AIBU to think I could make a cake this - never done decorating before

[Birthdaycakehelp]

So it’s my DDs first birthday in a few weeks and I want to make her a special cake - yes I know she won’t have a bloody clue what it is or what her birthday is but we’ll have a few people round for cake and party food bits (nothing fancy) and I’d like the cake to look special.

She has a lot of octopus toys and things that she likes to play with and I’ve got it in my head to make her an octopus cake. I’m a decent baker and I can make a nice cake but I’ve never done any kind of cake decorating at all. AIBU to think I could make something like the picture below. Looking at the steps it seems like it should be doable but am I kidding myself. I’m worried it’s going to look like one of those cliched expectations vs reality cake posts!

Give it to me straight. AIBU? Can I do this?

I’d cover a Terry’s chocolate orange for the head. I’d do all fondant but then I do t really like loads of buttercream on cakes. I definitely think you can do it OP. Make the shell and Pearl a few days before. In fact the octopus head could also be done in advance. Those legs can be used to cover all the cracks that will appear in the fondant if you’re not used to working with it
Just don’t add up how much it costs, you won’t want to know 😂😂😂

Right well I’ve bought a packet of practice fondant this afternoon to have a go at modelling and see how it handles!

I’d never made a cake before and did my daughter’s first birthday cake, it went down a storm and so have subsequent years cakes- I’m totally amateur and not artistic but I pick carefully :D

I did a princess castle cake one year that was rice crispie treats for the towers- not sure if anyone has said this already but you’ll need the American style marshmallows, you can get them in b and m, usually big ones. For some reason haribo or other style marshmallows don’t work as well.

Good luck, enjoy!

Also the hat needs to be firmly on top of the head, it will never stick at that jaunty angle

@Goodasgolden of course it will!

Also cornflour for rolling/working with fondant and as daft as it sounds, if you go with fondant, practise on something round and some play dough to get the idea of covering the cake.

I’d use toothpicks to hold on something like that hat.

Have you thought about making standard cake cover with icing then and buy some sea themed cake toppings?

Has anyone linked the hedgehog cake thread yet? I think it's in classics and well worth a ready op

If I tried it would look like Shrek.

Hedgehog thread here :

Is my hedgehog fucked? (Pics) http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_classics/2899062-is-my-hedgehog-fucked-pics

Watching thread with interest in the hope we get to see finished product 😂

OP I have a very very important tip for you, as you begin your cake making years.
DO NOT SET THE BAR TOO HIGH!!
Honestly, I can’t stress enough how important this is.
I did as you’re doing - I made a special cake, decorated with relevant details, well thought out, reflecting the children’s interests at the time.
Now here I am, with a 15 year old and a 12 year old, who expect an amazing imaginative cake for every birthday. The get excited, they start asking weeks in advance if I have a plan, they film the Big Reveal on the birthday . And I have to take a full day off work each time to do it!
Oh how I wish I’d bought a caterpillar cake from day 1!!

This was our first attempt might help you decide Re icing we opted for butter cream! Had lots of fun making the animals did it over few preceding nights! We did a baby friendly sugarless carrot cake which we thought was nice and the birthday boy and friend enjoyed! Not sure anyone else was impressed though!!

I'd totally have a go at this if I were you! I started my cake decorating "journey" on my daughter's fourth birthday with an under the sea cake (mermaid). Now (nearly ten years on) I can make all sorts of cool stuff, get asked to do fancy cakes for friends, parties, etc.

My top tip for working with fondant is to use vegetable shortening (the white, greasy stuff) when rolling out rather than icing sugar or cornflour. Stops it sticking and doesn't dry it out or leave white streaks.

I think if you are fairly artistic you'll have no problem making the octopus. A few toothpicks or wooden skewers to hold it all together and it'll be fine. A drop of water to stick fondant decorations together, or to the cake.

If you want to cover the cake with fondant, watch an online tutorial first as there's a knack to it. It's very easy when you know how - but you need to know how!! And make sure you have more fondant than you think you'll need. Much easier to cut off excess than to be trying to stretch thin, cracking fondant over the cake.

And if you decide you enjoy it and want to do more, try making your own fondant (just google marshmallow fondant) - you have to make it a few days in advance but it tastes pretty good!

@Bagamoyo1 I’m fairly sure that however this turns out I will not be setting the bar too high - my daughter will be begging for a Colin once she’s old enough to actually care!

I absolutely promise to come back to this thread and update with a photo - the birthday isn’t for a couple of weeks though so don’t think I’ve disappeared if it’s taking a while.

[quote SquirtleSquad]Hedgehog thread here :

Is my hedgehog fucked? (Pics) http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_classics/2899062-is-my-hedgehog-fucked-pics[/quote]
I'm so glad you linked this, made me laugh so much first time I read it 😂

Right I’m popping in for another question! How do you get sprinkles and little decorations to stick on fondant icing. Is a dab of water enough or do you need edible glue stuff that I’m reading about?

Cake is being made for this weekend so pictures will appear on Friday for those who are interested (and desperate to see a disaster )

I've just stumbled across this thread and am looking forward to seeing your cake. I made my boy his cake last year (my first attempt) and I did much better than I thought I would. Slow and steady . My boy loved it so much he requested another cake this year and I think it will now be a tradition. 🙂 They're made with love. Good luck OP!

dab of water is fine. a paintbrush will help you get it in the right place if you want to be precise.

A dab of water will stick them together, I use a paint brush / knife / cocktail stick to help otherwise sometime it sticks to my finger instead 🤣

Piping Gel is what I used last time I had to stick sprinkles to fondant - it was doable but not as easy as sticking to buttercream. I put the cake in a clean plastic box, covered in piping gel and the stuck the sprinkles on and all the excess was contained in the box rather than all over my floor.

Can't wait to see it!

Good luck OP!

It’s cake day everyone! Sponges have just gone in the oven! They’ll cool this afternoon and I’ll decorate this evening. I’ll keep you all updated with pictures as we go