Here's a picture of the shark cake I was working on until 2 in the morning! I cannot remember the last time I stayed up that late! The weird thing was that I didn't even feel that tired. I guess I was just in the zone! The best part about making a cake for your child's birthday is that it will save you a lot of money. It cost me about $25 to make this cake. I doubt you can find a bakery that will charge you less than that for a similar cake!
Here's a quick how I did it:
What you need:
- 12" round pan
- Loaf pan
- Shortening and flour (to coat the pans)
- Serrated Knife (to level the cakes)
- Toothpicks & skewers
- Cardboard
- Aluminum Foil
- Decorating bag & round tip
- Fondant (enough to cover the shark, make the small buoys and make the lettersl, one recipe from this link will do)
- Red, green, black and blue food coloring (I use the Wilton gel)
- Rice Krispy treats (I used the recipe on the back of the box)
- Simple White Cake recipe x 6
- Quick Vanilla Buttercream recipe x 5
Here's how to do it:
1. Level and stack the two loaf pan layers. Fill with a thin layer of buttercream frosting. Freeze (this will make it easier to carve out the cake).
2. Level and stack the two 12" layers. Fill and cover with blue tinted buttercream frosting.
3. Mold the large buoy out of rice krispy treats. Trace the base of the buoy onto cardboard. Cut it out and cover it with aluminum foil. The buoy will sit on this base. Cover the buoy with red tinted buttercream frosting. (If your frosting turns out pink, add a tiny bit of black food coloring to darken it).
4. Now it's time to carve the shark! Here is a more up close picture:
I wish I had better instructions for how to carve it\, but I don't really. :) I sliced the top of the cake off
first to make the back of the shark. Then I just kept shaving off small bits to create a pointed nose and curvy body. Lastly, I hollowed out the mouth area. Trace the base of the shark onto cardboard, cut the cardboard shape out, then cover with aluminum foil. This will be the base for the shark. Cover the shark in a thin layer of buttercream.
5. Shape the dorsal fin and two smaller fins out of rice krispy treats. Cover with a thin layer of buttercream frosting. Refridgerate until firm.
6. Roll grey fondant out to about 1/8" thick. Use powdered sugar to keep it from sticking to the surface or rolling pin. Cover the shark with the fondant. Use your hands to form it to the sharks body. Cover the three fins with the fondant. Insert a toothpick into the dorsal fin and secure it to the shark's body. I just laid the small fins on the surface of the cake once I placed the shark on it.
7. Now it's time to place the large buoy and the shark onto the cake! First you need to place wooden skewers into the cake so it won't get smushed down under the weight of the buoy and shark. Stick a skewer into the cake then mark the skewer where it is flush with the top of the cake. Cut your skewer and use it to measure out 5 more pieces. Place 3 skewers where you want the buoy to go. I made 2 skewers slightly taller to make the buoy tilt to one side. Place the buoy onto the skewers. Do the same for the shark.
8. Now lets add some details to the buoy and shark. I placed a pyramid shaped piece of white fondant on top the buoy with the birthday boy's age piped on. Tint some of the buttercream frosting black and pipe "Caution Sharks!" onto the buoy. Tint some fondant yellow and cut a thin strip. Place it towards the top of the large buoy. Place the two small shark fins on the side of the shark. Poke two small shallow holes for the shark's eyes. Pipe the eyes on with black tinted buttercream frosting. Use a toothpick or the sharp end of a skewer to scratch gills into both sides. Roll out some fondant and cut out the shark's teeth. Secure to the sharks mouth with a dab of water.
9. Now you need to make the "Happy Birthday" letters. I tinted my fondant green for this. Roll it out to about 1/8" thickness. I just used a knife to freehand the letters but you could also print out letters to trace them out on the fondant. Then just smush them onto the side of the cake!
10. Last is the string of buoys, then you're all done! Tint some fondant red. Roll a small piece into a ball then form into an oval. Poke a shallow hole in each end. I made 10 (there are 3 on the back you can't see). Place the buoys on the cake. I put one in the shark's mouth. I had to dab a small bit of frosting on the back of the buoys to make them stick. Then roll out a small bit of white fondant in your hands for the rope. Cute to length to connect each buoy. Attach the rope in between the buoys with a small dab of water. To polish off the fondant parts of the cake use vodka or clear extract of something and brush over the fondant with a paint brush. This will absorb any powdered sugar.
There you go! All done! Do you make homemade cakes for your kids, or do you get one from a bakery?
