As long as they're happy...

So, I have to admit...my first wedding cake was definitely a challenge...especially since the happy couple requested cream cheese frosting. It may taste great, but it is awfully difficult to decorate with and it melts and smooshes so much quicker than regular butter cream. In any case, this was the task at hand and I did it because I love my friend. Here is how the first step looked:

The crumb coat is always the ugliest, but it makes the rest of the frosting glide on easier. For better or for worse, here is how the second step turned out:

TJ helped me out by researching ways to help smooth out the surface after the frosting has been applied. It worked for the most part, but this girl needs to purchase some better tools. After this had time to harden, I added the "final touch" to the cake. Blue ribbon. Originally, I wanted to use my wide piping tip, but it seemed too big and I didn't want half the cake to be blue.

The bride wanted a simple design with not too many designs, so I listened. At the last minute, there was no cake topper, but thankfully, the wedding planner [like any good wedding planner] came up with some nifty last-minute touches. Extra flowers to the rescue! Here is the final product.

Overall, it turned out okay--tasted great! I have learned some to-dos and not-to-dos during this experience, and I'll only get better with time. I had a great time at my friend's wedding, and I know she was happy to have me make her cake. Love you, Mrs. F.!

Wedding Cake -- Part 1

Cream Cheese Frosting. Need I say more? Tomorrow, I make the cake and slice into layers.

Trial and....argh...

Whenever I make a new product for a customer, I always do a test cake to make sure I work out all the kinks before the final product is to be delivered. This week, I'm supposed to make a wedding cake for Saturday. I had everything planned out in my head and I wanted to do the sample cake. Fortunately, I found some kinks that I need to work out, and I'll have my final sample cake done by tonight.

Always remember, do a trial run before you make something for a special event. Make sure you have plenty of time and materials. It's always better to make way more than you need than to just run out of something.

Ugly is Sweet

I'm going bananas! Well, because I purchased over 3 big bunches of them last night at the grocery store. I'm getting them super ripe for the big wedding cake that is due March 10. Really, it's got to be completed March 9 so that I can assemble it on-site Saturday morning.

When you eat a banana, you like the ones that are generally nice and yellow, no green spots, and very few brown spots. This is an awful banana to be used for baking. The ugly, overripe brown ones are going to be the sweetest and the softest for your batter. Embrace the ugly ones--you'll have a better tasting cake.

*UPDATE: My cake boards, dowels, big piping tip, and dowels came in the mail today! All is good. On another note, the wedding planner emailed me. I feel all professional and stuff, lol. This is looking up and I am so looking forward to the wedding day. GO BANANA CAKE!

How do you like YOUR guitar?

Two more weeks!

No, not two more weeks until something big for me. It's something very wonderful for my friend--she's getting married! I am making her main wedding cake. I've done a stacked cake once before, but it was for a bridal shower, and not nearly as big as this one is going to be. It's also going to be square, not round like you're used to seeing. I also have another challenge in front of me, and that's using cream cheese frosting instead of regular butter cream. Since it's not as sturdy as butter cream, I'll have to MAKE it sturdier by adding...well, more butter, of course! I have supplies for the "stack" part of the project, so I'll be able to gauge difficulty once those arrive. As for now, I'm hoping to have a sample cake made by next Monday at the latest. I'll keep you posted on the progress. When it's complete, I'll definitely post pictures.

~Kat