A Winter Penguin Cake Revisited
It seems that each winter for the last few years, hubs and I are usually busy getting prepared for a big gathering for friends here at home but we've decided that this year, we wouldn't plan anything. I'm hoping that next year, we'll be finished up with a lot of things and that the place is just more presentable for friends. So I thought today that I'd take a look back to one of the parties we had last year for the kids - a winter themed penguin party! It was so much fun to plan for and the party itself was a blast as well. The most fun for me? Making the penguin cake!
I had never worked with fondant or gumpaste before and had only made a handful of cakes, but I really wanted to try my hand at making my own penguin figures. I used The most fun for me? Making the penguin cake! half fondant and half gumpaste and mixed them together (store bought - worked great, edible, but NOT tasty! Truly, just for looks!). My idea was to just make about 5 penguins but the girls wanted 11, the number of kids attending the party. It took me a couple of weeks to make all the penguins and everything, but I'm really pleased with how they turned out! Somehow I ended up with 12...miscounted! I had a little problem with some of the penguins drying and cracking a bit, but not to the point of falling apart. The eyes were tough to paint on, as well, but overall, it was pretty easy - just tedious! I hope you enjoy the photos!
I made several different cake sizes in chocolate and yellow. A LOT more cake than we could actually eat at the party, but a lot was needed to hold all the penguin activity. I had the kids give me ideas as to what they wanted the penguins to be doing and I used all of their ideas except for building an igloo, lol. I gave away a lot of the cake and we eventually finished off the rest.
Please CLICK photos to ENLARGE)
The blocks of "ice" around the perimeter of the cake are just sugar cubes:)
I enjoyed making the snowman. It's hard to tell from this angle, but nose is actually carrot shaped.
Is that sweet little penguin really going to throw a snowball at the other sweet penguin down below?
I loved this penguin family here...mama, daddy, baby with blanket and penguin doll, and the unhatched egg with feet. I think the baby looks excited about the prospect of sliding down the hill, too, and wants to go next! What does mama think about that? Daddy thinks it will be just fine!
Watching all the activity from below while sipping hot chocolate!
"Caught one!" (I could *not* get this poor penguin's eyes to look right, ugh!)
"Nice catch!" The water is just blue jello:)
Uh oh! We have another slider, folks!
Thanks for taking a look back to last year with me. It really puts me in the mood for SNOW though I doubt here we'll get any - just lots of cold weather!
I'm linking up to this weeks Saturday Night Special...check out the other great DIY projects!
{There are just three days left to vote on my projects in the final round of the contest I entered at Repair-Home.com! More information below!}
Twice Remembered is a Finalist - Still Time to Vote! (Repost)
I am over the moon thrilled to share with my blog readers some very exciting news! All of your votes for our projects that we entered into the first round of the Repair-Home contest really paid off! I entered projects in 11 different catagories, and in 10 of those categories, our projects were voted #1! YOU through your votes made that happen and hubs and I can't thank you enough! I have a feeling that 2010 is going to be a great year for Twice Remembered due to this contest because we are finally going to get to complete projects that we've been putting off for a long time!
I have a feeling that 2010 is going to be a great year for Twice Remembered!Not only did your votes help us to place at the top in individual categories, but it put two of our projects into the final round of the contest. {There are only five finalists' projects total.} This final round ends on December 15th. The winning project receives a prize of $1000 {not too shabby, eh?!}.
So once again, I'm asking for your help and vote. {I appreciate your patience with me and my "like-a-child-at-Disneyworld" exuberance, hehe, but I've never done anything like this before and am thrilled that we've reached this final stage.}
The two Twice Remembered projects that made the final round are our Cottage Kitchen Ceiling project and our Kitchen Windows and French Doors project. You can click either photo below to be taken to the main voting page to cast your vote and to see more of the project photos if you haven't seen them already.
Cottage Kitchen Plank Ceiling
Kitchen Windows and Doors
Thank you once again!
28 comments:
This cake is just ADORABLE! Great job!
Those penguins are fabulous! The scarves, the rosy cheeks, the cocoa cup...so creative! Love that little baby one. I bet mama penguin is thrilled with the pearl necklace you gave her!! Well done, Kim!!
Amy
P.S. Off to vote...
Wow! Fantastic cake! How could you stand for it to be cut into and eaten?! Thanks for sharing it again... very inspiring!
The penguin cake is so adorable!
I absolutely love this cake. You did a fabulous job!! My seven year old adores penguins and would LOVE this cake. She would probably want to frame it.
Thanks for sharing and making me smile.
Super cute cake...what we mothers will do for our kidlets parties...Have a happy holiday finishing up those projects. I am helping my husband lay wood flooring in our sons little cottage today...son and daughter-in-law had to work so we are finishing the floor for them...not sure how that happened.
Kim,
This was one of the first posts I read after finding you last year. I remember calling The Man over to my computer screen and exclaiming "Look at how talented she is!"
You are one very talented woman and what makes it so is every thing you do, you do with passion and love.
Add these to that fabulous to do list you zip through at astonishing speed: Open a bakery and while the cake is baking, work on my children's book.
- Deborah
I remember this cake, and I think this is when I subscribed to your blog. You are so talented and put my cakes to shame, lol!
~ Nan
Oh my gosh, this is one of the cutest things that I've ever seen!! This must have taken you forever. You did a great job.
OMG...that is sooo stinkin' cute!!! You did a fabulous job! I am right there with ya...trying to finish projects. Maybe we can celebrate next year with a party.
What an adorable cake! You are one talented lady. Congratulations on the #1s in the contest. ~ Sarah
The little pengiuns are sooooo cute!!! You did a great job,.I love the little guy with the hot chocolate and the little family with the baby. Super fun
So fabulous! Your penguins have so much personality.
Donna
I knew you were talented Kim, but wow, those penguins are adorable. Such great detail! I decorate cakes for our family and extended, but nothing like those. I rely on race cars, hot wheels etc. for props. Making those looks labour intensive but fun too. Thanks for sharing.
Kim! this is the cutest cake ever!
They all looks like they got lots of fun!
I love the blue jell-o idea!
Here there's A LOT of snow. Do you want me to send you some >__<
I remember this cake from last winter and I'm still just as mesmerized by it this time! You, as always, did an amazing job!
That cake is incredible! Thanks for sharing
Kim
WOW! I'm so glad you linked this post up! The cake and penguin creations are amazing!
I think my fav part is the personalities you've given each penguin. Your commentary of the mama and papa debating on baby going down the slide was so bang on with their body language!
Do you have a tutorial on how you made the penguins? I'd love to see the process. And is that added flakey detail to the snow???
I'm in love with this! Thanks for linking up!
FJ Donna
What a nice idea to throw a winter party. We need to do that as well, it gets the friends together since we don't celebrate the holidays either. What a beautiful job on the cake, very talented, my dear "sister"
The penguin cake is absolutly amazing. Well done.
You are a superstar mom! I'm feeling awful for my simple jello cakes I present my kids with each birthday :)
Great pictures too Kim. Always enjoy myself over here!
Thank you, ladies! I loved making it and unfortunately, it was all trial and error and I don't have a tutorial to share, but if you have any questions, please let me know and I'll see what I can remember from the process.
Oh goodness, please don't think I'm a superstar mom though that is very sweet of you to say! This was the first theme cake for the kids I had made in years:) I was pretty burned out after this cake, too, lol, and haven't made another since, ugh! Cindy, my kids would love a jello cake just them same as I know yours do!
Maman Tattoo - please DO send us some snow! We never get any...just a little dusting here and there mostly. So yes, send all you can spare!
And thanks for all the votes for our projects - we are so thankful!
So cute.... I love it!
HOW FREAKING ADORABLE is that?! AMAZING!! I love it!!
~TidyMom
My five year old LOVES penguins- she would adore this cake!! It's so cute!!! Kudos to you for pulling it offf!!
Amazing cake, excellent job!! I love the slide and the fishing hole.. and the penguins are very expressive.. fab! The egg with feet cracked me up.. pardon the pun!
I can't even begin to imagine the amount of work and patience involved in making this cake. I do adore it though. I am including a link to your beautiful cake post in my Inspire My Saturday post today.
XO*Tricia
My seven year old adores penguins and would LOVE this cake.
kobe beef
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