Pig Cake Using Fondant Icing

Look what I made!  My very first time using fondant icing.  This cake is for Cub Scout Pack 101 Blue and Gold dinner for their fundraising cake judging and cake auction. 

It's a chocolate cake with buttercream frosting using half coconut oil.  I did not have almond extract like the recipe calls for so I used amaretto oil or extract, it came in a tiny bottle.  I used black jelly bellys for the nose and eyes. 

I'm so excited to have tried this.  I remember working at the Four Seasons Hotel and watching the pasty chefs work with it.  Now I've finally tried it and conquered my trepidation!

First I planned my cake by using these two photos from www.coolest-birthday-cakes.com as a guide.

Then I used the recipe from thecookduke.com/fondant-recipe.  Here is the jist of it:

Ingredients required to make the fondant recipe:

• 1 Tbsp of unflavored gelatin
• 1/4 cup of cold water
• 1 tsp of almond extract
• 1/2 cup of light corn syrup (If a corn syrup is not available, you can substitute it with a sugar syrup made with 1-1/4 cups sugar and 1/3 cup water, boiled together until syrupy)
• 1 Tbsp of glycerin (some recipes say it’s optional, believe me, it’s a must)
• 2 lbs 10X confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 tsp of white vegetable shortening

Directions how to make the fondant recipe:

• Sprinkle the gelatin over cold water in a small bowl and let it rest for 2 minutes to soften
• Place the bowl in a microwave for 30 seconds on High, until the gelatin dissolves
• Add the Almond extract
• Add the corn syrup and the glycerin and stir until the mixture is smooth and clear (if the mixture is not turning smooth and clear, microwave it for an additional 15 to 20 seconds on high and stir again)
• Sift 1 1/2 pounds of the sugar into a large bowl
• Make a hole in the sugar and pour the liquid mixture to it
• Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture becomes sticky
• Sift some of the remaining 1/2 pound of sugar onto a smooth work surface and add as much of the remaining sugar as the mixture will take
• Knead the fondant, adding a little more sugar if necessary, to form a smooth, pliable mass
• Rub the vegetable shortening on your thumbs and knead it into the fondant
• Wrap the fondant in plastic wrap and place it in a tightly sealed container to prevent it from drying outIf the icing dries out and harden it can often be revived by popping it into a microwave oven for a few seconds and then kneading it back to life