Carolina Cake Show

Last weekend I went with my Mom to the Carolina Cake Show in Charlotte. I submitted a cake in the intermediate novelty cake category. The theme was an underwater carousel. But we were in such a hurry to get home that I forgot part of the cake at home in Durham! I realized once we checked into the hotel that my 'horses' - which were really seahorses made from royal icing attached to candy sticks - were still sitting on my kitchen counter. Mom and I went to the Carolina Place Mall and tried to find a substitute in the short time we had. We found gummy sharks -a good substitute that fit with the underwater theme. To attach them to the candy sticks we actually took super-glue! It was the best we could do with our time and resources. I was just laughing by this point. And they actually turned out great! My cake got 2nd place in my division. I was so excited! My husband thinks a shark carousel is sadistic. But I loved how it turned out.
I feel like I'm running a cake marathon this week and next week. I've never had so many to make - that's 9 cakes in a two week span. I'm very thankful. I just finished three cakes for a friend's rehearsal dinner, she wanted one Carolina theme, one musical theme, and one monogram cake. I was very pleased overall with how they turned out. I took some flack from my husband over the UNC themed cake - he's a big NC State fan. Well this busy baker is going to get some rest. Thanks for reading!

Cancellation

Well, I learned my lesson. I didn't write up a wedding cake contract then the bride said she found somebody cheaper. I guess everybody has to learn the hard way sometimes. But from now on I will require a deposit for wedding cakes. It's really to protect my time and interest. I was pretty disappointed when she canceled, it was my major cake for October. So if anyone needs a special occasion cake for October, I'm probably available! I leave you with a picture of some mandarin orange cupcakes with cheesecake whipped frosting. My grandmother and I made them together. They were delicious!

Chocolate Fondant

This cake was my first experiment with chocolate fondant. I was quite pleased with the taste of it - it was a lot like fudge. I have mixed feelings about fondant. A lot of people don't like it because of its chewy texture and over-sweet taste. On the other hand, it looks phenomenal on a cake - a smooth, finished look. I think the taste of a cake is equally important to its looks. So I'm not opposed to using fondant when a customer requests it- but it's not my preference for taste. This particular cake was just for fun - three of my family members have birthdays in August so we knocked them all out with one big cake. It was a fun one to make. The next two weeks I will be doing prep work for upcoming projects including royal icing flowers.

Raspberry cake

Here's a cake that I tested on my church for a potluck. It was very much a test-cake because both the cheesecake whipped frosting and the inside raspberry cake were brand new recipes. I was pretty pleased with how it tasted, though it may need some tweeking. I have an order coming up this weekend for a 4 year old's birthday party. He wanted a starfish cake - so I'll be designing this one off the top of my head. At first the mom said she wanted a "Patrick the starfish" cake from the character on "Spongebob Squarepants" except she said she wanted him without the pants. Ok - so a naked cartoon starfish - that's a first. Then she drew up a sketch of what the cake should look like, which is basically just a star cake with eyes and a mouth. So that's what I'll be doing this weekend.

Pirate Ship

My son Andrew looked at this cake and said "Boat, boat!" It was for a pirate - themed birthday. It was a fun one to make. The sails and cannons are fondant and the cake is yellow with chocolate buttercream. This will be my last cake for a couple of weeks cause we're heading out of town. But I have two new projects each month from now through October, including one wedding cake. I'm excited for the chance to try new things. Check back soon!