Calvin & Hobbes First Birthday

We love Calvin and Hobbes, but we can't recreate those sweet characters in 3-D unless we had lots of time and the customer had lots of money to spend.  We have learned over the years to do our level best not to say "no" to a design.  You have to offer options that fit your skill set and their budget.  I don't feel it's right to agree to make a cake that a baker doesn't know IF they can do it.  Almost every cake is unique in my situation, but most aren't made with unfamiliar techniques.  When you are asking a baker to create something you have not seen in their portfolio, offer to pay for a small cake in the same technique before you sign the contract for the larger cake. Please trust me, it will be money well spent, a lot like cake insurance.

 

Part of the awesomeness of the Calvin and Hobbes cartoon is their font, so we made a stencil for the verbiage.  We printed the characters out with edible images and cut them out. For some reason, I wanted the bubble/non flat image so I tried something new. It was not without challenges, mainly trying not to tear or stretch the images. We used the cut images to cut a piece of modeling chocolate out and thinned down the edges.  Then we dry fitted the image again and trimmed again, repeating the process.

“You know, Hobbes, some days even my
lucky rocket ship underpants don't help.”

Little World Traveler Birthday Cake

We make very few birthday cakes and those that we do make as never money makers so I am doing them as a favor, gift or for someone very special.  One of our sweetest brides ever adopted a little girl and asked us to make her a special cake.  It had to be driven two hours to Atlanta, GA by the Grandmother so it had to be sturdy. 

One of my requirements for birthday cakes these days is that I get lots of artistic freedom.  They gave me very little instructions other than maps with muted colors and the color palette you see.  I gave them a few ideas and off we went!   Of course we did fondant so it could travel well and we printed the maps with edible images.  Finding a "pretty and girly" map is not easy!  I was teaching my intern some of the basics like making pearl borders, fondant bows, and "fantasy" flowers.  We spent a long time but she learned a lot about taking a basic flower and using the ball tool, textures, and how to dry them so they all fit together later.  We also made the handle, latches and luggage tag by hand.  The "smash" cake was just a little 1/2 globe with the edible images cut out by continent so we could make it pretty, but not accurate :)  There is really nothing technically hard about decorating this cake, but that doesn't mean it's quick either.  I think we had two full days of artwork in this one cake, which is why I say they are not money makers they are really labors of love!  I was really paid by the sweet and wonderful reaction that I got from the family!  I'm so fortunate to be able to make cakes for wonderful people and have an impact on their lives.

Little Planes First Birthday Cake

It's great when you've created a wedding cake for a great couple and then get the privilege to make a cake for the next most important event. Jude's parents were wonderful enough to give me lots of freedom with the design.  These are always the best cakes I make, no debate.  I make them as big as I need to and spend all the time I want to just for the thrill of being creative. 

This is a buttercream cake that has three different colors of blue.  I used one of Wilton's icing combs for the texture on the top and bottom layers.  I really like the simple texture.  I made homemade marshmallows and piped them into cloud shapes.  I intended to put some clouds on skewers so that they could be coming out the side of the cake but they were too heavy and kept falling off the skewers.  It happens and that is the fun of learning and being self taught.  I like the large border on the middle tier (5 layers), smaller border on the smaller tier, and medium border on the top tier.  Just remember to keep things in scale.  Not everything has to be so "matchy-matchy". 

Lastly, I kinda stole for this cake.  There is a great site for cake decorating product but they are always out of the products I want, so I stole the shape.  I put a piece of parchment over a screen shot on my iPad.  I traced the item, and adjusted the size that I needed (used two different sizes).  I would have bought it, really.

We hope you can "steal" some inspiration from us too!  Happy caking!

Buzzy Bee Birthday Cake

It's been a while since I have done a birthday cake, but when I got a call from a previous client recently with a request for her daughter's 1st birthday I just couldn't say no.  I based my design on a napkin the client provided me.

I know that most people don't like fondant (especially one-year olds) so I did most of the cake in buttercream using only fondant for the beehive and the cake's accents.

I really enjoyed making the bees the most.  I used stamens for their little antennae and used my wafer paper again to make their little wings.  I just thought they were SO cute!

Cupcake Themed 1st Birthday Cake

I stay so booked up with wedding cakes that it's a rare occasion that I get to do a birthday cake anymore.  There are times when I'm under booked, or I owe a favor to one of the many wedding vendors that help me from time to time and I get to do one.

I had fun making this little birthday cake for one year old Wynn!  I iced the cake nice and smooth with pink buttercream and then went to town with the fondant accents.  I cut out the cupcake shapes and the polka dots, and even made a gumpaste plaque and #1 for the second tier / smash cake!

And it was the first time in a while I have had the chance to make "doomies" for the cake.  That's the fondant balls on the wire for those of you new to my blog.  I;m sure they have a real life bakery term, but we've just always called them "doomies".  I don't know why!

Have a great weekend!  I hope you have all your Christmas / Holiday shopping done by now!

Lena's First Birthday Cake

Long, long ago, when I worked in the corporate world, I worked with some really great people.  I have been gone now for almost 10 years (wow!) and I am still very good friends with lots of those people.  Brandon was just a young pup when he worked for me as a visual associate, but we still stay in touch!  When I found out his baby daughter Lena would be celebrating her 1st birthday last weekend, I knew I had to do her cake.

I had complete creative freedom on this cake, unfortunately my schedule for the week did limit me somewhat.  I started with a 2-tier wonky design covered in a lavender butter cream.  I used fondant to create a harlequin pattern and then placed a green fantasy flower at each intersection.

For the top tier, I cut a heart shape and "Lena" using the Cricut.  I put a boatload of glitter on the letters.  I topped with a gumpaste bow and placed a glittery pink "1" on top.  For the borders, I used my pearl mold.

Hopefully, I'll get some pictures of the birthday girl and post them here.  She is such a cutie-pie!!

Kaeley Mermaid Cake

OK, first things first!  The winner of The Money Cake cake stand system is Alev!!  You certainly can't say you haven't won anything now!  Alev, I'll get your stand in the mail within a day or two!  Thanks to everyone who participated... you're all winners in my book!!

Now onto today's cake.  Being in the wedding cake business, I have had the opportunity to meet lots great vendors.  The moment I met Amanda with Divine Designs, we were fast friends.  And a few weeks ago when her daughter Kaeley said she wanted a mermaid cake, I knew I had to do it!

For this cake I used the Cricut Cake for my letters, and I used a new mold I got for the mermaids.  They turned out SO pretty!  I also used a mold for some of the other sea creatures, and I hand made the coral and seaweed.

Thanks for stopping by!  See you back on Friday!!

Abigail's First Birthday

You all know how much I like making first birthday cakes.  They're like wedding cakes for newborns!

Little miss Abigail's cake was no exception. I was given a picture of Abigail's dress and used it for inspiration.

The colors, the polka dots, even the cupcake came from the dress' design.  I even broke out the Cricut Cake to cut the letters... so easy!  For the zigzag ribbons, I used a new silicone mold I just bought and it turned out beautifully.  Isn't that called rick-rack?  I have no sewing skills whatsoever - LOL!

The cupcake was made so that it could be easily removed to serve double duty as Abigail's smash cake.

Oh, and I almost forgot about the marabou boa around the cake board!  Too cute, huh?  Have a great weekend and a Happy Halloween!!

Hawaiian Luau Birthday Cake

This past weekend did a first birthday cake for my vet's daughter, affectionately known as Gigi (isn't that cute?).  They were doing a Hawaiian Luau theme, and wanted to use bright tropical colors.

Since it was a holiday weekend and I had no weddings, it gave me a little extra time to throw some creativity at it.  I got out my Cricut Cake and my Life is a Beach cartridge and started cutting tropical leaves, tiki heads, hula girls, and tropical flowers.  Now these cut files weren't specifically designed for cake usage but they worked very well.  I could pull out the centers of the flowers and the tiki heads and it gave the cake lots of dimension.  I even made a big 3D Tiki head out of rice crispy treats for the top.

Gigi's Mom was super excited when she came to pick it up, she even shed a tear or two she was so happy!  Awwwww!  Happy Birthday Gigi!!

Furry is the Head that Wears the Crown

How cute is this little fella?  You all know I have an affinity for making children's first birthday cakes, but I thought this one came out extra cute.

The cake is a simple two tier butter cream cake with fondant accents.  I hand molded the bear based off the design the mother showed me.  She did however want the crown added.  Now I didn't ask why, but I like to think that the crown was added either because (a) Jude is his mommy's little prince, or (b) to symbolize that all the world is his kingdom.

Animal House!

Recently, I did a cute little cake for young James.  His Mom brought by his party invitations that had the cutest little jungle animals on them.  We used these invitations as inspiration.



Most of the cake is buttercream, but I molded the tiger, giraffe, and monkey out of fondant.

This time, we also made a smash cake.  For first birthdays, we actually sell quite a few of these.  Sometimes my clients get them before the birthday, to use as props for photographs.  Sometimes they just get them so that the birthday boy/girl can grab, smoosh, and rub it in their hair!  What about the other bakers out there... do you do a lot of smash cakes?

Why So Curious?

This past weekend I made a cake for Tucker. You see, Tucker was turning one year old and he needed a very special cake. As I've said before, I LOVE making a child's first birthday cake.

As I look back on this picture, it would appear as though I reached deep into my bag of tricks on this cake. The hat is made from rice crispy treats, covered in fondant. The blue tier is buttercream with a modeling chocolate harlequin pattern. Curious George is also made from modeling chocolate, but isn't completely 2D... I used a technique I blogged about some time ago. A border of fondant pearls complete the tier.

For the bottom tier, we have the buttercream icing and the fondant pearls, but we also have balloons made from modeling chocolate with buttercream streamers. Chad found a Curious George font online and made an edible image that suited the cake quite well.

I think Tucker is starting his birthday celebrating on the right foot, don't you?

Rubber Ducky Cake

Henry was another recipient of one of our awesome cakes. Henry was turning the big "Oh One" (01) and really like his rubber ducks. So we built him a cake with rubber duckies on it. We used ducky chocolate molds to make all the ducks and painted on the details with petal dusts. The cake was mostly buttercream, with fondant accents (like the dots, the waves, the border, and the letters). The "soap bubbles" were all piped buttercream dots. I thought the effect turned out very nicely.

As always, thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

The World is in your Grasp, Kaben!

I met Kaben's Mom at a bridal show recently and the first words out of her mouth was that "her son was a rock star!". Man, she wasn't kidding either! Kaben was turning one and her Mom, Tara (owner of A Silverware Affair), was very specific about the cake she wanted for her son. She wanted a cake that reflected the feeling that the world was within his reach and that all the world was his oyster (lower left hand corner of the cake).


I must admit that my "globe" is non-edible... it's a styromfoam ball covered with fondant with royal icing continents.

This cake also features another of my brother's awesome cake stands. This stand features acrylic walls and is waterproof, so it's the perfect fish tank that also holds your cake. There is a battery operated LED light in the lid that lights the whole thing up. It's very cool and Kaben seems to really enjoy it.