Project Penguin

[QueenKong]

So, DS is one next month and I want to make him this for his party (yes, I know it's not really for him, bear with me, he is my PFB!)

luxefinds.com/LuxeLiving/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/penguin-birthday-cake.jpg

Reckon it looks easy enough - 3 sponge layers should do it I think. But any ideas how I can make the hat? Was thinking of covering an ice cream cone in fondant but will that be too pointy?

Also, it kind of feels wrong eating black icing. Do you think a dark brown choc ganache would have the same effect or just look odd?

no idea but let me know how you do it - ds birthday isn't till october but he is penguin obsessed and I've begun looking for ideas already (I have only made one iced cake before). That's the best I've seen. I had a penguin one made last year (was fab) and there was black icing on that - it was fine. TBH I don't think chocolate ganache however dark would look good enough as you would still be able to tell it was brown. The last lot I made was very dark but still very clearly brown and not black.

Does the hat actually need to be edible? If not I'd use thin card to make the shape and ice that.

That's a good point, it doesn't need to be edible. I think it looks quite straightforward.

I would think that black butter cream would need a huge amount of colouring to make it properly black and black colouring tastes vile. You can buy black fondant which would work just as well and with a layer of vanilla/choc buttercream underneath you could always pull off the black fondant if you don't want to eat it.

Thanks for the tip, will use fondant.

Cute penguin.

Buy pre-coloured black fondant. No-one will eat the icing IME - the cake underneath needs to be coated with buttercream anyway.

Alternatively, if you really want to, you can start with chocolate icing and add black colouring so that the end result is more palatable.

If you make a cardboard cone, and cover it in baking parchment, and use that as a mould to make the hat, then leave it to dry for a few days, you should be able to take out the mould and you will be left with a self-supporting hat.

That cake looks amazing! QueenKong will you come back next month with a photo and show us how you got on? Pretty please?

I will, I promise even if I just post that same link and pretend it's mine.