Cake decorators, I need your help, please!

[SuperBunny]

I want to make a dragon cake for DS's 4th birthday.

Something like this

or this

or, if all else fails, this

I was thinking of doing the last one but with a pudding basin cake as the body rather than 2 halves of a sandwich tin and then covering it all in fondant so it looks a bit more professional. But, how do I put a cake like that on a covered cake board?

[ElectricElephant]

Ice the board, arrange cake bits on top of that, then ice the cake.

Good luck!

[Slubberdegullion]

Not quite with you there SB. Could you not just cover the body on a kitchen surface and then transfer it carefully onto the covered board with a slice-doohickey.

[oopsacoconut]

If you make the pudding bowl cake then cover it in fondant. Put it on the board. Shape the rest of the body parts and attach them to the dragon on the board. For the little circles - if you cut them out then you can attache them to the dragons body with a little butter cream.

You need to cover the cake with a thin layer of buttercream before you cover it in fondant so the fondant sticks and doesn't slip and tear. you can buy coloured fondant or you can buy white fondant and paste colours. Don't try and use liquid colours they go sticky and don't work.

[SuperBunny]

I wondered about that, Elephant but didn't know if I'd ruin the covered cake board when I decorated the dragon.

Slubber, I could ice the body on the work surface but if I have legs and a neck made out of cake too, I couldn't just transfer it because it'd all fall apart. I'm not making sense, am I? I just want to make a decent looking dragon cake with enough for several people to eat.

[PortAndLemon]

The second one is from one of Debbie Brown's books, if that helps at all -- either Enchanted Cakes or Magical Cakes.

[oopsacoconut]

any sticky uppy bits you may want will need to be made in advance and left to dry or they will flop over.. I dry my fondant in the airing cupboard for about 6/7 days.

[SuperBunny]

x-posted coconut. I might just have to do pudding bowl cake and body parts in fondant but that doesn't leave much cake for people to actually eat.

[oopsacoconut]

Bunny - I would make the leg, tail and head out of fondant - it make it easier to get he shape right. You can always make little dragon cupcakes to go beside it if you think there won't be enough cake.

[PortAndLemon]

Plan on a textured grass finish for the iced board under the dragon, then if you knock and dent it it won't matter. Not that I did that for DS's last cake, or resorted to sticking little icing flowers over the worst dents, or anything, oh no...

[SuperBunny]

I know POrt and Lemon, I just can't get hold of the book to copy it from!

I will do the fondant in advance. I've used it before so know roughly what I am doing, I just can't work out exactly how to do the cake bit

[Slubberdegullion]

I'd make the disarticulated dragon on the side (I'd probably do the larger body bits in cake, just make a standard tray bake sponge and then chop it up into the shapes you want, and then cover them) and then reassemble the dragon on the board.

So long as you moisten the paste with water or sugar glue then the bits wont fall off, or you can chop a tooth pick in half and use that to attach the parts (keeping the pick in the middle of the two parts and hidden obviously).

[ElectricElephant]

Oh yes - I used our glass work-top cover for a base last time! built the cake up on that, and then put it on a coloured table cloth. Worked really well.

[SuperBunny]

Thanks Slubber - we'll see what I can do.

Textured grass is a good idea, but how? I was thinking about cutting out little circles for rocks to cover dents. Will also have the letters from DS's name to stick over any blemishes.

I might have to do a smaller dragon and have cupcakes too.

[Slubberdegullion]

oooh oooh oooh I KNOW HOW TO DO GRASS

Top tip from cake decorating teacher extraordinaire Sheila.

Roll out standard green sugar paste onto board, roll velcro hair roller all over the top. Voila, proper textured grass.

[SuperBunny]

Top tip, slubber, thanks!

and lol @ slice-doohickey

[stealthsquiggle]

Grass can also be done with a scrubbing brush - just 'stipple' it.

Or put your dragon on a heap of chocolate coins, thereby hiding the board.

I often don't bother covering boards with icing - I cover them with wrapping paper and then shrink wrap instead.

[SuperBunny]

Ooo, excellent idea, thanks so much!

[Slubberdegullion]

I like the dragon sitting on his stash of gold. v smaug

[stealthsquiggle]

I have a book with a dragon in which is subtly not any of your options.. but I think you can make it up as you go along from the pictures, TBH.

Don't actually put him on top of his gold - heap it up around him to hide raggy edges for best effect.

[SuperBunny]

That's what I will do, Stealth! Thanks.

Can you buy gold coins at this time of year?

[ElectricElephant]

what do you mean, 'this time of year', it's almost Christmas!

[stealthsquiggle]

I made dragon + gold a few years ago for my DM - it took a long time to persuade her to actually cut into him, though

[SuperBunny]

I forgot! BHS had their christmas decorations in last week, gold coins should be no problem.

[ElectricElephant]

gods.. I was taking the piss. Christmas decorations already? Yikes!

[oopsacoconut]

EE - have you not been to a supermarket since schools went back??? Morrisions as all the Christmas sweeties out, Sainbugs have christmas puds and cakes. Soon it will be mince pie time!