How to Make a Flamingo Embroidery Cake

Learn to make this kitschy-cute cake for your next celebration.

By: Alana Jones-Mann

Related To:

Flamingo Embroidery Cake

Everything old is new again. Take inspiration from grandma's embroidery to turn your cake into a canvas for this stitchy summer scene — complete with a wooden loom made out of fondant!

What You'll Need

Food:

• 2 x 8-inch cake rounds, cooled (choose any recipe you like)
• Vanilla Buttercream frosting (use the large batch recipe included or 3 store-bought cans):
○ 6 cups (12 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
○ 2 pounds (1 bag) confectioners' sugar
○ 2 tablespoons heavy cream
○ 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
○ 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• Food coloring: Brown, Green, Blue, Orange, Yellow, Light Pink, Dark Pink, Black
• Fondant

Tools:

• Offset spatula
• Plastic piping bags (and rubber bands to close them)
• Decorating tips (small round tips, #2 - 4 sizes are best)
• Skewer + toothpicks
• Fondant rolling pin

Baking & Prep

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper and coat with cooking spray. Prepare your choice of cake mix as directed; divide the batter between the pans and bake 25 to 30 minutes. Allow the cakes to completely cool before you begin decorating.

While the cakes are baking, make one large batch of buttercream frosting. Beat the butter for a few minutes on medium speed, preferably using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. On slow speed, gradually add the confectioners' sugar 1 to 2 cups at a time, allowing each batch of sugar to incorporate with the butter before adding the next. Increase the speed to medium and add the vanilla, cream and salt. Beat for an additional 3 minutes. Cover until you’re ready to use.

Frost the Cake

Working on a cake plate or board, stack the cake rounds, frosting between the two layers.

Smooth the Frosting

Frost the exterior of the cake and smooth the frosting with a spatula; refrigerate 30 minutes.

Prep Frosting Colors

Divide and color the leftover frosting. You will need roughly:

• 1/2 cup each of brown, green, and blue frosting
• 1/4 cup each of orange, yellow, light pink, dark pink, and black frosting

For each color of frosting, insert a small round piping tip (Wilton tips #2 - 4 are ideal) into a plastic decorating bag and fill the bag with the colored frosting. Use a rubber band to close each bag.

Optional: Sketch the Design

Before you begin piping the "embroidered" design onto the cake you can use a toothpick or skewer to sketch out the design first.

Decorating: Step 1

Pipe the embroidered design onto the cake. Follow the steps below to create the tropical flamingo scene, or add on a different design by following the same process.

Decorating: Step 2

Palm Tree: For the trunk, pipe on small lines of brown frosting in the shape of a trunk. Use a toothpick to redefine the lines and enhance the "stitched" embroidery look.

Decorating: Step 3

Follow the same technique with the green frosting for the palm leaves, and finish off with a few brown coconuts.

Decorating: Step 4

Sun: Use orange and yellow frosting for the sun. Pipe on a circular sun shape using both colors, then mix the colors with a toothpick. Use the toothpick to add in the "stitched" lines.

Decorating: Step 5

Pipe on short lines with yellow frosting for the sun’s rays.

Decorating: Step 6

Water: For the water, use blue and a light green frosting, filling in the water section with both colors and then mixing the colors with a toothpick skewer. Use a toothpick to add the "stitched" lines into the water.

Decorating: Step 7

Flamingo: Pipe on an oval shape using the lighter pink frosting for the flamingo body, then pipe on well the neck and head. Add in the stitched line details with a toothpick. Use dark pink frosting for the legs and wing and black frosting for the eye, beak, and foot. Use a toothpick to redefine all of the "stitched" details.

Decorating: Step 8

For an edible embroidery hoop, lightly mix a few pieces of dark brown fondant into a light brown ball of fondant to create a subtle wood grain pattern.

Decorating: Step 9

Roll out the fondant and cut a rectangular strip equal to the height and circumference of your cake. Roll the spare trimmings into a cone shape to resemble the screw closure on an embroidery hoop.

Decorating: Step 10

Wrap the rectangular piece of fondant around the side of the cake, pressing and smoothing it with your fingers. Trim any excess fondant with a paring knife. Stick a toothpick through the cone-shaped hoop screw, add a line of buttercream to the back of it, and position it to the top center of the fondant hoop.

Slice and Serve

Slice into your stitched masterpiece and enjoy!

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