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Cake “Construction Technique” needed

SonnyLykos | Posted in Construction Techniques on December 15, 2003 04:03am

Input from you bakers & carpenters needed:

My 9 year old grandson has a project for school and decided upon making a cake that looks like a rainbow.

The first attempt by my daughter-in-law and wife flopped. That was to use round pans. Make 6 cakes and stack them after first applying the colored icing on each. It sagged & collapsed under it own weight. I didn’t like it’s look – before it died – anyway.

My idea is a flat sheet cake with dividers shaped as maybe half of a circle. Pour in the 6 different colors of batter between the dividers. When done, remove them, stack them upon each other and then stand the entire “rainbow†on edge, just like a rainbow arch.

Problem is that most cake batter yields soft cake that will not stand up to the “arch†effect.

Any other ideas?

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Replies

  1. BobKovacs | Dec 15, 2003 04:10am | #1

    Plaster of paris?

  2. FastEddie1 | Dec 15, 2003 04:14am | #2

    Maybe a strip of coil stock bent into an arch and tacked to a mdf base?

    Do it right, or do it twice.

  3. UncleDunc | Dec 15, 2003 04:20am | #3

    Pop over to the Cooks Talk forum and search their archives for wedding cake. If you don't find what you're looking for, post the question there. They're a good hearted bunch.

    1. RalphWicklund | Dec 15, 2003 04:30am | #4

      Don't attempt to stand the arch upright.

      Lay it down, it's still an arch and much easier to play with.

      If it 'must' be upright then perhaps mount it on a slanted backing board rather than free standing. Experiment with the angle of repose until you get it as vertical as possible without it starting to slide.

      When it's time to eat, lay it back down and start cutting.

      A plain cake with color banded icing will not tend to slip apart at the frosting/cake juctions as would happen if you attempt a layer cake.

      1. SonnyLykos | Dec 15, 2003 05:25am | #5

        Boy, that was quick. Thanks everyone.

        Ralph, I think we'll use "pound cake" since it's ingredients make it stiffer with more mass after it's baked. The one Barb and Kelly used was like jelly after it was baked.

        And an arch of aluminum on the underside of the arc should support the "rainbow." I'll put a small return on both ends of it and tack it to a piece of 1/4 plywood which will serve as the cake plate for display. I'll paint the plywood with some old leaded paint I still have laying around. (-: Nah, I'll "paint" the plywood with some food coloring. Good idea also about using colored icing instead of trying to use colored layers of the cake.

        See, I just knew that the innovative group on this forum would succeed in brainstorming this one for me. I'll let Alex know that his Dad and PaPa's friends came up with a solution.

        Again, thanks to all of you - except "whats-his-name" who suggested plaster of paris. (-:

        1. pm22 | Dec 15, 2003 05:47am | #8

          What you need is the classic, good old American Fruitcake. This is the hardest stuff known to mankind. It is so dense they won't allow it near airports since X-rays can't penetrate it. You can use concrete cororing agents to achieve the rainbow effect.

          ~Peter

          1. SonnyLykos | Dec 15, 2003 06:00am | #9

            Hey, thanks. I forgot about fruitcake and the scanners. Good idea.

        2. reinvent | Dec 22, 2003 03:05am | #32

          You might want to do a slump test on the batter ;-)

          1. SonnyLykos | Dec 22, 2003 03:11am | #33

            That's what I forgot. Well, next time. I'l ladd that tidbit to the recepie instructions.

  4. r_ignacki | Dec 15, 2003 05:26am | #6

    what kind of cake you making?

       sponge?, or pound cake.

     I guess since you say the cake isn't standing up, make it a pound cake.

     (or is it the other way around?)

    1. SonnyLykos | Dec 15, 2003 05:38am | #7

      Gonna make it out of pound cake material. More solid.

      1. Piffin | Dec 15, 2003 07:22am | #12

        I'm thinking freeze the arch laying down. Then stand it in place to cement it in with frosting, Then keep it semifrozen for stiffness.

        We've got a lot of stiff stuff up north here lately.

        if it's not too late, you could try using some sort of wire to reinforce it when you bake it. That might change the cooking time because the wire would conduct heat to the middle of the mix in the pan.

        Excellence is its own reward!

        1. RalphWicklund | Dec 15, 2003 07:34am | #13

          After further thought I think he needs to jazz up the display a bit.

          Make this rainbow with an ice cream cake. It will stand up stiff enough for a while and then end up a muddy puddle, just like you get at the end of a rainbow and a real rain. Realism at its best.

        2. SonnyLykos | Dec 15, 2003 07:48am | #14

          PIffin, I like the idea of freezing it.

          I'll do it. We plan to make it tomorrow night in my house. Alex has to take it to school Tuesday morning.

          Now you guys got me going.

          I'm even thinking of displaying it as part of a diarama. Remember those we used to make in grammer school. It can have a back drop of a field and trees using twigs. Maybe even a pond in the forefront with the "rainbow" from starting and ending on both sides of the pond.

          Alex has got to Ace this project. Since he's a typical boy, he knows his dinosaurs like a scientist. Could even put some of his small dinosaur models in the diarama.

          1. User avater
            Mongo | Dec 15, 2003 08:44am | #15

            I'd bake a thin cake, so the finished thickness is around 1/2" to 3/4". I'd bake it in a sheet pan, actually, a half-sheet pan, which measures about 12" by 18" and has a 1" lip or side around the perimeter.

            Use two pans. Line each pan with parchment paper to facilitate removing the cake afterwards.

            For each half-sheet pan, divide/partition each into thirds, so each pan has three areas about 4" by 18". Two pans will give you a combined six areas, each 4" wide by 18" long.

            While pound cake will give you a dense and slightly yellow cake, think about a fine crumb white or ice (white) cake instead.

            Make enough batter, then divide the batter into sixths.

            Use food coloring to color each of the six portions of batter. Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Violet. with food coloring, more is not always better. Some can impart a bitter taste to the cake, so don't go overboard.

            Pour one color of batter into each of the six sections.

            Build your presentation platter...the base with arch support previously mentioned. Remember, as is, each colored cake section will be 18" long, and your outside, or top, or "red" arch, will be the longest one, as it's furthest from the focal point of the arch. So, if your red arch layer is be 18" long, your bottom layer, the violet one, will be shorter. Build your arch support to be the same length as the BOTTOM of the voilet layer.

            Once the cakes are baked,. cool them a bit, then slice through the cake and parchment paper. Remove each colored length from the pan using the parchment paper to support the length of cake. Leave the cake on the parchment paper. Do not separate. When ready to assemble the cakes on the arch foundation, flip the length over of cake over onto the arch support, then peel off the parchment paper.

            Violet goes on the arch support first, then blue, green, yellow, orange, and finally red.

            A good ice/white cake will actually need no icing. Tasty as is.

            Realize that the cake will rapidly grow. six layers, each 3/4" thick, will yield a 4" thick arch.

            Assuming you do 3/4" layers, and that the arch is a half-circle...a quick bit of head-math...an 18" long strip of red cake as the top layer of a half-circle arch would have an outside radius of about 5-3/4". If the layers are 3/4" thick, that makes the radius of the arch's support frame to be only 1-3/4", or a diameter of 3-1/2".

            Half inch layers would give a red arch radius of 5-3/4, and a support arch radius of 2-3/4". In this case, the red layer would still be 18" long and yield an outside radius of about 5-3/4". The length of the violet arch would be determined by it's ouside radius...2-3/4 +1/2" = 3-1/4" radius, so the required length of cake would be about 10-1/4".

            Basic geometry, but remember, for a half-circle, the length of the half-circumference for the half-arch is the radius times pi.

            If the assembled layers start to slide around, make up some icing from West Systems epoxy with some 205 and a bit of cake flour as the thickening agent/filler.

            Gotta go iron my apron...maybe I'll just put it in the vacuum press...

            Mongo

          2. SonnyLykos | Dec 15, 2003 09:19am | #16

            Gotcha, Mongo, and thanks. I'll print your post and go over it with Barb.

          3. csnow | Dec 15, 2003 10:40pm | #17

            Oh, come on...

            There's got to be some way to integrate drywall screws into this project...

            Very disappointed in the panel...

            Have you considered the merits of bent rebar?

          4. AdamB | Dec 18, 2003 04:39pm | #18

            I like that Icecream cake Idea.... but maybe you could run some aluminum 1/4" tubing through the cake both as a way to carry the refrigerant and as support?

            Mount the whole thing on on a plywood box (put together with drywall screws) install the refrigrater pump in the box with more Drywall screws along with a 12 volt motorcycle battery.. and a power inverter.

            Should keep the cake cold for 3-4 hours..

            of course you might 2-4 people to carry it........

            My wife thinks were all nuts (she just read this post) course she might be right... but the challenge, the challengeChristmas is coming..... should I buy the wife that new tablesaw ....hmmmm

          5. RalphWicklund | Dec 19, 2003 03:29am | #19

            Hey Sonny,

            It's time for a cake report.

            And some pics. You did take some good pics of your masterpiece?

            Was it edible?

          6. SonnyLykos | Dec 19, 2003 03:54am | #20

            Cake came out great, but Alex and his Mother were concerned it might fall to it's side while taking it home, or while taking it to school the next day - so they put it on it's side.

            Yep - it was edible.

            Edited 12/18/2003 7:56:00 PM ET by Sonny Lykos

          7. RalphWicklund | Dec 19, 2003 07:13am | #21

            You done good, Sonny. Alex's smile is almost as big as the arc of the rainbow.

          8. SonnyLykos | Dec 19, 2003 07:45am | #22

            Thanks, Ralph.

            I did have a gentleman's dispute with my wife and daughter-in-law though. I wanted to make that bottom aluminum arch (support) smaller so that the upper most levels of cake would go completely from side to side. But I lost the argument because it would have been to small (the arch) to suit the laides. You'll notice the upper 2-3 layers are short on each side.

            "It's not going to look like a [real] rainbow if it going to be that small inside"

            "It's not a [real] rainbow anyway. It's a cake!"

            At which time something got thrown at me - but I ducked - and ran!

            Anyway, as long as the ladies are happy (a man's main goal) and Alex was thrilled - as husband, father-in-law and PaPa, I'm happy.

            I call Alex my angel because of his smile. He's a great kid.

            BTW, I had Alex take a hack saw to school with him so they could cut thru the rebar.

            What! His Dad, uncle, and PaPa are in construction, remember!

            Darn, I forgot t give him a set of tin snips to cut thru that arch support.

          9. User avater
            Mongo | Dec 19, 2003 07:53am | #23

            Sonny,

            From the picture I can tell you and your wife love and trust your son very much.

            What other parents would allow a child to carry a neon-colored cake through a room with white carpeting?<g>

          10. SonnyLykos | Dec 20, 2003 06:27am | #25

            Mongo, "grandson" which is maybe why he and the rest get away with what they do.

            And it's funny about my wife Barb; she loves that off white carpet. Afater my daughter brought her Opalopso (sp?), here and he initiated the carpet 2-3 times, Barb yelled: "I don't want that done here anymore."

            Kristi came over once a couple of weeks ago with it again when barb wasn't here and he was at it again. I never saw her move that quick in her life. So between the dog and the grand kids (youngest is 4) as you can guess, I own a $300 carpet shampoer, a $60 mini shampoer with rotary brushes, and a cabinet with cleaners spot removers, etc.

            Yep! Typical Italian and her grand kids. I have to take my shoes off before entering her "castle", the dog has been permantly expelled, but the grand kids - while, their "grandkids."

            I think Barb actually believed a bumper sticker I used to have that said: "God gave us grandkids as a reward for not killing our kids."

          11. User avater
            JeffBuck | Dec 21, 2003 10:38am | #31

            can't see a belt ... just the ghi ...

            what level?

            don't think there's a rainbow belt!

            JeffBuck Construction   Pittsburgh,PA

                 Artistry in Carpentry                

          12. User avater
            CapnMac | Dec 19, 2003 08:19am | #24

            Marizpan carved SR screws?

            No--that's too weird.

            Freezing the cake is the best bet (after cooking the arches).Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)

          13. Mooney | Dec 20, 2003 12:07pm | #27

            I was thinking along the same lines . We cold have made our own trusses using drywall screws and plywood . We could have shot the cake mix at it with a hopper , but I dont have a clue at what pressure.

            Tim Mooney

          14. andybuildz | Dec 20, 2003 07:06pm | #29

            Oooppppssss .I see someone else musta said rebar....Actually..now that I'm rethinking about it..mabe you could have made pretzel dough......cooked it hard and formed it like rebar....nahhhhhh.

            http://www.campwinnarainbow.org       check it out....Think my daughter would be a hit if she brought a rainbow cake to camp this summer?

            Be well Sonny

                               andy

            Looks really cool SonnyMy life is my practice!

            http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM

          15. andybuildz | Dec 20, 2003 06:58pm | #28

            two words....re-bar.or is that one word?

            Be sure to take pictures and the process.

            You sure you don't want to make it a rainbow "bread"?

            Take the recipe for Challah bread but instead of braiding the dough loop it over each other to form a rainbow and use food coloring on each strand....bad idea huh? Well I tried.

            Actually my 13 year old daughter Jolie will be flying out to Wavy Graveys (the announcer from the original Woodstock concert) Camp Winna"rainbow" in northern California this summer.might just have to make one of those cakes for her to bring.

            Be a pot at the end

                                       andyMy life is my practice!

            http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM

        3. CAGIV | Dec 21, 2003 10:26am | #30

          We've got a lot of stiff stuff up north here lately.

          Probably from all that cheap viagra rolling in from Canada I bet..

          sorry couln't resist.

  5. fredsmart48 | Dec 15, 2003 06:08am | #10

    How about using 1/4 inch hardware screen. embed it in the raw cake batter.  That way it would give it some strength.  :O) 

    1. SonnyLykos | Dec 15, 2003 06:29am | #11

      Only if I can find it in stainless steel so it wouldn't "flash" rust. Of course, I could use it and coat it with a spray vinyl first, to protect it from moisture, or a few coats of cold zinc primer. Kids do need zinc in their diets anyway, don't they?

  6. DavidThomas | Dec 20, 2003 08:55am | #26

    Too late now and the cake looks great. What bright colors!

    I'd have used something really dense - a flourless chocolate torte for instance. I've used that or variations (hazelnut torte, etc) for 5 wedding cakes I've done for friends - from 100 to 160 guests, 5 or 6 tiers.

    Many cakes sag in the middle. You usually trim the edges or crush them down. I'd utilize that wedge shape by cooking a mess of cakes (maybe in a rectangular pan) and then cutting 4"x4" peices. Tapering them slightly towards one edge if they aren't already. Secure with a chocolate glaze to each other. Since they are wedge shaped, they will form an arc. Assemble flat,let the glaze set in the fridge, stand upright. Transport flat, however.

    David Thomas   Overlooking Cook Inlet in Kenai, Alaska

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