Getting creative!
I love textured cakes! Smooth fondant or buttercream cakes, in my opinion, have had their day. With all the beauty and love you can put into a cake, with all the new classes and teachers out there who know how to use all the necessary hand tools and cutters, it just seems like such a shame to give every cake that cold flat look. Alot of my clients tend to ask for things they have seen before, someone elses gallery, maybe a google image. Sometimes they have slight changes like colour or cake shape and of course the name. Took me awhile to decide why this might be the case, being an artist I can appreciate the visual. As humans we rely heavily on the visual, but when ordering a cake clients want to see the cake before the cake is actually ordered. So more recently I provide a sketch, hand drawn of course, to secure some feeling of confidence in what I can supply. Anyways back to the story, I had a client order a cake for her little girl. Her vision was a little bit more towards that standard fondant cake design, but she was open minded and I was able to create what I believe was a much better option. I think you’ll see what I mean.
Now beware, just because this design is not fondant does not mean it does not take up alot of time to achieve. This cake took 2 hours just to do the pink and white pedal design. That’s 2 hours without a brake by the way 
But look at the results! It is beautiful, and catches the eye almost immediately. So for your next party why not go with something that really draws the eye.
High End Cupcakes
The high end cupcake is perfect for that classy bride who finds herself up endless nights searching on google for just the right dessert to serve her guests. This style of cupcake now offers a elegant, sophisticated look without being overdone. Choose multiple designs or just one. Add cake jewels, edible or non edible, flowers, metallic embellishments, edible pearls etc. Have a word or names, clearly placed on the tops of these cupcakes. This style has become huge in Europe by many of the famous cake decorators. Usually accomplished with a cookie cutter large enough to cover the full top of the cupcake and just a little creative imagination.
Airbrushing Cake
Airbrushing can be such an artist expression, when used correctly. I haven’t always had the opportunity airbrush my cakes, but I have to say I would never go back! In the early years I would do as Buddy does and steam my cakes to get that nice glossy finish, no more powdered sugar. But airbrushing really introduces that professional final touch, that little extra you can’t produce any other way. Its good to have a rainbow of colours, you can usually get a multi pack with the basic colours but…..don’t forget about the metallic sheen’s. I know they cost a little extra, but boy are they worth it! I love the pearl sheen, I add it to every wedding cake that walks out the door. It sparkles in the light and looks as though you spent hours and hours achieving the look.
This farewell cake below was airbrushed, it turned the brown fondant circles into deep purple. Just goes to show how professional a cake can come out looking just by adding a little sheen. Airbrushing brings life to flowers and jewelry, any fondant figures. Just make sure you practise before hand on a napkin or piece of paper, if you don’t have much experience with airbrushing you will want to get a feel for how much pressure to put on it. And like anything in life you will get better the more you do it. They make some awesome compact air compressor with airbrush (sometimes a few airbrushes) in a set, check out websites like tcpglobal.com Or just google edible airbrush
Girl Cakes
What girl does not like to shop and accessorize? Jewelry, shoes, bags, purses, makeup…..and guess what this can all be made from sugar and eaten! Perfect replicas often require moulds, silicone moulds that you would purchase off a website or locally if you happen to live in a larger city. Some details you can cheat and make yourself with out moulds. Be careful, don’t run out and buy everything little thing to decorate a cake with, as you will literally spend thousands of dollars when its not really necessary. A true artist should be able to create things from scratch without the help of moulds or guides. This of course takes time and hours of practise, so don’t be discouraged if you can’t do it the first or second around. Here are a few cakes I was able to create perfect for any young, middle or older women. Watch for a tutorial on sugar shoes in the days to come.
Gold Sequins Cake
This cake is in a word, beautiful. It has grace, sparkle with a touch of elegance. I usually do not take on cakes that defy gravity however this cake I made the exception. Sometimes, and for those of you reading this blog who are cake decorators will know what I am talking about when I say this, I come across cakes I MUST create. I’m not sure if it is because I have to prove I can do it so much as it is another notch in the rolling pin (not bed post) another accomplishment checked off the list. That’s not to say I copy other artists work, let me be very clear about this I do not copy another artist work ever. Personally I feel it in poor form and poor taste for that matter to do this. I can say this with such certainty because I am in “the business of creating” and when I design a cake, spend hours and hours sketching and then re-sketching and then finally settle on what feels right, to have it copied and mimicked by someone else, in one word – cheapens it. Its no longer special, unique, one of a kind – its simply a product on the world wide market place. And that my friends is how you ruin the creative process it takes to produce such beautiful creations. So that’s my personal contribution to this particular thought at the moment, I appreciate the listening ear. So while I won’t completely copy a design, I will alter, change and produce what the client liked about the cake in my form of cake. That is what I ended up doing with the Gold Sequins Cake I just did this past weekend. It was definitely a challenge as I had my own expectations of how I wanted to produce it, but all in all I believe that it came out as it should.
Here are a few pics along the way with the final product.
This was done with just a beautiful batch of white vanilla fondant made of course from scratch. The climate and temperature that day was just perfect for making fondant which of course as you all know plays a big role in the success of any fondant covered cake. I had more than enough time with each draped ribbon to put all the hundreds and hundreds of gold sequins on the cake as well as get the whole finished ribbon pieces onto the cake without that embarrassing cracking that can happen ever so quickly. These were completely 100% edible gold sequins not however available in most canadian cake suppliers, I had to order these babies from the UK, took very little time to ship but the cost was higher than most sparkle dust and luster dust cake decor. Word to the wise if you decide to go this route.
The far right tier was the largest and therefore the base tier, measuring in at 12 inches round. This tier was the chocolate and caramel syrup tier which of course will end up feeding most of the guests first. Its always best to go with a flavour like this for the bottom tier on a wedding cake as it ensures that the majority of your guests will like it. As I put these ribbons on the cakes, I didn’t really like how empty they looks at the top of the ribbon, it looks very unfinished in my view so I add more after they were attached to the cake, using royal icing to attach. Thankfully the royal icing was not able to be seen after all was said and done, if your not careful with the placement of royal icing when using it in this type of form your cake can end up looking like a 5 grader arts and craft project – which I can tell you right now you will not be able to fix. Royal icing is not a forgiving product.
Graduation Time
2012 Grad is upon us! Be sure to get your Graduation Cake from us today. Call us at 716 – 1160 to place your order. You don’t want to delay as dates are moving fast and we are only taking on a set amount of orders.
Get a standard 8 inch round cake today for $60, includes a cap and diploma topper, and a choice of colour theme.
Order yours today!
Simple yet Elegant
Kicking off the 2012 season for weddings, I delivered 26 mini cakes to small town Wiseton SK. Lisa & Brett were such an easy going couple to work with. They came to me back in winter, with no interest in a wedding cake but rather edible centre pieces. It is such an innovative idea, combining 2 expenses into one. There were so many options to consider, tiered mini cakes, single cakes, fondant, buttercream, colours, textures. She ended up deciding on a very beautiful rose effect done in a white buttercream with silver sugar pearls randomly placed. When I got to the hall to deliver, these cakes were really the icing on top of the bigger cake (the entire room of decorations). We were able to take the necessity for cake and turn it into something functional and practical. Here are some photos of the set up….
