Description
This architectural masterpiece captures a serene beach scene with a structural gummy ocean and edible modeling chocolate palm trees. Perfect for advanced bakers, this four-day project combines tropical melon flavors with a striking visual aesthetic that pushes the boundaries of traditional cake design.
Ingredients
- Dark and white chocolate chips
- Corn syrup
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Unsalted butter
- Large eggs
- Full-cream milk
- Vegetable oil
- Greek yogurt
- Vanilla bean paste
- Melon or mermaid flavoring
- Fine salt
- Blue, teal, and lime food gel colors
- Unflavored gelatin powder
- Graham crackers, crushed
- Vanilla frosting
- Cake pop sticks
Instructions
- Combine melted chocolate with corn syrup to create modeling chocolate and let it firm up at room temperature.
- Whisk dry ingredients with butter, then incorporate eggs, milk, oil, yogurt, and flavorings before dividing and coloring the batter.
- Bake layers at 275°F (140°C) for 50-60 minutes and chill overnight.
- Slice cakes into thin layers and stack with rings of colored frosting, then apply a crumb coat and chill for two hours.
- Carve a slope into the side of the cake, frost smoothly, and chill until firm.
- Prepare multi-toned blue gelatin chunks by blooming and dissolving gelatin in sweetened water, then mashing once set.
- Wrap the cake twice with acetate and pack the gelatin chunks onto the slope before pouring a final batch of liquid gelatin over them.
- Chill for at least six hours until the gummy ocean is solid.
- Construct modeling chocolate palm trees using cake pop sticks and attach them to the cake.
- Remove acetate and finish by decorating with graham cracker sand and paper beach chairs.
Notes
For the most realistic sand texture, pulse your graham crackers until they are fine but still have a few larger pieces for variety. If you find the gelatin is leaking through the acetate, quickly press some thick buttercream around the base of the wrap to create an emergency seal before it sets.
- Prep Time: 4 hours
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American