Cowbells and Carousels...

It's Fair time again! Love this time of year. The weather is nice and the fair kicks off tomorrow. This occasion gives me the opportunity to be creative and build a cake that normally, I may not be asked to do. Many times while clicking through galleries on various cake forums, I run across items that I think would be totally cool to try. This year I decided that my fair entry would be the "Watering Can Gardening Cake". Many people have done them (go ahead and google it...I will wait) but I really wanted to see what I could do with one. Out comes the pans, fondant, tools (hammer included) and lots and lots of sugar!

Somewhere in my former life, I must have been a woodworker. I just love incorporating it into cakes. I guess I have always been fascinated with the knots and the grain of the wood. Weird right?

Fondant over cake board prior to painting...pweeety!

 

 

After painting...more pweeeety! (and I secretly want to tap dance on it!)

After prepping the board, I baked and then stacked two 4" tall, 8" round, strawberry cakes. Yes! It is cake! You would be surprised how many people ask, "Is that really cake under there?" I really want to say, "Nope, standing rib roast!" but I refrain.

Mmmm...Cake!

Base cover...no details

Detail pieces added...prior to painting.

And then...Viola! I wave my magic sugar wand and the final product appears!

Clay County Agricultural Fair 2012 entry!

Well actually about 8 more hours of sculpting gloves and a seed packet, painting, and dusting with edible glitter (read cake bling). Shaaaazam! More sugar adventures coming soon :)

Squealin' and Peelin' Out....

To date I have had some rather unusual request for cakes. (Steampunk Cthulu? Huh???) But with a bit of research, I can usually figure it out. This one had me a bit stumped...Racing pigs? I have seen them at the fair, but how in the world can I manage this and still make it look like a GIRLS birthday cake. Cecilia's request was indeed a challenge, but I think I made it work. The cake itself was red velvet with a buttercream filling and frosting, covered in fondant. The pigs are a 50/50 gumpaste and fondant mix and all hand sculpted. I am still honing my skills as far as that goes, but I think can hear the oinks from here.

(pic courtesy of Jackie Doan)

 

 

 

 

I could not resist the urge to add a tongue to this little piggy...

 

Run...Piggies...Run!

 

 

 

This is one of only a few cakes that I have done with absolutely no sketch and no game plan. Just thought about the colors, made the pigs, and sat down and started decorating. I guess it works like that occasionally.

Happy Birthday Cecilia!

Time to clean the sugar from my floors, cabinets, walls, face....lol

Until next time :)
Mimi

1st birthdays! I love them...

I absolutely love doing first birthday cakes! It always makes me think about my daughters 1st. (Good grief, she is driving now and I am old!) Funny thing is, my daughter chose not to eat her cake.
She HATED sweets! But good ole grandma hooked her up with a hamburger bun. Yes, you heard correctly...a hamburger bun. We stuck her candle atop and sang and she was so happy. She tore into that bun like it was the best thing ever made. (She gets her love of bread from her mama and her Italian heritage.)





So this 1st birthday cake was done for the niece of an old friend whose mother contacted me. I loved the concept she sent. So simple, but adorable.

Concept for sheet cake

Final Product

And every 1st birthday needs a smash cake!

 Thanks again to Ms. Jennifer for everything. I appreciate the business and the fun creative outlet this gives me. 

Until next time! :)