Yo Kahleo! Happy 1st Birthday!

With only a few more hours left in 2010, I'd like to dedicate this post to a good year! I started my blog in 2010 and launched the beginning of my new found career in cake.  This year has taught me how truly blessed I am to be surrounded by wonderful friends and family.  In this tough economy where my career goals have shifted, they have been there to support and encourage me along the way. They continue to believe in me, my talents, and my passion in cakes...for that I am forever grateful.

I know what you're probably thinking.....Enough with the sentimental stuff already and get on to cakes! Okay okay...here we go. Since starting this blog I've gotten viewers from all over the world! People as far away as Poland and Namibia have messaged me about my creations. From all the passerby's near and far that have stumbled across my blog, you'd be surprised how they found it.....most were searching for Yo Gabba Gabba!!! That's right! The cake I made back in March wins the award for Most Popular! So when I got approached to make another Yo Gabba Gabba [YGG] cake for Kahleo's First Birthday, you can imagine how ecstatic I was for it. This time the request was for the "ghetto blaster", and this time I was able to make all the characters.

I knew that sculpting the characters would take some time, so I first started off by prepping all their colors in fondant.  I added gumtex to the fondant to create gumpaste...this makes the fondant stiffer and will hold up the pieces better. I made the decision to only do their heads...not only was it less time consuming for all five characters, but it was also more stable and more aesthetically pleasing since I could make them bigger....their whole bodies would just take up more space on the ghetto blaster. 

The request was for a red velvet cake.  I baked a sheet pan, then cut it up into even rectangular pieces to stack up to make the ghetto blaster. 

It is always wise to line your cake pans with wax or parchment paper so the cake comes out in one piece, especially larger cakes.

Cake boards were used as my guides, measuring tools, and to create stability in the structure of the cake. It is also important to level each layer before filling and stacking, so the end product is not lopsided....I used a serrated knife to level. Cream cheese frosting was used as the filling between each layer.

Once four layers of cake were filled and stacked, I was able to crumb coat the cake as a whole. I also placed a dowel through the middle to keep the layers intact and prevent them from sliding. (Looking back I probably should have used two dowels, one on each side...the cake slid a little during delivery...oops)

During the baking and as the stacked cake chilled in the fridge, I worked on the characters. This was actually my favorite part.  I've discovered that I really enjoy sculpting out of fondant! As time consuming and tedious as it may look, I actually enjoy doing it :) YGG characters are especially fun to make because they are so colorful and each different.  I worked on the basic forms of each character before moving on to add their details...this is where you will get to learn each of their names!

PLEX

TOODEE

BROBEE

MUNO

FOOFA

 Here's how they all looked before their details were added...

PLEX

BROBEE

FOOFA

MUNO

TOODEE

You get to see the YGG gang come to life right before your eyes (no pun intended). I used a foodwriter to color in their eyeballs and the rest of their details.

FOOFA

BROBEE

PLEX

MUNO

TOODEE

Now that you've had a chance to meet the whole gang up close and personal, let's move on to the ghetto blaster.  I tinted fondant a grey color for the body of the cake...I also added a little gumtex to stiffen the fondant and prevent it from drooping.  

Covering a straight edged cake is not an easy thing to do, especially if it's a tall cake...this is nearly impossible with one rolled out sheet of fondant. I really wanted to have the sides be flat and the corners really sharp, so I decided to panel each facade individually.  That means a lot of measuring and more precise cutting.

All that was left to do was add the rest of the details on to the ghetto blaster.  I had to make sure I made the speakers the right size so the buttons would fit and everything looked proportional.

I also added a piece of DJ Lance Rock....his signature furry hat! But I'm sad that I forgot to include his glasses.

To complete the cake, I replicated the Yo Gabba Gabba logo to include Kahleo's Birthday greeting. I also added a sculpted "1" on the front of the cake.

I hope Kahleo had a memorable 1st Birthday! The delivery was made on the rainiest day of the year, but it was well worth it to see the clients' reactions.  I'd like to thank fellow culinarian, Anthony Baetiong. [You can also catch Anthony grilling up some burgers on the Grill 'Em All Truck.]...thanks for trusting me with this cake order...it was fun!

Cheers to 2010 and welcome 2011! I am anticipating big things for the New Year...thank you again for stopping by. I hope I've inspired you....until next year....

 ~Abs of Cakes~