Story book baby shower

Story books have been a poplar theme for baby shower cakes the past few months.

After several discussions the book chosen for this shower "Where the Wild Things Are"  a classic children's book written by Maurice Sendak, where Max, a disobedient little boy is sent to bed without his supper.  He creates his own world in a forest inhabited by ferocious wild creatures that crown Max their ruler. 

The client was holding the shower at a private boat club and wanted to incorporate a boat so I used the wild things image as the boat in this piece.

First I created the "wild thing" in Mexican paste.  I then rolled out the book cover and the page and let each dry for 48 hours.

I then airbrushed the top page a mixture of blue shades with an overlay of black for a nite-sky.  While this was drying I cut the planks for the boat and assembled then on the side of a strainer to give me a bough shape.  The stars and moon were very thin fondant and the strings holding them in the sky were painted on by hand.  

The heroin and waves were added last and again I airbrushed an overall light black for depth

The cake was Almond and Raspberry Compote baked in the large book pan.  The story was created in Mexican Paste so that it would be stronger than fondant but not as strong as gumpaste.  The pages on the side of the book are fondant as well as the book mark and the book cover under the cake.  I made the top so that the new mom could keep it if she wished.

Jean's retirement

This lovely lady  has recently retired.

The cake was two tiers of the petal shaped pans.  The 15" layer was Almond with Raspberry Compote and the 8" layer was Chocolate with Raspberry Compote.

The peony is pale pink with darker pink ribbons (all made out of gumpaste. )  The banner is fondant and I used dried sugarveil to texturize the edges.  Sugarveil was used to create the lace on the sides of each tier.  A simple shell border finished off the top and bottom edges.

Enjoy the sweet life Jean!!!

Bridal Shower #1

This brides mother has scheduled two bridal showers with the first being held for all the bridesmaids and friends.    

I used two heart shaped cakes.   One having the point cut off and placed at the point of the full heart.  I then cut off the top of the same cake to create the legs.  The "cut off legs" where then add to the top of the full heart to create the bust.  

The cake is Almond with Raspberry Compote.   A sage-green buttercream covered the cake with a poppy red color used as the trim.  The poppy flowers were made of gumpaste

The Best of Friends

A lovely women who has ordered a number of cakes from me made an appointment several months back to discuss a cake.

She told me of 4 other girlfriends from high school who take an annual trip together and that this year their 45 high school reunion was being celebrated and it was  her  turn to host the group and their husbands.  

She was very excited to have the ladies and remise about their trips.  So we decided to make a cake of suitcases.

As she wanted dessert for two days, we decided to make two suitcases stacked so that she could serve one and still have a nice designed cake for the next day.  

I asked for a list of places the ladies had visited on their trips and found each location chamber of commerce logo to create language tags.  I also made a mexican hat and hot-air ballon and the five ladies.  I added flowers from each of the locations to finish off the design.

Baby shower Nursery rhymes

This baby shower cake is baked in the large book pan.  

I scanned two nursery rhymes I found off the web for the pages and printed them on photo-frost paper.  The book binding is brown fondant and I used a decorators comb to create pages on the sides of the cake.  

Owen's 2nd Birthday

This is a 13x9x2 White and Chocolate cake with Raspberry Compote.  The overall design is a representation of the child's party paper plates.

First I frosted the cake in buttercream and then airbrushed the stripes which were from the edge of the plate.  

I baked sugar cookies in the shapes of the truck and then painted the trucks on rice paper to attach to the fresh frosted cookies.  

Each truck has cookie crumbs and chocolate candy rocks to create a work area.

The car carrier is on a stripe of black fondant with yellow stripes to represent a passing roadway to the worksite.

Bulldozer

Dump truck

Overall work location

Couch Potato

While attending an open house for a graduation, a women inquired about a birthday cake for her father who was celebrating his 80 birthday the following week.  I said sure, tell me a little about him, what type of work did he do?   What hobbies does he have...ect.  She started to giggle and said "He is a couch potato"  

Well that was all I needed to hear!  She ordered a Carrot cake with cream cheese filling.    

I baked a 13x9x2 Carrot pound cake and carved two chairs (one I put together and will use for another time, as a display cake)

The chair was covered in blue fondant.  The Potato dad was made of rice crispy and covered in brown fondant.  I set the chair and potato atop a 10" round cake, standard Carrot cake/cream cheese filling.  The shag rug was done using the grass tip.  The TV was fondant covered rice treats.  The lamp was a spaghetti stick painted and the shade was rice paper which I ran through a crimper.  The Bud cans are candles.

Notice the remote in his right hand.  HAHAHA  (that  is where the remote is in my house too!) 

I love all the little eye marks in the potato :)

I saw the women a week or so after the surprise party and she said her dad would not let anyone cut the cake until the guest started to leave at the end of the evening.

LauMo

Our local school district is changing its schools around as well as a whole new name for the senior high and a new mascot.  Therefore, this is the last time the students will be known as the Lions, making this graduation cake is very special.  

This young lady is leaving the Lions and heading on to the Penn State Nittany Lions main campus.

First I baked two full size soccer ball halfs in Lemon poundcake.  I then airbrushed my outline to give me a reference point for carving the heads

Lions head.

Nittany Lion head

This is the Lions head covered in its base of fondant.

Here I have added the individual strands creating the mane.

Nittany Lion airbrushed.

Lion  airbrushed.  This took several layers of color to get the definition.

The high school colors are orange and black.  Inside the cake was a dark chocolate made with German Black Cocoa and it had an Orange cream filling, keep with her theme.

The Nittany Lion colors are steel blue and white.  Inside the cake was a white cake with blue food coloring and it had a White Chocolate Mousse filling.

On a personal note: My husband,  37 years ago and our sons, 15 years ago, graduated from this high school.  It will seem strange to have a new name and mascot come this September, but as we all know, time marches on.       Welcome the new CASH Eagles!  

Margaret

Her husband is an avid hunter and celebrating his 50 Birthday.

The hunter and deer were molded of fondant a few days in advance of the final decorating.

The  base cake is a 12" Chocolate/Fudge and the hill is White/Strawberry cream.  The little sign is made of gumpaste and says "Happy Birthday Deer"  The base cake has trees and fall leave as well as water hole (piping gel) and candy rocks.  My apologies for not having a picture straight on so that you can see more of the detail from the front.

Dad and Hubby's birthday

I am often asked if I do "just everyday birthday cakes"  I do!  I guess I have not posted many traditional birthday cakes as they are pretty straight forward for a decorator. However, they are the everyday "bread and butter"of a bakers bottom line. So here's to the everyday Birthday cake!!!

Daisies for Ashley

The center cake is 14" Chocolate/chocolate mousse, 10" White/hazelnut mousse and 6" gluten free white.

The four satellites were 3-7" Lemon/lemon mousse and 1-7" White/hazelnut mousse.

This wedding cake was very unique in that the couple had gone through two other full wedding cermony to join two families and two cultures.  

The first ceremony was done in the military and no family was present.  

The second ceremony represented the Chinese culture with the tea  ceremony included. This was held in NYC with her family meeting his for the first time.  

The third is where this cake comes into play, it was held in Pennsylvania (were she grew up) at a boating club with her friends now getting to meet his family.  

Graduation

Cupcakes are perfect for an event such as graduation.  They allow the guest to serve themselves while the grad gets to mingle.

This celebration consisted of 220 cupcake (3 doz.) of each flavor: Almond/Raspberry Compote, Carrot/Cream Cheese, Chocolate/Fudge, Banana/Banana Custard, White/Strawberry Compote and finally German Chocolate/Coconut Pecan

Baby "Hood"

Celebrating the birth of a first chid is very special.  As the parents did not wish to know the gender of the child, they are doing their nursery in solid colors and wooden blocks. The aunt of the child ordered the cake and we decided to do an overall nursery theme with the blocks included.

First I cut 6 squares of gumpaste and using royal frosting glued them together to create the blocks. They were trimmed out in bold colors with an alphabet letter in the center of each square.  

I first covered the cake board with brown fondant and paneled a floor pattern with a small green area rug.  The base is styrofoam which I covered with sugarveil lace, (this is a fairly new product to the market and so much fun to use, it allows the decorator to create detailed edible fabric)

The final picture is of the finished basinet itself with a royal frosting hood and gumpaste baby.  The cake was Lemon with fresh raspberry compote and the lid was made of royal frosting.  The little bear is fondant as well.

This angle shows the baby inside.  

This child is coming into a very warm, large, and close-nit family.  Only myself and one other outside friend were invited to this families celebration,  I felt very honored to be part of such a celebration.  Welcome baby Hood!