"Oops! I've got my foot smooshed in the Cupcake" How to make a Little Penguin Standing on one Foot

I adore Pier One Stores!! Every time I have the chance and the Change to get something from their super cute, trendy and adorable pieces, you can find me there!!! So I was watching TV and my eyes laid on this super cute piece (they also talk, at least on TV, They always tell you "Take me Hoooooome") of this rounded Penguin standing on its foot inside this Tiny Cupcake and he says (yes, they talk) "I've got my foot smooshed in the Cupcake" so adorable, so cute, soooo... IT CAN ALSO BE A CAKE!!!! Eureka!!!

Not only It is adorable, it is all cake and it actually stays on its foot!!! no magical tricks, no super expensive stands, no shaping styrofoam, nothing weird to do and still can get this little one standing on one foot.  

This cake can be done at any scale, it will be a matter of changing the cake pan sizes. I am using Wilton ball pan for the penguin and part of the cupcake ,this pan  is 6" but wanted cupcake to look smaller than the penguin. For this cake I am using 3 round cakes, sizes: 6",5" and 4"  and also 3 half circles using Wilton ball cake pan.

Torte and fill  all round cakes placing larger on bottom, then 5" and on top  the 4" one.Trim cakes using a knife (it works better if cake is  slightly frozen) you should obtain an upside down cone. Remember when trimming or carving any cake, do it little by little so you can have better control of final design. once is all trimmed and still upside down, Ganache your cake (I also buttercrem it, but you can just ganache it). Select your fondant color, measure your cake and roll the fondant. Wet your cake and place fondant all around the cake (still upside down). Trimm excess and smooth fondant .Turn your cone and  Make fondant stripes and start covering from  the seams so you can hide it with the decoration. make sure stripes are straight using your ruler.

Place Extra details on the cake using your cutters. Place extra half ball cake on top of your cone  so this will be actually your cupcake. Cover in buttercream ( it does not need to be perfectly smooth) and decorate with buttercream rosettes using tip #32 or any star tip you find.

Put the ball cake together, using the filling you wish. I use all ganache for this cake. I use a long piece of acetate (I cut a long one from a toy box) This acetate piece will help you to easily smooth ganache or buttercream on a ball cake.

Before placing the board under ball cake, make sure to open a hole. I used a 4" foam core board. Place the cake on board, roll the fondant and start smoothing. This might take around 10', but you will be able to smooth it perfectly

Cut penguin details using the templates. Remember to always smooth edges, take your time to clean and make sure your work will look clean and neat. We are creating some effect on the cake, that the penguin is trying to keep its balance. We just need to slitly rotate the white detail (from the face and tummy) make the beak and the eyes and also rotate them a little bit so we can create this effect. Personalize it by Placing more details you like: hat, bow, cherry, rose cheeks, etc

Here is the template for tummy and arms

Cut the Foot and stick it to wooden dowel using melted chocolate. Place the leg inside  penguin

Now it is time to put both pieces together. It might be a little bit scare, and you might think: "this is not going to hold", but it will. Make sure to use good wooden dowel, not balsa, I get mine at any hardware store or craft store. Dowel should measure 3" higher than your cupcake. My cupcake was 7" So I drilled a hole where I marked 10", this was a  3/4" wooden dowel  and I also crossed  a thinner dowel (used for corn in the cob, from any grocery story) Remember to drill a smaller hole than your thinner dowel, you need some resistance. Sharp the end you will insert inside cupcake. Hot glue cupcake to your decorated foam board and hammer the dowel inside cupcake. Your dowel might be too long and needs to be cut, now,  from the crossed smaller dowel,  measure 4", that will go inside Penguin, make a mark on the wood and cut ( I use a PVC cutter). Place Penguin on the wooden dowel making sure to balance its weight. If you feel it is not secure or somehow afraid it falls, then hot glue penguin board to traverse dowel.

This idea can be used for many other projects, where you can get the illusion the cake  is in balance.
I Hope you like this tutorial and will be able to make it; Please leave your comments and suggestions. Pictures are still not so great and of course I am also in the process of learning how to make better tutorials: lights, pics, colors etc.


Sugar Hugs, Joly

So this is the beggining!!

Please don't be so hard on me this time, it is actually my first time ever blogging!!! and what a better occasion to show one of my first cakes. OMG!!! It looks terrible!! but I must say my fondant work doesn't look that bad at all, but how I hate that edge!!! This terrrible picture was taken around 2009 after I took my first class with Wilton at my local Michael's. After those clases (even that I had a "not- so- nice" trainer) I was completely hooked!!

I am now  welcoming myself to the online world. I must admit I have being avoided long time. But after opening my Facebook fan page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viva-La-Cake/, and my Pinterest https://pinterest.com/jolyvivalacake/ and my Instagram http://instagram.com/imvivalacake/ and restart posting at Cake Central under my previous pseudonymous lanana and opening a new account  at cakedecor.com; I mean seriously I should start blogging a little bit, it is actually what everybody does lately: stick to your fans in Facebook, share retouched pics on instagram (I love the 1977 effect), repinned every single silly, nice, cute, dumb, impossible or amazing  idea on Pinterest, well posting a Blog was the very next thing for me.

Part of what I love to do is to teach; I used to be ESL teacher, French Teacher and always a Spanish teacher.  Well, now I still love to teach, but everything sugar: CAKES, Cookies, Cupcakes etc. My ultimate dream will be teaching what I know about sugar craft. I still need to learn way too much, but since I already know the basic, definitely would love to pass the knowledge.

So this takes me to Second 2013 resolution  (first is as usual: loose weight)

BECOME A SUGAR CRAFT TEACHER, that also can include become a Wilton instructor.

I have prepared some nice Tutorial which are now posted in my Facebook page and also in Cake Central

and of course I will post them here,  along with my experiences trying new sugar art techniques or any cake that get stuck between my eyebrows and can't stop thinking about it until I give it a try and prove myself I can make it!!!

So stick around for some nice experiences making nice cakes, or cookies or cupcakes or any nice cute sugar trendy thing that start being viral and we all fall for it!!!

It is also good for me to know that after 3 years making cakes for friends and family, now I can see better results: this is like 99% sweat 1% creativity, here is my latest cake

SUGAR HUGS, JOLY!!!