Opening up another version of the FNCC! Who's up, whatcha working on?

Cat

Today I spent most of my day at the kitchen with a birthday cake and Oscar popcorn cupcakes. Both turned out really well but I've only uploaded a photo of the cake. The cupcakes will have collars that will be added when I get to the event site which is 2 hours away so I needed them to travel in a case without the collars on them. So I'll post them next week. They did turn out SO cute!

What does everyone else have this weekend?

Cat

I am making a castle cake for my daughter's 5th birthday party. Lots of steps to this one!

Are you using a "Castle Kit" with the turrents and everything or did you make your own turrents? I did this a couple of years ago and made my own turrents. Not easy but worth it!

Cat

I am making my own turrets, with ice cream cones. I didn't want to buy the castle kit...I'm too cheap!

I bought the castle kit and then used it for templates. I don't want to scare you, as this is a reflection of how slow I am; but the castle cake was my first (and hopefully last) all-nighter.

Once again, I'm working on nothing. I've got a few things perking, but nothing to bake or decorate for another week.

I saw someone using a seashell for a veiner on Lovely Tutorials today. Genius!

I am testing a new recipe...Blue Moon cupcakes, similar to the Guinness choc cake but with white cake and blue moon beer. If they're a success I'll post the recipe.
Another experiment tonight was to finally try the Whipped cream buttercream recipe I've been eyeing for a while. All I can say is OMG! It's awesome. I actually don't like frosting and this is just off the charts yummy! It's kind of a mix of a meringue bc and an American buttercream. I'm not sure how it will smooth but I'm definately willing to work a little harder for this taste

http://cakecentral.com/recipe/whipped-cream-buttercream-frosting

I love the idea of using a shell as a veiner...I have a few that I'm going to give this a try with! Thanx for the tip!

As for my castle...nothing so involved as it could have been...basically a square cake with turrents in front..but the turrents were cake which was a challenge. I heard later tho' that the birthday girl was completely overjoyed that the turrent was like her own personal piece of the cake! So totally worth the extra work to make these real rather than using a plastic kit.

Cat

I just bought ingredients for my boyfriend's 22nd birthday cake and I'm working on figuring out some support structures and final design ideas! I start making fondant, RKT, ganache, etc tomorrow or sunday!!!

http://images.wikia.com/firefly/images/1/11/Firefly_class_ship.jpg

Super excited! It's going to be Serenity from the show Firefly!

WOW! I do hope you pull it off! I would love to see that!

Just finished making macarons! I'm also prepping for a bridal show on Sunday.

Any idea on how many samples should I make? They have about 200 brides registered and then there will be people accompanying the brides too...

I plan to box the samples in 2 oz cups so they are easy to carry....

I will post pictures! It's probably over zealous, but he's been so supportive with my cake decorating so it's got be something awesome!

I would make about 500 of the macaroons...sure there will be brides who come alone but most come with their mom's and some with the MOB and some with both! Better to have too much than not enough.

http://www.lovelytutorials.com/forum/showthread.php?s=2d3f8d164eb8e8449d1c9f501fbc91fc&t=170

The site is in Russian. I use Google Chrome and at the top of the screen it offers to translate the site for me. The translation on this page is pretty bad, but the pictures tell most of the story.

Yup...that's wha I did for my last show but I used a round cookie cutter to cut out rounds to put into the cups and then topped them with a teeny fondant flower.

I want to try the whipped cream buttercream too. Sounds yummy.

I was going to make a free cake for a bridal shower in my hood. For advertising purposes. I have made one for a 21st birthday before. I thought about the implications later. What if everyone starts to expect free cake from me for their event? I abandoned the project to start working on my display cakes. I will put them on my front verandah for all to see. I will get more viewers for months to come, right?

Im actually thinking of having round lables made for my next bridal show from someplace like myweddinglables but haven't really done any real research on them. Just to make it easier, you know?

Hope everyone has a great weekend. I have two long distance deliveries tomorrow as well as an event on Sunday so it will be a busy one for me! Safe deliveries everyone!

Cat

good evening...well actually its morning here.
im working on my grandaughters 5th birthday cake. yup its an all nighter for me again.
the theme to this cake has changed so many times that im trying now to piece together for tomorrow.
originally it was to be a wicked theme cake.
then switched to just elpheba ?sp.
now its wicked witch, glinda and dorothy from wizard of oz.
lord give me strength!!
make the cookies last night to go with goody bags and the cake.
that was an all nighter too.
im beyond exhausted.

Well it is 3am where I am at and I still have tons to do. Cakes are baked and fondant accents made but I still have to make, fill and stack my cakes! It is a 2 tier round (6"/8") Monster High cake. I love the design I came up with cause it was ambitious for me but as much as I love it I couldn't find the want to get up and work on it, lol. SO now I am kicking myself in the butt cause it is super late and I am getting tired but it has to be ready for pick up by noon, Saturday. Up I get to make my filling, fill and stack. Then buttercream it and let it set... catch a few hours sleep then up to get the decoration on... unless I catch a second wind and get it all done before I crash out. Wish me luck!

we must be on the same time zone haha. im in connecticut.
i stil have alot to do. so far no big mis-haps just so tired from pulling an all nighter last night (or thursday night)
and im helping my daughter with the birthday party. they are going bowling.
i can wait to sleep tonight.
i would LOVE to be able to catch a few hours of sleep now, but im a slow caker and dont trust i would be done by the party.
anyways, if your're gonna stay up-check in and let me know how your doing.
happy caking!

forgot to say that 2 weeks ago, i tried making my grandaughter a monster high cake for her actual birthday-and it was horrible! (def not trying to jinx you)
so i had no choice to buy a store (yuk) cake. first time since ive been caking that my family ate store bought cake.
i would love to see your completed cake. i am determined to give it another shot. once i have some free time.

So far so good. Filling is made but waiting for it to set cause it is ganache and right now it is still in a pourable state. So once it cools down I will be able to whip it and fill the cakes. They are torted and ready to go. 1st batch of buttercream made and thinned waiting to crumb coat with. So it is coming along... just in a waiting period right now.

Everything on the design is working out so far. The only thing I messed up was the MH shield logo. I was hoping to cut it out of fondant but the thin lines and the size I needed made it difficult. So decided to paint it and then when I picked it up to move to it it pulled apart. So that got scrapped. The skull for the topper is finished but I am afraid the black background will not dry hard like I need it. But I am thinking of coating the back in candy melts cause it will harden and help support it. Now to figure out how to make it stand up as the topper, lol. Still trying to figure out if or how to rework the shield logo. It just might get left off

Hope it is going good for you and I will post pics when I am done.