My 1st Fondant Cake: Noah's Ark

This post is a little different than my usual posts which are either recipes or reviews. This post (hopefully the first of many) is just an update about my culinary journey so to say :)

When I started getting into baking and especially after I started my blog, I knew I wanted to expand on my cake making skills (cake has just been so hard for me) but I never really wanted to dabble in the world of fondant (or at least I thought I did not). The hubby actually bought me a fondant cake book last year, and I made him return it because it was so far from where I saw myself. I am more of a dessert process kinda gal. I focus more on making the dessert and the type of dessert, with basic butter cream decor and not about elaborate decorating. You know? So to make a fondant cake for me was like WHOA.

Why did I decided to go out of my comfort zone? Yesterday, I attended a baby shower. I met these wonderful group of girls in the school psychology program (and I am so glad I did) and one them is super blessed to be having twins! Yes, double the diapers but double the love, smiles, and amazing memories! :) I volunteered to make the cake (which the beautiful mommy-to-be picked to be chocolate) and the desserts. The theme was Noah's Ark (because there were two of everything -- a boy and a girl -- just like the soon to be mommy will be having)! Plus, who does not love cute little animals. I knew that for the look I wanted and to make the animals -- that I would need to use fondant...eeek. So I called my sister-in-law, the cake decorating, fondant expert and she walked me through what to buy and what I would need to do.

I knew fondant was hard, but thought -- oh, I would need a few hours to bake and decorate this cake. What I did not know was that I would still be finishing up 15 HOURS later! ::soooo sleepy:: I did not get a wink of sleep AND to top it off, I ran out of time and could not make the other desserts I was planning SO I had to go to the store and buy store bought dessert. Which, I hate doing! I love making desserts (hence me starting a dessert blog ;). And feel that store bought desserts just don't taste as good.

Okay, tangent, do any of you watch Master Chef? They have Junior Master Chef with 8-13 year-olds. Those kids are amazing! Their latest challenge was a three layer cake. Which I also think is really hard and something I would never do. But I made one for this cake! I made a 3 layer double chocolate fudge cake. And it came out perfect! The cake did not sink, it was not crooked and it did not topple over :) SUCCESS! I was told it was delicious! I pride myself on my fudge filling. It taste just like the fudge filling of the Keebler Elf cookies....mmmmm...

By no means was this cake perfect. It was definitely a stating point to learning how to work with fondant. I have a long way to go. Like learning how to drape fondant better and to shape. I made the Ark out of rice crispies, and it was pretty darn difficult to form. I was so nervous to share this cake, because being self conscious, I of course thought it was hideous and the momma-to-be would hate it! Thankfully they all loved it, and hopefully forgave my flaws as an amateur trying for the first time. I am not sure if I will make a fondant cake anytime soon but I hope with practice, I'll learn to make fondant cakes without taking 15 hours ;) I am still catching up on sleep. And forgive my pictures. I took them before I brushed off the powdered sugar and smoothed out the creases :/

Enjoy,
Chika