Cake Decorating Attempts and Class One Update

In summer 2010, six months into my first career job I discovered the darkness of second shift. The sunshine could not brighten my spirits as I ate every meal alone. I needed more to do than training and walking the dog while I waited to go to work as everyone else came home. I can't remember the reason I was at the craft store, but as I strolled down the clearance aisle like I normally do, the cake decorating student kit caught my eye. At the local 4-H fair growing up the cakes always intrigued me but Gooberface always deterred me  After finding the other items I came in for I returned to the kit. After an intense internal heated self debate I purchased the kit.

After reading the information book, I started practicing on the practice board. I self taught myself the basic techniques the best I could. Below are the cake, cookie, cupcake, and candy decorating attempts I have made over the past year.

First Cake

*3 layer russian imperial stout
with chocolate ganache


*buttercream frosting tinted green for rope border made from tip 21

*buttercream frosting writing done with tip 3

Second Cake

*4 layer german chocolate cake with Coconut Frosting between the layers.

*buttercream frosting tinted leaf green

*flowers made from royal icing tinted pink and purple and tip 16

*buttercream frosting rope border done with tip 21

*buttercream frosting flower centers and beading done with tip 3

Third Cakes

*vanilla cakes

*buttercream frosting and cookie icing

*The skull I covered with the star tip 16

Sugar Cookies

*buttercream frosting

*Decorating done with star and round tips

3 layer yellow cake with white butterceam frosting between the layers

*white buttercream frosting

*trees made from royal icing and buttercream icing

CupCakes

*The hearts are part of a pound cake that I divided and cut into hearts with a cookie cutter.

*I tinted buttercream frosting and then melted it slowly in the microwave.

*I dipped the pound cake in the melted tinted frosting

Cupcakes and Buttercream Frosting

*Roses are made from fruit chews.
Steams are made from Jolly Ranchers and Mike N Ikes

4 Layer German Chocolate cake

*Homemade Coconut Frosting between the layers and on the top of the cake.

*Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

*Shell Border with tip 21

White Mini Cupcakes

*White Buttercream Frosting

*Eggs made from White Chocolate

*Yolks are made from tinted Lemon Curd

Annie's Graduation Cake

*butter cake with teal buttercream frosting between the layers

*fondant on top spray painted black

*The photo was taken before the misting color completely dried

Miata Guy's Graduation Cake

*2 layer yellow cake

*white buttercream frosting

*buttercream frosting tinted old gold and piped with tip 21 to make the rope borders

Miata Guy's Second Graduation cake

*chocolate cake with buttercream frosting between the layers.

*Topped with white fondant









From now until the end of the year I am working third shift. Hooray! With my evenings open, I signed up for a cake decorating class at Michaels. With two beginner decorating classes I, fortunately, am in a class with just one other person while the other class has ten people. WooHoo, semi private lessons! The first class was awesome!

New Tips Learned
-Importance of icing consistency
-Never fill the bag more than about a cup
-You can use pie filling or pudding as a filling between your cake layers
- Definition of torting
-Awesomeness of the cake lifter
-How to properly make Icing

I can't wait for the second class, and I will post pictures of my cake soon after the class!