As I was just starting out, I welcomed any opportunity to make cakes for anyone that requested it but I didn't expect one day to receive a request for an XBox cake. It was for R's 18th year old son's birthday and he loved to play the Xbox, just like my sons. So it was no coincident that I happened to have the real machine just sitting at home to be my model.
It appeared to be a rather straightforward cake to make at first, one rectangular box with a few controls buttons. I was more worried for how to shape the handheld remote control. I'd already planned to make it life-size, so I took the whole xbox and used it to trace its outline onto baking paper. The cake was huge, it consisted of two layers of chocolate cake baked on my rectangular grill pan and can served about 40. I'd earlier spent considerable time (and much breath) making the grey side panels and punching out hundreds of little holes using a straw for the ventilation. I wanted it to be dried and hardened so that I could just attach it to the side of the cake. It did but only one problem, it was just slightly taller than the cake. I had to increase the height of the the cake by piling on more chocolate icing. ;p
The anticipated challenge of the remote control was solved when some cut off of the crown of the cake came to be in a triangular and sloping shape. Which was fantastic! I kind of parked them together, place the template over it and sliced off the excess cake. It must be some angels blessing me cos I'm not sure how I actually achieved it now.... The little knobs and buttons I'd made earlier attached nicely and it became to look more and more realistic.
Covering the main cake with white fondant was more difficult than I'd thought. I thought it would be easy cos I don't have to cover the sides, but I guess I'm just not experienced enough. There were dirty smudges and uneven patches which I desperately tried to cover up. After the cake was covered, it was time to add the details. That was the most fun part but also the most tedious. You wouldn't notice the details until you start to imitate it. To make it realistic, I even tried to imitate the power sockets and the bar code on the behind side. Thanks to this project, I increased my collection of tools by 1 edible black in pen and edible silver dust. I realised that if I paint the dust on white fondant, it will take on a metalic colour, which was great for the main button on the controller.
The finishing touch was putting on the Happy 18th Birthday words on the cake. I had a sudden inspiration to spell "HAPPY" with the little grey dots of fondant (ventilation holes) and the "18th Birthday" appeared as wordings on an Xbox disc.
It was not a perfect cake but I'd put in a lot of effort and I really hope Liam liked the cake and appreciated the loving thoughts of his mom who ordered this cake for him. Especially after I heard R was hospitalised and they actually brought the cake to the hospital to cut it with her, I wished my cake could bring about some happy moments for them. I wish R the best of health!
