My Latest Cake... Criticism Please :)
Decorating By Lazy_Susan Updated 15 Jan 2006 , 4:24am by traci
Here is my latest cake. Please comment and critique it as you see fit. I am unable to take Wilton Courses since I work night shift so I rely on y'all to be my teachers 
This is the first time I have made buttercream roses so I know I will need suggestions on those.
Thank you,
Lazy_Susan 
Very Nice.. I understand about not being able to take classes.. i work late too...
I really like the rosettes and the roses.. Nice Job!
You're not alone on the night shift, I work nights too and just love it. I got lucky that I was able to find Wilton courses offered at 9am and could take them. I think your cake looks great! You are really doing well with the roses, I don't think they need improvement. The only thing I see would be to possibly make the cornelli lace with smaller movements and closer together, that's how I was taught to do it even though I never use the techinque myself.
Keep up the great work!!!!
The only thing I see would be to possibly make the cornelli lace with smaller movements and closer together, that's how I was taught to do it even though I never use the techinque myself.
Keep up the great work!!!!
Thank you! I'm making notes and that is a good one to know
Hey Susan,
Looks good to me, just make your Corneli (sp) Lace smaller and closer together 
Lazy-Susan, I think your cake is very, very pretty especially your roses and border. The Corneli lace looks very good but the statements made are right on. Looks like you may need to use a smaller tip, but I personally don't like or use corneli lace, so keep up the good work and I hope you can find some classes but it looks like you don't need them. I found a local cake supply store that gave lessons and she worked with me around my schedule so maybe you could look into something like that, or even your local high schools they give adult evening classes. Best of luck
THAT TURNED OUT VERY NICE! I see nothing wrong with your roses they look good! 
me neither..... I dont do the cornelli lace yet either, but I think it looks wonderful....
I'll leave the real critiquing to the ones with more expertise than I, but just for my two-cents worth, I think it's great Susan!
You did a great job...you should be very proud of yourself!
I think your cake is very pretty - the colors are nice and happy . I had a horrible time with roses!! I think yours look beautiful - practice makes perfect!!
an oft overlooked aspect of cakes is pleasing color combinations and getting just the right shades of those colors (this is shade business is a challenge for me!....help!)
so, and keeping in mind that as a guy, pink is definately NOT one of my favorite colors... (just what is it w/ girls and pink?!?!?)
I am really impressed w/ how pleasing the colors are to the eye, they are just the right shade and compliment eacy other very well.
won't comment on the lace other than to say that my insturctor said to write cursive "r" and "s" combinations. (HA!...i can't even write cursive "r"s in real life and ya want me to do it on a cake?!?!?!)
for self-taught, Susan, you are progressing wonderfully. Look how far you come already since the GCCD! (german chocolate cake disaster -- which was only a "disaster" to me because you didn't give me a piece!)
edited for the standard bug-a-boos: grammar and spelling!!
for self-taught, Susan, you are progressing wonderfully. Look how far you come already since the GCCD! (german chocolate cake disaster -- which was on a "disaster" to me because you didn't give me a piece!)
Thank you very much Doug. I learn a little more each time I make a new cake. You guys have been the best Instructors anyone could ever ask for. I'll remember the r's and s's!!
Your cake looks very pretty. I agree with what the others have said about your Cornelli. Basically my theory is that if your hands aren't absolutely KILLING you by the time that you are finished, you aren't doing it right. LOL!!
A trick I've learned about cornelli is that you don't have to make it all one, long string. You can start and end it by starting at the side, swirling it to the middle and meandering it back around to the side. This is how I get mine done without killing myself.
Your roses are very nice. It looks like maybe your icing consistency was a bit soft to me, but overall they are great.
Keep up the great work!
Lisa
Your cake looks very pretty. I agree with what the others have said about your Cornelli. Basically my theory is that if your hands aren't absolutely KILLING you by the time that you are finished, you aren't doing it right. LOL!!
A trick I've learned about cornelli is that you don't have to make it all one, long string. You can start and end it by starting at the side, swirling it to the middle and meandering it back around to the side. This is how I get mine done without killing myself.
Your roses are very nice. It looks like maybe your icing consistency was a bit soft to me, but overall they are great.
Keep up the great work!
Lisa
Thank you! This was a very nice and helpful critique. Great pointer about the cornelli lace and you are most likely right about the roses too. My problem has been that if my consistency is any thicker for my roses then the middle kinda breaks off instead of having a nice point 
Any suggestions?
Do you mean that they have like ragged edges? Roses are funny--you have to have just the right consistency to get them. Personally, I sort of like a tiny bit of "raggedness" (I think I made this word up!) on the edges of the petals--I think it looks more natural, I guess. But you don't want them too ragged--or else they look like "chewed up roses". lol!
There are a couple of things you can do. Some people swear by adding decorating gel to their rose icing. I haven't ever tried that.
A neat trick I learned here is that you can take a flower nail, and using the nail part, open up the thin edge of your rose tip with it just a tiny bit. I did this with all my rose tips and it worked like a charm!
HTH and I think you really are doing a GREAT job--especially since you can't take lessons.
Lisa
It is a beautiful cake, I love the borders too, the rosettes are perfect and a really nice touch. Your leaves look really good. Funny enough though I know cornelli is supposed to be a bit closer together, I rather like the look of it when it is not, so this appealed to me. I must say you have the pattern and the shape of it downpat, just a bit closer together to do the standard cornelli.
I agree with Doug, your colours are all the same depth as each other and this is so nice. Pretty pastels, which I am partial to, too!
One thing on colours, most people do use the leaf green and with this colour scheme, it is nice. But a lot of the time, people don't vary from using leaf green and that is a shame. There are some wonderful greens out there, that are more natural for a leaf green. Colours like juniper, moss, a touch of kelly green mixed in, forest green, even combining shades of green. When you use these darker greens, well your flowers just pop, as they do in nature. Just thought I would mention that not as a criticism, but just a useful pointer.
Your roses are coming along really well kiddo! The biggest problem most people have is that the tip itself needs to be opened up as was stated. I use a knife to open it but hey, whatever works. If you go down to a craft store that sells tips and there is a staff member that decorates, she will likely be able to tell just by looking at your tip if it needs to be opened up a bit more. Other than that, the consistency when you are learning is a big issue, sometimes the icing needs to be stiffer. Sometimes that centre bud needs to be higher too so you can have room for the rows of petals and be able to slightly angle the rows out a it more as you add a row. Sometimes people have the centre too high and angle too much and end up with cabbages, that is the most common problem. Yours are not cabbages, they look really good. I suspect your tip needs opening a bit and a bit stiffer icing. But they do look wonderful. Haha, I stopped making buttercream ones years ago when I found out how much easier the fondant or gumpaste ones are. But partly because I never was completely thrilled with my roses.
You are doing an amazing job and should be proud of yourself!
Hugs Squirrelly
your cake looks awesome for teaching yourself!! You are picking up the techniques fast.
It is a personal preference but I like the cornelli small and close together, even on large cakes. But cornelli lace is all a personnel preference, some like it thicker and farther apart. It also depends on what you are wanting the cake to say with it.... more towards the sophisticated side or a little more towards the fun side.
The colors do compliment eachother very well also. I do have to agree with Squirlly on the leaf green color. I don't use leaf green for leaves anymore, i prefer the darker colors, like she said it just makes your flowers pop! If you look around in nature many of the leaves around any flowers are darker than the leaf green coloring. I highly suggest experimenting with different greens, my personal favorite is holiday green-or a mixture of other greens.
Keep up the great work! can't wait to see the next one!
Leily
Your cake is lovely. I'm not a decorator, but I like your cornelli lace better than the tight squiggle pattern.
Your cake is lovely. I'm not a decorator, but I like your cornelli lace better than the tight squiggle pattern.
It is great that you are progressing. I know how hard it is when you are just starting out. But alot of us are self taught, with no classes. It's just a matter of practicing. And if you have the Wilton books and can look on this site for the techniques they have listed you will be fine. I agree with the lace. Smaller and try using a #1 tip. As for the roses, they look very good. Here is a way you can improve on them. You need to have stifer frosting for roses. The cone that you make first needs to be strong enough to build the rose on. If it's not, the rose will not stand up properly. One trick I learned, is to use a Hershey Kiss as the base of the rose. I did this in my photo section, on the cross cake, with the multi colored roses. Good luck to you & keep practicing! Helen
Candyladyhelen--
Thanks for the Hershey Kiss tip. When I do cake decorating birthday parties, the kids have the hardest time making the base of the rose. I will definitely give this a try with them.
Lazy_susan--
Your cake looks awesome. Good colors and the roses are great--can't believe you are self-taught!!! Hang in there, you're getting it!!!
One trick I learned, is to use a Hershey Kiss as the base of the rose. I
ooooo! great idea! Thanks!
just thinking of the possibilities......
dark chocolate kisses in dark or white chocolate roses
almond kisses for a chocolate almond cake
etc.
I'll be one of those disagreeing about the cornelli lace - I think it looks fantastic. Maybe it could be tighter on this cake because it's a floral/feminine sort of thing - but when I first saw it it reminded me of Keith Herring's artistic style. I really like it and I love your cake!
Nice job!
Nice work! Your roses are quite nice! That is something that I still have difficulty with and I have tried any number of ways to do them...on a stick, on a hershey's kiss, flowers nails, the list goes on. I'm just gonna keep trying until I get it right!
One little tip for your leaves would be to move from using the leaf tips to #352. Notice how your leaves don't come to a point? This used to drive me absolutely mad until I discovered tip #352. Wow, what a difference! You can also cut your parchment bag so it looks like a 'V' and you will get awesome leaves with that as well. I never use the leaf tips at all anymore, just 352 or the cut parchment.
You are doing really well Susan, your enthusiasm is wonderful!!!
One little tip for your leaves would be to move from using the leaf tips to #352. Notice how your leaves don't come to a point? This used to drive me absolutely mad until I discovered tip #352. Wow, what a difference! You can also cut your parchment bag so it looks like a 'V' and you will get awesome leaves with that as well. I never use the leaf tips at all anymore, just 352 or the cut parchment.
Thank you soooooo much!! I was hoping someone would give me pointy leaf pointers Everyone has given me great notes!!
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