Until the 1960s, marriage was mandatory. Today, we become betrothed by choice, not mandate. Despite staggering divorce rates, marriage is far from an antiquated tradition. Celebrate your nuptials with this tattoo-inspired paean to lasting love.
• paintbrushes, including sponge brush
• 10 x 18 in. (25 x 45 cm) wooden cake board, 1/2 in. (1 cm) thick, covered with black self-adhesive shelf paper
• rolling pin
• craft and serrated knives
• airbrush
• feather, wing, heart, and banner templates
• pencil
• scissors
• rotary tool
• paper towels or plastic wrap, for drying feathers
• large piping bag and quick-ice tip
• curved spatula
• toothpicks
• modeling tools, including ball tool
• 1 in. (2.5 cm) round cutter
• 1 lb. (450 g) black fondant
• airbrush colors: black, white, red, and ivory
• 4–6 sheets wafer paper
• 8 oz. (225 g) white fondant
• piping gel
• 1 tsp. CMC powder
• 1 recipe red velvet cake, baked in 1/4 sheet pan
• 2 cups (470 ml) decorator’s buttercream icing
• 8 oz. (225 g) modeling chocolate
• 1 lb. (450 g) red fondant
• 4 oz. (110 g) ivory fondant
• black edible marker
Using a sponge brush, lightly moisten surface of covered cake board with water. Roll out the black fondant on a dusted surface to about 1/8 in. (3 mm) thick. Cut fondant into three or four pieces.
Drape a piece of black fondant onto the board, arranging in soft folds to resemble fabric. Repeat, overlaying the pieces until board is fully covered. Trim excess from sides with craft knife. Reserve leftover fondant.
To achieve a satin-like look, airbrush the fondant with black and white airbrush colors. Spray light coats of black in the recessed areas. Spray highlights of white onto the raised areas of “fabric.”
Using feather templates, trace 40–50 large feathers and 30–40 small feathers onto wafer paper with a pencil. Cut out feathers, using sharp scissors. Cut notches, angled toward center, along edges of feathers.
Roll out white fondant onto a dusted surface. Using rotary cutter, cut out thin strips of fondant, about 1/8 in. (3 mm) wide, one for each feather.
Brush piping gel down center of feathers. Apply to just a few feathers at a time. Place a white fondant strip into center of feathers to create the rib. Trim as necessary. Repeat with rest of feathers. Set aside to dry.
Mix remaining white fondant with CMC powder. Roll out and use template to cut out two wing shapes. Guided by template, roll two snakes of fondant to form top part of wings. Fix fondant snakes to wing shapes with water.
Starting from the bottom, attach a row of large feathers to a wing support using beads of piping gel. Attach a second row of large feathers, slightly overlapping the row below.
Continue attaching overlapping rows of feathers to wing support until it is densely covered, moving on from large to small feathers. Cover second wing with feathers in same way. Set wings aside to dry on paper towels or plastic wrap.
Attach heart template to chilled cake with a dab of buttercream. Carve out basic shape with serrated knife. Remove template. Slightly round edges with serrated knife. Carve ventricle shapes and round slightly.
Using large piping bag and quick-ice tip, cover cake with buttercream icing. Smooth the surface of icing with a curved spatula, taking great care to maintain shape of the rounded carved areas.
Roll out small snakes of modeling chocolate and, using template as a guide, attach to heart surface to provide details of ventricles and atria. If needed, insert toothpicks into chocolate pieces to attach them to heart.
Roll out red fondant onto a dusted surface to about 1/4 in. (5 mm) thick. Roll fondant loosely around rolling pin and carefully drape over the prepared cake heart.
Smooth fondant over the surface of iced heart, carefully pushing it in and around the details. Trim excess and tuck edges under.
Using modeling tools, add details to the heart. Trace around parts to emphasize them. Insert ball tool into atria and press gently to create the hollow areas.
Spray several light coats of red airbrush color over entire surface of the heart to deepen the color.
Using black airbrush color, lightly spray shadows around the bottom and parts of heart to emphasize them. Set aside to dry.
Place the prepared heart onto the center of covered cake board. Use a few dabs of buttercream icing to fix in place.
Roll out leftover black fondant onto dusted surface. Using 1 in. (2.5 cm) round cutter, cut out two black fondant circles. Place a circle on either side of the heart on the board. These will serve as supports, or risers, for the wings.
Apply a small amount of piping gel or buttercream to wing supports as glue for the wings. Gently set the wings in place. Handle the wings with great care as the feathers will be very fragile.
Roll out ivory fondant onto a dusted surface. Using template, cut out banner shape with the craft knife.
Guided by the lettering on the banner template, draw the word forever on fondant banner with black edible marker. Make sketchy outlines along the top and bottom edges of the banner for a vintage tattoo effect.
Lightly spray the edges of the banner with ivory airbrush color to give it a look of aged parchment.
Set banner in place, attaching to heart with a dab or two of buttercream or piping gel. Gently curl ends over sides of heart. Using tip of modeling tool, create a wave effect along banner ends.
