Precious moments

This was a precious moment for my family. The older of my twin sons, married a lovely young women 11 years this August.  I ran across this picture today and decided I would post it.

The entire cake was made-up of several individual cakes displayed on a five stand acrylic cake riser . Four tiers were octagon shaped and the top tier was a heart. 

The entire cake was covered in pale green fondant with white lids to represent a hat box style.  At the top of each tier I had made a wreath of gumpaste roses in pale muted colors.  The side walls were pipped with royal frosting filagree with very tiny five petal gumpaste flowers.

I am so very proud of the couple they are...Strong and happy...they have blessed our family with three lovely grandchildren.

Golf Husband

My husband is an avid golfer.

 He has enjoyed the game since the age of 12.  

The turf and golf bag are fondant.  I used a travel size bottle of aspirin to make the shape of the bag.  The clubs are made of painted uncooked spaghetti and fondant heads.

His favorite cake is Chocolate peanut butter with peanut butter mousse.  This cake is frosted in buttercream and features a reverse shell border.  The message is pipping gel and a no. 2 round tip.

Stenciling

Artist find inspiration in everyday items, ie a tissue box!!!

Once the tissue box was empty, I cut it apart and saved one of the long sides.  I cut a stencil of the flowers and leaves, by tracing the tissue box onto stencil plastic.  I then rolled out a small piece of gumpaste, very thin; and applied stenciled pattern to the paste.  As with other stenciling projects, you start at the outer edge with your color and pull it toward the center.  I then cut away the excess gumpaste, removed the stencil and left the piece to dry. 

I then covered my cake board with fondant and using the flower stencils, put a random pattern on the fondant to add an additional dimension to the finished cake.

Next, cover your overall dummy or fresh cake with fondant.   I then rolled out fondant and using a Designer  Stencil.com,  stencil of stripes.  I applied the color of the flowers to the strips and cut the pieces to fit the circumference of each tier.

I wrapped a very thin stain ribbon around each tier and using royal frosting applied the flowers and leaves.  I finished the design with a loose stain bow and long tail ribbon.

Satin Ribbon

Spring wedding are so pretty.   

After a long winter in the Northeast, it is so wonderful to have a cake that features spring flowers and colors.

This cake was for 125 guest.  I used two Lady Mary cake board to create a double ring of ruffle for the cake to sit on.   The 14" cake was Banana with Banana Custard, the 10"was  Pina Colada Cake with Pineapple, and  6" was Marble cake with Fudge filling.

The exterior is bright white fondant with a satin ribbon at the base of each tier.  To carry the theme of satin, the fondant was steamed after application, giving it a subtle shine.   The flowers are pink roses, blue and green hydrangea all made of gumpaste.  

The flowers were done in a wreath fashion so that the bride could give them to her mother and new mother-in-law as a keepsake.  The bouquet at the top was keep by the bride.

Congratulations to the couple, and Happy Spring!!!

Hexagon Relief

This cake was done for a bridal show using dummy cake layers.

It features hexagon shape and relief designs, all done in fondant.  A simply roll of fondant adorned the base of each tier.   Small strips of fondant were used to create the flowers, some where left flat, some where ruffled.  The leaves where cut from a small Wilton gumpaste cutter.

Using a No.2 round tip for the dot trim added yet another dimension. 

I will be the first to admit that I am not great with a camera and this picture is proof.  I wanted to capture the detail by getting as close as possible and when I saw the print copy I realized the camera was slightly crooked :( 

Spring Flowers

Vintage designs form the 70's are making a comeback this year.

A floral array of flowers were created out of gumpaste, for this cake.  Orchids, Calla Lilly's, Hibiscus, Roses, Lily of the Valley and Ivy.

The three tiers will serve 150 guest and are separated with Wilton separator plates and legs.  I will say , I personally,  am not a fan of these older separators.  They where the reason many cakes would collapse.  The newer leg go through the cake right to the board the cake is sitting on.  This give the leg much more support.  I will admit I hot glued the plates and legs together to make sure they would not give way if the table where to get bumped.

The sun was very bright and the cake was next to a window.  I closed the blinds to get this picture and apologize that it is not clear, I was trying to get a close up of the flowers.

Basic Techniques

Buttercream Transfer was one of the first techniques I learned at age 12.  Using a coloring book page, I cover the print with a piece of wax paper and tape it all to a piece of card-broad.  

Start by outlining the drawing in buttercream, (I prefer to always outline in black).  Then working carefully, fill in the colors of your choice.  For the face you must fill in the eyes, nose and mouth before added the skin color.  If you want to added dimension to the long hair you must add the highlights before filling in the main color. If you need to add a number to the jersey, you must also add it before the main color.

It is important to remember that the drawing will be in reverse when it is applied to the cake.   If your drawing is how you want the final outcome to look as you are looking at it, you must turn over your original picture.   Using a pencil, outline the character as well as any details the will help you to know how to fill in the picture.    Apply the wax paper to the pencil drawing and follow as above.

Once you have filled in all the areas, place the entire drawing with the wax paper and card board in the freezer.  This type of art can be done up to a week in advance of the finished cake.

Here I have a 13" x 9" cake covered in buttercream.  

First I airbrushed the background, green for the grass and clouds in the sky. At this point I chill the cake for an hour or so.  At the end of the hour,  I remove the buttercream transfer from the freezer, carefully remove the tape and lift the wax paper placing the buttercream drawing to the buttercream on the cake.  Your wax paper should now be on top facing you.  Again chill the cake for an hour and then you can remove the wax paper,  add your message and trim the borders of the cake.

Iroquois Wedding Show

Bridal Shows are a very good source of advertising.   

A local private boating club was the venue host for a fall themed show.  I was the only cake supplier so I was given free range for my display.  

The gumpaste flowers I made were the Tiger Lilly, Wheat, Lotus pods, Cattails, mini Carnations, Pine cones, Variegated Ivy as well as a variety of gumpaste fall leaves.

I made two 10" cakes, two 9", two 8" and one 7", serving 160 guest.

  This show was very special in that the brides, mothers, and attendants were provided a five course meal by the venue chef, while models walked around the tables wearing all forms of wedding and honeymoon attire.  The faux bride and groom then cut the cake and it was served as it would be during the reception. 

This cake display stand I purchase about 15 years ago at an ICES convention.  I love the victorian style and when I saw this cake display, I took a good deal of my new equipment budget for the show, to purchase it.  

Its a Circus of Cupcakes

I just loved these little silicone baking cups with FEET.  

Bake your cupcakes and cool completely.  You will need a bag of multi colored licorice, a bag of bugles snack chips, some vanilla wafers, some Cheerio's, a bag of skittles, a few spearmint leaves, some peanut cookies, a few marshmallow, some banana runts, colored sugars of your choice and some non-parelles, white and multi colored.

Frost your clown's body.  Cut the spearmint leaves into hands,  They are meant to be oversized.  Insert small nubs of licorice for his arms and attached the hands by inserting a piece of uncooked spaghetti into the hand at the wrist and then into the licorice.  

Using two vanilla wafers, frost one side and insert small strips of licorice for his hair then top with the second cookie.  Place on the body and pipe on his face.

Trim out his clothing with skittles and licorice.

His hat is a bugle with frosting and rolled in colored sugar.  Using buttercream and a rose tip make ruffles on his head to hold the bugle in place.

For the lion you will frost the cupcake top and using thin strips of licorice attach his mane.  You can see I used Cheerio's for his ear and skittles for his eyes and nose.  His mouth was piped on last.

Fellow clowns are not as detailed but add to the fun!

The little lamb is done by edging the frosted cupcake in white non-parelles.  Turn you marshmallow on its side and cut it in half so that you have two short circles.  I rolled the edges in the non-parelle to give it texture.  Stand the marshmallow on its side and pipe on eyes, nose and ears. 

Frost the monkey with brown buttercream and dip the top edge in brown sugar for his hair.  Using a #4 round tip pipe on his face and with a damp finger, smooth out the edges so you can overripe the eyes, nose and smile.

The elephant trunk can be done several ways I piped it over a stiff wafer paper cut to shape.  His ears are peanut butter wafer cookies and his tusk are banana runts.

This Circus was well received by the children from a local daycare who were graduating on to Kindergarten.  

Summer Wedding

I just love the simply, clean, elegant look of this overall cake.  

The frosting is buttercream.  The ribbons at the base of each tier are brown fondant.

It features peach colored peony flowers in gumpaste and lily of the valley piped on in buttercream.

This cake is one where I neglected to bring the camera.   This picture was provided by the bride who sent a lovely thank you card.

Erin, Anthony and Baby....

This was an exciting time for my family as my niece Erin was expecting her first child, which is also the first grandchild for my brother-in-law and his wife.

Erin and husband Anthony were having a baby reveal party and the invitation said, 

"is it Mickey or Minnie" 

Minnie's cupcake was White cake with Strawberry compote.  The Mickey cupcake was Chocolate with fudge filling.  The "ears" where made of black fondant (I inserted a piece of uncooked spaghetti so that they would stand-up), while the cupcakes were baking.  

I cut the ears with the bottom of a frosting tip as well as the white dots for her dress.  The bow was fondant pressed into a "button and bows" relief mat from Wilton cake supply.

Both designs started with a 2-1/2" circle of fondant, hers red, his black.  For her, I placed white dots on the dress, pushed the ears into the cupcake and using a little royal icing, placed the bow against the ears. 

For his, I cut red circles of fondant and cut them in half to represent his shorts.  Added the two yellow dots as buttons along with the famous ears.

As the couple wanted to surprise me as well, the 6" baby reveal cake was made by a local grocery store.

Before all the guests and family arrived, the cupcakes were placed on a wedding cake tower and the reveal cake was at the top.

Munchies of all kinds filled the island in the kitchen and I used the plates and napkins to continue the theme.  I cut two white napkins to create the famous white gloves.  I could have made the napkins into a skirt but chose the bowtie and pants?????

We were thrilled to reveal.... it was to be a SON!!  

Congratulations Erin and Anthony.

Green Hydrangea with Blue Edges

Several times a year an individual who grew-up locally or vacationed here as a child, will return to the area for their wedding.  There are two large lakes and we have a lot of summer guests.  

This women now resides in IA and wanted a cake very much like her parents.  She supplied me with a wedding cake photo from the 70's and I remember the theme of the time so well, as I too married in the late 70's.

I took elements from the original cake, modernized the overall design and this was the outcome. 

108 green center, lavender edged hydrangea petals were needed.

As well as 36 mini ivory roses,  54 mini dark purple carnations and 100 pieces of mini ivy, all on wire.

The flower sprays were arranged as follows; a piece of ivy, an ivory mini rose, then three hydrangea petals, two carnations and a rose came next and finished with three more hydrangea petals and two more pieces of ivy.

The cake consisted of a 12" hexagon and a 9" and a 6" round.   All Chocolate cake with Bailey Mousse.

The cake was covered in buttercream and featured a puff shell boarder at the bottom of each tier and a forward shell at the top of each tier.   A #2 round tip drape swage around the sides and a  shell swag on top of the drape.

The flower sprays were placed at each point on the hexagon and then in-between the points on the round layers.

The handblown glass wedding topper belonged to her parents. 

Golden Chevron

This lovely couple had a small cake for 50 servings, along with 13 dozen mini cupcakes.

A 14" styrofoam layer was used for the bottom of the cake allowing for the design chosen without adding unnecessary servings.  The second layer is 10" White cake with Raspberry compote, and the top tier was  a 6" Chocolate cake with a Walnut Mousse.

A single green hydrangea adorned the corner between the top two tiers.

Simply elegant!

The mini cupcakes were baked in gold foil papers.  Three and a half dozen were made for each of the following flavors, White cake with Raspberry Compote, German Chocolate cake with Baileys Mousse, Banana cake with Banana Custard and Pecan cake with Pecan Buttercream.  

The mini cupcakes allowed the guest to come and take one or several mini treats when they desired, as they were placed on a large table with additional cookies and sweets.

"Bunny"

A very loyal customer asked me to create a cake for a women she exercises with.  The birthday girl is a Federal Judge.

 I baked a Texas-sheet cake.  This is baking your cake batter in a 17" x 25" cookie sheet with side walls.   The finished cake bakes approximately 1-1/2" high.  

 I then cut the pieces I need from the sheet, stack and fill them.  For the water bottle, the cake was Raspberry with Raspberry Compote. The free weight was Chocolate cake, no filling, and a lollipop stick as the bar  between the weights.  These two cakes were extras from another order, allowing for this order to have a variety of flavors for the guests.  The briefcase was Yellow cake with Fudge filling.  

Each item was covered in White Chocolate Ganache and then fondant (I used an impression mat to achieve the alligator print.)   The additional items,  jumprope and towels where also fondant.  The birthday message was cut with the FMM alphabet cutters.

Peony

I needed a single, full size Peony for the top of an elegant clean-line wedding cake.

As this flower is quite large.   I used a 1 1/2"styrofoam ball which has been glued onto a 20 gage wire. I usually prefer to keep the whole flower edible, however, in this case it was going to be kept as a keepsake.  If the flower was to be eaten, I would have used a large marshmallow in place of the stryofoam.

Using the large Rose cutter, cut several petals.  Thin the edges of the petal and pressed each separately between a peony veiner, then I ruffled the wide edges of the petal again.  Attach three petals around the ball and leave to dry.

Cut several more petals and follow the above procedure.  The second row of petals require 4 petals. Attach them to the ball and again set aside to dry, this time overnight.

The next morning  I dusted the flower center from light to dark, narrow tip to outer edge respectively,  in rose, carnation, plum and eggplant petal dust.  Being mindful that the petals that are glued directly to the ball, they can only be colored with the plum and eggplant.  The second row however, should get the full spectrum of color.

Now we can start of the individual petals.  Again cut several as above.  These additional petals will require a 26 gage wire inserted into the narrow end of the petal.   

All of the inner  petals where then rested in the scoop of a plastic spoon.  The third row has 5 petals and the four row has 7 petals.

The final row is done with 9 petals and notice that this row I dried the petals on the backside of the spoon.  Dry all the petals several hours.

All of you outer petals are now ready for color.

As these petals are seen deep into the final flower, I also added a little green at the wire end and pull it up the center.  remember to dust both sides of the petal.

Petals are ready to be attached to the dried center. First attached five petals to the center, then seven and then the outer nine petals. As all these petals are individually wired, you can place them where needed for a full open look.

Top and Side view of the completed flower.

 

Close-up side view.

The finished cake was 9" and 6" Chocolate Peanut-butter cake with Peanut-butter Mousse.  It is frosted in a candle-lite white buttercream and if edged in dark charcoal dots.  

 

This wedding had 220 guests.  The bride opted for sheet cakes to cover the necessary servings.  I offer up to 4 flavors of cake in a full sheet.  She chose to add 1 full sheet cake and a 1/2 sheet cake.  In the full-sheet she had 1/2 of it White cake with fresh Raspberry Compote, 1/4  Lemon cake with Lemon Curd and 1/4 Strawberry cake with Fudge filling.  In the 1/2 sheet she had it the same as the wedding cake flavor, Chocolate Peanut-butter cake with Peanut-butter mousse.

Ellie is 95

Its hard to believe its been 5 years since I first meet Ms. Ellie.

For her 90th birthday celebration I was consulted on her cake.  

She wanted a large cake with 90 candles on it. When it was lit, the local firemen, in full gear, rushed in to help her put out the fire.  I regretfully do not have pictures of the cake or the event, but it was  fun evening for all.

So Ellie is now 95 and the family was celebrating in a smaller manner but they still wanted a reference to the fire department on her cake.

The cake was a 9" Spice cake with a Apple-butter Cream Cheese filling.

I think it is important to always make more flowers or items needed for your cake.   While putting the final touches to your latest creation, you do not want to break a piece and not have one in reserve to replace it with. 

 I always work under this practice and often I'm left with a reserve of flowers, which works out well for last minute orders ;)

The building is a flat piece of fondant which was a reserve piece from another cake.  The flames were cut from a french filagree set.  The pink peony was also a reserve flower from a prior wedding cake. 

 I love candles and I'm always looking for new designs to use on my birthday cakes.  These are from Wilton.

Shelby's Love of Baseball

This young lady was very specific in her description of her birthday cake.

The cake serves 40 guest and consist of a 10" Chocolate with Peanut Butter Mousse and the Ball tier is Banana with Banana Custard.

All of the design elements where made of fondant in advance to allow time for drying.

The cake is covered in pink and yellow fondant, with royal frosting accents.

Happy Birthday Superstar!!!

I was hoping to get a final picture at the venue, but again forgot the camera.

Kettle Bell

I took this order via text messaging... I  love technology (I just wish I was better with using it) LOL.

I baked several layers of cake and after filling and stacking, I cut them into the shape of a Kettle Bell.  

The handle is rice treats molded over a new white-clothing-hanger cut and shaped.

The cakes where, three layers of white and three layers of chocolate, with an all fudge filling.

 It is covered in chocolate fondant and the lettering was done using the funky alphabet cutters.

Pecans

On a return trip from Cocoa Beach Florida, we stopped in Georgia and purchase several 10 pound bags of paper-skin Pecans.  They took several days to remove the shells, but the work was well worth the final outcome.

All the nut meat was then placed in quart freezer bags and frozen.  I can then use them raw or roast them for a rich flavor, in my recipes.  

Happy 50th Anniversary

A hugh milestone in a couples life, is the 50 Anniversary!

This was a very intimate gathering of family and friends.

The  cake was a 10" Almond cake with fresh Raspberries and the top was Walnut with Walnut Mousse.

The cake was covered in fondant and royal frosting filagree.  

4mm dragees were placed at the tips of the filagree.  

The gold lettering was cut from FFM alphabet and numbers.  

The roses were done in white gumpaste and painted with Gold luster dust and lemon extract.  

The top was left undecorated as the adult children of the couple were bringing the original cake top.

Baby Blue Kicks

The Life-size JEM booty cutter was used to create these cute baby shoes.

I love the little toe pattern. 

The bottom tier was a 12"  Lemon with a fresh Raspberry compote.
The top tier is Italian Cream with Coconut Custard

The frosting is buttercream and is embossed with a diamond pattern which had a fondant bead at each point.

Paw puppy for Ireland

Using a coloring page from the internet, I molded the character in fondant. 

 When creating a 2-D version you must first start with a frame, as you can see, I started with the chest and hind quarters of the dog and added the tail as the first appendage. 

Here are her legs and fee.

Then the head, with indents for eyes and mouth.  The hair is individual rolls.

As the colors are soft,  I used petal dust and crisco mixed for paint.

I wanted the eyes to be bright and crisp, so the petal dust is added to a small amount of vodka, which makes more of a water color paint.

for the finished character, fondant googles and her sweater and tag are added.  I created a triangle shield for added support as I was using a triangle shape cake. 

The cake was French Vanilla with strawberry compote and frosted in buttercream with a simple shell boarder.

The birthday girl name is cut from FFM alphabet letters and placed on a fondant ribbon.