The expression to “open a can of worms” means to create new problems inadvertently, often while trying to solve an existing one. However, if your goal is simply to gross out your guests, my can of worms is a piece of cake. It’s perfect for the fisherman in your life, the kid who likes shocking their friends, or the gastronome who enjoys sampling new cuisines. This can of worms will have them all fighting over the last morsel.
• paintbrushes, including a sponge brush
• 12 in. (30 cm) square wooden cake board, 1/2 in. (1 cm) thick
• rolling pins, large and small
• craft knife
• 14 in. (35 cm) length 3/8 in. (8 mm) doweling
• airbrush
• small bowl
• set of round cutters, including 4.5 in. (11 cm) and 5 in. (13 cm)
• pull tab template
• palette, for mixing paint
• thin cake board
• large piping bag with quick-ice tip
• spatula
• ridged vinyl mat
• modeling tool
• 2 lb. (900 g) white fondant
• airbrush colors: warm brown, ivory, black, and fleshtone
• vodka or lemon extract
• 1 tsp. CMC powder
• silver and gold luster dusts
• 2 x recipe batter of choice, baked in 1/2 sheet pan
• 2 cups (470 ml) decorator’s buttercream icing
• chocolate discs, for melting
• 1 cup (110 g) chocolate cookie crumbs
• 6 oz. (175 g) gray fondant
• confectioner’s glaze
Brush cake board surface with water to moisten. Roll out 1 lb. (450 g) white fondant to about 1/8 in. (3 mm) thick. Drape fondant onto moistened board. Smooth over fondant with hands, and trim excess using a craft knife.
Press 14 in. (35 cm) length of doweling across covered board at 3 in. (7.5 cm) intervals to mark out floor-slat detail in the fondant. Etch wood-grain detail onto fondant surface with craft knife. Apply coat of brown airbrush color over surface with a sponge brush.
Soak sponge brush in a bowl of vodka or lemon extract and sweep over painted cake board, removing some color as you go. Repeat until only light wash of color remains; let color that has settled into slats and etching remain. Spray with light coats of ivory airbrush color to even out coloring and emphasize edges.
Combine tsp. of CMC powder with 4 oz. (110 g) white fondant and roll out on dusted surface. Cut out circle for can lid with 41/2 in. (11 cm) round cutter. Imprint circular ridge detail on lid using rolled edges of increasingly smaller round cutters. Cut out pull tab using template.
Curl up lid edge over length of doweling and leave to dry and set. Mix silver luster dust with vodka or lemon extract to create a thick paint. Repeat with gold luster dust. Paint top of lid and pull tab silver. Paint curled-up, exposed underside of lid gold. Allow pieces to dry.
With 5 in. (13 cm) round cutter, cut 4 circles from chilled cake. Use same cutter to mark out circle shapes on thin cake board. Using craft knife, cut circles from cake board.
Attach cake layer to cake board circle with dab of buttercream. Use large piping bag and quick-ice tip to pipe buttercream onto cake top. Stack second layer. Repeat until all layers are stacked. Pipe icing over cake and smooth with spatula. Chill to firm up.
Roll out rest of white fondant. Press ridged vinyl mat on fondant to create lined pattern. Trim fondant to approximately circumference and height of iced cake. Roll fondant onto rolling pin and unfurl around chilled cake. Trim excess.
Roll out fondant trimmings. Cut out circle using 5 in. (13 cm) round cutter, then cut out center of circle with slightly smaller cutter to create cut-top rim detail. Fix to can with water. Cut thin strip for bottom rim detail. Attach with water. Trim.
Fix cake onto painted board with dabs of buttercream. You may want a supporting dowel on cake board if traveling with cake. Paint can silver, leaving open top unpainted. Airbrush black onto can and prepared lid to add shadows.
Attach pull tab to dried can lid, using a bit of melted chocolate. Hold until set. Fix lid with pull tab in place with a dab of buttercream. Spoon cookie crumbs onto opening and scatter around base of can.
Roll out ropes of gray fondant to make worms. Pinch and smooth ends. Roll edge of modeling tool around worms to imprint segments. Airbrush with fleshtone color. Brush with confectioner’s glaze. While wet, arrange worms in can and on base.
