A few fun things

I have been neglecting the blog lately...sorry friends! :) I've actually had a few secret projects I've been working on for a new magazine coming out and I can't publish any of my work until a month after the issue is on the shelves! :) I've been doing stuff...I just can't show you yet! :)

Cake Central is a huge website with a couple hundred thousand members. They include a vast variety of cake professionals and hobbyists who post pics, write in forums, read articles, etc. I have so enjoyed having this resource and have learned so much for some of the people on that website! Anyhoo, Jackie (the founder of Cake Central) asked me a month ago to help her with a little inspiration project that involved cupcakes. Then this past month the President, Leanne, emailed and asked me to help with a wedding cake project. So, I've had SUCH a fun time being creative!! Although each project had a due date of only a WEEK, I was still able to pull them off. And, hopefully the readers will enjoy them! :) Stay tuned for pics in the middle of March for the cupcakes and the middle of April for the wedding cake project...
or better yet, buy the magazine! :)

It was my mom's b-day last weekend and she has a special diet that includes no flour and VERY little dairy. This past wedding cake project for CC was due at the same time, so I combined the two and made her a wedding cake/b-day cake! :) She didn't mind...she loved it anyway! - and the design could have gone b-day too I guess. :) I made the Orange-Almond cake from the new Planet Cake book put out by the famous Planet Cake in Australia. It's a dairy/flour free cake made with ground almonds and whole oranges. It was very good and nice and moist! I made it with chocolate ganache. My mom was ecstatic and took the rest to church on Sunday. Here is an inside pic of the back so you can't see the design...I took off the decorations too...so, it won't give away anything! :)
Yes, I need to work on my torting skills! :) Not all the layers were even...but it still tasted goooood! :)

Today I've been working on another cake design - for fun! :) I have so many ideas and drawings in my sketch book and have a few projects coming up that involves frills and fringe and ruffles, so I'm going to practise on this cake tomorrow. But I had to post a naked picture of this cake I covered in fondant today...it's my BEST fondant job ever and I'm so excited! :) :) Fun techniques and lots of practise...I feel like I'm getting better every time. Especially for a taller cake. This is a brownie cake with buttercream filling, ganache filling and a buttercream crumb coat. This is 6" round and 6" tall.
It was smooooth!! I used the upside down frosting technique and then covered the outside in fondant after it had refridgerated over night.

I guess that's it! I have my little girl's 5th b-day coming up in a week and a half (I'm doing a generic princess dress form cake) and then my husband's auction cake (a 2' tall Latin dress form cake) in two and a half weeks...so, lots coming up!! Stay tuned!

Blessings!