CHAPTER TENis always smeared over the surface of the cake. You might
think that you could use a wire cake separator, but the
vertical wires will leave marks in the frosting, fi lling, and
on the cake surface. So, the hero slice needs to be built
from scratch.
First, determine the size of the hero slice using a paper
pattern. Th en, make a template of the shape out of card-
board. Trim away 1/4 inch from all sides of the template.
Cut a triangular-shaped opening in the interior of the slice
template to provide an opening for skewers to be inserted.
Th e skewers will hold the slice assembly together. Use the
cardboard template as a pattern to make the total number
of templates needed. Again, depending on the cardboard
you are using, it may take two layers of cardboard to
achieve the desired thickness to mimic the fi lling. If you
use more than one template between the cake layers, tape
the cardboard together. Make enough template units to
go between all layers of your cake slice.
Now it’s time to cut the cake. If your shot includes both
a cut cake showing a section removed and a slice of cake,
I would recommend working with the larger cake fi rst
since doing so will give you some knowledge as to the
texture of the cake. Th is knowledge will help as you work
with the slice because it will be more fragile than the
larger cake.
Building the Cake
Working with one of the cake layers, place the original
paper template on top of the cake so that it is centered
on the cake. Remember the paper template will indicate
the size of the opening in the cake and the cardboard
templates will be 1/2 inch smaller all around. Use a
knife with a sharp serrated edge to cut the cake. Align
the knife blade with the opening of the paper template.