Cake Journey Archives - Wow! Is that really edible? Custom Cakes+ Cake Decorating Tutorials

3D Sculpted Lamborghini Car Cake

Fri, 01 May 2020 14:40:31 +0000

Ever since I saw a lime green Lamborghini, it’s been on my mind. So when I was brainstorming ideas for my birthday cake it was a no brainer, a Lamborghini car cake. Sculpted cakes are a lot of fun for me. There’s a level of difficulty that it comes with them that I simply cannot resist. The harder the task, the better it is for me. So, of course, I was looking forward to making this 3D sculpted Lamborghini car cake. Even though I haven’t carved a cake in a while, it felt really good making this cake and I was totally in my happy place. How the Lamborghini Car Cake was Chosen I couldn’t think of a better cake to celebrate a milestone, my 40th birthday. Since we are sheltering in place we cannot celebrate birthdays as we used to (sad face). I wanted something classic and special. The Lamborghini cake did that for me. Of course, I would prefer to have the real thing. However, since I cannot afford one I will settle for the cake. My plan was to add a young lady (me) sitting next to the car (quarantined) with her shopping bags. If it was a different time I would have used my son’s design of a three-tiered cake. His design was super duper cute; but there was no way I would make that much cake, eh hem who is going to eat all that cake? I was able to decorate the cake in one day and for once in my cake decorating life, I went to bed on time. But, I couldn’t sleep, because I was up trying to figure out what I was missing. I have a bad habit of getting lost in the details, so, I had to force myself to step away because not everything was necessary. It was my birthday cake after all and as I tell my son, done doesn’t always have to be perfect. In the end, I ended up removing the old windshield and the change the windows. This page may contain affiliate links which means that I may earn a small commission if you purchase from any links directed from this website. I only recommend things that I use and the classes I have taken. Wowisthatreallyedible is a participant in the Amazon Services Associate Program. As an affiliate of Amazon, we place custom links in blog posts (such as this one). Thank you very much for your ongoing support. The Making of the Cake To be successful at making any sculpted cake you need a blueprint, I talk about that here with VW Beetle, Vintage red truck and six tips for working with sculpted cakes. Then, created the raised board from the template/blueprint. I doubled my chocolate cake recipe and baked it in an 11×18 cake pan, with a batch and a half of dark chocolate ganache. The 11×18 cake was too much cake, but you can create this cake using a 9×13 cake. Carving the Cake After carving the cake I added the ganache and because the cake was so cold the ganache adhered right away (a bit too quick for my liking). I used a small cutter to cut out the wheel well. I spent a lot of time shaping the cake and reapplying the ganache. Don’t miss this step, it is very important because the next step it adding fondant. It is better to shape the areas such as the front, back and under the windows so you are not overworking the fondant. Adding the Fondant and the Wheels When I was sort of happy, I added the fondant on top and did more shaping. Remove the fondant from the wheel well and mark all the right areas for doors, top, and windows. I opted to paint the windows because it seemed like the smart thing to do instead of cutting out another area and I was right. If I messed up, I can easily remove it and start over again. This time around, I made the wheels out of fondant, however, I usually make it using modeling chocolate. Before adding the wheels, I placed the cake on the final board. Having a raised board makes it easier to move the cake around. If I was delivering this cake I would use candy melt to secure the board, but that wasn’t necessary here. I would also use some black candy melt for the wheels (also not necessary if the car is not being moved (for additional tips on how to prepare cakes for delivery see my post here). Finally, after adding the wheels and with no time to model a young lady sitting next to the car, I decided to just add the two handbags because I like shopping and since I can’t do that now, I will add it to my cake (thank you). Final Cake After reshaping the windshield and the windows I was happy with the cake. I used some edible shellac (I used confectioners edible glaze) to shine up the car. But, you can use corn syrup for this. Finally, I added the saying 40 is the new 20 and I was finished with the cake. When it was time to cut the cake and I didn’t want to cut it. But, it was my birthday and it wouldn’t be complete without a bite of chocolate cake. That’s it for now. Be safe and happy caking. Don’t forget to share the love, pin for later.

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The Making of a Gravity Defying Canvas Cake

Fri, 07 Feb 2020 14:30:55 +0000

Last week I had the honor of making a gravity-defying canvas cake for Catalina’s Bat Mitzvah. Oh Yes!! A REAL CAKE that is a painting and stands on its own. I was so excited to make this cake and I couldn’t believe how quickly the time came to finally create the cake. See the plan to create this cake was in the works from last summer. This cake was a true test of my ability to paint by the numbers (HA). Not that I didn’t trust that I could, It was a bit bigger than the norm. Of course, with any carved/gravity-defying cake I make there were so many questions from the customer. Some of the questions for this cake were: how will it stand, how to display the cake and most importantly what will prevent the cake from falling off. With many assurances that the cake will stand and will not fall out, we (my customer and I) began planning. She is such a planner and every single detail of the Bat Mitzvah was meticulously planned. This page may contain affiliate links which means that I may earn a small commission if you purchase from any links directed from this website. I only recommend things that I use and the classes I have taken. Wowisthatreallyedible is a participant in the Amazon Services Associate Program. As an affiliate of Amazon, we place custom links in blog posts (such as this one). Thank you very much for your ongoing support. Planning the Painted Canvas Cake Choosing a Cake to Match the Theme The first part of planning is choosing a cake to go with the art theme. That’s when the light bulb went off, why not make a painting as a cake? It was only fitting since the entire room was going to be filled with artwork (including Catalina’s). My customer settled on an amazing artist Martina Shapiro’s. Ms. Shapiro’s work includes much Jewish Art one of which was a Bat Mitzvah girl reading from the Torah. Ms. Shapiro gave us permission to make it into a cake. Even though I am not sure if Ms. Shapiro thought I was going to try to recreate her work (I was totally biting my finger at this). Creating the Cake Structure The second part of planning is creating the cake structure. The cake structure needed to be sturdy enough to hold up the weight of the cake (see more tips here). The size of the painting I mean cake was exactly 18 x 20 x 2. The entire structure was made from MDF wood that was covered with foil to be food safe. My amazing carpenter came to my rescue on this one, because for some reason the associate at Lowes kept getting the cuts too short. I was so grateful when I saw the final structure all put together. The cake was going to rest on an easel, therefore I need to make sure I planned for that as well. Calculate how much Materials are Needed A third of planning is to determine how much cake to bake. This part of the planning process usually done at the same time as the cake structure. It is super important to figure out in advance how much cake batter to make, how much buttercream (if any at all), how much ganache and how much fondant. I used two times the batter of my chocolate cake recipe and one batter of my vanilla cake recipe. In addition, I used a combination of my marshmallow fondant with Wilton vanilla fondant to cover the cake. Painting the Canvas Cake The fourth and final part of planning is making the painting itself. I printed a clean version of the painting and had it blown up to 18 x 20. The picture was flipped to get the mirror image. Prior, to the actual cake, I painted a smaller version to test frame designs. I used the techniques in this tutorial (how to paint on fondant) to paint the cake. I also used Edible Art edible paint and some gel color paint such as brown, purple and royal blue. The Edible Art edible paints are so phenomenal, no mixing required and they dry very quickly. Of course, as much as I planned, at the last minute, I realized I didn’t make allowances for the frame at the top and bottom of the painting oops. It turned out to be ok, only a few areas were covered. Some progress photos below of the masterpiece. A beginning sketch of the cake. It doesn’t look like much at this point but it eventually gets there. A little more filled in… getting there. A lot of the darker lines were eventually changed to a lighter blue. The painted canvas cake up close. An up-close view of the frame. My customer wanted a simple frame with a small design in the corners and painted in silver. Finally, the cake was delivered and placed on the dance floor on display. That’s it for this cake, don’t forget to share the love and pin for later. Until next time happy caking.

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The Making of a Guitar Cake

Thu, 11 Jul 2019 13:00:26 +0000

Ever since I made the Violin cake I have been dying to make another musical instrument. Why? Because they are so much fun to make. So… I finally got a chance to make a guitar cake. A Fender guitar to be exact. I have always wanted to learn how to play one. Since that hasn’t happened why not make a guitar cake instead. But not just any guitar cake, one that stands up and can be turned to play. Such an easy task right? Deciding which Fender Guitar to Make Guitars are not my thing, so I asked for some help at the music store. Because I am a bit clueless about guitars. By the way, there are so many different types of Fender guitars out there. I just picked one that had a good template that I could use. I did not have any restrictions on any particular type which was perfect for me. Whoot Whoot. This page may contain affiliate links which mean that I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase from any links directed from this website. I only recommend things that I use and the classes I have taken. Thank you very much for your ongoing support. Making the guitar cake template A template is essential to make the scaling right. Make it wrong, and you have a ginormous cake or maybe just a bit too small. I usually spend a lot of time on this section. Need more tips on sculpted cakes, check out this post. There are so many templates available for fender guitar, I downloaded a few but chose the one with the best top view. You can get my detailed step by step instructions and template in my shop. Once I chose a template I resized it to print on 8.5×11 size paper. Sometimes this means printing it a few times to get it right. I then piece them together to create one large template. I normally add some measurements to the template because the next step is the board. What kind of cake board should I use? Whenever I am making any cake that will stand up, or anything gravity-defying I use MDF board, threaded rods, and the works. You will need some carpentry help if you don’t have all the tools available. For this cake, I took the template with me to Lowes (a home improvement store) to get the right size board. I opted not to ask them to cut the board because I need a shaped board. They usually cut simple square or rectangular boards at the store at no additional cost. I also bought a guitar stand on Amazon to go with the cake. It was really cool adding the cake to the guitar stand. What type of cake and filling to use? To make this cake I usually go with an all butter cake. However, because I had shelves I got away with a looser crumb cake. Box mix must be doctored up to make it sturdy. I would normally go for a chocolate cake, but the birthday boy insisted no chocolate cake. Also, he insisted he needed a strawberry filling. To which I said you mean a strawberry buttercream right? No filling anywhere near my carved cake Mr. Instead, I used my lemon cake recipe, subbed out some of the cake flour for all-purpose flour and kept the oil and butter combination. Then paired it with my strawberry Italian Meringue buttercream recipe. I used ganache as my final coat of buttercream because it stays at room temperature and is a great glue. The guitar strings The guitar strings are like the final thing for the cake. I had multiple options just in case something did not work: (1) edible strings (2) real guitar strings or (3) any string that’s long enough. Edible strings are interesting, because I have tried black licorice, but it was a bit brittle in the areas that were bent from the packaging. So, the other option is to pipe strings. Which means multiple just in case something breaks. Because of the time constraints, I chose not to make edible strings. Instead, I chose to go with something inedible. The guitar strings were great but it needed something to tighten it which I didn’t have. Finally, I used a string I bought at JoAnn. It wasn’t silver, and I ran out of time to paint it silver. So there you have it… the making of a standing guitar cake. Another fun cake to make.

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How to make an Edible Game of Thrones Iron Throne Cake Topper

Fri, 23 Mar 2018 14:30:27 +0000

Winter is coming or is it Spring? Well, it still feels like winter around here because we are still getting snow. Are you a Game of Thrones fan? I had the honor of making a Game of Thrones birthday cake this week. The cake was completed with an edible iron throne cake topper. I have to admit I do not watch the show, therefore, I had to depend on photos online and my peeps who are avid Game of Thrones fan to help with accuracy. While the iron throne cake topper was easy to make, it did take some patience. After many fixes to the swords that I kept breaking accidentally, I managed to take some progress photos and thought I would share them with you today. The last I heard, the birthday boy refused to cut the cake. The Cake This page may contain affiliate links which means that if you make a purchase from any links directed from this website I may earn a small commission. I only recommend things that I use and love and the classes I have taken. Thank you very much for your ongoing support. The cake was a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting as the filling and Italian Meringue buttercream on the outside. It was covered in marshmallow fondant that I colored with a Wilton sky blue color gel. Once the cake was covered with fondant, I used the lines from the base of the throne to mark the lines around the cake. The phrase “Winter is coming” and “Game of Thrones” were made from Wilton Sugar sheets and that was cut out using my new Silhouette Cameo 3. I had spent so much time perfecting the cake that I needed to save some time with the cutouts. I have been trying to get my Silhouette Cameo 3 for a while now and I was straight up frustrated. Therefore, I was so excited when it worked. Making the Iron Throne Cake Topper Supplies for the Iron Throne Cake topper A batch of Rice Krispie treats black or grey fondant grey or black candy melt rolling pin 4-inch circle cutter small spatula 6-inch cake board 6-inch cake pan fondant strip cutter paint brush silver and gold edible luster dust foil paper sword mold Rice Krispie Treats Recipe The Rice Krispie treat that I use for modeling is an equal amount of Rice Krispie cereal and an equal amount of marshmallows. 5ozs of Rice Krispie cereal 5 ozs of marshmallows (melted ) nonstick spray or vegetable oil for hand and bowl Directions: Spray bowl and spatula with nonstick spray. Melt the marshmallows then add to the rice cereal. Mix until combined. Cover with plastic and place in the refrigerator if you want it to harden or use right away. Step 1: Making the base for the Iron Throne To make the base I added some Rice Krispie treats to about a quarter of a 6-inch cake pan and leveled it in the pan. Then I removed it from the pan and covered with candy melts. I then covered it with a grey fondant. Using a crumbled up piece of foil paper, I added some texture to the fondant.Using a 4-inch circle cutter, I marked a circle. Then using a ruler and glued to a 6-inch cake board. Step 2: Making the frame of the Iron Throne Cake Topper I made a rectangular shape out of the Rice Krispie treat then I used a knife to round the top. To create the base I made a square shape and made it thick enough for height. I glued them together with candy melt and used a small spatula to add candy melts all over the chair. I placed the throne in the refrigerator to firm up. My original throne was a bit too thick in the back and on the arms, therefore, I used a knife and trimmed it down. Step 3: Adding the fondant swords When the throne was firm enough I started adding fondant. I rolled out a piece of fondant into small sausages and added fondant to the front, sides, and back of the chair. Then I rolled out black fondant and cut strips using my cake boss fondant ribbon cutter. I cut some of the strips in half and using an x-acto knife cut the ends to look like a sword. I added them to the seat, handles and the back of the throne. At this point, I realized that this was going to take me hours. So I decided to cut out the swords for the top one in the front and one in the back. I glued them together to make them stronger and placed the throne to lie down a few minutes while I matched them. Then, I added more swords in the back and on the sides. Step 4: Making the sword mold In addition, I made a mold of a sword using a sword cocktail stick that I removed the handles. This was such a lifesaver because I had to make a thousand swords. At least it felt that way. For the more detailed swords, I used my mold and staggered the swords. Eventually, I broke a few and had to reattach and make new ones. This time I used royal icing to glue them on. I glued the iron throne to the base to prevent any more accidents with moving the iron throne. In hindsight, I should have built the iron throne on the base. Step 5: Painting and dusting the Iron Throne and the base Once the iron throne was dried and all swords were firmly in place, I mixed coin silver luster dust, with black dust, vodka and a few drops of black edible paint for the first coat of paint. Then, I dusted with Egyptian gold luster dust to get the old iron look. Using the sword mold I made a few more swords and added them in different places on the Throne. I used the same mixture to paint the base making it a little darker in the areas that were marked. Have you made a Game of Thrones Cake? Did you try making the Iron Throne Cake Topper? Hey, can you let me know how it turned out? As always if you find this tutorial useful don’t forget to share. Here are some additional posts that you might find useful: How to make buttercream fondant How to make marshmallow fondant 20 Tips and Tricks for Cakes Baby Groot Cake

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Pink VW Beetle Car Cake

Fri, 05 Jan 2018 14:30:38 +0000

Happy New Year! I hope you enjoyed your Holidays. I am so excited to say that I have completed my first cake of the year, a VW Beetle Car Cake. This cake was made for a beautiful young lady who looooves pink. This page may contain affiliate links which mean that if you make a purchase from any links directed from this website I may earn a small commission. I only recommend things that I use and love and classes I have taken. Thank you very much for your ongoing support. I believe that making a car cake in any shape is every cake decorators dream… VW Beetle car cakes can be seen everywhere on the internet and therefore, there is a lot of inspiration. Car cakes like character modeling are really hard because if you do not make it the right proportions it looks terrible. You also need lots of patience because they do take time. There are so many tiny details that are necessary. For example, the mirrors, tires, door handle, you get the idea. Getting the blueprint for the VW Beetle car cake made my life so much easier I was able to get blueprints online (front, back, top and the side) for the VW Beetle Cabrio 1500. Which made my life so much easier, I did not have to worry about scaling. You can get the blueprint for any car online. I learned this technique from the awesome Mike McCary’s car class on Craftsy. He teaches so many great techniques that can be applied to any car cake. Once I downloaded the blueprint, I increased the size of the template and cut them out. The serving size of the cake determines how big or how small you make your template. After I was satisfied with the size, I added laminating sheets to preserve my templates. Then, I was ready to work. Lets talk cake I baked two 9 x 13 cakes from my delicious chocolate cake and made a half batch of Italian Meringue buttercream. To which I added melted chocolate to make the filling. Yum. It is soooo delicious. I also made a batch of ganache to use as my final coat. I filled the cake and put in the refrigerator to set to prepare for carving. Carving the VW Beetle car cake shape Nothing better than carving a cold cake. I cut the cakes to the size of the templates (it does require some piecing together) and filled. Even though the car is a convertible, I chose to keep the top on, hence, I did not have to carve the inside. A win for me. Once the filling was set for the layers, I carved until I was happy. I had to use two knives for this one, my large cake knife, and a small paring knife. This process does take some patience and is the most important. When I got to the wheels, I realized I forgot to cut out my wheel well on my board. No problem, I used my Xacto knife, circle cutter and pairing knife to get the right size. Whew… Next, I had to make the fenders. The VW Beetle has round fenders above the tires… I had made that section by eye and felt like this took forever to do. I carved and ganached but was not satisfied so I kept messing with it. In hindsight, I should have cut that section out of the blueprint and used it as my guide. I tested my circle cutter and it had clearance which made me very happy. It is the little things… It doesn’t take much to make me happy. I took the extra time to indent the areas such as windshields, headlights, the hood, windows and the fenders. The VW Beetle Car cake is finally coming together. Covering the Cake and the Cake board with Fondant Finally, it was time to add Fondant. I was feeling very accomplished at this point and really confident. Therefore, I covered the car in one piece. I took some time to work on the indentations I made, trying to work really quickly. When I was finished, I painted the windows and windshields grey covered loosely and refrigerated the cake. Then began working on the cake board. The cake board was covered with the excess fondant and I made shapes freehand using the veining tool. I then painted with black food gel, then went over again with edible charcoal grey dust the same one I used for my Groot Cake. I was going for a cobblestone effect and was having so much fun I got carried away. The final product looks interesting, but not cobblestone. You be the judge eh. The grand finale It was finally time to add the cake to the board and the wheels. The moment of truth will my wheels fit? I had to push a little, but they fit and I used candy melts to add the cake to the board as well the wheels. Then, after leaving it to dry. I decided last minute to add some shine to the cake. I was happy with the cake, the birthday girl absolutely loved it. What do you think? If you like it don’t forget to share. If you like this you might also like these cakes. Baby Groot Cake for a Perfect Birthday Boy How to make a Roasted Turkey Cake 3D Elmo Cake Tutorial The Making of the Violin Cake A Two Dimensional (2D) Spiderman Cake [powr-social-media-icons id=9982f0b7_1515159307760]

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Baby Groot Cake for a Perfect Birthday Boy

Fri, 29 Dec 2017 11:00:00 +0000

Soooo… my baby turned five years old this month. He could not wait to be five, partly because many of the kids in his Kindergarten class are five or are turning five and as he reminds me every night “they are close to six mommy.” My young paleontologist originally requested a Spinosaurus cake, then switched to a Baby Groot Cake. You know Baby Groot from the movie Guardians of the Galaxy. The little tree that loves to dance… Yup that one. Don’t worry if you have never heard of Baby Groot. I happen to know about Groot because I get the honor of seeing all the Marvel movies (eye roll). Some I enjoy more than others. Well… I had the task of making this cake and had to decide which version of Baby Groot to make. Making a cake that looks like a popular character is very hard because if you mess up everyone knows. I knew I had a huge task ahead. As always I start with a template. Making the Cake Template I settled on the very cute scene from Guardians of the Galaxy 2 when the Fox told Baby Groot “whatever you do don’t push this button.” My son approved and I went to planning. I decided to make this cake with a secret compartment that actually sings Happy Birthday as a surprise to the birthday boy. Getting a good picture to use as a template for the Baby Groot cake was very difficult. However, I found pictures of a Baby Groot toy that had pictures of all angles on Ali Express. Once I printed the template to the desired size I was ready to go. I used this photo as my main template. Normally I would make Baby Groot out of cake However, I decided to make him out of modeling chocolate. I made the box/bomb as cake. The cake needed to be elevated. Therefore, I made a structure that would hold the cake in place. The cake needed to look like it was sitting on a piece of rock. I made the rock out of Rice Krispie treats then I covered with dark chocolate to save time to work on the cake. Making Baby Groot Baby Groot stood at 15 1/2 inches tall. I made Baby Groot using armature wire. This was my first time working with armature wire and I loved it. I loved the flexibility and the strength. But, I was concerned about whether it would stand up strong and make delivery 15 miles away. I used the template I printed of Baby Groot to create the initial armature wire structure. I left a section at the bottom to screw into the wooden base. Later on, I added foil to build up his body and head. Then, I made two holes the size of the armature wire into the wooden base then added the Baby Groot structure to the base. To make sure Groot would not move I made four more holes and secure his feet with a small piece of armature wire and locked them under the cake board. At this point, he did not look pretty. However, as I started adding the modeling chocolate it started coming together. I used a cookie tool to make the lines as a tree trunk. When I got to a certain point I realized I did not color enough modeling chocolate hence, the reason he has multiple colors. I painted with brown edible dust later on until I was pleased with the way he looked. Making the Baby Groot cake The flavor of the cake was chocolate and vanilla. I used two square cakes to achieve the length of the bomb. The cake was 10×6. I extended the cake a little bit longer than the template because it looked much better that way. When I was finished carving the cake. I filled the cake with Italian Meringue buttercream, then added a layer of ganache to the cake. Making sure I kept the hole in the bottom to attach to the cake board. Once the cake was chilled. I attached the cake to structure using ganache. After that, I colored some fondant grey and covered the cake with fondant. Sorry, I don’t have a picture of this because I was working against time and did not have a minute to stop and take photos. I then made strips of fondant added to the cake in sections to match the front and the top of the bomb. Once this was done, I used edible charcoal dust to make the cake a darker grey. Then painted silver stripes with silver dust. Next, I made the two red button. Then added the strings to the top of the box/bomb. I used my clay extruder to make tiny strings. This was the easiest part of making this cake, but the strings kept breaking. I kept having to redo. Mind you it is a five-year-old birthday party and no one would know that I was missing the strings at the top. But, I knew and I kept moving right along. Finally, I was able to get to the last few things, I made the two silver things and the secret compartment. I used some grey fondant and covered the bottom of the tape recorder, then made a flap to open and close. I tested it one last time to make sure it sang Happy Birthday and secured the top. Finally, when I reached the party location, I adorned Baby Groot with headphones and the Guardians of the Galaxy faux cassette player. I say faux cassette player because it does not actually play cassettes. However, my little man loves it and does not care that it only has one song recorded. This was such a fun cake to make. If you enjoy this you may also enjoy these other cake posts. Violin Cake Giant Macaron Cake Football helmet Cake Pineapple Cake Crocodile Cake Happy Caking. Don’t forget to Pin it for later.

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Making a Crocodile Cake

Fri, 01 Sep 2017 13:30:23 +0000

Things are going to get a little scary around here. Today I am sharing a crocodile cake. I cannot believe summer is almost over. Lately, I am noticing how dark it is getting in the morning. Also, in the normal New York fashion, it is also a little chilly and you know my Island blood cannot handle the cold. I wish it was summer all year round. However, I do like the beautiful fall season. I love all things pumpkin and pies. But, that’s enough about me. I was asked to make a crocodile cake for a nine-year-old boy who loves reptiles. I am petrified of reptiles in particular snakes, crocodiles, and alligators. So, I bravely said yes. Why? Because how could I possibly disappoint a child on their birthday? Since this was my first crocodile cake, I did not know what to expect or how long it was going to take me. I love challenges and this was perfect. After all, I have made a standing dinosaur cake before. I got this… My son asked me not to make him too scary and since he is my design assistant I complied a little. Let’s talk cake. To Make the Crocodile Cake The cake did not require any structure at all. I created templates from photos of the crocodile’s head, the top, and the side. Like most people, I did not know the difference between an alligator and a crocodile. However, in my research, I discovered that the main difference is the snout. Crocodile’s snouts are more pointed and have a “v” shape. In addition, when the mouth is closed, the crocodile teeth are shown. If you are interested in knowing more, here is a great link. I baked two 9×13 chocolate cakes and used the template to cut out the body of the crocodile. It became more of a puzzle piece to get the shape that I was looking for. I had to build up the head, and the top because the top is higher than the tail. Then, I filled the cake with vanilla Italian Meringue buttercream and ganached the outside of the cake. The summer weather is not very kind to cakes, therefore, I increased the chocolate in the ganache to stop it from melting. By that, I mean melt as quickly, because heat does melt buttercream and chocolate. Once the crocodile cake was chilled, I added some fondant to the snout and the eyes, then covered the cake with white fondant. The tip of the tail and feet were made out of fondant. Look at all the detail. Once the cake was covered in fondant, I rolled pieces of fondant sausages and added them to the top of the crocodile cake piece-by-piece. Once, I added the pieces, I pinched them to get the look of the crocodile skin. I used this mat for the sides and these really cool sugar shapers to make the lines on its feet. First, I made the eyes out of gelatin and I was so excited about them, but they were too blurry. Therefore, I made the eyes out of fondant and colored them yellow and added a black line. The crocodile cake was then painted with green edible petal dust. I wanted to mix in some black but got carried away with the green paint. In addition, I made the teeth out of fondant let them dry, then added some yellow painted to make it look a little aged. Cake Board I placed the cake on a full sheet cake board. As you can see, the cake was hanging a bit off the cake board. I added the cake to a 1/2 inch foam core board. Then, added some green ribbon to adorned the outside of the board and ganache. I wanted the crocodile to look like he was in the mud. The cake was almost ready, but it needed some edible sand. The edible sand was made from graham cracker crumbs that stuck perfectly to the ganache. Finally, it was time for me to show it to the birthday boy. He absolutely loved it. More party items… Another happy child on his birthday. If you like this post, share with your friends. Don’t forget pin and like us on Facebook. [powr-social-media-icons id=f022cef4_1504262689751] Save Save

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How to Decorate a Pineapple Cake

Fri, 18 Aug 2017 14:00:43 +0000

This week is all about pineapple. To continue with the pineapple theme, we have a pineapple cake (I mean a cake shaped like a pineapple) with pineapple jam and a pineapple flavor buttercream. I have fond memories of pineapples. As a child growing up my grandfather had a pineapple grove. I loved pineapple so much, especially the core (which I called “the stick,”) grandpa would save them for me. I remembered coming home from school and he would have a full plate of pineapple cores on the table. Why? Because I had assured him that the core was the part of the pineapple I liked. Now that I think about it, it is quite funny. These are fond memories of my grandpa who passed away almost five years ago in August. We miss him, but having moments like this means everything. It was perfect that I made this pineapple cake: (1) to remember grandpa and (2) to celebrate my sister’s birthday. Making the pineapple cake was my youngest sister’s idea. She also loves pineapple. When we discussed what cake to make she immediately said how about a pineapple cake? I was ecstatic. Here it is how I decorated the pineapple cake. Making the Pineapple Skin The pineapple skin is thick and spiky and very intricate. To make the pineapple skin I took the skin of a pineapple and made a mold using the amazing mold putty kit. This was my first time making my own silicone mold and I am addicted. The mold came out great and only took fifteen minutes. Once the mold was set, I washed it and added a little bit of shortening before using fondant. I colored some fondant golden yellow and rolled out a broad strip of fondant. Then I cut the fondant into pieces similar to the size of the pineapple skin mold. After that, I textured the fondant with the pineapple skin mold. Making the Pineapple Crown The pineapple crown was very easy to make. I used gum paste that I colored green. I removed pieces of the pineapple crown and made molds using the amazing mold putty kit of the small to large pieces. However, I did not like how the first few came out. Therefore, I took pieces of the crown washed them, added some shortening and that became my new mold. I let them dry on the crown leave and removed them later to let them dry. Once they were dried I dusted them with Wilton green color dust, then Wilton white pearl dust to get that whitish color. Making the Pineapple Cake The pineapple cake was made with three 6 inch pans. My sister wanted a yellow cake, I made a sour cream yellow cake (from scratch of course). For the frosting, I made pineapple jam with crushed pineapples (see my recipe here) and mixed it with my yummy Italian Meringue buttercream. The combination of the pineapple jam and the buttercream was to die for. I then carved the top of the cake to make it rounded and a little bit on the bottom as well. The cake was carved to about 5 inches high, the actual height of a pineapple we had in the house. The carving took about fifteen minutes. I filled the cake with the pineapple buttercream and frosted the outside with vanilla Italian Meringue buttercream. Putting it all together When the cake was chilled, I added the pineapple skin textured fondant to the cake by following the pattern. I worked out the seams as much as possible. Then I used two brushes to pull the fondant in the middle of the pineapple pattern to get the spiky look. Once I had the look I was going for painted around each spike with Wilton green color dust leaving the yellow in the middle. This is where you will need patience because it was a lot of spikes. I added the pineapple cake to the final board that I decorated with fondant and painted green. Next, it was time to add the crown. I added a small amount of green fondant to the top of the pineapple cake and began to add the leaves for the pineapple crown starting at the bottom. Be careful when adding the gum paste leaves because they break easily. I kept having to remove leaves because they kept breaking. A few good ones were spared and I was able to make a decent pineapple crown. In hindsight, I should have added some floral wires to the gum paste leaves. While this method was good, the wires would have been better to help prevent breakage. As soon as I was finished adding the crown, I added Happy Birthday to the board and the fondant decorations my sister’s kids and my son made for her. That’s it you are done. This is another easy carved cake. Do you have a favorite carved cake? Comment below. Save Save

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Royal Baby Shower Cake with Crown Tutorial

Tue, 08 Aug 2017 17:12:25 +0000

Baby shower cakes are cute and fun. It is a celebration of the new life being brought into the world. I had the honor of making a royal-themed cake for a baby shower. It was a two-tiered royal blue cake with gold borders and a gold crown. To make it even sweeter, I made cake pops and cupcakes (red velvet and vanilla) to complete the beautiful dessert table. The decor at the shower was absolutely beautiful and matched the colors on the cake. I’m sorry you will have to take my word for it (more on that later). I was very excited to make this cake, however, making the cake did not come without its challenges. I ended up making a total of three crowns. The first crown (a regal crown) crumbled after we tried to cut the Styrofoam ball from underneath. The second crown was picked up prematurely on the morning of the event. Therefore, I had to rush to make a third crown. Thank God…. for pastillage and a simple crown design. The final crown was super easy to make. However, making the third crown pushed everything off schedule. I was so focused on getting to the venue, that I forgot I hadn’t taken my camera. To make matters even worse, I did not have my cell phone to take pictures either *sigh*. I was able to get a few pictures from my sister who attended the event. Enough about that, here is how I made the Royal Baby Shower Cake with a crown tutorial. Making the Crown To make the crown, I used my go-to pastillage recipe. Pastillage was perfect for this project because it dries quickly. My original crown would have been perfect, but I needed something easy to make. I used the template below to make the crown. Items needed: 1 recipe of pastillage or gum paste Template for the crown Rolling pin X-acto knife 8-inch cake board (optional) A round container (I used a large oatmeal canister) Wilton Jewelry Mold Wilton Damask Fondant Mold Wilton gold color mist Mod Podge Mod Mold Royal Icons Global Sugar Art Egyptian Gold Luster Dust Paintbrush Step 1: Print and cut out the template Print the template above and cut it out using an X-acto or a scissor. The template is perfect for a large crown using three parts. To make a smaller crown use two pieces of the template. Step 2: Roll out pastillage Roll out the pastillage or gum paste to about 1/4 inch thickness (or thicker) 16 inches long and 5 inches wide. Step 3: Cut out the design using an X-acto knife Using an X-acto knife, cut out the pastillage or gumpaste using the template. Pastillage dries fast, therefore you will have to work quickly. Cover the unused area with plastic wrap. Quickly turn over the cutout to stand on an 8-inch cake board. Then use a canister to help the crown keep its shape. Remember to add shortening or wax paper to the canister to keep it from sticking to the canister. If you are in a hurry, allow the crown to stand a few minutes then remove the canister. Otherwise, let the crown dry before you add any decorations. For gum paste, this could take a few days. However, for pastillage it Step 4: Decorating the Crown This is the most exciting part. Begin by making six fleurs-de-lis from the Mod Podge Mod Mold Royal Icons and glue to the larger fleur-de-lis using pastillage gel (which is pastillage mixed with water). Then create a small pearl using the Wilton Damask Fondant mold, then glue it to the crown. I used royal blue and red fondant or pastillage to make the crown jewelry with the Wilton Jewelry Mold. Be creative and have fun. I also added another piece from the Mod Podge mold on the shorter portion of the crown. Once I was finished adding the jewelry, I sprayed the crown with the Wilton gold color mist to get a light golden color. Then mix some Egyptian gold luster dust from GSA with vodka or lemon extract and paint the crown gold. I waited until the crown was dried before adding a second coat. Do not move the crown until it is completely dried and make sure the crown is on a board so that you can move around. That is it. See… it is very easy, right? Let’s Talk Cake As I mentioned before, the cake was a royal blue tiered cake made with red velvet and vanilla flavor. They were 8 inches and a 10-inch round. To achieve the royal blue color, I used Chefmaster royal blue food color gel. By that, I mean a lot of the royal blue color gel. I let the fondant sit overnight for the color to deepen. After I covered the cake with fondant I added some shortening and dusted it with Global Sugar Art (GSA) edible hybrid royal blue luster dust. Because it is summer and there is a risk of condensation I did this immediately (learned my lesson with the black and gold cake). I dowelled the bottom tier and glued it with some royal icing. The Border To make the border for the cake I used marvelous mold fleur-de-lis mold by Elisa Strauss and Wilton Damask Fondant Mold. It is great because it lines up perfectly. I added some tylose powder to some yellow fondant and rolled out about eight to ten pieces and painted them with edible gold paint from GSA. Using the Wilton Damask mold I used the medium part to make the design around the top of the cake. I painted these as well with edible gold paint and put them to the side to dry. I added them very carefully to the side of the cake by making a pattern. Finally, the cake was complete, but, I had to wait a little bit more for the crown to dry. I carried the crown to the venue on my cake lifter. One because I did not want to touch it and risk it breaking. As an extra precaution, the crown was nestled in between the cake box and the box of cupcakes with a piece of non-slip mat. Because I am over-cautious, I packed the cake using the steps from my post “5 Secrets to Delivering Cakes Safely.” I had to drive 20 miles with the cake and I was nervous. I went through the checklist in my head over and over again to make sure I covered all my bases. Once I got to the venue it was the moment of truth. Everything arrived in one piece. I was relieved. Another cake success. Send us a comment below with all your cake stories. This page contains affiliate links which means that, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase. Thank you very much for your support.

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Top 10 Tools Every Cake Decorator should have

Fri, 04 Aug 2017 13:00:42 +0000

Cake decorating is exciting. There are many tools, cutters, design/techniques, and courses available. As a self-taught cake decorator, I wish I knew in the beginning, what I know now. I have learned over time what tools are essential to be an effective cake decorator. I have compiled a list of ten tools that I believe every cake decorator should have. These are my absolute favorite tools and are the main tools that I use today. It was very difficult to narrow it down to just ten because I have so many tools. Here are my top 10 tools every cake decorator should have. All tools are up to your discretion, I am not saying to run out and buy them all, however, you accumulate over time. 1. The Mat The Mat from Sweetwise is my absolutely favorite tool. It is used to roll out fondant and to cover cakes. I love it because, when you roll out the fondant, it stays on the mat, therefore you avoid ripped fondant. Also, no cornstarch is needed and you end up using less fondant and who doesn’t like that? If you are intimidated by fondant, this is your best tool. 2. Level The level is also one of my favorite tools and it is very essential. It is used to make sure your cakes are leveled. No one wants a cake that looks like the leaning tower of Pisa. Usually I make sure the cake is leveled from the moment I add the filling, then, I check again once I have frosted the cake. I purchased my level at the local hardware store. The most interesting part, was the look on the sales associate’s face when I explained that I was using it for cakes. I cannot stress more, how important this tool is. 3. Pizza Cutter I used pizza cutter to cut fondant. It is one of the best and cheapest tool you can find. The pizza cutter leaves a smooth edge and can cut very close to the cake base that is covered with fondant. A very useful tool. 4. Cake Turntable A cake turntable is essential for frosting a cake and also covering a cake in fondant. I use the Wilton turntable and I must say it makes frosting a cake much easier. When I started decorating cakes, I did not know this existed and I made a lot of my cakes by hand (you don’t want to see my beauties). However, once I found the turntable at JoAnn’s there was no turning back. The one below I believe is a 10 inch, if you decorate larger cakes, I recommend a turntable extender. 5. Bench Scraper Bench scraper is another essential tool. I use it in conjunction with the cake turntable. It is a lifesaver for frosting a cake. Use by holding at a 90 degree angle while turning the cake turntable and you will have smooth frosting. It also removes all the excess frosting from the side of the cake and the top. It produces straight edges with less effort. I bought mine at the 99 cent store; however, you can find larger ones at the hardware store. 6.Offset Spatula There is no better tool for frosting a cake like an offset spatula. I like it because it is so versatile. The offset spatula makes it very easy to put frosting around a cake evenly and smoothly. It is also useful for lifting cakes. Offset spatulas come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The smaller ones are better for smaller cakes, while large ones are better for a big or a tall cake. I use both sizes equally. 7. Clay Extruder The clay extruder is another life saver. It is extremely useful to make fondant ropes, borders and even hair for your figures. I used it to make web for my Spiderman cake. It has multiple discs to choose from so it can be used for many projects. It works best with very soft fondant, but you have to condition it first with vegetable shortening before placing it inside the extruder. 8. Carving knife Carving knifes are essential for sculpting cakes, slicing cakes into multiple layer, leveling the tops of cake and trimming the sides of cakes. You need a good knife to carve a cake. The knife should be strong and have a serrated edge. I have a medium size knife that I use for smaller cakes and a large one from Cake Boss that I use for larger cakes. The cake boss serrated knife comes with a sheath to protect between uses. Be very careful with the knife, remember it is not for fingers **ouch**. 9. Pasta Machine A pasta machine is great for making gum paste flowers and for design elements such as fondant ruffles. It saves a great deal of time and is worth the investment. I used the pasta machine to make a cake with fondant ruffle flowers (picture to the right) and while I spent hours (felt more like days) working on the fondant ruffles, it came out beautiful. In addition, each piece of fondant or gum paste can be rolled out to multiple thicknesses. Keep in mind, the machine will not make strips wider than 6 inches. I recommend purchasing the one that clamps to the table for stability. 10. X-acto Knife The X-acto knife is perfect for making clean cuts on fondant. Once I discovered this tool there was no going back. I use it now for all my cake projects. For best results, keep your X-acto blade clean and sharp. Remember to wipe your blade on a damp cloth after each use to keep it clean. Any residue of fondant or gumpaste left on the blade can make the edges of rough. If you have other tools that you use that you think are useful, post a comment below. Happy caking. This page contains affiliate links which means that, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase. Thank you very much for your support. Save Save Save

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