Wonderful Billywig Cake

This Wonderful Billywig Cake was made by Jeanazar Daltocival – Laura Burton from Dalton Cupcakes.   

This Wonderful Billywig Cake was made for the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Collaboration.  

The collaboration of food artists from around the world, known as Birthday Mischief Managed have assembled to debut their second installment of edible art in celebration of world-renowned author, J.K. Rowling’s screenwriting debut and newest movie trilogy – “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”. 

“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”, is an A to Z “textbook” of magical creatures that have been featured in the Potter film series and publishing’s of J.K. Rowling. For this collaborative effort some of the beasts were removed from the list inside the textbook and each artist was asked to create the remaining using only their imaginations and the book’s descriptions with sweet edible mediums.  Each artist has dressed for the occasion and transformed themselves into “Magizoologist”. Be sure to visit their pages and read the documents kept about their beast.   

Our biggest challenge was resisting the urge to research, (cheat) pictures of our assigned beasts. The group has made sweet magic. My only regret is not having a pet Kneazle.” – Michelle “ChefMitchie” Curran aka Michaeleas Cuuragusta, Headmistress 

Here is Laura’s description of this Fabulous Edible Beast:

Name: The creatures weren’t named, unless you can include some choice expletives that were used while dealing with them. (Son of a Banshee, Unicorn Turds, Floppy-Wanded Dementor Boggerer and Goblin Crotch, among the choice words). 

Notable Behaviours: The creatures appear to become extremely aggressive when attempting to collect samples of their eggs, and will unite to sting as a unit, resulting in numerous stings (and leaving the person stung to levitate for a number of days). Groups of the creatures have also been known to co-ordinate themselves when trying to disorientate a person (this is generally done when the group may feel threatened, or by groups of adolescent Billywigs). The Billywigs will strategically hover at differing heights and rotate at top speeds, creating an optical effect that can befuddle even the most attentive witch or wizard. 

Feeding Notes: Unfortunately the Billywigs were dispatched shortly after being captured, so didn’t require any feeding. (But I have heard that they do enjoy a snack on a Bowtruckle every now and then, and they seemed to be attracted to Flobberworm mucus). 

Injuries sustained by caretaker and aide taken: When handling the subdued creates, a slip of the finger caused me to be accidentally stuck by a Billywig sting, causing me to slowly levitate towards the ceiling (as wells as dropping my wand, setting some parchment and my favourite quill on fire and knocking over some potion ingredients). After some more choice words, and hanging around the ceiling for a few hours, the effects wore off and I was able to return to the ground (and this time, remembered to wear some dragon-hide gloves before handling the creatures again). 

Injuries sustained by study/beast and aide taken: The supply of Billywigs were dipped into a Draught of Living Death, before being dispatched for use in numerous potions. (Some of the females did have their eggs extracted prior to being dispatched, for use as another potion ingredient). (Wings were removed, eggs were extracted, stings were detached and dried, and larger sized bodies were squeezed to extract slime). 

Has study been released if you took it captive? If yes, where? After being dipped into the Draught of Living Dead, some of the under-sized Billywigs were dipped in a Wiggenweld Potion before being released back to where they were found (along a stream at the bottom of our garden). 

Any other notes you took during your study: After experimenting with numerous types of bait to capture some Billywigs (Bubotuber Pus, Silverweed, Pond Slime and even some Fairy Wings), after accidentally spilling some Flobberworm Mucus a swarm of Billywigs started to appear (well, not appear, so much as a large patch of haze started). After a quick freezing charm and a net, I was able to collect a decent supply of Billywigs (including some females that were close to laying their eggs). *Dried Billywig stings are more valuable when sold to sweets makers rather than selling to potion makers* *There appeared to be a young man sneaking around the area the past week. I did happen to see him floating among the branches above a known Billywig nest*