#exo cake

I’m late in posting this; it’s been a busy week! But I actually managed to create my EXO Birthday Cake!!! 😃

Warning: I blab a lot before I get to the actual cake, I’m sorry!

It’s not even close to professional or perfect. Fitting, as I am neither of those things. But it’s enough like what I envisioned that I’m still satisfied with the result! This is a combination of a personal birthday treat for myself, as well as fan art for my favorite album. The War provided a very pleasant escape when I had been having a rough year, so that album is particularly special to me. Thus, a lot of love went into this. Side note: Those who say cooking can’t be fan art, kindly take your ignorance and stunted creativity elsewhere.

These were my original plans, which almost entirely came to fruition, and I made a practice attempt here. And now...

Here it is,

EXO’s The War Birthday Cake!!

It’s a chocolate-orange cake, with orange-flavored buttercream frosting.

I managed to make EXO’s signature hexagon again; luckily the recipe I used was moist enough that I could carve the cake pretty easily. Btw, if anyone wants to try the chocolate-orange cake, let me know and I’ll send you the recipe link! I highly recommend that flavor combination!

I know the colors aren’t exact, (pun not intended; that’s a pastry for another day!) but as with the first piping attempt, I think it’s close enough that if an exo-l saw it they’d recognize it. Also it’s not as melty as it looks on top; for some reason the picture wound up really shiny? Additionally, I ran out of green icing for the border, and my text piping...leaves something to be desired, to say the least.

Like I said though, it turned out enough like what I pictured in my head that I’m pleased with it. In fact, dare I say, I’m really proud of this!

It was also a really inspirational process too! Making the template wasn’t that hard, so maybe I could do more EXO cakes in the future?? Or something for other groups? Who knows, there are so many possibilities!

I hope this doesn’t come off as narcissistic, btw. But it was my 30th birthday, and idk, I just wanted to do a little something for myself. So I made a dinner, and this awesome dessert. And I’m happy. ❤️

Sorry for this last picture. It’s the whole cake, it’s just blurry as hell.

Yesterday I finally practiced dyeing the frosting and determining what piping tips would most effectively create the bird of paradise from the album cover. As you can see, most of the colors turned out well, although my attempt at the vibrant blue hue for the middle was a nightmare.

The green wasn’t as dark as it should be, but I’m okay with declaring it close enough.

After practicing piping the shape free handed on a cutting board several times, I went ahead and practiced on another template I cut out.

I’m a little disappointed that it melted so much again, and it’s not very natural looking, but I’m hopeful that if an exo-l looked at it they’d at least be able to identify what I tried to do. And I’ve learned several lessons in the process: make frosting the day before and have it chilled, mix the dye independently before stirring it into the frosting, etc.

I successfully practiced my EXO birthday cake! 😃

I traced the baking round on wax paper, and after some embarrassing geometry mix ups I used the circle to create a hexagon, and cut it out to use as a template. I stacked the cakes with frosting in the middle to keep them together, and carved around the template.

Obviously I’m gonna try to clean up the frosting aesthetic a little bit for the actual birthday cake, since it’ll be white. I’ll also have to practice piping the flower from the album. Since I managed to carve the hexagon shape well enough, that’s the next intimidating section.

The tentative plan:

- Inspired by The War, and its album art, I want to do a cake with white frosting and the flower graphic piped in the middle.

- I’m still debating on the flavor of the cake itself. When I think of Exo my brain goes to black and white, so I’m leaning towards chocolate, but maybe flavored with some orange to keep the tropical/island feel. I’m trying not to stay glued to that idea. Maybe I could just do a fruity cake. (But no pineapple. Pineapples are delicious everywhere but a cake. And no coconut; it literally makes me gag.) Or, maybe I could even incorporate a floral flavor, like hibiscus or lavender.

- Lastly, I really want to make it hexagonal. I’d have to make a template from wax paper and cut the cake into the right shape. But I’d *really* like to go that way.

These are all fairly lofty expectations, and I don’t expect to meet them all, but I’m gonna do my best. I’m blathering this into the tumblr-verse to help me stick to the plan, rather than put it off and put it off and then abandon it at the last second. ......Lbr, I still might do that.