Crud. So, my cake baker moved to Maryland and now she isn’t answering my emails. It might just be a momentary blip, but just in case, we have a plan to make the cake ourselves. Luckily, it will be a rice crispy cake and therefore easy to make structurally. I have some experience decorating with icing, so I hope that I can put something together that won’t look like it was made by a drunken marmoset. We are trying to keep it simple with plain white icing and decorations that can be made separately.
I couldn’t find marzipan anywhere that wasn’t already as hard as a rock, and I don’t trust myself with fondant, and so the decorations were made from Fimo clay. The figures were inspired by the penguin habitat in the back of our reception venue. There are 32 penguins total. There are 24 on the first layer, 6 on the second and two slightly larger ones on top.
One of the penguin groupings:
Our top of the cake figures; I plan on gluing a little veil on the shorter one:
Your backup backup could be to find the local marmoset (I assume you have one) and sneak an empty bottle of Johnnie Walker in his cage.
If I were you I wouldn’t have even hired a cake baker in the first place. Those penguins are adorable!!! You have GREAT TALENT and I can’t wait to see the cake you create for your wedding! Rock on!
I love it! So adorable!
WOW!! Those are TOOOO CUTE!!!!
Awwhh love it.
Love all your posts 
That is sooo cute!
I am obsessed with penguins and yours are TOO FREAKING CUTE.
Those are adorable!! You are so talented!!
I’m doing something similar(ish kinda) to this on my man’s cake. He used to draw a strange comic back in high school called ‘pineapple & penguin’. I’m making them out of clay (in full wedding garb) as toppers for his cake. Don’t tell him, it’s a surprise.
Really, those penguins are so flippin cute. I want one!
OMG–I love penguins! There’s a penguin habitat in the back of your venue????? How did I miss that post?????
Those penguins are ADORABLE!
So cute! I’m considering making my own Fimo cake topper, since I can’t seem to find any cake toppers that I really like that aren’t too huge and/or to my liking. This is a perfect way to tie in your reception venue’s charm!
Love THIS cake. I would just go with it. This should be your first choice cake. I cannot believe how talented you are! And how you have the sanity to come up with such fabulous ideas and make them happen so close to the wedding!
those are so adorable! you are quite talented miss lollipop!
how long did it take?
i’m ambitious, but i know my fingers are not nimble or patient enough to work with clay or small pieces.
nice work!
Love those precious penguins! A veil would be perfect (esp as the penguins already come in tuxes).
That is SO WONDERFUL.
frickin’ adorable! I love them! I wish I had a few of those penguins to put around the house right now because they just make me smile!
i agree with tara - that should be your first choice cake, not the backup =).
This is amazing! I don’t know what your baker’s cake was going to look like, but unless it’s out of this world, your own is probably more precious!
Adorable and so creative. Go for it as your cake!
Dude! Those penguins are adorable! I can’t wait to see the wee little veil the “bridal penguin”.
Seriously, your “backup” work is fantastic. They should be your first choice. Don’t worry that they’re not marzipan, use exactly the ones you’ve created as we’ve all already fallen in love with them. Please promise you’ll find a good home for all 24 after the big day!
Ah, fimo brings back memories…I never did anything this creative with it though! Very impressive Miss Lollipop. You have to find some way to incorporate these little cuties even if you go with the first cake!
OK — I had to chime in. I found a wonderful marzipan company in the UK (the marzipan is actually made in Italy) and they have penguins!! Check it out here: http://www.marzipanworld.com/acatalog/Marzipan_World_Marzipan_Penguins_98.html
or just http://www.marzipanworld.com. I HIGHLY recommend them. She my post re: marzipan pears and my cake. Also, on my recommendation, Miss Corn bought marzipan shells for her favors/welcome bags and LOVED them too! It looks amazing and tastes great (Mr. Onion loves marzipan so taste was a biggie for us).
Hope this helps and let me know! FYI - I ordered mine on August 7th and they arrived yesterday, August 22nd, BUT they have an option for faster mail for an extra fee.
I LOVE your penguins. You are going to have an awesome cake!
And it’s neat having an unusual cake–we had three flavors of cupcakes and a chocolate groom’s cake, but the main cake was a three-tiered cheesecake. Our guests kept saying, “It’s a *cheesecake?* Yum! Can I take some home?”
I wouldn’t make a rice krispy cake in advance though, they get really hard and inedible after a day!
That’s really adorable Miss lollipop. Are you going to test it before hand? I found that it helps if you make the cake nice and thick so it doesn’t fall apart. For easy lifting, you can cut the bottom layer into 2 half moons and then stick em back together.
Those are too cute! I love them.
I remember FIMO. im not sure i ever made anything out if it though….
Yep. There will definitely be a test cake.
My fiance doesn’t like cake very much, so the rice crispy treats are for him. I’m not too worried about making the cake in advance; he is a weird eater and enjoys stale things. We’ll cut a piece of the cake in advance if it gets too hard and ice over it to hide the cut marks.
I ordered two big sheet cakes from another bakery for everyone else, so we are covered even if our artistic baker isn’t able to come through.
Those are adorable!!! I love penguins!
i love your penguins! oooh, penguins are me and my bf’s mascot.
i totally agree with everyone else, this should be your cake. it’s so creative and whimsical and not to mention will put a smile on everyone’s faces. go for it.
and to follow up on christine’s comment, i’d happily adopt a couple afterwards!
Drunken marmoset… you are hilarious. And the penguins are adorable. The rice krispie cake idea is awesome.
SO CUTE!!!!
Those are by far the CUTEST things i have EVER seen. i LOVE penguins! you’re cake reminds me of Ace of Cakes.
LOVE the penguins! And the rice krispy cake! lol, I’ve been craving rice krispy treats for weeks. I am very jealous of your penguins, as I’ve loved them every since I got to hang out with them in Antarctica.
I just wanted to add that if you can do that with fimo, you can do it with marzipan (which may be my favorite food) and that marzipan is relatively easy to make at home– it just has to sit for a couple of weeks. You might have time if you start now.
ooooh i love the idea of the veil on your penguin!
your “husband penguin” could even have a bowtie to complete his tuxedo-ensemble…
SO CUTE!
Your cake is ADORABLE and AWESOME!! What do you need a professional for? Go for it with yours and the sheet cakes!
seriously go with your backup plan because those penguins are toooooooooo adorable!!!
Cufflinks for your man?
This is one of the CUTEST and COOLEST ideas I’ve seen on here yet! I’m a serious fan of both fimo clay and rice crispy treats!!!
Those penguins are beyond awesome.
they’re adorable!!! love them!
oh my gosh they are so cute! =) i wouldnt be able to bring myself to eat them… or could i? 
They’re adorable. You can find edible penguins online.
Awesome penguins 
pauline -
I would hope not, as they’re made of clay
[...] cake baker has finally returned one of my messages and now I am officially on my own for my wedding cake. Strangely, I feel relieved. I won’t be stuck with a cake that I haven’t seen before the [...]
[...] The Backup Cake, My $100 Wedding Dress by Miss Lollipop [...]
Mrs. Lollipop, Pittsburgh
Age and Occupation: 26, Computational Linguist
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Project Manager
Engagement Date: August 2, 2006
Wedding Date: September 2, 2007
Blogging Since: July 17, 2007
Venue: The PPG Aquarium at the Pittsburgh Zoo
About Me: I'm a Pittsburgh transplant who grew up in the deep south. I have a weakness for exotic alphabets, DIY projects, mobster movies and international travel. My fiance and I are both non-native Japanese speakers and we have a bullfrog named Skinny.
Those are SO adorable!
Well done!