Peacock Cake
Create an exquisitely styled peacock-themed decorative cake using a multi-fruit cake base, almond fondant, and food-glue icing.
Ingredients
multi-fruit cake (1 cm thick)
1 (23 cm/9 inch round)
apricot jam (warm, add a little water)
to taste
almond fondant
575 g/1.25 lb
fondant icing
350 g/12 oz
gum paste icing
900 g/2 lb
royal icing (for adhesion)
125 g/4 oz
edible food coloring (gold, green, blue)
to taste
Instructions
1
Cake Shaping and Coating
Use a small sharp knife to cut thin fan-shaped slices along the edge of the cake to create a template matching the cake shape. Roll out the almond fondant and cut into pieces, brush the cake with warm apricot jam, then wrap it with the almond fondant, and let it dry for 12 hours.
2
Covering with Fondant Icing
Create a new template, roll out a portion of fondant icing, cut out the top and side shapes according to the template, moisten the almond fondant coating, then attach the fondant icing pieces, and press the edges to seal the connections.
3
Making Tail Ruff Decoration
Draw a tail shape template on thick paper, with edges extending 2.5 cm beyond the cake edges. Roll out a portion of gum paste icing thinly, cut it according to the template, place it on the template to dry, then remove it and attach it to the cake with royal icing.
4
Making Tail Feather 'Eyes'
Cut out large and small 'eye' templates. Roll out a portion of gum paste icing into sheets, cut out 9 large and 5 small 'eyes' according to the templates, decorate with gold, green and blue food coloring, and attach them in the appropriate positions.
5
Making Peacock Body
Shape a portion of gum paste icing into the peacock body and head, let it dry for 12 hours. Paint the body with green, blue and gold, draw feather markings, eyes and beak.
6
Decorating Feathers
Dilute the blue-green food coloring with water, apply it to the feathers around the tail feather 'eyes', apply gold color, and let it dry for 7 hours.
7
Assembly
Attach the tail feather 'eyes' and peacock body to the cake with royal icing, and decorate the sides with blue-green ribbon.
