Kokova Magazine

CakeBomb, a new collective of 17 top cake artists from around the UK, are working together to create 'Welcome to the Jungle' at the Cake & Bake Show Manchester (4 - 6 April 2014) - a life-size edible Indian jungle made entirely out of cake, sugarcraft, cookies and chocolate.

The CakeBomb team has spent over 6,000 hours on the installation, which features life-size pieces of incredible detail and accuracy.

Highlights include a goddess statue, working sugar waterfall, indigenous animals including a baby elephant and numerous species of flora and fauna made up of more than 3,000 leaves and flowers.

Every item in the installation has been made by hand and showcases the artists' fantastic range of skills, including poured sugar work, hand painting, airbrushing, sugar leaf and flower work, moulded chocolate and fondant pieces, cookies and modeled chocolate.

"Everyone in the CakeBomb team is hugely talented and between us we’ve won numerous competitions and awards for our work, but always individually. "Welcome to the Jungle" will be our first collaborative creation and The Cake & Bake Show is such a fantastic place and fun way for us to come together and showcase our work."

Rose Dummer, CakeBomb co-ordinator

The CakeBomb artists are running demos throughout the show, revealing the secrets behind their creations and sharing their top tips. They will also be decorating the Indian elephant cake live, allowing visitors to see the sculpture develop over time and ask the artists questions as they work.

"The Cake & Bake Show is all about encouraging people to get involved in every aspect of the baking world. The image of sugar work has transformed in recent years and is finally becoming recognized as a real cake art, appealing to all ages. We’re so proud to welcome CakeBomb to the show and can't wait to see the finished installation."

Luke Collings, founder of the Cake & Bake Show

The Jungle in numbers: -

• 6,120 hours of sugar work
• 3 million calories
• 1,700 leaves
• 1,700 flowers
• 34kg of flower paste
• 500kg of sugar paste
• 750kg of cake
• 40kg of chocolate

Recipe for a life-size baby elephant cake

• Time required - 40 hours to bake
• 546 eggs
• 50kg of ?our
• 40kg of sugar
• Serves 5,000 - the equivalent of 20 three-tier wedding cake

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