Saturday, January 14, 2006

Radio Cake

I entered a cake decorating contest that was also a fundraiser for my local public radio station as a part of their 25th anniversary yesterday. The cakes were judged and then auctioned with the proceeds going to the station. I entered the category for 'Representation of Public Radio~Past, Present, or Future'. I decided to make a cake that looked like a vintage bakelite radio.



These are a couple of the radios that I based the design on.
I am not all that happy with how it turned out. I envisioned it looking just like a radio. I wanted people to come in and wonder why a radio was sitting on the cake table....The problem was the chocolate glaze I put on it. It just didn't turn out as smooth as I had hoped. I guess using fondant would have been the way to go..But I am not into fondant, it is just too expensive. And did you notice that letters had slid down in the top photo(that one was taken at the contest)...jeesh!
Anyway, I did win in my category (mind you, only 4 other cakes entered the contest) and my cake did get the highest bid of $66. The folks that bought it were really nice and excited about the cake. They own an antique store in a neighboring city.
Cake info: It was a four layer dark chocolate cake with a rich chocolate glaze. Everything on the cake had to be edible (which I am not really into...I like cute plastic toy encrusted baked goods). The area with the call letters is a rectangle of vanilla flavored clear hard candy. I got the recipe for it off the internet, dyed it an amber color and made a mold out of wax paper. The dials are mini reese's peanut butter cups. The other decorative features are made from sugar wafers, coconut cookies, and some fancy 'entertaining cookies'.

13 comments:

Jennifer W. said...

You were probably too involved with the cake to step back and realize how great it looks to someone else. I mean, I can't even imagine how you did the front of the cake to look like the vents on the front of the radio. You are truly amazing!

Shanna said...

all i have to say is "holy moley! that's awesome!!!!!!!"...with lots and lots of these !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gina said...

Great Cake!!!!!!!!!!

woof nanny said...

I love it! What a great idea! I kind-of like the everything edible thing, because it forces you to be creative with the goodies. I've always wanted to bake one of those candy cakes for a kid's birthday--where the filling is jam-packed with all kinds of candy. It would be like digging for treasure in each slice.

Anonymous said...

i agree w jennifer, you are being much too hard on yourself. be julia childs, not martha stewart! it ruled!

Anonymous said...

mmm, chocolate cake.

Love your blog, I'm very addicted to it and the marvellous recipes. My brother and sister are currently going through an old Cadbury chocolate cooking book and making some delicious desserts!

Anonymous said...

Oh, it's so FUN! And: yay for you for supporting your public radio station with your creativity!!!

Anonymous said...

Wow! Amazing cake. You have significant talent.

Off the subject: I love your blog. What a wonderful creative kinda gal you are. I wish we were neighbors.

my house is cuter than yours said...

Thank you all so much for the sweet comments about the cake. It really means alot to me!

Anonymous said...

It is a fabulous cake! It is hard to step back and look at something you've made objectively.

Space Age Housewife said...

Oh, I love your cake! I collect vintage radios and stereos, so it has particular appeal to me. Way to go!

Signed, The Space Age Housewife

Jennifer Perkins said...

That cake is so cute I would not be able to bring myself to eat it!

Anonymous said...

This cake is AWESOME!!!! What you see as faults in the cake are only the uniqueness that is YOU!!!! No one else I am sure felt that way when they saw the cake at the benefit. I just wish I could have seen it in person. I am so proud of my talented little angel from heaven. Love ya bunches, Mom