I made this for my Mom’s 80th birthday as she loves owls and I wanted to do something more realistic. It is all chocolate cake and a lot of fondant/modeling chocolate.
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How to Make a Barn Owl Cake Base Shape
I found a great example and guide from Gloverly Cupcakes. I used a slightly different set of supplies, but its a great tutorial to check out.
Step 1: Stacked squares of chocolate cake with good layer of chocolate buttercream frosting in between. Then cooled in the freezer for about 30 minutes to set firmly (but do not freeze all the way as frosting will be too hard.)
Step 2: Working slowly and carefully, I started carving out a form bit by bit. Taking my time to get the shape right. If it started to feel too soft, I would pop it back in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Step 3: Made cake “clay” out of scraps of cake and frosting to build up around the neck and face area. Especially the eyes to get that deep inset look.
Step 4: Did a thin crumb coat of buttercream frosting (can also use a ganache). And let it firm up in fridge for a couple hours.
Step 5: Covered the whole owl piece with a blend of modeling chocolate and fondant (both dark brown). And also used the covering to further enhance the shaping of the face.
How to Make Barn Owl Feathers
I used a rose leaf cutter and leaf imprint mold. Again using a mix of modeling chocolate and fondant, but more of a 60/40 ratio to get firmer feathers.
Step 1: mix up the fondant and modelling chocolate to get the colors of brown and beige. Keep covered or wrapped in plastic until ready to roll out.
Step 2: Made beige feathers first for chest and face front.
- Rolled out fondant to about 1/8 inch thick.
- Used leaf cutter to cut out feather initial shape
- Placed in leaf vein mold and pressed lightly to get texture
Step 3: Made brown feather with pin stripes
- Rolled out fondant to about 1/8 inch thick.
- Used leaf cutter to cut out feather initial shape
- Placed in leaf vein mold and pressed lightly to get texture
- Used white oil-based food coloring with small brush to paint one vertical stripe down each leaf and let dry.
- Used brown mixed with black oil-based food color with a small brush to paint little horizontal stripes across the white stripe (leaving space inbetween).
How to Create Face Details For Barn Owl Cake
Step 1: Made eyes from dark brown or black modeling chocolate – 2 round balls
Step 2: Made beak from modeling chocolate – white and beige with some orange food coloring mixed in.
Step 3: Used edible brown petal dust with a brush to darken in eye socket areas and a bit around the neck.
Step 4: Roll out a thin long rope of brown modeling chocolate. Use it to border around face in a fat heart shape, where the top divot it centered over the eye feathers and the bottom is more rounded.
How to Make the Tree Stump Cake
Step 1: Stacked round 8″ cakes with chocolate buttercream frosting in between.
Step 2: Cover in a crumb coat and refridgerate to set.
Step 3: Cover again with generous coat of buttercream frosting. Refrigerated to set.
Step 4: Blend a 50/50 mix of dark brown fondant and modeling chocolate. And blend a bit of that brown with white to create a tan color (for top).
Step 5: Used brown modeling chocolate to create 3 to 4 finger sized pieces in a fat teardrop shapes. These became little nubs and root tops seen at the bottom of the stump cake. One at a time, placed these pieces around the bottom of the cake, fat side sticking out.
Step 6: Measured the cake stack height and added about an inch for over lay. This provides a little more flexibility for the fondant and building up of edges and nubby parts. Also measured to diameter of the top.
Step 7: Rolled out the tan fondant for the top of the cake. Cut it to the diameter of the cake.
Laid it on top of the cake ensuring centered.
Step 8: Rolled out the dark brown fondant/modeling about a 1/4 inch thick. Cut to the height noted and about 1/2 of the circumference of the cake (created 2 bark panels).
Step 9: Laid the bark mold over and gently pressed down to create the texture. Repeated to cover the entire shape, keeping the mold vertically aligned.
Step 10: Wrapped the fondant around the cake (in two panels) aligning the bottom of the fondant to follow the bottom of the cake and the top to overhang.. Carefully shaped fondant around the nub pieces. The top part of the fondant Blending the seams of fondant by overlapping slightly and using a fondant tool to blend, and allowing it to create more dimension.
Step 11: Around the top of the cake, folded and shaped the fondant over and sealed to top fondant piece. Made sure there was tall rim to allow a “hollow” for the bird to sit in. Left some areas taller and some short to create nature look.
Step 12: Painted on dark brown food coloring (mixed with non flavored alcohol) into the cracks. Used paper towels to dab off any the top surface.
Step 13: Mixed green with brown food coloring and painted on in spots to give more variation in coloring.
Step 14: Painting more shadowing (brown food coloring) and highlights (yellow/brown food coloring).
How to Make Edible Fall Leaves
Step 1: Blend fondant/modeling chocolate in desired base color (orange).
Step 2: Used colored fondant (red, yellow, brown) and barely mixed into orange mix in small batches to created mottle look.
Step 3: Roll out fondant about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out leaf shapes – aiming for where the colors rolled out look most interesting.
Step 4: Press cut out leaves into vein mold and press lightly to get texture
Step 5: Gently fold or lay the finished pieces over small object or bumby trays to get curling shape. Allow to dry/set.
