Spackle Wedding Cake

My regular readers know I'm the queen of smooth buttercream.  I work hard and pride myself on icing my cakes satiny smooth.  So when I get a request to do a wedding cake that has a very splackely, stucco like finish... well, you have to step back and ask yourself how to make something inherently "messy" look professional.

I started the only way I know how - by icing it nice and smooth.  Not finished smooth, but pretty darn smooth.  Then I went back and smacked the sides of the cake with my spatula, creating peaks or spikes in the icing (but not the cake!).  Think about when your testing meringue or whipped cream.  Then I ran the spatula around the cake again, re-icing it, but keeping the spatula just off the cake.

I delivered this cake to the Tennesee Aquarium, where the florists were to place the real flowers on the cake (the 2 in the picture were just for the picture).  They brought the flowers, but were unsure of the placement.  Luckily I had brought my original design sketch and was able to help them with the proper placement.  This brings up a good point:  I bring all my cake paperwork to every wedding.  The contract, design sketches, e-mails... the whole folder for that cake comes with me to the venue.  It has saved my butt more than once!

Have a great weekend and have a happy and safe Independence Day!