Sunday Sweets: Ode to Dragon*Con

Loyal henchpersons, there are only four days left until Dragon*Con, the big East Coast geek-fest we attend every year in Atlanta, and I AM SO EXCITED.

So let me apologize in advance for the blistering amount of geek glee I'm about to blast you with; I just can't help it. I'll be with you soon, my people! SOOOON!!

Let's start things off with a bang, shall we?

 Submitted by Stacey T., made by Bleeding Heart Bakery

Or more like an "EXTERMI-CAKE!" Because yes, it's really cake.

I've had requests for more fondant-free Sweets, so check this old-school Sonic action out:

Sub'd by Elizabeth M., made by SonicTheHedgehawk

Those smooth areas may look like fondant, but they're actually icing. It's a technique called run-out, flooding, or color-flow, depending on who you ask, and it has a glass-smooth texture that I just love - no fondant required!

I've always said I love marshmallow icing:

Sub'd by Crystal Q., made by Cakes That Make You Go Mmm

I see the chocolate and the marshmallow - now where's the giant graham cracker? ;)

Penny Arcade is a video game-centered webcomic that looks almost exactly like this:

By Artisan Cake Company

...only usually less edible.

Plus, the two guys who produce Penny Arcade are also the creators of PAX, the big gaming convention taking place in Seattle at this very moment. Holla, gamer geeks!

 Oh, and check out this detail:

I never thought I'd be in awe of pants pleats before, but there you have it.

And now for a little Battlestar Galactica:

Submitted by Ruth Ann F. and made by Kandy Cakes (link expired - anyone have a new one?)

Think they needed toasters to make that? (Heh. Aheh. Heh.)

Conventions always have lots of Anime which I don't claim to follow or understand, but it all sure looks adorable:

Sub'd by Tammy, made by Baking Obsession

Pokémon!

(If you're not familiar, the character in the middle, Pikachu, is what all the hot girls in yellow bikinis dress as.)

Love Star Wars *and* LEGO? Then have I got the cake for you!

 

By Val's Custom Cakes

Even the figure is edible. Awesome.

Here's a cake from one of my very favorite video games:

Sub'd by Brandi A., made by Mike's Amazing Cakes

 So. Cool.

It's the Space Personality Core from Portal. 

(Spaaaaaaaace.)

Which reminds me. Have you seen the Wheatley puppet? Huh? Have you?! I'm hoping to spot him and his creator at D*C. Fingers crossed!

Care to seek out new worlds...hand painted on cake?

Submitted by Sue B. and made by a matter of taste

Simply...engaging.

And finally, you Epbot readers know of my continuing love affair with steampunk, which I hope to see a lot of in Atlanta. Well, check out this beauty:

By Emily of Border City Cakes, photo by NCS Photography

Great gears and leather and pipes, oh my! Even the fabric ruffle and netting are edible - just spectacular.

If any of you fellow geeks will also be at Dragon*Con this weekend, you should know that we'll be playing "Find Jen and win a prize" again this year. Go here for details, and I hope to see you there!

Also, good news! After many, MANY requests, we've finally assembled a Sunday Sweets directory. Now you can see which professional bakers we've featured in your area! (Note that listing in the directory does not indicate our endorsement, and that we've only included pro bakers accepting orders, as opposed to home hobby bakers.)

Happy browsing!

You Spin Me Right Round

When Kimberly C. sent me to Capital Confection's post on some crazy cool cake videos, I knew I had to share them with you guys. Check out the magic these bakers in Malaysia can achieve using nothing more than heavy (frozen?) cream, a spinning turn table, and a few basic tools: 

 (For your sanity's sake, I advise turning the sound off.)

The technique is called "clay art" because of the pottery techniques used. Isn't it amazing?

Here's another one:

My jaw hit the desk when s/he used that plastic bottle to puff air into the ripples. Sooo cool.

These are from the Quenary Academy, which apparently specializes in clay art and really annoying music (keep your sound off - trust me). There are even more videos under a different user name on Youtube, too - although they all appear to feature the same instructor:

If you're like me and could watch these all day, then check out the Quenary Academy's Youtube page, and also user ahntuank19's for lots more.

Also, if any of you have any more information on these techniques (especially on what kind of cream is being used), let me know in the comments!

(Note from john- I just added the second video which features the plastic bottle.  Thanks comment section!)