How to Make a Guitar Cake

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If you have a guitar or music-lover in your family, surprise them with a guitar-shaped cake for their birthday. They are more unique than your standard round or rectangular cake, and are surprisingly easy to make. Once you bake a sheet cake, all you need to do is cut it in the shape of a guitar, then decorate it with buttercream frosting!

Ingredients

  • 1 to 2 unfrosted sheet cakes
  • 1 batch of desired cake filling (i.e. ganache, buttercream, whipped cream, etc.)
  • 1 batch of buttercream frosting
  • Fondant (optional, for details)
Part 1
Part 1 of 3:

Cutting the Cake

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Guitar Cake
    Guitars come in all sorts of shapes, so look up pictures online. Once you've decided on the shape of your guitar, sketch it out on a sheet of poster paper. Cut the guitar out once you’re done. [1]
    • This will be your template, so make sure that it’s the same size you want your cake to be.
    • Don’t worry about the details on the guitar, such as the sound hole, tuning pegs, and strings. Focus just on the outline.
  2. Bake a sheet cake large enough to fit the body of the guitar. Measure the height and width of the guitar body, sans neck and head, then find a baking pan that matches that size. Find a cake recipe that you like, then bake it using that pan.
    • After you cut the guitar body out, you'll use the scraps to make the neck and head of the guitar. If you don’t think you’ll have enough, bake a second sheet cake.
    • Use whatever recipe you want: chocolate , white , marble, etc. You could even use a boxed mix!
    • The larger the baking pan is, the flatter the cake will be. If you want a taller cake, bake 2 sheet cakes. This way, you can stack them instead of cutting them in half.
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  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Guitar Cake
    Let the cake cool for about 10 to 15 minutes first, then slide it out of the pan. Set it on top of a cake board, then place the guitar body template on top. [2]
    • A cake board is a large, thick sheet of cardboard typically covered in silver foil. You can find it in the baking section of a craft store.
    • Don't worry about the neck and head of the guitar just yet. Place the template so that you'll have enough scraps to use for the neck and head.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Guitar Cake
    Hold the template down with 1 hand while you use the other to cut around it. Remove the scraps so that you have just the body of the guitar left. Peel the template off as well. [3]
    • If you made 2 sheet cakes for a taller cake, do this step twice, once for each cake layer.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Guitar Cake
    Depending on how much scrap cake you have leftover, you may need to cut the neck and head in several parts, which is fine. Just work with what you have and try your best.
    • Eat the rest of the scraps or save them to make cake pops!
    • Repeat this step if you made 2 sheet cakes for a taller guitar cake.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 3:

Filling and Frosting the Cake

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Guitar Cake
    Slice the cake in half using a long knife, a cake slicer, or thread. Place your hand on top of the cake to hold it steady. Use your other hand to hold a knife parallel to the table and slice the cake in half. Carefully lift the top half of the cake and set it aside. [4]
    • You're slicing the cake in half to create 2 thin cakes. Don't chop it in half lengthwise or widthwise.
    • Skip this step if you baked 2 sheet cakes to make a tall guitar cake. You'll be stacking them together instead.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Guitar Cake
    Move the guitar body towards 1 end of the cake board. Place the neck just above the guitar body, then add the head. Make sure that all of the pieces are touching.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Guitar Cake
    Use whatever type of frosting or filling you want for this: ganache, buttercream, jam, etc. You can even add some sliced strawberries on top of frosting! Be sure to apply a nice, thick layer of frosting, from edge-to-edge. [5]
    • If you baked 2 sheet cakes, coat the top of your first cake with frosting.
    • The filling should be thick enough so that you can't see the texture of the cake beneath it. You should be able to tap it with a spatula and make peaks.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Guitar Cake
    If you baked 2 sheet cakes, then simply set the second sheet cake on top. Make sure that the edges and corners are aligned, then gently press down on the cake so that it sticks. [6]
    • Don't press down so hard that the frosting gushes out. A light touch is all you need.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Guitar Cake
    Spread buttercream frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Prepare a batch of buttercream frosting, then use an oil-based food coloring to tint it the color you want. Use a cake decorating spatula to spread a thick layer of frosting across the top of the cake, then down the sides.
    • Make sure that the cake has completely cooled before you do this, otherwise the frosting will melt.
    • If you’re having trouble frosting the cake, apply a thin coat of frosting first. Refrigerate the cake for 20 to 30 minutes, then apply the rest of the frosting. [7]
  6. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Guitar Cake
    Wait about 15 to 20 minutes for the frosting to develop a crust. Once that happens, place a smooth, pattern-less paper towel against the side, and smooth it down with your hand. Repeat this all over the top and sides of the cake until the frosting is all smoothed out.
    • You don’t have to do this if your frosting is smooth enough or if you don’t want to.
    • If the paper towel sticks to the cake, dust the paper towel with powdered sugar first.
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Part 3
Part 3 of 3:

Decorating the Cake

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Guitar Cake
    Think of this as creating a coloring book page. Use a large, round cookie cutter or glass to create the outline for the sound hole. Next, use a toothpick to sketch out details, like the fret and bridge.
    • Don't worry about sketching out the strings. Draw the horizontal lines (fret) on the neck, however.
    • Add "painted" designs onto your guitar with shaped cookie cutters. Use cookie cutters or toothpicks to indent these designs onto the body of the guitar.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Guitar Cake
    Fit a piping bag with a small, round, decorator's tip, then fill the bag with your desired color of frosting. Pipe the frosting onto the outlines of your designs.
    • Make the designs any color you want. Black is a good color for the sound hole, however.
    • Don't worry about the strings yet. Pipe the fret, however. Black or white are good options.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Guitar Cake
    Switch out the small round tip for a larger one. Pipe the frosting into your outlines, then use a cake decorating spatula to smooth out any bumps or ridges.
    • Use the same color of frosting for the filling as for the outline. For example, if you outline the sound hole in black, use black for the filling.
    • Consider adding outer details, like painted flowers.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Guitar Cake
    Fit a piping bag with a small, round decorator's tip, then fill it with white buttercream frosting. Pipe the frosting onto the neck and head in long, straight, vertical lines. Extend these lines past the sound hole and onto the bottom bridge.
    • Alternatively, cut long pieces of floral wire and use those instead. Remember to remove these before serving the guitar, however. [8]
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Guitar Cake
    Create tuning keys out of fondant , then add them to the head. Sculpt 6 tuning keys using fondant, then stick them onto toothpicks. Let the fondant dry, then push the toothpicks into the top (head) of the guitar. Place 3 keys on each side of the head. [9]
    • Look up pictures of guitar keys online to get an idea of what they should look like. Most keys look a little like flattened ovals.
    • White, black, or gray fondant is a great choice for this. You can also tint the keys silver with cake decorating dust.
    • Alternatively, pipe the keys directly onto the cake board to either side of the head.
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    My cake is falling apart, what should I do?
    Maria Short
    Baker
    Maria Short is a Baker and the Owner of Short N Sweet Bakery & Cafe in Hilo, Hawaii. With over 24 years of experience, she specializes in specialty desserts and wedding cakes. She graduated from L’Academie de Cuisine’s Pastry Arts Program with honors and studied at Baltimore International Culinary College. In 2019, Maria competed in the 6th season of the Food Network’s Holiday Baking Championship. In 2010, she had a cake named one of “America’s Most Beautiful Cakes” by Brides magazine.
    Maria Short
    Baker
    Expert Answer
    Use a firm cake, like butter or pound cake, so that it will hold its shape when sculpted. These firm cakes give the needed structure for sculpting which chiffon cakes cannot provide because it is light and airy, making it crumble easily. Then, create a solid base by ganache-coating the cake to hold the details and prevent it from falling apart.
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      Tips

      • Fit piping bags with couplers, then fill them. This way, you can use the same piping tip—just pop it on and off of the bags.
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      • Prepare 1 big batch of buttercream frosting, then separate it into smaller batches. Dye each batch different colors with oil-based food coloring.
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      • Make sure that the cake has completely cooled before you frost it.
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      Things You'll Need

      • Cake recipe or boxed mix
      • Cake board
      • Cake pans
      • Long, thin knife
      • Piping bags
      • Decorating tips
      • Cake decorating spatula
      • Toothpicks
      • Cookie cutters

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      Expert Interview

      Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about baking, check out our in-depth interview with Maria Short .

      References

      1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ctc_Pl9MOZM
      2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ctc_Pl9MOZM&t=25s
      3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ctc_Pl9MOZM&t=30s
      4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ctc_Pl9MOZM&t=1m14s
      5. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ctc_Pl9MOZM&t=1m30s
      6. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ctc_Pl9MOZM&t=1m45s
      7. ↑ https://www.craftsy.com/cake-decorating/article/how-to-crumb-coat-a-cake/
      8. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xzn3tqRd-8g&t=7m2s
      9. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xzn3tqRd-8g&t=6m33s

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