Cake Decorating Class Four - GRADUATION!

Week four already! Another cake required for class...so I baked this one without a problem...frosted it like I knew what I was doing. I picked out a design I liked and saw little dropped flowers were required so I got those done also...something in the back of my inexperienced mind told me these little flowers were not what I should have made but I did them anyway...at least I got some practice.

Cake and dropped flowers...

Aren't they adorable?!

So this week we learned to make roses...this was intense! Also learned how to write on a cake...my penmanship is not the best and then add writing with frosting in a bag requiring one apply just the correct pressure and I give myself a "D" in this area...at least it could be read...

My roses had a bit of a ruffled edge because my tip needs to be opened a bit...my question here is...these tips are made in Korea...why the heck don't they make them right? How is a beginner suppose to know a tip must be adjusted...oh well...lesson learned...

So I made a lot of roses and applied them to my cake...added some leaves and lines and dots for added eye appeal...

Since I was once again gifting my cake to the guys at the car dealership via my neighbor....I used my writing techniques to thank them for the lottery ticket they bought me after the first cake...

My cake on the left and the look I was trying to achieve out of our lesson book on the right...you will notice no dropped flowers used...that nagging thought I had initially was right...I couldn't get them off the board to the cake...oh well...since I now knew how to apply a shell border...I did that instead...pretty cool!

Tonight was our last class and we all were awarded our certificates...we all passed...a lot of signed up for the next series of classes...I am a cake decorating sophomore now!

Oh by the way, this time the fellows who received my graduation cake bought me another "thank you" lottery ticket but this time they doubled my chances...I had ten shots at the big money! If I win this time...I can open a chain of bakeries!!!!!

Elizabeth

Cake Decorating Class Three

So the third week of class we had to bring six cupcakes in...so baked a batch without a snag!

Packed up my bag and cupcakes and off I went.

Nice little batch of cupcakes from a box mix...

We needed to bring in different colored icing, so whipped up a batch of icing and tinted it with the colors I wanted to use.

This week we learned to make a simple drop flower, then we learned by a simple twist of the wrist a swirled flower was produced and then we learned how to make a little swirl that is perfect for a birthday cake to stick the candles in..I really like this opposed to those little plastic candle holders.

Then we practiced making a shell border...this made me feel like I was really getting somewhere...
Next leaves on the practice board....liking this also!

WOW...now we used a rose nail to make a flower...feeling pretty good here!

Lots of steps to produce a flower...

The girl who sits next to me is very talented...her flower came out perfect...so so pretty!

My creations on the other hand remain in need of practice...but I am not giving up...

Then I applied all the things I have learned and proceeded to decorate my cupcakes...these two turned out looking like hydrangeas to me...this was by chance, not intentional...but still gorgeous!

So 24 decorated cupcakes...in the past they simply would have been frosted and maybe some little sprinkles added but now I can make swirls and flowers! I feel like I am making some progress...YEA!!!!!

Elizabeth

Cake Decorating Class Two

The second week of Cake Decorating required we bring in a cake. Our instructor, Sue said she prefers to make a box cake in an 8"x 3" pan and then torte it...new terminology for me here...torte. That means to cut the cake horizontally in layers. So who am I to question Sue's experience. I bought the pan, the strips to wrap around the pan to keep the cake level while baking and a Duncan Hines cake mix. I have not made a box cake in a zillion years...so my experience here was lacking. Also being a bit of a know it all, I mixed the cake put it in the pan, popped it in the oven and then the light bulb went off...I forgot the cloth band around the pan...cake out of the oven, band on and cake back in...oh oh...just read the instructions...band must be wet...cake out, band soaked, reapplied, cake back in oven...then I read the temperature with the band in use must be at 350 degrees...not the 375 degrees as on the box. Great...this is not going well...so I reduce the temperature. Probably should have read the directions first...oh well...now the cake bakes...then I realize I forgot how long to bake the cake in one pan opposed to two pans...plus I didn't have large eggs...my eggs come from my niece who raises chickens and they are much bigger. How could making a boxed cake be so difficult?! But I am no quitter so I march on....

So the cake is baked with a jumbo hole in the center...but I decide I'll fill it something and hide the hole with frosting! Ha ha...got the hole covered! So I bought a cake saw and I torte the cake like a semi- pro.

I use a lemon curd I made to fill the layers and the HOLE!

Not to shabby...looks pretty good to me.

Gotta love the big glob of frosting covering up the hole....

Now I ice the cake and voila...the hole is no longer.

I used this jumbo tip to frost the sides of the cake...love it! Fast and easy...I am liking this!

Another thing I have learned is...making frosting is very messy. This whole cake decorating thing is very different from other areas of baking...the sugar is flying, the greasy Crisco is in a world of it's own and I am baffled as to why I can't seem to get a grip on keeping things neat.

My bag half packed for class...a lot of "stuff" is needed to get things done.

So I make it to my second class and ready to roll. Tonight on the practice board we learn to make dots and also drag a dot...once again pressure and control rule....

We then learn to use piping gel to outline a picture and transfer it to the top of the iced cake so it can be filled in with colored frosting.

So I finish the cake with dots and dots that I drag and look at my finished project...not to bad for a beginner...

I take my cake home and give it to my neighbor to take to work...as he works with a gang of men. He told me they loved the cake...they ate through the hole and never knew it was there!

They even bought me a lottery ticket as a thank you...hey if I win...maybe I'll open a bakery!

Elizabeth

Cake Decorating Lessons Class One

I am a firm believer one is never too old to learn...so with that said I decided to do something I have always wanted to do...learn how to decorate a cake...THE RIGHT WAY!

Every year I faithfully make one or two New Years resolutions...this year I have vowed to give up swearing and take piano lessons...but after talking to a friend I got side tracked and started the cake decorating lessons before the piano lessons. Glad I did as I am enjoying myself...I have met some wonderful people and learned a lot of new things...doesn't get better than that.

I signed up for a four week course at a local craft store and the classes are given by a woman with so much experience that I am in awe of her talent as well as her dedication to teaching the likes of me!

So I signed up, bought the book, the kit, the frosting, plus other things...WHEW, it takes a lot to get started but hey if you are going to do it do it right!

First weeks assignment - bring in six cookies to decorate...now that is a snap as I can make cookies in the dark and that is where the easy stuff ended.

In the kit is a practice board and this is where those with skill and those without come to the light day. If you think it is easy...think again...fill the icing bag, twist it and then position it correctly in your hand and place it to the board and squeeze...not to hard, not to soft but just right...you want each star to look like the other and have no space in between...YIKES!

So my perfect sugar cookies are now going to be decorated....

Not pretty anymore...between the position of the bag, the correct pressure and keeping your pattern in perspective decorating gets tough...but I did it! For sure practice is required to proceed onto getting it right...

So the following week a cake is required to have for class to be decorate...I must have signed up for the accelerated class...a cake already?

Elizabeth