The Results

So my adventure is over for this week. I think my cakes came out well.

Elmo turned out to be one of my favs. The red was a little hard, but soon realized with time the color darkens, I wish I would have known that earlier. I used a 1/4 jar of color paste!! LOL. Next time I will prepare colors the day before. He was definately a challenge and must have taken 3 hours to ice, if not 4! I've got the hang of the SMBC and can now whip it up in a jiffy, even with my junky electric hand beater!

John Deere, this was so fun to build! I actually spent less time on this one than Elmo. The cake seemed to sculpt really well and didn't crumble too much. I used a lot of scewers to brace it because it needed to be transported and taken to a pool party, didn't want it to melt!! I feel the colors came out really nice and the shape looked very tractor-like, I actually impressed myself. I can't even draw a tractor, never mind carve one from cake, but I did it. YAY!! The icing was very difficult to get smooth on here, but my small offset spatula helped, I used to use this jumbo one which really sucked!!

When it came around to the castle cake, I just started wearing out. I now know never make 3 cakes in 2 days, just too much!! My time was closing in and I still hadn't decorated the castle, so a quick job had to be done. Jade was still very happy and it tasted oh so good, but I am not personally satisfied with it. Next time, I will schedule more time and try to get it smoother and more even. I'd also like to try making more of a flower garden around it, I think this would add so much to the princess castle look.

Creations!!

This coming Saturday I have an order for 3 cakes!! I am a little nervous. 1, because Ryan is away and I have the kids to take care of and 2, because the cakes are for actual paying customers!! I am very excited though because I am getting to learn and try new things and I don't have to eat the cake!! I'd be 400 lbs!

The one I started on tonight is a Elmo sheet cake. A little nervous about this one because it has red. I've never really used red, so I hope the color comes out alright, I bough no taste red paste by Wiltons. I am going to try a new technique on this one that I saw on you tube. Using a flat edge to smooth the sides of the cake, I hate using the off-set spatula, it never reallygets smooth.

Tomorrow morning I am going to start carving out a John Deere tractor from two loaf pans. I am pretty excited and can't wait for the finished product, I just have to be patient though because I tend to want the end result now and rush my work! This was Ryan's idea to make the tractor instead of drawing one out on a sheet cake.

The last cake, which I'll probably do on Saturday morning is for a friend of mine's daughter. She is turning 6 and is having a princess party. I made a castle cake for my daughter's 4th birhtday, it was okay (started leaning because I didn't brace it properly, or maybe not at all). Jade wants one just like Alyvia's. I bought scewers this time and I hope those work!

Lots to do tomorrow, make SMBC and hopefully that is on my side, or else I'm just using regular old buttercream. I did however find a great recipie on the net, which I tried today and it's pretty good. I haven't piped with it yet, but it tastes nice.

Well this is all very new to me! I've been reading a lot of great blogs and I am hoping by bogging I will learn and get advice on a new passion in my life, baking.


Here are a few pics of recent cakes I've decorated.








This is an ice cream cake I made for a friend's little boy. He loves chocolate, so I used chocolate ice cream, Kit Kat bar filling and chocolate whipped cream frosting.

This is a marble cake made with Swiss Meringe Buttercream (thanks How to Eat a Cupcake) and Whipped Raspberry Filling. I piped on with a Wilton's writer's tip, turned out great , I think!