This cake takes me back to my childhood, when everything was "Smurfy." Everything was also "berry" this and "berry" that, too, but this cake is not about Strawberry Shortcake (though I can still smell the purple pieman figurine even now as I reminisce). Ha!
My client wanted a Smurf cake for her daughter's birthday, so we came up with the idea of a mushroom with a couple figurines. Her daughter loves Brainy Smurf, so we were definitely going to have him on the cake. And you can't have Brainy without Smurfette, right?
Because I am a perfectionist, the figures took me way longer than they should have. First, it took me forever to get the color I wanted. Once that was set, I can't tell you how many times I shaped and re-shaped the heads. I finally ended up with what I thought was a good representation. I rested Smurfette on a wine bottle to allow her dress to dry without losing the shape.
Now, here's the part where I should have taken more pics, but my neighbor dropped by and we ended up chatting while I made the cake. For the cake base, I just used a 10" cake. For the mushroom, I made a 6" cake and then used the Pampered Chef large batter bowl for the mushroom top. The only problem I ran into, was AFTER I had covered the mushroom top and base with fondant. I put the top on the base and they were the same size. Well, no problem, I thought. It will look fine. Then I put them on the base, and realized the figures would not fit because the base was too large. So, off went the fondant, and I had to trim a couple inches off of the base. More fondant, and it was much better! Thankfully my cake was dense enough that cutting off the entire crust didn't ruin it. I was concerned I would end up with a crumbled mess and have to make a new cake.
I added details around the cake, like windows, a door, stone path and flowers. I decided against the chimney but you could add that as well.
The only thing I would change about this cake would be to make a smaller mushroom. It ended up being top-heavy and was a challenge to transport. I was worried I would not have enough cake, as usual, but this was more than sufficient for the client's needs.
Another fun, challenging cake project in the books!
Because I am a perfectionist, the figures took me way longer than they should have. First, it took me forever to get the color I wanted. Once that was set, I can't tell you how many times I shaped and re-shaped the heads. I finally ended up with what I thought was a good representation. I rested Smurfette on a wine bottle to allow her dress to dry without losing the shape.
So adorable!!
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