, , , , , ,

Pooh Cake Version 2.0

Have you ever created a cake that was a hit… and were then asked to recreate it later on? Me too… often.

I was a hairstylist for 10 years and also did wedding hair for much of that time. Eventually, I gave up the wedding hair part of it for a specific reason. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy the updos – I loved them! I would meet with the bride for her practice hair appointment and all would go just swell. Frustratingly, though, I would go to recreate the updo on the wedding day and struggle with it. Every. Single. Time. I felt like the wedding day hair was never as good as the practice hair… but what bride is willing to forgo the practice session? So, I eventually dropped that from my hair menu.

I find that recreating cakes can be the same level of difficulty for me at times. It’s not like I take step by step measurements and notes all along the way, so my colors might turn out slightly different or my sizes may vary. It has taken me some getting used to stepping back and re-entering the initial design mode that allowed me to create the first one.

You might remember this cake:

With it’s soft, hand-painted look and classic appeal, this cake was a blast and a favorite.

I was asked to recreate this cake and was excited to do so! My customer wanted some changes made, however… she wanted this cake turned into a two-tier and with more characters included. Begin the design process once again!

How was I going to tie the beehive at the top in with a two-tier cake, and how was I going to include the characters and the classic storybook sky without having one big open sky tier?

I decided to go with one of my favorite parts of the classic storybook… when Pooh “rides” a balloon up to the beehive in the tree.

Being that this was a birthday cake, I decided to ahead and bring the birthday balloon theme in as well, and as a way to tie the other characters in to the overall theme of the cake.

And of course I included the birthday boy’s name on top.

Overall, I was pleased with this cake!

I could definitely pick on the details… of course I have already. I could be worried that the colors are too vibrant, or that my blue sky sponge effect turned out a bit differently than last time. I could go on.

But this is where I’m going to learn that each cake IS actually a different project, with previous cakes only as inspiration.

Just as we strive to avoid copying another cake designer’s work exactly, I’m going to decide that we should do the same with our own work. I would say Pooh cake 2.0 turned out fabulously, right down to it’s tiny wafer paper bee wings!

Oh, and bonus:

A cute little coordinating smash!

Merry Christmas a few days early, my friends!

Tools used in this project:

/by
, , ,

Cake Pop Tutorial!

Happy holidays, my friends!

I recently had the absolute joy of creating these Christmas ornament cake balls… 192 of them to be exact.

Soon after delivery, I received a text from a fabulous cake friend in which she mentioned that she thought they were adorable, and then something akin to “I would rather jab needles in my eyes than do those” (you know who you are, if you’re reading this).

This was about the 50th time I have heard/read something similar from a fellow sugar friend, or seen the disappointment of a non-cake friend upon having to give up the idea of a fun project.

Here’s a secret: this was my actual first cake ball order… I’ve only done pops. However, I used my same method all the way up to and after the actual dipping with great success! So I’ve decided it’s time to put my method on record for all of you!

I created a video of the entire process. Don’t panic – it’s only 10 minutes long. Why? Well, video editing, but also mainly because the entire process from start to finish (with the exception of actually baking the cake, which you really don’t even need to do if you have cake scraps around!) took only around 45 minutes. It’s that easy!

Please enjoy this video, and also subscribe to my YouTube channel! I’d love any comments or suggestions you might have in your experience as well!

(Wish it would let me change the thumbnail away from my mug, but…)

Supplies used in this project:

/by
, , , , , , ,

Moving Beyond the Paper

While I could definitely get lost in a good stationary store, that is not what this post is about.

I really wanted to talk about the edible kind… frosting sheets! Wafer paper! Because the two make me just as giddy as (if not more than!) a brand new pad of pretty note paper.

Let’s be honest… when you think of edible images, you think of something like this…

edibleimagecake

Source: http://order.cakes.com

(Which is great! And also how grocery stores are able to charge what they do.)

In my time as a cake designer, I have really evolved in my thinking toward edible images and edible ink printers. I have graduated from feeling slightly embarrassed about owning an edible printer (feeling like maybe I am “cheating”) to loving every minute of it and always looking for opportunities to use it.

Why?

Because I have begun seen far beyond the colorful happy birthday sheet cake image, the simple Super Why image and the edible photo of the birthday child. I have seen the endless possibilities and the stunning details to be created using printed images and patterns!

Here is where it all began…

paisleyguitarcakewm

This was one of my first cake orders, and it was a little terrifying! My customer wanted a Brad Paisley guitar cake. I mean, paisley!?!?

But then I had an idea… and did a little online searching before running across the street to our grocery store to have them print this glorious paisley image. And the wow! People were even more impressed than I thought they would be!

So I began to dabble more…

teapartycake

And started to use images and printed patterns to enhance smaller details on my cakes.

hotwheelscakewm

Even going so far as to use printed wafer paper to decoupage, as in the top tier of my July 4th cake!

july4thcakefinal

I literally found an old copy of the Declaration of Independence, printed it on wafer paper and stuck pieces of it all over my cake… and that tier is one of my proudest.

It wasn’t until my polka dot cake that I finally let go of my inner struggles with using this simple medium.

polkadotcake

One of the cake designers that I admire most shared this cake to her page, and I couldn’t help but notice a comment on the post. Another cake decorator said something along the lines of “Well, it doesn’t look very difficult – just printed paper on a cake”. Which is true, and it was what I had been afraid of people thinking when she had first shared it… and her comment left me staring at my computer screen in confusion and embarrassment.

But then the wonderful cake designer replied to the comment. I don’t remember her exact words, but she basically responded that of course it was printed, but that it didn’t matter… and that a person knowing how to use their creativity, tools and resources to create something beautiful that makes people happy is a great talent in itself.

You cannot imagine what this did for me as a cake designer! I felt that I had been freed from everything that held me back from being proud of my cakes. No more secretly wondering if I had much talent beyond my tools. I was able to acknowledge the creativity and talent that it took to come up with an idea, seek out the tools and successfully create the cake. And I felt free to just have fun.

And now I happily seek out opportunities to add these unique touches to my cakes!

twowildcake

I am thrilled to have so many different mediums available to me, and I revel in the time spent discovering new ways to use them.

Cassiesignature

Tools used in this post:

Online classes you might enjoy:

waferflowersclass

waferflower2

waferflowers3

/by
, , , , , ,

A “Two Wild” Birthday Cake & Wafer Paper Fan Flower Video

I could eat, sleep and breath cakes these days, and one of my very favorite aspects is the amazing and fun themes that my clients bring to me! From vintage rose first birthdays to sharks & strawberries (my adorable nephew’s choice) to pinwheels.

This week I was so thrilled to create a “Two Wild” themed cake! My incredibly fun returning customer wanted a jungle-themed cake using animal prints and black lace of some sort. She wanted it to be a bit more sophisticated than childish. This criteria was both incredibly fun and exciting, and also a little nerve-wracking! Animal prints can definitely be misused!

In continuing with my mission to discover my own style, I chose not to search online for examples (and to peek at the examples she sent me with squinty eyes). As I often do, I laid down on my back, closed my eyes and drew a picture in my head.

I still felt a bit unsure of the picture I had in my head, so I sketched it out just to make sure it was balanced.

twowildsketch

Thank goodness I can decorate a cake better than I can sketch, {and this particular sketch was done in haste and not meant to be seen} because the cake turned out much to my satisfaction!

twowildcake

I used edible lace throughout this buttercream cake {I will link to the lace and mat below}, as well as wafer paper, fondant, edible glitter AND icing sheets.

twowildcakebottom

In order to respect my customer’s wishes for a buttercream cake, I chose to apply the fondant decorations in a way that would be easy to remove – note on the bottom tier {in the photo above} that the fondant is attached loosely, separated from the cake by the lace and only attached at the base.

twowildcakebow

Lastly, McGreevy Cakes‘ wafer paper pom tutorial got me started on my wafer paper fan flowers, although I had to find my own way once I realized her amazing tutorial would not look so great with my one-sided printed paper.

twowildcakepoms

Below is a video of how I ended up creating my simple fan flowers!

Have a wonderful week! I would love to hear your comments!

Cassiesignature

Tools used in this project:


/2 Comments/by
, , , , ,

Brave Inspired Cake

Wow, I’ve been busy lately!

Between orders and family, I’ve been neglecting my blog and all of my social media! I’m hoping to become a bit more active again after this week’s trip to Texas!

I have some awesome photos to share with you. First: cake!

This week, I was able to create a Brave-inspired cake. I have been challenging myself lately to get out of the rut of creating the same old cakes that are everywhere in the cake world… you know – the Minnie/Mickey Mouse ones, the Buzz Lightyears and various buttercream ruffles. I’m listing these ones because I’ve done them. Not to insult any of those cakes (if I did them for you), as I tried to add my own touches and make them as clean as possible so that you could have a unique version and I could still feel proud, but my heart is yearning for my own style to emerge. I am just trying to figure out how to allow this to happen.

This Brave cake was a great start for me! I chose to NOT search out the internet for ideas and inspiration as I normally do. Thanks to Kara’s Couture Cakes for that bit of advice… it’s too easy to have a cake become just another cake because of the other cake images that you can never erase from your mind once you’ve seen them.

I also did not want to violate any copyrights by using logos or exact characters, so I literally closed my eyes and thought through the main details of the movie that stuck out to me. I came up with a few things… Merida’s turquoise and green dresses, hair, the wisps, tapestry and her bow and arrow (luckily, the bow and arrow were my client’s one creative request).

After brainstorming, playing the workability of ideas out in my head, considering the budget my client wanted to stay within (not that I would not want to give it my all but some of those ideas would be very time-consuming), considering the limitations of my medium (my client wanted buttercream), I settled on a design.

I put my design together, and here was the result…

brave-cake-final

I was pleased!

I took special care with the bow and arrow, as this was the birthday girl’s one request.

bravecaketoppers

The bow and arrow are created with gumpaste. The only non-edible item was the twine used as the string. Sadly, the exposure makes it so that you can’t see in the photo that I created the feather on the end of the bow using wafer paper.

Afterwards, I decided to peek around online and discovered that the tie is not the most original idea, but I definitely gave it some beautiful detail and feel proud of it for that reason! I think little Olivia was pleased!

graphic

And now for another exciting part of my last few weeks!

If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you may have already seen my beautiful new kitchen that my husband surprised me with!

bakerymainwall

bakeryovensandcloset

bakeryovens

bakeryworkspace

bakerylogo

Amazing, right?? I have the best, most supportive husband in the world.

So this is the new Cassie’s Confections bakery! Being in my own beautiful space has already been so inspiring!

Lastly, I read on a cake blog once that part of my online presence should include a bit of personal information, as people want to know me. I don’t usually do this, but I am taking it to heart this time and sharing a recent achievement that I am so proud of!

I have been training in Taekwondo for five years now. I started training with my dad (a black belt) and over time, three of my littles have joined me. They have so far achieved their red, blue, and white belt with yellow stripes. A couple of weeks ago, I earned my 2nd degree black belt!

belt

Here is one aspect of my test – I broke 3 boards at one time with a step-behind side kick.

middle

I love this special activity and exercise that I can do with my babies, and I truly believe that training AND cakes keep me motived for each other in a way.

Anyway, I’d love to hear your comments or questions on anything in this post! I’m hoping to get more videos up on YouTube soon, as my subscriber list is growing slowly but pretty steadily (if you have any video requests, please let me know!)! If you haven’t already subscribed, please do so here!

Cassiesignature

Some supplies used in this project:

Classes you might enjoy:

betterbuttercream

/by
, , , , ,

A Foxy Woodland Cake!

Wow, what a busy week it has been! I feel like I have barely had a moment to breathe, let alone stay on top of my social media and website. Phew!

I just wanted to share a fun woodland-themed baby shower cake that I was able to create this week!

woodlandfoxcake

Although I was exhausted from the 370 cookie order I also had to complete this week, and the cake I created the day before this one, I was able to relax and enjoy almost every moment of the making of this baby shower cake!

You all know that the mention of rustic, woodsy, “messy” type cakes often sends me into a slight bit of panic, but I think I handled this one pretty well!

woodlandfoxtoptier

The sweet little foxes gave me their share of trouble, but my wonderful husband assured me that they did, in fact, look like foxes. Now that is love, right? 😉

That beautiful birch tree tier is an image that I purchased on Etsy and printed as an edible image.

Now let me tell you something about edible images, friends… ain’t no shame in using them! I searched high. and. low. for the perfect image for this cake… I’m talking definitely more than one hour of scouring the internet using every search term I could think of to try to make Google understand my vision. That is not the easy way out, and a perfectly chosen and placed image in the perfect color can be the wow factor on your cake.

The bottom tier was my favorite!

woodlandfoxtrunktier

This tree trunk tier was a first for me also. A woodgrain impression mat, some awesome clay carving tools, and some hershey brown petal dust created this fun, slightly realistic yet slightly cute and whimsical tier.

I was pretty pleased with the final result!

woodlandfoxcake

Leave me a comment with questions about any other details of this cake and I am happy to answer!

Cassiesignature

Tools used in this project:

For some other fabulous tree trunk and bark methods, as well as many other texture tutorials, I recommend this class:

cleanandsimpleclass

/by
, , , , ,

All Things Pink

Hello, sweet friends!

I am currently in Boston visiting my gorgeous new niece, Elle! She is tiny, sweet and beautiful, and there is no shortage of kisses happening around here!

In the spirit of sweet baby girls, I wanted to share a very pink cake that I created last week!

sweettimescake

Maybe it was the image of my precious niece that I was getting ready to go meet, but I definitely went with my inner girlie on this one!

The bottom tier contained ruffle after ruffle, with the centers dusted a subtle pink.

sweettimesruffles

The second tier was coated with sparkling sugar crystals.

sweettimescakesugar

For the third tier, I went with stripes in a variety of thicknesses and shades of pink.

sweettimescakestripes

The fourth and top tier contained the same sparkling sugar along the bottom edge.

sweettimescaketoptier

Topping the cake was a white ruffled fantasy flower of my own design.

sweettimescakeflower

This cake definitely satisfied my love for feminine things!

sweettimescake

Have a wonderful finish to the week! I know I will!

Cassiesignature

/by
, , ,

Semi-Nude Chocolate Drip Cake

Happy Labor Day, all!

I just wanted to leave you with photos of this mouth-watering semi-nude chocolate drip cake that I created for our own barbecue!

chocolateseminudedrip

This cake is pretty straightforward: chocolate upon chocolate upon… chocolate. 🙂

I also created a video of its creation. Enjoy!

Cassiesignature

Supplies used in this project:

/by
,

The Cake That Was Airborn

There was once a cake created for no real purpose. Well – ok, it had a purpose: it was for a colorful cake competition (which I ended up not winning).

image

Anyway, I find myself so pained when having to create and decorate a cake with absolutely no event planned for consuming it at the end… so if I must create a cake for decorating purposes only, I find a person to gift it to.

(Bonus: this makes me an often well-liked person!)

In the case of this cake, the competion happened to fall on the week before a quick visit to my brother in Dallas. With no real risk involved (my brother didn’t even know I was bringing it until right before) I decided to attempt to bring the cake as a carry-on on my flight.

image

Friends, you are looking at a double-barrel (7-8 inch double-stacked) cake that survived the drive to the airport, being carried through the entire airport, riding through the security x-Ray machine on the conveyer belt (the security staff only stopped it once, looked confused, asked me what it was and then chuckled, letting it pass), riding the airport train while in my arms, and then – get this – the entire flight to Dallas in the overhead compartment. 

Are you laughing? I still am.

But that wasn’t it! Upon arrival, the cake then survived the Dallas airport and a one-hour trek through Dallas rush hour traffic in the back of my brother’s old 4Runner (with his crazy Dallas driving ;))

When we arrived at his home, I opened the box and…

Perfect!

Enjoy one last photo of my littlest angel wondering why I was planning to go to all that trouble when I could have just left it at home with her and Daddy…

image

Rest assured that I have incredible faith in the durability of my cakes these days!

Cassiesignature

Learn how to create a double-barrel cake here:

image

/by
, , , , , , , ,

An Elegant Iris & White Wedding Cake

This week a lovely couple celebrated their union in a gorgeous setting in Golden, Colorado, and I was so amazingly lucky to create their wedding cake!

As I walked into the venue, the gorgeous and romantic setting took my breath away for a moment. With stunning iris details everywhere and an atmosphere of pure excitement and happiness, I had the cake decorator moment… the one that is a perfect mix of relief and excitement – the one where I knew my cake was a success and would fit right in to this beautiful setting.

Untitled (3)

This buttercream cake started with a design that the couple loved by Cake My Day, and evolved from there with some color and detail changes, as well as an added tier.

File Aug 20, 2 20 09 PM

It contained four tiers, each sized at 12 inches, 9 inches, 6 inches and a 4 inch anniversary/honeymoon tier, and stood over 22 inches tall with the gumpaste peony-style fantasy flower on top. The silver leaf edges on the flower added that special something.

File Aug 20, 1 40 08 PM

The lone iris tier was an eye catcher for sure, with it’s gorgeous color, edible diamonds and piped scroll design.

File Aug 20, 1 40 20 PM

The bottom tier was a labor of love… nearly 38 inches around of handmade fondant ruffles.

Untitled

I enjoyed every moment of this cake! Wishing the very best and many years of true love to Erik & Allie!

Cassiesignature

Tools used in this project:

Online classes that I found useful for this project:

modernpipingimagebetterbuttercream

/2 Comments/by