The Sweet Escape

I've Haven't Forgotten!

2009-09-23T09:53:00.001-05:00

I haven't forgotten about The Sweet Escape, I promise! I think about it on a daily basis. I am so ready to create another cake! I received this amazing cake book from my memaw-in-law about a month ago and I'm so excited about practicing some of the techniques in it. Hopefully, when things start to wind down around here I can create, create, create. Unfortunately, with a full-time job, a husband, a toddler, a home to keep up, grad school, and now morning sickness, my plate is pretty full. Oh how I wish it was full of cake!!! To be honest, I would give up my job and the awesome benefits, say forget grad school who needs MORE education, and just make cakes! Oh, that would be great! Until we have a million dollars saved in the bank I have to be content with just making cakes on the side. Oh, how I do love cake!!!!

Babyshower--July 2009

2009-08-10T10:00:00.001-05:00

This cake was done for my co-worker, Carlisa's, Baby Shower. Baby Kaniya's nursery is done in brown and pink circles and polka dots so I thought I would carry the theme over.

I used a regular 13x9 cake pan and marble cake with chocolate frosting and white frosting filling. I used fondant for the circles, dots, and ribbon. I used white frosting for the pearl border.

This cake took me the least amount of time. From baking the cake to end result I spent a total of 3 hours.

I loved all 3 hours!

Tinkerbell '09

2009-08-09T19:53:00.004-05:00

For Kenzie's 2nd Birthday her mama chose a Tinkerbell theme. I love purple so this was fun fun for me! I actually used very little fondant in this one. Everything is icing colored with gel food coloring, except the flower that Tink is sitting on. I made that from fondant, as well as the scrolls/vines. I made cupcakes to be ensure there was enough cake for the number of guests that were expected. I love monograms, some people do not, I do, so I enjoyed piping "Ks" :-) I did a dozen white cupcakes and a dozen chocolate cupcakes.
I used a regular 13x9 cake pan for the main cake and a 6" round pan for Tink to sit on. The cake is two layered half white cake, half chocolate.

2nd Cake

2009-08-01T11:38:00.002-05:00

The second cake I did was for my niece, Mackenzie's, 1st birthday. Keep in mind Cameron is 7 weeks older than Kenize which means I did my 1st and 2nd cake back-to-back.

I, again, used fondant. This time around, I colored it PINK and made different color fondant hearts, a lady bug, flowers, and butterflies. I used regular ribbon to trim the edge. Luckily, my sister, Amy, bought a tiny cake that was not covered in fondant for Kenzie to tear into.

For the main cake I used a 10" round pan and double layered cake...I really can't remember what type of cake it was for the life of me!

I was really nervous making this cake for my princess being her 1st birthday. I did not want to disappoint her mommy. Thankfully everyone loved it. At least that's what I was told to my face!

I learned from this cake that in order to do "upright or 3D" fondant pieces I have to allow for drying time. At least 24 hours. The butterfly would have probably been easier to make with gum paste instead of fondant, or instead of using unsupported fondant for the antennae, I should have used wire and formed it into a spiral and molded the fondant around that. Again, live and learn!

First Cake

2009-07-16T15:14:00.002-05:00

The first cake I ever seriously decorated was my son, Cameron's, 1st birthday cake, June 2008. I had become obsessed with shows like Ace of Cakes and Food Network Challenge and could not shake the need to create a cake of my own. As a complete amateur I was very nervous but VERY excited to dive right in.
It took me 7 hours total and had plenty of imperfections, but I LOVED every minute of the process!

I colored white fondant light blue for the base and green and orange for Cam's name and the stripes and polka dots. The piping was a mess. By the time I got to that part I was exhausted. I have to say I've gotten better at this in a year. For the pans I used an 8" round and 6" round from the Wilton collection. I was very impressed with how clean the cakes came out of the pan. The actual cake was double layered chocolate with white frosting.

My biggest regret with this cake is that I did not take into consideration that being the 1st birthday, Cameron would have to tear into this cake. Fondant covered was not the best choice for that. He did end up making the ceremonial mess but it took a bit longer to figure out how to do it. He was genuinely puzzled!

Lesson learned!!!