With warm summer air blowing in through the windows here at Juniper Cakery HQ it’s hard not to be inspired by what’s outdoors. The likely hood of a raccoon strolling through our gardens may be about as high as a raccoon donning a cape and mask but that’s what we love about cake decorating…you can be as insane as you like! Our crazy critter tutorials show you how to customise a cake in a fun, novelty way. This superhero raccoon would be a fantastic addition to any comic book fan’s cake and by following this tutorial you have all the superpowers you need to create one of your very own!
What you will need:
White sugarpaste/modelling paste
Black & green food colour paste by Wilton
Modelling tool set Fondant roller
Paint brush
Edible glue
Cocktail Sticks
Tutorial Tuesday: How to make a superhero raccoon!
Step one: Once you’ve custom coloured your sugarpaste (we chose a black, grey and green colour theme but don’t be afraid to choose your own, or the recipients, favourite colours) take a fair amount of your base colour (we’ll refer to this as grey) and begin rolling it in your hands. Make sure it’s crack free and begin moulding it into a ‘pear’ shape to form your raccoon’s head.
Step two: To make your raccoon’s eyes use a piping tip to cut out to circles in a contrasting colour (we chose a deeper grey) and shape them a little so they’re not perfectly round. Roll two very small balls out of white sugarpaste, flatten them with your fingers and place them on top of the deeper grey sugarpaste with edible glue. Paint in some pupils with black food colour paste and a paintbrush to finish your raccoon’s eyes!
Step three: Give your raccoon a little nose by rolling a small amount of deeper grey sugarpaste between your finger and thumb and stick in place using edible glue.
Step four: To give your little raccoon ears take to small pieces of your deeper grey sugarpaste and mould two triangle shapes between your fingers. Use the non-bulbous end of the bulbous cone tool to mark where your raccoon’s ears will be placed and glue them on with edible glue.
Step five: To give your raccoon a mouth push the non-bulbous end of the bulbous cone tool into the sugarpaste and paint black.
Step six: With your grey sugarpaste begin moulding a similar ‘pear’ shape roughly the same size as your raccoon’s head to form the body.
Step seven: Place a cocktail stick through your raccoon’s body, add a little edible glue and gently slide your raccoon’s head into place.
Step eight: For the raccoon’s legs and arms roll out four ‘sausages’, making two slightly smaller than the other, and taper them ever so slightly at one end. Make three marks on each tapered end using your blade tool to add detail to your raccoon’s paw. Fix in place with edible glue.
Step nine: Now it’s time to create your raccoon’s little bushy tail! Roll out the remainder of your grey sugarpaste in to a ‘sausage’ and taper at one end. Place a small piece of cocktail where your would like your raccoon’s tail to be placed and surround it with edible glue and fix into place. Add stripes using black food colour paste and a pint brush.
How to Make the Mask
Step one: Using the fondant roller roll out your green sugarpaste (or whichever colour you chose) and cut an eye mask shape out of it using your blade tool. Lay the mask over your raccoon’s eyes to see approximately how far they are apart and when you’re sure place the mask back onto a flat surface and begin to cut the eye holes out.
Tip: If you’re find that cutting the small eye sockets out freehand isn’t working try using the smaller end of a piping tip.
Step two: With your left over green sugarpaste after cutting out the mask cut a long strip of sugarpaste approximately 4 mm thick. Place it around your raccoon’s head to measure and once you have it at the right size stick it into place with edible glue. Cut two small ‘leaves’ out of the green sugarpaste and roll a small ball between your fingers and fix them at one side of your raccoon’s head to create a knot! Now your raccoon is masked!
How to Make the Cape
Step one: Work the left over green sugarpaste in your hands and roll it out once again. Using the blade tool cut out an oblong making one end wavy, two ‘leaves’, two ‘blades of grass’ and roll one small ball.
Step two: Glue your cape into place making sure the wavy end is near your raccoon’s tail and gently work it to make it look as though there is wind blowing through and allow to set. Glue the thicker end of your ‘blades of grass’ to where the cape ends and allow them to meet under your raccoon’s chin. Where they meet glue your two ‘leaves’ and ball into place to cover up the seam and create a knot!
Step three: To create a superhero logo cut a hexagon from white sugarpaste using your blade tool, fix into place with edible glue and paint your chosen logo on with food colour paste.
By following this tutorial you now have your very own superhero raccoon! Why not turn your little critter into your own or your loved one’s favourite superhero? Add a Catwoman or Batman mask over your raccoon’s face (it already has the ears!), work in red and gold to create an Iron-raccoon or add a red, white and blue cape for Wonder Woman!
