Hello yips-ga,
What an innovative idea! Sometimes creative things we see on TV
can't be duplicated at home. Most of us don't have a huge staff and
unlimited budgets!
I would not want to mix the shirt in with cake batter, however, but
place the shirt inside an already baked (and cooled)cake. Baking the
shirt in batter would affect the baking time and the texture of the
cake, and the shirt would emerge with baked bits of cake stuck all
over.
There are several alternate ways to achieve a shirt-filled cake, all
of which require plenty of time and patience, not to mention a steady
hand! You?ll also need a fairly large cake in order to accommodate an
adult sweatshirt.
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Ideas:
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You could make several layers of cake, in large pans, perhaps of
incremental sized pans, round or square/rectangular. After baking and
cooling, stack the layers. Freezing the cooled layers for several
hours will make the next step easier. Stack the layers, and with a
very sharp knife, cut out a hole in the center of the cakes, large
enough to contain the shirt. Save an intact piece of cake to cover the
hollowed out area, over the shirt, level with the top of the cake.
Place the shirt in a zip lock bag and try to compress it as much as
possible. Place the shirt into the hole. Cover the area with the saved
piece of cake, and frost.
You could make two layer cakes. Place one layer in a shirt gift
box. Place the sweatshirt in a zip lock freezer bag, extracting as
much air as possible, and place on bottom layer of cake. Place the
second layer on top of the shirt and decorate as seen in this picture,
covering the entire cake in frosting:
http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/special/cake/cake_shirt/
One way to extract air from the bag is to close it as tightly as
possible, leaving space to insert a drinking straw, and simply suck
out the air.
If the freezer bag extends out or doesn?t frost well, you could place
lady fingers along the side of the bottom layer, to disguise the
freezer bag.
http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/special/specialfeature/cakefinder-holiday/
More shirt cakes
http://www.masonsbakery.com/images/cakes/groomscake.jpg
http://www.standard.net.au/~lexie/Novelty.htm
http://www.digilescakes.co.uk/image/novelty/page/manu.htm
How about a vertical cake? You can purchase a cylindrical cake pan,
and hollow out space to insert the shirt, after the cake is baked. Or,
make several layers in the largest round cake pan you can find, stack,
and hollow out the center, inserting the shirt, in a zip lock bag.
Frost.
Vertical Cake
http://www.lindyscakes.co.uk/lighthouse.jpg
http://www.cakeawish.co.uk/transport.shtml
Another idea is to purchase an inexpensive hatbox. Place the shirt
inside, and frost as a real cake. Have another cake ready for eating!
You could even stack the cake on top of the hatbox, with a layer of
wax paper in between in case of toxicity from the hatbox, and frost
the entire thing.
Making a shirt shaped cake (You?d need to make multiple layers in
order to hollow out a space for the sweatshirt)
http://www.pastrywiz.com/dailyrecipes/recipes/665.htm
You could make a cake like this one: (*I* would NEVER be able to
make one so fancy, but your's does not need to be this fancy, does
it?!)
Make two layer cakes, and have the sweatshirt in a box. Place the box
in between the two layers and frost!
http://www.novelty-cakes.net/images/cakes/wedding-parcels.jpg
http://www.novelty-cakes.net/images/cakes/wed_pets.JPG
Or, bake two cakes in very large Pyrex mixing bowls, slice a small
piece to flatten the bottom of one half, so it can stand, and hollow
out. Put the shirt in the hollow and attach each cake with frosting
and dry spaghetti. Set on the flattened end to stand up. Frost and
decorate. Have another cake ready for consumption, as a hollowed out
cake does not contain much to eat! Try placing this hollowed out round
cake onto a sheet cake.
High round cakes
http://www.masonsbakery.com/images/cakes/bradford.jpg
http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/special/cake/cake_pumpkin/
http://www.novelty-cakes.net/cake.php?c=Football&i=Football.jpg
Another suggestion would be to purchase a very large Styrofoam ball
or cylinder, into which the sweatshirt could fit. Hollow out the foam,
and insert the shirt, which I recommend wrapping in foil or a zip lock
bag, and frost as a cake. Use toothpicks to hold the two pieces
together. Craft stores also have flexible craft foam; you could roll
up with the shirt inside. Make a real cake for eating, after allowing
the shirt recipient to cut into the foam ?cake?.
http://www.webmall1.com/sweetdreams/castleinfo.htm
Round cake on square cake
http://www.coolest-kid-birthday-parties.com/dog-birthday-cake.html#Dalmation02
Very large high sheet cake
http://www.creativecakes.com/novelty_special_event_cakes.htm
Layered cakes
http://www.macrinabakery.com/WeddingCakes.htm
Large tiered cakes
http://www.cakesbyyvonne.com/elsie_mini_wedding_cake.JPG
http://www.lowveldbrides.co.za/cake/creative/crtvcks8.jpg
Tiered cake pans
http://www.sugarcraft.com/
More cake pans
http://www.cooksdream.com/
If you have time, you might consider ordering one or more of the
specialty cake books found at the bottom of this page:
http://www.lindyscakes.co.uk/Gallery.html
Making a VERY large cake
http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/family/expert/dony0201lynn_big/
Slicing layers in half
http://www.baking911.com/decorating_cakes_cut_layers.htm
Novelty Cake Tips
http://www.baking911.com/cakes_novelty.htm
Cake baking tips
http://www.cdkitchen.com/features/data/tip1027229020.shtml
How to hollow out a cake:
http://www.akiskitchen.ca/recipes_cakes/black_forest_wreath_cake/black_forest_wreath_1.html
Consider freezing the unfrosted layers to make hollowing and cutting easier
http://members.nuvox.net/~zt.proicer/message/saved/BAKINGPROBLEMS.htm
Here are some guidelines for baking times, servings, and how much
frosting you?ll need for differently sized cakes,
http://www.wilton.com/cake/cakeprep/baking/times/wedding_3inch.cfm
I hope this has helped you with some ideas. Please request an Answer
Clarification, before rating, if you find anything unclear in this
answer.
Enjoy!
Regards, Crabcakes
Search Terms
Making novelty cakes
Hiding gift inside cake
Shirt in cake
Hiding shirt in cake
Creative cakes
Creative cake making |
Clarification of Answer by
crabcakes-ga
on
30 Jan 2005 12:11 PST
Hi yips,
While I think your idea is funny, I really can't, in good
conscience, recommend baking a sweatshirt in an oven. If the shirt had
any kind of nylon, polyester or silk screening on it, it could melt,
burn, start a fire and even release toxic gases.Perhaps this is why I
am unable to find any web site that touches on this topic. Most
sweatshirts contain polyester and are often stitched with nylon
thread.
Yes, we place our clothing in a clothes dryer. But clothes dryers
run at considerably lower temperatures than the temperature needed to
bake a cake. If you baked the cake at a low temperature, it would not
rise.
A clothes dryer runs at 120 degrees F to 170 degrees F. An oven in
which cakes are baked is 350 degrees Farenheit.
"Operating thermostats normally open from 120 to 170 degrees"
http://users.ev1.net/~oschmidt/gastats.html
About flammability of clothing:
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=21812
http://cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml00/00118a.html
http://www.kidsource.com/cpsc2/fivey.recall.html
http://www.burnsurvivor.com/injury_examples_flammableclothing.html
Your best and safest bet would be to follow one of the ideas in my
original answer. Remember, the TV show producers have all kinds of
special effects and safety equipment at their disposal. They may even
have used a sweatshirt made of non-flammable fabric. Keep in mind that
new clothing also has chemical sizings on it as well.
Sincerely, Crabcakes
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