Piece of Cake Decorating

How to Make Layered Fondant Images

2011-12-29T14:44:00.000-05:00

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

2011-12-06T14:08:00.000-05:00

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

2011-12-06T13:57:00.000-05:00

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

2011-12-05T15:48:00.001-05:00

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

2011-07-15T13:56:00.000-04:00

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

2011-07-08T14:31:00.000-04:00

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

2011-04-09T07:00:00.000-04:00

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

2011-04-08T13:16:00.000-04:00

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

2011-03-02T13:49:00.000-05:00

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

2011-02-22T13:49:00.000-05:00

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)

2011-02-10T09:22:00.000-05:00

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

2011-02-10T08:18:00.001-05:00

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

2011-01-28T07:32:00.002-05:00

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

2011-01-17T08:10:00.002-05:00

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'

2011-01-11T07:37:00.000-05:00

'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)

2011-01-08T14:05:00.006-05:00

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

2011-01-04T20:23:00.000-05:00

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

2010-12-20T15:00:00.000-05:00

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

2010-12-20T14:11:00.000-05:00

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

2010-12-16T08:24:00.002-05:00

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

2010-12-16T07:51:00.000-05:00

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

2010-12-14T09:23:00.000-05:00

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

2010-12-08T07:30:00.000-05:00

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

2010-12-03T07:00:00.002-05:00

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

2010-12-01T11:04:00.000-05:00

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!

Yummm Chocolate...

2010-11-23T18:05:00.001-05:00

With the holidays around the corner and cold weather approaching, I've had chocolate on the brain. I recently stumbled on a chocolate company I wanted to share with all of my UK readers. SerenataChocolates.com offers a wide rage on chocolate baskets and gifts as well as wine, flowers and plants! With their 100% satisfaction garuntee, you won't have to worry. If you are not completely happy with your order, they will either refund your money or offer a replacement. I suggest checking out their Christmas Chocolate options for those long distance family members you'll be missing this year.

For me, the men in my life are the hardest to shop for...especially for Valentine's Day! Serenata Chocolates has many options for people like me. I'm intrigued by their Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey Fudge and White Chocolate Pizza. I almost wish I lived in the UK just so I can try it!

Their site is loaded with customer feedback. Every one was thrilled with the level of customer service Serenata Chocolates provides. Some may even say it is the best chocolate in Europe. Their website is easy to browse and ordering online always save time. Serenata Chocolates is a must try in my book.

Feature Friday ~ Posh Couture Cakes

2010-11-19T07:57:00.000-05:00

Vacaville, California is home to Posh Couture Cakes, a shop that specializes in custom wedding and sculpted cakes. Not only are their cakes beautiful, but the wide variety of flavors make them sound absolutely delicious. You can see more photos, their long list of flavors, and all they have to offer at www.poshcouturecakes.com but first, here are a few of my favorites.

I love black and white wedding cakes, especially this one.

To make a purse cake you must have great attention to detail. Well done!

The gumpaste watch looks great!

I am absolutely LOVE this cake. Very impressive!

Cake pops are one of the many things Post Couture Cakes has to offer and this lamb is too cute!

I think this is a great idea for any Veteran.

Thank you again to Posh Couture Cakes for sharing your work with us.

Are you a decorator looking to be featured? E-mail your details to kseals@pieceofcakedecorating.com.

Divorce Cakes: An Interesting Concept

2010-11-17T10:26:00.000-05:00

Every once in awhile I come across cakes with an interesting twist. Today I found these divorce cakes, an uncommon reason to celebrate. I applaud their ability to find humor in what can be a difficult situation and I hope you can laugh along with them when you see these pictures.

Kicked to the curb!

I think we can see who made out in this divorce.

Notice the ring...

I like how he is dragging the fondant along with him.

Feature Friday ~ Hobby Baker Kim Moores

2010-11-12T14:14:00.000-05:00

I recently had the pleasure of chatting with a fellow NJ hobby baker and am excited to share her work with you today. Kim Moores is a self-taught decorator who simply wanted to make a wrestling ring cake for her then-fiance. The rest, as they say, was history...after sharing her pictures with friends on Facebook, interest in her cakes grew and now she has aspirations of opening a shop. Here are a few cakes and cake pops from Kim's Flicker page. When you are done here, I suggest checking out the rest of her work. She has a natural talent.

This modern cake is Kim's personal favorite. Looks great!

These gumpaste animals are just waaaay too cute!

More great work. I especially love Boots!

When looking at these pictures, it is hard to believe Kim taught herself how to work with gumpaste and fondant.

Uncle Sam is made of Rice Krispie Treats. Great job on the facial features!

The cake that started it all...

Now for some cake pops...Kim really loves making these and they are becoming a popular request among her friends and family. There are a ton more on her site.

Remember to check out Kim's Flickr page and you can also follower her on Twitter.

Thank you again Kim for sharing your cakes with us!

Are you a professional or hobby cake decorator? You can have your cakes featured just like Kim. E-mail pictures and info to photos@pieceofcakedecorating.com.

How to Make a Template

2010-11-10T08:23:00.001-05:00

Making a template is a great way to get the the right shape when carving and decorating a cake. With these easy steps, you can create a template to fit any design.

You will need....

several sheets of paper or large poster board
tape (optional)
tape measure
pencil
scissors

Step 1

Take a few sheets of paper and tape them together. Once they are lined up, use a tape measure to re-size your paper to the measurements of your cake pan.

***Decorator's Tip*** Poster board is another option. It is already large so it will save you the step of taping.

Step 2

Draw your picture on your re-sized paper. After drawing, I like to fold the paper in half and cut along the lines I am happier with. I do this for templates that need to be symmetrical.

Step 3

Open it up and check your work then, make any necessary adjustments. Here I drew the details on my template to help me visualize the end result.

That's it! You are ready to use your template. Here are a few examples of when a template will come in handy. The template above was used to make the first cake.

Here I used a template to get the shape of the basketball jersey. It was very helpful in achieving symmetry.

In this cake, the template not only gave me the shape of the house but I cut it up into smaller sections (ie door, window, roof peek, etc) to keep proportions.

Here is another example of cutting the template into sections to keep proportions. However, in this example I blew up a picture and printed it out.

I used a template on the guitar because, honestly, this is just not something I can free hand.

On this cake a template was used to create the NY on the helmet. More detailed instructions can be found in my Piping with a Template Tutorial.

As you can see, templates are a big part of my decorating process. Free hand piping and carving is very difficult and templates are a great decorating tool to utilize in these situations.

How to Make a Flower Pot Cake

2010-10-19T14:53:00.001-04:00

This cake was made for a bridal shower and came out wonderfully. To make this cake, I used a tutorial found on Cake Central. Yes, that's right, even I use tutorials :) It is how I have learned everything I know and I'm excited to share with you everything I find and learn. I only made one small change to the Cake Central tutorial to make this cake easier for me to make.

Instead of carving the pot from round cakes, I used the Pampered Chef, 5 cup glass measuring cup/Cake Pan. The Wilton Wonder Mold Cake Pan would work great too.

I decided to use this cake pan because the basic shape was already there. This gave me more control when carving. And don't forget to freeze that cake before you carve.

The "dirt" is crumbled chocolate cake. Oreo cookies are another great option.

I think this cake is so cute and I've wanted to try it out for a long time now. I hope you have as much fun as I did.

Thank you!

2010-10-15T13:14:00.000-04:00

Thank you to JoycelsCrafty from Artfire.com for featuring my gumpaste roses in your collection Everythings Coming Up Roses. You chose some great items and I appreciate the recognition!

Fall Pumpkin Cheesecake Delight

2010-10-12T12:57:00.000-04:00

Thanks for the post from Rashad Townsend

The holiday season always brings out the cook in me. It seems as though as soon as the leaves begin to change color and the air gets cooler, the cooking bug inside of me just seems to take over. I become obsessed with Halloween themed treats, drinks and dinners; Thanksgiving opens all kinds of new doors of cooking, cranberries, pumpkin and new innovative ways to cook turkey, goose and ham. Christmas is even better, opening the door for fudges, cookies, homemade candies, pie and cakes. The sky is the limit, and it seems like I can never get enough of the wonderful scents and foods I can produce in my kitchen.

I spend hours in front of cooking books, researching recipes online through various websites and cooking stores. It just happened that I was watching one of my favorite cooking shows on satellite TV from www.bestchoicetv.com/satellite-tv/ny/ when I found a new holiday recipes I just had to try. It was a rich and creamy pumpkin cheesecake. While it sounded normal enough, I thought I would try a different spin on the traditional fall pumpkin pie, by adding the richness and flavor of cream cheese. The graham cracker crust would just set off a perfect cheesecake. I was thrilled.

The pumpkin cheesecake was a hit. The only downside that I have really been able to find with this recipe is that my husband continually demands it every Thanksgiving. At times, I would love to try something different, but it seems as though this pumpkin cheesecake has become a holiday staple in out home during the holidays.

Reader Photo ~ Rachel

2010-09-15T07:00:00.001-04:00

Just last week Rachel was kind enough to share her Porche 911 cake with us and I'm happy PCD was able to help. This week she has shared a few more cakes with us and I think she did a wonderful job.

Rachel was very creative in how she made the Yo Gabba Gabba characters. This is a great idea for anyone unable to make gumpaste figures.

Great job on the Wonder Pets and their Fly Boat. You've got me singing their theme song :)

Last but not least, we have The Wiggles. I really like how Rachel decided to stack the tiers.

Thank you again Rachel for sharing your cakes with us!

If you have cakes to share with the PCD readers or have used a guide that you found helpful, we'd love to see your work. Send your pictures to photos@pieceofcakedecorating.com.

How to Make a Halloween Mummy Cake

2010-09-14T13:47:00.003-04:00

My passion for cake decorating started with a simple Halloween Jack-o-Lantern cake for a friends costume party so I always get excited when this time of year rolls around. This mummy cake was made for last year's party and it was a huge hit.

In this guide you will learn how to carve a cake to look like a mummy as well as how to wrap your mummy cake with fondant strips.

To make this cake you will need...

Foam-Core board
Wilton Fanci-Foil or black wrapping paper and clear cellophane
1 oval cake
1 13x9 cake
1-2 mini wonder mold cakes
2 batches of buttercream icing
3 batches of fondant
Wilton's Fondant Ribbon Cutter (optional)
black buttercream icing
any round tip

Directions:

Step 1

Cut a piece of Foam-Core in the shape of a coffin to create your cake board. Then, either cover it with Wilton Fanci Foil or black wrapping paper. If you use black wrapping paper you will then need to cover the board again with clear cellophane.

Step 2

There is no need to level, tort, and fill any of these cakes. In fact, you will make your job easier if you don't. So, your next step is to cut the 13x9 cake into the shape of the body.

***Decorator's Tip*** A paper template will help make sure your body is symmetrical and make carving so much easier.

As you can see from this picture, I rounded the edges a bit, cut a slit for the legs and used the extra pieces to shape the arms and shoulders. (Don't worry about the hands just yet.)

***Decorator's Tip*** Cut your cake frozen to reduce the amount of crumbs and get more control over the amount of cake you are carving off.

Next, round off the edges of the oval cake to create the head and trim some cake off one end to make a neck. (Don't worry about the nose and chin just yet.) Then, using a small spoon, scoop out indents for the eye sockets. Depending how your cake baked, you may need to carve off a little cake to create cheek bones. I did not have to here.

Finally, depending on the size of your legs, cut a mini wonder mold cake in half and trim a bit off the edges to create the feet. If your legs come out larger than mine, you may need to use 2 mini cakes (1 per foot) to keep things proportional.

Step 3

Using the picture above as a guide and your carved cakes for proportions, make a nose, chin, and hand out of fondant or gumpaste and attach it to the face with a small amount of buttercream.

Step 4

Cover your entire cake and fondant features with buttercream icing. Then, fill in the eyes with black icing and a round tip.

Step 5

Roll out your fondant between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thickness and cut into long strips. Wilton's Fondant Ribbon Cutter will make this job very easy.

Step 6

Wrap the mummy with your strips of fondant making sure not to leave any cake showing. Tuck the edges of your fondant strips under the cake with a gumpaste tool, decorator's brush, or fork.

***Decorator's Tip*** To help accent the slit cut for the legs, wrap each leg individually with shorter strips.

Reader photos using this guide...

Jacob

Reader Photo ~ Rachel

2010-09-10T07:51:00.001-04:00

Recently Rachel used my 3D Car Carving Guide to make this amazing Porche 911. As you can see, it is covered in fondant and I'm pretty sure she used gelatin sheets for the windshield. However, she was looking into using sugar. Nice work Rachel and thank you for sharing. Rachel has sent in a few more cakes to share and they will be posted very soon!

Want to share your cakes with PCD? Send your pictures to photos@pieceofcakedecorating.com!

How to Make a Football Helmet Cake

2010-09-09T09:52:00.001-04:00

What better way to celebrate opening day of football than with an NFL helmet cake? In this guide you will learn how to carve and decorate a cake to look like a helmet.

This was my first attempt at making a helmet cake so you will find sections written in red. These sections will note changes I plan to make the next time around. Sometimes showing you my mistakes can be more helpful than just giving you a "perfect" cake so I wanted to make sure to include them.

To make this cake you will need...

1/2 Ball cake (6-8 inches in diameter depending on the size of your cake)
6 or 8 inch round cake, 2 layers (size should be equal to the diameter of your 1/2 ball cake)
10 inch round cake board
buttercream icing
fondant tinted the colors of your football team (you can also airbrush or hand paint the cake if needed)
black tinted fondant or black edible paint
decorator's brushes
white gumpaste
tube of black icing (optional)
tips #2 (optional) and #3 (optional)

Directions:

Step 1

A few days in advance, make your gumpaste mask. To do this, I rolled out long pieces of gumpaste and dried them on a large pitcher built up with napkins. I used wax paper for easy removal and a template to help make the shape.

I am not completely happy with the end result of this mask. I am still looking for a new method and would love to hear your ideas in my comment section.

Step 2

Level, tort and fill the round cakes. You should also level off the 1/2 ball cake and then stack all three with the round cakes on the bottom and the 1/2 ball cake on top.

Step 3

Using the pictures below as a guide, carve out the section of the mask for the face and round off the back.

Next time I carve this cake I will round off the bottom front edge a little more. If you look at the completed cake, it looks a little too flat.

***Decorator's Tip*** Remember that when carving, it is always best to work with a frozen cake and take a little off at a time. You can always take more off but can't put any back on!

Step 4

Ice the entire cake with buttercream icing.

Step 5

Using fondant, any color, make the front pieces of the mask and build out the top a bit more to make the final helmet feel empty.

Just like the carving, the side pieces of fondant should be curved up a bit more than I have here.

Then, add a little more buttercream icing to the seams so your helmet is smooth when covered in fondant.

Step 6

Cover your cake in fondant and add a stripe down the back if necessary. To make the stripe stick, use a decorator's brush and apply a small amount of water down the center of the helmet.

Step 7

Either pipe on your team's logo with tip #3 or cut it out of fondant and place it on the cake. I have piped the NY Giants logo on the helmet using a template. Click here for more information on piping with a template.

Step 8

Paint the fondant "inside" the helmet black. You could also use black tinted fondant. Place your gumpaste face mask on the front of the cake and pipe on the details using tip #3.

***Decorator's Tip*** Personalize the cake by adding a name to the front mask plate. Here I have used a tube of black icing and tip #2

Happy Decorating!

If you found this guide helpful, I would love to see your finished product. You can e-mail your pictures to photos@pieceofcakedecorating.com and I will share them with my readers!

Reader Photos & Feature Friday ~ Camila from Dream Cakes

2010-09-03T07:00:00.001-04:00

Today I received photos from Camila of Dream Cakes. A custom cake shop in Brazil! I am honored to have a reader from so far away and excited to share her amazing cakes with you. She is very talented and I encourage you to see more of her work at the Dream Cakes website.

The idea behind this cake is adorable!

Great work on the car!

Very cute cake.

Out of all the cake photos Camila sent me, this is my favorite.

I really like the idea of the clothesline. I'm going to have to remember that one.

The color combinations on this cake are great!

Thank you again Camila for sending your pictures to photos@pieceofcakedecorating.com.

All photos are welcome! Cake decorators will be featured in my Feature Friday segment while readers will appear as Reader Photos.

Early Ghoulish Fun

2010-09-02T10:26:00.000-04:00

New Halloween cake ideas are coming soon to PCD. In the mean time, enjoy this guest post.

Guest post written by Miriam Davidson

It's barely September, but I'm already looking at patterns for Halloween costumes. But they're not for me. My grandson has insisted that I make a costume for him and luckily he made this request pretty early so I'm actually able to do it.

I always made my kids' Halloween and school play costumes when they were growing up but it has been so long since I've made one because they outgrew the age where they needed costumes like that a long, long time ago.

What he wants to be is also something that I think it might be hard to find in stores anyway. He watched the movie "Where the Wild Things Are" and loved it. He wants to be one of the wild things on there so the costume will be a little more complicated than if he was the main character that just wears a little furry wolf costume. But I almost started making him a costume for the wrong wild thing, which would have been a disaster if his mom hadn't caught it. I misheard him and after that I looked up miracle ear locations and made an appointment to get hearing aids.

I got some and rewatched the movie with my grandson. It was really interesting to see how they developed the characters when they didn't have a whole lot to go from from the book, which barely has many words in it.

Save Money with Grocery Coupons (How You Use the Internet to Save Money)

2010-09-02T10:20:00.000-04:00

Guest post from: Constance Rodgers

Friends call me frugal while others might call me a penny pincher. In the current hard economic times I believe it pays to watch every single penny. This is one reason why I think that clipping grocery coupons is an excellent way to save money on your grocery bill. Many people throw out those coupons that are in magazines or the newspapers. Actually, this is like throwing away money. I always make it a point to sit down each week and look through all the magazines and newspapers for new food coupons. I've recently taken the hunt for grocery coupons to the Internet. Each week I use my hughes internet to get online and find great grocery coupons at sites like coolsavings, mysavings, or refundsweepers. These sites are great for downloading and printing out grocery coupons. Since I've started adding the grocery coupons online to my other coupons clipped from newspapers and magazines, I've doubled my grocery savings. It's not hard to do and I get great satellite internet prices. All that is needed is about an hour per week dedicated to clipping or downloading and printing out coupons. Organize the grocery coupons in an envelope by food type and always take the coupons with you to the grocery store.

Reader Photo ~ Kima's Gumpaste Airplane from PCD

2010-08-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

Recently, Kima from Kima Konfections purchased a gumpaste airplane from PCD. Here is a picture of the plane on the cake. Thank you Kima for sharing this with us. Below you can see a picture of the plane it was modeled after.

Send your photos to photos@pieceofcakedecorating.com for a chance to be featured on my site. You can also purchase gumpaste decorations at PCD's Gumpaste Shop or place a special order with kseals@pieceofcakedecorating.com.

Reader Photo ~ Laura's Frozen Buttercream Transfer

2010-08-24T09:54:00.000-04:00

Thank you Ruth of Ruth E Hendricks Photography for sending us this photo. Ruth's daughter Laura used my Frozen Buttercream Transfer Tutorial to make this Alvin and the Chipmunks cake. From what I hear, it was a good thing they took the picture because little fingers got into this cake before the party guests had a chance to see it.

Great job Laura! It is hard to believe that this is your first buttercream transfer.

Want to share your photos with us? E-mail your cakes to photos@pieceofcakedecorating.com today! Make sure you let me know which tutorial helped you most.

"Fabulous Cakes" on TLC

2010-08-20T13:37:00.001-04:00

I could not wait to share with you this new show on TLC. "Fabulous Cakes" follows professional cake decorators throughout the country as they undertake the long process of creating an edible work of art. This show is perfect for decorators like me because I am always looking to learn something new but am not in a position to attend pastry school. Every show, the featured decorator takes you through the step-by-step process of creating a fabulous cake with an added emphasis on technique. And if you are wondering how much these works of art cost, you will be amazed when the price is revealed. I knew these cakes can be pricey but even I am shocked at times.

My favorite episode was when a NY decorator, working from home, created a 4 foot dog. By showing you how to create the basic structure, is not long as intimidating as it once was. While I could not find a clip of this episode, here is a snippet from another episode which features decorators from Las Vegas.

Check your local listings for air times and dates.

Decorating a Wedding Cake

2010-08-17T13:47:00.002-04:00

Having a family member decorate your wedding cake is a great way to save money on your special day. I know wedding cakes can be intimidating but if you think about it, it is really only 3 (or more) cakes in one. So if you can decorate one cake, you most certainly can decorate three! And if stacking makes you nervous, there are some great alternatives out there.

Before you can start baking, you need to plan ahead and draw a sketch or, in the very least, put your thoughts down on paper. Here are some ideas to help you start planning...

Tier Arrangement

If you want the look of a stacked cake but the thought of doweling a cake scares you, here is a great alternative. This floating cake stand gives the appearance of a stacked cake but each tier can be transported separately and no dowels are involved. This stand is sold by Wilton Industries and is easy to assemble. It should be noted, however, that the top two tiers should not be very heavy.

Here is the same cake arranged differently. There are many cake stands out there to accommodate this type of arrangement. If the tiers were made for this type of placement, I would have probably put a few flowers in the center of the larger cakes. Here are a few stands to help you achieve this look...

If you are looking for a more traditional look then stacking your cakes is the way to go. Some important things to remember when stacking a cake...

Each tier (except for the bottom) should be placed on its own cake board.
To help you center each tier and find the best placement for the dowels, use a cake board to mark the next level's location.
VERY IMPORTANT! You must use dowels to support each tier. Also, hammer a sharpened dowel down the center of the entire cake for extra stability. View this helpful video for more information on doweling a cake.

Decorations

Once you have decided on the placement of your cakes, it is time to start thinking about decoration. Will your cakes be covered in fondant or buttercream? If purchasing fondant, I recommend Satin Ice. It is easy to work with, tastes better than most, and is affordable. If you plan on making your own, consider marshmallow fondant. It is super easy to make and tastes fantastic. Find all of our cake and icing recipes here.

The easiest way to decorate a wedding cake is by using fresh flowers. Your local florist can be very helpful in this area. They will help you coordinate colors and make sure all of your flowers are food safe. However, please remember to use a food safe flower spike when sticking any kind of flower in a cake.

If you have your heart set on gumpaste decorations for your cake but you lack the skill, Piece of Cake Decorating can help! I now sell complete cake kits, gumpaste flowers, or custom gumpaste decorations. For more information, please visit my gumpaste shop or e-mail me at kseals@pieceofcakedecorating.com.

Feature Friday ~ Jackie's Cake Boutique

2010-07-23T08:49:00.000-04:00

This week I will be putting the spotlight on Jackie's Cake Boutique of Staten Island, NY. Jackie's has been in business for 10 years and was one of The Knot's 2010 picks for Best of Weddings. She has also created cakes for clients like Hillary Clinton, Mariah Carey, and the New York Mets! Here are just a few of my favorite cakes but you can always see more at JackiesCakeBoutique.com.

I love the creativity of this cake! It is probably my favorite of Jackie's cakes.

This cake comes in a close second. Wonderful!

A work of art!

I chose this cake because I love the idea of a potted plant cake. I have been wanting to make one of these for some time now.

This is one of the cutest ideas for a baby shower cake that I've seen yet.

I absolutely love non-traditional wedding cakes!

There were too many wonderful cakes to choose from so make sure you visit the Jackie's Cake Boutique website.

Thank you Jackie for sharing your cakes with us!

Transporting Cakes

2010-07-22T08:34:00.001-04:00

Transporting a cake can be the trickiest and most stressful part of decorating a cake. Here are a few tips to put your mind at ease.

click for more info & to purchase

First and foremost, place cabinet liner under your cake. Even a small amount will keep the cake from sliding around. I even give some to my customers when they pick up the cake.
If your cake is stacked, even just 1 extra tier, place a sharpened dowel down the center of the cake. For added support, hammer the dowel into the cake board slightly.
If your cake is higher than 3 tiers, it is probably a smart idea to build your cake in two or three parts and assemble it on site.

The first of these steps is most important so make sure you purchase cabinet liner. A little goes a long way. For more tips on doweling a cake, view this recommended video tutorial.

Feature Friday ~ Lisa's Cake Boutique

2010-07-16T07:00:00.001-04:00

Lisa's Cake Boutique is a full-service custom cake bakery located in Conway, AR. They use only the freshest ingredients and give great attention to detail. You can find more information and photos on their website www.lisascakeboutique.com.

The hose on this cake is a great touch and the dog is adorable!

The perfect sweet sixteen cake...

The orchids on this cake are gorgeous!

This cake not only looks adorable but yummy too!

I cannot figure out how this cake didn't fall over. Amazing!

Last, but not least...This Halloween cake doesn't miss a detail.

Thank you again to Lisa's Cake Boutique for sharing your cakes with us!

Feature Friday ~ Lulu Cake Boutique

2010-07-09T07:00:00.000-04:00

Scarsdale, NY is the home of the amazing and organic cake boutique, Lulu Cake Boutique. Lulu's uses only the freshest ingredients and strives to make their cakes taste as great as they look. I am not exaggerating when I say that I had an extremely difficult time choosing cakes this week. I loved every cake I saw and I know you will too so make sure you visit Lulu's online gallery.

This week I am starting off with my absolute favorite cake. From the colors to the design, I love everything about it. Gorgeous!

Next, I find it fitting to pay a small tribute to World Cup Soccer. I think the grass is a perfect touch.

All I can say is...beautiful!

This one also topped my list of favorites from Lulu's. There are a lot of decorating ideas I'm going to take away from this.

Very cool design. Makes me nervous just looking at it.

Flawless!

Thank you to Lulu Cake Boutique for sharing your cakes with us!

Thomas the Tank Engine Cake

2010-07-05T07:00:00.001-04:00

I have told you in the past about a great Thomas the Tank Engine tutorial and a few weeks ago I had a chance to try it. Thomas is a bit overwhelming when it comes to the amount of detail he requires so next time there will be a few things I do differently and I now realize I over looked. One being that the red base should stick out further than the rest of the train. Wendy's tutorial is amazing and it especially helped when I was making Thomas' face. She taught me techniques that I will use in future projects. I really love her tip about piping the icing onto the cake. It really does give you so much more control.

That being said, there are a few things I did differently and made the process a little bit easier for me.

I made the base using blocks and foam core. By raising Thomas up onto a stand, it made the cake look more like the toy. Next time I will make the base bigger and use a Styrofoam block. The outside of the base was covered with black icing to make it look like part of the cake and the wheels were stuck to the sides. It is also important to note that Thomas was glued down and two dowels were used for extra support through his largest section.
After the cakes cooled, I leveled, stacked, and filled my cakes. I froze them that way to save time later.
To help me carve the section for Thomas' face, I created the front platform and placed his face into position. I then took my piping bag and traced around his face with icing. When the face was removed, I was left with an outline to help me get the correct size, shape and position. (Sorry I didn't take a picture)
I also baked extra cake in case I didn't have enough to get the right shape. I am very glad I did this because I definitely needed it.

Things I will do different next time....

I will scale down the size. He was way too big for me. I would rather put him on top of another cake that looked liked railroad tracks then make something this big. He felt like he was going to fall over!
The red base will stick out further than the rest of him.
The base will be made out of Styrofoam and the board that Thomas is sitting on will be foam core.

Thank you Wendy for all of the hard work you put into your tutorial.

Feature Friday ~ Confetti Cakes

2010-07-02T07:00:00.001-04:00

Elisa Strauss, owner of Confetti Cakes in New York, NY, has been one of my favorite cake decorators since I first saw her on Food Network's 'Challenge.' She has participated in several challenges but took home the grand prize in the 'Extreme Cake Challenge' with her, if I remember correctly, 'Revenge of the Sock Monkey' Cake. Elisa has been featured in many magazine and appeared on several talk shows. She has even made cakes for shows like HBO's 'Sex and the City.'

It wasn't easy choosing only 6 cakes for this feature so make sure you stop by the Confetti Cakes website to see more.

I have tried making cakes similar to this and it is hard to make the stripes straight. I also love the idea of a plaid cake.

Gumpaste flowers are one of my favorite things to make and these are gorgeous.

All I can say is...how fun!

I could just squeeze him! Too cute!

Elisa didn't miss a detail here. The cake board is the perfect touch.

I'm having a hard time believing this truck is cake. Amazing!

I know I said 6 cakes but I had to share this one. What do you think? Pat's or Geno's?

Thank you again Elisa and everyone at Confetti Cakes for sharing your work with us. Your cakes are a work of art and you are truly inspiring.

Now Kids Can Decorate Too!

2010-06-30T07:00:00.001-04:00

Are you looking for a cake idea that is simple and sentimental? This just might be what you are looking for.

As you can see in this picture, my boys are using edible markers (purchased from my craft store) to draw a picture for their Pop on edible icing sheets. When they were done, I used my cake pan to trace a circle around the best section of their artwork and cut it out using scissors. Then, I iced my cake and put the picture on top. To clean up any rough edges, I piped around the top and bottom of the cake. The end result was a simple cake that came from the heart.

***Decorator's Tip*** The icing under the image should be white so the colors of your picture are not altered.

Click to purchase your 'Kids Decorate!' kit from my sister site, www.KimsCake.com.

Reader's Photo - Kimberly: Movie Cake Kit & Popcorn Cupcakes

2010-06-29T07:00:00.001-04:00

Do you have a cake you want to share with PCD? You can now e-mail your photos to photos@pieceofcakedecorating.com for a chance to be featured on this site.

Our very first reader photo comes from Kimberly of PA. She recently purchased the Movie Cake Kit from PCD and was kind enough to share the finished product with us. Kimberly also made adorable popcorn cupcakes to accompany the cake. Great work and thank you for sharing!

Guest Post: Cucumbers and Little Identified Ways to Prevent Diabetic Issues

2010-06-28T13:46:00.000-04:00

In my Yes! to Cookies review and giveaway I shared with you cookies that allow diabetics to get there sweet fix. I was recently approached by Suzanne Ault regarding a very similar topic. In the following article, Suzanne gives helpful eating tips and a delicious salad recipe. Enjoy!

Cucumbers and Little Identified Ways to Prevent Diabetic Issues

written by: Suzanne Ault

Are you cool as a cucumber? Not merely is the cucumber known for it’s power to cool down the body, it has additionally been recognized to assist with jaundice, diarrhea, epilepsy, sore throat, conjunctivitis (redness of the eye) and swelling of extremities.

Often you should attempt to deseed the cucumber as the body can have a hard time digesting the seeds. You can deseed them yourself easily by cutting them in two and using a spoon to take out the seeds or if you want to eliminate this task it is possible to buy cucumbers that are already seeded.

Fresh cucumbers are simple to add to salads and for an easy salad just toss diced cucumbers with sliced red onions, red tomatoes and your favorite all-natural, low-fat balsamic vinaigrette. This can be a fast way to make a refreshing salad that reaps some great benefits of cucumber.

Anti-diabetic Benefits of Cucumber:

Beta cells within the pancreas produce the hormone insulin.Cucumber is found to possess a hormone necessary for beta cells in the insulin production. Moreover, the Glycemic Index of cucumbers is found to be zero.

Why Cucumbers have not a glycemic index listed? Does this imply that they don't raise blood glucose?

Not at all. It simply means that under the "rules" for the definition of the glycemic index, it is too hard to get an accurate number. This is because you'll need to eat a very big amount of the food to get 50 grams of carbohydrate at the same time in order to be tested. Generally, the lower the amount of carbohydrate in a vegetable and the more fiber it has, the less the rise in blood sugar levels will be.

The carbohydrates are primarily responsible of the raise of the glucose level.But the carbohydrates within the cucumber are easily digestible in a diabetes patient’s stomach.

Tricks for Preparing Cucumbers:

Unwaxed cucumbers don't need to be peeled but should be washed before cutting. Cucumbers may be sliced, diced or cut into sticks.

A couple of Quick Serving Ideas:

Use half-inch thick cucumber slices as petite serving "dishes" for chopped vegetable salads.
Mix diced cucumbers with sugar snap peas and mint leaves and toss with rice wine vinaigrette.
For refreshing cold gazpacho soup that takes five minutes or less to make, simply purée cucumbers, tomatoes, green peppers and onions, then add salt and pepper to taste.
Add diced cucumber to tuna fish or chicken salad recipes.

Cool Cucumber Salad Recipe:

Ingredients:

- 3 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch slices

- 1 carrot, peeled and shredded

- 1/2 red onion, sliced paper-thin

- 1/3 cup minced cilantro

Dressing:

- 1/2 cup rice vinegar

- 2 tsp. honey

- 2 tsp. Reduced-sodium soy sauce

- 1 1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil

- Pinch dried red pepper flakes

Preparation per 8 servings:

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Marinating time: 1 hour

1. Combine the cucumbers, carrots, red onion, and cilantro in a large bowl.

2. Combine the dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over cucumbers, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Salad may be eaten using a fork.

Nutritional Values per Meal: 1/2 cup

- Calories: 25

- Calories From Fat: 10

- Total Fat: 1 gram

- Saturated Fat: .1 grams

- Cholesterol: milligrams

- Sodium: 50 milligrams (without added salt)

- Total Carbohydrate: 5 grams

- Soluble fiber: 1 gram

- Sugars: 3 grams

- Protein: 1 grams

Who am i ?:

Suzanne Ault writes for the diabetic diet recipes blog, her personal hobby web page dedicated to cooking ways to prevent diabetes.

My Complete Bio: http://www.diabeticdietrecipes.org/about

My Photo: http://www.diabeticdietrecipes.org/suzanne.jpg

Fondant Decorating Tips

2010-06-28T07:00:00.001-04:00

Today's post is inspired by a reader's question. She asked me for advice on working with fondant. It can seem tricky if you aren't used to the nature of the product. In fact, I started working on my own with fondant but never could get it quite right until I took a class and learned a few tricks that I wouldn't have figured out otherwise. Here are a few important tips to help get you started.

Kneed the fondant until it is pliable like taffy. If the fondant is too dry then it won't lay right on the cake. This was my biggest problem when I started.
Make sure your surface is well covered with powdered sugar and your hands are greased with Crisco or vegetable shortening. A fondant mat is probably a good purchase because most counter surfaces will suck the moisture out of your fondant (another problem I encountered).
Fondant dries up quickly so make sure any fondant you are not using is in an air tight container AND covered in plastic wrap.

The fondant mat I just mentioned and a fondant rolling pin are great purchases. A wooden rolling pin will suck the moisture out of your fondant so don't use that. A fondant smoother (pictured below) is also helpful in getting your fondant to lay smooth on your cake. Just make sure it is dusted with powdered sugar or corn starch.

Buying fondant can be a bit pricey when you are starting out, that is why I use marshmallow fondant. It is easy and cheap to make plus it tastes great! But, if you don't always have time to make your fondant, Satin Ice Fondant is a great choice.

Finally, try not to roll your fondant out too thin. The thinner the fondant, the more imperfections you will see. That is also why it is important to ice your cake as smooth as possible before you apply your fondant. Once your cake is iced, let the icing crust up a bit then apply a small layer of piping gel around the bottom of your cake. This will help the fondant to stick. It has also been my experience that fondant on top of crusted icing gives it a cleaner look and a sharper edge.

Remember, practice makes perfect so don't give up if you have trouble the first few times. You'll get it eventually. If you have any other questions regarding this topic, please e-mail them to kseals@pieceofcakedecorating.com and you will get a response within 24 hours. Your questions will also help other readers as I will continue to add to this post as they come in.

Gumpaste is very similar but it dries MUCH faster. I am still learning the ins and outs of gumpaste, especially when it comes to making characters. The gumpaste tricks I have been learning will be coming soon to PCD.

Feature Friday ~ The Cake Boutique (Ohio)

2010-06-25T07:00:00.022-04:00

Are you noticing a theme this week with the names of my featured decorators? This week's shop, The Cake Boutique, is located in Trumbull County, Ohio. Stella Kotsatos-Angelo and Penny Bennett are dedicated to creating beautiful and custom cakes. A particularly interesting aspect of their business is that they specialize in faux wedding cakes. You can read more about it and see even more cakes on their website www.cakeboutiqueshop.com so make sure you pay them a visit when you are done here.

Congratulations on winning the Tastiest Cake Award at the American Cancer Society's Pink Ribbon Social!

This is a very cool and eye catching idea for a cake. Love it!

What an adorable elephant!

This is a very elegant cake. Sometimes all white cakes are even harder to decorate.

I chose this cake because I love the flowers!

Thank you to The Cake Boutique for sharing your cakes with us!

Happy Birthday PCD!

2010-06-21T15:14:00.000-04:00

I can't believe I missed it :) A few months ago Piece of Cake Decorating turned 1! I published my first post on May 26th and boy has this blog come a long way. To celebrate, I would like to share with you some of the cakes I have made over the years but have not had the opportunity to blog about. I hope you enjoy my favorites and if you want to see more of my cakes you can visit www.KimsCake.com. Thanks for looking!

This baby shower cake was inspired by the mother's love for books.

This bridal shower cake really tested my creativity. The couple loves NY and Central Park. They ice skate there every winter.

Having two boys, my cakes aren't girlie very often making this cake especially fun to decorate.

This cake was inspired by one of my featured decorators. My client found a picture of a circus cake on Pink Cake Box's website and asked me to replicate it for them with a few adjustments.

Every year I make a cake for my friend's Halloween party and last year I made this mummy. A tutorial for this cake will be coming later in the year!

Finally, we have a Nascar cake. I plan to post a tutorial for this cake as well. In the mean time, you can get the basic idea from my Lightning McQueen cake.

Feature Friday ~ Cake Boutique

2010-06-18T07:00:00.001-04:00

Not to long ago I came across the website of a shop in Tucson, AZ. Mindy Illes is the cake designer and owner of Cake Boutique. She makes all her cakes from scratch and gives great attention to detail. Looking through Cake Boutique's gallery, it was hard to choose my usual six photos to share with you so, when you are done reading you should definitely take a look at all of Mindy's amazing work.

I had to start with this cake because it is just amazing.

But then I saw this cake...

Mindy did a great job on the detail work with this purse. I've made a Coach bag before and believe me, there is plenty of detail.

This wedding cake is gorgeous. I imagine the bride wanted the cake modeled after her dress and it looks fantastic!

A very clever take on a New York City cake.

Another great cake. I especially love the piping.

Believe me when I tell you that these are just a few of Mindy's best cakes. Her website has tons more for you to see. One last thing I would like to share about Cake Boutique...they bake doggie treats too!

Thank you Mindy for sharing your cakes with us.

Feature Friday ~ The Cake Boutique

2010-06-11T07:00:00.002-04:00

The Cake Boutique is a family run cake shop in Wilton, CT. Sisters and decorators Sonia and Sandra opened up shop in 2004 and a year later, their older sister Sofia joined the team. I think it is fantastic that these sisters run a business together. Their work is extraordinary to say the least. You can see from their pictures that they give great attention to detail. When you are done browsing through some of my favorite cakes, visit their website to see many more.

I really like the choice of colors in the cake. The gift box on top is great!

I really love the champagne bottle at the top of this cake.

I've been noticing a lot of Dr. Seuss cakes lately. This is definitely one of my favorites.

Simple and beautiful!

I really enjoy cakes that mix square and round tiers.

Amazing work on these gumpaste flowers. These sisters are truly talented.

Thank you to the ladies of The Cake Boutique for sharing your cakes with us.

Can You Substitute Vegetable Oil with Canola Oil When Baking?

2010-06-09T12:42:00.001-04:00

Just the other day I was baking a few cakes and ran out of vegetable oil. I had tons of canola oil so I found myself searching for the answer to the question, can you substitute vegetable oil with canola oil? Thankfully the answer is YES!

Of course you want to use the exact ingredients of a recipe when you can but if you need a quick substitution for vegetable oil then canola oil is a safe bet. My cakes baked and tasted exactly the same. The reason this works is that canola oil is a type of vegetable oil. The difference is that vegetable oil is made up of many different oils while canola oil just uses the one.

So, if you find yourself running short on vegetable oil don't worry. Canola oil will work!

Pink Cake Box ~ Update ~

2010-06-07T07:00:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to Pink Cake Box! Anne Heap and her staff have recently won the show stopper award at the "Art of Cake Design" sponsored by the Somerset Art Association in Bedminster, NJ. Looking at these pictures, it is not surprising that they won. The level of detail and skill needed to create a cake like this is incredible! Absolutely amazing job!

Read more about Pink Cake Box in the Feature Friday segment of my blog OR visit them at www.pinkcakebox.com.

Thank you Anne for sharing these photos with us!

Feature Friday ~ Jenny Wenny Cakes

2010-06-04T07:00:00.008-04:00

This feature will put the spotlight on another home baker. Jenny Williams of Jenny Wenny Cakes loves decorating cakes for friends and family. One day she hopes to open a shop of her own. You can keep up with Jenny's latest activities on her Facebook page and see lots more of her cakes on her Flickr account. She also makes creative cake toppers and takes amazing photos so it will be worth the visit. Oh, and don't forget about her blog, Foray into Food!

I love this cake because of the creative way Jenny adds her message and age of the birthday boy. And of course I love the handmade decorations!

I chose this cake for my son. He loves Thomas! The train is made out of Rice Krispie Treats. Great work!

A very creative take on a graduation cake. The little otter is adorable.

The center cake caught my eye. Not to mention they look delicious!

I love Dr. Seuss so I couldn't leave out this cake.

In this cake, a fondant plaque is sitting on top of the cake. I chose this cake because Jenny uses this method of decorating in a lot of her cupcakes and smash cakes. It is a great compromise for customers who do not care for the taste of fondant and decorators who love to use it. I have to admit, I never thought of doing this. Great idea Jenny!

Thank you Jenny for sharing your cake photos with us!

Can You Freeze a Cake?

2010-05-31T07:00:00.002-04:00

The answer is a big Yes! This was actually a question I received from a reader a few months ago. Whenever I have limited time or a few orders in a week, I will bake my cakes earlier in the week and freeze them. Frozen cakes are also much easier to carve. If you do it correctly, the cake will remain moist.

When freezing a cake, make sure you follow these steps...

If necessary, level the cakes first. It will save you time in the long run. Frozen cakes are also extremely difficult to level off.
You can stack leveled cakes like I have here. Notice the wax paper in between each layer. I also could have filled the cakes before freezing them to save even more time.
Wrap your cakes in plastic wrap as tight as you can without changing the shape of your cake. If you are afraid your cakes will absorb the odors of your freezer, place the plastic covered cakes in a brown bag.
Keep your cakes on a cake board or flat surface. If you freeze them on something bumpy, your cake will be bumpy when you defrost it.
NEVER place anything on top of your cakes before they are frozen. They will never quite go back to their original shape.
Defrost your cake before covering it with icing...especially fondant.

The Sugar Shack

2010-05-28T10:22:00.002-04:00

Guest posted by Angela Rikels

I love anything that involves sugar. That being said it is pretty self explanatory why I was so excited to see the new bakery being built in my hometown. I watched closely, month after month, until the day came that I saw a sign on the front door. It would be open in two days and I absolutely could not wait to see what kind of wonderful confections that they had to offer.

Two days later, I jumped out of bed early, got ready, set my home security alarm I’d gotten from securitychoice.com, and I was off. I could just taste the gooey glaze as I drove to the new bakery. About a mile down the street I began to smell this wonderful aroma. It crawled in through the vents in my car. I knew that smell all too well. It was the smell of fresh donuts. The closer that I got, the more entranced I became by the overpowering smell that was wafting through the air. I waited in line for almost a half an hour that morning to get what I wanted. When I took the first bite of that glazed piece of heaven, I knew that I had spent every minute wisely.

I guess I do not have to tell you that I am now considered one of The Sugar Shack's number one customers. They even know me by my first name. I am not so sure if that is good or bad!

Wizard of Oz Cake with Spiraling Yellow Brick Road

2010-05-26T07:00:00.005-04:00

Here is another take on a Wizard of Oz cake. In this guide you will learn how to carve a spiraling yellow brick road into a 10 inch round cake.

To make this cake you will need....

two 10 inch round cakes
8 inch round cake divider
12 inch cake board
yellow and green buttercream icing
tips # 789 and #2
3 lollipops
gumpaste ruby slippers
gumpaste melted witch
3 gumpaste poppies
small Emerald City sugar plaque

Directions:

Step 1

A few days in advance, make the gumpaste decorations listed above. These helpful tutorials will help you...

How to Make Edible Image Sugar Plaques
How to Make Gumpaste Ruby Slippers

Step 2

Level, tort and fill your 10 inch round cake then place it on your cake board. Freeze your cake for a few hours or overnight.

***Decorator's Tip*** Freezing is not necessary but it will help reduce the crumbs when it is time to carve.

Step 3

Using your 8 inch cake divider as a guide, carve your path down the side of the cake.

Step 4

Ice the sides of your cake with the green buttercream icing then take your spatula and tap it around the icing to create the grass effect.

Next, using tip #789 and yellow buttercream icing, pipe the yellow brick road onto your cake. This will give you the spiral shape you are looking for. With tip #2 and yellow buttercream icing, pipe the bricks onto your road.

Step 5

Place your gumpaste decorations onto the cake and enjoy!

Piping with a Template

2010-05-24T07:00:00.002-04:00

In the picture above I wanted to add the NY Giants logo to the side of a helmet cake. I knew there was no way I would be able to pipe it free hand, make it straight AND be happy with the location on the first try. My solution was simple...

Make a template. I made a rough sketch but you could also print the logo off the computer.
Stick it on and trace it with a toothpick.
Pipe on the logo using the outline I made.

Feature Friday ~ Cake Journal

2010-05-21T07:00:00.002-04:00

Last week I was searching for tips on making a book cake and I came across a blog similar in concept to Piece of Cake Decorating. Cake Journal is founded and edited by self taught decorator, Louise Winther Dueholm. She not only publishes helpful tutorials with great pictures but decorates amazing cakes, cookies and cupcakes as well. Below you will see a few of my favorite cakes.

At first glance, I did not think this was a cake!

I love the flowers and falling petals on this cake. Gorgeous!

Louise does amazing gumpaste work. Look at that bow!

Cake Journal has a tutorial on how to make those little cars.

What a great cake for a little girl.

I would love to make gumpaste figures like this. Flawless!

Thank you Louise for sharing your cakes with us! I hope all of you decorators out there stop by Cake Journal and see what she has to offer.

Baking FAQ: Answers to Common Baking Questions : Brown Eyed Baker

2010-05-20T13:28:00.000-04:00

My FoodBuzz friend Brown Eyed Baker has come up with another great post. Here she answers MANY baking questions. This post is beyond helpful!

Baking FAQ: Answers to Common Baking Questions : Brown Eyed Baker

How to Make Disney's 'The Princess and the Frog' Doll Cake

2010-05-19T15:23:00.005-04:00

In this guide you will be given step-by-step instructions on how to make Tiana from Disney's 'The Princess and the Frog.' Specifically, you will see how to lay the fondant to look like a dress.

To make this cake you will need...

1 covered, 10 inch cake board
Wilton Wonder Mold Pan or Pampered Chef's 4 cup, glass measuring cup
large Wilton, Ethnic Doll Pick
buttercup yellow and sage green fondant
1 batch of buttercream icing
1/4 cup dark green buttercream icing or a tube of pre-made green icing
edible image plaque of the frog
small and medium daisy cutters
tips #2 and #67

Directions:

Step 1

A few days in advance, cover your cake board and make your edible image plaque of the frog. Because it is a trademarked image, I cannot sell these plaques but if you have an edible printer, you can read my Sugar Plaque Tutorial and make your own.

Step 2

Bake your cake according to the pan's instructions. Place the cake in the center of your cake board and ice with buttercream icing.

Step 3

Cover your cake with the buttercup yellow fondant. Make sure to bunch it at the bottom as I have here to give the appearance of a flowing skirt.

Step 4

Roll out the sage green fondant and cut out 5-6 large petal shaped pieces. To make a petal template, draw your shape on a piece of paper, cut it out and place it on the fondant to cut your shapes with an Exact-o Knife or pizza cutter.

Notice in the pictures how the petals are arranged. They are attached using a little bit of water. Pieces of napkin where used to prop up parts of the dress until the fondant set.

Step 5

Dress your doll pick. The first thing that should be done when dressing your doll is make the gloves. This takes a bit of patience. Roll out a thin piece of sage green fondant and wrap it around one of the hands and lower arm. Flatten the fondant the best you can without tearing a hole. Using scissors, cut around the finger tips. To give the appearance of fingers, make indents between each finger using a toothpick. Repeat on the other hand.

If you look at the original picture you will notice that the yellow part of her dress, covering her bust, looks like daisy petals. Roll out the buttercup yellow fondant and cut out 3 medium and 2 small daisies using your daisy cutters. Cut one of the small daisies in half for the tiara and use the remaining small petal to decorate her dress in the last step. The medium flowers are used to cover Tiana's bust line. They can be attached with a little bit of water.

***Decorator's Tip*** Let the tiara petals sit in a slightly curved position until you are done decorating so that the fondant can dry a little.

Next, using the same method for making large petal shapes in step 4, make 5 medium and 3 small petal shapes for the rest of her dress. Use the pictures below to help you with placement. They can also be attached using a bit of water.

**Please note that even though the pictures show the doll pick in the cake, I do not insert it until the next step. It may not make a difference but it was easier for me to do it this way.**

Step 6

Stick your doll pick into the cake. Cut a small strip of green fondant to make a belt and cover he transition between the cake and doll pick.

Step 7

Make the tiara by rolling out a small snake of sage green fondant to resemble a headband. Place the headband on the doll's head and attach the 1/2 daisy using a small amount of water.

Step 8

Pipe the curly stem and leaves on the dress using tips # 2 and #67 respectively. Attach the flower using a dot of green icing. Finally, secure the frog plaque in place using a small amount of green icing.

***Decorator's Tip*** To make the dress pop, dust it with pearl luster dust.

Reader photos using this guide...

Sallie

The Cleanest Way I Know to Make Fondant

2010-05-17T15:07:00.001-04:00

Making icing and fondant is an extremely messy job. It is impossible to have a spotless kitchen after a job like that but there are a few tricks I have come up with to minimize the mess when making fondant.

Work in a large bowl so you can keep the sugar off the counter. As you can see in the picture above, I kept the fondant in the bowl until the very end. I only kneed my dough on the counter when I do not want to add anymore sugar.
Before you even touch the fondant, rub vegetable shortening on your hands. By making them greasy, the fondant will not stick to you...AT ALL! If it does then you need more shortening.
If you have an electric mixer, you can use your dough hook to make the fondant. Just be careful to mix extremely slowly in the beginning otherwise, you will have a bigger mess then you can imagine.
If you decide to use the mixer then grease the bowl first. Cleanup will go much faster.

Feature Friday ~ Polkadots

2010-05-14T07:00:00.000-04:00

This week I will be putting the spotlight on a cupcake factory in Austin, TX called Polkadots. Although this shop specializes in cupcakes, they create beautiful custom cakes and cookies as well. If you would like to see more of their wonderful creations and a picture of their gorgeous work space, visit www.polkadotscupcakefactory.com.

Today I had to start with my favorite. This cake replicates the artwork found in 'The Cat in the Hat' wonderfully.

The details in this cake are great. I especially love the handkerchief and hat!

The gumpaste and fondant work on all her cakes is amazing!

Great job on the details here...

More wonderful fondant work. Very cute!

Finally, I chose this cake because I love the tiara on top.

Thank you Polkadots for sharing your beautiful cakes with us.

Product Recommendation ~ Hot Sauce Planet

2010-05-08T12:32:00.001-04:00

I have recently been introduced to a site specializing in everything spicy. Hot Sauce Planet sells everything from dry rubs to marinades and of course hot sauce. I especially like their selection of Humorous and Funny Hot Sauces. They have names like Fire in the Hole and Goin' Bananas Hot Sauce. Those aren't even the funniest names. To see those, you'll just have to visit www.hotsauceplanet.com.

For those of you who enjoy an insane amount of heat in your food, they have a category dedicated to you. Hot Sauce Planet has a hot pepper sauce that measures 5 million Scoville Units of heat! In other words, you don't get much hotter than that!

If you are looking for a huge variety of spicy sauces and products this site is a definite must see. Hot Sauce Planet has something for every heat lover.

Thank you to Hot Sauce Planet for sponsoring this recommendation.

Feature Friday ~ The Sweet Life

2010-05-07T07:00:00.002-04:00

I love the story behind this week's feature, The Sweet Life. One day, the now owner, Jennifer Loftus was asked to make a sweet 16 cake. From there her passion grew and eventually The Sweet Life was born. Her shop is based out of North Carolina. Her website, www.thesweetlifedirect.com, is very informative and has an extensive photo gallery. When you are done checking out my favorites, you should definitely stop by and see what else she has created. Enjoy!

This time I started with my favorite. The buckles look great!

Very creative idea. I love the gumpaste stethoscope!

Wonderful job on this castle. It is any little girl's dream cake!

The dots really caught my attention on this one. Very cool!

I love black and red together like this and that piping work is amazing!

Once again, I'm a huge fan of pops of color.

Thanks again to Jennifer for sharing your cakes with us. Now show her some love and visit The Sweet Life.

Mari's Cakes: Cupcake Bouquet and Vanilla Buttercream

2010-05-04T14:51:00.000-04:00

Mari's Cakes: Cupcake Bouquet and Vanilla Buttercream

Can you believe this is a bouquet of cupcakes? I love this idea for Mother's Day! I definitely recommend this post. Mari gives easy directions and the icing recipe is included although I think any buttercream icing will work.

Product Review ~ Tanning Lotion

2010-05-02T14:16:00.001-04:00

With the warmer weather approaching and my weekends spent in the yard, I thought I would take a break from cakes and share with you a products I started using a few weeks ago. BinkiniKitchen.com sent me their Booty Butter Tanning Lotion to review and I have to admit, when I saw the name and the bottle I was a little skeptical yet very excited to try it.

I don't know about you but my legs NEVER want to tan. My husband has the same problem except worse. His legs are as white as they get (sorry hunny). Anyway, we were outside doing yard work so I figured we should both try it. Putting the lotion on was a bit messy because it is brown but it smelled great and I love that you can use it with sunscreen and it still works, not to mention it is made from all natural products. After a few hours in the sun we both noticed a difference in our legs. I decided to try it out one more day before writing my review and as expected, my tan is even better. This site claims to have the best tanning lotions on the market an I have to say that the Booty Butter Tanning Lotion certainly is one of them.

This tanning lotion retails at $27.95 for an 8 oz bottle but if you want to try it out before you commit to a large bottle, they also sell a 1 oz bottle for $2.95. To purchase or see what else Bikini Kitchen has to offer just visit www.bikinikitchen.com.

Feature Friday ~ Patty Cakes

2010-04-30T07:00:00.002-04:00

This week we will be taking a look at a selection of my favorite cakes from the Delaware based custom confectionery, Patty Cakes. The shop was established in 2005 and since then they have created a fantastic custom cakes and cookies. If you are intrigued by my selection of cake photos, you can see more of their great work at www.pattycakery.com.

That dog is soooo cute! I think this is one of my all time favorite cakes.

I absolutely love the pink ribbons and flowers on this cake! How can it not catch your attention?

The detail on these embroidered flowers is amazing!

Notice the baby on top...too cute!

Mmmmm turkey....almost looks real right?

Any girl's dream cake!

Thank you Tricia at Patty Cakes for sharing your cakes with us. Make sure you stop by her website, www.pattycakery.com!

Peanut Butter Fudge Cheesecake

2010-04-28T10:21:00.000-04:00

I just came across this cake made by one of my Food Buzz friends, Brown Eyed Baker. My mouth is watering just looking at this cake! Visit her blog, Brown Eyed Baker for this delicious recipe.

Mickey Mouse Cookie Cutter Review

2010-04-28T07:44:00.001-04:00

About the Company

CheapCookieCutters.com has recently sent me their Mini Small Mickey Mouse Cookie Cutter to review. It is a family owned business based out of Tampa, Florida. The family owns many different Internet sites so be sure to stop by www.CheapCookieCutters.com not only for affordable yet durable cookie cutters, but a link to many of their other sites as well. This is a dedicated family worth buying from!

My Experience

Now, I have reviewed cookie cutters from this company in the past. When testing their Christmas Cookie Cutter Set, I made sugar cookies with my kids. This time around I wanted to try something different so, we made Mickey Mouse pancakes!

It was easy. First I made the pancakes then, I let the kids use the cookie cutter to cut out Mickey shapes. It was a ton of fun and a huge hit. (Photos coming soon...I am currently having technical difficulty with my camera)

The cutter made Mickey heads that are about 2 - 2.5 inches wide. A perfect size for kids. If you are looking for something bigger, CheapCookieCutters.com has those too. This cookie cutter gets a thumbs up from me so here is how you can buy one...

Where to Buy

This cookie cutter is very durable and of great quality. You can buy it for just $5.99 at CheapCookieCutters.com. I would also recommend checking out what else they have to offer. They have just about every cookie cutter you can imagine and then some.

Feature Friday ~ Everything Else is Cake

2010-04-23T07:00:00.001-04:00

Today I would like to share with you cakes from another fellow Mommy decorator. Shena Lawson has been decorating cakes for 7 years now. She does great work and blogs about her experiences at www.everythingelseiscake.com. These are just a few of Shena's favorites so stop by Everything Else is Cake to see what else she has been up to and if you live in the Birmingham, AL area, I'm sure she'd love to make a cake for you!

This cake definitely gets my vote for most creative!

I really love the waterfall and rocks in this picture. Most people don't realize that fondant really does make all the difference.

Great work on the Elvis picture!

Great topsy turvy cake! I have been wanting to have another go at one of these since my decorating class.

I love the flowers. Simple yet beautiful.

I think this is my favorite cake. It is too cute!

Thank you Shena for sharing a few of your favorite cakes with us.

Remember to visit Shena's website Everything Else is Cake for more information.

Keeping Icing Fresh While Decorating

2010-04-19T13:14:00.002-04:00

When decorating a cake you need to be careful with your icing. If you let it sit out while decorating, it will crust up and become unusable. Simply cover your icing with a wet paper towel to prevent this from happening. It is an easy way to keep moisture in your icing.

Feature Friday ~ CakeAfide

2010-04-16T07:00:00.001-04:00

I love getting the chance to feature home decorators. There are tons of talented people out there that the world does not know about because they do not have that professional title. Kimberly is one of those people. She started decorating cake because her daughter wanted a Blue's Clues birthday party. Now she is making cakes for friends and family that are amazing. Visit Kimberly's blog, CakeAfide, to see more photos and read about her adventures in cake decorating.

Make this a Mickey version and my boys would go nuts!

Very creative and extremely detailed!

Almost looks real!

I keep seeing these suitcase cakes and now I really want to make one. I love the patches!

Thank you Kimberly for sharing your cakes. I can't wait to see what you create next!

Piece of Cake Decorating

How to Make Layered Fondant Images

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

Yummm Chocolate...

Feature Friday ~ Posh Couture Cakes

Divorce Cakes: An Interesting Concept

Feature Friday ~ Hobby Baker Kim Moores

How to Make a Template

How to Make a Flower Pot Cake

Thank you!

Fall Pumpkin Cheesecake Delight

Reader Photo ~ Rachel

How to Make a Halloween Mummy Cake

Reader Photo ~ Rachel

How to Make a Football Helmet Cake

Reader Photos & Feature Friday ~ Camila from Dream Cakes

Early Ghoulish Fun

Save Money with Grocery Coupons (How You Use the Internet to Save Money)

Reader Photo ~ Kima's Gumpaste Airplane from PCD

Reader Photo ~ Laura's Frozen Buttercream Transfer

"Fabulous Cakes" on TLC

Decorating a Wedding Cake

Feature Friday ~ Jackie's Cake Boutique

Transporting Cakes

Feature Friday ~ Lisa's Cake Boutique

Feature Friday ~ Lulu Cake Boutique

Thomas the Tank Engine Cake

Feature Friday ~ Confetti Cakes

Now Kids Can Decorate Too!

Reader's Photo - Kimberly: Movie Cake Kit & Popcorn Cupcakes

Guest Post: Cucumbers and Little Identified Ways to Prevent Diabetic Issues

Fondant Decorating Tips

Feature Friday ~ The Cake Boutique (Ohio)

Happy Birthday PCD!

Feature Friday ~ Cake Boutique

Feature Friday ~ The Cake Boutique

Can You Substitute Vegetable Oil with Canola Oil When Baking?

Pink Cake Box ~ Update ~

Feature Friday ~ Jenny Wenny Cakes

Can You Freeze a Cake?

The Sugar Shack

Wizard of Oz Cake with Spiraling Yellow Brick Road

Piping with a Template

Feature Friday ~ Cake Journal

Baking FAQ: Answers to Common Baking Questions : Brown Eyed Baker

How to Make Disney's 'The Princess and the Frog' Doll Cake

The Cleanest Way I Know to Make Fondant

Feature Friday ~ Polkadots

Product Recommendation ~ Hot Sauce Planet

Feature Friday ~ The Sweet Life

Mari's Cakes: Cupcake Bouquet and Vanilla Buttercream

Product Review ~ Tanning Lotion

Feature Friday ~ Patty Cakes

Peanut Butter Fudge Cheesecake

Mickey Mouse Cookie Cutter Review

Feature Friday ~ Everything Else is Cake

Keeping Icing Fresh While Decorating

How to Make a Frozen Buttercream Transfer Updated