Walrus Cake (Wally, for short!)

This spring I had the opportunity to make a walrus for a groom's cake. I was really excited (and nervous) about making him. The customer asked that I try to replicate this picture. I fell in love with Wally (that's what I called him) while making him. In fact, my entire family fell in love, so it was hard to bring him to his final destination! He was a lot of fun to make, and while he didn't end up looking exactly like the picture he was modeled after, he had his own distinctive personality. Need to make your own Wally? Here is a quick guide. You'll want to bake a pound cake or Madeira cake that is good for sculpting. Also keep in mind that you don't want too much icing between the levels of cake.

Step by Step!

1. Bake your cakes and allow them to cool. I used two 12" round cakes for Wally. Prepare a thick buttercream frosting. Cut out your cake board to desired shape and begin sculpting your cakes.

2. Add height to your walrus and add his head. Use your knife to trim little pieces of cake as needed. Place all the cake trimmings in a bowl. You'll use them in step 3.

3. Combine all the cake trimmings with frosting and mix until you have a nice, spreadable mix.

4. Use an offset spatula to spread the mix over the top of the sculpted cake. Smooth out any imperfections until you reach your desired coverage.

5. Roll out your chocolate fondant and cover Wally. I covered each limb one at a time.

6. Continue covering his body and adding details.

7. Cover his head, being careful to trim carefully to avoid noticeable seams. You may also do this all in one step by covering his entire body. I opted for smaller areas because he was so large.

8. Add his features.

9. Add his tusks. The tusks are made from gum paste and are held into his head with straws.