Teddy Bear Cake with Rosé, Gin & Elderflower

You can do this cake over one or two days. I'd personal recommend taking two days: with your planning, prepping and baking on day one, then constructing your cake on day two. Starting with body, head, legs. arms and lastly feet (keep your offcuts for the arms, legs and feet). A template for the Teddy Bear to help guide you can be found at the bottom of this page.

Hello my darlings bees, I have to admit, it's been a busy start to the year - what with spending time and training our new puppy (our second one in the last 7 months). I'm also working on new recipes. and new episode of DDD, Series 2.  I'm not just a queen that not only looks good ("she says", if the lighting is right), I also can really bake.  

It was either get into baking full time or become a full time serial killer. It was touch and go, for a moment. I lived in Florida, trust me it can make the sweetest person feel a tad crazy, the heat alone. So, now I've gotten that off my chest, today is a special day, As it was my dear departed Nana L'queur Birthday. 

What will I need?

Teddybear Body

4 6" Cake Pans, lined with parchment paper
390g All Purpose Flour (sifted)
50g Cornstarch (Optional. This will make cake denser. Preferred for this cake)
400g Granulated Sugar. 
1 1/2 cups Buttermilk. (click here for a quick how to) 
4 Eggs (room temperature)
2 Egg Whites (room temperature)
1/2 Tsp Salt
2 Tsp Baking powder 
2/3 Tsp Baking Soda 
1. 1/2 cup (275g) Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
I Tsp Vanilla Extract

Teddybear Head & Heart

• 2 6" Half Round Ball Cake Pan 
• 2-1/2 cups (320g) All Purpose Flour 
• 2 cups (400g) Granulated Sugar
• 4 Eggs (room temperature)
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 Tsp Salt
• 2 Tsp Baking Powder 
• 1 cup Milk
• 1 cup Butter

Accessories

• 8" Cake board
• Red ribbon
• Sellotape / Scotch Tape
• 3 Cake Rods
• Measuring Tape
• Heart Shape Cutter

Alcohol syrup

• Gin (Optional)
• Rosé Champagne (Optional)
• Elderflower Syrup
• 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 Cup Water

Butter cream frosting

• 7 1/2 cups (9 Sticks) Butter (room temperature)
• 7 cups Powdered Sugar
• Alcohol of your choice (Optional)
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract (Optional)
• Dash of milk (Optional)
• 1/4 Tsp Food coloring of desired color (Optional)

(You will need a lot of frosting for this cake, trust me)

What do I do?

IMPORTANT: The process for baking the cakes required for this recipe is split into two-parts: (1) baking the cakes for the body of the teddybear, and (2) those for its head & the heart it is holding. The following instructions are the same for both the cakes for the body, and the cakes for the head & heart. You can prepare and bake both simultaneously (if you have enough pans), or follow these instructions once for the body, and repeat for the head/heart.

1	Preheat oven to 350℉. ​​
2	(1) For the Teddybear Body: Grease your 4 six-inch cake pans, and line with parchment paper. ​(2) For the Head & Heart: Grease 1 six-inch cake pan, and line with parchment paper. Also grease your half-round ball cake pans.
3	In a large bowl sift together your flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and -  for a denser cake -  the cornstarch, then whisk and leave to one-side. ​​
4	​Using your stand mixer paddle or whisk attachment, beat your sugar and butter together on high speed until smooth and creamy (around 2-3 minutes). Scrape down the sides and bottom with a rubber spatula as needed. Slowly beat in your eggs one at a time (mixing for approximately 30 seconds in-between each one), lastly ass your vanilla extract. Once incorporated it may look a little curdled, but this is normal, so don't panic.
5	Now add your one cup of dry ingredients, and half of your buttermilk on a low speed (alternating between each, starting and ending with your dry ingredients) until all is combined, Make sure you have no lumps, my darlings. ​​​
6	Now get your pans and now slowly pour in your batter mix. You can do this by eye if you enjoy living life on the edge, or you can be a good baker and weigh each one. Totally up to you - its your kitchen your rules. Mine came to 400g for each six-inch pan.​​​
7	Now pop them into your oven for around 30-35 minutes, rotating them half-way. Once done, you can test with a toothpick (if it comes out clean its perfect). Take them out (watch your pinkies) and place them on a cooling rack. Run a clean knife around the edge of the pan, and leave to cool for 10 minutes. Pop them out of the pan and leave until completely cool. Now lets make the head and heart!

Note: The half-round ball pans may take a little longer to bake all the way through. Test with a toothpick to be certain.

How to assemble the body

1	Using your serrated knife, cut of the top off the 3 cakes, making them flat and flush. (Optional) Now get your two simple syrup bottles with added rosé and the other with gin & elderflower. Soak each of your cakes with the syrup, alternating between the two flavors for each layer.
2	Now you want to stack the 3 cakes one on top of the other, layering with buttercream frosting in between each cake.
3	Carefully cut off the top off your fourth cake then pop the dome-shaped off-cut on top of your three tiered cake for the neck (using a little buttercream frosting in-between will help it stick in place). Use your heart-shaped cutter (or cut carefully free-hand) to create a heart-shape from the remainder of the fourth cake. Set this aside for later.
4	With your serrated knife, trim the body all over start slowly and at the top, working your way down. You are aiming for a barrel shape for the body (cutting less is better... you can always take away, you can't add it back if you trim too much away).
5	Take three cake rods, measure and cut them so they will sit just beneath the surface of the cake, then place them in to your cake for support.  Dab a little buttercream frosting on top of each rod.
6	Then get two more rods and cut them a little taller. These will be poking about 2 inches out of the top/center of the cake to support the head.
7	Now onto the head... Take your two half-round cakes, and trim the flatter sides until they are both flat and even (they should fit flush together to form a ball), Once happy with them, you can go head and add your simple syrup to these cakes (this is optional). Then layer a generous amount of buttercream frosting and then stick the two half's together, now place your head in to your body. Carefully place the head onto the rods that are sticking out of the neck.
8	Using some of your cake off-cuts, knead in a little buttercream frosting (about 2-3 tablespoons) and model the teddybear's ears (the template below is to help as just a guide, but feel free to get creative).
9	Now coat the entire cake thinly with buttercream frosting (you don't need to be too neat). Pop in the fridge.
10	Place your teddy's body onto a nice clean cake board (tip: add a dab of buttercream frosting to the center of the board before adding the cake to help it stick).

​How to assemble the legs and arms

1	Break up your fifth 6-inch cake into a large bowl. You may also add your off-cuts form earlier, if needed. Mix together with 3-4 tbs of buttercream frosting (this will allow you to model your legs, feet and arms by hand). Now form your legs, feet and arms. Take you time. The best part is if you make a mistake your can keep having a go until your happy. Feel free to use my template for a helpful guide (at the bottom of this page).
2	Using the heart-cake you cut out earlier, place in-between your teddy bear's hands, to make it look like she's holding it, a dab of butter cream frosting will help it to stick.
3	Once happy, coat your teddy bear's limbs thinly with some buttercream frosting, then pop into the fridge.
4	Now - using a piping rose tip - you want to pipe all over, covering the entire teddybear with rose petals.

Storage

She may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.

Tips, Tricks & Tiaras

• Allow two days to make this cake. On day one, bake, prep & plan. On day two, carve, construct & frost.
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• For  the ball pans, I used cookie cutters for support when baking.
  
  
• YOU WANT THE CAKES FOR THE BODY TO BE DENSER THANK TYPICAL CAKES. I tried to cut the three cakes in half for more layers/frosting. It didn't end well (however it may have been multiple factors: e.g. too much alcohol syrup, not in the fridge long enough to firm). Cake mishaps happen. We all learn and grow from them.​

Downloadable Template

To make things a little easier for you, here is a printable template that you can use to help you cut your cate into the right shapes.

Teddy Bear Cake Template PDF
File Size:	2176 kb
File Type:	pdf

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