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.