D-17 to Ethan's Birthday

So this year I've decided to embark on a massive mission. Riding on my new found confidence (or over-confidence..depending on the success of the party) of having done one collaborative project - Banana in Pjs cake, I'll be making 2...yes...not one but TWO cakes. One for Ethan and another for a friend's daughter, Jaelyn, whose birthday we'll be celebrating together.

I get sweaty palms just thinking about it.....firstly, I'm not a baker. Not even pre-mix cakes can save me. They always turn out too dry, overcooked or just bad. SO WHAT WAS I THINKING ABOUT....I figured if I started early enough and failed, there's always time to rush out to get a store bought one and there really isn't anything that can compare to that sense of achievement if it works according to plan.

Between looking after 2 kids, surfing the net and the occasional housework, there really isn't much time for fondant rolling, cake baking etc..so I've decided to start this project wayyyy before the D-date.

This was what I made for the past week since you really need to let the figurines dry for a couple of days. Figurines are made of Satin Ice gum paste.

Prototype made with Playdoh

Purple Sheep

Purple, Yellow, Orange, Green Sheep and a Bush

I used a straw to "emboss" the sheep's body for a fleece-like look.

To attach heads, arms and legs to the body, I've stuck a piece of spaghetti in them and added a bit of edible glue.

To attach eyes, I've just brushed a bit of water.

As I want the figurines to be upright on the cake, I have inserted a lollipop stick through one of the legs, hoping that it will be sufficient for the figurine to stay upright on the cake.

Useful Tips from the Internet:

• Always keep gum paste wrapped. They dry out really quickly
• Keep leftover gum paste tightly wrapped and place in air-tight container in a cool dark place
• Never put gum paste in the fridge
• Gel paste is really the best to use for colouring gum paste
• If it gets too sticky while kneading gum paste, coat hands with melted shortening
• Too much sun will change the colour of the coloured gum paste