Re: the CAKE thread

[mr_sfstk8d]

Well, it's a bit like a standard poodle at the moment, what with the bumpy finish. But I'm sure that with the fondant coating and a magic horn, it will look ethaerially equine soon enough!

I'd rather agree about the strawberries. Once they begin to dessicate, it may mush the bottom layer rather like a strawberry shortcake that's been put into the fridge. Could you perhaps partially candy them a bit before, to displace some of the water with sugar first? Might that not help with the excess water run off? Just a thought. Blanched then soaked for a while in a super saturated simple syrup. Perhaps even a short lay out in the dehydrator to draw off some of the water. Kind of depends on just how "fresh" the strawberries are expected to be in the finished product.

[Jaded Green]

I don't think you can put strawberries and cream in two days inadvance. would Bea settle for REALLY NICE strawberry jam and butter cream? Though i had a bad experience using bon Maman strawberry jam for a speical cake recently. I used quite a lot and it is runny jam and it all ran out of the middle!

Are they going to eat the unicorn?

[Wilhelm Von Rhomboid]

the bumpiness will magically disappear once a coating of buttercream and a fondant skin is applied. Using rice crispies as a medium means inevitable bumpiness untill end stages. And it will be inclined by 30 degrees or so.

Since the photograph, I went downstairs to find a very guilty faced Leo and a proto-unicorn on thefloor with all legs detached again. apparently he just wanted to taste it.

The damage may not be irreperable, but right now I am losing the will to live. Also just learned GvR has arranged to work a nightshift tonight (what???) and our wizard cake assistant visitor who should have arrived today is not arriving today.

Next year I am buying a bloody cake.

Re strawbs, yes, have decided to opt for jam. Still have about 20 kgs in the shed. may stud it with part reconstituted dried strawbs as well.

[Jaded Green]

((hugs)) Billy. It could be time to explain to the miniature Rhomboids that even the most amazing daddys can't do everything and a unicorn is one step too far and that they might like to reuduce their ambitions for future cakes.

I say thisas one woh loves making fancy cakes and had great pleasure in creating the Junior Jadeds birthday cakes before they started requesting M&S ones (a trend that has reversed in recent years.) Miss JG has become ve3ry adept at making models out of icing and paiting pictures too

[Compostwoman]

I think it was a cake too far...

Billy you are a wonder, but really I do think this is way " above and beyond" even uber parenting....

But still, I am lost in admiration, honest....

I always fed in ideas that ended up with cakes with Forest themes so I could do hedgehogs or logs or snails or beetles etc...much easier

[Wilhelm Von Rhomboid]

Oh ye of little faith. It will work out. Even If I have to encase the f***er in royal icing, it will work out somehow. Watch this space.

[Compostwoman]

I have faith in you, but do you have enough time.....?

Good luck, anyway!

[Wilhelm Von Rhomboid]

Well, have just started the buttercreaming to apply the fondant and the flying leg has disintegrated again. I think humidity is the issue.

But nothing great was ever achieved withou preseverance or somesuch schmaltzy homily.

More chocolate!

[Jaded Green]

More chocolate................for you or the cake?

Billy I have no doubt that you will do this given time, but have you got time?

[Wilhelm Von Rhomboid]

Hmmm. My theory that the fondant layer would cover a multitude of sins has been disproved. May be time to abandon the mk I unicorn and go back to the drawing board.

yes JG there is plenty of time. The childrena re in bed now and no clients phoning so have until 6 Am straight, and whilct it is Bea's birthday tomorrow, her party is not until saturday, so i have about 36 hours really. Not panicking yet.

have noticed on Aoc one of the techniques the use to finesse cakes to smooth out imperfections is spraying with vodka. Am wondering if spraying with vodka might be the way forward. I don't have any vodka, but I do have whisky. The cake is not at finessing stage but I could apply the whisky to myself instead and that might help.

[Compostwoman]

Billy , what about a "prancing unicorn" a la Ferrari logo ie in 2 D on the surface of the cake?

Might be a heck of a lot easier?

Also re spray whisky...hmmm tempting idea but take it from me it will not improve your performance, it will simply give you the (false) illusion that you are doing great things.........

Keep the alcohol ( topical or otherwise!) until the masterpiece is completed....

And Bea is lucky..no one is making cake for my birthday ....

[Wilhelm Von Rhomboid]

When is your birthday, CW? I'll make you a cake. Perhaps not as elaborate as Bea's but you are not as demanding a client. (I hope - no-one can be as demanding a client as Bea)
If all else fails i will stick a plastic unicorn on top of the cake and it will be fine but it is sort of fun taking the challenge to do it out of edible material. I am pretty sure now I can do a scaled down mkII tht will have structural integrity. You have to make mistakes to learn,and you have to take on challenges to make mistakes. I have learned a lot about structural cake making if nothing else.

[Compostwoman]

Billy it is my birthday NOW

Today. The same day as Bea's.

[Wilhelm Von Rhomboid]

Happy Birthday CW!!!

if you would like a floppy unicorn cake, all is well. If not I daresay I could knock up a compost bin shaped one in pretty short order. You will have to collect though.

[Compostwoman]

Nah, the good wishes and vibes via the interweb are enough!

Please go to bed and get some sleep, though!

And wish Bea a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY from me, who shares her natal day !

Hopefully she will have a good day; I fear I will not....

[Lottie]

Wow, Billy You are a wonderful dad, you know, whether it works or not, Bea will remember the day dad spent the entire day trying to fix a leg on a choccy unicorn...

Could you not do a flat unicorn? As in just cut out a unicorn shape outta cake? Or is that me being a thicky... I've yet to attempy 3D anything, let alone cake...

Anyway, I hope she has a wonderful day, and you CW!!

[Wilhelm Von Rhomboid]

Well, if nothing else Bea will remember she had a Dad who had a wildly optimistic attitude towards gravity and physics in general.

worked on the unicorn until 5.30 this morning and once it was iced it looked fantastic. Only the piping to do this morning - mane and tail and eyes and so on.

Except when I came down this morning the flying leg had fallen off again and so had the head.

Have finally admitted defeat. The unicorn is consigned to the dustbin of history.

Am starting work on Unicorn mkII though.

Learning from the mistakes of Unicorn mkI, MkII is going to be significantly smaller. I think 3-4" is a better size. That way it will even fit on the cake.

[Compostwoman]

Billy, why not just cover the plastic prancing horse( in background of your photo) with chocolate, add a horn and use that?

Doesn't have to be an edible unicorn, does it.......(?)

[Wilhelm Von Rhomboid]

Change of plan. Unicorn MkI has been adapted to a lying down unicorn, which works well, but is consequently twice the length of the cake, so is being eaten now as a Royal Wedding cake.

Bea, meanwhile has decided that she would rather have monkeys, monsters and the alien from Toy Story on top of the cake. Hmm. Okay then. not unicorn mkII.

[Jaded Green]

Billy you are a wonderful dad.

[GB]

I know its after teh fact but what did she have on the day? And are there pickies?

[Jaded Green]

Yes I want piccies too.

And I can't help noticing that we haven't seen Billy since he embarked on the last cake, I hope he isn't trapped in the kitchen making endless birthday cakes.

[Compostwoman]

He posted on Fb Sat night
"Never again"

Don't think he has updated his status, since.....

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