'Sharky' Goldfish Birthday Cake

lalala...
Gold Post Medal for All Time! 899 Posts

'Sharky' Goldfish Birthday Cake - finished sharky goldfish cake We had a "sharky" goldfish themed birthday cake for our son's 3rd birthday. I made him this cake using fondant. He loved it!

Supplies:

2-layer cake, baked and iced
gum paste
5 lb fondant, divided and colored
orange gel color
black gel color
blue gel color
fondant tools
fondant roller (with guides)
rolling mat
circle cutters
toothpicks

Steps:

Prepare the cakes according to the package instructions. Fill and layer them, then apply icing to the top and sides. You need one 8 inch 2-layer cake and one 6 inch 2-layer cake.

'Sharky' Goldfish Birthday Cake - mixing cake mix according to instructions

'Sharky' Goldfish Birthday Cake - two layer of baked cake

Divide fondant in half. Color one half orange and set the other half aside. Roll out the orange fondant. Then use a small circle cutter to make the scales. Cut some of the circles in half for the first row around the cake. Note: Save the leftover orange fondant. You will need it for the goldfish body, tail, and "ball" trim for the base of the cake.

'Sharky' Goldfish Birthday Cake - cutting out orange fondant scales

'Sharky' Goldfish Birthday Cake - cut some of the scales in half

Add the first row of half scales to the cake. Then add the second row, partially overlapping the first. Continue up the side of the cake, as shown below.

'Sharky' Goldfish Birthday Cake - use half circles to decorate the base of the cake as first row

'Sharky' Goldfish Birthday Cake - add a second row of full orange circles

'Sharky' Goldfish Birthday Cake - continue adding orange circles to bottom layer of iced cake

When you get to the top, wrap the row of scales up over the edge, then continue towards the center of the top. See photos below. I didn't go all the way to the middle, since the smaller cake would cover it.

'Sharky' Goldfish Birthday Cake - when you reach the top roll the circle around to the top

'Sharky' Goldfish Birthday Cake - view of the rolled row of scales

'Sharky' Goldfish Birthday Cake - add a row of circles around the top of the cake overlapping the rolled row, smaller cake will cover the undecorated center

Take the fondant that you set aside and knead in some gum paste. Then divide it and color it as follows:
- dark blue (top of small cake and 2 rows of ruffles)
- medium blue (2 rows of ruffles)
- light blue (2 rows of ruffles)
- white (bubbles for trim and goldfish's eyes)
- black (shark fin, strap, and pupils)
Note: The added gum paste should help the ruffles hold their form and prevent too much sagging.

'Sharky' Goldfish Birthday Cake - knead in some gum paste into set aside fondant, divide into 3 balls and color

Thinly roll out the light blue fondant and cut it into 1 in. strips. Repeat with the other 2 blue colors.

'Sharky' Goldfish Birthday Cake - thinly roll out the light blue fondant and cut into 1 inch stripes, continue with medium and darker blue fondant

Cover the top of the cake with a piece of dark blue fondant. Then begin adhering the light blue fondant strips to the icing, ruffling them as you go.

'Sharky' Goldfish Birthday Cake - cover the top of the smaller cake with a piece of dark blue fondant

'Sharky' Goldfish Birthday Cake - begin adhering the light blue strips and ruffle as you go

Then do the medium blue and dark blue ruffles. I did 2 rows of each color, working from top to bottom.

'Sharky' Goldfish Birthday Cake - follow the same steps to add two rows of the medium blue fondant

'Sharky' Goldfish Birthday Cake - and finally the darker blue

'Sharky' Goldfish Birthday Cake - 6 rows of ruffles added

Create the body of the goldfish and add the small side fins. Then place the body on top of the cake, as shown below.

'Sharky' Goldfish Birthday Cake - create the body of the goldfish using orange fondant and add fins

'Sharky' Goldfish Birthday Cake - place the fish on top of the cake

Cut out the tail from a rolled out piece of orange fondant. Place it at the base of the goldfish and drape it onto the cake. You can add a secondary tail fin, (see step 11 photo), if desired.

'Sharky' Goldfish Birthday Cake add tail fin and secondary fin if desired and drape over side of cake

Use fondant tools to make holes for the eyes and mouth. Roll two small balls of white fondant for the eyes, then add tiny black fondant pupils. Make the shark fin and strap out of black fondant and place them onto the goldfish's back.

'Sharky' Goldfish Birthday Cake - use a fondant tool to create eyes and mouth

'Sharky' Goldfish Birthday Cake - roll two small white fondant balls for the eyes

'Sharky' Goldfish Birthday Cake - add black fondant pupils

'Sharky' Goldfish Birthday Cake - Make the shark fin and strap out of black fondant and place them onto the goldfish's back.

Option: Create lips for the goldfish and attach them to his mouth.

'Sharky' Goldfish Birthday Cake - create and attach optional lips

Create bubbles from white fondant. I alternated small and large balls. Place them around the base of the smaller cake, as shown below. Then make large orange fondant balls to go around the base of the larger cake. Tip: To make consistent sized balls, use 2 sizes of circle cutters, then roll them into balls.