Sculpt a sweet, sleeping baby

Some decorators may find the prospect of sculpted cakes intimidating, but this baby shape is fairly simple and can be made completely from cake. Once you have made a sculpted cake once, it becomes easier and faster to recreate the design for subsequent customers. You also can charge a significant amount for sculpted cakes to cover the time spent creating them.

1. Create the pillow by cutting two rectangles of cake. Carve the edges to create a tapered edge.

2. Cut the head and torso of the baby's body out of a sheet cake. Remember that a baby's head is out of proportion to the body. You will need about four layers of cake to get the correct depth.

3. Trim the cake into the rough shape of the baby's torso and a profile of the baby's face.

4. Fill the cake for the pillow, and base ice using a piece of acetate to smooth the icing. Refrigerate.

5. Fill and base ice the cake for the head using a tip instead of a knife, and smooth the icing with a piece of acetate. Create an indentation below the forehead for the eyes. The head should be shaped almost like a bean. Refrigerate.

6. For the torso, fill the cake and again use a tip to base ice the cake. Smooth with a piece of acetate, creating a slight indentation at the base of the torso for the baby's hip. The torso also is shaped almost like a bean, but in the opposite direction of the head. Refrigerate.

7. Sheet a piece of white fondant to 12 ins. by 16 ins. and about 1/4 in. thick. Place it over the base-iced pillow. Smooth the fondant on top of the pillow first, and then work down the sides, pulling the fondant a bit to keep it smooth. Use a smoother to push the fondant tight against the base of the cake before trimming off the excess with a knife.

8. Create quilting on the pillow by using a tool with a serrated edge. Imprint a diagonal line that goes from one corner of the pillow to the opposite corner. Make lines on either side of the first, about 1 1/2 ins. apart, and continue to ends of the pillow. Repeat the process with lines going in the opposite direction from the first set.

9. Sheet tan fondant to cover the baby's face. Use the same process used on the pillow to smooth the fondant over the face. Then, use an indentation tool or the stick end of a paintbrush to carve in the sleeping baby's eyelids.

10. Mould a nose and ear from fondant. Attach the nose using a toothpick and water, and attach the ear using water. Use a dowel to carve in light grooves extending down from the nose.

11. Position the pillow and torso on a cake board. Then, cut and carve the baby's legs out of a sheet cake. Make the upper legs thicker for the thighs and thinner at the base for feet. At the outward curve of the legs, carve out some cake to create a space between the knees.

12. Fill and base ice the legs, carving an indentation down the center to delineate two legs.

13. Sheet tan fondant to cover the baby's upper torso. Position the baby's head on the pillow so it just touches the top of the torso.

14. Shape an arm out of fondant, and place it on the cake board below the baby's head, curving from the torso into the pillow. The arms are too small to create from cake.

15. Shape a second arm out of fondant. Position this arm from the top of the torso, attaching it with water, and curve it into the baby's chin. Make an indentation for the curve of the inner elbow.

16. With an airbrush, outline the facial indentations with brown. Spray pink on the cheeks. Shape a hand out of fondant. Start with a ball and flatten slightly. Use the handle of a paintbrush to create indentations for fingers and dimples on the back of the hand. Use a toothpick and water to attach the hand to the pillow, right next to the arm and resting against the baby's face.

17. Sheet a rectangle of pink fondant. Use a textured roller to indent the fondant, creating a blanket. Fold over one edge of the fondant for the top. Place the blanket over the bottom two-thirds of the baby, directly under the arms. Trim away the excess fondant.

18. Use a paintbrush to paint a dark brown line across the bottom of the eyelids. Then, paint curving lines radiating out from the base to create eyelashes. Paint the eyebrows and wisps of hair over the baby's head using a watered down, lighter shade of brown. When adding the hair, keep both the amount of color and the pressure light.

19. Carve a small hole for the baby's mouth, and insert a plastic pacifier. You may also use a real pacifier for a keepsake for the mother.

20. Finish the design by piping an appropriate message on the cake board, such as “Tiny fingers, hands and feet, a precious baby girl we can't wait to meet.”

Orlando Serrano is lead decorator at Roeser's Bakery in Chicago. He began decorating at age 17 for an in-store bakery and has worked for Roeser's since 1996. He won the 2000 and 2004 Chicago Area Retail Bakers Association's cake decorating contests and has participated in several Food Network challenges. He received his Pastry Certification from Kendall College in Chicago as well as art training from Columbia College and the School of the Art Institute, both also in Chicago.