Buttercream

These cupcakes were for a bridal shower. They are hummingbird cake and cream cheese filling.

The bride requested spring colors and flowers. The top of each cupcake (75 in all) featured a piped buttercream flower, rose, daisy or daffodil. The shower was held at a golf course (guess what the men were doing :) The room had a wall of windows and the cupcakes were displayed on a tall tower in front of the window which over looked the course.

Moth Orchid

The moth orchid begins with a very small ball of gumpaste attached to a 32 gauge wire which is cured for 24 hours.

Then using the cutter in the photo, cut one throat of the orchid. I then thin out the ears, split the tongue and curl the tails. The dried center is inserted and the whole piece is then placed in the white styrofoam tube pictured and let it dry overnight.

When dry, I dust the throat with yellow petal dust and add the stamen (which is a small ball of gumpaste that is indented. While these are still most, I paint all the features of the throat. Allow this to set while cutting two large round petals.

Thin and vein the petals with a ball tool. Insert a 32 gauge wire and wrap to the throat with floral tape. I let the flower dry at this stage overnight so as to not cause damage while adding the last three petals.


The final step the this flower is cutting the three petal back, again thinning and veining as with the previous two large petals. Add some gum-glue and attach to the finished center, making sure the petals are set in the PEACE symbol so that they fall between the finished center petals.

Gardenia

Like roses, the gardenia starts out with the same bud. A small piece of gumpaste pinched on one side and wrapped around itself. A 32 gauge wire is inserted for the stem and this bud will cure for 48 hours before adding the petals.

Three petals are wrapped around the bud then five petals are added to the base. I then place the flower on an open air rack, the five petals will fall open. I generally dry the flower 3 days before adding the calyx and wrapping the wire in floral tape.

Vintage Cake Plate

Weddings are unique to each couple. I met with this bride's mother on several occasion as the bride lived out of state.

It was very important that the cake be presented on a Great-Grandmother's cake plate. The overall design was petit as the bride wanted the cake to be clean and simple.

She chose buttercream with a swiss dot pattern and fondant ribbon at the base of each cake. The cake featured, 9" dark chocolate cake with coconut mounds filling, the 7" layer was devils food chocolate with Bailey Irish Cream filling and the 4" top tier was carrot without filling. Six gumpaste petit Calla Lilies were used to accent the design. It served 75 guest.

Petit Sweets

These are chocolate cake pops dipped in lavender ganache and piped with royal frosting with an edible pearl.

Strawberry cookies are a flavored cookie dough. Each half is scooped out while still warm. They are then filled with a strawberry buttercream and a almond. Two halfs are then pressed together. The cookie is then sprayed with Strawberry extract and water to wet the cookie, then rolled in sugar. A plastic leaf is added for final presentation.

The strawberry cookies added to the overall package which was being giving as a sweet treat gift.