Suitcase Cake

I think my new favorite thing is chocolate ganache. It really is pretty amazing to work with. It is a simple 2 parts dark or semi-sweet chocolate (if using milk or white chocolate use 3 parts) to one part heavy whipping cream. Place the chocolate in a large bowl. Heat the heavy whipping cream until just about boiling (do not boil). Pour over chocolate. Wait 2-3 minutes. Stir with a whisk or use an immersion blender until smooth. I let it set up overnight. It turns into a thick peanut butter-like spreadable paste. This is what the leather is made of. The trim is fondant, and the buckles are gumpaste (painted with an alcohol/gold dust mix). :o)

Bob the Builder and Wendy Cake

Hi Bob the Builder and Wendy and a cat whose name I do not know :o) This was a very last minute cake for a very good friend...it was for his son and I just could not say no :o) I had the choice between Bob the Builder and Clifford the Big Red dog. Clifford would have been easier, but how cute is the entire crew (pictured above). This is a frozen buttercream transfer placed on a yellow cake that is covered in buttercream :o)

Ruffles, Ruffles, and More Ruffles Cake

Ruffles, ruffles, and more ruffles! This cake is actually a sample cake. I decided to try my hand at the ruffles up the side technique. It is not as hard as it may appear. It is just a small back and forth movement all the way up the side....column after column. I love the way it looks!

It's A Girl Baby Shower Cake

I really liked making this cake. Mary Ann was having her kitchen renovated and she referred the customer to me. It was my first baby shower cake and I think it came out really cute! The only guideline I had was  "it's a girl".  I liked making the plaque and then applying it to the cake. I used a bunch of different sized cutters and tips for the circles. I drew the face on with an edible pen. The almond sour cream cake is covered in buttercream.

Louis Vuitton Cake

This is Janee's original birthday cake. It is in the spirit of her bag (not an exact replica). I had to do the handles different. The cake is four layers high, and are strawberry, chocolate, white, and almond sour cream. The layers are covered in chocolate ganache. The leather is modeling chocolate mixed with white fondant. The leather trim, flowers, and "cloth" are a gumpaste/fondant mix. The entire bag is secured to the board (I really liked this method) by 2 dowels that are sharpened (with a small pencil sharpener, only to be used for this purpose)  and hammered through the cake, center cake board, and through the drum until you hear the point hit the counter. :o)

Happy Birthday Cake

Janee wanted a pink and brown cake for her 30th birthday party. The cake is iced with buttercream. The flowers and squiggly bow are made from a fondant/gumpaste mix. For extra strength, I added (went a little crazy with ) some melted chocolate to the bow. :o)

SpongeBob SquarePants Cake for Marion's 8th birthday!

SpongeBob SquarePants was requested by Marion for his 8th birthday. I had a lot of fun making this character. His head and body were made from a 13x9 inch pan, and iced with buttercream. The black outline and blue part of the eyes are modeling chocolate. I think the black outline really makes SpongeBob pop out. The legs of his pants and shoulders are made from Rice Krispie treats, and his arms and little legs are made of fondant. His shoes are a couple of chocolate swiss rolls. :o)

Welcoming 2011 and a new baby cake :o)

 This cake was made for a family that had a lot to celebrate! I know that sometimes Spanish/English translations are not exact. I wanted the message to say Welcoming a New Year and a new baby, very fitting for their family. They love cake without icing, and I always think it looks so bare. The baby and lettering are made out modeling chocolate, and the cake is strawberry.

Welcome 2011 Cake !!

I had to black out a little part of the message. My wild and crazy friend loves over the top (and sometimes inappropriate) things. He requested chocolate fudge cake with buttercream icing. The decorations represent a little bit of everything he had planned to bring in the New Year :o)