The P & F...and custom shapes

Not bad for a reformed TOMBOY! LOL! Bottom layer shaped into a pond scene...referencing the swamp setting, but that wouldn't have been aesthetically pleasing to the eye. I carved the top layer into the shape of the number 5 for the birthday girl's age. Carved a '5' out of fondant and drew the characters on with a food-coloring marker. Flowers are made from gumpaste and royal icing.

I do NOT use shaped pans. You know the pans that are molded into licensed cartoon characters, sports balls, etc. All I need is a serrated knife and a mental image of what I'm planning to shape. I'm a beast at it. But the oval, circle, is killing me! I still haven't gotten that technique down...but I'm working on it! However, here are a few cakes that I've custom shaped...

Louis Vuitton Bag Cake

This bag proved to be both rewarding and unnerving, all at the same time. Probably similar to labor...the pains are atrocious, almost unbearable. But to see a new life blossoming from some such a challenging experience is pain-stakingly worth it. Well, that's how I felt about the Monogram Louis Vuitton bag cake. I wanted to give up and keep going at so many twists and turns throughout that roller coaster ride.

It all begins with a pattern...much like sewing a real handbag. You have to break the bag down into parts. Yeah, I have seen a few tutorials that apply a big enough piece of fondant to cover the whole cake, add a handle, a buckle, and maybe a quilting stitch...but that's too simple. I love handbags. And if I want a cake to have the same impression that a "haute" bag has on me, it has to be one that would make a person take a second, third, and obsessed look! So I went to the Louis Vuitton website, and found the traditional Monogram Louis. Once I was final on inspired bag I stared at it for a while. That may seem strange, but I zoomed in on every part of that handbag to find the technique and which part overlapped and where was it stitched and where did they place the LV logo. I think my brief stint at fashion design, actually helped me understand the patternmaking for a handbag, thus, I begin to draw a pattern:

I cursed! Something I haven't done in a while. (Cue my self-improvement) After crumb-coating and applying a generous amount of icing, she (the cake) began to do a serious gangsta-lean. And after two failed attempts to keep her from passing out on the cake board, she finally adhered to the desired pose. I applied the fondant in panels. There was no formal measuring, I just took card stock applied it to the cake and guestimated the measuring and cut. Then came the tedious adventure, painting the LV pattern...I get tension in my head just thinking about it. Thank God for my iPhone's iPod playlist, because without it, it probably would have felt much longer than it took. You don't know how happy I was when I made that last four-leaf flower!

This was nonetheless a cake that I just couldn't take my eyes off of when it was complete. My first official LV bag cake! The perfectionist in me won't let me rest entirely with assuredness that this is the best, there is room for improvement. However, this cake made me realize, that I'm worth more than a couple of $20 bills. If people don't want to pay for it...fine by me. But the brainstorming, the back pain, the intricate details, the long hours, all made me up the anty on my true value in this profession of cake design. I felt like Michaelangelo painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. While I'm sure he marveled at his work of art, it was quite refreshing for him to finally get PAID for it!

The Frog vs. The Princess, Part One

The process can be daunting at times. Especially if you're like me and you want every cake to be unique to the customer. I want a client to feel like this is one of a kind. No one else has it! But then the creative process commences and you get sick with multiple images parading your mind...trying to figure out where to start.

Today's cake is haunting me like an ole' Twilight Zone show. Princess and the Frog. Any kind of princess-themed cake makes me sweat. Growing up, I was quite the tomboy. I did have an extensive Barbie collection, but I wasn't into being a princess and one day meeting a Prince Charming. Maybe my scruffy knees, wild hair, thick, pink-framed glasses and braces took away such passions. I would have high-five'd the frog, before envying a rosy-cheeked, ball gown wearing, cute-as-pie girl! Even though I've sense transformed into a beautiful swan, embracing such ideas is like teaching an old dog new tricks. But, like many other cakes before, I accept the challenge with open arms.

Swords drawn...or in my case, serrated knife ready! Here goes...

Client:
Girl
5th birthday
Colors: Lavendar and Apple Green

When beginning a cake that's inspired by a character or theme it's best to begin researching. Find as many pictures to represent the true essence of that character. I found this one online and a few others to inspire my design. Luckily, I have a nine year old and I'll be watching Princess and the Frog for more ideas.


Hmm....stay tuned!

Humble beginnings

My first cake amazed me. Not because it was oh-so jaw-dropping. I was just fascinated with how a few simple ingredients and designs could create something that would make another person smile. And so, the affair began. One cold December, I made a cake to be exclusively consumed by another. The cake order...a snowman. I'm not gonna lie, I was nervous. But if there's one thing I've learned about myself, I work well under pressure. Well, creatively speaking. My lack of knowledge made me even more excited. I would be able to determine if I could do it, without guidance from a book, a pattern, or an esteemed cake artist. If this process got on my nerves and proved to be more challenging than necessary, I wouldn't make another cake. With no regrets, pack away from Course One supplies. I'd recently abandoned my fashion design career for that very same principle. But cake design proved to be very rewarding. When I finished, I knew I would eventually get better. I've learned since then that as you make and create, you learn something new. Mostly about yourself. What makes you cringe, what you know you need to improve, what doesn't work, and what does. I would encourage anyone, novice or master, to just embrace each cake as another lesson to sharpen your mental capital. I could have easily stopped at star-piping. That's really all the snowman cake is...tip #18 and a tired hand after it's complete. But I learned something more profound, Rome wasn't built in a day. Cake masters like Buddy Valastro, Duff Goldman, the CakeGirls, we're just meeting them! Truthfully, they've been in this cake business for years and decades. I just started in December 2009...yeah, my evolution has come rather quickly, but understand this, I've been an artist in almost every medium. Design has always been my passin. I take a dress apart that someone else is wearing and come up with the pattern. That enables me to make a cake in any shape rather easily. So to introduce me to cake is really nothing but another way to express my talent. Honestly, the cakes just happen to taste good! =)