Woodland Creatures Cake

What better way to master modelling skills than with this cute animal-themed cake? This tree stump cake is topped with sweet little woodland creatures.

Brought to you by Ali Newman from The Little Sugar Box

What better way to master modelling skills than with this cute animal-themed cake?

This adorable tree stump cake is topped with the sweetest little woodland creatures. Learn how to make them with this tutorial by Ali Newman from The Little Sugar Box. woodland creatures 1

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You will need

For the cake

15 x 12cm (6 x 5in) tall

To decorate

white sugarpaste
gooseberry food colour
orange food colour
liquorice food colour
dark brown food colour
chestnut food colour
pink food colour
yellow food colour
CMC/Tylo powder
ponsettia ready coloured paste (Squires Kitchen)
white florist paste
black florist paste
black Wilton sprinkles (pearls)

Equipment

25cm (10in) round drum edged with ribbon
large rolling pin
icing sugar in a shaker
knife
ruler
edible glue/small paintbrush
different size daisy plungers
blossom cutters
cornflour (to dust)
green non-stick board
little rolling pin
tiny circle cutters: 5mm (¼in), 8mm (½in), 2cm (¾in)
tiny rose petal cutter
scissors
dresden tool
cocktail sticks
small plastic bag to keep florist paste in

Instructions

To decorate the cake

Add some liquorice food colour to white sugarpaste and knead until it turns a soft grey colour. When you are happy with the colour, roll the paste about 5mm (¼in) thick and cover the 15cm (6in) cake. While the icing is still soft, take your dresden tool and mark the top of the cake so that it looks like the top of a tree trunk. Cover the drum in the same paste and allow to dry.

Add a little dark brown food colour to the remaining grey sugarpaste and add a small amount of CMC powder to it (approx. 1 tsp of powder to 500g (1lb 1oz) sugarpaste) Knead the paste until all of the CMC powder has been mixed in.

Sprinkle some icing sugar onto your worktop and roll out a small piece of your brown sugarpaste. Cut the rolled paste into a square shape using a knife and ruler.

Brush a little edible glue onto the side of the cake and carefully stick the square of sugarpaste onto it. Using the sharp end of your dresden tool, draw some deep grooves onto the square (top to bottom). When you are happy with your grooves, draw lots of little lines between them until all the spaces have been filled. This will create your bark effect.

To create the roots for your tree stump, roll a little brown sugarpaste into a sausage and glue to the side of the cake. Smooth it on carefully using your fingertips, then create a bark effect with the dresden tool.

The bunny

To make the bunny's body, roll some white florist paste into a small ball. Place the ball onto the green board and flatten it slightly with the palm of your hand. Repeat the same process for the head using a slightly larger piece of paste.

Make two little holes for the eyes by using the end of your paintbrush and pushing it gently into the paste. Put some glue into the holes and place the black pearls into them.

Roll out some pale pink paste and cut 2 tiny circles (8mm). Stick the circles onto the bunny's face just under his eyes. Create a little nose using a darker pink colour.

Cut two more pink circles, this time using a 5mm circle cutter, then stick them onto his body to form arms.

To make the feet, roll two small balls of pink paste. Roll each ball between your finger and thumb and turn it into a cone shape. Place the cones onto the green board, then flatten them slightly.

Roll two sausage shapes using your white paste for ears. Roll the tips between your finger and thumb to make little points.

To assemble the bunny, stick his head onto his body using edible glue, glue his ears onto his head and attach his feet.

The fox

Colour some white florist paste with chestnut food colour. Roll the paste into a small ball. Gently roll each side of the ball between your finger and thumb to make it more rugby ball-shaped. This will be the fox’s head.

Create the body as for the bunny, but using the chestnut paste instead of white.

To create his ears, roll out some chestnut paste and cut two tiny triangles using the knife.

Roll some white paste and cut a tiny circle with your 2cm (¾in) cutter. Cut a small section from the top of the circle using a sharp knife. Cut the remaining piece of paste in half, then glue each half onto the fox's face to create his cheeks. Roll a ball of black paste for his nose and his eyes.

To create his chest, cut another circle of white paste. Trim a little bit off each side, then stick the triangle onto his chest, keeping the point at the top.

To make his tail, simply roll a sausage of chestnut paste and make it slightly pointed at the end. Texture his tail using the dresden tool as you did for the bark.

The hedgehog

Take some dark brown paste and roll it into a ball. Turn it into a cone shape as you did for the bunny's feet by rolling one end between your fingers and thumb.

Snip lots of 'spines' onto the body using the tips of your small sharp scissors.

Make two holes for the eyes (as for the bunny), then glue in some black pearls.

Make a tiny pink nose and glue it on.

The owl

Take some chestnut paste and roll it into a ball. Flatten it slightly. Cut a half circle out of it using a small circle cutter. This will be the head.

To make the eyes, cut two white circles of paste (1.5cm (¾in)) and two smaller black circles of paste (1cm (½in)). Stick the black circles onto the white circles, then glue a tiny white dot of paste onto each to make the eyes more lifelike.

Using a knife, cut some orange paste into a triangle shape, then stick the beak onto his face.

Make his feet as you did for the bunny, but mark with a knife to create claws.

Roll some chestnut paste, then cut out 2 shapes using the tiny rose petal cutter. Stick them to the side of the head for ears.

The toadstools

Take some red paste and roll it into a ball. Create a small peak at the top of the ball by rubbing the paste between your finger and thumb to make the top of the toadstool. Flatten the bottom slightly.

Next, take some white paste and roll it into a small ball for the stem. Attach the top of the toadstool to it using edible glue.

Roll some very small balls of white paste, then squash them onto the top of the toadstool to create spots.

The grass

Roll some green paste out and cut it into a rectangle shape with a knife. Cut small triangles into the rectangle to create 'blades' of grass. Attach these to the side of the cake.

To make the spiky grass, simply roll a green paste 'worm' and fold it in half.

The flowers

Cut some daisy/blossom shapes using the cutters.

Roll small balls of paste, then stick them onto each flower to create a pretty centre.

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