Safari Cake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I made a safari themed cake a couple of years ago when I just started cake decorating. Though that cake was lovely based on my experience and skill level at that point in time, I have always wanted to revisit that theme. The opportunity came when I had a request for a two tier birthday cake from a friend and she asked me to do whatever I wanted to do. You know how I love hearing those words. I decided to go all out on a safari cake and this design is what I came up with.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The top tier of this cake is a 7 inch red velvet cake frosted with creamcheese frosting while the bottom tier is a 9 inch french vanilla sponge cake frosted with vanilla buttercream frosting. All the design work was done with marshmallow fondant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This cake has 4 different animals on display. At the top tier is a cute elephant couple affectionately interlocking their trunks. I have a pictorial on how to make these elephants here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below the elephants is a pair of hippos partly submerged at the end of a cascading waterfall. A lot of people found these hippos very adorable. Who would have thought? A pictorial on how to make these hippos can be found here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the left side of the cake is a cute giraffe sitting down on the grass in front of a palm tree. A pictorial on how to make this giraffe can be found here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the right side is a pair of monkeys going bananas. These guys were a lot of fun to make. A pictorial on how to make these monkeys can be found here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other details of this cake include a waterfall and a wooden bridge over the top of the waterfall. My initial plan was to make a rainbow over the waterfall but I later decided to change it to a wooden bridge at the very last minute because I felt it worked better with the theme of the cake. There was also going to be a sun behind the elephant. That did not make it to the cake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On both sides of the top tier are branches sticking out with a few leaves and ropes wrapped around them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I was about to make this cake, I told myself that I was gonna have fun with it. I did just that!