Description
Transform basic chocolate sponges into an adorable, three-dimensional bear using structural engineering and clever piping techniques. This guide focuses on internal supports and star-tipped buttercream fur to create a professional-grade character cake that is as stable as it is cute.
Ingredients
- Two 8-inch round chocolate sponges
- One 8-inch dome chocolate sponge
- 4 cups stabilized chocolate buttercream frosting
- 5 wooden dowels or thick plastic straws
- One 8-inch cardboard cake round
- 3 chocolate chip cookies
- Black decorating icing
- Large candy eyeball sprinkles
Instructions
- Bake one 8-inch round cake and one 8-inch dome cake at 350°F (175°C), allowing them to cool completely before handling.
- Level the round cake with a serrated knife and trim the dome’s diameter to match the base for a seamless vertical alignment.
- Secure the round cake to a board with buttercream, insert five dowels in a pentagon shape, and top with a cardboard round.
- Apply a layer of buttercream and place the dome cake on top to complete the bear’s silhouette.
- Coat the entire structure in a thin crumb coat of buttercream and chill for 20 minutes until firm.
- Pipe star-textured fur across the entire cake using a Wilton #18 or #21 tip, working in horizontal rows from bottom to top.
- Attach chocolate chip cookies for ears and the snout, then add features using black icing and eyeball sprinkles.
Notes
When trimming your cakes, ensure they are chilled or even slightly frozen to minimize crumbs and ensure clean, sharp edges for the bear’s body. If the chocolate chip cookies for the ears feel too heavy, you can reinforce them with a small dab of melted chocolate on the back to help them bond to the dome.
- Prep Time: 45 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking and Sculpting
- Cuisine: British