A lot of you loved this science cake I made for a birthday party back in August 2017, for twin girls who were turning 7 and celebrated with a whole science-themed birthday party (how cool?!). We went for a space theme as that was what had most captured their imagination in their science topic. Here I'll tell you how I made some of the different elements so you can try it at home too!
Before I start I should clarify (as I had to for my husband) that this is in no way the kind of Space Cake you find in Amsterdam...!!!)
I set about making the planets first as I knew they had to dry out well before going on the cake - otherwise they would lose their shape. I had a diagram of the solar system by my side at all times when making this cake! I mixed up all the colours of modelling paste first, washing my hands approximately 346 times during this process ;) I used measuring spoons to give the planets a perfectly spherical shape so they wouldn't be squashed on one side. I mixed the colours together for each planet but stopped before they combined too well, to get the marbled effect. I then rolled each one into a ball of the relevant size between my palms and used different size measuring spoons to gently push them into. Once I had pushed one side of the sphere in, I carefully popped it out and then put it in the other way, to ensure the sphere was as perfect as possible. NB: brush cornflour on your measuring spoons before doing this!
Saturn was made by pushing the modelling paste into the measuring spoon and then cutting it off flush with the edges of the spoon, then doing the same again, and sandwiching the two halves around a flat disc of modelling paste.
The sun was dusted with golden lustre dust to give it an extra brilliant shine. Jupiter's 'eye' was done with petal dust.
Then onto the cake and cake board. I had a lot of fun with this. Both were flicked all over with silver and then pearlescent lustre dust mixed with rejuvenator on a brush. I then took a dry brush and dry lustre dust and swirled it around in patches to get the look of the constellations. The circles were cut out using this fabulous tool - available here for only £4.25. I then used the lustre paint again to do the dashes between the dots to make the '7' and the names 'Lily' and 'Freya'.
Here's a summary of the ups and downs of making this cake:
The Good:
I was very pleased with how the planets turned out, in terms of their accuracy, even in the order they were placed from the sun and their size relative to one another.
The Bad:
I didn't have a measuring spoon or other receptacle big enough and round enough to put the sun in, so that didn't end up as perfectly spherical as I would have liked.
The Ugly:
I had a very specific colour in mind for the fondant on the cake and cake board, which I did eventually achieve, but it was a gruelling process of adding this colour, that colour, then realising I'd added too much and adding more white fondant, or another colour... my hands were sticky and covered in all the colours of the rainbow at various points! I think in the end it was a combination of blue, red, black, purple and grey that got me to this....! All in all, I was pleased with how this turned out, grateful for the opportunity and most of all happy that Lily & Freya and their mum were all very happy too! Thank you again for ordering. To attend our classes, click here, and to order your own space cake (not that kind), click here. :)
For birthday, wedding & celebration cakes in West Yorkshire (Keighley, Bingley, Bradford, Saltaire, Skipton, Ilkley, Menston, Guiseley, Silsden & beyond!) visit:
www.threelittlebirdsbakery.co.uk