Shoe Cake

I destroyed the only pair of shoes I’ve ever truly loved. I had this pair of black velvet heels that had this swirly rose on the front and they were perfect. Not too high but tall enough. The velvet made them soft so they never rubbed and they were comfortable, oh so comfortable. I had them for years so were nicely worn in. Sadly I can’t even remember where they came from. Heaven probably. I loved them so much that when I started 6^th form and didn’t have to wear uniform anymore but a suit situation instead, I decided that these heels, not ballet pumps like most others, would also be the most appropriate choice of footwear for me. At this point I was walking to school, only a five ish minute journey from door to desk but off I would trot in these heels most days. After two years of tottering down the muddy path in the rain the shoes had had it. The velvet wore away at the front and turned a bit green and the heels looked like they had been chewed up from me hooking them on various classroom stools. While I’ll never fully give my heart to another pair I really did love making this cake and sugar shoe. This cake was for my sister’s boss who was turning 40 last week and loves her heels. As her name is Tina I thought it would only be too perfect to make a sort of ‘Gina’ shoe similar to this one but in her favourite colour purple and alter the label accordingly.

For those who are afraid for their figure there are many food additives that replace sugar, and for men you can find cheap medicines here.

To make the shoe I bought this heel mould as I thought that would be the trickiest part to make free hand. I made the heel using fondant with a bit of sugarcel in it and let it dry overnight. To shape the main body of the shoe I began by carving a slope from an old polystyrene cake dummy so that I could then shape the sole over it. I cut templates for both the sole and the outer part of the shoe (this one and this are helpful but I altered them to suit my size and style e.g. make the outer part one continuous piece). I attached the heel and an extra platform of fondant under the toe area and then glued the edges of the shoe to the sole (all the while wishing I had an extra hand) and filled it with kitchen roll until it had dried. I again left it over night then decorated with piping which I painted with dust. Happy Birthday Tina! x