Wine bottle birthday cake

Bobbi and Ashley are having a party for Jayme's birthday. A wine tasting party at Bobbi's. So I got inspired to make the cake. Today (Monday) I created a gum paste and royal icing label to put on the iced cake. I had to find a bottle that is the size of the finished cake so that it would have a rounded shape as it dries.

I made the cakes to put in the freezer so that all I have to do on Saturday is ice the cake and finish with making it look like a wine bottle. The cakes I made in my sandwich loaf pans. Perfect. 

I will just have to carve them into shape.

Then I rolled out a bit of gum paste and when I had it the thickness I wanted I put a piece of vintage plastic shelf liner (never been used. It was new old stock that I found at an antique store. A whole roll.)

on top of it and rolled again to impress the lace image onto the gum paste. I used a large present with a bow cookie cutter to make the shape.

Put that on parchment on the bottle that I found to fit the finished size of the cake. Then I took some gold Luster Dust and lemon extract and painted it gold.

That really helped the lace stand out. Then I took white royal icing and 4 different piping tips and piped on the name with a caligraphy tip, the vines and other writing with a #1, the leaves with a tiny leaf tip, and the grapes with a #3.

 I actually like the monochromatic look a lot but the painter in me wanted to add color so...out came the purple, green, brown and pink Luster Dust.

Extremely happy with how it looks. Can't wait to finish the cake and see it all done.

Well I have finished the cake and it has been eaten.

But before I get to that, I must say that I indulged a dream that I have been fostering for awhile and taught myslef how to make gum paste flowers. 

I really wasn't planning on using them on the birthday cake I just wanted to try making them. But after I got done I had to create a way to use them on with the cake.

So I baked a small chocolate cake and made it look like a basket. That was really fun to do also. So it was time to carve the bottle out of my long layers.

I started cutting and then when I thought I had it I cut some more to get a rounder shape. I wish I would have made the neck longer but I didn't so there you have it...

I added a cork at the top and rounded the bottle. I used buttercream icing and smoothed it with a Viva paper towel. Then I took a deep breath and put the label on and put the little basket cake next to the neck.

The label fit and I didn't break it so I could breathe normally. I filled the basket with green using a leaf tip. Then I placed my flowers that I made.

As I worked I kept adding more icing leaves around the top and side of the bottle. 

I thought I was done here...but no...I wanted a flower between the "gouda cheese" (which is really a chocolate cake covered in fondant. my first try with fondant. really fun.) And the wine bottle. So I decided to try a poppy. It turned out even better than I imagined.

But still not quite complete so, a leaf.

Ok, at some point I have to tell myself to clean up the mess and stop adding things!! haha but I was very pleased with the end result.

I also made wine glass cookies and wine label cookies.

Everything all together and Jayme with her cake and cookies.