Novelty cakes are cakes that are not shaped in the traditional ways, that is, circular or rectangular. They may be shaped to resemble buildings, baseballs, teddy bears and even people! Novelty cakes come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are remarkably easy to make. They are more attractive, as well as, easier to handle when they are served on a cake board. Cake boards are thick boards of either square or circular wood that are covered with silver foil. They can be purchased in baking or cooking stores or from any online specialty stores. These cakes require a lot of creativity and a modicum of time and patience.
Essential Materials for making novelty cakes
To make novelty cakes, these items are very important.
- Cake molds ( in whatever the desired shape )
- Pre-baked cake
- Carving knives
- Frosting (butter cream/ cream cheese)
- Food coloring
- Royal icing
Fondant ( type of frosting used on wedding cakes and gives a smooth finish)
Getting started
Choose a cake mold which will give the cake the required form. There are several excellent cake molds and they may be purchased at baking, cooking or craft stores.
Bake the cake in the desired mold and allow it to completely cool down before decorating it. After the cake is completely cooled, start putting the pieces together ( if more than one mold was used) and then frost the cake. Since novelty cakes are mini replicas of things, a variety of colors may be employed to properly represent the particular image. It is recommended that for best results, butter cream or cream cheese is used for frosting them because they are thick enough to be piped into all the tiny , specialized spots which can exist in these cakes.
Carving novelty cakes
When carving larger structures, plan the cake dimensions accordingly. For large structures with greater height than width, bake several cakes and stack them with layers of icing until the required height is attained. Carve the cake using an extremely sharp carving knife. A dull knife will result in the cake crumbling. The main body of the cake will depend on the design and should be the largest portion of the cake. Additional design pieces such as arms, legs or tails (depending on the design), should be carved from excess cake pieces and then attached to the cake using Royal icing.
Successful carving is entirely dependent upon the sculptor?s ability and patience to carve the cake properly. It is a good idea to make a drawing or take a photograph of the desired model fro reference purposes. Tiny details like eyes or ears must be done by frosting.
Finishing touches
Finally, frost each section with rolled fondant for a smooth elegant finish . Cover the cake in a thin layer of icing that will act as the glue and then cut off excess fondant.
