Jean A. Schapowal from Cakes with Character is an award-winning cake artist based in Long Island, New York, creating cakes for over 15 years. Having been a cartooning and illustration major in art school, she brings her cartoony, pop, comic book style to her creations. Jean competes regularly in cake shows across the country, placing with many of her entries, and contributes to many online collaborations. Jean was also a finalist for a Cake Masters Award for best collaboration and has appeared on numerous television cake challenges. She loves to create fun and engaging pieces cakes that ‘pop’. When people see one of her creations, they can say ‘oh that’s a Jean cake’!
Facebook: www.facebook.com/momschap
Instagram @momschap
Equipment List:
- Renshaw Ready to Roll Icing: Red, Green, White, Silver
- Cake Board
- Dresden Tool
- 2″ Styrofoam Balls
- Edible Glue
- Rainbow Dust ProGel: Yellow
- 3″ Round Cutter
- Confectioners’ Sugar
- Rainbow Dust Pearl Lustre
- Knife
- Snowflake Cutters
- Iridescent White Edible Paint
- Edible Silver Glitter
- Christmas Lights with 2″ Long Bulbs
- Mould Set
- Edible Glaze
- Modelling Paste: Yellow, Red, Green, Black, Beige
- Light Pink Edible Dust
- White Edible Paint
- Bone Tool
- X-acto knife
1.
Cover the board.
2.
Mix enough green to cover the cake.
3.
Using a dresden tool, make various lines in the sides and tops of the cakes.
4.
Complete throughout the entire cake.
5.
Cut 2” Styrofoam balls in half.
6.
Glue 12 to a piece of cardboard or foam core.
7.
Mix yellow ProGel with a golf ball sized piece of white fondant.
8.
Roll out and using a 3” round cutter, cut out a circle.
9.
Dust the tops of the Styrofoam balls with confectioners’ sugar and place the fondant circle on top.
10.
Repeat three more times.
11.
Mix pink and light blue into white fondant and repeat to make four circles of each colour.
12.
Let dry overnight and then remove.
13.
Using pearl lustre, dust the hardened spheres. Repeat for all the spheres.
14.
All the spheres should have a shimmer.
15.
For the top part of the ornaments, mix silver fondant and roll out a very thin rope and several blueberry sized balls.
16.
Cut each ball in half. Using the thin end of the dresden tool, make a few notches along the bottom.
17.
Using the flat side of a knife, make lines along the notch marks.
18.
This is how it should look.
19.
Using edible glue, brush the backs of the spheres and apply to the tree.
20.
Using a little water or edible glue, apply the ornament topper.
21.
Repeat throughout the top of the cake.
22.
Cut off a small piece of the silver rope and fold over to create the hoop. Apply to the top with edible glue.
Snowflakes - 23a.
Using snowflake cutters or plungers, make several sizes and let dry overnight.
23b.
Using iridescent white edible paint, paint the dried snowflakes.
23c.
While the paint is still wet, sprinkle white glitter over half the snowflakes.
23d.
Repeat with silver glitter over the remaining snowflakes. Once dry, attach throughout the cake using edible glue.
Christmas Lights - 24a.
Use a toy or real Christmas light set with 2” long bulbs.
24b.
Cut some of the bulbs off the string and prepare a mould.
24c.
Once the mould mixture is formed, roll out and press several of the bulbs into it. Let dry.
24d.
Once dry, remove the bulbs.
24e.
Using the leftover fondant, press into the moulds and let dry.
24f.
Remove once dry and repeat several times. Use tylose powder to help with drying or pop in the freezer.
24g.
Using edible glaze, coat the bulb part only. Repeat for all the bulbs. Set aside to dry.
24h.
Once dried, applied throughout the cake using edible glue.
Figure - 25a.
Mix modelling paste in yellow, red, yellow/green, black and beige. Save some white. Have black dragees, light pink dust and white edible paint on hand.
25b.
Mix the colours.
25c.
Roll out a grape sized ball and a 0.75” thick 5” long rope (3/4” thickness) of red for the body.
25d.
Cut the rope in half for the legs.
25e.
Using a small dummy as support and a small skewer, attach the legs to the ball. Using the flat end of the dresden tool, start to smooth the seams.
25f.
Continue smoothing out the seams.
25g.
Roll out a grape sized piece of yellow/green. Attach to the red bottom.
25h.
Roll out a piece of red to wrap around the middle covering the bottom of the elf and part of the yellow/green middle.
25i.
Roll out a 0.75” thick 4” long rope of yellow/green for the arms. Cut in half and set aside.
25j.
Roll out a small square of red to create a pocket.
25k.
Apply the red around the waist using the dresden tool to smooth out.
25l.
Roll out two thin strips of red for the straps.
25m.
Apply the arms, pocket and straps using the dresden tool to smooth out all seams.
25n.
Use yellow to create two buttons for the front straps.
25o.
Roll out two blueberry sized balls of brown for the shoes.
25p.
Form into teardrops and flatten the larger ends slightly.
25q.
Curl up the pointed ends.
25r.
Attach the shoes with a small dab of edible glue.
26a.
Roll out a golf ball sized piece of beige for the head.
26b.
Using a bone tool, make two eyeholes.
26c.
Using the black dragees, add to the eyeholes.
26d.
Roll out a tiny ball of beige for the nose.
26e.
Using an X-acto knife, cut a smile into the face.
26f.
Using the flat end of the dresden tool, open the mouth forming an O shape.
26g.
This is how it should look.
26h.
Using the small end of the bone tool, add dimples to the corners of the mouth.
26i.
Add a touch of red to the inside of the mouth.
26j.
Roll out two pea sized balls of beige for the ears.
26k.
Shape into teardrops and flatten with your finger.
26l.
Using the dresden tool, add to the side of the head applying slight pressure.
26m.
This is how it should look.
26n.
Roll out four tapered pieces of yellow for the hair. Apply a small 0.5” circle of yellow to the back of the head.
26o.
Begin creating the hair adding a tapered piece at a time. Continue until all four pieces are on.
26p.
Take the pink dust and edible white paint.
26q.
Dust pink on the cheeks and nose.
26r.
Using a small tipped brush, add a small dot of white to the eyes.
26s.
Attach the head to the body.
27a.
Roll out a grape sized ball of red for the hat.
27b.
Roll into a teardrop.
27c.
Flatten along bottom and form a point on the top.
27d.
Curl and bend the top of the hat.
27e.
Roll out a rope of white long enough to wrap around the base of the hat.
27f.
Wrap around the hat.
27g.
Using the wide end of the bone tool, texture the hat.
27h.
Apply to the top of the head. Roll out a tiny ball of white and texture as above. Attach to the tip of the hat.
28a.
Roll out two small blueberry sized balls of beige for the hands.
28b.
Pinch on an end and flatten on the other.
28c.
Using the X-acto knife, remembering the positioning of thumbs, begin cutting and forming the fingers.
28d.
Separate and trim the fingers smoothing and shaping as you go.
28e.
You should end up with clean evenly shaped fingers. Continue to trim away and shape until you get to a point you are happy with.
28f.
Attach, shape and form to set the pose.
28g.
Attach the other hand and pose. Repeat for all the elves in various poses throughout.
