Ladybug!
Posted by Stacey R. on Wednesday, May 11, 2011
So this post I thought went up on the 30th, but apparently it didn't save. Sorry guys!
This cake was a birthday cake for my neighbor, Carolyn, who also happens to be the founder and owner of Special Events Oklahoma. Wowza. This cake was kind of short notice--I didn't really have a finalized idea until a couple days before. So quick that I didn't even have time to draw up a nice sketch. She told me that she wanted a ladybug with some cupcakes as flowers some how, that it should be small, and that her favorite colors were yellow, purple, and hot pink. I knew almost immediately what I wanted to do, and it scared me.
I'm sure that you guys have seen on my Goals list that I wanted to be able to cover a cake seamlessly with fondant. I am 100% self taught so far, so I'm still learning some of the insider tricks. Fondant has been quite the insider trick. Every time I have tried to cover a cake I have had some wrinkle or seam SOMEWHERE...until now. This ladybug was so scary because it was rounded. Spheres are the hardest shapes to cover...by far. I was terrified of this little ladybug because she was all rounded and needed to be perfect. I had watched a couple cake competition shows the days before (Food Network is my master teacher), and I saw one of the competitors pull the fondant away from the side of the cake with one hand while smoothing it down with the other. It was almost violent--but at the same time a very delicate process that I could tell was NOT as easy as it looked. She continued to do this to all of her cakes, and they all turned out perfectly covered. I started to watch for that move when watching other cake masters, and they all did some variation of the same. For ladybug, what the heck. My way hasn't been working so why should it work now...I might as well try out this new way. IT WORKED. Guys, I started jumping up and down I was so excited. YES!!! I finally covered (and have continued to cover =D) a cake perfectly! This is a huge deal for my business. It is a very very VERY giant step forward. WAHOO!!
I was also able to get a little creative with the cake board, which was fun. The airbrush malfunctioned a little and I made a couple rookie mistakes due to my time stress, but other than that this cake went off without a hitch! The cupcakes are topped with fondant cookie flowers in her colors, and she LOVED it. She gave me some very exciting news....but I can't tell you guys yet. Muahhahahaha ;) Just know that you might be seeing a lot more of me on here...and in other news areas. But that's all I can say! Picture time!!
Here is the little gal's face. Notice my attempt at the white background sheet. I should probably iron that huh...
Pre-sheet, but you can see the whole thing well.
From behind! You can see a little of the airbrush malfunction and just how rounded she was.
Carolyn wanted to put all of the cupcakes on the board when she got it! (I made her six more) I think it looks cute!
This cake was a birthday cake for my neighbor, Carolyn, who also happens to be the founder and owner of Special Events Oklahoma. Wowza. This cake was kind of short notice--I didn't really have a finalized idea until a couple days before. So quick that I didn't even have time to draw up a nice sketch. She told me that she wanted a ladybug with some cupcakes as flowers some how, that it should be small, and that her favorite colors were yellow, purple, and hot pink. I knew almost immediately what I wanted to do, and it scared me.
I'm sure that you guys have seen on my Goals list that I wanted to be able to cover a cake seamlessly with fondant. I am 100% self taught so far, so I'm still learning some of the insider tricks. Fondant has been quite the insider trick. Every time I have tried to cover a cake I have had some wrinkle or seam SOMEWHERE...until now. This ladybug was so scary because it was rounded. Spheres are the hardest shapes to cover...by far. I was terrified of this little ladybug because she was all rounded and needed to be perfect. I had watched a couple cake competition shows the days before (Food Network is my master teacher), and I saw one of the competitors pull the fondant away from the side of the cake with one hand while smoothing it down with the other. It was almost violent--but at the same time a very delicate process that I could tell was NOT as easy as it looked. She continued to do this to all of her cakes, and they all turned out perfectly covered. I started to watch for that move when watching other cake masters, and they all did some variation of the same. For ladybug, what the heck. My way hasn't been working so why should it work now...I might as well try out this new way. IT WORKED. Guys, I started jumping up and down I was so excited. YES!!! I finally covered (and have continued to cover =D) a cake perfectly! This is a huge deal for my business. It is a very very VERY giant step forward. WAHOO!!
I was also able to get a little creative with the cake board, which was fun. The airbrush malfunctioned a little and I made a couple rookie mistakes due to my time stress, but other than that this cake went off without a hitch! The cupcakes are topped with fondant cookie flowers in her colors, and she LOVED it. She gave me some very exciting news....but I can't tell you guys yet. Muahhahahaha ;) Just know that you might be seeing a lot more of me on here...and in other news areas. But that's all I can say! Picture time!!
Here is the little gal's face. Notice my attempt at the white background sheet. I should probably iron that huh... Pre-sheet, but you can see the whole thing well. From behind! You can see a little of the airbrush malfunction and just how rounded she was. Carolyn wanted to put all of the cupcakes on the board when she got it! (I made her six more) I think it looks cute!