Halloween Cake
Work, Layout & Editing by Diane Shavkin NY
Pictures by Steve Shavkin NY

 
 

 
 
Diane's Rolled Fondant Recipe

Here is a rolled fondant recipe that can be used for covering cakes and as candy fillings.  Add the flavorings and colors of your choice.

2 lbs powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup glucose
1/4 cup cold water
1 Tbsp gelatin
1 tsp white vanilla flavor (I prefer almond flavor)
2 Tbsp solid white shortening
Method:
1)  Bloom gelatin in water.  Melt on double-boiler.  Don't overheat!  (Too, hot will ruin the fondant)
2)  Add glucose and shortening to gelatin mixture.  Stir until melted.
3)  Place sifted powdered sugar in a bowl.  Make a well and pour the above mixture into well.  Gradually,  stir sugar into mixture.
4)  Knead with greased hands until smooth.  At this point, add flavoring and color (if desired).
5)  Cover with plastic wrap; then place in covered container.
6)  To Roll:  Roll out on smooth, lightly greased surface such as marble or plexiglass.

 
Gluing Items in Place

The basics to know:
Fresh (not dried, yet) gum paste/pastillage items  will adhere to each other using water, a mixture of 1/3 gum arabic & 2/3 water or egg white.
One fresh gum paste/pastillage item will adhere to a dried gum paste/pastillage item using water, a mixture of 1/3 gum arabic & 2/3 water or egg white.
Two dried items will adhere to each other by placing a fresh piece of gum paste/pastillage, that has been brush with water, a mixture of 1/3 gum arabix & 2/3 water or egg water, between the two dried items.

 
The cake is of Rolled Fondant.  The ghosts on the sides of the cake are made using my "Puffed Embroidery" technique.  All others items are made of gum paste.

The cake topper is made separately and placed on the cake.  These could also be used as party favors with the name of the person/child written on the ghost.  AmeriColor makes wonderful food coloring pens that are sold by SweetArt Country Kitchen.  Colors:  purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, fleshtone, pink, red, brown and black.  They are packaged in a sturdy zipper plastic pouch for convenient storage.
The large ghost for the top of the cake and the miniature ghosts for the top and border of the cake are made ahead of time and set to dry thoroughly.

Roll out white gum paste.  Cut out the ghosts with cookie cutters.  Dust the backs with corn starch to avoid sticking, and place on cardboard to dry.  When top is dry, turn over to dry the backs.

To make the base of the cake topper/party favor, roll out a piece of orange gum paste on a piece of plexi-glass that has been lightly coated with white, vegetable shortening.  Press a round, cutter into the gum paste.  Remove the gum paste (NOT the circle), so that the circle does not lose its shape easily.  Use a metal spatula with a thin blade to remove the circle from the work surface.  Dust the back of the circle with corn starch to prevent sticking.  Take the foot tool and put the tip of the foot where you want to start creating the ruffle by smoothing the gum paste as the ruffle is created.  (See the bib at the left.)  After a small section has been smoothed, put the other end of the tool (the long, needle like end which may be blunt or sharp) underneath the gumpaste and lift up.  As you lift up, just slightly, put your fingers on top of the paste that is on top of the tool, so that a ruffle is formed.  Remove the tool, apply where needed as the small sections are smoothed with the foot part of the tool.  (See results in the pictures at the left).  The blunt end of the long, needle like part of the tool may be used to press into the paste to create stitches at the inside edge of the ruffle.  Place on a cardboard to dry.  When dry, use an artist's brush to tint the base with shades of petal dusts.
To make the leaves for the cake topper, roll out a piece of light, orange gum paste.  Cut out with cutters.  Remove the excess gum paste; NOT the leaves.  Once the excess is removed, the leaves can be removed easily with a thin, bladed spatula.  Shape the leaves by using a ball tool to thin the edges, the fingers to pinch the ends where the stem would be and the fingers to curve and bend the leaves into shape.  Use cotton balls to retain the curved shapes until thoroughly dry.  Tint by using an artist's brush to dust on the shades of the leaves.  I used orange, brown, gold and yellow.  When all items are dry, glue them into place.  You will need to keep them proped up in place with cotton balls or pieces of crushed paper towels until thoroughly dry.
Tint the rolled fondant with orange food colors.  Knead well.  Cover the cake.

To make the ghosts on the sides of the cake, press the miniature ghost cookie cutter into the cake that has just been covered with orange, rolled fondant.   Remove the ghosts.  Roll out a piece of white, rolled fondant and cut out the ghosts.  Carefully, put the white ghosts where the orange ones were.  Use the foot tool and place the tip so that it touches the end of the ghost.  (It does not matter where you start on the outter edge of the ghost).  Now, press downward and inward as you work around the otter edge of the ghost in order to create the stitches and to close in the gaps between the ghost and the fondant.  The puffed effect will automatically occur.
The leaves that form the bottom border of the cake are made as the border is formed.  The ghosts that are already made are put into place and glued securely. 
After the leaves are thoroughly dry, they are tinted with various shades of orange, brown, gold and yellow using an artist's brush for the application.

 
 
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