CrabFest 2015

A lovely women entertains every year with CRAB as the theme.  I'm not sure how long 

she has been hosting the annual event, as I have been doing the desserts for the past four years.

In the past three years,  she has had a number of sweets, all individual servings so that the guests could eat there or take a "sweet" home.  This year was the same, yet a little different.   CUPCAKES.... only.... she wanted them to be put into a large CRAB shape.

The hostess also requested candy seaweek, ocean waves, sand and seashells.  I cut fondant into strips and dried them on the backs of cardboard egg crates.  To finish them I airbrushed in shades of greens and blues.

My shell molds where purchased from First Impressions and are molded in fondant as well. I made them about a week prior to the party so they would dry and handle easily.

The CRAB was sketched on several pieces of newspaper that were taped together.  Once I was pleased with the drawing I then transferred the newspaper pieces to cardboard.

Claws

Crab body.

Using several layers of aluminum foil I shaped the foil around the cardboard to create a "pan".  I then put the cupcake papers in the pans.

 

The pans where then ready for cake batter. 

 

This allows the cupcakes to mold into the shape needed for the final design. Your guest simply pull the cupcake paper at the bottom and the cupcake breaks free of the design.

On site the table was covered with a deep blue tablecloth and skirt, as well as a clear plastic top runner so that none of the elements would damage the cloth.  I added a band of light blue foil under the plastic at one end as it was to be the "ocean".

I put the four sections of the Crab body together.  They were Chocolate cake with fudge filling, Coconut cake with cherry filling, Pineapple cake with pineapple filling and Lemon cake with lemon curd.

Here he is frosted in red buttercream and I am ready to airbrush in his detail.  The over all design contains 175 cupcakes.

This is the finished display.  The 30 on the sides was in celebration of her sons 30 birthday.

From the back, the detail is much more apparent in this picture as the sunlight was in front.  Table was carried out to its own tent for presentation.