Romantic Damask

Lately I've been seeing damask styles everywhere! I actually think I might be late to jump on this technique. I've specifically seen them in beautiful cake designs. I decided to try it out recently and was quite pleased with the results.

This cake was quite daunting to me as I hadn't done something like it before. I planned and researched and imagined myself making it for a whole week! I am grateful that I was given the opportunity to make it.

But imaging yourself doing something is TOTALLY different from actually doing it (duh).

For example, I didn't imagine all the dishwashing, cleaning, scrubbing, and back pain but all those things were as real as ever!

That's probably what I hate most about making cakes...the cleaning :(

Back to the cake...I was super excited when I got my order of stencils from Flour Confections. I love that store and spend hours on their website all day errrday! They are so efficient with delivery and answering questions and have a lot of products that you can't find at other baking supply stores. Their prices are also not bad...compared to some other stores *cough* Golda's Kitchen *cough*.

I was so nervous about getting the stencilling right. I watched many Youtube videos that said it was tricky and gets better with practice. It definitely wasn't as bad as I had imagined it to be!!

Mind you, there were still some things I wanted to scrap and fix but all in all, I think the cake turned out beautiful and I'm happy that the people I made it for were also happy. Inside is a yummy rich chocolate cake with coconut swiss meringue buttercream....THE bomb dot com!

I miss my photographer roommate who took such beautiful pictures of my creations. I'm doing my best with my little point and shoot but honestly...apples and oranges. And I don't have the creative angle and eye of a photographer. MUST....LEARN....PHOTOGRAPHY!

Rose Cake

Today is a milestone! I know I say that a lot, but this one is for realz!!!

And technically it wasn't today, it was last weekend....but the excitement carries!

I officially had my first client/customer/person-who-I-didn't-just-give-cake-to.

Go ahead and scream and do a little victory dance for me...you know you want to...go ahead I'll wait.

I don't think I can explain the feeling of PROFESSIONALLY baking someone a cake for the first time...ever. I think its right up there with having your first kid and getting married....okay maybe not THAT far up...

It's not the getting paid part that is exciting (but it definitely don't hurt!!) but rather the feeling that someone considers your work serious and professional and GOOD enough to pay you hard earned money for it.

I think I need a tissue.

I was talking to my friend yesterday about being a cake 'artist'. I didn't consider myself to be creative or an artist because I can't draw to save my life. Then she mentioned that baking is my 'medium' just like photography is hers.

Meeedddiiiuummmm. I rolled that around in my head for a while and came to the conclusion that I am a kid with crayons. I want to do great things. Paint Mona Lisa's and be a Van Gogh in my own right (but I'm keeping both my ears). Often times though, I am my own worst critic. So for now I'm going to focus on colouring in the lines and learning bit by bit.

And today I feel like I've graduated kindergarten! Yay me!

Inspiration for this cake (and by inspiration I mean totally plagiarized) came from I am Bakers beautiful Rose Cake. I dressed it up pink and added a few nonpareils. Inside is a lemon cake and its covered in vanilla buttercream.

Credits to my super photographer Emily.

And get this guys....I EVEN SENT THE CAKE OFF IN A PROPER WHITE BOX.

*FAINTS*

Happy Baking!

21st Key Birthday Cake

My personal preference when it comes to cake decorating is usually fondant. Even though it's expensive and super annoying to colour, it gives a much cleaner appearance in my very amateur opinion. Maybe this is because most of the cake blogs and sites that I stalk usually focus on fondant art and modern, minimalist design cakes. One of these days I should do a post on all the pictures I have saved as inspirations for future cakes.

That being said, there is something truly awe-inspiring about a cake that has been fully piped. However, It seems that piping is an art that is soon going to be lost in a sea of fondant. I personally am way too intimidated to even begin learning to pipe....or so I thought.

For my friend's 21st birthday, I stuck true to the Tamil/South Indian tradition of a cake in the shape of a old key decked out with roses. This was a milestone cake for me for many reasons.

Firstly, and what I'm probably most proud of, was that it was my first time making buttercream roses. If you ask my mother though, she would point out about 5 things wrong with my roses. But I think they're pretty good for a first time.

Secondly, the entire cake was piped. Not a bit of fondant in sight. Everything from the little stars on the body of the key, to the shell border, and the lettering were all piped. Maybe I was a bit naive in that I practiced about one row on a piece of parchment and then just jumped on to the cake. I guess luck was on my side because it worked out well.

Thirdly....well there is no thirdly : )

This cake was definitely time consuming but it was pretty relaxing piping all those stars and watching TV.

I'm not too happy with the lettering though. I think I should use a template or something for those.

I also didn't start with a drawn out plan, so the positioning of the flowers was a little awkward. And finally, I think I piped the cake backwards. I first did all the stars, and then the mound of roses working bottom up. I think I should have done the roses mound top down and then piped the whole thing. Maybe next time...

And that concludes the three cake line up for the October birthdays.

Now I have some time to brush up on some cupcake skills. And plan my next cake for November :)

Finally, if you have an event coming up and would like a custom cake, do contact me. A few people have asked me if I only make these as a hobby and whether or not they could order from me. I would definitely be interested in taking orders so email me if you have a request.

I am also going to be doing some product reviews of baking equipment and tools that I have used so stay tuned!!

Now I have to get back to assignments and reading...*sigh*