Did you realize that you can use cookie cutters to cut cute little cakes in any shape your heart desires? And if you're an expert with the frosting (which I am not) you could really make some gorgeous little treats! Just make sure your cake isn't too high and you are in business. Yes, there are lots of scraps left over, but I'm saving mine in the freezer to make some kind of trifle with cream......something I've never done but I know my husband will just love.
In my case one has to work with what ever is available, so I used a ducky cookie cutter that I happened to have, to create these cakes that are supposed to be doves, as in the dove that Noach (Noah) sent out from the ark to search for dry land! My six year old has a party in school today to honor their completion of studying the Torah portion of Noach, and he really really wanted me to make a cake for the party. So since I told him that making a cake in the shape of an ark was really not within my realm of abilities (and he wouldn't settle for a cake with a paper ark on top) we fortunately came up with this idea! Phew!
You'll Need:
- a basic chocolate cake recipe like mine here
- white frosting
- dried apricots for the wing and beak: Open each apricot, check for bugs and cut each half-round in half for a wing. cut small triangular beak shapes from a separate half-round piece.
- pretzel sticks for the tail
- small round candies for the eye
- a tray of some kind, I used a plastic one and covered it metallic gold contact paper for lack of something else more colorful, but given a choice I'd use something light blue.....
Enjoy this idea for making themed individual cakes for any occasion!
P.S: I have a confession to make. I really really wanted to cover these sweet birdie cakes in fondant icing, and even did all the research, as well as making my own sugar syrup as a replacement for corn syrup! Then reality kicked in and I realized that three (more like four!) in the morning is not the time to start trying to make fondant icing when you've never even attempted such a thing! So the good news is, that I used regular old butter (margarine) cream frosting! And the truth is, that had I sent my son to school this morning with fondant covered birdies, well that would have been a bit much, and really not fair to the other mothers who wouldn't even think of doing individual cakes, regardless of the type of frosting. Very considerate of me right? That is not to say that I've given up on my fondant dreams.......
And in case you're interested, I did a really cute Noah's Ark craft project a while back that you can check out here.
