Thursday, October 20, 2011

Ghost Cake

This month's cake for the kiddos over at Casa de Amparo was fun.  Instead of a birthday cake, we decided on a Halloween theme.

I wanted it to me cute but not too cutsie since the teenagers probably would think it was corny.  This is what I came up with.  He is two tiers of chocolate cake under there layered with purple vanilla icing and frosted in electric green vanilla frosting to make it as festive on the inside as on the outside. I finished off my little ghost trick or treater with an electric green fondant candy bag for all of his trick or treats scores.

He was fun to make.  Hope you like my Halloween ghost cake as much as I did. 

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Fabulous 50 Birthday Cake

This cake was tricky....



I don't know how, but there was a miscommunication for the design.  Upon discover of the miscommunication, I had just a couple of hours to entirely adjust the design.  My main problem was the original design included a buttercream finish(so I thought).  The design that was ultimately desired was a hand painted fondant finish.  No big deal if I had a day to prepare.  I make fondant fresh for each cake, you see.  Fondant requires a minimum of 8 hours to " ripen" to be usable(texturally).  At least my recipe does, that is.  I didn't have time.  Sort of made me heartsick.  I never want anyone to feel disappointed.  I put so much effort, time and heart into each project.  I want that to convey, always.

So...I improvised.

It is in these situations that you not only grow, you learn and appreciate your own skill.  Something like this may have thrown me for such a loop that I would either a.) not accommodate the adjustment at all and then beat myself up for it for days; or b.) FREAK out. 

Thankfully I was given free reign to fiddle with the ultimate design to adjust it as needed in light of the misunderstanding.  That is always helpful!  Trust is a good thing in cake ;o)

But, the positives are that I put to practice a new method, and ultimately was able to tweak the existing design enough to deliver something that was desired all along.

I hand painted leopard print on buttercream.  Not my preferred method, but it certainly worked...Thank goodness!

I felt the skepticism, that all was well, that the design panned out...they were ellated.  They loved it afterall.


And of course the focal points of the design, the large fondant bow and gumpaste stiletto which have both become signature items for me, creating them time and time again in different colors, for different occasions.  I decided to paint the shoe this time around to mimic a patent leather finish.  I LOVED the look!

Sugar jewelry, a perfume bottle and lipstick accessorized the cake, and a sweet plaque with a birthday message from niece to aunt finished the look.

Thanks for stopping by!

Flour Girl