Duck in a barrell cake.

I made this cake last week for a baby's first birthday. It would be really great for a very large baby shower also.



I started documenting the steps to make this but I got so caught up in the design that I was almost finished decorating when I realized that I stopped taking photos. I have posted the prep photos and the ones that I did remember to take. It is not a natural process for me to take photos while I am working. I go into my own zone and don't come out til the cake is done. Very weird, I guess. I really need to concentrate on taking the photos while I am working.



The prep work took hours. There were lots of daisies to make from fondant. Then I made a bar of soap with a block of fondant. Marked the bar so it looked like a divided bar of soap and printed soap on the top in icing. I then tinted some fondant and rolled it out flat. Cut it in the shape of a towel. Put fringe on the two ends and arranged it to it looked like it was rumpled. The last piece I made was a scrub brush. That was done with two pieces for the wood brush, then a piece of pink for the bristles. I put a hole in the handle and put a ribbon through the hole.



The most time was spent on making the wood barrel slats. I needed 36 slats to go around the 12" cake. Three times the size of the cake. I rolled out batches of brown tinted fondant into large sheets, approximately 1/8" of an inch thick. I then hand painted the sheet of fondant with brown food coloring. Brushing lines and knots to resemble grain in the wood. This had to dry awhile. I then took a ruler and measured the spaces to be cut. 9" long and 1 1/4 " wide. This was approximate. I cut some of them thinner so it would look more natural. With the edge of the ruler against the fondant I cut the slats. These had to dry completely before I could use them. So I made them days ahead of time.













Then came the day to put it all together.



2-12" round cakes



1 3 lb batch of butter cream icing. This will cover the cakes.



Blue icing for the water in the barrel



Green icing for the grass



Yellow icing for the inside of the daisy



White icing for the bubbles



36 wood slats



Junior mints for the nails



Maroon polka dot ribbon for the metal hoops that go around the barrel.



One rubber duck



9" strip of icing sheet to make the Happy Birthday Banner



I prepared the cake round with green embossed foil and trimmed the edge of the board with a pretty floral ribbon, attached with a non toxic glue stick.







First I plated the bottom cake on the prepared board and frosted the top.





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Then I put the second cake, with a board so it is easy to remove in order to cut up the cake.