Studies show that the roach is the most reviled creature, besting even rats, spiders, and snakes for the lowest spot. However, the lowly roach can boast an impressive history of survival and is thought to date back 350 million years. I think it’s high time the roach got some respect and maybe a little rest and relaxation—at a motel perhaps?
• 8 x 12 in. (20 x 30 cm) wooden cake board with irregularly cut edges
• rolling pin
• craft knife
• cake pan or similar object, to support board while trimming covering
• craft and serrated knives
• scrub brush
• airbrush
• small cups and palette, for mixing colors
• paintbrushes, including stiff brush
• motel and roach templates
• baking parchment
• scissors
• large icing bag with quick ice tip
• 1 in. (2.5 cm) and 11/2 in. (4 cm) square cutters
• small pieces of aluminum foil
• modeling tool
• 6 x 2 in. (5 cm) lengths cloth-covered floral wires, for legs
• 2 x 11/2 in. (4 cm) thin silver wires, for antennae
• 1 lb. (450 g) each: white, ivory, and gray fondant
• airbrush colors: black, electric blue, warm brown, green, and dark brown
• white and black gel color
• 2 tsp. CMC powder
• 3 cups (700 ml) decorator’s buttercream icing
• 1 recipe cake batter of choice, baked in 1/4 sheet pan
• silver luster dust
• vodka or lemon extract
• 1 oz. (25 g) each: brown and black fondant
• confectioner’s glaze
Moisten cake board, including edges, with water. Roll out white fondant to about 1/8 in. (3 mm) thick and drape onto board, taking care to cover edges. Smooth over with hands and set board on a cake pan to raise up from table. Trim excess fondant with craft knife around board base. Keep leftover fondant.
Press scrub brush into surface of covered board, including edges. Airbrush a light coat of black onto surface, gradually darkening at edges. Place a small amount of white gel and black gel into cups. Dip a stiff paintbrush into white gel. Flick end of brush to spatter color onto board. Repeat with black color.
Mix half of CMC powder into white fondant trimmings and roll out. Place motel-sign template on fondant and cut out sign shape. Keep trimmings. With template still on fondant, use tip of craft knife to trace a dotted outline of lettering and border onto the fondant strip.
Flip over the fondant motel sign onto a clean surface. Airbrush sides and back with black color. When dry, turn over and airbrush front (marked) side. Set aside to dry.
Mix a few drops of electric blue airbrush color into 4 oz. (110 g) buttercream until well blended. Make small baking-parchment piping bag and fill with mixture. Snip end. Pipe blue icing over traced outline of the lettering and border. Let dry.
Use motel-base template to cut out baking parchment shape. Fix parchment on chilled cake with dab of buttercream and follow outline to cut out three pieces of cake. Stack and sandwich together with buttercream. Holding motel side-wall template on sides of cake, cut angle for roof slant.
Fix cake on board with dab of buttercream. Use piping bag and quick-ice tip to pipe buttercream over cake. Use motel-wall templates to cut out parchment shapes. Roll out ivory fondant. Cut out wall panels, following parchment shapes. Keep trimmings. Press panels onto cake.
Hold front-wall template on cake and cut window and doors areas from fondant wall. Roll out white fondant and CMC mix trimmings. Cut out window and doors. Fix in cut-out areas. Cut piece for open door. Use water to attach. Roll out and attach thin strips for door and window frames.
Attach gray fondant door handles with water. Roll out rest of fondant. Cut 1 in. (2.5 cm) squares with cutter. Use craft knife to mark with notches for shingle effect. Fix to roof in overlapping rows. Cut 11/2 in. (4 cm) square and cut diagonally to make sign supports. Attach to roof and fix sign on top with water.
Airbrush black in and around window, doors, and motel base. Make parchment piping bag and fill with buttercream, mixed with warm brown and green color. Snip end. Pipe “weeds” around motel. Mix silver luster dust and vodka or lemon extract and paint doorknobs.
Roll out brown fondant about 1/2 in. (1 cm) thick. Cut 11/2 in. (4 cm) by 1 in. (2.5 cm) piece. Press with crumpled foil to texture. Imprint lid with modeling tool. Roll out black fondant. Cut out latches and case trim. Attach with water. Cut handle. Fix with water. Paint latches silver.
Mix rest of CMC powder and ivory fondant. Roll out. Use template to cut out roach. Attach fondant balls for eyes. Add detail with modeling tool. Press roach on foil ball to arch up. Fit leg and antennae wires. Airbrush dark brown. Paint on confectioner’s glaze. Let dry. Set roach and case in place.
