By Michelle Anderson
Cake Decorating Expert
St. Patrick’s Day is an interesting holiday that celebrates all
things Irish and is named after one of Ireland’s patron saints. Saint
Patrick ministered to Christians in the fifth century and is thought to
have died on March 17, hence the date of this holiday. One of the
legends of saint Patrick is that he chased all the snakes out of
Ireland, but this might be symbolic of pagans who worshiped snakes, not
actually reptiles. The immigration of Irish people to areas such as
Canada, the USA, and Australia ensured that St Patrick’s Day is also an
event in these countries. This holiday is mostly an excuse to drink
green beer and eat lovely Irish foods, but it is also an occasion for
interesting and whimsical cakes. Some possible St Patrick’s Day cake or
cupcake designs could include:
Snakes: This might
seem like a strange decoration on a cake but why not create a lovely
green bed of icing grass and then prop up a cartoonish fondant snake in
the middle.
You can top the snake head with a tiny green fondant hat if you have the time or skill. Very cute and unusual!
Shamrocks: This
is an obvious decoration idea that can be created with many different
mediums. You can use gum paste or fondant cutouts, cookies, piped buttercream,
and even make the cupcakes in the shape of shamrocks using special
baking cups. The shapes of potential green for the shamrocks are broad
and you can even layer different green shamrocks up the sides of tiered
cakes in an ombre design.
Rainbows: This pretty
accent is of course linked to pots of gold at the end of rainbows but a
rainbow accent on a green cupcake or cake is also appropriate for St.
Patrick’s Day. If you want to get truly creative, you can even make a
rainbow reveal cake with band of color visible in your cake when it is
cut. Piped rainbows, fondant rainbows, rainbows formed out of liquorice
or candy all work on cakes or cupcakes. A rainbow shaped cake, either
sculpted or baked in a special pan can also be effective.
Leprechauns: These
cute little creatures are types of fairies in Irish folklore and
usually are tricksters and jealously guarding their pots of gold. This
is not a jolly character! Traditional leprechauns did not dress in green
and have red beards but since this is where the imagery went over the
centuries, it is probably best o stick with that idea. You can create
very intricate leprechauns out of fondant
or gum paste if you have the time and skill. You can also simply craft
the signature hat with the black band and buckle in the front if you
don’t want to attempt an entire figure. If you have a printer set up for
edible paper and gel colors, you can print off a picture of a leprechaun and use that as a cake topper.
Any
green iced or accented cake or even a green velvet cake or cupcakes can
be a lovely St. Patrick’s Day treat, so even if you don’t have time for
special decorations, you can still create the perfect celebration cake
for you party. Happy St. Patrick’s day!
source: about.com
