A Daffy, Bunny, Piggy Birthday Cake!

This cake was a gift to an avid Looney Toons collector.  Since she was a small child, she has always yearned for a "special" birthday cake, so what better than a cake featuring Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, and Porky Pig!

The 12" round, 2 inch tall cake is chocolate fudge cake filled with cookies & cream mousse, iced in vanilla buttercream. It would server 24.  The top of the cake is a fondant plaque with hand cut "cartoons" of the 3 Looney Toons icons. The sides are decorated with small, primary colored edible quins.

"That's All, Folks!"

Diamonds & Bows--a special 25th

I was contacted by the winner of a charity auction certificate about making a cake for her parent's 25th wedding anniversary.  Unfortunately, I was going to be out of town the day of the party, but I assured her that if she had enough freezer and refrigerator space, she could have almost any cake she wanted.

I absolutely DO NOT freeze my cakes as part of my regular practice as a baker & decorator, but there have been several times when someone has wanted/needed a cake on a date when I was not going to be in town.  I was taught a method of freezing and defrosting a decorated cake for up to several weeks that will keep it looking perfect and tasting fresh-baked.  I take care to create a design that can fit in the freezer & refrigerator space available to the recipient and I include detailed instructions about how to properly care for the cake so that it arrives at the table looking it's best.

This cake was a 2 tier, stacked marble cake (a 9" tier + a 7" tier to serve 40) with vanilla buttercream icing, quilting with hand made fondant "dragees", a hand modeled fondant "25", and a gum paste fluffy bow on a gum paste plaque.

The photo of the cake was taken AFTER it was frozen for a week and then defrosted for 24 hrs.  The recipient positioned the bow topper & the "25" after the cake had come to room temp., right before her party.

Because I couldn't take my own photo of the completed cake, the recipient graciously sent me the above picture and stated in her e-mail, "Again Thank you so much! It was beautiful and delicious!"

Hubby Breaks Another Speed Limit !

For the first time in 15 years, we were able to spend Thanksgiving with my in-laws in New Hampshire.  My DH's birthday always falls around Turkey Day, so I took advantage of having lots of family around and made him a birthday cake.  Yes, he has a cake decorator wife, but only gets a birthday cake every 5 years, or so, go figure.......
Poor guy, he also got about the simplest cake possible--a speed limit sign marking his 55th.

The cake is a 9x13x2 that would serve 24, french vanilla with vanilla buttercream.  I did jazz it up by putting 20 long black sparkler candles in the numbers for serving--you know, the kind that refuse to go out......

Fish & Chips!

I attended the White Rose Cake Show and the PA ICES Day of Sharing this past weekend and was fortunate enough to take 2 classes with Janet Brown.  Janet specializes in 3D sculpted cakes that are airbrushed to look realistic.

My first class was a sculpted big mouth bass from chocolate cake covered in buttercream with fondant fins.  Not completely finished--that stare is a little....blank.....and he needs a few garnishes on the platter.....

My second cake was a bag of potato chips--again, chocolate cake covered in buttercream with a fondant "bag".  The chips are textured fondant.  This one, too, needs a few details to be completed--a few more chips and a label should do it.

These are just sooo much fun to do.  I'm getting the hang of the airbrush.......maybe the car could use a few flames on the fenders..........hmmmm.......

Shower of Flowers

This cake was made to match a bridal shower invitation--pale violet background with a stylized bride tossing her bouquet.  All of the decorations were hand cut.

The cake was yellow with strawberry cream cheese mousse filling and vanilla buttercream covered in vanilla flavored fondant.  It would serve 40 easily.

James & The Giant Beatles Album

James turned 15 on 10/10/10, so a special cake was in order.  His interests include The Beatles, playing the bass, acting, and golf.  He hopes to study film making in college.  His 2 dogs--a beautiful blue-eyed husky and a red-haired golden retriever--are his special companions.  I tried to include it ALL on the cake--somewhere.

The cake is a 10" square devil's food filled and iced with vanilla buttercream.  It would easily serve 30.  The outer covering is blue vanilla fondant.  All of the figures and decorations are hand modeled.

James got a new iPod for his birthday, so this is already outdated!

Cupcakes a la Hawaii

For the Ohio ICES Day of Sharing, members  were asked to do something special with a dozen cupcakes.  The cupcakes served as centerpieces for our luncheon tables and after lunch, they were donated to the Ronald McDonald House. 
I wanted my cupcakes to be bright and 100% edible, so I chose to make a Hawaiian lei using modeling chocolate hibiscus flowers and leaves.  All of the flowers and leaves were hand modeled.  The cupcakes are orange creamsicle filled with white chocolate mousse and iced with vanilla buttercream.

News Flash! World Travelers Marry!

Alex and Kristen met online, moved to Africa, got engaged at an elephant park where lions lurked, returned to Brooklyn, got married, moved to Wisconsin with their cat, Squee, and on a lovely September day came to Cleveland for a pig roast to celebrate their status as "Just Married".

Alex's mom request a cake to chronicle the newlywed's journey.  This was my interpretation:

The happy couple sits atop moving boxes--undoubtedly one of hundreds that they've seen over the past few years--surrounded by the continent of Africa and the 3 states that have figured prominently in their new married life--New York, Wisconsin, and Ohio.

A sleeping elephant reclines on Africa, entwined wedding rings and the yellow rose and coneflowers from Kristen's wedding bouquet sit atop New York, Squee the cat pops out of a moving carton on Wisconsin, and a roast pig with an apple in it's mouth rests on Ohio.

The cake is a 7x11x4"high white cake with lemon zest custard filling, iced in vanilla buttercream.  It would serve 24-36.  The suitcase covering is fondant.  All of the decorations are hand modeled fondant.  Everything is completely edible.

It's Rocket Man, It's Batman--NO--It's Ron Heitman's 70th Birthday!

Here in Cleveland, every once in awhile, on a lovely sunny day, you can be driving down I-271 and do a double-take when what goes ZOOMMMMM-ing by ????  THE ROCKET CAR!  Now, you say, what the devil is The Rocket Car?  It's a beautifully restored ride from the now defunct Euclid Beach Amusement Park.  Or, perhaps you'll see a sleek looking 2 seater with blinding chrome trim, huge fins, and FIRE coming out of the rear exhaust!  Yep, it's a BATMOBILE--restored and tearing up the highway.
The owner/restorer of these marvelous icons, Ron Heitman, celebrated his 70th birthday recently and I was asked to re-create them in cake.  To round out the display (and the number of servings), I also made a Snap-On tool chest, complete with his initials carved in the top.
The tool chest was devil's food cake with vanilla buttercream.  It served 75+.  The open drawer of the chest was yellow pound cake with cookies 'n cream filling.  It served  18.  The rocket car was marble pound cake with cookies 'n cream filling.  It served 24+.  The Batmobile was also marble pound cake and served 12+.  All  were covered in fondant with hand modeled and hand painted accents.

ICES 2010--Hangin' 10 in San Diego!

My annual convention for the International Cake Exploration Societe (ICES)  was held in San Diego, CA in August.  George and I carried 2 small cakes on the plane for display in the Cake Shack.  They wound up being THE representatives for OH.

The birdhouse cake was done in a class with Lisa M. Hook in Michigan last summer.  All of the river rocks covering it are hand modeled.

The blue square cake is done in the style of Nirvana using royal icing panels for the sides.  The daisies are fondant.

I also took 2 hands on classes while in San Diego.  The first was a carved and airbrushed shark cake class taught by Mike Elder, the 3 time winner of the Ultimate Cake Challenge on TLC.  Great teacher and fun class.  He wasn't as mean as he looks................Mike or my shark!

My second class was making tropical flowers from modeling chocolate.  It was pretty warm and humid, so I wasn't happy with the results, but I got the idea!

I could also include the HUNDREDS of pics I took of the magnificent roses that were growing everywhere at the resort, but I won't.  It was a fantastic time to be in San Diego and while I played, George was able to help gather a few more goodies for the WLM.  All in all, a wonderful trip.

A Hot Time in Texas!

In August, I was fortunate to be able to combine 2 things that I really love into one, week-long trip to Austin, TX--an extended visit with my adorable 5 month old grandson, Connor, and his parents  AND 6 days of classes plus the Capital Confectioner's Day of Sharing with British cake artist, Stephen Benison!

The first set of classes produced this amazing black and white beauty.  The intricate side appliques are all hand cut, but applied in a grouping so that each design is identical.  The butterfly is meant to look like it's getting ready to take off................We used an array of cutters in a variety of unusual ways to create designs.

The second set of classes was making a floral spray, shoes, and handbags.

My third class with Stephen involved making a sampler cake using many of his original cutters and topping it with a handcut magnolia blossom with stylized petals.

So much work done in 5 days, but so many amazing ideas and techniques to show for it!  I had a wonderful time and hope that I can do it again.

A Tribute to Alaska

This was my entry into the Cove Country Cake Competition in Bedford, PA this past weekend. It's a dummy construction with some modeled RKTs for the brim if the hat.


The theme for cakes was "Location, Location, Location". I chose Alaska as an homage to my DH's 1/8th Haida-Tlingit heritage. Those are the native peoples noted for their totem poles.

The bottom, 2" tier is a tribal drum, hand painted with traced tribal symbols.

The center tier is an 8" cube made to look like a Haida bentwood box with hand modeled and carved totemic icons made of modeling chocolate and painted in authentic colors (black, red, and blue-green).

The top tier is made to look like a Tlingit woven grass rainhat handpainted freehand with an authentic replica cartoon of several sea creatures (we think the one on the front is a seal/sea lion and the one on the back is a king crab). The core of it is styrofoam and the brim is modeled RKTs. The texture was done freehand, as well.

At the base of the cake on the back is a small red & black Haida button blanket with an appliqued thunderbird.

All of the coverings are fondant.

I had a wonderful time making this cake using inspirations from what I've actually seen in Alaska on several trips. It placed 2nd in the Aspiring Pro category.

Tea Time with a Gift Box & Roses

This gift box cake was for a summer afternoon bridal tea.  It was designed using elements from the event invitation. 

The cake consists of 4, 8x8x2 inch layers of white cake filled with lemon mousse and iced in pink buttercream.  It would serve 40.  The outer "wrapping" is vanilla fondant.  The bow is gum paste with mini green fondant pearl trim.  The roses are modeling chocolate.  Everything is edible.

A Toast to Shopping, Curling, & Real Estate

A big surprise party was planned for Liz's 60th birthday.  The hostess wanted to showcase the birthday girl's interests in curling and shopping, as well as her position as a realtor for Howard Hanna.

The shopping bag IS the cake.  It is a yellow cake with chocolate buttercream filling & icing.  It will serve 45.  In order to maintain clean lines, the cake is covered first in fondant and then gum paste panels painted with the store logo.  The panels are then applied to the cake with melted white chocolate.  The tissue paper is very thinly rolled fondant.  The pearl necklace is fondant, too.

The For Sale sign is hand painted gum paste.  The curling broom is cereal treats covered in chocolate & fondant with a plastic handle inserted.  The curling stone is cake with a gum paste handle.  The martini is cake crumbs mixed with icing, a buttercream "froth", and fondant olives, accented with a fondant napkin.

Fit To Be Tie (Dyed)

My, how time flies!  Jordan is now 11 !  It seems like yesterday that she was turning 9 and wanted butterflies and polka dots...............Now, it's Tie Dye and peace signs!

In addition to the photo of the completed cake, you can see the batter in the pans before baking and also what the cake looked like when cut.

Everything is edible, except for the peace sign topper (it is made of fondant, but it has a wire in the center and is covered in pixie dust).  I made a mold for the small peace signs.  The smiley faces are done with edible marker.

The cake is white cake with malted chocolate filling and would serve 25.

A Custom Gown for Dessert

This was a small cake for a bridal luncheon.
I designed the fondant dress based on the current styles of strapless and with voluminous "pick-ups" for the skirt.  There are "crystal" bands on the bodice and dropped waist made of sanding sugar.
The edible bouquet is a group of miniature fondant roses and leaves with fine pink fondant ribbons.
The cake is pink velvet with malted buttercream filling, iced in bright pink buttercream and would serve 20.

Coat & Tie Required............

My younger son just completed his 3rd year in pharmacy school. Parents were invited to a ceremony at which the students received their white pharmacy jackets and took a pledge of professionalism.

To surprise him, I made this "white coat" cake. The cake is lemon with vanilla buttercream icing. The shirt and tie were made of fondant in the school colors. The white coat is vanilla fondant.

Reports from the dorm were that the cake was a hit and that even the girls who "don't eat cake" really enjoyed it.

A Lavender First Communion

This cake was for Allison's First Communion held at the Manakiki Golf Course in Willoughby Hills, OH. Her mom and dad found a picture of cake that they liked and asked me to replicate it.

The 3 tier square cake, to serve 80 guests, is covered in vanilla fondant with vanilla buttercream icing. The lavender draping is also fondant. The top and bottom tiers are lemon cake with raspberry mousse filling. The middle cake is pink velvet with vanilla buttercream filling.

The roses are modeling chocolate and the cross is molded white chocolate. The plaque is gum paste printed with edible marker. The rosary is also gum paste. Everything on this cake could be eaten!

ICES Day of Sharing Spring 2010

I spent today having fun at the International Cake Exploration Societie Day of Sharing for the Ohio Chapter. It's sort of like a union meeting for people who enjoy cake decorating.

I took a class from Jing Palasique, Certified Master Sugar Artist, creating roses, orchids, and lilies from modeling chocolate. I love the results and I learned some great tricks. He's a delightful instructor, too.

The OH ICES chapter asked for members to make cakes with chocolate icing to be used as centerpieces for our luncheon. The cakes would then be donated to the Columbus, OH Ronald McDonald House. The theme was a colorful birthday.

I made a chocolate fudge cake with cookies & creme mousse filling and malted chocolate icing.

I created an edible bow and ribbon out of fondant and modeling chocolate to match the decorative paper on the cake board. I then trimmed the bottom of the cake with fondant balls in the color pattern on the paper. The 8" round would serve 20.