Celebration

Here's what the cake looked like after it was all set up. Kristin and Joe were very pleased with it, so I was too. Nighty night.

Edited to Add this morning: Here's a pic of Mom and me with the cake. (Not a good photo of Mom at all but at least I have one.) The wedding was at a Winery and the reception was in the "Barrel Room." The atmosphere was really unique and the cake table was made of a huge wine barrel with a round piece of glass on top. Pretty cool, huh?



My camera died last night, so I'll have to rely on family to send more pix.

Ribbon & Crystal-Tipped Pins

Kristin wanted black ribbon around the cake and simple polka dots. I wanted to do something to jazz it up. Her sister, Staci, had these long, crystal-tipped pins in the table decorations at her reception and I took some. (In retrospect, I wish I would have taken more.) One night, I stared at the pins wondering what I could do with them and it hit me. Pin the ribbon in front with these pretty pins. Kristin's cake top is crystal, after all.

I have two pins and the florist is going to get me some more. (Let's hope she does, cuz don't they look pretty?) The florist is going to add hot pink roses as well. Hopefully, I'll be there to help her because I wasn't wild about how she placed the rose petals on Staci's cake and I certainly don't want her pinning the ribbon on.

Note: Please ignore the ugly cardboard and messy bottom of the cake. The cake will be lifted off the cardboard, stacked on top of the next largest cake, and the bottom border will be added at the reception hall.

Wedding Cake Round 2

9 layers baked: check. (Only used 8)
Cakes trimmed: check.
Strawberries sliced: check.
Fudge filling spread: check.
Layers stacked and filled: check.
Sides filled, evened and crumb-coated: check.
Pretty board made: check.
Icing mixed till it's smooth as silk: check.

I'm all ready to start frosting Kristin's wedding cake. Don't tell her I made it square. I want it to be a surprise. :)

Happy Easter!

I'm sorry I haven't been posting as regularly as I usually do. A few things have been going on (unexpected company, preparing for a couple of family weddings, work stress & life in general) and I've been a slacker.

Also, these last few weeks have been trying diet-wise. A couple of weeks ago, the needle on the scale went up for the first time since last July. Ouch. After a couple of weeks of zero pounds lost, I've been fluctuating back and forth 2 or 3 pounds. I know I couldn't possibly keep losing and gaining 2-3 pounds and a lot of it is water, but it's depressing just the same. My total pounds lost had gotten up to 36 pounds (19 to go!) and now I'm going back between 34 and 36 for the last couple of days. I think I'm just going to enjoy our Easter dinner and goodies today, and wait till my usual day (next Sunday) to weigh myself. I've been good for such a long time. I'm going to cut myself a little slack.

How are all of you? Please tell me; I'd like to know.

I'm posting a picture of the silly little Easter cake I made for the in-law's dinner. I hope you all have a lovely evening.

Cake Tips Part I: Tools

Making a basic birthday cake is actually very easy. With these simple tips, you'll be on your way to making better cakes in your own kitchen. You don't need special ingredients, but there are a few tools to make the job easier.

* Large bread knife: for splitting and leveling

Some people use string or dental floss or professional cake levelers, but I love my giant bread knife. You'll find what works best for you.

* 11" spatula: for icing the tops of large cakes

* 8" spatulas: for icing the sides, the tops of smaller cakes & spreading filling

* Large icing bag with Kwik Icer tip: for icing the sides

~*~If you have a few dollars to spend~*~

* Medium icing bags with couplers & various tips

Otherwise, buy a few star (21 & 32), rose (104), round (4 & 5) & leaf (352 & 87) tips to get started, and learn how to make paper bags out of parchment paper. Some people actually prefer paper bags, anyway.

* Flower nail for making roses.

Do not bother purchasing a flower lifter to lift the rose off the nail.. Any small pair of scissors will do.


~*~If you are going to be doing a lot of decorating~*~

* Turntable

Thurntables make frosting cakes so much easier, but good ones can be costly. I bought mine from the bakery where I used to work when they were getting rid of it. it's ancient and ugly, but it spins like nobody's business, and that's all that counts.

Remember, you don't need a turntable to decorate cakes. If you can't afford one, don't worry about it.

* Various Wilton gel or paste colors

If you are on a budget, just purchase the colors you need for your project. Each time you make a cake, you'll add to your collection and soon you'll have a rainbow of colors. I suggest you purchase the gel or paste colors rather than the liquid. Gels and pastes are concentrated and will last for ever. Liquids will thin your icing as well. No one wants to attempt to make red icing roses with icing colored with red liquid dye--which is next to impossible anyway!

On cakes

In my previous life, I was a cake decorator. I decorated ice cream cakes for three years and bakery cakes for ten. I now make cakes only for special occasions. It takes much more time to do cakes at home, you see, and I don't have a whole lotta time on my hands.

I am going to be making cakes for my cousin Staci's wedding in April, and her sister Kristin's wedding in July. Yes, my poor cousin Sheri has two daughers getting married in one year! Kristin's wedding is the month after she gets her BA in nursing. Staci was supposed to wait two years and do the same (her BA will be in science) but matters of the heart and young love are seldom logical. And Sheri really couldn't argue. Nearly all of the woman in my family marry young. So, I will be making two wedding cakes this year, as different as the brides themselves. Staci likes things simple. Kristin's wedding will be far more detailed, like my own.

Today, however, I have a simple job. A basic birthday cake for my husband's family birthday dinner. Since people often ask me what my cake secrets are, I thought I'd take pictures while I put this one together. Hopefully my tips might help you too. When I'm rushed for time, I don't use anything special other than my equipment (turn table, decorating bags, big bread knife, tall cake pans). Except for my nephew (& Godson) Jeffrey who loves carrot cake, cake mixes are the norm around here for the most part. (Carrot cake mixes are garbage.)

Anyway, I'm off to make Abner's little bithday cake. I will check back later with photos and tips. Happy Saturday everyone.