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6/10/11

Giraffe Cake

A few weeks ago, I blogged about the birthday cake Trevor wanted for his zoo-themed party... a zebra that stands up. As I was blogging, he informed me that he actually wanted a giraffe cake. I made it clear to him that a giraffe would be fine, but due to my poor cake decoration skills, his cake would not be standing up.

This is what I made:


It was actually quite easy. I cut a piece of paper into a 9x13-inch rectangle (the size of my largest cake pan). I experimented with cutting it into pieces that would make a giraffe shape, keeping in mind two goals: 1) maximum cake usage; and 2) minimal cut edges requiring a crumb coat. Here's the template I made:


And here's how it looks laid out like a giraffe:


Steve found a piece of metal for me that would work as a cake board. I covered it with a blue plastic tablecloth. Trevor and I baked the cake and let it cool. I took a deep breath and followed my template to cut the giraffe pieces.


Here it is with its crumb coat.



I frosted the giraffe in yellow buttercream. I have no idea how anyone gets buttercream smooth, so I intentionally left 'fur marks' to give the giraffe texture.

To make the spots, I heated Tootsie Roll Midgees in the microwave for 12 seconds. I cut them in half, then rolled each with a rolling pin to make irregular spots. I used a similar technique for the horns- I heated them for 12 seconds, then molded them into the right shape. To make the tail, I used a knife to cut little slivers of Tootsie Roll, then squished them all together. Here are the horns and the tail pieces.


To make the mane, I used a knife to repeatedly score softened Tootsie Rolls. 


Here's the finished cake, with the candles lit:


Trevor absolutely loved it!

20 comments:

  1. That is sooooooooooo AWESOME!! WOW WOW WOW!! you got skills girlfriend! :):):):):):):):):):):):):):)

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  2. :o OMG that cake is amazing Cindy!! You're such an awesome cake maker and momma!! :)

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  3. Thanks for this post! Here is my version of your cake:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffreyvanneste/6528038197/in/photostream

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  4. Thanks for an easy recipe! I am going to make this for my daughter's 1st birthday next weekend! Mine will be pink and yellow.

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  5. Thanks for this! I just made it for my nephew's 4th birthday and he is so excited!!

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  6. I just made this cake for my daughter's birthday party today - everyone loved it, including my little two year old. The recipe and directions were great - thank you!

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  7. How many did this wonderful cake feed?

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  8. You have provided an incredible resource.

    Take a look at my web site; cakeboys.com.au

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  9. thanks a million for this. my son wanted a giraffe cake and I hardly make normal cakes. I thought what? is he serious? and then discovered its actually possible. followed yours and its actually recognizable as a giraffe...

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    Replies
    1. I'm so glad I could help! I'd love to see a picture!

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  10. great idea! I made this for my son's 1st birthday (not sure how to post a picture, otherwise I would) Thank you :)

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  11. Awesome!! I love it! Thank you for sharing, I had no idea where to even start lol

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  12. This is JUST what I needed for my daughter's first birthday. Thank you so much!

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  13. Erg leuk, ik ga hem ook maken

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  14. Wow! Your Cake is awesome. I am going to try it for my granddaughter'sgranddaughter' s 5th. Thank you for the easy to follow directions.

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  15. Hi there, just wanted to say, I liked this blog post.

    It was helpful. Keep on posting!

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