Angels Over the Rockies, Sweet Times in the Rockies Cake Competition 2/8/13 - Here it is, my entry in the Sweet Times in the Rockies Cake Competition 2013. The theme was Aviation, and I chose the Blue Angels, soaring over the Rocky Mountains. This Cake was a major learning experience. Doing a competition piece is very different than producing a yummy cake, refrigerated and intended for eating. Show cakes are meant to be displayed, under lights, for an entire weekend. Competition Rules allow 'regular' cake shapes to be foam dummies, but Sculpted Cakes are normally required to be made from actual cake.
This cake was a huge challenge, and forced me to innovate in SO many ways. There are so many little details on this piece, from the cotton-candy contrails to the custom-cast isomalt cockpits, complete with yellow-helmeted Navy pilots. Notice that the front Blue Angel is the largest, and the back one the smallest. I did this to create a forced perspective, an illusion of depth. There is cake inside each jet, and the wings are hand-cut and detailed from solid sugar paste. The planes are from cake and fondant, the pilot cockpits are poured Isomalt, and the com-trails are cotton candy. If interested, be sure to scroll down for Work In Progress Photos & narrative
I placed 3rd in the "Extravagant" Cake Division S, and now know so much more for next year. Thanks to the whole Sweet Tiimes in The Rockies Committee & Sponsors. This Cake was also awarded Daily Top Three. July 27th, 2015 by Cakes Decor
This cake was a huge challenge, and forced me to innovate in SO many ways. There are so many little details on this piece, from the cotton-candy contrails to the custom-cast isomalt cockpits, complete with yellow-helmeted Navy pilots. Notice that the front Blue Angel is the largest, and the back one the smallest. I did this to create a forced perspective, an illusion of depth. There is cake inside each jet, and the wings are hand-cut and detailed from solid sugar paste. The planes are from cake and fondant, the pilot cockpits are poured Isomalt, and the com-trails are cotton candy. If interested, be sure to scroll down for Work In Progress Photos & narrative
I placed 3rd in the "Extravagant" Cake Division S, and now know so much more for next year. Thanks to the whole Sweet Tiimes in The Rockies Committee & Sponsors. This Cake was also awarded Daily Top Three. July 27th, 2015 by Cakes Decor
Work In Progress
Part of the Entry Requirements is a complete photo-journal record of how the Cake Art was created. I've gotten into the habit whenever possible, if nothing else than for my own later reference.
Reference was absolutely essential in this Art. I was fortunate in that actual blueprints were available for the F/A-18 Hornet aircraft, so I scaled the plans right in my computer. The smallest was 12'' nose to tail, the largest was 17''. Since each plane was a different size, each element was different as well. No duplication was possible. The curved supports were metal pipe, Conduit Pipe for Electrical wires, bent with a pipe bender to get those lovely long curves. I worked for my electrician step father for awhile, where I learned how to bend such pipe.
You can see where I used colored markers to outline each part of the pattern, wings, tail, fins, body panels, etc. All of the fins, wing panels, and hard outer curves were cut from the pattern, and allowed to dry on custom curved cardboard cradles. The bodies were assembled from a strip of cake, layered between slices of Cereal Treats. The bodies were then covered in the same blue gumpaste I used to create the wings/tail/fins.
The Wings were then attached, via gumpaste, water, time and gravity, propped into position and glued, just like the models I used to make as a kid. Time was barely on my side, and they had barely dried by the time I had finished the cake mountain at the bottom.
The cockpits were a bit of innovation, at least for me. I modeled each of the different-sized cockpits, and made a gelatin mold from the hardened pieces. I then poured each mold halfway full. added a little yellow ball for a pilot helmet, and then filled it to the top. This was my first time working with isomalt, I knew nothing!!
The entire setup rode in the back of my pickup down the highway to Denver. The com-trails were added at the very end. They were simply cotton candy that I spun in my home machine. White granulated sugar makes nice sturdy fluffs, which I stuck on with dabs of corn syrup. I was so happy to finish this project!!
Reference was absolutely essential in this Art. I was fortunate in that actual blueprints were available for the F/A-18 Hornet aircraft, so I scaled the plans right in my computer. The smallest was 12'' nose to tail, the largest was 17''. Since each plane was a different size, each element was different as well. No duplication was possible. The curved supports were metal pipe, Conduit Pipe for Electrical wires, bent with a pipe bender to get those lovely long curves. I worked for my electrician step father for awhile, where I learned how to bend such pipe.
You can see where I used colored markers to outline each part of the pattern, wings, tail, fins, body panels, etc. All of the fins, wing panels, and hard outer curves were cut from the pattern, and allowed to dry on custom curved cardboard cradles. The bodies were assembled from a strip of cake, layered between slices of Cereal Treats. The bodies were then covered in the same blue gumpaste I used to create the wings/tail/fins.
The Wings were then attached, via gumpaste, water, time and gravity, propped into position and glued, just like the models I used to make as a kid. Time was barely on my side, and they had barely dried by the time I had finished the cake mountain at the bottom.
The cockpits were a bit of innovation, at least for me. I modeled each of the different-sized cockpits, and made a gelatin mold from the hardened pieces. I then poured each mold halfway full. added a little yellow ball for a pilot helmet, and then filled it to the top. This was my first time working with isomalt, I knew nothing!!
The entire setup rode in the back of my pickup down the highway to Denver. The com-trails were added at the very end. They were simply cotton candy that I spun in my home machine. White granulated sugar makes nice sturdy fluffs, which I stuck on with dabs of corn syrup. I was so happy to finish this project!!