Two Words: Catfish Cake
Last year, I was at a total loss for what to give Jeff for his birthday. My brother-in-law, Taylor, had just scored a new-in-the-box PlayStation 3 from a police auction, and he gave it to me to give to Jeff. G-a-v-e. I paid him back the money he’d spent, but he never asked for it.
How much did Jeff like the gift? When I gave him the PlayStation, we were dating. Now, we’re married.
So, when my sister asked me to make a birthday cake for Taylor–a neapolitan cake topped with a huge catfish–I was all about it. Never mind that I’d never actually seen a catfish. Not without hushpuppies and tartar sauce.
Thank God for Google Image Search.
I started with three 9-inch cakes–one vanilla, one chocolate, and one strawberry–split and filled with vanilla buttercream, chocolate buttercream, and vanilla buttercream swirled with fresh strawberries. Then I crumb-coated the cake with vanilla buttercream and covered it in blue fondant.
While I baked the cakes and made buttercream, Jeff molded the catfish out of Rice Krispies treats. We let the “body” dry overnight, and then I wrapped it in chocolate fondant and sculpted the whiskers, gills, and fins the next day.
I held the cake on my lap while Jeff drove to Jenn and Taylor’s house. Rush hour traffic. Forty-five minutes. On the interstate.
I’ve never been so relieved to have something out of my car.
But the looks on their faces were worth it. Taylor was surprised. Jenn was beaming. My nephew, Logan, wanted the fish head, and his younger brother, Jackson, was pulling off the fondant and eating it by itself.
So, neapolitan? Check. Catfish? Check. A 200 proof sugar rush for the 3-year-old? Check.
My work there was done.
Happy birthday, Taylor!
Nice! Double nice.
That is one big fish! What a kick!
wow that looks great! great decorating skills!
That is AWESOME! Great job!!!
And let me say, single handedly MADE the birthday. Husband called everyone to spout your genius and thinks your living will be made making cakes for such greats as the Bass Masters Pro. He even called HIS MOMMA. Who didn’t even make him a cake. Aim shoot score we win.
Can I just say omigosh!? That is WAY too awesome for words. Please make me a birthday cake next year too! Seriously though, that’s awesome.
Oh. My. God. That cake looks like it belongs next to the grooms cake in Steel Magnolias…
THE neatest thing to ever come down the ‘pike’. No Dad, it’s a catfish.
PIKE! CATFISH! I’m just sayin’, Mama never did one like that. You go girl!
looking for cake invester?
I love that you used rice krispie cake for the catfish! Very original!!
BTW, I nominated you for a “Blogging with a Purpose” award. :)
Shari@Whisk: a food blog
oh my gosh…i come here looking for a strawberry tart and i get the fish cake!!! it’s so awesome though, fab job…! and lol to whoever referenced the bleedin’ armadilla cake from SM!
Wow! That looks great! Could you please e-mail me the instructions? You have a really neat blog going!
What a work of art! Just perfect.
Now that’s just friggin’ AWESOME! So creative and so beautiful, you rock!
That is just plain wicked!
that is SO COOL
Hey Bec – your momma wasn’t kidding when she said to go look at this cake! OMG! You are a literary, culinary genius!!! What do you suggest I make for book club next week? Something with mosaic theme – we’re reading Stephanie Kallos’ “Broken for You” – great read! ;) Keep on creating – glad to see you online!!
WOW! Your cake is amazing!!
You made that fish out of Rice Krispies treats? That’s brilliant! What a cake! Wow!
An amazing cake. Wish I was there to get a piece!
Wow – that cake is a thing of beauty! You are so very creative and talented in the art of cake!…very inspiring!! :)
How incredible are you and that cake! Wow! It’s amazing–great job!
Wow, I can’t get over how realistic the skin looks on the catfish. Very leathery (in a good way).
An amazing cake!!
This is art! x
I can’t believe there’s rice krispie treats underneath that fish..Amazing. What a clever idea :)
holy jesus, it’s simultaneously the most amazing and grotesque cake i’ve ever seen.