Need a great zebra cake idea?
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A Zebra Cake is a perfect for everything from a 1st birthday cake to a 101st. This cute animal theme is sure to be a winner with your party guests.
And you don’t need to mount an expedition to the Serengeti to capture the magic. To make this Zebra Cake the star of your next party, all you need is some buttercream, a few candy melts and a little inspiration.
And don't forget to pick up some cute, co-ordinating party supplies
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what you'll need:
- Cake - Lemon Ginger Pound Cake is always a hit
- Filling - Whipped White Chocolate Ganache is amazing
- half a batch of buttercream
- Green gel food color
- Green candy melts
- Pink candy melts
- White candy melts
- Green candy color
- A black candywriter
- Brown sugar
- Wax paper or parchment paper
- Flowerpot saucer or board to hold finished cake
baking
1st birthday cake - zebra cake
- bake the cake(s) and cool completely.
- level the cake(s) and split each into two layers horizontally.
- fill and assemble each cake on a separate cake circle
and secure with a dollop of frosting to stop it from sliding around.
- add a crumb coat - this is a very thin coat of un-tinted buttercream you apply to 'set' the crumbs.
- refrigerate the cake(s) while you make the Chocolate decorations.
make the Chocolate decorations
1st birthday cake - zebra cake
This is just like painting by numbers, only in reverse. You fill in the details first then the background.
The Zebra
- print out the zebra to about 3 ½ ” high, using the picture below as a template, and tape to a firm work surface.
- cover the template with a piece of wax or parchment paper.
- fill in the outline, stripes and face using the black candywriter, as shown (below, left) and let set for 10 minutes.
- melt ¼ cup of pink candy melts.
- fill in the zebra’s nose using the tip of a teaspoon handle, as shown (below, center) and let set for 10 minutes.
- melt ½ cup of white candy melts.
- add a 1/8" thick layer of the candy melts over the entire zebra going ¼ “ beyond the outline, as shown (below, right).
- let set for about 30 minutes and peel the paper off gently and flip over. Your zebra should now look like the one below.
The Banyan Tree
- print out the tree to about 5” high, using the picture below as a template, and tape to a firm work surface.
- cover the template with a piece of wax or parchment paper.
- fill in the trunk and branches using the black candywriter, as shown (below, left) and let set for 10 minutes.
- melt ¼ cup of green candy melts.
- fill in the lighter green area of the template using the tip of a wooden spoon handle, as shown (below, center) and let set for 10 minutes.
- melt ½ cup of candy melts and tint medium-dark green using the green candy color.
- add a 1/8" thick layer of the candy melts over the entire tree going ¼ “ beyond the outside lines , as shown (below, right).
- let set for about 30 minutes and peel the paper off gently and flip over. Your tree should now look like the one below.
The Grass
1st birthday cake - zebra cake
- divide about 1 cup of green candy melts into two dishes and melt one lot.
- tint the melted candy melts a darker green by adding some green candy color.
- using a 1/4" wide artists brush, paint 3" – 4" high strips of melted chocolate about 1/8" thick on to a piece of wax paper, spaced about 1/2" apart as shown (below left). Let set for about 10 minutes.
- melt the other half of the green candy melts and paint in between the first strips of grass, as shown (below, right).
- let set for about 30 minutes then make random vertical breaks in the strip of grass to create shorter, more useable sections about 3” long, as shown below.
- Now you have chocolate grass. How easy was that?
assembly
1st birthday cake - zebra cake
- frost the top and sides of the cake(s) using medium green frosting.
- place the cake in the flowerpot saucer or board now and secure with double sided tape to stop it from sliding around.
- place the chocolate grass around the sides of the cake, securing with extra frosting.
- using a teaspoon, sprinkle brown sugar around the base of the cake, as shown.
- using a serrated knife make 1” deep cuts in the top of the cake to hold the tree trunk and zebra legs.
- gently push the tree and the zebra in to the cut you just made, as shown.
You're done! Now go get a well deserved cup of coffee and sit back for a few minutes to admire your handiwork. Remember to take a picture while your masterpiece still looks perfect.
let's throw a Zebra party
Got the perfect Zebra Cake? Check. Now all you need for a memorable party is some fun, co-ordinating party supplies.
You can find everything you need right here. Check it out:
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