Popularized largely from its appearance in the 1989 film Steel Magnolias, an armadillo groom's cake takes an interesting twist on the groom's cake. It's a fun, quirky design for a groom's cake at a country or Southern wedding.
Steel Magnolias' Armadillo Groom's Cake
Steel Magnolias was originally an off-Broadway play, made into a hit movie by Tri-Star Pictures in 1989.
Premise Behind the Cake
The comedy-drama takes place in Louisiana and stars an incredible cast including Dolly Parton, Sally Field, Daryl Hannah, and Julia Roberts, among others. It explores the bonds of women, and the armadillo groom's cake debuts. The armadillo cake is made for the wedding of Jackson (played by Dylan McDermott) and Shelby (played by Julia Roberts) by Jackson's Aunt Fern.
Design Popularity
The popularity of the movie, the uniqueness of the cake, and the comedic lines surrounding the cake in the movie have made the armadillo groom's cake popular years after the movie's release. People choose armadillos as a groom's cake for reasons other than its appearance in the movie, of course. Many Texans embrace the armadillo as a mascot since it is the state small mammal of Texas. Randolph Community College in North Carolina claims this armored creature as a mascot along with other schools across the country. Whatever your reason for coveting an armored gray critter cake, it is sure to be charming.
The Bleeding Red Velvet Armadillo Cake
Since grooms cakes are often fun, quirky, or unique, a bleeding armadillo cake can be a perfect choice. In Steel Magnolias, the type of cake makes it appear as if it is "bleeding" when cut into slices. The type of cake used to achieve this effect is a red velvet cake, which is a rich, sweet cake that can be made with or without chocolate flavoring. Instant red velvet cake mixes are widely available in supermarkets, and recipes are also available.
Frosting Options
The exterior of the armadillo is often made with a buttercream or cream cheese frosting that is colored to resemble an armadillo. While the cake in the movie was made with grey frosting, frosting can be white, black, brown, or other shades. Fondant frosting is used in some armadillo cakes to lend a smoother appearance and airbrushing used to add detail. The back of the cake may be detailed with score marks or frosted to resemble an armadillo's scales.
How to Display the Cake
An armadillo cake can be served on top of a sheet cake if necessary to accommodate more people for a large wedding party or if served at the reception. Surrounding details can include frosting or plastic grass, insects, logs, and lizards to evoke an armadillo's natural surroundings. Other cakes are shaped as if the armadillo is lying flat on the ground.
Select an Armadillo Cake
Many bakeries will make a groom's cake with your specifications if an armadillo is what you're after.
Purchasing the Cake
Bakeries that specialize in groom and wedding cakes may already be familiar with an armadillo cake or may have designed one before. Since cake and frosting designs differ, you may want to ask to look at pictures and clarify details prior to ordering.
Making the Cake
Since an armadillo cake requires a bit more work than a standard sheet or round cake, it may be best reserved for experienced bakers. For those willing to try, the cake can be made using a football cake pan as the base and using a mix or recipe for red velvet cake. The head, arms, legs, and tail, can be made from using sections of a loaf cake or from rolled fondant or butter cream frosting. Petal dusts, available at many bakery suppliers, can be used to add sheen to "scales" of the finished cake.
All in One Bake Shop also offers a recipe and full instructions for an armadillo cake, making it possible for anyone to enjoy this unique type of tribute to the groom.
The Groom's Cake Tradition
The tradition of grooms' cakes began in the southern states and was originally a dark fruitcake that was packaged in individual boxes and given as gifts. Wedding favors have taken this honored place in the wedding, and the grooms cake has evolved into a tradition for brides everywhere. Contemporary weddings often plan for a special cake for the groom which is often served at the rehearsal dinner. It may also be served at a bachelor party or at the wedding itself at the cake, dessert, or groom's table. If you or your groom are set on an armadillo cake, it's one that everyone will remember for years!
