Going Away
American Buttercream with modeling chocolate design elements. The honoree is moving from Memphis to Minneapolis. The Memphis skyline wraps around the left side, and the Minneapolis skyline wraps around the right side. The Mississippi river forms the border across the base. Memphis' famous "M" bridge and the pyramid are featured. There's a sunburst on the Memphis side and snowflakes on the Minneapolis side. The plane is because her airline pilot husband proposed with a radio-controlled plane pulling a banner asking her to marry him.
Crimsicle
The Honoree Was Being Inducted Into A Hall Of Fame For His Lifelong Career As A High School Wrestling Coach He Was 80 And Totally Thrill
The honoree was being inducted into a hall of fame for his lifelong career as a high school wrestling coach. He was 80 - and totally thrilled with the cake. American buttercream with edible images and modeling chocolate details.
Crimsicle
Crimsicle
Crimsicle
Send In The Clowns
Submitted as an illustration of how bright and clear an edible image can be. This was done for the ushers at the performing arts venue where I work. Tonight we are having Judy Collins. Sometimes I use photos of the artist of the evening, but her publicity shots were so soft they didn't make very very exciting edible images...so I went silly with it.
Crimsicle
Xbox Graduation
This was done for a group of graduating seniors who have nicknamed themselves "The Game Boys" due to their devotion to gaming. Half chocolate and half vanilla cake. I was worried about the chocolate icing showing through the fondant...it didn't. But, it did seep a little around the bottom. I had to wipe it up several times until it stabilized. But in general..it worked pretty well.
Crimsicle
Blue Diamonds Wedding Cake
The groom wanted blue. That was all the direction I got. This was last-minute. They decided on Friday to get married on Monday! They're not a "hearts and roses" kind of couple, so I decided to do something kind of off-beat. The design was inspired by, but not a copy of, something I saw on the internet somewhere. I haven't a clue where, so can't offer recognition. Sorry. Buttercream with fondant trim. Orange cake...lemon curd and lime curd filling...coconut flavored icing.
Crimsicle
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
This was a birthday cake for a Buffy fan. He is a little bit Goth, hence the use of lots of black. Red velvet cake with cream cheese icing. The black was canned chocolate fudge icing. While it colored nicely, it was impossible to get smooth, so I just made it very irregular. The stake was gumpaste. Piping gel blood. It was a very well-received cake. It's funny what flips people's switches.
Crimsicle
Red And Gold Birthday
My boss's birthday cake. Had to come up with something with some "wow" factor, doncha know. Strawberry cake with lemon buttercream. MMF on the outside. Gumpaste decorations. The scrolllwork (my first...kinda wonky) was done with a piping gel/luster dust mixture...allowed to "skin" overnight...painted with a thin luster dust/alcohol mixture. After it was finished, I thought it looked like a WWI German army helmet. A pretty one, though. LOL!
Crimsicle
Watercolor Birthday Cake
Just a little birthday cake for a coworker who loves flowers. It's a simple edible image on all five surfaces, made from a watercolor painting. Little bits of pearls at the corners. I tried several different ways to add "Happy Birthday Liz" and didn't like any of them. Ended up making a plaque that will just sit in front of it. Everything I tried seemed just "too much." WASC cake with champagne-flavoried buttercream.
Crimsicle
Embossed Cross Cookies
These were made using a large rubber stamp. A cookie cutter was made to conform to the outline of the design. Rolled buttercream was embossed with the stamp, then cut out with the cutter and frozen. Cookies were cut using the same cutter. Frozen embossed buttercream cutouts were placed on the hot cookies as they came from the oven.
Crimsicle
Hollywood Fat Cat
These are first experiments with a few designs that will be incorporated into a going away box of cookies for someone who's driving to Los Angeles to seek fame and fortune. Not sure what else I'll do. Stars of some sort, for sure. This one required making a cutter, so I started practicing here. NFSC with Alice's Icing. Shaded with nontoxic chalks. I'm really struggling with consistency. My flooding is really rough. I guess I need to go thinner still. Practice, practice, practice!
Crimsicle
Crimsicle
Embossed Cookies
NFSC with rolled buttercream. I embossed the RBC first, using gumpaste cutters and lace molds. Then cut with the cookie cutter. Froze...then popped the frozen RBC cutout on the hot cookie. Some cookies in this photo are just cut with tiny cutters and tips, which I also like. But, I thought the embossing was really neat.
Crimsicle
Crimsicle
Hearts, Pearls And Roses
Just a little practice cake. I was trying new recipes and this was what I made to use them. The roses are colored with Kool-Ade and a little bit of Americolor Red Red. Nice color, but kinda TART! I'm not sure how that would go over with the general public. It'll be interesting to see how my "Taste Panel" responds to them!
Crimsicle
Crimsicle
Blockbuster Birthdays
I work at a performing arts venue. This week we have two birthdays to celebrate, so I did a marquee featuring both people. I feared the gumpaste top sign wouldn't dry, and sure enough...it didn't. So, I printed a paper one and laminated it as a backup. Unfortunately, during the night, it soaked up some oil from the buttercream. I did a replacement for the final presentation. White sour cream cake with hazelnut chocolate filling. Marquees are edible images. 1 10-inch layer halved and stacked.
Crimsicle
Birthday Piano
My nephew Bradley is a musician. This was supposed to be covered with chocolate fondant, with a fondant lid. Nothing cooperated, and the lid stayed floppy. Shoulda made it out of gumpaste. Live and learn. Fudge cake, with white chocolate chips (which totally disappeared into the cake when baked). Frosted with chocolate ganache. Couldn't get the ganache smooth. ARRRGH! He loved it, anyway. He's such a nice boy! :)
Crimsicle
Egg-Shaped Birthday Cake
By request for my sister. Carrot cake with crusting cream cheese icing. Fondant plaque with edible image. Gumpaste pearls. Fondant roping. Isomalt "amethysts". I would NOT recommend cream cheese icing for a 3D cake. Even crusting cream cheese as this one is. It is slowly heading South. I hope it will still be decorated by the time she gets here in a couple hours. Didn't have time to mess with getting the fondant ropes to adhere to the "seams" of the pillow, hence the swags. Hated doing this one!