Saturday, September 15, 2007

Practice Cake #2

I finally worked up enough courage to try covering a cake with fondant. The concept always seemed easy enough, but I knew it would be more difficult in reality. It actually wasn't too bad. I probably should have purchased the fondant so I could be more familiar with the correct texture and such, but I'm cheap. So I made my own. It was so gooey and sticky. I kept adding more and more powdered sugar until finally it seemed right. Though in the end I think I made it too dry because it was wrinkling and cracking a little bit. I didn't get it on the cake very well. There were all sorts of air bubbles and such, but I look at it with a much more critical eye than others. Anton thinks it looks fine. So without further ado I present Practice Cake #2:

And the obligatory closeup:

Thank goodness for all the polka-dots that helped me cover up all the really ugly parts. There was actually supposed to be a bow on this one. I was doing OK making it, but I got a little impatient waiting for it to dry and a few of the loops crumbled on me. Then I didn't have enough loops to make a good bow. Then I was also too lazy to color the "glue" holding it together to match the bow. Needless to say, the bow didn't end up on the cake. But here it is looking ugly in a bowl:

Now I know how not to do it I'm pretty sure I could pull of a decent one next time.

I had no problems doing the demolition on this one:

It tasted really good too since I changed my cake making methods. I though the fondant was too strongly flavored, but everyone else really liked it. It was a yellow cake with a buttervream filling. Yum. I bought a few things today at the store to try out. Powdered coffee creamer in vanilla-caramel to flavor my frostings with. And a coconut extract. I have visions of coconut covered white cakes with that one. Yummm.

But enough about cakes. I actually also scrapbooked tonight. First time in a while. Here's my page:

I used Minna Rajala's Falling Leaves kit available here at Scraphead.

Earlier today I told Anton that I was taking the day off from responsibility. It was so nice. He made the menu for the week and the grocery list. I did go with him to the grocery store because honestly, I had to make sure we got some real food. But he bought all sorts of stuff to make a fabulous Chinese dinner and he made it tonight. There was so much food that we had to invite our friends over to help us eat it all (and the cake too of course). Anton made Sweet and Sour Pork, Chicken Chow Mein and Fried Rice. Good stuff. I'm surprised we had room for cake after all that.

It was a pretty good day.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great job on your cake! I did cake decorating years ago but never attempted working with fondant.
~ Mona

Unknown said...

Love the LO. Cake looks delicious, and all this talk of food is making me hungry :)

Mira Designs said...

What a fun looking cake! And you sure managed to cover up all the ugly parts really well coz the cake looks perfect to me! Love your LO too! :)

Sandra said...

The cake is just beautiful, you did such a good job. Love your LO as well, you fitted so many photos on it.

Kelly said...

Oh wow that cake is awesome!! I love it. I would have never thought of using coffee creamer for some reason either. Great idea!

Rose said...

Wow! You cakes are beautiful! Can I hire you??? Will you teach me?? I love your recent LOs, too! So much fun!!!

Stephanie said...

Love this cake too. And the bow looked fine to me. I don't have a critical cake-decorator's eye, but it was pretty. :) And I love your page. Can't believe Halloween is coming up again! Sorry it's still so stinking hot there. Maybe you should take up ice sculpting instead--it doesn't add extra heat to your house. :)

Andrea said...

LOL with Stephanie's Comment!! Take up ice sculpting! That is too funny!! Hee hee hee, still laughing, I needed some laughter! Love the cake, love the layout, love it all!! When you drive through are you going to bake me a cake?