Peace Sign Cake - Help me figure this out

[Slipper]

My daughter is having a slumber party on Friday. She wants a peace sign birthday cake. The only ones I can find online are covered in fondant which I have never used. I can carve cakes fairly well (and once made a dragon from rice crispy treats) but my fondant skills are non-existant.

 

Any thoughts on how I can do this and make it look neat? She just turned 11 so her friends are in that pre-teen age where pink zebra stripes, polka dots and peace signs rule.

 

She's also gluten free but I can sort that part out.

 

I want to do a long rectangular cake and a round cake on top. (I even thought about making the top round part rice krispy treat in the shape of a peace sign).

 

Maybe make the peace signs in candy?

 

What I want is this blog's cake (scroll down for the peace sign one)

http://cakemomadventures.blogspot.com/

[Starr]

Colored rice krispy treats would be cool for a peace sign. They are always a birthday hit here. Or frosting or candy would work well too. Fruit roll up stuff could be cut up for the peace sign. I think I'm for the rice krispy treats as first choice! Show us a picture when you are finished. Have fun!

[justLisa]

If you want quick and easy, use thick rope liquorish for the peace sign. You can just wrap it around the border of the cake, then cut to make the symbol.

[Katy]

well... I made my own wedding cake (gluten free), so I can probably answer.

 

There is no reason you need to use fondant. You can use regular icing, though to get the flat look like that you need paste or gel food coloring to shade the icing and a pastry bag with an icing tip (a tip with a long narrow shape often used to put a base layer of frosting on the cake).

 

Regular icing with candy (maybe something like fruit roll up)? could give a similar effect for a lot less money than buying pastry tips and bags and fancy gel food coloring if you don't have any of those.

 

I like to go with the best tasting icing (almond buttercream - salted butter in place of shortening, powdered sugar, almond extract in place of vanilla, enough whipping cream to get the texture I want, and whatever food coloring you choose), but real butter based frostings melt in heat, so unless you're having the cake inside in an air-conditioned room, go with regular shortening based frosting instead.

 

Gel food colorings take a LOT of time to mix... Really overdo it, or it will separate out and get a spotty look later.

 

I would just decorate the top of a sheet cake, as layers of different shapes will probably need dowels to hold them together, and it would be too much cake for one party.

[littlefurfamily]

I used gum drops (TJs yum!) to make a peace sign on a plain cake then used tie-dye candles...it was groovy enough :)

[Jann in TX]

My 10.5 yr dd also agrees.

 

I do LOTS of cakes each year...

 

Choose your dd's favorite colorful candies (Skittles, M&Ms...) and make the peace sign with those... You can go for a 'tie-dye' effect and be particular where the different colors go (start with 1 color outside and add different colors as you move toward the center of the design).

 

To make marking and filling in the peace sign easier, do a computer-generated graphic (or hand drawn one) and copy on waxed paper.

 

Using small round decorating tip and the same color of icing as your base cake, pipe the outline on the REVERSE SIDE of the waxed paper (probably not that important with a symmetrical peace sign).

 

Once it is piped then position it on top of your iced cake and lightly press to transfer the design.

 

You can then begin to add candies.

 

The above will also work if you want to fill in the design using a star tip with a decorating bag.

[justLisa]

I have used M and M's in specific colors for decorating. I did a rainbow cake for DD that turned out well. Candy on a cake doesn't sound good, but chocolate goes with frosting well.

[Farrar]

M&M's on a cake is tasty. Just be aware that they also get gooey and soft (the candy shell loses it's crunch) after an hour or so and they bleed food coloring slightly on white icing.

 

Since it's just a peace sign, I would probably pipe icing to make it on a round cake. But candy is always a good option too.

[ThisIsTheDay]

Google Buttercream Transfer.

 

Basically, you'll have a picture (something printed from online, perhaps) that you want your decoration to look like. Top it with a piece of waxed paper, copy the design with your frosting, and fill in. Freeze, then flip over onto your cake.

 

Googling will give you specifics, and I've found the videos very, very helpful.

 

(I'm starting now on my ds's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough cake for his birthday tomorrow. No buttercream transfer for his this year, but a new challenge!)

[Dmmetler]

What about a cupcake cake-bake a bunch of cupcakes, arrange them as a peace sign on a big cookie sheet or sheet of foil-covered cardboard, and then ice the whole thing in full hot pink, zebra-striped glory. Cupcake cakes are also nice when you want to do more than one cake flavor (my DD is the kid who likes Vanilla and hates chocolate cake, so she's thrilled when there's a choice)

[Slipper]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm still plotting, but this is giving me a lot more to work with! :)

[EducationX2]

I'd go with M&Ms if it were me. I did a rainbow cake with m&ms for my DD's half birthday a couple weeks ago and it was a big hit. It wasn't too hard for me to decorate, and she loved it. And.... it actually tasted pretty good! :D

 

Don't forget to share pictures!!