Giant Crab

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Baking the Cake:

5 lbs Yo’s Ultimate Chocolate Cake

Icing the Cake:

1 batch of Simple Syrup

1 batch of Italian Meringue Buttercream

1 batch of Ganache

Decorating the Cake:

3 lbs red fondant

CMC (tylose powder)

Red gel food coloring or dust

Deep red gel food coloring or dust

Pink gel food coloring or dust

Orange gel food coloring or dust

White gel food coloring or dust

Nonpareils or small red dragees

Black dragees

Item Name:	Availability:
6" round cake pan	Add to Cart -
9" round cake pan	Add to Cart -
Parchment Paper	Add to Cart -
Simple Syrup Bottle	Add to Cart -
Sculpting Tools
Piping Tip #234
Tweezers
CMC or Tylose Powder
Makeup Sponge
Paint brushes
Floral Stamens

Bake Your Cakes

Line your pans with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare 5lbs of chocolate cake batter and bake as follows:

6” round cake pan → 1.5lbs chocolate cake → 40 minutes

9” round cake pan → 3.5lbs chocolate cake → 1 hour 10 minutes

Leave your cakes in their pans to cool down.

Carve

Use a template to cut the body of your crab out of the 9” cake layer then round off all the edges. Use the excess cake and the 6” cake to cut and carve out the two claws. Continue to carve until you are satisfied with the shapes.

Layer

Once you are happy with the shape of your cake, layer the body into two layers.

Keep It Simple

Use Sir Squeeze A Lot to soak each of your layers with simple syrup then set them aside to absorb.

Put it Back Together

Put your crab body back together by filling it with IMBC.

Crumb Coat and Chill → Ice Ice Cakey

Crumb coat each part of your cake with chocolate ganache including the claws and feet then let them chill in the fridge until firm. Ice once again with more ganache and chill.

FUNdant

Roll out a sheet of red fondant and drape it over the crab’s body, smooth it out, then cut away the excess. Repeat for the claws and feet of the crab but for these parts, drape the fondant over the cake parts then flip the pieces onto a sponge and wrap the fondant around and trim away the excess.

TIP: When icing a cake with ganache, sometimes the surface can get a little dry so if you find that’s the case, brush it with a little bit of water before adding your fondant.

Legs

Mix some CMC or tylose powder into your red fondant - about 1tsp per lb of fondant, then let it sit for a bit. This will help stiffen up your fondant making it perfect for sculpting. Use a template to sculpt each leg and extra part of the crab. Continue using an image of a crab to add extra details with your fondant including the face plate.

Texture

Use different sculpting tools to add texture to your cake where you see fit (use an image of a crab for reference). Use tweezers to pinch the claws for a spiky look then add extra fondant spikes to the outside of the claws.

Paint

Mix together a red paint that you like then paint the entire crab - all surfaces, with the one color. Create a thicker paint then use it to add depth to the grooves and the rougher areas by stippling the paint.

Texture

Place some red dragees or nonpareils into a plastic bag then crush them up using a mallet. Take your crumbs and sprinkle them onto the legs to add more texture then paint over with your thick red paint.

Highlights

Add some white gel color to your red paint and paint it onto the face of your crab and the underbelly. Use this lighter pink color to highlight areas of your cake and use a dry brush or makeup sponge to blend.

Eyes

Create two tiny little tubes for the eyes and place them under the front part of the shell above the face plate. Paint them with red paint then add a black dragee to each tube for the eyes. Paint the dragees with clear piping gel to make them shine.

Antennas

Insert two floral stamens to the front of the crab’s face to make the antennas then paint them with the same red paint.

Bake Your Cakes

Carve

Layer

Keep It Simple

Put it Back Together

Crumb Coat and Chill → Ice Ice Cakey

FUNdant

Legs

Texture

Paint

Texture

Highlights

Eyes

Antennas

Congratulations!