Freaky Fabulous

For those that don't have kids and are no longer into playing with dolls (but hey if that's your thing, no judging) Monster High is a hot new craze.  The dolls are all based on a story line in which classic monsters' kids all go to one ghoulish high school.  Kind of like Barbie and Friends meets Bride of Frankenstein.  Really, they're pretty cool.

Anyways, my nieces love the dolls so I created a Monster High birthday cake for one of them.  The skull is a replica of the line's logo.

Freaky, but cool yes?  I like that it's a girly skull with a bow.  I totally can't take credit for that part of the design, though.  The shield that you see on the front is also a Monster High logo.


This was a 1/2 chocolate and 1/2 vanilla cake with buttercream.  No fondant here! The cake was sculpted by hand too (I don't like using special pans.  To me, that's cheating)

Ready to sculpt your own cakes? Give it a try! If it turns out to be a disaster, just make cake balls out of the ruined cake. (P.S.~ Post about cake balls to follow soon...stay tuned!)

Tips/Tricks

•  If you're going to sculpt a cake, chill it first!  The cake will be less likely to fall apart while sculpting.
• For best results use a fairly sharp, serrated knife.  This will help you saw off parts of the cake without damaging the main structure.
• Start slow!!! I know Edward Scissorhands was an awesome character, but you're not him.  Don't expect to create a masterpiece in a few minutes.  These things take time, so be patient and take off small bits of cake at a time.
• Exaggerate the design a bit while carving.  When you go to cover it in frosting or fondant, the lines become a bit muddled and the sculpture's features aren't as sharp.
• Before you put on your final layer of buttercream or fondant, crumb coat the cake to seal in all the little crumbs that can ruin the look of your final creation.  To do this, make your frosting a little more runny with either milk or water.  You don't want it too watery, just loose enough to where it will easily glide over the cake crumbs on the outside and create a thin outer coating of frosting so there is a good base for your final steps.
• Don't get discouraged! Hey, if sculpting were an easy task, Michelangelo wouldn't be very famous. And if sculpting cakes were easy, it wouldn't be as impressive to master.  Take it slow.  If you get fed up with the process, find ways to make your design just as fantastic using techniques you already know.