Little Girl's Birthday Request!

Tip 104 was used to make the ruffle design using buttercream. The words, the flowers and the butterflies were made out of fondant. The birthday girl asked for a disney princess themed cake so I included candles to match the theme. I hope that she enjoyed her cake!

Thanks for visiting today! Don't forget to share pics of your edible 'kreations'. Till next time, "Happy Baking!"

Showing some Love!

Thanks to my friend, Ophelia, for baking with me during my trip to St. Lucia. She taught me some royal icing techniques and in turn I showed her some of my fondant/gumpaste flower making techniques. We had a fun time working on this cake!

Thanks for visiting today! Don't forget to share pics of your edible 'kreations'. Till next time, "Happy Baking!"

The Big Three!

During my recent trip to my beautiful homeland St. Lucia, I had the opportunity to celebrate with a very bright young man, Avey! I hoped that you enjoyed your cakes.

I've read that it can be hard to work with fondant in the tropics but I really learned this first hand while working on those cakes. I owe a lot to my little brother, Levi, for helping me. He helped bake and decorate the cakes. It was tough manipulating the fondant due to the humidity but we made it work. Thanks Bro!

Thanks for visiting today! Don't forget to share pics of your edible 'kreations'. Till next time, "Happy Baking!"

Reunion Series - DIY Nametags

This December is very special; I finally met up with my high school friends after such a long time! It was our 13 year reunion and we had loads of fun!

Our planning committee was organized in January this year and we worked really hard to make the reunion possible. It's was a great 'ride'! We are just so thrilled that we had a successful reunion!!!! Kudos to our reunion planning team; they were superb!

Now let's take a look at some of the details!
The decoration sub-committee had to make the place look 'amazing' on a very tight budget! The best way to achieve that of course is to do it yourself (DIY). Therefore, I took on the challenge and worked with our team to get some eye catching decor together.

The first thing we worked on back in June was the name tag. We did several samples as it was our first time doing this but we finally came up with a design that we were satisfied with.

Here are a few tutorials that were very useful:

Vivid Please
Smashed Peas and Carrots
About.com - Scrapbooking
My Favorite Things - Second Video

We didn't use the DIY nametags due to time constraints (couldn't get all done in time), but it was nice trying them out!

Thank you for visiting today. I look forward to your comments!

Reunion Series - Welcome Plaque!

This welcome plaque was one of the first things that our classmates saw when they entered the reception area. We worked on this one back in June and it was all ready for the BIG NIGHT in December!

1. The wood was first painted in yellow to match the scrap book paper.
2. The 12X12 scrapbook paper was turned over, the wood was then turned over on the paper and then traced.
3. The shape was cut out of the paper.
4. The paper was then glued unto the wood with the edges pulled back against the width of the wood. This made it more presentable.
5. And from then on, imagination was all it took. Embellishments were used to add the message and decor on this piece.

Please refer to this previous post for more detailed instructions on working with scrapbook paper and wood.

Thank you for visiting today. I look forward to your comments!



Updated Pic from the Event - December 2014

Gym Cake Topper

Is anyone up for a workout today? 

Gym Theme Cake Toppers

One of my good friends got married recently and those cake toppers were made for her husband's groom cake. I was not quite sure how to get started on this project since I also intended to make human figurines (bride and groom; with the groom lifting the bride) which proved to be challenging. To be honest, this project was quite intimidating but I was up for the challenge. 

At the end, I created a gym floor and gym accessories to go with it but I didn't have as much luck with the 'bride and groom figurines'. It was not for lack of trying though. Let's just say that I have a lot more work to do in terms of sculpting humans. I'm going to continue to work on it though. 

A mixture of fondant and gumpaste was used to make these toppers. Some gum-tex was also kneaded in. The toppers had to be shipped so I wanted to be sure that it dried very well.

• Bigger weights - lollipop sticks were used as the support and varying sizes of the round cutters were used for the 'weights'.
• Smaller weights - lollipop sticks cut into shorter pieces and covered with fondant/gumpaste were used for the support. The round end of any decorating tip can be used to cut the smaller 'weights'.
• Workout bench - fondant covered lollipop sticks were also used to create the frame that the work bench sat on. 
• Gym Floor - this tutorial can help!

Thanks for visiting today! Don't forget to share pics of your edible 'kreations'. Till next time, "Happy Baking!"

2014 Cake4Kids Cake-Off

Call me crazy, but I decided to enter the Cake4Kids 2014 Cake-Off. I seriously doubted my decision in the weeks that followed my registration but I'm glad that I went ahead with the contest; I'm particularly happy that I was able to participate in an event that raised funds to assist the less fortunate.

I came up with several designs, even soliciting ideas from my friends.  As I thought about the design some more, I figured why not have a theme; all about fashion. There was much talk about the NY fashion week and the favorite colors this year were black, white and a splash of red. I used this as inspiration. The design evolved to include a fondant shoe that complemented the theme.

The final design included a 10" round base with a 6" square top tier. The base tier had a diamond quilt design with silver-sprayed pearls. The top tier was embossed with the sugarveil rose mantilla mat. A carved purse made out of 6 inch round cakes served as the serving cake for the judges.

Same Cake with Different Looks 

Purse - Black and White Design with pearl handle 

Clutch - Black and White Design with a splash of red

I had to serve the cake at the event, so it was important to learn how to cut the cake to serve the number of intended guests. Each contestant was asked to have enough cake to serve approximately 50 persons. The Cake Sketcher app came in very handy in deciding the size of the cake that would serve that number of persons. With the help of the tutorial listed below, I am now confident that I will no longer shy away from cutting cakes.

Making of the Shoe

I was very intimidated by the shoe, but I decided to just 'go for it'. I am so happy that I did. I could see areas that I can work on next time but overall I am satisfied with the final product. The biggest challenge was getting the right 'former' or 'drying ramp' for the shoe, as that would determine how realistic the final product would look. I came across many formers/drying ramps and cutters online but I wanted to use items that I already had at home. Eventually, my hubby made a ramp for me using left over fondant. If you ask me, I'd say that it didn't work out too bad!

Helpful tutorials:
Shoe Template and tutorial
Cut cakes BELOW 9 inches round
Cut cakes ABOVE 9 inches round
Cut square cakes

Thanks for visiting today! Don't forget to share pics of your edible 'kreations'. Till next time, "Happy Baking!" 

I look forward to reading your comments!

Little Gentleman's Themed Birthday Cake - Happy 1st Birthday to the Perfect Gentleman

Gentleman themed ombre smash cake!

I had the pleasure of working on a 'gentleman themed cake' for the perfect little gentleman. I thought that the theme embraced everything about the little guy. When his mom contacted me about making this cake, I was beyond excited. I had the joy of making his baby shower cake, his dedication cake and now his first birthday cake. Now that I am writing this, I'm realizing that I am about a year into cake decorating. You see, I started cake decorating not long before our little guy was born. In a previous post, I mentioned that that particular baby shower cake allowed me the opportunity to make the first of many; '... my first tiered cake, my first pillow cake, my first gum paste shoes...'. This birthday cake was no different; this was my first three tiered cake, first fondant bunting, first number topper, first fondant puppy and my first ever smash cake. Now you must surely understand why I just love making cakes for this little guy. Also, it was the first time that I saw one of my cakes so beautifully displayed. This brings me to the beautiful decor.

Favors done by our gentleman's mom!

Our little gentleman's mom did such an amazing job with the decor. I was so elated to see the cake table.  The tablecloth, the flowers etc made the table look so beautiful. The other tables and park space were also beautifully decorated. The colors and all the favors were alluring. Everything matched the theme including the 'bow tie shaped pasta' and the napkins 'tied to the cutlery in the shape of a bow'. The park where the birthday party was held was transformed to 'a gentleman's dreamland' finished with a beautiful photo booth. What a creative mom who has so much love for her son! I am so happy to have been part of our little gentleman's first birthday!

Cake Sketch made before working on the cake

This is the sketch I came up with using the Cake Sketcher web app. The design was based on the pic that I was sent and information garnered from discussions with our birthday boy's mom. The final cake doesn't match the sketch perfectly. I actually use the sketch as a guide but I'm sure that I will get better with time. I do wish that I had remembered to add a small piece of fondant to the top of the hat as illustrated in the picture. Every detail matters in cake decorating; that is what I think anyway.
Hopefully there will be a next time and note to self, 'refer to the sketch while decorating'.

First Birthday Gentleman themed cake

There were some great tutorials that helped me with this project!
Puppy

I thought that it would be nice to bring the family dog along bearing gifts!

Cake (fondant) Bunting
Template for the Number Topper 
Name Template (I messed up the name plate that I had made so I didn't use it but check out the link)
Fondant Roses

*Cake Recipes
Bottom Tier and Smash cake - Elissa Strauss' Vanilla Cake
Two top tiers - Paul Bradford's Chocolate Cake
Home Made Marsh mellow Fondant 
I used about 2/3 and 1/2 respectively, of the required sugar for the cakes.

Lessons Learned: 
I made a rose bud to use as a boutonniere. I inserted the bud with the wire into a flower spike and then inserted it into the cake. I thought that that was a good idea until I noticed that the tip of the spike remained in view and that the flower wouldn't stay in a position to cover up the spike. I should have tried this at home before getting to the location; that way I would have had a chance to fix it but I didn't. Oh well I definitely learned my lesson. Next time I will simply use royal icing or candy melts to attach the flower to the cake.

Improvements made:
In recent posts, one of my lessons learned was that I needed to work on my time. I think that I achieved this with this cake. I made the roses, puppies and other cake ornaments in advance. Also, I got the cake baked, decorated and ready hours ahead of the delivery time. I still have to work on my timing but I am happy to report that I am well on my way!

Side Note: 
I was up decorating this cake when the recent earthquake hit the Bay Area. At that moment, the first thing I tried to protect was the almost finished cake. Oh man, the things you'd do for your 'baby' aka cake!!

Thanks for visiting today! Don't forget to share pics of your edible 'kreations'. Till next time, "Happy Baking!" 

I look forward to reading your comments!

Chocolate Banana Cake with Kahlua Flavored Chocolate Frosting

I'm always looking for ways to use up the overripe bananas in my kitchen. This chocolate banana cake was moist and delicious. Special dark cocoa was used hence the deep, dark color. For the chocolate frosting, I replaced the milk with Kahlúa liqueur for extra flavor. My icing was on the dry side so I added milk and water as needed (one tablespoon at a time) until it got to the desired consistency. 

Chocolate Banana Cake

There's fun in Volunteering and I'm Loving it! - Complimentary Classes by Cake4Kids

I know that I've mentioned Cake4Kids several times, but I just wanted to reiterate how exciting it is to work with this organization. The team is very organized and makes it wonderful to work with the organization.

Not only do I love making cakes for foster kids but I also get an opportunity to meet with cake decorators, in the area, who are also volunteers. Cake4Kids organizes several events that bring volunteers together including socials and complimentary classes. I've attended several of the classes and I have been very impressed by the volunteers who teach the classes; I absolutely love it. Hopefully one day I will volunteer to teach a class; I have a lot more to learn first though! 

So far, I've attended:

• Piping Calligraphy and Basic Floral Decorations by Gosia Hoot 
• The Basics of Fondant by Lisa Rauchwerger
• Fondant Flower Class by Joanne Bui
• Fondant Modeling Class by Joanne Bui

... and there are other exciting classes like 'Cake Baking' which I plan to attend! I'm very excited about all the classes. I've taken the cake decorating classes offered by Michael's Craft Store, so is some overlap sometimes, but it is good to learn new techniques and refresh my skills.

Cupcakes from the Basics of Fondant class

Figurines made during the Fondant Modeling Class; my relaxed panda and my timid bunny!

Did I mention that I signed up for the upcoming CakeOff scheduled for September 13th at the Domain Hotel in Sunnyvale at 6pm. Come support Cake4Kids; check it out!

Birthday Cake for a Dora fan!

This cake was made for a little birthday girl who loves Dora. 

For the face, the white fondant was colored with copper and brown icing colors to get the desired skin tone. The circular shape for the cake was then cut out using a biscuit cutter. The outlines for the eyes were marked using a black edible marker. White, brown and black icing colors were then used to paint in the eyes; the individual icing colors were mixed in with extract to make an edible paint. Vodka can also be used but extract was preferable for this cake. Black fondant was used for the hair. 

Lesson Learned:

The cake was due in the morning and I worked on most of the cake that same morning. Next time I would start working on the 'face' the night before or earlier so that each layer of edible paint can dry before applying the other layers.

Thanks for visiting today! Don't forget to share pics of your edible 'kreations'. Till next time, "Happy Baking!" 

I look forward to reading your comments!

Banana bread

Sometimes we have really overripe bananas in the house. And I mean really overripe. Ripe to the point where you think that the only option is to throw it away as no one would eat it. Some of the bananas may actually need to be thrown away of course, but you can tell by peeling away the skin to reveal what lies beneath. This time around, three out of four of the bananas were still usable so I 'used' it. I turned those bananas into a wonderful nutritious bread for the next day's breakfast.

The recipe was obtained from Chef In You. For this recipe I used brown sugar and I used half the amount that the recipe called for. Also, I replaced half of the butter with plain whole yogurt and I used whole wheat flour (same amount). To top it off I added 1/2 cup wheat bran and 1/2 cup walnuts.

Thanks for visiting today! Don't forget to share pics of your edible 'kreations'. Till next time, "Happy Baking!" 

I look forward to reading your comments!

Rose Swirl Cake

Eggless Vanilla Cake  with Buttecream

This blog provided useful tips to make the rose swirls. I used the 1M tip but for a smaller cake or for smaller roses, I would use a 2D tip. This was my first attempt but I hope to try this design again.

I used this buttercream recipe. I don't favor this recipe however it was sturdy enough for this design. I am in search of a good recipe that doesn't require  a lot of sugar. Wish me luck and please suggest any that you may have.

Thanks for visiting today! Don't forget to share pics of your edible 'kreations'. Till next time, "Happy Baking!" 

I look forward to reading your comments!

M is for Memories!

Something sentimental! The words say it all; M is for memories. It's time to go out there and make some wonderful and fond memories. 

This card was used as part of the table decor at a birthday party. Check out this post to see a pic with the card displayed on the table!

Thank you for visiting today. I look forward to your comments!

Home Made Card

Every time I walk into a Michael's, I get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of wonderful 'goodies' in that store; an intended 10 minute trip would linger into hours. There is always something new that I may have missed during a previous trip; or maybe I just hadn't noticed before. I am constantly 'googling' creative ways of doing things and usually after hours of searching and reading, I start to see things in a whole new way. My inspirations can become alive with the items from Michael's! Thus, my trip to Michael's is always an adventure. Additionally, Michael's offer many creative classes and my most recent class was 'paper crafting / scrap booking'. Since taking the class, I've worked on a few personalized cards and I've enjoyed working on each of them. There is just something so special about expressing how you feel in your own way.

Who says that one has to wait until Valentine's!

Thank you for visiting today. I look forward to your comments!

'Krafty' Birthday Present for My Talented Hubby

I have learned a lot along this journey that I have embarked on to learn more about my creative side. Not only have I learned about cake decorating but my journey has also led me to paper crafting/scrapbooking.  It is so much fun learning so many new techniques and meeting other people who share my interest.

Here's a project that I worked on and presented to my hubby for his birthday. It was fun making it and I'm glad that he loved it!

Valuable Tutorials that guided me in the process:
http://thecreatedhome.blogspot.com/2011/06/wooden-letters.html
http://www.wikihow.com/Mod-Podge
http://www.repeatcrafterme.com/2013/07/alphabet-wall-art-take-2.html

And here's the finished product.

The components of the design represent the things that he enjoys, for instance the background paper represents his love for writing and reading. As you may notice he also enjoys singing, playing the guitar, riding, taking photos, and smiling. One thing that's not represented is his love for gaming which was instead portrayed on his Mario birthday cake. Oh we're missing his cars as well! Oh well at least I have something to use for his next birthday!

It also made a debut at his birthday party!

Thanks for visiting today! Don't forget to share pics of your 'kreations'. Till next time!

I look forward to reading your comments!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

I used the recipe converter to halve Chuck Hughes' Red Velvet Cupcakes Recipe. I also made a few changes along the way; less sugar and oil and more cocoa were added. In addition, I used a cake mixer rather than a food processor. My ingredients list looked like the one below:



 

1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoons red food coloring
1/2 teaspoon vinegar1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups cake flour
1 1/2 tablespoon cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt


My batter yielded a dozen cupcakes. Another red velvet recipe can be found here.

The cupcakes were topped with cashew frosting before serving. Yum...yum...we enjoyed every bit of it.

Thanks for visiting today! Don't forget to share pics of your edible 'kreations'. Till next time, "Happy Baking!" 

I look forward to reading your comments!

My Own Little Fairy Tale Characters!

There are so many things that can be done with sugar in terms of cake decorating; the more I learn, the more excited I get! One of my favorite things to do is fondant/gumpaste figurines. I've learned that modeling chocolate can be used as well but I have not had much luck making modeling chocolate. I will work on the modeling chocolate technique some more and will eventually include it in my projects. Rice Krispies are also very good to use as a base in your projects.

My new 'favorite' thing to do is creating cake backdrops. I absolutely love the idea of using a cake backdrop. A backdrop just adds so much dimension to a cake. 'Emily Made A Wish' has done some amazing cakes with backdrops and she also has a tutorial which can be found here.

Here's a cake backdop that I made:

Perfect day for an outing; all dressed up!

Two cake drums were covered with white fondant to create this backdrop. The fondant was allowed to dry and then painted with edible food coloring mixed with vodka.

The bottoms/bases for the ladies were made from rice krispies. The attires and the accessories were made with fondant.

Thanks for visiting today! Don't forget to share pics of your edible 'kreations'. Till next time, "Happy Baking!" 

I look forward to reading your comments!

Gelatin Bubbles

Gelatin Bubbles look great on cakes! Those can be made in various colors and luster dust can be mixed in to give it some character and shine.

This tutorial by Cake Ball Love is quite detailed and would be a good resource if you want to try making these amazing bubbles. Seven Clown Circus also has a good tutorial.

This is how mine turned out.

These were made just for practice but I plan to try those for a cake sometime.

'Mario Popped Out' to Wish the Birthday Guy 'A Happy Birthday'!

'Mario' was more than welcomed at Mario's biggest fan's milestone birthday lunch! Belsahland and Star Cakes have great tutorials if you wish to make your own Mario figurine.

An edible image was used to wrap a message around the cake for the birthday guy!

Almost all gone! That's great!

Lessons Learned:

• I need to make the hands porportionate to the head next time.
• The edible paper need to be applied to slightly moist fondant.

 Small Birthday Lunch gathering for this Mario fan! 

Thanks for visiting today! Don't forget to share pics of your edible 'kreations'. Till next time, "Happy Baking!" 

I look forward to reading your comments!