This was one of the cakes I did for the bakery two weeks ago. It was the one I originally planned on doing, the doctor cake was just an extra. I started by making a bunch of apple blossom flowers. I used the medium flower cutter from Wilton. I slit the petals apart with an exacto (a must have for working with fondant), and then rolled the center of each petal with a ball shaping tool, giving them a gentle cupped petal. I wasn't sure how to finish off the center and actually stumbled upon a great solution. I took yellow and a light orange fondant and kneaded them together, making sure to leave small streaks. I then rolled it out and cut out small circles. I balled them up and dipped them in water, after that, I pressed the top into a paper towel. The texture on it gave the center a design that looks an awful lot like the center of a real flower.
Each layer is filled with Bavarian creme [yum!] and iced with butter cream. I then wrapped each layer in red fondant. In order to get a color this deep, it is necessary to add a dry product to the fondant to counter the wet of the gel coloring.* You can add corn starch or powdered sugar. (Both should be sifted before being added) I used to only use powdered sugar, but the heat from your hands heats it and becomes very sticky. I was turned on to the corn starch and haven't looked back since! It works much better.
Next, I painted chinese characters on each side on all levels of the cake. They requested the English translation be visible. I placed it on the top of the tier below it for the top two, and just below it on the bottom one.
I constructed the cake on site (which, I do suggest if you need it to travel more than a short distance). I had made small branches out of fondant and scattered those around the cake and used butter cream to adhere the flowers to the branches and the cake. Small leaves painted with gold luster dust were scattered around as well. Read about luster dust here. And here is a place that has several colors of luster dust priced well!
The plaque was rolled fondant cut in a square and I piped the message on with butter cream.
*Please note, you should always use gel colorings, and not the liquid drops that are typically sold in the spice isle and used for coloring eggs!
You just can't go wrong with Bavarian creme! My fave!
ReplyDeleteYour cakes are beautiful. Didn't you say you did it as a side business for a while?
Thanks!
ReplyDeleteAfter picking up the hobby and before finally cracking my way into advertising, I toyed with the idea of opening my own cake shop. A cute little shop with black and white checkered floors, those little black metal chairs with fun patterns on the seat. I definitely had that planned out! So, I wandered into a local bakery and gave them my #. They called the next day wanting to know if I was looking for a job. I said yes and started working there a few days a week.
She actually offered to sell me the business, but I had the job I have now and didn't want that any more. It was really rough on my hands! I would have had full-on arthritis by my mid 30's. But I still make cakes for friends, occasionally friends of friends, and for the bakery when they need me.
Great cake! I decorate cakes as a hobby for my family, but I'd never be brave enough to display them. I'm sure my family would tell me they're good enough, but I don't think so!
ReplyDeleteThanks for following my blog! Welcome!