My birthday is in January, and as a child growing up in Liberty, NY, I remember how it was always too cold and snowy for me to have a party.

On the plus side, the ice, snow and freezing wind made me think of polar bears.

I love bears in general, but polar bears are something special. They’re so different from any other animal. To begin with, they’re the largest bears, weighing in anywhere between 900 to 1,500 pounds, edging out the Kodiak brown bear. They’re also very playful, which is great to watch from a distance… but they’re not something you want to meet accidentally in the wild.

Bears are also symbols of strength and healing. According to writer Elena Harris, “The primary meaning of the bear spirit animal is strength and confidence[,] standing against adversity[,] taking action and leadership. The spirit of the bear indicates it’s time for healing or using healing abilities to help [ourselves] or others. The bear medicine emphasizes the importance of solitude, quiet time [and] rest. The spirit of the bear provides strong grounding forces” (www.spiritanimal.info).

That’s why I chose this modeling chocolate polar bear as the project for this month. It’s easy to sculpt, and is almost as entertaining as the real thing in its own way. Feel free to be playful like the bear and experiment with different colors, scarves and/or designs!

And sipping some hot chocolate while you sculpt on a cold winter’s day is definitely recommended.

Polar Bear Cake Topper

Sculpt a playful polar bear cake topper from modeling chocolate with a clear isomalt ice block base, perfect for winter-themed cakes.

Intermediate
A white fondant polar bear cake topper with black eyes and paw pads on an ice-themed base

Supply List

White & Black modeling chocolateClear IsomaltMicrowaveSmall Silicone CupTeflon MatCake ToolsSmall Ball ToolSmall PaintbrushEdible dusting powder

Instructions

  • Shape the 3-inch ball into a cone. Use cake tool to add texture for fur.
    Shaping white modeling chocolate into a cone for the body.
  • Shape the 1-inch balls into the bear’s legs.
    Shaped pieces of white modeling chocolate for legs.
  • Use clay tool to attach and add texture for fur.
    Attaching legs and adding fur texture with a cake tool.
  • Shape the 1-inch balls into the bear’s arms. Use cake tool to attach and add texture for fur.
    Shaping and attaching an arm to the polar bear body.
  • Use cake tool to add toes.
    Adding toes to the polar bear foot with a cake tool.
  • Using the 2-inch ball, shape the bear’s head. With the ball tool, put in holes for the eyes.
    Creating eye sockets in the bear head with a ball tool.
  • Shape the 3⁄4-inch ball for the bear’s snout; attach the head to the body. Use the cake tool to add texture for fur.
    Shaping the bear snout with a cake tool on the head.
  • Add the head to the body. Using the cake tool, shape 1⁄4-inch balls into the bear’s ears. Using the cake tool, add texture for fur. Attach to the bear’s head.
    Attaching ears to the polar bear head with fur texture.
  • Using the black modeling chocolate, add eyes and nose, then fill inside of the mouth.
    Adding black eyes, nose, and mouth to the bear face.
  • Using the black modeling chocolate, add claws to the bear paws. Add finishing touches. Dust using black and white edible powder colors.
    Dusting the polar bear with black and white edible powder.
  • Pour Isomalt ice block for the polar bear to sit on.
    Pouring clear isomalt to form an ice block base.

Notes

Sipping hot chocolate while you sculpt on a cold winter's day is recommended
Feel free to be playful like the bear and experiment with different colors, scarves, and designs

Products Used

Satin Ice : Modeling chocolate
Simi Cakes : Isomalt
The Sugar Art : Edible dusting powder (black and white)

Related Posts

A white candle cake centerpiece decorated to look like a large candle

Make this candle cake centerpiece

Something happened while I snuck up on people as part of Burn Brae Mansion’s Dark Forest Fright Walk in Glen Spey, NY this past October… The holiday season snuck up on me! …

Kim Simons standing beside a life-sized deer cake sculpture in an autumnal scene.

How and why I made a life-sized deer cake

“Would you be interested in making a life-sized mounted deer cake for my hunting camp’s one-hundredth anniversary?” I’ve had many an offbeat conversation with my friend …