I've got two ladies coming for an intense three-day cake workshop. They want to learn everything--

from how to use a piping bag, and leveling, torting, and filling

to how to make gumpaste flowers, and stacking a fondant-covered cake!

Wish us luck! Stay tuned for pictures!

The Wilton Cake Decorating students graduated from
Courses 1 and 2 at Michael's last night. Great job, everyone!!

 

Course 2 students

Lynette used her new skills to make this beautiful cake. She included the Wilton Rose,

daffodils, rosebuds, lilies, leaves, and a shell border. Gorgeous.

 

I love when students come prepared for class! YES!

 

 

Below:

Beautiful and professional-looking cupcakes!!

Tessie covered the cupcakes in fondant and topped with flowers she learned to make in class: violets, primrose, pansies,

rosebuds, the ribbon rose, and daffodils.

 

 

Course 1 students
Leslie is using a technique with piping gel and parchment paper to transfer a design.
If you don't have a steady hand or drawing skills, this is a perfect solution!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pretty!! And so festive!

 
Below: 

My little nine-year-old students did a fantastic job!

Grace made a lovely and colorful rose!

Below:
Look at Emily, working so hard on her bead border, below! And her blue drop flowers, added as a final touch, are perfect. Nice job!

 

 

 

Below: Grace does a nice job on that dot detail!! Very pretty!! ---

                                                This is Grace's "Mystical Bunny" cake!

Congratulations, everyone!

 

 

 

Basketweave technique; Wilton rose

Learning the Basketweave technique and the Wilton Rose

in Course 2...

 

Nice!!

 

Course 1

Cake Decorating Basics

I teach this class at Michael's in Riverhead.

 

What beautiful work!

 

We really get into it ... but what a mess we make!

I've heard this is a sign of genius...   : )

Their final cake project is coming up. Stay tuned!!

I am looking forward to seeing what wonderful creations

they come up with!

 

 

 

Olivia the Pig

This was for a private birthday party 

at the Children's Museum of the East End (CMEE)

in Bridgehampton, New York
December 8, 2012

 

 This cake is for the first birthday of the client's daughter, Julia.

 

Here is the work in progress:

 

First, start with an initial sketch (although I'm not a professional artist!)...

In this instance, the client wanted this cake and an Olivia the Pig topper, holding a pink candle with a star.

Next, I covered the cake base with fondant and used a textured mat with stars...as "Olivia" says: "I'm a STAR!". I then added a red ribbon around the edge of the cake board.

 

Then I made buttons from a Wilton mold that I bought at Michael's.

 

Now comes the fun part...making Olivia!

(Here is a headless Olivia!)

 

She's made from gum paste and the ears are dusted with edible petal dust and attached using spaghetti and edible gum glue. If you look closely, you can see the spaghetti sticking out of the ears while they're drying.

(Oh, and here is her head, too!):

I used a pen with edible ink to draw the face on.

And here she is! Miss Olivia! AND she's holding the birthday candle with the star!

 

It's time to prep the cakes and get them ready!! This is the REALLY fun part!

Now put them all together and you've got a party!

 The client loved the cake and the topper! And Lilee Fell Flowers in Bridgehampton did a beautiful job decorating the room with awesome balloons and fresh flowers.

Happy 1st birthday, Julia!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AIRPLANE CAKE

 

 

A customer owns a private plane and wanted a cake made to look like the plane.

Here is the work in progress and the final product. Enjoy!

 

 Here is the picture of the airplane that the client provided. It's a Cirrus SR22.

 

 

"Of COURSE I can do an airplane cake! Thank you for your order!" Then to myself: "How the heck am I going to make a plane that looks like this??"

 

I researched Cirrus online and was pleasantly surprised to find that the company also makes model planes. I contacted Cirrus and explained my project. "Is there any way you can send me blueprints?"

Within an hour, they had sent me blueprints of every angle of this plane! (Thanks, Cirrus!)

I hired someone to make a plane base from the blueprints.

 

Here is the carved and crumb-coated body:

I made the propeller to match the client's plane and every bit of it is edible!

 

I covered the wings in fondant. The cake is the body of the plane, which is also covered in fondant.

Here it is, the Cirrus SR22 airplane cake!