Chainsaw Forester Birthday Cake

It was recently my brothers 40th birthday and I wanted to him a special cake, as he'd separated from his wife a few months ago. He's not the type for a boring old NORMAL cake, so I searched high and low for ideas surrounding his work. He owns a business that exports logs and his business clears farmer's land when needed. Although he's not so hands on these days, more of the office guy, he still has his precious Stihl chainsaw, and it's the brand he has all his crew use. I found THIS cake that this very creative lady made and switched some things around the personalise to it my brother. The expression on his face and his joy at seeing this made all the time and effort worthwhile.

 

My brother (in icing!) and his beloved chainsaw.

I won't go in to lengthy instructions on how I did this, as the link (above) to the original has a few steps included. However, I will add a few pics of this cake in the making, below. I made the chainsaw after the man was complete, so it had a stick to go through it and hold it on.

I used a toothpick to attach the blade of the chainsaw on to.

I used white fondant with a little tylose mixed in to harden it for the blade. I made a back and a front, left them to set a little (just for 30 mins or so) then stuck them together with sugar water oin either side of the toothpick. I used sugar water to stick it also to the chainsaw end. I carefully painted on silver colouring and black for the chain etc then left to dry overnight, whilst balancing on a little container the right height.



I wasn't that happy with the legs, but I used a toohpick in each one to stablise them to the torso (all the way down in to the boots) and left to dry overnight before adding clothing and arms/ head etc. I placed a toothpick through the torso, for the head and toothpicks for where the arms would go. And one out the front for the chainsaw to go through (which had to be placed BEFORE it set and wouldn't go on to the stick)! Ie, make the man first in full, before making the chainsaw. I used royal icing to stick the legs firmly to the boots (it sets hard over night).



The clothes were all made like this, in pieces for the front and back, then joined on to the man with sugar water glue. It took a bit of measuring to decipher the correct size/ shape. I used silver colouring to paint on the reflective stripes.

The "40" at the top was just rolled out thick fondant and cut with cookie cutters. I stuck toothpicks in each ones base (to sit them up on the cake) and allowed to dry overnight. Then I used royal icing for the orange detail, it sets within 10 mins. I used royal icing for the ribbons (to stick to the cake). The cakes were chocolate and a spicy nutmeg cake with chocolate cream cheese icing.

Measuring Up to 40!

I found a similar card floating about on Pinterest and thought it was a cool idea. Here's mine:

A card for my brother's 40th birthday

Mother's Day Card

I got this idea from Tarynne Wise's blog. What a great way to use up all those little scrappy bits you have left hanging about. A card for Mum. I used foam squares to elevate the hearts and message. Zig-zag stitch on the ribbon. I printed out the message from Word.

April's Craftiness

A couple more things I've just completed:

A Cleckheaton aviator hat. I had to semi felt this by hand as it turned out way too big (and still is, for the recipient)!

A 'koha' card for friends marrying soon. A 'koha' is a gift or donation in Maori.

In side the card

Pumpkin Hat

I just finished this super cute pumpkin baby beanie for friends who've just had a newbie. I was well received and a quick knit. I can envisage cute photos, in the not too distant future, of said baby donning this hat amongst a pumpkin patch.

Pattern available for free HERE

A cool technique for royal icing lavender

I got Maisie Fantaisie's cake book from the library recently and loved this lavender idea! Very cute and effective. This is from her book Sweet and Simple Party Cakes which is well worth a look, lots of great techniques and basics.

40th Birthday Cake - Gluten Free

One of my besties recently turned 40. She shares similar tastes as myself so I offered to do her birthday cake for the event. She is gluten free, mainly dairy-free and tries to be sugar-free where possible. I couldn't achieve the avoidance of all that but she did suggest a wonderful (and I mean, this was GORGEOUS) orange and almond cake recipe. Unfortunately this recipe was so moist I had a bit of a nightmare trying to make it work for a stacked and iced cake, but boy, was it yummo.

I used this Recipe, although, I nearly had a heart attack at the shop counter when the assistant told me the price of almond meal and agave syrup! Agave is VERY sweet, it tastes like liquid toffee. The cakes sunk a whole heap when removed from the oven (before our eyes!) so I went to bed that night concerned I wouldn't have any cakes suitable at all to ice the next day. We placed them in front of the heatpump to try and dry them out a little in the morning. They were SO heavy and moist that I had to be VERY careful moving them as they felt like they might break in half. In desperation, I got permission to use a cream cheese icing filling for between the cakes (no one was the wiser when it all came pouring out from being in the sunken middles on cutting it, lol).

I piped with a large nozzle, a barrier around the outside of the bottom layer of cake of the cream cheese filling. Left it for 20 mins then poured in the rest of the filling. This prevented the filling all seeping out the sides when I added the top layer cake. I refrigerated the filled cakes for 30 mins, before removing and covering all over with the filling icing (for the fondant to stick to).

 I decorated a cake board with white fondant (rolled out as below). Then I placed the filled cakes on top.

 I found this decorated cake idea online and thought it was cute to use as a platform. I used food dye to colour the fondant a nice blue and rolled it out to a size that would cover the entire cake. I dusted the bench with icing sugar (lots) to prevent sticking. You have to work quickly or it can dry out quickly. Once it was the right size, I rollled the fondant over a rolling pin and laced over the still wet icing cover for it to stick to. I pulled the icing gently out and smoothed it back in to the cake so it sat flush.

At this point you can use a smoother to smooth out the fondant, after you've cut away the excess fondant from around the base with a very sharp knife.

 I had already in advance, made some fondant flowers and allowed them to harden for a few days.

These were cut out using a tiny flower cutter then I indented a centre for piping later with royal icing, using a wooden skewer end.

Royal icing recipes are available online. I piped the flower centres with it as it dries rock hard.

I made fondant numbers in advance by rolling out the fondant thickly and using cookie cutters. Then I piped on the detail with royal icing and stuck toothpicks in the bottoms and left them to set. They stood up nicely in the cake.

Add a matching ribbon and bow. I made the bow separately to make it sit nicely (by sewing it through the back to hold it together) and attached it with a sterilised pin which I removed prior to cutting the cake. I then added a matching ribbon round the cake board (see pic below).

I used royal icing as glue for attaching the flowers to the cake.

In advance, I made the name with royal icing and left to set hard. I did this by printing out a font in Word and placing it under wax paper, then piping the name over the top in icing. The letters popped off the wax really easily once dry.

I used royal icing to attach the letters to the cake board.