DIY Shaped Cakes without Special Pans

I realize this is only Thursday.  My regular post will appear tomorrow as usual.

This past week I received a request on my Teddy Bear Cake post of February 8, 2012.
Since she included her e-mail address I responded personally, but then decided I wanted to share what I found with all of you.

Here is the Teddy Bear Cake site---I love this little guy!

http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2012/02/simple-teddy-bear-cake-wo-special-pan.html


Her request:

Hi, I used to have a book to make all kinds of cutout cakes, somehow I have lost it and would like more patterns for our grand children. Can you help? I am making the rocking horse for our Grandson's 1st Birthday, just as I did for my son.  Norma

Here is the Rocking Horse site--Heidi's first birthday cake (and first taste of anything sweet!) 49 years ago. 

http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2012/02/simple-rocking-horse-cake-to-make.html

along with comments received when the post  first appeared.

Thanks for posting this image online. Back in March of 1981, my mother made this cake for my father's birthday. Right now I am in the middle of recreating a photographs from that day, in which the cake has a role. My mother lost the book that the pattern came from so we were going to have to try and make it from memory. I did an image check through Google and came up with your black and white image of the cake and your patterns.  We are going to make the cake tomorrow. I am excited, but probably not as much as my mom. I'll document the process and blog it a bit later.

Thanks! My daughter is turning FORTY-SIX and has asked for this cake every year for a long time. I lost the old Pillsbury pattern and this is a lifesaver for her birthday this week!

It was great to be able to help them  recreate their  memories.

To help Norma I did some internet searching myself.  Here is what I found. Hopefully it will be of help to
you.

Hi Norma,

I, to, used to have that great little book.  And have missed it many times. I remember it had a sailboat which was easy to make, starting with a square cake; and a butterfly, and a giraffe.  Hopefully just mentioning them will recall them to your memory. 

I did a little internet searching and found many on heart shapes, which use one round and one square cake but also found  the following. Hope they will be of some help

to you.  

Open book cake

http://cakecentral.com/t/742277/open-book-cake-without-wilton-pan

Giant cupcake
http://atsecondstreet.blogspot.com/2010/03/giant-cupcake-cake.html

How to make your own cake pans
http://voices.yahoo.com/make-cake-pans-unique-cakes-27963.html?cat=46

Numbers made from cake
http://veenaartofcakes.blogspot.com/2012/01/number-cakes-one-two-or-twelve-12-or-12.html

Elmo cake
http://diythirdtimesacharm.blogspot.com/2012/06/elmo-cake.html

Star cake

http://clumbsycookie.blogspot.com/2009/02/when-you-wish-upon-star.html

Princess Castle cake (with photos off to the side showing other types of castles
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/pink-castle-cake/30644b1f-8ec2-4c23-b8d8-cce1d9566df4

47 years ago I made a clown cake for our 3 year old twin relatives.  It was time-consuming but a hit.  I have a photo but I am not sure how to copy it to here. I will try.

I can't remember the details but here is the gist of it. I think the body was a rectangle. The head a round pan. The hat was half a round with graham crackers frosted and standing "up" for the brim.  The clown had "shoes" placed at an angle against one end of the rectangle so the soles would be up. They  were also graham crackers frosted together like a sandwich, allowed to soften a while so one end could be gently carved into the round shape at the front of the sole. Square sandwiched crackers were placed at the other end for the heels of the sole.  

A few years later I made Heidi a doll cake using a Barbie-type doll and a cake baked in a bowl.  They were very popular back then;  they might be novel now.

Thanks for writing. 

Happy creating ,

Simply, Gail