Peacock cake
The most impressive part of this peacock cake, the feathers, are actually easier to achieve than most decorations. Roll the fondant into thin sheets, and punch out concentric circles of different colors. I just used what I had on hand, a bunch of concentric made from circles from my tip collection.
Stack colors, and use a small dab of water to adhere. Press feather lines into the green layer with a small knife.
Allow to dry on parchment at least overnight. This will firm it up and allow it to hold it’s shape when forming the peacock tail. This requires some advanced planning, but the more cakes you make, the more you will probably find this to be a blessing, as it allows you to spread out the work over several days rather than all at once. Use buttercream, royal icing, or even water to adhere your feathers to cake during assembly. For this cake, I used a rice crispy base for the peacock body, but I’ve done other (faster) versions with a smaller body made entirely of fondant.
I covered this cake with fondant for a “cleaner” look. But if I were to do it again, I would just cover it in a nice swiss meringue buttercream for a tastier cake and less fondant. Most people don’t enjoy eating fondant, and it also cuts down on your busywork, allowing you to focus all your efforts on your beautiful peacock!
Originally posted on September 8, 2012
