This cake was being picked up on a Thursday, and I hate those requests because I work full time and I have to rush through the decorating after I get home from work. But thankfully this cake wasn't that difficult to put together.
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I made all the knobs and buttons ahead of time. I used black Fondarific fondant mixed with some Tylose power (the tylose stiffens the fondant), and just cut out circles and squares. To get the domed shape on the buttons, I covered the fondant with cling wrap before I cut them out with the circular cookie cutters. The fondant was rolled to about 1/4" thick.
The I used my uppercase Block alphabet cutouts to make the letters on top of the buttons. The fancy edges of the letters didn't match the real XBox controller so I just trimmed off the extra parts.
I made the black button for the XBox logo, and then using a paper templete, I cut out the "X" from white gum paste. I cut the tips a little longer than the templete so they would hang down the side on my fondant button.
For the Direction Pad I cut out a square from black tylose/fondant using a cookie cutter and then used the same square to cut out the side parts. I then let the piece dry in a flower shaping mold which gave the Direction Pad its cupped shaped
For the Left and Right Stick, I cut out three different size circles from black tylose/fondant, and stacked them together. The center piece is about 1/2" in height which makes the Stick, stick up higher than the rest of the cake. For the top circle I pushed the handles of two different tools into the circle with gave it a cone-like shape. Then I used a narrow, pointy tool to push all three circles together.
I made Xbox game boxes by printing out the image of the games, then using a glue dot runner I stuck the paper image onto a flat pieces of gum paste. I trimmed the edges of the gum paste and then allowed it to dry. You need the gum paste behind the paper image to keep it from absorbing moisture and falling apart.
Now onto the cake itself. I baked a chocolate cake in a Wilton 12 x18" pan, cut the cake in half to give me two 12 x 9" cakes. I cut the cake to the XBox shape using a paper templete.
I stacked the cake and then did a little bit of carving. I rounded the top edge of the cake and cut a little shelf at the back of the cake. I then crumb coated the cake in the chocolate icing.
A layer of white chocolate ganache came next. I used white ganache because I didn't want the chocolate buttercream to show through the white fondant. The ganache also give a much firmer base to apply the fondant.
After applying the ganache, I let it harden in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or so. Next I smoothed the surface of the ganache using a hot spatula. I dipped the spatula in hot water, wiped it dry, and then smoothed it over and rough spots on the cake. Back in the frig at this point to harden the ganache.
I again used a paper templete (a new, clean one), and sketched out where all the buttons would go.
Then I cut circles through the ganache to the frosted cake below. These are the hollows where the buttons would be placed. For the Left and Right sticks, I added a circular strip of fondant to make it match the real controller. I should have tapered the outside edge a bit so it wasn't so sharp looking - but I didn't think of it at the time. I also placed this cake on a 16" silver cake drum. I had a 12" square black cake drum that I wanted to use on this cake, but it ended up a little too small. I don't like using silver cake drums (too shiny), and I was going to cover it in black fondant, but I didn't have enough black fondant to cover the whole thing. Oh well.
Next the cake was covered in fondant. I used Renshaw white fondant for this cake.
I added a piece of black fondant to the back. After the cake was finished I didn't think the black piece was sticking up enough, so I added an additional strip of fondant around the outside edge.
Then all my pre-made button were placed into the waiting hollows.
And I cut out the letters for Happy 14th Birthday Ashton using my trusty Tappit cutters. I used the FMM Art Decp Alphabet and the Uppercase Funky Alphabet.
So here again is the finished product. I was surprised at how easily this cake came together. PS: for the little View and Menu button I drew the lines and shapes using an edible food decorating pen.
Happy Decorating,
Carol
Supply List:
Black Fondarific Fondant
Tylose Power
Cake Boss Circular Cookie Cutters
Flower Cupped Shaping Mold
Wilton Gum Paste
Wilton 12 x18" pan
Americolor Food Decorating Pens
Renshaw white fondant
16" - 1/4" thick Silver Cake Drum
FMM Block Alphabet Tappits
FMM Uppercase Funky Alphabet Tappits
