Arabian Cake Castle Decorating Ideas
Cake decorating has come a long way from piped stars that formed a likeness of a favorite childhood character. Even amateurs are sculpting 3D cakes--potentially massive creations that take hours to build--to serve at Junior's next big birthday bash. While the end result is incredible, castles are a fairly easy way to build a cake that will make your child's birthday dream come true. Does this Spark an idea?
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Types of Castles
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The castles of the desert were designed for protection from invaders and the hot desert sun. Thick walls of insulating stone or sand were broken up by tiny windows to keep the sun from warming the interior rooms.
Wind towers, known as badgeers, were built to ventilate and cool the structure. Arabian castle walls were often bland, but the entrance was elaborate with pillars and decorative details made from natural materials.
Though some designs are very simple, with four towers surrounding a central building, many Arabian castles take the form of something similar to Jasmine's palace in the animated movie "Aladdin." Minarets, the graceful towers with domed tops, are a hallmark of Islamic castles and religious buildings.
Baking Basics
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The flavor of your cake does not matter, though it is important to choose a dense recipe that will stand up to the decorations. To make the main buildings of the castle, use square or rectangular pans and stack the cakes to get the height you desire. Before baking the cakes, line the bottom with parchment paper and oil the pan so your cake will drop right out once it is baked.
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Covering the Cake
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Once your cakes are cool and stacked the way you want them, cover them with frosting. There are many options to make your cake look like a castle. You could frost it in gray buttercream icing and then use candy that looks like small pebbles to cover the entire structure. If you want a sandstone texture, frost the cake with tan icing and sprinkle crushed graham crackers over the whole cake. For a smooth surface, lightly coat the cake with icing and then drape the cake in fondant colored to match your scheme. You can buy a tool that will emboss the fondant to make it look like brick or stone.
Towers
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Every castle needs towers. For square towers, stack cereal treats and then cover them in the same manner you covered the cake. If you want to use round towers, cake-style ice cream cones dipped in chocolate are perfect. Press the ends of the cones together to make a high tower with parapet. If you want the look of a traditional minaret, top the cones with a meringue cookie drop.
Decorations
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The castle is sure to impress your friends, but small details make the cake more realistic. Use candy bar pieces to function as wood to fashion a door. You can paint details on the cake using a small brush and food coloring mixed with a small amount of alcohol or vanilla. Icing can be piped onto the cake to mimic architectural details. Add detail to the cake board, making sand, pebble roads or elaborate gardens out of an assortment of candies.
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