Happy 89th Grandma!

It was my Grandma's 89th Birthday! I was asked to do the cake and I wanted to do 89 candles...I made them out of fondant, but there are not 89. We were to have some real ones to make up the difference, but Grandma was so excited about not having to blow out candles, we left them off.I have been having some bad cake mojo going on lately. This cake was not supposed to be topsy turvy, but a sunken layer made me change my mind. (I didn't have time to bake another layer) I was running very late trying to get the cake done, and there was no possible way I would have gotten it done if a good friend hadn't called to see how I was doing and offer her help. Emily came and helped me roll the balls of fondant for the borders and make yellow flames for the candles. Thanks, Em. I couldn't have done it without your help! Love Ya!We got to the party (late) and the cake was loved by all. But all that really matters is that grandma liked it and felt special. I think she did..This is her with her cake
A very happy birthday to you, Grandma! I am already working on the design for next year's birthday...90!! (It's gonna be awesome!)

Happy disasterversary

Well, It is my one year disasterversary. As in cake disaster anniversary. Last year, I was asked to do my cousin's wedding cake. (Actually, my husband's cousin, but I adhere to the what's mine is yours rule)

It was a simple design. Two tier, frosted smooth with a simple border and fresh flowers. Easy enough. I made the ingredients and we loaded up the car and headed to Las Vegas. When we got there I assembled the cake frosted it, and set it on the dining room table and went to bed. It was pretty. And {almost} perfect. We got up, and headed to the wedding in the morning. The cake still looked good. After the wedding, My Husband and I went back to the house to get the cake and take it to the reception. I walked in the house, and DISASTER! The frosting was cracking and the bottom tier was bulging. I didn't understand it. Nothing like this had ever happend before. I had doweled the cake more that was necessary, just in case, and it still was a mess. I grabbed the bowl of extra frosting and all my tools and we hopped in the car.

The road to the country club was under construction, and very bumpy. even though we drove very slowly, the bumpiness made the cake worse and worse. I couldn't help it, I started crying. It kept getting worse. At one point I even put my hands on either side of the cake just to hold it together. By the time we got to our destination, I was sobbing uncontrollably. I looked at my husband and sobbed, "don't let anyone see me like this." I didn't want anyone to see me loose my composure like that.

We went in through the back door and into the kitchen so I could try and fix the mess I was carrying. However, I could not stop sobbing, no matter how hard I tried. I just felt so bad that they had trusted me with a part of their celebration, and I messed up. Then the mother of the bride came in and she was being so nice, then the other cousins and aunts. All trying to make me feel better, but I just felt worse. I was also mad at my husband for not keeping them all away from me like I had begged him to earlier. I suppose, however, it is hard to suddenly be a tough enforcer around people you have grown up with that see you as a quiet, unassuming type. (he is forgiven) I just felt so bad that they were all trying to make me feel better. No one should have noticed me that day. All the focus should have been on the happy couple.

I finally calmed down enough to try and fix the cake (although I never stopped crying). I had it in the freezer, trying to freeze the cake and help stop the bulging. There was no way I could make it smooth again, so I decided just to do layers and layers of a band made with a rose tip. I thought it turned out pretty okay, but my husband thought it was not. He didn't even get why I took pictures of it. Although I did pretty good at hiding the cracks, I could not disguise the leaning of the cake. To me it looked like a bustle on the back of a dress, so I ended up putting a little flower there, the idea being that it might make it look like it was that way on purpose.


Although the cake itself was a mess, the real disaster was the way I behaved. (can I blame it on hormones?) I really wish I would have held myself together better. I was so embarrassed that I could not even face the bride and groom. I should have had the grace to go over and offer my sincerest apologies, but I just wanted to crawl under the table and hide. So, officially, I am so sorry about the cake Whitney and Brad! I am also sorry about being a total social invalid that day.

My theories about what happened? I have no idea for sure. There were so many things on that cake that I do not normally deal with. She wanted funfettti cake, and I usually don't use a cake mix. She also wanted a frosting that used powdered sugar, another unusual one for me. There is also the climate I was not used to (a little warmer than I expected it to be). I have no idea, but at least it looked cool when they cut it! It tasted pretty good to...or at least that is what they told me. (I couldn't look at the thing, much less eat it.)

I had planned on making a real one (the way it was supposed to be) for their anniversary, but I am commissioned to do a different cake tomorrow, so this will have to do.

HAPPY FIRST ANNIVERSARY WHITNEY AND BRAD!!
I wish you many many more years of happiness together.

Coming soon:

Some cake pics! I have been MIA for a while, but this week I have pics of a cake I'd rather not remember (but I ought to), and a new cake to post. It should be fun, but I gotta finish the thing first! So, keep a lookout!

Baptism Cake

The cake I made my daughter for her baptism. I used the invitations as inspiration. I was pleased with the way it turned out. If I had it to do over again, I would change some things, but this is not too bad for being thrown together in 20 min (literally) some time around midnight. (just the decorating. the cake was baked and assembled earlier...)

WHAT??!??!?

NO CAKE?? That is right... 3 birthdays and Halloween all in the space of 5 days at our house, and not a crumb of cake. We had skeleton gingerbread people, pie and ice cream, but no cake. My oldest decided recently she is "not really a cake girl, Mom." and Hubby always wants pie. No dessert on my b-day. (it comes last and we are all too sugared out by then.) We did have ice cream cake while visiting Grandma, so I guess technically that counts as cake....

Ahh well. There's always next year.

Pumpkin angel food cake

This is my absolute favorite fall and holiday desert. Pumpkin Angel Food Cake.

It is guilt free (take the low calorie count and fat free-ness of angel food cake and add the vitamins and fiber of pumpkin...). I love to serve this with cranberry cool whip or plain cool whip, cinnamon and freshly ground nutmeg. Delicious! Here, I garnished it with cranberries, both sugared and plain, and fresh mint.

You, too, can make this at home!

Not much cakeage going on at our house the past two weeks, but here is a nectarine topped Mascarpone Cheesecake that is oh, so tasty. I posted the recipe here a few weeks ago. It was so good, I made one for my handsome man to take to work with him. It was all gone before he could get to it to snag a piece, so my guess is it was a big hit. Look! No cracks! (I just had to post this one to prove that the fruit was not a cover up for a cracked cheesecake...this time)
Birthday week at our house is coming up. (three b-days and Halloween all in the span of 5 days) I will hopefully have some fun "real" cake pics soon!