Ethan's 3rd birthday

So I finally did the lighting McQueen cake., and the red and black turned out well! It took me hours of colour mixing and piping, as well as a problem with the McQueen pan (i hate those pans) everything always sticks. Tip lots and lots of shortening! YUK! Anyway, after a second attempt of the cake, it turned out well!

The final cake was chocolate, with buttercream frosting. The car shape sat on top of a 9x13 cake that was piped in a white and black chequered flag. The car was then carefully placed on top and then i decorated that which took me the best part of half a day.

The end result though was worth it, and Ethan loved his cake! So did my eldest as well, he demolished the biggest slice of cake he has ever had! Kids, chocolate and frosting, you can't go wrong!

Well my next big job will be to finish off my Christmas cakes. I have to make the marzipan, fondant decorations and the royal icing! The smell of the brandy is soooo yummy when i unwrap the cakes to top them up with more brandy!

Finale Cake Wilton fondant and gumpaste course (Day 2)

Ok so I had problems with the marzipan, the taste was great the texture was wrong maybe it was because i did not add corn syrup? I made it last year and it was perfect and rolled onto my cake easily, this time it was a nightmare! I will have to think of another use for it! and try out a new recepie for christmas!

I ended up using an apricot glaze and 2 layers of fondant, boy fondant is hard to smooth over on a cake without creases! I guess practice makes perfect with this one, i can't see much call for fully covered cakes with fondant, i know most people prefer the taste of buttercream! Ithink i woudl much rather use fondant as a decorative tool instead!

I am going to be making a cake for my friend's son's 5th birthday ( a 3D transformer cake) and he has specifially requested no fondant, he only likes buttercream.........gosh kids are pickiy these days! LOL! That's a few weeks away yet, although I am already planning it!

Finale Cake Wilton fondant and gumpaste course

just preparing my finale cake for the Wilton Fondant and gum paste course. i have decided to do a traditional British fruit cake in an 8 inch round this time (as opposed to my usual white/yellow cake) so that the cake will last until my mum and sister come in 10 days! The fruit cake and my house smelt wonderful when it came out of the oven (3hrs 15mins of baking time) Phew!

You are supposed to allow a fruit cake to sit for several weeks and allow it to soak up the brandy on a weekly basis, so although i can't do that this time, i at least have a practice cake before christamas! Being a brit living in the USA tradional christmas fruit cakes are either very expensive or hard to find! So I decided making my own from scratch is the best way to go!

I will use apriocot glaze over the fruit cake and then cover it in the marzipan I have made which i will use as a base cover and then use rolled fondant to cover the cake. I am not sure yet how I want it to look yet, i am waiting for inspiration! The class is tomorrow! I will probably use a combination of the fondant flowers i have made in previous classes with additional decoration.