CJ's Cello Birthday Cake

For CJ's 16th birthday I made him a cello cake.  I was thinking of making an actual cello, but in the end decided to make a chocolate sculpture of CJ with his cello. 

The modeling chocolate was not HARD to make, but your measuring must be perfect.  I decided it works much better with dark chocolate than with milk or white.  It's just a better texture to work with. 

The cello was made out of white chocolate tinted with food coloring in a swirled fashion so it wasn't all one color.  I made the cello first, figuring it would be the hardest part.  I measured CJ's real cello so that I could get the dimensions right.  The only part that wouldn't be edible was the end pin and the bow.  I waited until Sunday morning to place the bridge and put the strings on.  They made it complete.

For CJ's main body I used dark chocolate tinted with black powdered food coloring.  Since I've never sculpted anything before it was frustrating work, but after eating several versions of elbows and shoulders I got it right.  It was a good thing he tasted so good, because I made lots of mistakes.  I made the stool last.  I used my 1/2 cup measuring cup while I was sculpting because it conducted the cooler temp of the fridge and kept him solid.    His head, hands and legs (which ended up getting covered up with pant cuffs) were made from white chocolate.  The face was so hard!  I have a lot more respect for artists after this adventure.   I tried to position his arms without supports but ending up having to use toothpicks to keep them in place.

The cake itself was made from four layers of white cake.  Two were filled with milk chocolate ganache and two with white chocolate ganache.  I wrapped each layer in milk chocolate ribbons and topped them with a white chocolate sheet (to resemble a stage).  I made white chocolate curls and used milk chocolate ganache to fill in the edges.  The chocolate ganache was melting faster than I could decorate so the borders were "droopy".  I ended up finishing the cake while it was actually sitting in the fridge with the door open.  (Just one more reason to have two refrigerators). This cake was a chocolate lovers dream.

When I put the topper on the cake Sunday evening, it was perfect!  I think it ended up looking more like CJ than I thought it would.  The cake tasted great and was enjoyed by all!  I thought there would be a lot more left than there was.  I guess that says something. 

Happy 16th Birthday CJ!  I love you!  Mom