Monday, March 28, 2011

Backlogged Blog

Holy Moly! I have GOT to get better about blogging and baking at the same time! I looked back and realized I haven't updated since February 21! I'm going to lose followers if I don't get on it!!

I have SOOO many exciting cake escapades to share with you. It seems as though my community, Maryville, was truly in need of a place in which customers could receive custom cakes. I always knew that custom cakes were fun and novel, but I had no idea how in-demand they really are!

I got to experience the younger crowd's affinity for cake and cupcake design during my recent experience with two job shadow students. Our Association of University Women in town runs an exceptionally great job shadow program for 8th grade girls. The girls fill out an interest inventory form and then are matched with women who are in those professions. I was so lucky to have been matched with Madison and Chloe. I would hire either of these girls today! Not only were they excellent cake and cupcake designers, they did the dishes!!! The girls filled a cupcake order, took another order, and then each used their newly acquired skills to design a custom cake from sketching to completion! It was a fabulous day and I hope to participate again next year! Here are a few pictures from the day!









I've had a ball creating so many interesting cakes for so many interesting occasions. I've created everything from an Eagle Scout court of honor cake to Rapunzel's tower! Rather than chatting on incessantly about each cake, I'll just show you the pictures and tell you a bit about each one! Enjoy!



My dear friend, Denise, is our first lady at our university. She needed just a nice chocolate cake for some older ladies who were dining at the president's residence. This was just a yummy triple chocolate cake filled with ganache and frosted with deep chocolate icing. Mmmmmm!



Does it look real? IT'S NOT! This was my first adventure with fake cake! My sister-in-law to be, Julie, owns an AMAZING design firm, Bertie and Jules, in Kansas City. www.bertieandjules.com She and her design partner are in the midst of designing a room in the KC Symphony showcase home. Their theme is all Marie Antoinette, so OF COURSE they needed cake. I designed two fake cakes and six fake cupcakes for their room. I was very pleased with my first fake cake adventure.



My friend Cara was my client for this Eagle Scout adventure. I had so much fun researching the eagle scout emblem. The emblem is fondant with a grey chocolate eagle. I created an edible metallic frosting to use on the eagle so it would look like the real metal emblem.




Our sweet friends, Jeni and Paul, were married just recently. Both big fans of 'The Office' this Dunder Miflin groom's cake was just what every wedding needs!



What little girl DOESN'T need a pink and purple Dora cake?



The cutest three year old in Maryville needed a Toy Story cake! She's also a HUGE Bieber fan, so perhaps I already know what she needs for her fourth birthday!





After a slight meltdown with a new type of fondant, this cake finally got to the finish line. A wonderful librarian in our area celebrated her 60th birthday at school with this cake requested by her faculty. I was sure to make all of the titles match experiences from her life. Some of the call numbers are important dates from her life and the author's names are her two daughters and her husband. I was really thrilled to make this cake for Carla and I hope it made her 60th birthday just a little more special.



I knew spring was in the air when I got to make this springy First Communion cake for precious Natalie!





What cowboy birthday party would be complete without boot cookies and a big boot cake?






This cake was SO much fun to do. I sculpted the John Deere tractor out of Rice Krispie treats and added the fondant accents. The cake was vanilla and chocolate marble topped with vanilla buttercream.

Finally, the biggest project I've had in awhile! Kennedy LOVES the movie Tangled and all things Rapunzel. So, her awesome mom commissioned me to re-create Rapunzel's tower in cake form. I had an absolute ball creating this cake!

It's six layers of vanilla cake topped with a Rice Krispie and ice cream cone roof. I covered the cake in fondant I had molded to mimic cobblestones and hand cut and crafted each shingle for the roof. I crafted the shingles to look like shake shingles. I sculpted Rapunzel out of fondant and added fondant and icing flowers. Kennedy was very, very excited when her tower was delivered. Apparently, Rapunzel met an awful fate when Kennedy ate her! Oh well, at least she got out of the tower!







I can't wait to share my next set of creations with you, and I vow to blog once a week from now on!

Good eats,
Jill