How silly of me to think I could ever duplicate someone as talented as Debbie Brown. The whole baby buggy procedure seemed simple enough as I am limited on my experience with fondant. I baked my cake, let it freeze overnight, had my buttercream and whipped filling ready to go. It all seemed too easy. This creation requires turning the cake over after is it covered and that even went well too. BUT, as I continued to decorate, I guess my whipped icing filling broke down or I did not use a firm enough texture cake...don't know exactly, but by the next (delivery) morning, my bowl shaped buggy had turned into a very sad and droopy buggy. I was so embarrassed to deliver this cake. I think next time I will not use a bowl and just go with 2 ovals instead.

Wyatt,
Your cake still looks very cute IMHO!! Don't be too hard on yourself.
Cheers
Jill

It looks pretty cute to me

ditto. i've never used whipped filling but it does sound like it wouldn't withstand so much movement. i've been eyeing that cake for so long! unfortunately, i have no one to make it for...yet!

I would suggest no filling at all on this particular cake and definitely using a very dense strong cake to support sitting on it's smaller end.
You still did very well! Don't give up, Debbie Brown uses madeira cakes I think and I have found them to be very much stronger than normal sponge cakes.

oh it is adorable! I'd be thrilled to receive that cake. you really did a great job

that's so cute....

Keep on baking!!!!

Cindy

I agree with Keira,
I think the weight of the fondant needs a bit denser cake without a filling.

Having said that--I think this cake is adorable. We cake decorators, are our own worse critics!

I bet your client was very pleased!

unless your customer saw the Debbie Brown version, I don't really see what's wrong.

I'm a fondant ...exclusively, user and I do NOT fill my cakes!

If my customers insist on filling I tell them they will not get a fondant cake..just buttercream and a "picture" or "graphic" on their cake.

Filled cakes have a tendency to 'shift'..bulge and sometimes sink. I won't take that chance....other things happening are enough..lol

SO...how did you get your baby so shinny?

Thank you all for being so nice, but my disappointment over this cake still looms. I like the idea of NO filling ~ no shifting, no settling but that just seems like so much cake without icing or something. I have not made the madeira cakes in DB book and should probably do so because SHE tortes and fills successfully...

Also, my baby is shiny because of vegetable shortening I had all over my hands when making him. Is shiny a good thing or no?

Shiney is a good thing, half of us can never accomplish that! Your modelling is terrific and you should be very proud! Have you thought of trying Nati's chocolate mud cake from this site? It is dense and very strong without being dry which I don't like about madeira cake.
I used mudcake for mine here

Ahhhhhhhh..and I have a pot of shortening right by my work table..lol

Wyatt, your cake seems ok...I don't think you should worry too much about your cake! I'm sure your customer was fine with the cake!!

Remember that they book us because we can sometimes do better than they can!! and if we don't point out the mistakes we make, we are golden..lol

Take care, take a deep breath! and relax!

When using whipped filling, aren't you supposed to let the cake settle beore you deorate? I haven't used whipped fillings, but it kind of makes sense to me.

Wyatt, I really like your cake.... I love the sleeping baby.

Debbi