Gygi Guest Post Contest Winner: Cheryl Clement

Friday’s Winner: Cheryl Clement of Sugar Apron Cakes.

Join Cheryl as she explains how she created her Spooktacular 3 layer Halloween Party Cake…

How to Create a Spooktacular Halloween Party Cake:

The Basics:

This cake is a basic 3-tier design with the bottom 2 tiers being 8″ rounds triple stacked and the tier being a 6″ round double stacked.

The Pumpkin:

The bottom tier is my take on a pumpkin. Frosting was applied between the cake layers and a crumb coat was applied to the outside of the cake before a layer of White Satin Ice Fondant was applied and smoothed with a smoothing pad. The pumpkin tier was then airbrushed with American Airbrush food color in orange sheen and diamonds were drawn on the cake using a ruler and a diamond indenting cake tool. Small orange bead candy was pushed into the cake at each of the diamond crossing points. The pumpkin vines are Satin Ice Fondant with Tylose added then twisted around powdered sugar coated cake dowels until dry (24 hours).

The Mummy:

The middle tier is the mummy. He’s surprisingly easy because if you make a mistake, it looks like it’s supposed to be that way. (Bonus!) Frost between the layers and crumb coat the outside. Make (or purchase) 2 gross candy eyeballs. If you choose to make them, it’s just food color paint on 2 balls of white fondant. I dented the center of the eyes in a bit just to add depth and used a thin paintbrush with red food color for the veins in the eyes. Then I began to roll out White Satin Ice Fondant using a non-stick rolling pin and some powdered sugar under the fondant. I just rolled until I could cut 5 or 6 fondant pieces that were nearly thin enough to tear and 1/2 inch wide by 8 inches long. It was a bit like cutting pie lattice but not being as careful because you want it to look like it’s tearing and it’s old. Using a small paintbrush, I applied a small amount of water (just a thin line) to each piece of lattice fondant and placed each piece in a different direction and overlapping so they looked haphazardly placed. Then, using brown, gold and bronze food colors mixed with a clear vanilla extract, I brushed the entire mummy cake till the effect looked like old dirty gauze. I also added an airbrushing of pearl sheen.

The Ghost:

The top tier is a double stack of cake with frosting between the layers and a crumb coat. I left the dome on this cake from right out of the oven. The other cakes were trimmed and leveled. This one I needed a dome on for the top of the ghost’s head. I measured the cake from the top center down to get a circumference of fondant that would cover and drape the cake. I smoothed the top and gently pleated the sides then added two white fondant “eyes” that I painted with black food color and a brush afterwards.

Each cake sits on it’s own cardboard round 1 size smaller than the pan. The 8″ cakes are on a 7″ round, and the 6″ cake is on a 5″ round. The cakes are stacked on top of each other with dowels in the cake below the one on top to support the weight. I generally use 3 dowels in a triangle shape. A smear of buttercream is placed between the cakes before stacking just for an extra hold. A fabric ribbon finished the lower two tiers.

Hopefully this will help you to get creative with your own Halloween Party Cake!

Thanks Cheryl!

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Cheryl is a creative cake decorator and owner of Sugar Apron Cakes based in Heber, Utah. From single to stacked and stacked to shaped, Cheryl is your go-to girl for fun, delicious cakes!

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Thursday’s Winner: Cute Caramel Apples

Wednesday’s Winner: Spooktacular Cupcakes

Tuesday’s Winner: Carameled Frapplestein

Monday’s Winner: Chocolate Disguises

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  • Kim Lange
    October 24, 2011 at 10:21 am

    Cheryl’s cakes are amazing. They also taste as great as they look. She has done cakes for several birthday parties I have entertained at!

  • TC
    October 21, 2011 at 12:50 pm

    Awesome! Great idea!