I just posted 2 pictures of my first cupcake cake and my first character cake. I just started decorating a few months ago, but these are my first cakes.

I want to thank CALI4DAWN for her wonderful tutorial on the cupcake cake. I also want to say this forum is great. I have been practicing on "dummy" cakes until now.

Any suggestions on how I can improve would greatly be appreciated.

Oh BTW the cupcake cake was 50 cupcakes and I agree with Dawn they seem easier but they are a beating.

Cecilia

What about the ccc was "a beating"? Trying to keep them down while icing or what? I have been thinking about doing one.

I think that Cali4dawn, glues them down with icing and uses a icing tip to ice, after she levels the cupcakes with icing. I think that I saw that some where. Maybe her tutorials?

Cali4dawn... Did I see a picture somewhere of that?

The "beating part" was you have so many baking cups to fill then making sure they are even. I guess next time I will use a icing tip instead of a spatula to make it easier.

I did "glue" them down with a little frosting on the ones on the outside border.

But don't get me wrong they are very fun. No worries about cutting the pieces to big or small. And the kids love them.

Cecilia

i did my first ccc and one tip i learned, use a measuring cup and you will always have even cupcakes!

Where are the pics? I can't find them.

They are under Birthday Cakes. As of yesterday they were at the bottom of the 1st page.

Diane

Thanks for the tip. I have another one to do in April so I will use a measuring cup.

Cecilia

Cute. I have never seen a cupcake cake!!! How neat.

I have also found that if you take a small saucepan, fill it with water, bring it to a boil, place it in the preheated oven, let it sit in there for 5-10 minutes and then place your cupcakes or cakes in the oven to bake- this helps keeps thing level as well.
For those that use those bakestrips- this is a lot nicer- nothing to pin but the same principle of adding moisture into the oven to help things rise evenly!
No offense to those that use them, but I can't stand them. I hated having to pin enough strips together around my pans, not to mention they do not always stay on

I had trouble with bake strips too. I gave up on them (sorry to hijack the thread.)

Did someone say that there was a tutorial on this? It is such an original idea!!!

Cali4dawn has a tutorial on her website. She also has some other tutorials that I can't wait to try.

Cecilia

Here's a link to Dawn's tutorial:
http://community.webshots.com/album/105830324epGFhn

And here's Brenda's
http://members.nuvox.net/~zt.proicer/message/saved/cupcakes.html

She also sells a book on making cupcake cakes.
http://www.brenscakes.com/book.html

Pictures of Brenda's Cupcake Cakes:
http://www.brenscakes.com/cupcakecakes.html

Her airbrushing skills are awesome! I'm hoping that will be her next book.