These are some new friends of mine that are learning to bake.
I was more than happy to play "teacher" for a few days.
They chose the recipes and designs and we went from there.
It just happened to be near the time of their birthdays so
the projects became even more special since they would
be sharing their finished work with their family.
On Vinh's day of baking, he picked a Lego skier going down
a snowy mountain with lots of white chocolate trees.
a snowy mountain with lots of white chocolate trees.
And a snowman.
He dubbed his theme, "Christmas in July."
His favorite colors are orange and green. Can you tell?
The next baking stint was a two day event so that the
gum paste bow loops and flowers would have time to dry.
Day One was all baking, simple syrup and gum paste.
They also drew up a sketch of what they hoped to build
and color coded it. Best to have a plan we've learned.
Less surprises that way.
Loops and a dusted practice flower.
The real deal before dusting.
All lined up and ready to color.
Lots of spirals in this design!
Simple syrup applied with love.
While we were chatting away and baking I learned that
it was Grandma's birthday as well. Hold the phone.
it was Grandma's birthday as well. Hold the phone.
Time to throw in another batch of batter.
She always shares a cake with her granddaughter.
Not this year!
Grandma doesn't like sweet cakes
(which in my personal opinion should be a criminal offense,
punishable by chocolate consumption)
punishable by chocolate consumption)
so we tried baking her an angel food cake.
SOMEONE (me, oops!) thought they turned the
oven down but actually turned it off instead.
SOMEONE (me, oops!) thought they turned the
oven down but actually turned it off instead.
So even after lots of tapping . . .
. . . and gentle coaching,
the cake never came out of its dark shameful hiding
place until it was dug out hours later. What a stuck-on mess!
Since we ran out of time and I WAS the guilty party,
I baked a replacement (not angel food this time!)
so we'd be all set for the next round of fun.
Day Two: dust the flowers. Crumb coat and ice the cakes.
Color the fondant and make the ribbons.
Color the fondant and make the ribbons.
We let the ribbons set a bit to firm up.
And then the finishing touches.
Little pink pearls at the ends of each extruded fondant
strand applied with little hands and tweezers.
Holding your breath may or may not help.
strand applied with little hands and tweezers.
Holding your breath may or may not help.
Pretty yellow sparkles to match the plate.
A very special gift for Grandma.
Baked with love.
Great job for beginners, wouldn't you say?
2 comments:
I would love to learn to do cake decorating. But I do not have the patience for it...lol or the for sight. :( But one quick question...how in the world do you icing a cake like that do pour the fondant over it? The how do you move it without making any finger prints? ugh!! so much to learn!!!
Cheri: Hope you will give baking a try. The fondant wasn't poured but rather spread smooth with an offset spatula. The cake is put on a cardboard round and you use a knife to move it to the edge of the counter and then place your hand underneath it to avoid fingerprints. Don't be overwhelmed. There are tons of youtube videos on each step of baking so just tackle one technique at a time and you'll master it before you know it. I'm not a terribly patient person myself so if I can do it, you can too! None of us were expert or made perfect cakes when we started so don't give up on it too soon. Happy Caking!
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