Lightning McQueen Take TWO

So, the frosting was getting hard on the cake and I rolled out the red fondant. I bought it pre-made for a couple of reasons. Yes, I know how to make my own fondant now and it tastes better than the pre-made stuff I had used before (the stuff I bought at Joanns or Michael's...) BUT getting the white fondant a true red is so hard and time consuming. I was willing to fork over the dough to buy it made- it was worth the $20 for 2 lbs of it. I found a cake bakers supply shop on my way home from work so I picked it up the other day. It is the same brand used on the show "Cake Boss".

Let me just say- I was pleasantly surprised. It was soft, moist, pliable and a true red. So, I rolled it out, took the cake out of the freezer....



...rolled the fondant onto my rolling pin and then unrolled it on top of the cake. I only have 2 hands so I couldn't take pictures of this process. It went ok... I need practice and perhaps a lighter rolling pin. Plus I need to get better at knowing what thickness to achieve when laying the fondant on a sculpted cake...



I smoothed it out on top of the cake, and believe me there were some cracks and tears. I waited too long before I rolled it ON the cake and this stuff dries out quickly. Also, because I rolled some spots out too thinly, it tore. More lessons learned ;) I also learned a trick- to smooth out and shine the fondant use Crisco. yeah, another use for good ol' Crisco!


So, I'm gonna call it a night. I'm beat and The next steps are going to be a lot harder and time consuming. It's almost midnight and I did A TON today... Bakery, #1's birthday shirt, sewed some buttons (yah, swear!), finally decorated Moochies room (I'll put pictures up later), wrapped #1's gifts, made dinner, made Oma's bday cake, and now this. It's been a LOOOOONG day... g'night!

Lightning McQueen, Take ONE

I'm really doing this... I did a ridiculous amount of research on how to make a 3D cake. I started with my 9x13 sheet cakte (that I had to make TWICE), and got out my handy dandy Lightning McQueen model. We have so many in the house, but this one was the largest we have in 3D, which is actually bubble bath. LOL!


Next, I chopped off about 3 inches off the end and shaped it into the 'cab' portion of the race car...


Then I carved the hood...

Front view.... (oh, lesson learned: Marble cake, probably not the best idea for this kind of carving cake.)

Then I covered the whole thing w/ buttercream


and then I let it harden up in the freezer before I could go on to the next step. Red Fondant...

Oma's Bday Cake

I had about 12 ideas for this cake. I had very little direction- use fondant, any color, make it 'impressive', flavor/color didn't matter. OK.... At this point, open ended cake directions are not good. I need some focus because my mind races with possibilities of what I would like to try. And then I end up wanting to do too much and then the cake loses its focus.

First, I needed to whip up some buttercream. My bestie came over and kept me company while I got this going. I got to share w/ her the magnificence of watching the egg whites and sugar whip up to pearly white goodness in the Kitchen aid... and she also witnessed first hand the ridiculous amount of butter that goes in as well... yikes.

I've showed the pictures of the buttercream already so I won't bore you with that, or me actually stacking the cake. It is a 6 inch round yellow cake with banana ganache, covered in HOMEMADE marshmallow vanilla fondant in white. I LOVE that I know how to make fondant now :)


Notice the pink bow loops in the background? Yeah.. I should have assembled the bow before working on the cake. Lesson Learned. It needs to harden and set well before placing it on the cake. Sigh... I got too excited.

Then I rolled out some bright green fondant. I decided on making bright pink and green polka dots in addition to the bright pink bow... So I cut out circles in 2 different sizes and started to throw them on the cake...
Then I added the 'ribbons' that I THOUGHT were hardened enough to hold their bend. Two things: 1) they weren't hard enough. Why? I have no idea. They kept falling flat. 2) I should have put these on BEFORE I did the polka dots.
It was at this point that I realized, "Hey I should have assembled the bow by now so I could set it on the cake RIGHT now". Sigh... So I just put the bow together using a TON of frosting to hold it in place and put it in the freezer for a while. Then I put it on top of the cake and Voila!


I LOVE this little cake. I think it's very cute and girlie. Probably too youthful for an Oma, but whatever I had little direction so they get what they get ;) After I put the bow on I threw it in the freezer again to harden up and now on to #1's cake...

#1's Bday Shirt

SO, #1's dad had a tradition that his mom would make him a shirt every year for his birthday. It was a raglan/ringer T w/ his name and age. Last year I picked it up and made one for his 2nd birthday and this is the one I made for his 3rd this year. Pretty easy and I hate that I feel SO crafty when I make it- but I do get satisfaction making things my kids will wear...

Saturday a.m. Work....

Saturday a.m.'s are bittersweet. I'm excited to get to the bakery, but when my alarm goes off at 5 a.m., it's always just a touch too early...



Today I worked on Mini Fruit Tartlet's (I got to cut the fruit, arrange and glaze) and Almond Toffee Tuiles.



These are a bit tricky, so finicky! You scoop them out and let them dry into flat circles.



Then heat them up again so they are pliable and you can shape them around metal cones.... while trying not to burn your fingers or cracking the toffee.



Then after they harden around the cone, extracting the cone and dipping the toffee in chocolate. Again, while NOT cracking the toffee. I obviously had issues w/ the 'not cracking the toffee', which is why I mentioned twice. It is SO hot when they come out of the oven your instinct is to let them cool off, but if they cool TOO much they aren't as pliable and will crack.. conversely if they are TOO hot, the sugar breaks down and won't hold together to form around the cone.

Then you fill w/ cream. I didn't get to fill them today, but got to taste the chocolate covered tuiles.. and that's because I broke a few while making them. Oops! Oh, but so so Yummmmmmmy... Now for a nap and work on #1's Oma's bday cake and #1's cake. Wish me luck!