Peer Review Cake Club!

Decorating By FromScratchSF Updated 2 Aug 2014 , 3:14pm by gscout73

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AZCouture Posted 17 Feb 2014 , 9:04pm
post #631 of 768

A[@]Crystal72384[/@] http://cakecentral.com/t/768247/how-to-get-bottom-perfect#post_7485615

Try my method, and you'll never have to hide another border again! :-)

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KarenK55 Posted 17 Feb 2014 , 9:34pm
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Hi,

 

Just delivered this cake this past Saturday for a Batz Mitzvah.   I know I need practice on my piping technique.  The cake idea was given to me by the person wanting the cake, which she got off google as she stated.

 

http://cakecentral.com/g/a/3453257/spiderman-celebration-cake-for-a-batz-mitzvah/

 

thank you

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Crazy-Gray Posted 18 Feb 2014 , 8:48am
post #633 of 768

A

Quote:
Originally Posted by AZCouture 

@Crystal72384
http://cakecentral.com/t/768247/how-to-get-bottom-perfect#post_7485615

Try my method, and you'll never have to hide another border again! icon_smile.gif

 

Smashing tip Az I love it!

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Libertycake Posted 21 Feb 2014 , 1:16am
post #634 of 768

I think that is a normal reaction for creative people.  We always see the flaws and it makes us even better the next time.

Just don't forget to hear the wonder and enjoyment of the people who receive your cakes.

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BeesKnees578 Posted 21 Feb 2014 , 2:52am
post #635 of 768

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crazy-Gray 
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZCouture 

@Crystal72384

http://cakecentral.com/t/768247/how-to-get-bottom-perfect#post_7485615



Try my method, and you'll never have to hide another border again! icon_smile.gif

 



Smashing tip Az I love it!

I used it tonight!  It does work like a dream, but I need a little more practice...just a teensy bit of overcutting, but looks better than it ever has!

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nancylee61 Posted 21 Feb 2014 , 3:05am
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AHi, I'll be brave! I do want feedback. I know where my troubles were, but would like to see what else you see. I can take it! This is my 6th or 7th fondant cake, and my first two tier. I did support it properly, with dowels, and then a big dowel all the way through to the cardboard base. I know - the board is horrible, too. I was at my mother's and had none of my equipment.

This was for a family member, as a gift, not a sale cake! Thanks! Nancy[IMG ALT=""]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3189710/width/350/height/700[/IMG]

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hbquikcomjamesl Posted 21 Feb 2014 , 4:19am
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AI've made at least a dozen cakes, none of them this ambitious, nor this successful.

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BeesKnees578 Posted 21 Feb 2014 , 4:50am
post #638 of 768

I love the bright, springy colors!

 

The vertical stripes are a pretty even thickness and nicely spaced out.  The bottom borders look very thin...they should be the same thickness as the vertical stripes.

 

Are your flowers fondant?  They look very thick and a bit raggedy on the edges.

 

Personally I would not have mixed the fondant to make the borders and some of the hearts, kind of muddies it up a bit.

 

I also would have cut out the hearts and allowed them to dry so that they didn't take on the shape of what was going on underneath them.

 

Yes, the board....

 

And the hearts on top look disheveled...try leaving out the center heart.  Put all the pointy bottoms of the hearts at the center of the cake with the humps toward the outside edge of the cake....so it looks almost like a flower.  Does that make sense?

 

Are you refrigerating your cakes after you frost them, prior to putting on your buttercream?  Are you leveling your cakes?  I feel like if I cut into that cake that buttercream would just explode out of it since the top is so rounded and it looks so "soft" and pillowy.   And how thick is your fondant that is covering the cake?  Should be 1/8" or so.

 

Aim for 4-5" (or more) tall tiers...level each cake before assembly, fill, crumb coat, refrigerate, ice level and smooth, refrigerate, take out of fridge and let sit for 5 min or so (you want a little condensation to be on the surface of the cake to help the fondant stick), apply fondant.

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nancylee61 Posted 21 Feb 2014 , 5:21am
post #639 of 768

AThanks for the help! Actually, I had chocolate frosting under the fondant and it was thick. That's what my niece wanted. And I think my fondant was too thick. It was homemade, and was tearing when thin. And my flowers were modeling chocolate. It's my first time working with it, and my first attempt at flowers. I know. They are terrible. More practice needed.

I appreciate you taking the time to help me. It's,the only way I will learn.

Nancy

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Siany01 Posted 21 Feb 2014 , 9:48am
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AI'll be brave. This is my first celebration cake, it was for my daughters birthday. It's sugarpaste, also the first time I have ever made anything out of Mexican paste let alone ballet slippers, they were a challenge.[IMG]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3189800/width/200/height/400[/IMG]

This is my second cake, for my other daughter, I saw the design in the tutorials on here.[IMG]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3189803/width/200/height/400[/IMG]

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mgreen44 Posted 21 Feb 2014 , 1:47pm
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AI love the ballet shoes! There's a few little bumps but I find the first time I try anything new like that, the second is so much easier and I think you'd be amazed by the difference if you tried them again :) the ombré ruffle is really really pretty! I've yet to try it, it looks so intimidating and hard. Same thing for the petal affect in the second cake. I think you've done a wonderful job of both! :) I'm by no means a professional and you may get better more helpful review from others, but I do think they're lovely!!

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mgreen44 Posted 21 Feb 2014 , 1:51pm
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A[IMG ALT="I've been hoping to get an order for a Minnie Mouse cake for a while! I had seen an adorable version a couple days before I got the email for one - but I can't find the cake anywhere now to give credit. Anyway this is my version with a yellow tier instead of white :)"]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3148264/width/350/height/700[/IMG] [IMG ALT="Vanilla cake covered in homemade fondant, gumpaste letter blocks and first impressions baby!"]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3123446/width/350/height/700[/IMG]

I haven't been doing cakes too long, only seriously for about a year and a half. I'm only 19 and hoping to gain enough experience to do this professionally when I finish my degree (in 4 years). I'd love any feedback on these two.

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AnnieCahill Posted 21 Feb 2014 , 2:10pm
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They look great, however you need to be careful with the Disney stuff.  They hammer people all the time for violating copyright.  Any licensed characters are protected under copyright and you have to get permission to recreate them in sugar (which almost never happens).  If you do a search on CC you can find a lot of threads about copyright.

 

Is that marshmallow fondant?

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AZCouture Posted 21 Feb 2014 , 2:21pm
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A

Original message sent by BeesKnees578

I used it tonight!  It does work like a dream, but I need a little more practice...just a teensy bit of overcutting, but looks better than it ever has!

Yesssssssss! Isn't that like, such an aha moment?! :D

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mgreen44 Posted 21 Feb 2014 , 2:30pm
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AIt's homemade but not marshmallow! I've tried a couple times with marshmallow but it's always a crumpling mess. I'm sure I'm doing something wrong lol.

Yeah I've only learnt about the Disney stuff recently. Had no idea, none of the businesses here seem to go by that. It's definitely something I've got to take into consideration now, though many people seem to want this cake since I've posted it now. :(

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BeesKnees578 Posted 21 Feb 2014 , 4:07pm
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Yes, it is! 

 

You know, I have been doing cakes for 11 years.  There were a few things that I have always hated doing...icing cakes was one of them because I always made such a mess and it took forever and I STILL didn't like the looks of it.  Not horrible, just could use improvement.

 

Over the last few weeks, I have made discoveries from getting the classes on Craftsy and just hearing what people have to say on here that have taken SOOOOO much stress out of my decorating.  I have actually started falling back in love with decorating.  

 

I have discovered modeling chocolate....epic life-changer and I am just starting to work with it!

The upside down method...I don't turn it upside down and I use buttercream, but I LOOOVVVVEEE it!  My buttercream and fondant have never looked better.

Your little trick!  THANK YOU!

 

My tip:  When you think you know everything, take a class.  Even if you really only learn ONE thing, it could be a life-changing, attitude adjusting thing.

 

I may have a cake cancellation for my Sunday cake, and if that's the cake, I will be watching my Jessica Harris classes!

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CFCakes Posted 23 Feb 2014 , 4:07am
post #647 of 768

http://cakecentral.com/g/i/3190832/a/3339988/

 

Here's my cake I made for my little Ben.  Some feedback would be great!!  TIA

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hbquikcomjamesl Posted 23 Feb 2014 , 5:11am
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AVery impressive. Here's looking at you. Kind of hard to see eyes-to-eye with Mike, though.

I noticed the references to wire in the arm armatures: just remember: unless it's food-safe wire (e.g., metal skewers, such as the ones in a turkey lacing kit, or surgical- or dental-grade wire), you want to keep it out of direct contact with food.

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FromScratchSF Posted 23 Feb 2014 , 8:21pm
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Oh HI!  I've been away for a while, sorry about that, life in the way and all that.  Just a reminder, upload your photos to the galleries then hyperlink it here, and make sure your comments are on the photo, not here!  Also, start your comments identifying yourself as a member of the cake club.  PRCC or something like that.

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rachelcak3s Posted 23 Feb 2014 , 8:31pm
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ALooking for a some feed back on these 2 cakes I made. I am kinda doubting my ability to bake and sell cakes. These 2 customers were happy but I want to start making money from this. to I have the skill? I know there's always room for improvement. I just wanted to see what some of the experienced bakers had to say. [IMG ALT=""]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3190890/width/350/height/700[/IMG] [IMG ALT="*"]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3191250/width/350/height/700[/IMG]

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DeniseNH Posted 23 Feb 2014 , 9:15pm
post #651 of 768

No doubt in my mind.  You definitely have the gift, rest assured.  You should have seen my first cake.  Ewwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!   I know you want opinions so here goes.....you're twisting our arms..  I can't find one single thing wrong with the Army cake.  Nothing, nada, nope.  It's perfect.  And so isn't the mickey cake.  The next time you do it you might want to make the ears larger and hike the bow loops up so that when you place them on the cake they'll sit perfectly flat - what nags at me is that you can see the toothpick - with a flat bottomed bow the toothpick won't be seen.  The top tier has a bulge that looks like you may have added a little too much filling and did you use a fondant smoother on the surface of the bottom tier.  This would smooth it out to porcelain perfection.  These small fixes are meant to help, not discourage.  Oh and a white backdrop would make the black ears show up better in the photo.  Ok, I'm done.  Tiny tweaks ..................to perfection.  :-)

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Faradaye Posted 23 Feb 2014 , 10:26pm
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rachelcak3s Posted 23 Feb 2014 , 11:04pm
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ADenisenh thank you so much! Those are all things that bothered me as well. Thankyou for the kind words and reassurance! Your cakes are beyond beautiful! Having a decorator as good as you say things like this about one of my cakes feels amazing!

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DeniseNH Posted 23 Feb 2014 , 11:31pm
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You are so far ahead - it took 16 years to get to where I am now.  Blessings.

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CONFECTIONERIE Posted 24 Feb 2014 , 12:11am
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Hi guys,

 

I'm still pretty newish here, and new to cakes, I've only been working with decorated cakes for about a year or so.  The cake that I'm putting up for review is the first ever tiered wedding cake I've done.  I'd love any feedback or helpful tips!  

 

Thanks a lot!

 

http://cakecentral.com/g/i/3121366/this-is-the-first-wedding-cake-i-ever-made-its-a-lemon-chiffon-cake-with-a-lavender-buttercream-i-was-definitely-nervous-about-it-and-it-turned-out-a-little-lop-sided-but-over-i-was-super-happy-with-it/u/929643/flat/1/

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nancylee61 Posted 24 Feb 2014 , 12:14am
post #656 of 768

AHi, I made this today, inspired by a cake I saw on here. I ruffled my ruffles too much, and I didn't use fondant, as the original baker did. she told me it called for chocolate and gumpaste, whichI did. My top flower is mosty chocolate, and I had this semester last time - the edges are all cracking.

That is actually why I posted - to find out why? Thanks much!

This is the gorgeous, incredible inspiration cake!

http://cakecentral.com/g/i/3188128/a/3453335/round-wedding-cakes/sort/display_order/

Here is my debacle.

[IMG ALT=""]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3191470/width/350/height/700[/IMG] [IMG ALT=""]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3191471/width/350/height/700[/IMG]

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hbquikcomjamesl Posted 24 Feb 2014 , 3:24am
post #657 of 768

A"CONFECTIONERIE": The lemons on top look so real. Are they real lemons, or are they Realemons?*

"Nancylee61": I actually like yours better than the inspiration.

"Faradaye": Cute caterpillar. Awfully fancy for a 4-year-old, though.

-- *Realemon was a brand of lemon juice that came in a yellow, lemon-shaped, squeeze-bottle.

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Teribakewell Posted 25 Feb 2014 , 10:32pm
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AI'm up for that , I've just joined an wondered where I can post my cakes to ask how I'm doing , although friends say its their honest opinion I think their a bit biest ! I've not done that many but do have a few orders already so will be happy for people / strangers to tell me their honest opinion !

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SVCupcakes Posted 25 Feb 2014 , 11:08pm
post #660 of 768

ASounds fab, I'm in :) x

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