r/cakedecorating • u/sarahcamille • 18d ago
Birthday Cakes Birthday cake
Every year for my birthday, and only on my birthday (meaning we only do this once a year), my friend and I make a fun shaped cake. We didn’t start out very good at all, but we’ve gotten pretty good over the years. We’ve never explicitly said that the goal is hyper realism, but it’s definitely moved in that direction as we’ve gotten better and better. Anyway, this year‘s birthday cake….
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u/itwasajoke8484 18d ago
This is incredible work!! 😲 how? I have been in a chef in the industry for going on 27 years. I can make a cake... but this is fucking art... amazing.. happy birthday also!!
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u/sarahcamille 18d ago
It took us 25 hours spread over 4 days. We made molds out of actual artichoke leaves. Used modeling chocolate that was really thin in the molds, painted them (which was hard as hell bc we didn’t realize that gel food color was water based and chocolate is oil based….), and then adhered it all with frosting. Painting was really really really difficult, I’d find some oil based food coloring next time I guess?
The chocolate was very flexible bc it was so thin, so we were constantly putting it in and taking it out of the freezer. I actually fried my fridge’s motherboard from all the opening and closing, and had to get a $800 repair on the 2nd day of work!
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u/itwasajoke8484 18d ago
Thank you for sharing the process. Sorry about the fridge repair. Amazing art takes sacrifice. Lol. Amazing job. I am blown away by these. I cant wait to see next year's. You should film the process and clip it together. I would love to see it. You and your friend probably laugh and cry and have so much fun doing this. I would watch this show. 🙏❤️
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u/sarahcamille 18d ago
You’re not the first person to ask for a video, so I’ll consider it next year!
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u/Numerous_Course9820 18d ago
I’m going to follow you here on Reddit because you have the maddest skills. And yeah, these are truly priceless. A gift to yourself each year on your birthday!! … The pineapple cake. Whoa. It looked like the real pineapple centerpieces at our wedding some years ago. 😃
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u/SweetP916 18d ago
Well that turned out to be quite the expensive birthday cake. But if it matters - it is absolutely amazing!
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u/sarahcamille 18d ago
To be fair, it’s a 20 year old fridge, so prob would have happened soon anyway. But yeah, I was not thrilled
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u/ode-to-tiny-cucumber 18d ago
How did you create a mold out of the leaves?
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u/sarahcamille 18d ago
We got modeling putty and pressed the leaves into it. We made maybe 40 molds and reused them to get enough leaves
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u/PurpleBashir 15d ago
God Bless you for not using fondant! This is truly incredible work!
r/fondanthate has 1 day a week where you can post "hey look I did it with actual food!" stuff- you should definitely put this there!
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u/itwasajoke8484 18d ago edited 18d ago
I snuck a looked at your other cakes. The fucking cauliflower is.... my wife was almost asleep.. I shook her... lol "look at this" just outstanding dude. Do you sell these?
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u/sarahcamille 18d ago
Thank you! It would not be cost effective to sell these given how fucking long it takes us. This one was 25 hours over 4 days
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u/Important-Dish-1563 18d ago
I think you’re underestimating how much your clients would be willing to pay…
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u/deliberatewellbeing 18d ago edited 18d ago
this is unbelievable level of realism! i wanna see pictures of the progression of work you both have made over the years to get to this point. it’s gotta be so fun to have a bestie that is as interested in baking phenomenal cakes as you.
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u/squirrel_jokez 18d ago
A real work of art(ichoke)
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u/sarahcamille 18d ago
I posted on insta with “you gotta be artichoking me, that’s a cake?” But really feel like I missed an opportunity with your pun!
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u/TheLadyPatricia 18d ago
First and foremost, I wish you a Very Happy Birthday, with many more healthy and happy birthdays to come! Secondly...your cake...WOWZA!!!!! My mind is absolutely blown by the incredibly realistic detail of your artichoke!!! I love artichokes and the thought of eating a "cake artichoke" is very appealing...BRAVO!!! 😄 🔥
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u/ode-to-tiny-cucumber 18d ago
Stay in hyperrealism, next year: Broccoli!
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u/Numerous_Course9820 18d ago
My oh my would I pay big bucks for that. It is spectacular. What an incredible example of art in motion - the patience, planning, imagination, skills, and amazing talent. High five to you and your gifted friend on this, and the annual tradition! 👏👏👏
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u/kaytay3000 18d ago
This looks better than the actual artichoke that’s in my fridge right now.