Clematis Cupcake Trellis!

I am very excited to be sharing my latest project today!

This is a cupcake display I made for a friend's baby shower over the weekend!  Her mom called me and asked me to create something for the garden themed shower.  She mentioned that she liked clematis and I ran with it!  I had actually been wanting to try making this flower for quite some time! 

Now, the challenge was figuring out how to display the cupcakes.  So naturally, I had to pick something I didn't really know if I could pull off!  But, sometimes the coolest things we do, are the ones that seem like the most difficult.  I say seem difficult, because it was actually fairly easy to put together.  I spent more time obsessing about it, than building it.... I even let my husband help me with the custom trellis construction!

The most time consuming part, to say the least was the flowers!  The trellis held a total of 42 cupcakes (21 on each side), that means 42 gumpaste clematis flowers... with 6, individually wired petals on each.  So, that's 252 individual petals... and I couldn't just leave them the flat purple color of the gumpaste I used.  Noooooo.... I had to dust each petal with a gradient of purple on the edges and give them a pinkish stripe down the center, for "dimension" and "realism." 

Lol, it was a lot of work, many late nights working on them after the kiddo was asleep.  But, in the end totally and completely worth it!  Guests at the shower didn't even realize that this was a cupcake display until the hostess made an announcement!  Then there was a lot of, "Oh!  I thought they were real!" and "Wait, you MADE these?!"  So, my mission was accomplished!  This project was definitely a few steps out of my comfort zone.  But, it ended up being much simpler than I thought.  And, if we don't challenge ourselves, how will we ever know what we are capable of?

There really are cupcakes under those flowers!  Each cupcake was sitting in a little wire hoop.  The vines and foliage were purchased artificial vines... There was NO way, i was going to have time to make a bazillion leaves n addition to all of the flowers!!

And, am patting myself on the back a little for this... I took video footage and documented the construction of my display!  So, i can put together a tutorial, materials list and measurements to share with all of you!  It is going to take me a little time, I have to find a couple of "slow" days to sit down and edit all of the clips I took... but hopefully I'll have something to post soon :)

Happy Caking :)

New Cake Decorating Product Line!!

So, I have this problem... I go to the store "just for one thing" and then I spend an hour looking around, usually purchasing way more than I intended!

Today, when I ran to Michael's, just for one thing... I moseyed on over to the cake decorating aisle.  Usually, I just poke around and check out any new products from Wilton or Duff and keep an eye out for clearance items.  Well today... I was happily surprised to see a brand new line of cake decorating supplies!

The new line is from LittleVenice Cake Company by docrafts!  I was drawn to the dramatic and elegant packaging... but the items look to be high quality.

The line features a lot of products you would expect: icing tips, spatulas, etc...  but there were also some products I hadn't seen before!

 

I'm not sure how the quality of Little Venice Cake Company icing tips compare to Wilton's, but I like the pink case!

Again, I'm not sure that disposable piping bags can be better or worse than the one's Wilton offers, but I did pick up a box to try out... I needed the anyway ;)

This "Modeling Mat" is one of the products I was really happy to see... It would be incredibly useful for making gumpaste flowers.  I use a larger white pad, and I love having the extra space so I can work on multiple petals at a time.  Up until now, all I've seen at the craft stores is the tiny Wilton square set.  And I was never all impressed by that.  I think this will be a good buy for anyone getting into sugar flowers!

The line includes two different fondant smoothers... One is rounded on the ends and is called a "Flat Smoother" and the other is squared off a the ends and also has a little "lip" at a 90° angle on one side.  I think this is a neat feature for anyone who has trouble keeping their sides perpendicular!  I'm guessing the rounded one is for working on the top of the cake...

There were a couple of other interesting items they had that I didn't photograph:

• The Non-Stick Icing Sheet- I think this would work pretty much like re-usable parchment paper.  I didn't read the package closely enough to see if it is heat/oven proof.  But there are plenty of times when I need to cut out gumpaste and/or fondant to dry on a non-stick surface.  Parchment paper can wrinkle, but I think this product would work beautifully.  I imagine there are so many different uses for it!
• Clear Work Boards- There are several different sizes of these work boards, and these might be what I'm most excited about!  Yes, they are just clear acrylic boards.  But, I can see myself using these ALL the time.  First, instead of the disposable cardboard rounds I use when working with a tier, I could use these.  Then just wash and reuse... less waste, and in the long term probably cheaper.  And second, I've been playing with a new method for smoothing my buttercream to get straight sides.  The cardboard rounds I use can give me ridges in the buttercream if I press too hard.  Because the acrylic rounds have smooth sides, I could eliminate that!
• 12" Serrated Cake Knife- I've been using a smaller bread knife to level and torte my cakes.  I was excited to see this, or a good price, so I picked it up!  I haven't used it yet, so I can't comment on the quality yet.  But, it is nice to see a good sized serrated cake knife at an accessible location and for relatively cheap.

There are so many new products that I couldn't possibly list and discuss them all here.  I'm not sure how many retailers are carrying the Little Venice Cake Company line, yet.  If you don't see them at Michael's, or want to see the full line, I know you can check everything out online at Joann Fabric and Crafts!

I am hoping that the products in the Little Venice Cake Company line are in deed good quality and gain popularity.  I love that Michael's is carrying them.  For so long Wilton has had the monopoly on cake decorating supplies.  Duff brand has some stuff, but most of his line seems gimmicky, geared towards people wanting to try making a cool cake once.  Not so much for people wanting to build a supply of quality, professional tools for cake decorating.  For me, Wilton's supplies are hit or miss... there are some useful things, and the brand is everywhere, so it is convenient to buy... but I almost never do.

I'll be sure to let you know how I like the items I bought!!

Happy Caking :)

CakeMasters: A new instruction platform!

Hello Everyone!

Okay, so I've been harping about my love for Craftsy for a while now... so you MAY be sick of hearing cake classes... BUT, I just found out about a brand new platform and feel compelled to tell you all about it!

I got a newsletter from Petalsweet... I love Jacqueline Butler and think she is such an amazing sugar artist.  I usually read her newsletter, see all the wonderful places that she will be teaching- that are not at all near me :(  I've had the pleasure of taking her Handcrafted Sugar Flowers class on Craftsy.   I really loved the class... it teaches hydrangea, filler blossoms and leaves.  You can see what I created from the class here!  Honestly, I probably only tried the class in the first place because I'm such a fan of Jacquelines's!

If you want to take Jacqueline's Craftsy class, it is still available for purchase... however it is "student led" meaning Jacqueline no longer answers questions or monitors comments.  She left Craftsy to move on to some other projects... which is why, in my Petalsweet newletter she announced her class/upcomming classes on CakeMasters!  Similar to Craftsy, CakeMasters offers an array of online cake courses taught by well-known sugar artists!

So far they don't have a ton to offer, a lot of basic classes and some figures.  But Jacqueline has a video demonstrating her beautiful gardenia, buds and leaves!  The prices are in AUD... and averages aboug $19.95 AUD but that converts to $21.00 USD, so it's still a great deal!  There are several different price points depending on the classes... but the more advanced ones seem to be about the same cost.

As much as I love Jaqueline and her flowers, I think the first class I am going to try is one by Kaysie Lackey.  You can view her demonstration of a four-point bow for free!  But, I love her famous "Klimt Cake," and guess what, she has a class demonstrating the technique here!  Kaysie is the owner of The Peoples Cake... another artist that I am a huge fan and avid follower of!

Well, I know I owe you some tutorials, recipe or pictures of my creations!  I have a few things planned in the next few weeks... keep your eyes peeled!

Happy Caking :)

Announcing new Craftsy Classes!

Hello everyone!  And Happy Monday!  Okay, so most people aren't all that excited about Monday's... but us cake decorators/bakers, it's our slow day!  But, we're even... because on Friday's when everyone is like "wahoo, it's Friday!" or "TGIF," cake decorators everywhere are hunkering down to finish cakes for the weekend.  Anyway, I digress...

Happy Monday everyone!

I'm excited because I've picked out the next Craftsy classes I'm going to take!  If you aren't familiar with Craftsy, I highly recommend you check them out.  You can take all kinds of craft courses online.  I've already taken quite a few, and I have to get caught up on my reviews!  But, I've seen a couple of new ones posted that I'm excited about!

The first is How to Start a Cake Business.

How to Start a Cake Business - $29.99

Retail Price: $39.99

You Save: $10.00

Now, I do have a cake business... but I'm always looking for business advice and ideas to grow my business... or even just ideas to make sure it runs efficiently.  And because this industry is such a fast growing one, it's a topic that I've found lots of other cake decorators/bakers looking for advice for.  If you frequent Cake Central, then you are probably familiar with the countless posts asking other members for business advice.  I am so excited that Craftsy has made this class and I cannot wait to check it out!  Be sure to look for the review to follow soon!

The other new class I am excited about is How to Teach it.

 

How to Teach It - $29.99

Retail Price: $39.99

You Save: $10.00

I already do tutorials on my YouTube channel.  But, I'm always looking for ways to improve how I present things.  And I've also found a venue near me where I could potentially hold hands-on classes!  But teaching a real life class is much different that putting together a relatively short demonstration of how to do things!  I'm also not great at coming up with ideas for things to teach/demonstrate!  So, I am hoping that this class will be a great tool for me to grow as a teacher!

As soon as I have completed these courses I'll post my thoughts/reviews.  But, until then, take a look at other Craftsy classes that I've already reviewed!

I didn't decorate any cakes over the holiday weekend, so I don't have any new creations to share... but I did enlist my son and nephew to decorate cakes for me.  So you can check them out working on their masterpieces!

UPDATE: Craftsy just announced their "Spring Sale."  From today, April 5th through Monday, April 8th they will have a different set of classes on sale for up to 75% off each day!

Happy Caking :)

Moroccan Themed (Baby Shower) Cake!

Hey there!  I have another cake to share!  This cake was for a Moroccan themed baby shower!  My client wanted a beautiful, elegant cake that didn't scream "baby shower."  I was sent this link as inspiration: A Fabulous Moroccan Baby Shower.  If you checked out the link, then you'll know why I got excited about designing this cake!  Look at all the fun, vibrant colors!

After a minor adjustment to they type of flowers I would use... I came up with this final sketch.

And.... this is the completed cake!

... I love it!

The top tier was inspired by the gold headdress I saw in the inspiration photos.... I piped the chain with royal icing and made the little charms from fondant.

Rather than red roses, we went with a less formal, golden yellow, "fantasy" fashion flower.  I used my peony cutters and embossed the petals with a "Moroccan-esque" pattern.  The flowers were dusted with gold luster dust and the edges of the petals painted with 24k gold dust/paint!

 My favorite part of working on this cake (well at least one of my favorites) was painting everything gold!!

 

This cake was so much fun to design and to work on.  I really love how it came out! I love the fun colors, the gold detail and the pretty flowers!

Thanks for taking a look at my photos... I hope you were inspired!

Happy Caking :)

Cinderella Sweet 16 Birthday Cake!

Hello everyone!  I am so excited to be updating my blog with this latest cake... I think I say this about each cake I post... but this is my NEW favorite!

I was asked to make a Cinderella themed cake for a Cinderella's Ball Sweet 16 Party!  I had sketched the cake, and promised a gumpaste shoe topper... but really wanted to try and make it look like a "glass" slipper using sugar/isomalt!

I started by making a paper mock-up so I would have an accurate template.

...and here is the sugar version (it's actually isomalt, which I had heard was a bit easier to work with!)

Okay, since I really liked this cake, I have a LOT of favorite pictures of it!  I don't know if you all like looking at cake pictures as much as I do.  So, if you don't, I apologize for the bombardment of photos.... I really tried to keep it down to a minimum!

 I tried to get some detail shots of the shoe, but it's not so easy to photography something clear!  I used the hearts from the Wilton Baroque mold as embellishment on the toe and heel!

 I'm just SO pleased with how the shoe turned out... considering this is the first time I've worked with sugar/isomalt!

 

The top tier was inspired by a beautiful Cinderella themed wedding cake I made by Carrie's Cakes!

For the swags on the bottom tier I used a technique I saw demonstrated in the Craftsy class "Jeweled Wedding Cake" with Marina Sousa.  Next time I think I would space them closer together!

Well, thank you for looking at my latest creation!  I am thinking of putting together a tutorial for the Glass Slipper, if I do, I will update with a link!

Happy Caking :)

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe- With Video!

One of my first few blog posts was my Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe.  It never occurred to me to make a video... I went on to eventually film a video of my smoothing technique.  Since that post, my SMBC recipe has been my most requested video!  So, I've finally done it!

*The recipe I filmed is a smaller quantity than my previously posted recipe.  I've also since started measuring my recipes by weight instead of volume.  So, I am re-posting this recipe with the measurements from my video.  It's a pretty simple recipe and can easily be halved, doubled, tripled, etc... to suit your needs!

Ingredients
*all measurements are by weight!

• 4oz egg whites (I recommend using REAL eggs, not carton egg whites)
• 8oz granulated sugar
• 12oz unsalted Butter (room temperature and cut into pieces)
• pinch of Salt
• 1-2 tbsp vanilla extract (or flavoring of your choice)

Directions

1. In the bowl of your stand mixer add your egg whites and a pinch of salt.  Whisk the eggs whites lightly to break them up, until they are lightly bubbly.
2. Add the granulated sugar and whisk to combine.
3. Place bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk continuously until the mixture is whitish, opaque and a small dribble of it on your finger no longer feels grainy.  Egg whites cook at about 140°F, and sugar melts around 186°F... so if the mixture is no longer grainy, your egg whites are cooked, the sugar is melted and it is safe for consumptions. (you can use a candy thermometer and make sure the mixture reaches 160°F, if you want to make sure it reaches the proper temperature).
4. Once the mixture is "cooked", put the bowl on your mixer and with the whisk attachment, whip your egg whites on med-high.  You are creating the meringue.  You want to whip the mixture until the bowl is no longer hot to the touch, the egg whites are at about room temperature and have reached stiff peaks.  I usually crack a window next to my counter and angle the mixer towards it.
5. After the meringue has reach "stiff peaks" and is room temperature (VERY important otherwise the butter will just melt and you will have a soupy mess!) stop the mixer and remove the whisk attachment (scrape off as much of that luscious meringue as possible)...
6. Then switch to the paddle attachment and with the mixer running on low, slowly add the butter.
7. Continue mixing on low speed until you have a nice thick and smooth buttercream!  You may see your mixture go through "stages" from curdled to soupy, but be patient!  It will come together, at the end you will have a lovely, smooth and silky Swiss Meringue Buttercream!
8. When your SMBC has come together it is time to add your flavorings.  For vanilla, add about 1-2 tbsp of vanilla extract and mix on low until it is incorporated (SMBC can take a lot of flavoring, just add a little at a time until you are satisfied with the flavor!).
9. That's it!  This recipe should yield about 3 cups.

Thanks for watching my video... and I hope you will try this recipe!

Happy Caking :)