How to make this Encyclopedia Book Cake

My sister called me and asked if I could make a cake or cupcakes for her daughter’s school.  They were celebrating a program they complete called “Operation Read.”  My sister suggested cupcakes because it “was easier,” or even a ½ sheet cake.  “Something simple,” she said, as she knew she was volunteering me.  I assured her she would get a very nice surprise. Learn how to make this encyclopedia book cake.

You might ask, “how can you promise such a thing? You are a part-time cake decorator, and I know I have never seen you on one of those cake TV shows.”  While all that is true, I have all I need to get the job done.  Some may call me an overachiever.  I, on the other hand, don’t think so.  I just simply go to YummyArts, and see what they have in their store that would fit the bill.

As expected, I found a few book-themed cakes.  One was an open book I could adapt to their school ‘Operation Read’ theme.  I also found a few stacked books with a graduation cap on top.  “Perfect!” I thought……until I saw the ‘Top of the Class’ Encyclopedia Cake!  Score!

My next job was to figure out how to adapt the cake to the school’s program.  That is what I love about YummyArts; even if I can’t find the exact video I need, there is always one I can adapt, or use parts of to make my own creation.  That is exactly what I did here.  I would make the books out of school colors, and instead of a graduation cap, a baseball cap would work well.  A few more subtle changes, and I have a cake fit for those student who earned this celebration.

Watching Susan Carberry’s video, I was able to create an adorable cake which impressed the students.  I was impressed by how absolutely fun the video was.  It was a “live class” that was recorded with many YummyArts members present via the internet.  Not only was the interaction between Susan and the YA members fun, but I also enjoyed the tips and tricks she offered. One tip I thought was genius, is when you are painting gold accents on cakes (like letters, for example,) cut them out of fondant that is the same color as the cake.  That way, you only have to paint the top – the rest of it blends in nicely with the cake.  Not only is it less messy, but it also saves a lot of time. Gotta love those time savers!

Susan teaches you how to cover book cakes in fondant, adding details like the impression of pages and binding! I am learning that details really “sell” a cake.  They separate the cake decorators from the cake artists.  But leave it to Susan to not just cover books.  As usual, she takes it to the next level, and gives one of the books arm, legs, and a face.  Too cute for words!

With such a large video library at hand, I just don’t hesitate in accepting most orders anymore.  When I get an order, I go to the YA store or library and check out what they have to offer.  With such easy step-by-step instructions, I come out victorious every time.  Does that make me an overachiever? Certainly not!  It makes me a WINNER!