Carved Topsy Turvy Cake

Well, this is the last post of 2010!

I thought I'd leave you with a fun topsy turvy cake that I hand carved... and, you get to enjoy pictures taken with my brand new Canon Rebel T2i... :)  Disclaimer:  I'm still learning what I'm doing.

Let me let you all in on a little secret.
*whispers*
(I don't generally like topsy turvy cakes.)

*glances in both directions to watch for daggers*

Seriously-- in the right situations they can be very effective...  If you were doing a Dr. Seuss cake, it would seem appropriate, but I generally don't like the imprecision that is sometimes acceptable in the whimsy style.  Anyway, I decided to embellish the topsy turvy cakes to make them a little more exciting and elegant.

As an added challenge-- I was in my parents' kitchen when I did this cake, so I didn't necessarily have all of my usual tools.  First, I carved the basic shape that I wanted.

Figured out how the top tier would fit...

Then I carefully carved waves into the top of the cake-- this idea was very much inspired by Margaret Braun.

Both tiers were covered in dark chocolate ganache and fondant.

 

The cake features royal icing piping, fondant pearls, and isomalt gems. 

 

 Happy New Year!!