Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A

Hi
My granddaughter has requested a Florence Nightingale cake as she’s currently doing this topic at school.
I had thought of trying to get a child friendly image to then have made into an edible transfer but am not having much luck.
Any help would be really great thanks.

xx

Hi bellscakes

How about the children’s section in the library for some inspiration? A good child friendly author is Emma Fischel who actually has an illustrated book on Florence Nightingale. Her books are recommended for use in schools. I’m sure you’d be able to find others. Not really sure what sort of images you are looking for. Thinking out of the box, you could use images as a collage of places linking to her eg, City of Florence, the Crimea and or course St Thomas’ hospital London. Just a few ideas since you were thinking of making edible images. x

Hi madeitwithlove

Many thanks for your answer and great ideas. I should have mentioned that my granddaughter is only almost 6 so I am looking for images that will be age appropriate. I like the Emma Fischel book may order that, but doubt I’d be able to copy an image from there to be made into an edible transfer but perhaps so. I am thinking of making a Florence Nightingale figure based on Pauls Merida figure and possibly some other props like a lamp and nurse’s cap for Florence. Any idea how to go about this please and or any further further suggestions would be well received thanks very much xx

Had another thought ….. how about making a Florence doll cake? She could be dressed up in her nurses’s uniform and cap holding her famous lamp. If you google ‘Florence Nightingale images with lamp’ there are lots of suitable clear images to use as guides and also you’ll see templates for her lamp.
This might be useful too:
http://www.sparklebox.co.uk/topic/past/florence-nightingale.html#.Vi9r_2uOZ3d

Paul’s fairy Barbie cake tutorial is a perfect guide:
http://www.cakeflix.com/online-cake-decorating-courses/the-fairy-barbie-cake

Hope it helps. I expect you’ve already done your grand daughter’s cake??

HI madeitwithlove

Sorry not to be back in touch before now but been away for a few days. However thanks very much for your answers. I haven’t made the cake yet as I usually like to start researching in plenty of time. I have another three weeks yet. The nurse cake sounds like a good idea so I will take a look at that. Thanks I did try to look at the link you sent to sparkle box but there was a message saying there was a problem with the page. I am not sure how to go about making a lamp so if you have any suggestions It would be great to hear them. Thanks very much again. xx

Hi bellscakes

I’ve just checked the link and it works. Sometimes if the highlight goes slightly over it shows as a not working link. Try it again because there is template there for the lamp which you can download and use to make a small gumpaste lamp. It doesn’t have to be big, just enough to hang on the doll’s fingers, more of an impression rather than something realistic. Her actual lamp was cylinderical, it was made of paper. To keep it really simple, what you could do is make a small cylinder shape from a little gumpaste and just paint a little candle flame on it. Make the tiny handle with floral wire covered with sugarpaste and stick it into the ‘lamp’ then drape it over the doll’s fingers. It’s just an idea.

you could also google precious moments nurse cartoon image or clip art and they have a really cute one holding a needle with a teddy bear patient that could give you a cute idea for either a cake topper or a buttercream transfer for a little girls class depending on what you wanted to do for them.

Hi again madeitwithlove
Thanks very much I will try the link again. It sounds good especially having the template for the lamp and I really like your idea of adding the handle to the lamp. I did wonder how I’d get round that problem if I were to make a lamp.

Thank too to Morgana for her suggestions which also sound very good. I will take a look at that link too. xx