How to Sculpt a Cowboy Hat Cake

Creating a cowboy hat cake is a special idea for the western or horse lover.

The cowboy hat is a great addition to a western- or cowboy-themed party or birthday. For the horse or western enthusiast, a cowboy hat is a special way to show your love and appreciation, and it's not a difficult cake to create. The brim and covering are made of fondant, a moldable icing that can be dyed to the color of your choice for an authentic looking hat shape. The cake itself is a simple round cake trimmed to the shape of a hat to provide a base for the fondant.

Things You'll Need

• Cake mix
• 3 round cake pans; 8-inch pans work best
• Cowboy hat
• Parchment paper
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Fondant
• Rolling pin
• Sharp knife
• Cake icing
• Spatula

Instructions

1. Mix the cake batter and bake in the round cake pans according to the package directions.

2. Prepare the fondant while the cake is baking. Set the cowboy hat on a sheet of parchment paper and trace the brim. Cut the template out of the parchment paper, this will be your brim. Place a ball of the fondant in the center of the template and flatten. Roll until you overlap the template, then cut around the shape with the sharp knife, making a clean, even edge for your brim.

3. Lift the edges of the fondant on the parchment paper by sliding a heavy object underneath until the fondant forms the shape of a curled hat brim. Allow the fondant to dry.

4. Cool the cakes on a rack for five minutes, then turn the cake pans upside down on the rack and gently remove them from the pan. Allow to cool and firm up.

5. Stack the three cake rounds when they are cool and firm, placing a small amount of icing between the layers to stick them together and add flavor to the cake. Trim the cakes with the knife to the shape of the hat crown, making it slightly more oval than the rounds you baked, and slanting the top at a slightly downward angle toward the back. Ice the cake with a thin layer of the icing to seal it; this is called a crumb coat and does not need to look pretty, as it will be covered by the fondant.

6. Roll out another ball of fondant until it is large enough to cover the cowboy hat crown. Before placing on the cake, roll a rope of fondant from another piece, somewhat like a sausage. Create a loop on the top of the cowboy hat cake crown, and trim off any excess of the fondant loop. This will create the indentation on the top of the cowboy hat. Lay the fondant sheet over the crown of the cake and smooth out, making the indentation over the fondant loop at the top and making sure the sides are smooth. Trim around the base with the sharp knife, making an even edge where it will meet the brim.

7. Place your fondant brim on the surface you will serve the cake from: a cake board or cardboard with a decorative doily, or a large cake plate. Add a small spoonful of icing to the center and spread slightly. Place the prepared cake crown on top of the brim in the icing. Smooth the fondant at the base of the crown into the fondant brim. Roll a small ribbon or thin rope of fondant and lay it around the joint where the brim meets the crown, as a hat trim and to hide the seam. Decorate the remainder as desired or leave just as a regular cowboy hat, and enjoy!

References

• Cake Central: How To Make A Cowboy Hat
• Cake Works Central: Cowboy Hat Cakes