Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Unicorn of Trial

I baked a cake. That is not the important part however. The cake was just a mix. Two cake mixes, to be quite exact. The important thing here was the goo that went on top. Now don't jump to conclusions. I took the lazier still rout, and used store bought frosting too. It was specifically the goo on top of that that is of note. Yes, I made fondant.


It isn't a true fondant, being made primarily of marshmallows and powdered sugar. The marshmallow fondant, or MMF, is much easier to make than regular fondant and more user friendly. It requires 3 cheap and easy to find ingredients likely in the pantry already. I got the recipe, and tons of helpful hints from Peggy Weaver, at WhatsCookingAmerica.net .

So what did I accomplish? Just about the coolest unicorn cake the world has ever seen.

Happy birthday Alex!

The assembly of the two cake mixes. I used my ample winging-it skills, an 8" cake, a 9" cake, and a 9" by 13" cake. I realized sometime after I had removed all the cakes from the pan that I had nothing large enough to encompass them all. Except my marble work slab!
Thanks Grandma!

The most worrisome aspect of working with cake mixes would be their texture. They are so incredibly fragile and fluffy. All of my experiences frosting cakes from a box have been less than pleasant. I'm applying a crumb coat, which rolls up into a crumb lump which then snowballs into the entire cake, picking up frosting crumbs and denting the whole shebang. This time it worked. Don't ask me how. I believe in miracles.


I was unsuccesful in commanding the fondant. I couldn't get a big enough solid piece to cover without seems. So after crumpling my failed attempt into a ball slamming on the table and shouting and hopping around in fit of incandescent rage and frustration, I reassessed. I had been working on wax paper. That went away. That alone I now believe might have made it work, but I also decided to work in sections. It was actually really fun to work with. The way it sat almost perfectly, and its pretty plasticine surface as I tucked it under the edge really pleased me. Ignore the fit. It was fun... seriously. After I tossed the wax paper.

And then it got REALLY fun. Sure my hands are now a grayish blue tie-dye from making all those colors of fondant. That hardly matters. The hair is what made the unicorn... other than the horn. That too made the unicorn... but look at that hair!

Over all... once maybe twice a year will I do this. Started at noon today and worked till right about 6. My feet hate me, it tasted like cake mix cake and sugar, and I definitely liked the Pecan Pie birthday better... but darn it, I made a pretty cake!

11 comments:

rhid said...

Really cute! I have yet to attempt any cake decorating like this - but you've done it masterfully!

dayna said...

you totally made a pretty cake! this is awesome. i wish i had the patience, and confidence, to attempt something of the like:)

Tonia Conger said...

This is AMAZING Taryn. Please tell me you plan to be a chef for a living. You are so so talented.

Cakespy said...

This is like, the awesomest cake I have ever seen in my life!! Awesome job!

Sarah M said...

Super Cute!

Melony said...

I have that exact recipe saved to try someday...I think you have made me want to use it for the cake I'm supposed to make this weekend! Here goes nothing :D

Rae said...

You are amazing!

I straight jacked your creativity. Thank you so much! Here's a picture (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c308/rdwikoff/unicorn.jpg), but the horn isn't attached because it's a sugar-cone covered in neon fondant and it didn't fit in the box I used to transport it to work.

Also, I made a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, so the fondant is a little bumpy. But you are a goddess!

LTB128 said...

Awesome cake! How did you know what shapes to cut? Did you work from a template?

Anonymous said...

Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!

Anonymous said...

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Thanks

Unknown said...

did you use a 9" round or square pan?