Piece of Cake Decorating

How to Make Layered Fondant Images

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 19:44:00 +0000

These images are a lot easier than they look and will give your cakes that wow factor you're looking for. Before we get into the tutorial, here are a couple examples of how they can be used on a cake.

Now, down to business...

Supplies

Printed image

fondant or gumpaste (colored accordingly)

Exact-O knife

Scissors

Wax paper

Flat Surface like cardboard or a cookie sheet

Clay Extruder (optional)

Gumpaste tool (anything with a smooth edge) or the back of a small paint brush

Black and blue edible ink OR thin edible markers

Thin brush (if using edible ink)

Directions

Throughout this tutorial I will be using the Ariel image at the very top. Keep in mind that we will be working in layers. The very bottom layer for my image will be skin toned and we will build on top of this.

Important: These images should be done a few days in advance to allow it to dry.

Step 1

Roll out a piece of fondant (skin tone) about 1/8 of an inch thick and place it on top of a piece of wax paper on your cardboard or cookie sheet. Then place your cut out printed image on top and, using your Exact-O knife, cut your full image out. Your end result will look like the picture below.

Step 2

Cut the hair off your image. I decided to cut the hair into 4 separate sections because it would be difficult to place the hair on in one piece and the fondant is more likely to stretch in the process. We will be covering the seams later on.

Step 3

Roll out red fondant about 1/8 of an inch thick and cut out your hair pieces. Attach with a small amount of water. As you can see in this picture, I used my printed pieces to make sure I kept the general shape of the piece. Here the hair stretched so, while the fondant was still soft, I adjusted its shape. If I didn't do this, I run the risk of altering the shape of her arm, face or body.

Step 4

Repeat steps 2 and 3 with the fin and shell top. The eyes, mouth and nose will most likely be too small to cut out so do your best to eyeball the general shape.

Step 5

With a large round tip, add half circles to the dark green section of her body to look like scales. Then, with the gumpaste tool, add texture to the light green fins and her purple shell top.

Step 6

Use your clay extruder (optional) to make strands of hair. If you don't have a clay extruder you can also roll the pieces out by hand. Place them over seams and in a few other places to add texture and dimension. Attach with a small amount of water.

Step 7

Brush pearl luster dust over the entire image. This helps give the appearance of her being under water. Then, using a thin brush, outline all your pieces with black edible ink. Add extra detail to the hair, face, hands, body and bottom fins. Dark blue ink is used on the eyes. This step will also work with THIN edible markers.

Step 8

Let dry a few days (at least over night) before placing on your cake.

Reader Photos: Kym from Holland

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 19:08:00 +0000

These pictures come from a reader over in Holland. I love getting questions and pictures from all around the world. Nice work Kym!

Reader Photos: Sallie

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 18:57:00 +0000

Here are a few pictures from a reader. She used my guides to make these cakes. Great work!

Guest Post: How to Decorate Your Cake Using Edible Ink

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:48:00 +0000

How to Decorate Your Holiday Cake Using Edible Ink

Many people get stuck with the task of bringing a cake to their holiday celebrations. Whatever the occasion, from office parties to the Christmas play at you church, the person tasked with bringing the cake usually wants to pull out all the stops and make a cake worthy of the holidays. There’s a great way to make gorgeous, attention-grabbing cakes with hardly any effort: printing an image using edible ink and edible paper.

Edible inks and papers are great for amateur cake bakers. You simply select an image, print it out, and place it on the cake. Almost anyone can do it, and the results are spectacular.

Step 1: Getting the Edible Ink Supplies

First, you need to get the supplies. These are pretty simple: edible printing paper, edible ink and a printer. Most edible ink cartridges will work with standard printers, but you must use a printer that has never been used to print anything other than edible inks. If the printer has been used for regular printing jobs, the less-than-healthy standard printer ink will have seeped into crevasses and cling to the printing apparatuses. It can then contaminate the edible ink, and no one wants to eat anything that’s got printer ink on it, right?

Step 2: Picking an Image

Now you have to choose an image. This really is the fun part because you’re limited only by your imagination. You can use photographs you already have, like Christmas photos of your family, and add text or edit the image using a program like Photoshop.

Vintage images look amazing, since the colors are soft and the images are intricate. They really make the most of edible ink’s capabilities. Search the internet (such as Google Images) for “vintage Christmas cards” and browse until you find one that looks great for your cake. Try to find an image with a high resolution, so you can blow up the image and retain the detail. If you can’t, don’t worry about it too much. A bit of graininess will make it look even more vintage and aged.

Source

This is a nice, large image and would look great on a sheet cake. There is a nice amount of space in the top left to add any messages as you desire. You could also recreate the gold foil with a gold-colored edible ink pen.

Source

This is a great one for a more formal religious celebration. Besides coming in a ridiculously huge size (so you won’t need to blow it up to get it to fit on a normal-sized cake), the image has vibrant colors and loads of detail. It really would make a very impressive cake. The figures might need a little touching up with a gold edible ink pen once the image has been printed, but that would only add to the visual sumptuousness of the cake.

For those who need a cake design that doesn’t assume everyone who will eat the cake will also celebrate Christmas, there are plenty of more generic “winter holiday” designs that can suit an office party or a holiday celebration with friends of various religious and cultural backgrounds.

Source

This is a postcard featuring a snowball fight in Paris in 1905. Its sophisticated setting contrasts with the children’s unadulterated glee and would be perfect for anyone who wants to simply celebrate the joy everyone experiences at this time of the year.

Step 3: Printing the Image & Decorating the Cake

With the image chosen, you need to print that image and put it on the cake. Make sure the cake has cooled before you decorate it, or else the icing will melt and the paper will slip off. Put a layer of icing on the top of the cake (or wherever you are going to place the image). Place the printed image on the icing, smoothing out any air bubbles as you go along. Once you’ve got the image in place, pipe a border around the image to cover the edges. This border can be a fancy scalloped border, but if you aren’t that skilled, try simple dots around the edges. It takes a while, but the effort will be worth it. Finally, let the edible ink picture set. The paper dissolves into the moisture of the icing, leaving only the ink behind.

You should end up with a beautiful, unique cake that is perfect for your holiday celebrations!

Author Bio:

Guest post by the team at Clickinks, a printer ink company that offers discount prices on ink and toner cartridges. Clickinks carries products for all top print brands such as HP, Brother, Epson ink, and more. Search for the exact ink cartridges you need and save!

How to Make a Book Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 17:56:00 +0000

Maybe it is because of the slew of graduation cakes I made last month but book cakes are one of my favorite cakes to make these days. Check out some examples of graduation and baby shower book cakes I have made then, scroll down for a tutorial on how make and stack these cakes.

To make 1 book you will need...

1 covered cake board
fondant (1 batch)
buttercream icing (2 batches)
piping bags
tip # 3
cardboard cake divider (optional)
fondant ribbon cutter (optional)
gumpaste tools(optional)

To stack the books you will also need thin foam board and wooden dowels.

Directions:

Step 1

Level, tort and stack your cakes. Then, trim the edges to get the desired size of your book. The graduation books are the size of a 2 stacked 1/4 sheet cakes while the baby shower books are made from a 1/2 sheet cake cut into 3rds. Two of the thirds were stacked to make 1 book.

Step 2

Ice your cake and let set in the fridge for 30-45 minutes. Of course chilling your cake is completely optional but I have found it is much easier to fondant a cake when the icing has been given time to crust.

Step 3

Roll out your fondant and cut to size. Only you will know how large to cut your fondant. Measure the height of one side and the width of the top then add 1/2 an inch (you want your fondant to hang off the edge a bit just like the cover of a hard covered book). Add 1 inch to the width of the top of the cake for your second measurement. I know that sounds confusing so here is an example...Lets say the book measures 4 inches tall, 10 inches wide and 12 inches long. My cut piece of fondant will be 14 1/2 inches (4+10+1/2) X 13 inches (12+1) and will hang off the cake a 1/2 inch all the way around.

The best way to lay the fondant on your cake is to let the fondant stiffen up a bit. Then, lay the fondant on a cardboard cake divider and ease it onto the cake as pictured. To make the back cover, cut 1/2 inch strips and lay around the edges of the cake. A fondant ribbon cutter (see supply list) makes this job even easier.

Step 4

Use your buttercream icing to make the pages by piping lines across the remaining sides of the cake. In this picture I used tip #104 but for and even more realistic look use tip #3. You can see the difference in detail if you look at the books in the very first picture.

Step 5

Use a gumpaste tool or the back of a small decorating brush to make the details on the binding. Finally, customize your cake with the decorating details of your choosing.

Stacking Books

If you are making a stack of books, make sure you dowel your cake. You should also use thin foam board as opposed to card board cake dividers so the book can be supported and won't bend. Notice in the picture below that the board my cake is sitting on is a 1/2 inch larger on 3 of the sides. This was done to give the appearance of a back cover. Later, the edges will be covered in fondant.

How to Make a Gumpaste Roller Coaster

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 18:31:00 +0000

Last month my oldest son turned four and wouldn't you know, he asked for a roller coaster on his cake! Because I am always looking to challenge myself, I was determined to make it edible. After searching the internet for pictures, it was nearly impossible to find a cake with a gumpaste roller coaster. The few I found I wasn't crazy about but I learned enough to create something I loved. In the end it was the easiest part of the entire cake and I am excited to share it with you.

The cake is themed around the Disney cartoon Phineas and Ferb. More specifically, the episode where the brothers build a roller coaster. All the characters were hand made from gumpaste and the cakes are 12 and 6 inch rounds iced in buttercream with fondant details.

Give yourself about a week to let the roller coaster dry. You may be able to get away with making it a few days earlier but I wouldn't risk it. You will need...

clay extruder
flexible cardboard (I used a USPS shipping envelope)
tape
dowels
floral wire (20+ gauge)
cookie sheet and styrofoam
gumpaste (1lb)

Step 1

Before you can begin working with the gumpaste you need to create a "mold" or form for your roller coaster to dry on. This roller coaster was made in two parts and the forms were made according to the pictures below.

I used a 6 inch cake pan to make sure my roller coaster was the right size.


The powdered sugar is important. The last thing you want is for your gumpaste to stick.

You are now ready to make the rails of your roller coaster. This is extremely easy if you have a clay extruder. Place your gumpaste into the extruder and using the largest circle disk, press out your rails. Don't worry if your rail is not long enough. You can hide the seam later with a plank. Once you have 2 rails around your cake pan, spaced 1 inch apart, you can move on to your tall piece.

* Please note: I forgot to take a picture of the gumpaste sitting on the form but, I did not make a full circle. I left a space in the back to place the tall piece of the roller coaster. *


Dowels were taped to the cardboard for added support. One dowel was stuck into the Styrofoam for stability.

Once the form was secured to the Styrofoam with tape, I used wire to be absolutely sure it would not come off. The rails were made the same as before however this time I inserted a wire about 2-3 inches into each end of the rails and entirely into the Styrofoam. The wire will give this tall piece more support when put on the cake.

**Decorator's Tip** For even more support and food safety, place drinking straws over the exposed wire before putting it on the cake. This piece will not budge!

Step 2

Roll out your gumpaste and cut 1 inch x 1/2 inch rectangles for the beams/slats of the roller coaster. Let them sit for a few minutes to become a little stiff then attach with water or gum glue (a mixture of gumpaste melted in water). Make sure you cover any seams in your rails.

Store in a cool dry place and after a week it should be stiff enough to place on your cake.

Here is another view for you to reference. I was nervous about this roller coaster and a little over booked with cakes so mine actually sat for 3 weeks! My husband swore it would fall apart but it did not budge and was completely hard.

How to Make a Frozen Buttercream Transfer Updated

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 11:00:00 +0000

These are just a few examples of what you can do with a frozen buttercream transfer. It is simple to use and is a great way to get a picture on your cake without using an edible ink printer. As you can see with these cakes, the picture can either cover the entire top of the cake (Beatles Cake) or can be used as an accent (castle and Eagles cakes). It is really your preference, just make sure to plan ahead. After making your buttercream transfer icing, follow these simple steps to make a frozen buttercream transfer.

Step 1

Find, copy, or print out a picture. Keep in mind that your final product will be a mirror image so, it is best to use the mirror image setting on your printer (especially when including letters). Once you have your picture, tape it to a stiff, movable surface like a cake board. Then, tape a piece of wax paper over your picture.

Step 2

Pipe all of the outlines on your image with black icing and a small round tip (#2 or #1 depending how thin you need your outline). You can color your transfer icing black but I prefer to use a tube of black Wilton icing because it is very hard to get a true black.

***Notice how any detail I want to show in the final image is black (ie bricks on the castle) and I ignored those I was not interested in like the bushes and shadow lines. ***

Step 3

Now you need to start thinking of your picture in layers. For example, when making a face, you should fill in the colored part of the eyes, then the white parts, then the mouth, then the whole face. I say this because, when filling in the white part of the eye, you will not only pipe into the empty space but over top of the colored part as well. The same goes for the entire face. When filling in this area, you will cover the eyes, nose and mouth. If you do not fill in these features first, you will not see them in your final product. In other words, the first layer of your picture is the front of the picture. The last layer will be the part of the transfer that is laying on the cake.

With that being said, you can now start coloring your icing and piping it onto your picture. Round tips work best. The size will vary depending on the amount of space you need to cover. Fill in with straight lines, as close together as you can. If you are still confused as to what order to pipe in, here is how I made the castle...

First fill in all the small pink and purple details like the tower peaks, windows, sills, door, and flags.

Then cover the entire large area of the castle with light pink icing. The door and windows should be covered too. I didn't cover the ENTIRE castle with light pink icing but I wasn't exactly neat about it either.

Step 4

Now that your picture is completely filled in, take uncolored (or colored) transfer icing and a rose tip (flat and angled). Add one last layer of icing to the entire transfer.

*** If you remember from the final picture at the top, my castle was on a blue background. I colored the final layer of transfer icing to match so it blends more when it is placed on the cake. ***

When that is complete, place another layer of wax paper on top and lightly push down on your transfer. Do not flatten the transfer. You are simply easing the piping lines together so they show up as a solid picture in your final picture.

Step 5

For best results, keep in your freezer for 1 day. If you are in a hurry, you may be able to get away with freezing it for a few hours.

Step 6

Place on your cake!

Spackle Knife: My New Favorite Tool

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 17:16:00 +0000

Wow, it has been way to long since I've posted. My friends and family have been keeping me busy with cake orders. That means new cake guides will be coming soon! For now, I want to share with you my newest, old cake decorating trick. Yes you read that correctly :) For years cake decorators have been icing their cakes with Spackle or putty knives. It was only recently that I started doing this myself. The results are amazing.
Just see for yourself...

The buttercream covered bottom tier here was iced used an angled spatula. It is pretty smooth but you can tell it is definitely buttercream icing.

In this second version of the cake I used the Spackle knife...

As you can see, it is much smoother than the first picture.

To use the Spackle knife I first place the icing on the cake with a large piping bag and large flat tip (ie Wilton tip #182). Once the cake is covered, I smooth it out with an angled spatula. To get it "perfectly" smooth I then grab my Spackle knife and go over the cake one last time. Use light pressure so you don't take too much icing off the cake.

Great News!: NJ Cottage Food Law Update

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 18:49:00 +0000

On February 22nd, Senator Bateman from District 16 introduced a bill that, if passed, will permit the sale of home-baked goods under certain circumstances. This is fantastic news for NJ home bakers! You can read the entire proposed bill here. The bill was given the number S2734. That is important to remember because you now need to write your legislatures again and show your support. You can write or e-mail them a quick note that says you are in favor of or support bill S2734. It will only take a few moments and will help a ton. Here is that link to the addresses again...http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/roster.asp.

Oh and don't forget to thank Grace! Without her hard work this would not have happened so quickly. As always, I am still collecting donations.

Garden State Cake Show 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 18:49:00 +0000

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the Garden State Cake Show was held on February 4th and 5th at the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Burlington, NJ. If you missed it this year you can already mark your calendar (like me) for next year. The show will be March 9th and 10th of 2012! I can't wait to hear the theme so I can start planning my entry :)

This year I was so impressed with all of the cakes at the show and I took a TON of pictures. Let's start with the competition entries. I apologize in advance for not knowing the category and division of each cake or if they placed. After taking these pictures cakes were moved around and not all of the ribbons were on the tables.

This was an Intermediate Adult, Show Theme entry. The contestant is a Police Sargent in real life.

I love this cake. It was my favorite in the whole show. The picture doesn't do it justice because the amount of detail in this cake is insane.

Professional, Show Theme entry. Not only did this win 1st but it won best in show! Again, the detail work is crazy!

This was such a cute idea for a cake. I think those are handmade chocolates.

All of these cakes, except for the white one, were in the Advanced Adult Tier/Novelty Category. The one to the left won 1st, 2nd is not shown and the yellow/orange cake (mine!) won 3rd. The flags on the back cake spun around...very cool.

Another Intermediate Adult, Show Theme entry. I know this cake placed but I'm not sure which. I want to say 3rd but I could be wrong. Next time I'm writing all of this down :)

The food on this cake looked so real. One of my favorites for sure.

I know this one placed as well. I believe it was also in the Intermediate Adult, Show Theme category. I still can't figure out how they did that with the top tier :)

The show also had all kinds of classes that I unfortunately was unable to sign up for but I was able to attend a free demo on how to use the Cricut Cake. I learned a few tips that are really going to help me in the future. Keep an eye out for a post. In the mean time, here is a sample cake the instructors provided.

The last portion of the show was dedicated to a live challenge. It was really cool to watch professionals at work but I have to admit, it can get a little boring if you are used to the fast paced drama found on Food Network's Challenge. However, it was still a great experience and I learned a lot when they let us walk on stage. In fact, some of the techniques I saw helped me with my son's cake last week! Here are a few pictures...

There were 4 teams and they had 3 hours to create a cake that fits the show's theme, A Childhood Wish or Dream/What I Want to be When I Grow Up.

Halfway through they let us walk on stage. This was the team that helped me with my son's cake :) It was great being able to see a figure made from PVC and cereal treats...

This next group gave me a better understanding of large cake figures.

Team 3 used wire to give the effect of a draped fondant flag. The pipes on the left will be added to cake on the right and the copper wiring in between is what will support the flag. (You'll understand when you see the finished cake.) I'm going to use this trick someday.

I couldn't believe how fast team 4 banged out that car!

Once the judging was over we were allowed to go on stage one last time to see the finished cakes...

Ultimately Team 1 was the winner!

I felt so bad about this cake...all that work and the hand fell off :(

See the flag :) I remember watching them make this cake thinking they weren't going to finish because for the longest time they just had boots on the cake. Then, in what seemed like the last 10 minutes, they pulled out a pole, hat and flag!

You can't see it in the picture but this cake had flashing lights and to the left is a 5 point star that was supposed to be on top (they told me it didn't dry in time).

That was pretty much my day at the Garden State Cake Show but out of all these memories, there is one for me that tops them all...

...getting my 1st place ribbon in my very first cake show!

Garden State Cake Show 2011 (My experience)

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 14:22:00 +0000

Last weekend I entered my first cake competition. The Garden State Cake Show was held at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Burlington, NJ on February 4th and 5th. Anyone from ages 5 and up could enter. I decided to enter cakes in the Advanced Adult Competition; one tier and one show themed cake (What I Want to be When I Grow Up). I was a little nervous...OK a lot nervous :) since this was my first official cake competion and definitely my first time being judged by professional decorators. The entire show was great with demos, vendors, classes and even a live cake competition but I'll post more on that later. For now, here are my contributions to the show.

The first cake entered was in the tier/novelty category and I was up against some really great cakes. Here is my entry...

I knew it wasn't perfect and the judges called me on all the mistakes I already knew of but being one of two cakes, I was happy with the end result. I managed to sneak a pic of my cake being judged :) The one in the front was the winner of the category. Gorgeous! This entry was a tribute to my husband and had I known ANYTHING about cake decorating when we got married, this would have been our wedding cake. I particularly love the bold colors and airbrush fading on the cake. Apparently so did the judges because...

...3rd place!

The other cake I entered took most of my time and energy. It was based on the show's theme, What I Want to be When I Grow Up. My children and their imagination was my inspiration. It depicts a child (my oldest) playing in his room and dreaming of his future.

I was REALLY nervous about this cake. If you saw the cake I was up against, you would be too. But the judges just loved my cake...especially the fondant work, wood grain, and little details. They loved it so much that...

...I managed to grab 1st place! I was floored by this win and almost a week later, I'm still on a winner's high. I can't wait for the next show...maybe I'll enter 3 cakes :)

I took a ton of pictures of the event and will be sharing all of the amazing work I saw that day. So stay tuned..

NJ Cottage Food Law Update 2/10/11

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 13:18:00 +0000

A lot has happened since I last posted about the NJ Cottage Food Law. I'll start with the great news first!

As a reminder, back in 2009 a bill for a Cottage Food Law was introduced to the committee and given the number S2908. Below is an update from Grace...

"I received an e-mail today from Senator Bateman's office and he's reintroducing S2908!!! Once it's reintroduced in Senate it will receive a new number and be given to a committee (probably the same one as before: Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens). Once in committee then it's time to make a lot of noise and bring a lot of attention to this issue. I'll let you know when this happens.

Right now I'm in the midst of making calls to our Assemblypeople and trying to find out who will sponsor a bill for us in the House. I was told by a reliable source to try to concentrate on the members of the Health and Senior Services Committee (this is the committee likely to get the bill after it's been introduced in the House) so I'll be giving them calls throughout the week. Also, I've already been in contact with Asw. Coyle (the one who wrote back to me) and spoke with her Chief of Staff who told me she'd be including the folder I sent into the Asw's packet of files that she'll be reviewing soon. Again, this is good news even though Asw. Coyle isn't on the Health & S.S. Committee."

The important thing to remember now is that the last time this bill was introduced, it died in committee. That means we need to keep writing our representatives, sending e-mails and making phone calls (Find your written letter here). The more who know about the bill, the better chance we have at getting it passed! More info on how you can help can be found here.

I also want to add that Grace didn't get this response by just sending letters (although this is important). She put together a packet/presentation containing a two page letter paper clipped to the front cover of a blue double pocket folder. The folders contained three sections: Presentation, Petition and Articles. The Presentation section contained a PowerPoint presentation that Kelley Masters of Texas had originally put together and was kind enough to share with Grace (in 2009) who tailored all 20 pages of it for New Jersey. The Petition section had the cover sheet/letter to the Legislators (as seen at the online petition) followed by 25 pages of signatures (at the time it was printed there were 1,115 signatures but as of today there is 1148!). The final section contained some articles found online (if you'd like to see them you can Google them. They are as follows: CNN.com Apple cakes save home from foreclosure; www.lansingonlinenews.com why we need a cottage food law; www.heritage.com Granholm signs cottage food operations bill (Michigan's Governor signed a Cottage Food Bill into Law on July 12, 2010); article entitled Woman hopes state will enact Cottage Food Act to help Floridians..... at www.abcactionnews.com; and at www.sellingcakes.com/?p=492 Are You Too Scared to Sell Your Cakes?

To do all this Grace used her own money to purchase the following items...

2 boxes of copy paper
2 boxes of 10x13 envelopes
1 box of business letter paper
1 package of address labels
5 packages black ink cartridges
2 packages color ink cartridges
12 packages of 10 twin pocket/3 hole fastener folders
11 packages of tabbed dividers
Copies made by Staples (2,141 petition pages copied and 645 article pages copied (some double-sided))

All of this totaled $763.58 ($207.76 of this was just the cost of copies made by Staples). The cost for the postage came to $589.50 (she mailed all 129 representatives), so the grand total was $1,353.08!

I have a strong feeling that all of Grace's hard work and money will not go to waste this year but if you would like to thank her, I will be collecting PayPal donations here and sending them to her at the end of every month.

Grace is very grateful for any financial help received but more importantly loves hearing about the letters, phone calls, and e-mails sent so keep us updated on your progress.

Here are more ways to help support this cause.

My New Italian Spot ~ Guest Post

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 12:32:00 +0000

Guest written by our friend Gladys Fuentes

Opening my restaurant last year was terrifying, for a myriad of reasons. The first night we were open, three of my seven servers just failed to show up, and my lemon distributor was also M.I.A. How was I supposed to make lemon chicken with no lemons? Besides the obvious hiccups within the restaurant, I had a hard time getting our restaurant’s website live and showing in search results as well. Creating the actual website was no hassle at all. I researched domain names at sites like http://www.domainnames.com then worked on the site myself in my spare time. I had a full menu and photos to boot, but the trouble came when local search results started merging my restaurant with a similarly named Mexican restaurant down the street. Now when people searched for “Italian Portland” the Mexican restaurant showed at our address! It took months to get the issue straightened out, but now I think we’re back on track. That first night proved to me that I can make it through any curveball the restaurant biz throws at me which unfortunately, appears to be a lot!

Write Our Government for a NJ Cottage Foods Law

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 13:10:00 +0000

Grace has come up with a template for us to use when writing our representatives. First, view the 2010-2011 NJ Legislator Roster ( http://www.njleg.stat... ) and find your representatives. Then just copy, paste, and personalize the letter below. You are not limited to your districts representatives. The more you contact the better! If you would like to thank Grace for all her hard work and help fund her efforts you can donate money to her below. I will send her all the monies I collect at the end of each month and plan to share 1/2 of my advertising profits. Don't forget to share this post with all of your NJ baker friends!

'Wedding Cake Art and Design: A Professional Approach'

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 12:37:00 +0000

'Wedding Cake Art and Design: A Professional Approach' by Toba Garrett is a must read for any aspiring cake decorator. Months ago this book was featured in American Cake Decorating Magazine and I have finally been able to read it. As a self-taught decorator, it is obvious that when it comes to the business side of the art, I'm a little lost. This book helped correct that.

Toba talks about contracts, sketching, and even the major supplies needed to run a successful business. She also gives tutorials on cake design, string work, and more! If you haven't realized already, I am very excited about this book! Even more exciting is that Toba Garrett will be at the Garden State Cake Show in Burlington, NJ on February 4th and 5th this year!

NJ Home Bakers Law (aka Cottage Food Law)

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 19:05:00 +0000

I have decided to be aggressive and join the fight for a Cottage Food Law in New Jersey. Over the next year you'll be seeing a lot of posts updating you on the status of this fight but more importantly asking for your support and help.

For those of you who are new to this topic, in 2009 a group of NJ cake decorators wrote letters, sent e-mails, made phone calls, and posted fliers to make their voices heard by the New Jersey government. A bill was introduced on June 15, 2009 but unfortunately, it died in committee. So now, we begin again. More phone calls, more letters, and more e-mails!

Last month, before I even found out about the work being done by Grace and Stephanie, I called the NJ Department of Agriculture to find out the state's stance on selling baked goods from home. They informed me, as we now know, that NJ does not have a Cottage Food Law of any kind but they are currently working on finding a way for home bakers to sell their products.

Just today, I learned that Grace is drafting an updated letter for us to submit to our local representatives. I will post more on that topic soon. (Update: The template letter is now written. Find it here.) While we wait, there are tons of ways to help right now. First, join us on the NJ Cottage Food Law- Home Bakers Law Facebook page. Then, sign the NJ Home Bakers Law Petition. This will help when the committee votes on the proposed bill! You can also start making phone calls. Here's the link to the 2010-2011 NJ Legislator Roster: http://www.njleg.stat... Ask questions and let them know of your interest in a Home Bakers Law (Cottage Food Law)! Finally, donate. Grace is working hard and putting out her own money to get this bill passed. Anyone interested in supporting Grace and help fund the fight can donate here. I will forward all monies collected to Grace at the end of every month. Every little bit helps! (update: I have recently decided to give 50% of my monthly advertising profits to Grace's efforts. So, the more people who view this post, the more I can give to help the cause! Scroll down to find out how you can help make that happen.)

Thank you in advance and I your feedback is greatly appreciated.

Update: Now you can link to this post and spread the word by adding the button below in the sidebar of your website or blog.

2010 Featured Decorator of the Year

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 01:23:00 +0000

Congratulations to Anne Heap and her crew at Pink Cake Box! While I love all of my featured decorators for their incredible talents, I think my readers hit the nail on the head here. I am in complete awe of your work and only dream to meet your standards some day. Keep up the amazing work!

On a side note...I chose this cake because one day a friend came to me and asked me to recreate it for her daughter's first birthday. While mine was covered in buttercream and could never be this amazing, everyone (including me) was happy with the end result. This was how I learned of Pink Cake Box.

Curious about my creation? You'll have to visit my gallery and find it ;)

2010 Featured Decorator of the Year Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 20:00:00 +0000

Help me choose PCD's 2010 Featured Cake of the Year. Review the cakes below then choose your favorite in the poll. All cakes were taken from my Featured Decorator Post of 2010.

2010 Featured Cake of the Year

Jackie's Cake Boutique

New Trick to Stacking Buttercream Cakes

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 19:11:00 +0000

Well it probably isn't a new trick but it definitely new to me and I feel silly for not thinking of this sooner. If you've ever stacked buttercream covered cakes like the one here, you know how easy it is to put fingerprints and smudges in your beautifully iced cake. After years of this issue, it finally occurred to me that frozen buttercream smudges a whole lot less then chilled or room temperature buttercream. I mean think about it, isn't that the whole idea behind the frozen buttercream transfer?

I start by icing the upper tiers first. If we call the bottom tier, tier 1, I will cover tiers 2, 3, 4...etc. in that order. As each tier is covered I place it in the freezer. Once all the tiers are freezing I ice the bottom tier, dowel it and start stacking. The cakes have only been in the freezer long enough to harden the icing for a moment so you will need to work fast. And this doesn't mean you can hold the cake like you would a fondant covered cake because your warm hands will leave some kind of mark but, if you do need to touch the cake you won't leave a huge hole in your icing.

Here are some other links to help you stack a cake...

Video Tutorial: Stacking Cakes
Video Tutorial: Using Dowels
Recipe: Buttercream Icing
Tutorial: Icing a Cake w/the Viva Paper Towel Method

Working with Marshmallow Fondant

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 13:24:00 +0000

Marshmallow fondant (MMF) is easy to make but can be tricky to work with when used for more than covering cakes. As you may know, you can put your MMF in the microwave for a few seconds if it is too hard to knead. This is an easy fix to the problem but, after it is rolled out it will stretch and change shape easily...not ideal for decorating. To combat this problem I simply let the fondant sit for a few minutes after it is rolled out. Once it cools down, it is less likely to stretch. I also try to microwave the MMF just long enough to make it workable. I let the kneading soften it further so that it is ready to decorate with from the start.

Reader Photos ~ More from Reham

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 12:51:00 +0000

We have a very talented PCD fan out there. Thank you again Reham for sharing your cakes with us. Here are a few more great cakes...

Want to have your cakes featured on PCD? E-mail your cakes to photos@pieceofcakedecorating.com and you could be next!

How to Make a Shoe Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 14:23:00 +0000

In this guide you will learn how to make a cake look like an Adidas shoe however, you are not limited to this type of shoe. By learning the general techniques used, you can apply them to any style sneaker or shoe you like.

To make this cake you will need...

2 cakes from a small oval cake pan
cardboard cake board shaped like a shoe
1 batch of buttercream icing (white and green)
1/2 batch of marshmallow fondant
gumpaste quilting tool
pizza cutter
decorator's brush & water
tips #1, #2, #3, and #102

Directions:

Step 1

Use a template to cut your cardboard cake board in the shape of a shoe.

To use this picture as a template, follow these steps.
1. Right click on the picture and select "copy image."
2. Open Paint or Microsoft Word on your computer and paste it on the page. You can do this by clicking on your work area with the mouse and then pressing CTRL-V. You can also choose the "paste" option under the "edit" tab at the top.
3. Re-size your photo to suite your needs.

Step 2

1 day in advance, level, tort, and fill your cakes. Once you are finished, use your shoe shaped cake board to cut a shoe shape.

***Important*** You must now freeze your cake. You might be able to get away with a few hours of freezing but for best results, I recommend freezing over night. This will give you more control when you carve your cake in the next step.

Step 3

You are now ready to carve your cake. This shoe has a gradual slope from the top of the shoe to the toe. To get the right proportions, I started at the toe. Once I was happy with the shape and thickness, I gradually carved up. By taking a little off at a time I gave myself more control and lessened the risk of taking off too much cake.

Step 4

Once I was happy with the slope of the shoe I rounded off the edges. Then, using a small spoon, I scooped out a circle to help give the appearance that the shoe was empty. Here are a few pictures to help give you visualize the shape you are going for.

Step 5

If you are finding that your cake is very delicate you may want to freeze it again for at least a few hours otherwise you are ready to ice your cake.

Step 6

Cover your cake with fondant. Be careful with the top of the shoe, it may tear.

Step 7

You are ready to work on the details. Here is the first picture again so you don't have to scroll up and down.

For best results, complete the details in this order. Unless otherwise stated, all cutting was done with a pizza cutter and attached with a decorator's brush and water..

Roll out your fondant and cut a small strip to go around the top of the shoe.
Roll out your fondant and cut out the tongue. I drew the shape on a piece of paper first to make sure I got the right size, then I used it as a template and cut the shape out with an Exact-o Knife. Use a small ball of napkin to hold the tongue up until it firms up in the fridge.
Cut two strips to run down the slope of the shoe. The end of each strip should be cut on opposite angles as in the picture. After attaching it to the cake, make 6 small holes on each strip for the laces.
Roll out your fondant again and cut a very long strip to go around the bottom of the shoe.
Using the gumpaste quilting tool, add the stitching details to the shoe. This included the ridges on the toe of the shoe.
With tip #102 and dark green icing, pipe the stripes on the sides of the shoe.
With tip #1 and dark green icing, pipe the Adidas symbol on the tongue of the shoe.
Using tip #2 and dark green icing, pipe the green details on the back of the shoe (sorry I don't have a picture)
Using tip #1 and white icing, pipe the Adidas symbol on the green details you just added.
Using tip #3, pipe your laces.

That should do it. Another option is to use fondant for the all of the details. I chose to use buttercream because I feel I work faster with it. A third option is to use royal icing. Once your details harden, you won't risk smudging your work.

If you found this tutorial helpful and want to share your cake with us, e-mail a picture to photos@pieceofcakedecorating.com.

Reader Photos ~ Reham

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 12:30:00 +0000

This photo comes from a PCD reader. Thank you Reham for sharing your cake with us. I love this idea and your cake came out great! Keep the photos coming!

Want to share your cake with Piece of Cake Decorating? E-mail pictures to photos@pieceofcakedecorating.com and you could be next!

Featured Decorator ~ Kake Kreations

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 12:00:00 +0000

My next featured decorator comes all the way from Ontario, Canada. Karey-Anne Large is the owner of the cake shop Kake Kreations. You would not know it by looking at her cakes, but Karey only does this part time and, compared to most decorators, has minimal experience. It is obvious that her work comes from a natural talent. Here are just a few of my favorites so make sure you see the rest on the Kake Kreations website!

This cake, and the next, remind me of my friend Donna's wedding. Pictures on the beach...

...and married by the water. I love the sails. I'm taking notes on this one!

Sticking with the water theme one more time...I know a few little girls that would love this cake.

Maybe it's the colors, the design, or both but this cake is my favorite.

Gorgeous!

The apples were an interesting touch and give a great pop of color.

Thank you again Karey-Anne for sharing your cakes with us. Your website is a definite must see!

Featured Decorator ~ SweetArt Cakes

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 16:04:00 +0000

SweetArt Cakes is a licensed home bakery located in Stoddard, NH. Owner, Karen, takes pride in making specialty cakes for all occasions. Each cake is uniquely designed for the recipient. Be sure to check out the rest of Karen's work on the SweetArt Cakes website.

Here are some of my favorites...

I love the flowers on this cake!

I really like non-traditional cakes and I think this idea is a lot of fun.

These sugar bottles are very impressive!

The flowers here are fantastic...happy holidays!

Thank you again Karen for sharing your cakes with us! I hope you all check out the Sweet Art Cakes website to see what else she has to offer!

Piece of Cake Decorating

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Reader Photos: Kym from Holland

Reader Photos: Sallie

Guest Post: How to Decorate Your Cake Using Edible Ink

How to Make a Book Cake

How to Make a Gumpaste Roller Coaster

How to Make a Frozen Buttercream Transfer *Updated*

Spackle Knife: My New Favorite Tool

Great News!: NJ Cottage Food Law Update

Garden State Cake Show 2011

Garden State Cake Show 2011 (My experience)

NJ Cottage Food Law Update 2/10/11

My New Italian Spot ~ Guest Post

Write Our Government for a NJ Cottage Foods Law

'Wedding Cake Art and Design: A Professional Approach'

NJ Home Bakers Law (aka Cottage Food Law)

2010 Featured Decorator of the Year

2010 Featured Decorator of the Year Contest

New Trick to Stacking Buttercream Cakes

Working with Marshmallow Fondant

Reader Photos ~ More from Reham

How to Make a Shoe Cake

Reader Photos ~ Reham

Featured Decorator ~ Kake Kreations

Featured Decorator ~ SweetArt Cakes

How to Make a Frozen Buttercream Transfer Updated