A baker has created an extraordinary reconstruction of King Richard III’s remains – as a rib-sticking chocolate CAKE.
German artist Annabel De Vetten, 42, sculpted the eerily realistic 3ft-wide dessert from a single slab of chocolate sponge.
Annabel, who runs the ghoulish Conjurer’s Kitchen bakers, spent 30 hours crafting her creation before topping it off with a chocolate skeleton filled with peanut sauce.
After studying pictures of the car park in Leicester where the former King was unearthed in August 2012, Annabel carved an exact replica of his skeleton.
Each bone was designed to be a replica of the last Plantagenet King’s remains, with extra care taken to mimic his famously curved spine – believed to have been caused by the coffin being too small for his frame.
It was made to celebrate the upcoming reburial of the monarch who will be laid to rest at Leicester Cathedral on March 22.
Yesterday (Mon) Annabel, who lives aptly in Kings Heath, Birmingham, said: “It takes a long time to make each of these cakes.
“You have to bake the cake and then carve out the burial site before beginning on the bones.
“Obviously the cake take a while to bake so you have to wait for that.
“It’s tricky because you know you need to be quicker as cake needs to be eaten at some point and they don’t last forever.
“The bones are then made from peanut butter flavoured modelling chocolate.
“In all it took three days to make, working for about 10 hours a day. It’s not like normal office hours though, there are times when you have to wait for things like the baking.
“I decided on the image of his original resting place since he is going to be reinterred soon.
“I started making cakes like this four years ago after I made my own wedding cake, I’ve always been into alternate art, I studied taxidermy at university.
“It’s not the most challenging cake I’ve made, but I love making this kind of thing, it’s not for everybody I imagine, but it’s just what I really enjoy doing.
“Next month I have to make some scenes from the film Pulp Fiction that will go to a cinema and be presented at various stages through the showing of the film.
“It’s what I like. I like horror films. I struggle making ordinary cakes, to be honest.
“My background is as an artist, it wasn’t as a baker, I never really baked a cake until my wedding five years ago.
“I don’t use any tricks or special equipment. The only trick is thinking about it, then doing it.
“They are there to be eaten. It’s fun to cut them and eat them.”
Emma Lay, marketing manager of the Richard III Visitor Centre, said: “The creation of a Richard III cake is a timely gesture, with the reinterment only weeks away.
“The cake will be on display for a short while at the Visitor Centre and then will be donated to Leicester Cathedral.”
