be placed (like a curved surface....dry on the outside of the round cake pan for example), or do you freeze them early and then partially thaw and press into place?
* do you make your cakes ahead of time and freeze? I found that they turn soggy when I do that so I made the 12 x 12 double layer cake the day before serving (which adds added pressure of course)
* do you make decorations out of candy clay? Do you favor it over fondant/fondant mixed with tylose and why?
* do you like using Michelle Foster's fondant or marshmallow fondant and why?
These are just a few of the questions that came up when I was making the cake!
And how would you have done the name plate? It was too small for me to use tappits. I hate hand writing it, I think it looks so messy (of course, if you read my post, it was done at the very last second for the second time due to a silly mistake on my part!) The first one I did however wasn't that much better. I tried to look up a free font site and searched "Carousel" and "circus" font but didn't find any free font sites.
Louglou I love your piano cake (I am a pianist and piano teacher....cake making is my 2nd love ). Did you make the bench after you placed the piano?
I have a tool suggestion for you if you don't already have one. It's the pastry cutter in the attached set. Very sharp. I used it to cut all the strips out for the square cake sides in the carousel cake. I found it indispensable. Jessica Harris used her pasta cutter, but I didn't have one of those. It must have taken you a long time to cut all the keys on the piano. I think I'm going to use that border in a lot of cakes going forwards.
Hi Anneliese. I’ll try to answer some of your questions.
I use tylose mixed with warm water to stick fondant.
I sometimes make pieces ahead and dry them on a curved surface. I have also cut shapes out and covered them in clingfilm/wrap to keep them soft till I need them. Never tried freezing but i guess it would work in the same way.
I always freeze my cakes. Just make sure to thaw them while still wrapped so the condensation goes in the wrapping not the cake. I sometimes cover cakes in buttercream before freezing to help me get ahead.
Never tried candy clay. Is it the same as modelling chocolate. I used that once but struggled with how soft it was when warm.
I just use shop bought fondant.
i struggle with handwriting too. I have printed out letters and copied them with a soft pencil on the back of the printout and then traced over the front onto fondant so that the pencil shows up. Hope that makes sense. Sometimes I just hand write and hope for the best. I think your writing turned out really well.
I did place the bench first and then couldn’t get the figure in place so had to remove the legs and try to squeeze them under the piano. It was a bit tricky. I added the arms and hands last.
I have a little ribbon cutter tool but the white keys were just a single strip of fondant with the lines pressed in. The black keys were so small that I just cut them by hand.
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