A Horse is a Horse...

My neighbor turned 12 this past weekend and is an avid rider, spending most of her free time at the barn. I offered to make her a horse cake as the hubby and I were going over to their house for dinner on her birthday and she eagerly nodded. Her favorite flavor: Chocolate. Great, chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream. That was the easy part.

I was stuck on how to do it. I first thought about doing a sheet cake in the shape of a horse's head, but that wouldn't be a challenge.

So I tried my first 3D cake. After arranging all of my baking pans in different configurations, I finally decided on baking in two loaf pans and four mini loaf pans.
Slicing off the end of one loaf, I added it to make the rise in the head and a curve in the back.
I frosted each portion with buttercream as I transferred it to a decorated baking sheet. I used wrapping paper but then covered that in plastic wrap - I wasn't sure how the paper would take the frosting. At this point, the hubby and I joked that it looked like an alligator.
From watching various cake shows, I knew I should make the ears out of rice krispies but we didn't have any in the house, so I used cornflakes. They worked okay, but I think I would use rice krispies in the future. Unfortunately at this point my battle with the humidity had begun, so the cake was decorated in 10 minute increments, placed in the fridge between segments.
I used fondant for the eyes, nose, mouth and horseshoes.
Even my cat seemed interested by the strange creation on the table.
It wasn't easy and took all day but I learned a lot and I know the next one will be even better - in two weeks when she's having a party with her friends and has requested a cake like this but of her dog. She also pointed out that the back legs of the dog need to have a round bit if he's sitting down. Oy. :) Watch this space...