Bridal Shower Cakes and Mike McCarey

What in the world do bridal shower cakes and Mike McCarey have in common?  Well nothing, really.  Except that I had the chance to use his buttercream recipe on a couple of bridal shower cakes that I made recently.

In case you saying who???  Let me start off by saying that Mike McCarey is probably my favorite cake decorator/instructor.  He owns Mike's Amazing Cakes in Redmond, WA and has been on several cake challenge competitions.  He is especially known for his 3-D sculpted cake masterpieces.  He also teaches several cake classes on Craftsy.  I highly recommend his Craftsy classes.

Anyway, I had a chance to use his unique buttercream recipe on this bridal shower cake recently and I loved how creamy it was, the taste, texture and workability.  The recipe calls for pasteurized egg whites, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and butter....lots and lots of butter.










Mike uses this buttercream as a base for all his amazing sculpted cakes so I thought I would give it a try under a simple fondant covered round cake.  I didn't take into account the humidity factor where I live.  In Mississippi, it is pretty humid all year round.  Even though I didn't have any problems rolling out my fondant, when I started to put it on my chilled cake, the condensation-humidity factor kicked in.  I could barely get the fondant attached to the cake before the condensation on the cold buttercream started to make the fondant extra sticky.  I couldn't even smooth it.  I had to wait for all the condensation to dry before I could touch the cake again.  Unfortunately by that time, the buttercream had become soft which renders this technique useless as it relies on a hard buttercream to help make the fondant smooth.

I still like the way it turned out, but I wish the buttercream would have stayed firm enough for me to get it smoother.  The bottom layer is my standard bakery icing in hot pink and the top is black fondant.











So...my conclusion is that this would be a great buttercream for a filling and perhaps as frosting (when the weather is not too warm) but I don't think I can use it as a base for fondant due to the condensation factor.  I am pretty sure that chocolate ganache is what I am going to have to use to get around the refrigeration-condensation issue.

Here are a few more bridal shower cake ideas:

Free Craftsy Class - Basic Fondant Techniques

Free Craftsy Class - Basic Fondant Techniques

FREE Cratsy Class

Have you heard of Craftsy?  Craftsy is a website full of craft project tutorials.  The tutorials are on video, sort of like Youtube.  Once you have purchased the class, it is yours to access anytime.  The video lessons are divided into segments and you "rewind" when you need to see something demonstrated again.

I have purchased several of the cake decorating tutorials on Craftsy and have not been disappointed with any of them.  The quality of the filming is very good and the instructors are well-known cake artists.  Craftsy normally runs "sales" where you can purchase some of these classes for up to 50% off.

Craftsy also offers several FREE "mini" classes.  These classes are fantastic and I recommend them if you have never used Craftsy before.  Here is a link to the FREE Basic Fondant Techniques.

This class is taught by Elisa Strauss, owner of Confetti Cakes in New York.  Basic Fondant Techniques has 10 lessons covering topics such as:  coloring, flavoring and handling fondant, covering round and square cakes with fondant, making a fondant rose and bow, appliques, inlays and embossing.  Wow-can you believe all that for free?

See those pink and brown flowers on this cake board?  Those are "inlays".  

These hearts are an example of fondant appliques.

Here is an example of a cake and board covered entirely in fondant.

NOTE:  I am a Craftsy affiliate and receive compensation when you purchase classes or join.  I am also a Craftsy member and enjoy their classes!

John Deere Baby Shower

John Deere Baby Shower

I recently had the pleasure of making a baby shower cake with a John Deere theme.  This was not going to be a typical farm theme baby shower because the expectant couple is going to have a girl.  

Cake made by cakecentral member "ranbel"

When the shower hostess contacted me about making the cake, she sent along a picture of a cake with the look they were going for.  The picture was of a 2-tier cake with a small pink tractor, cart and baby on the top.  

The shower hostess didn't need a cake this big and was working within a budget so I suggested they skip the tiered cake design (which adds $) and go for a 2-layer cake big enough for the servings they needed.  We decided a 10-inch round would work.

I made my pink tractor and cart out of cereal treats, covered in white chocolate, then covered in fondant.  After studying different designs of tractor cake toppers, I settled on a design in which the cab portion sits on top of the engine or hood section.  This was fairly simple to make as I used pre-made Rice Krispie Treats which were almost exactly the size I needed.  I made the cart out of homemade cereal treats - that's when I decided to buy the ones for the tractor.  I found the pre-made ones easier to work with.  I found a couple of good tractor tutorials from Rose Atwater: Tractor Tutorial #1 and Tractor Tutorial #2.

The front wheels of the tractor are also cereal treats but the back wheels are mini-doughnuts covered in fondant.  I covered the cart with fondant that I had imprinted with a wooden board mat and used an extruder gun to make hay.  The tractor is surprisingly heavy and I had to put straws underneath it with a small piece of cardboard for support so that it would not sink into the cake.

I stressed a bit about how to make the baby.  At first, I was going to purchase a mold but decided to try my hand at making one on my own.  It turned out to be very simple since I only needed the head to show.  The rest of the body is hidden under the pink fondant blanket.  I thought it would be cute to make the baby look like it had been picked from the field.

Once I measured around my cake pan and subtracted a few inches for the gate, I used the Jessica Harris wax paper transfer method to get my fence rails on the cake.  I learned this technique from the Craftsy class,  "Clean and Simple Cake Design".  The fence posts were imprinted with the same wood imprint mat I used for the cart.  I decided to go with a more farm-look fence rather than the fence in the inspiration picture and finished it off with a swag of dainty flowers that ran from fence post to fence post.

Stack of Books Cake

Stack of Books Cake

When my aunt decided to throw a party for my uncle, her and my cousin for their milestone birthdays, she asked if I would make the cake.  Of course, I said yes then I brainstormed about a design that would incorporate birthdays for three different

people.  The design I came up with was a stack of books with a title on each that reflected something about the person.

My uncle will be 80 this year and is known for having a story on just about everything.  My aunt is a blonde and hit 70 this year.  My cousin, who turned 50 in June, loves all animals and has a special fondness for cats.

I decided to poke a little fun at the birthday celebrants:

I sacrificed a bit of cleaness in the design because I really wanted these cakes to be iced in buttercream instead of fondant.  Before I started, I did some research into how to get a more realistic looking book cake while using buttercream.  

Before this cake, the only book cake I had made was an open book cake.

I am especially happy with how my cake board turned out.  I covered it in fondant, made distress marks, scored it with a ruler and then airbrushed it to look like a wood floor. 

We had a great time at the party and I got to see old friends and family that I had not seen in a while.

Decorated Cake Boards

Decorated Cake Boards

The cake board is often an overlooked part of the overall cake design.  I admit that there are plenty of times that I leave the cake board undecorated, as in the monthly corporate birthday cakes that I do.  However, most of the time I like to decorate the cake board in some way that adds to the overall design.

Covering with Paper

Paper can be used to cover the board as long as the paper is also covered with a grease-proof covering.  When I use paper to cover a cake board, I cover that paper with a clear plastic that has adhesive on the underside.  The types of paper that can be used include:  wrapping paper, scrapbook paper, plain brown paper, even freezer paper.  If you use freezer paper, just make sure the slick side is facing up and then you don't need another grease-proof covering.

Covering with Foil

One of the most common cake board coverings is aluminum foil.  I don't care for using this as a covering on its own.  I just don't think it adds anything to the design.  Wilton makes a product called Fanci-Foil that is thicker than regular aluminum foil.  There is also a florist foil that comes with embossed patterns that looks a little more festive but care should be taken that your cake does not sit directly on it as it is not food-safe.

Covering with Fondant

One of the most versatile cake board coverings is fondant.  If I am using fondant as a cake board covering, I do it a few days ahead of time so it can harden and can be handled easily.  The fondant covering can be embossed or imprinted with a design or even airbrushed.  Covering a cake board with fondant allows for more creativity and can enhance a customized design or theme.

  

Dr. Seuss 1st Birthday

Dr. Seuss 1st Birthday

We recently celebrated my grandson's first birthday and the party theme was Dr. Seuss.  It can be easy to get carried away with that theme because there are so many great stories and characters.  This is my take on a Dr. Seuss 1st birthday cake.

My daughter-in-law decorated the house in great Dr. Seuss themed party balloons and banner.

I also made a little smash cake for the birthday boy.

It was apparent that a good time was had by all......

Nintendo Groom's Cake

Nintendo Groom's Cake

If you remember Super Mario Brothers, Tetris, Galaga and Donkey Kong, you probably played on one of these old-school Nintendos.  The bride ordered this Nintendo NES cake for her groom as a surprise.  She supplied me with a photo of Pink Cake Box’s version of this cake and I used it as well as a few other pictures I found online as a guide.

Preparation

When you are making a replica of something like this in cake, it helps if you can find drawings with dimensions to assist in getting the scale right. 

I took note of the size of the items on the control panel and then scaled that to the controller I was making so it would look more realistic.  I found it much easier to work in centimeters and millimeters than inches.

Carving the Cake

I decided to make the Chocolate Kaluha cakes in a 10 x 10 cake pan.  I cut about 2 inches off one side to give it a more realistic shape.  I wrapped the cakes in several layers of plastic wrap and put it in the freezer.  A cold cake is much easier

to carve. Using paper and cardstock, I made a template of the sloped bottom portion and used it to carve the cake, which I had filled with chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream that had been flavored with kaluhua. I iced the entire cake in chocolate ganache and let it sit overnight to firm up.

It was easier to carve it upside down...

then flip it right side up.

Once the ganache had sufficiently hardened, I covered the top with a light grey fondant.  The Nintendo console is light grey on the top and top portion of the sides but dark grey on the bottom portion of the sides. The template that was used to carve the cake with was also used to cut a panel of fondant for the bottom portion.  

Using the pictures as a guide, I added some details.  The controllers were made in advance from rice cereal treats covered in fondant. I painted on a glaze of corn syrup mixed with vodka to give them a shiny look.

 I don’t often get the chance to make cakes like this and was pleased with how it turned out. 

The wedding cake was designed from a picture provided by the bride.  The colors (pale yellow, orange and grey) matched the color scheme of the reception hall décor.  The reception was held at 211 Main Hall & in Como, MS. 

I wish Mark and Kathryn many years of happy memories.  

(Photo by Mariposa Photography by Emily Tillman)

Banana Cake Recipe for Valentine Cake

photo from SallyDealz.com

Banana Cake Recipe for Valentine Cake

I am bananas about my valentine (hubby) and today I am sharing my banana cake recipe with you.  This banana cake gets rave reviews and is SO easy to make, mainly because it starts with a cake mix.  Cakes that start with a mix are almost impossible to mess up.

Recipe

For this cake, I made a double recipe, but I will give you the measurements for a "normal" size cake (8-inch or 9x13).

1 white or yellow cake mix

1 small box of banana pudding

1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 bananas)

1/3 cup buttermilk

4 large eggs

1/2 cup oil

I prefer using a cake mix without pudding in it because of the addition of the banana pudding.  When we buy bananas, if there are some that are getting too ripe, I freeze them and use in this recipe.  I usually peel them beforehand, but didn't this time (read that you didn't have to).  I like them peeled beforehand.  It is kind of difficult to peel a frozen banana.  I usually put all the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet in another then mix them together.

Preparing the Pans

Before you mix this batter, preheat your oven to 325.  Prepare your pans however you normally do.  I always like to use parchment paper to line the bottom and create a "collar" on the sides.  I wrote a whole blog post on "Collaring".

This recipe makes a very thick batter.  You will have to spread it around in the pan with a spatula.  Here you can see that it rose over the top of the pan (I love collaring)!

Frosting

I made a batch of Swiss Meringue Buttercream and flavored part of it banana and part chocolate.  I cut the cake in half and filled it with the banana flavored buttercream then iced the cake in the chocolate.  I use the Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe from Woodland Bakery.

Decorating

You can decorate this cake however you wish.  I made some fondant flowers, vines and hearts and decorated it with a Valentine's Day theme.  The design was adapted from an original from Czech baker/decorator at jakodoma.webgarden.cz.