Photo Gallery: Add floods of sales with ark cake

MODERN-BAKING

Jun. 19, 2012

1. To begin, use soft royal icing to pipe giraffes. With tip No. 12, pipe a teardrop shape for the head and then pull in a downward motion to create the elongated neck. Pat down any points of icing. Dry overnight.
2. The bottom of the ark consists of a medium-size oval cake. Use tip No. 1D and tan icing to pipe the slats of the boat. Begin at one end of the oval and pipe to the other. The strips of icing should just meet, not overlap.
3. With tip 1A, pipe dark brown icing on top of the cake and smooth with a heated spatula. Place bamboo skewers cut to size in the cake to support the upper part of the ark.
4. Crumb ice a 4-in. square cake. Then, starting in the center of the cake, cut the side away at an angle to about halfway down the first layer. Repeat on the other side to create the peaked roof of the top of the ark. Place it on the oval cake.
5. Use tip No. 12 to pipe slats on the sides of the square cake. With the same tip, overpipe each of the corners, outline the top of the oval cake and pipe lines at each end of the oval. Top with three loops.
6. With tip No. 45, use a scallop motion to pipe the roof on the square cake. Keep the tip angled to match the angle of the cake. Then, use tip No. 7 to outline each side of the roof.
8. To pipe elephants, use tip No. 12 to pipe a large dollop of icing, release the pressure and then build another large dollop of icing pulling down and ending with a looping trunk.
9. Press tip No. 104 into the side of the elephants’ heads and pipe a wavering loop upward to create the ears. With tip No. 12, pipe two legs on either side of the heads that hang over the edge of the cake slightly. Use tip No. 3 and white icing to pipe the eyes and tusks.
10. To pipe lions, use tip No. 12 to pipe a dollop for the body, turn the tip slightly and pipe a bubble for the head.
11. With tip No. 12, add two legs on each side of both lions. Use tip No. 16 to pipe a mane around one of the lions. Pipe white muzzles using tip No.3. Add the ears by piping a dot with tip No. 3 and then build out with loops. Pipe the brown noses using tip No. 3. Also with tip No. 3, add the whites of the eyes.
12. For pigs, use tip No. 12 to pipe the bodies similarly to the lions. With the same tip, add the legs and snouts. Flatten the snouts with a spatula. Use leaf tip No. 352 to pipe the pigs’ ears, bending over the icing as you finish the motion. With tip No. 3, add black hooves at the ends of the legs and the whites of the eyes.
13. To add a little color, pipe the zebras in two shades of blue. Use tip No. 12 to pipe a ball for the body and then bring the piping motion up and out to create the horse-shaped head.
14. Add dark blue stripes with tip No. 3. Pipe ears with tip No. 70, and use the smaller tip No. 80 to pipe double loops for the nostrils. Add the whites of the eyes and the black pupils with tip No. 3. At this point, go back and add pupils to all the animals along with other facial features using tip No. 3.
15. On the roof of the ark, use tip No. 5 to pipe a white teardrop that ends in a point to create a bird’s body. Then, at the thicker end, pipe a small dollop of icing for the head. Pipe another bird facing the opposite direction. Use tip No. 3 to pipe the yellow beaks and black eyes.
16. For panda bears, use tip No. 12 to pipe a white dollop for the body with another bubble of icing on top for the head.
17. With tip No. 9, pipe black arms on each side of the pandas. Use tip No. 3 to pipe circles for the eyes with a pupil at one side. For the ears, use tip No. 3 and pipe a dot of icing and then loops to build the ears up.
18. Pipe a double reverse shell border with blue icing and tip No. 12 to create the water. Make fish using tip No. 7. Pipe a ball of icing for the head, then one wave away, pipe two points for the tail fin to make it look like it is swimming. Use tip No. 3 to add the mouth and head fins.
19. Pipe another fish facing opposite a short distance from the first. Add the whites of the eyes and the pupils using tip No. 3.
20. Add a black seal using tip No. 12. Use the cake to support the body as you pipe upwards and then out for the head. Add two small flippers in the front, and then pipe two points for the tail one wave away.
21. Pipe another seal on the other side of the ark, and use tip No. 3 to add the eyes to both.

Piped animals are always a big customer draw, and can be surprisingly easy. This Noah's Ark cake is an ideal design for a variety of events from a baby shower to a first birthday.