A Very Merry Go Round Cake
This cake was a lot of fun. I got the idea from the Wilton website. The gingerbread men are made of rolled fondant (red & green make a brown color) and were created several days in advance so they would have time to dry. The cake board for the top layer must be at least 2" larger than the cake for the piping and candy to rest. The pillars are made of 1/2" Sch 40 PVC and wrapped in fondant. This was the most difficult part. The original directions call for the stripes to be layed individually, which just didn't work for me. I laid the fondant stripes side-by-side and attached with water dampened fingers then slightly rolled it to create a sheet. I laid the pillars on the sheet and wrapped it around. I then cut the excess off and removed it easily by gently pulling.
WillowWend
Wrapped For The Holidays
This cake is my pride and joy (so far). Only my 6th attempt at any cake decorating. It actually looked like a bunch of presents stacked on top of each other. Several people at the party thought it was a decoration. Nearly everyone took pictures (and they are spreading the word). This cake produced clients!
WillowWend
Political Cake
My first attempt at smooth, fondant-like icing. Not too bad for the first time, but definitely needs improvement. The stars on top are plastic pieces from a mobile-type decoration. NOTE: The smudged area on the center layer is from the name being digitally removed for privacy/security reasons.
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Shriners Golf Tournament
My second attempt at a grand cake. It was okay, but I was really disappointed with the dullness of the fondant. I liked the look of the sweating fondant better - at least it was shiny. I searched and searched for a quick answer to fix the issue, but had no luck. I now know how to prevent this problem - use very small amounts of veggie shortening, rather than powdered sugar, on my board when rolling the fondant. This cake was created for a local Shriners Golf Tournament. It must not have been too bad, it was all eaten. I actually heard someone kept going back for more just to eat the fondant (it was homemade).
WillowWend
WillowWend
First Attempt With Fondant
I make this cake in May 2010 for my grandaughters birthday. It was created on a wing and a prayer. What I've learned, I learned by trial & error, watching TV, researching online, and reading, reading, reading. The cake is extra shiny because the party was held outside on a 95 degree day. The cake never slid, the fondant never slid, and the colors had just started to run (liquid food coloring) when the cake was cut. The cake tasted like a pina colada - virgin, of course. The "ribbons" on top were made using a homemade hard candy recipe. I had 20 hrs in this cake. EVERY bit of it was eaten, but best of all, the smiles and compliments caused me to press on and attempt more cakes.