Cake Decorating Ideas

A good friend of ours was celebrating the 2nd anniversary of a successful kidney transplant, and his partner asked if I could create a kidney cake for him. I decided to make the cake a little more “realistic” rather than “fun”, although i did have a concern that the visual may take away from the flavor of the cake.

I made the kidney cake with two 8 inch round white cake layers with a fresh berry/cream filling. After stacking them, I carved them into a kidney shape and covered it with a berry flavored marshmallow fondant. The “tubes” and the “fat” are fondant, and the “veins” were painted on using dark maroon gel coloring. To write the message, I used yellow royal icing to tie it in to the urethra.

My concern about the how the cake looked negatively impacting the flavor proved to be completely unfounded since the cake was a huge success. More importantly, the visual of the cake became the focal point for a very frank and in-depth discussion about what he went through, how it was repaired. It turned into a cathartic experience for him and a learning experiencefor the other guests.

I LOVE the idea that my cake could do that!

Since this was my first attempt working with fondant, I learned a great many things. First and most important, I learned that fondant is not nearly as hard to work with as I had believed, and that anyone can do it. Second, fondant can actually taste good! Third, using the correct “fondant tools” will cut your working time greatly.

Suffice it to say, that I LOVED working with fondant, and overcoming my fear of working with it has opened the door for a great many ideas I have for future cakes. It is so much fun to play with, and the artist in you is able to come alive.

Thanks for letting me share this cake with you!

First Name: Kipp
City-State: Los Angeles, CA