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.