Who's ready for some football!?!

Last night we had our final forever cake class, actually until next February I've heard Wilton is bringing out a 4th class that is Advanced Gum Paste and Fondant Flowers.  I'll being taking that one too.

Anyway last nights cake was a cake of our own design we had no restrictions not requirements.  Being this coming weekend is the opening of my favorite time of year College Football Season I chose to do an Alabama Cake, can I get a ROLL TIDE!!!

The idea in my head didn't actually work out like I wanted it to but what I wanted to do was a 2 layered cake with a cake football coming out of the center of it.  In order to make the cake football I decided I'd bake a cake in a loaf pan and trim it down.  That might have worked but the cake fell in the center.  Since it was still a few days early I froze the loaf of cake until the next day where I shaped it into a football while it was still frozen using cake shavings to fill in the holes.  That worked fine until when I was ready to put the cakes together (Tuesday night before I had to be in class on Wednesday) and it had thawed out it fell apart.  So since I had already color my fondant brown I just shaped the fondant into a football to place on top of the cake.  It turned out pretty good.

I designed my cake after my favorite cake carrier that I got from my Aunt Jan one year for Christmas.  It's your standard $10 cake carrier from Target and some creative person put vinyl stickers on it, and old insignia Alabama sticker and then dots of different sizes in crimson, black, and grey.  Absolute genius!  It colored my fondant black, grey, and made a pretty good crimson (I'll probably never be able to do it again!) cut out 3 different size circles using cookie cutters and laid them aside to dry.  I used the grey to make two elephants to place on the sides as well.  When all was said and done I think it turned out pretty cute!

Elephant parts!

Roll Tide Y'all!

I Hate Flowers at Least Ones Made of Icing!

Class 2 of the second Wilton Methods class Momma, Amy, and I are in is fast approaching, actually it's tomorrow night.  This class is Flowers and Cake Design using Royal icing rather than buttercream.  I just thought I didn't like buttercream, I really don't like royal icing!  It is extremely easy to make but will crust over in a heartbeat, so you have to keep it in air tight containers and cover your icing tips when you aren't making something.

In the last class we tried or should I say I tried, Momma and Amy did good, to make Apple Blossoms, Violets, and Primrose.  I think my issue is that I can't do all the things required to make a flower at the same time.  I can {and I just checked to make sure} pat my head and rub my belly at the same time but I cannot turn the flower nail and move the icing bag and squeeze it independently of each other to make a flower.  This apparently requires an amount of coordination that I do not have, and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to acquire it!  I tried to practice for just a few minutes on Saturday and I got p'd off and quit.  I think my other issue is hand strength at least I can work on that, the coordination part I might just be completely screwed on!   In order for the flowers to have the shape they need to look like real flowers, the icing has to be stiff and when it is stiff it is hard to squeeze out of the end a tiny tip.  So if anyone has some suggestions for some exercises for hand strength let me know.  If I can't figure it out I guess I can always call my bakery the "No Flower Bakery" and never decorate anything with flowers!

This weeks class we are supposed to make a Rose, Lilly, and a Daffodil we'll see what happens!

Bye y'all!

Busy busy busy!

Hey it's me again!  I've been so busy since my last post.  So I'm going to do like 3 posts so they aren't so long and drawn out!  We all know how I can drag out a story!  This actually goes with my last post I saw this in an email from Divine Caroline, I so want this bathing suit!!!  It's called Beach Blanket Bingo, so cute!



from Modcloth.com

Back to the current post...the last Wednesday in June was the last class in the Wilton Cake Decoration Basic Methods class.  As I said on the last post our mission was to bring an iced cake and make ribbon roses in class.  I already knew my buttercream wasn't of the right consistency so it wasn't going to work out.  Out of desperation and a little perfectionism I sent an email to a blogger named Amanda who blogs I Am Baker (her link is over there on the left hand side) she does some awesome cakes.  I asked her if she had any tips for making a consistent buttercream.  I felt a little better when she came back and told me that inconsistent buttercream is the norm, it never comes out the same way twice.  So that helped but it took a ton of our teacher Sandy's gel paste in my buttercream icing for it to make somewhat decent ribbon roses.

This class Amy took the show, Momma and I were having a hard time with our icing and the roses weren't coming out just right.  I will say I didn't cheat like some people {Amy} and use Hershey kisses as my roses center, just sayin'!  Amy was all excited about how her cake turned out she got all crazy with vines and leaves on the cake, well good for her.  I'll post some pictures in a little bit!  Their won't be one of Momma's cake cause she wouldn't let me take a picture.  I didn't think it looked that bad but oh well. 

Bye y'all!

Old Dogs Can Learn New Tricks!

Next Wednesday will be last class of the Wilton Cake Decorating Methods Course 1 Decorating Basics and I have learned alot not just about decorating but also about baking a great cake.  I thought I'd share some of those tips with you.

1.  The box or recipe says set the oven to 350 set it to 325 it takes longer to bake but it cooks more evenly.

2.  Coat your cake pans with a pan release mixture.  Wilton makes a product called Cake Release you can find it at Michale's.  You can also find recipes for a mixture that work online.  I Googled "pan release" and came up with the below recipe.  Just coat your pan before you pour in your batter and your cake will come right out no problem!

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup all-pourpose flour

1/2 cup vegitable/canola/corn oil

Use a mixer and blend them all together.  Put it in an air tight container and you can store it in the cabinet or on the counter.  If you go to use it and it looks like it is separating just whisk it up.

3.  Go get some Wilton Bake Even strips.  You can find them at Michale's they run about $9.00 and so worth it!  You soak them in cold water don't ring them out just run them through your fingers to get the excess water out, then wrap them and use the included pin to secure them around the outside of your cake pan.  By keeping the edge of the pan cool the edges do not get over done and the cake cooks evenly!

4.  Use two boxes of cake mix instead of one and over fill your cake pans so the cake will cook over the top of the pan.  Then use a cake leveler and the edge of the cake pan to level the cake evenly before turning it out onto a cooling rack.

Over fill the pans, wrap them with bake even strips, and coat the inside with pan release

Let the cake cook over the top of the pan and use the pan as a straight edge when leveling the cake

Nice and level!

Look how pretty it turned out!

5.  Only leave the cake in the pans for 10-15 minutes after it comes out of the oven that way it won't stick to the pan when you try to get it out.  If it does stick you can stick it back in the oven for a few minutes to losen it up again.

6.  When icing the cake put the cut side down to avoid crumbs in your icing.

7.  Use Wilton tip 789 to get the icing on the cake fast and thick.  Then smooth it out with a spatula.

Hopefully these tips will help your cakes turn out beautiful!

Bye y'all!

 

Still Alive continued from earlier!

The Wilton Cake Decorating class went good tonight.  Besides filling the cupcakes we decorated them with flowers and a swirly thing.  This week my stiff consistency buttercream icing was too thin, surprise, surprise, I swear I make it the same each week but it comes out different each time!   



So the pictures aren't so great this time I had to use my phone because my big camera's (or the one I'm borrowing from Momma) battery is dead!  We did 2 cupcakes for each flower I'll save you the trouble of seeing the bad one and only share the good one!



Shaggy Mum

You make this one using the Wilton tip 233 there are leaves under the "petals" but you can't really see them.

Pompom

This one turned out the best I think.  You use the Wilton tip 12 for the middle you can't see then 16 for the middle you can see, then 18 for the outside petals.  I hope who ever eats this one likes lots of icing!



Swirl Drop Flower

We actually made these first and let them set up on some wax paper before placing them on the cupcake.  I was out of green icing at this point so no leaves, sorry!  You use a Wilton tip 2D to make these.

Swirl 1

Swirl 2

I don't remember what tip we used for these two but it was pretty cool who we got the two colors on the cupcake.  You take 3 pastry bags (disposable is best), fill one bag with one color with no tip, fill the second with the other color with no tip, and the third bag you cut and fit with the tip.  Layer the two bags with the icing in them and cut holes in the end that way they are even.  Slide them into the third bag making sure they go into the tip evenly.  Squeeze the bags until both icings are coming out even, then swirl them on top of the cupcake.  Pretty cool trick!

Rose

I'm still not great at roses but this time we used Hersey kisses in the middle rather than use the icing to make a center, that seemed to work better.  I really need to practice!  More importantly I need the icing to be correct!

Next weeks class is the last one for class 1 the basics.  We have to make a two tiered cake and decorate it with roses.  Keep your fingers crossed!

Just a little teaser!

White Chocolate Pudding filling inside triple chocolate cupcakes!  Can you see the fudge in the bottom right corner?!?  I might be a bit biased but these were darn yummy!

Now on other notes!

Domestic Diva Teresa (http://www.tickledpink-southernstyle.blogspot.com/) made some of the most awesome honey grit face/body scrub!  I used some this morning and my face felt amazing when I got done!  She has the recipe posted on her site, it's so worth it!

I wish I could figure out who to contact at the Hallmark Channel they have moved my Golden Girls from 10pm to 11pm so they can show an hour of Frasier.  Really who likes Frasier anyways!  I could put in one of my Golden Girl DVD's but it's just easier to watch the TV!  I guess I'll get off here so I can watch them now that they are on!

Bye y'all!

I'm still alive...for the most part!

Quick recap of the day's between now and last time I found a minute to sit down and type out my thoughts! 

I made it through Bunko without a hitch, dinner was good, cupcakes were good, but I wasn't happy with them, I am my own worst critic.  They felt to sticky on top and the ones I froze in the tauperware container didn't keep their shape.  They ate just fine apparently!  The pool was a little chilly but still felt great!

I apparently had too much free time on my hands and so I started a second job!  Back in my youth I worked at Sunglass World in the mall, my brother-in-law manages the Sunglass World out at Pier Park and needed some help just for the summer.  So a few nights a week and a weekend day I'm reliving my youth and selling sunglasses!  I worked my first day on Saturday they were so busy and I'm too short for some of those cases, but I'm surprised how much my old brain remembered from my first go round in the sunglass world.  The extra money will be nice for the upcoming cruise Momma and I are taking.  I can't wait for the dolphin encounter!!!! {squeal of excitement}

On Father's Day I made lunch for my Daddy, brother-in-law, and uncle with Momma's help.  We made Nana's pasta salad, I grilled pineapple marinated chicken skewers with pineapple chunks, and we did some corn on the cob.  Everything turned out great even though some of the chicken got a little crispy they were still edible!  I got Daddy Rock Band 3 so he can annoy Momma!  I know she thanks me!  =)

It's almost that time again, Cake Class!  This week we are filling cupcakes and then decorating them.  Like I said earlier I usually do all things from scratch but since this class is about decorating I'm going easy on myself and using a box mix for the cake.  But these days I'm beginning to wonder why I feel the need to do it from scratch cause there are tons of yummy mixes out there.  I chose for this week the Duncan Hines Triple Chocolate mix with real chocolate chips and fudge!  I'm going to fill them with a white chocolate pudding cool whip mixture.  So here is a quick snap shot of the cupcakes so far!

This is the real fudge and chocolate chips for the top of the cupcakes!

I just love my KitchenAid Mixer!  It makes cake mixes and really anything else so easy!  Look at it go!



Whip it, whip it good!  Sorry couldn't resist!

I never know if I have enough or too much in the cups.  I use a melon baller to fill them it's so much easier than using a spoon or pouring the batter.  2 scoops for cupcakes 1 for mini cupcakes.

Batter in the cups!

The fudge and chocolate chip mixture dropped on the top, yummy!

Real fudge and chocolate chips added to the top!

All done!  They smelled so great, looked good too!

Finished product.  They smelled yummy!

If you have ever been in the kitchen with me you know how messy I am.  I forgot I took off my apron when I sat down to eat dinner and wiped my powder sugared hands on my black skirt.  Oh well it washes out!

Whoops no apron!

Apparently buttercream icing is never the same each time it's made or at least when I make it.  It is supposed to be stiff consistency but I have a feeling it's more like medium.  Which means the medium I made is more like medium-thin to thin, but I guess we'll see tonight in class how it all works out.

Vanilla Buttercream

I'll post more pictures tonight after class if they turn out pretty if not I won't, ha!

Bye y'all!

Successful Cake Class...If I Do Say So Myself!

Tonight was our second Wilton Cake Decorating Class and this time Momma didn't totally kick our butts! For class we had to show up with a caked iced with buttercream icing that has been smoothed out and in class we put a cupcake on top!  Here's how I did!

We got to pick out any color to make the buttercream so I chose violet; I filled the top of the first layer with icing in preparation for the next layer.

When I got my top layer on it appears my cake pans flare.  So rather than to nice straight cakes I made two trapezoids!  So the mission for the next cake is new cake pans!

Go figure I didn’t make enough icing!  And of course the second batch of icing is more blue than violet.  (Sorry these two are blurry!)

I used an icer tip to ice the cake, it sure makes it faster but I really need more practice.

After smoothing it out with my spatula this is how my cakes usually stay, which is why I prefer cupcakes!  It’s not pretty but it’s edible!

The trick is to let the buttercream set up for a few minutes, I waited about 10 minutes and then use a hot spatula to smooth out the wrinkles.  Then you let it sit some more and take a paper towel, preferablely one without a pattern in it and rub the cake to really smooth it out.

And my finished product!  Turned out much better than last week!  Mostly due to the fact I got my icing consistency correct or at least closer to correct this week.

In class we used a template and traced it onto the wax paper with gel paste.  Then placed the drawing on cake and rubbed it on to leave the template on the cake!

Then we started filling it in.  I personally think these look like yellow caterpillars or grubs but it's ok.

To make the icing on the cupcake colorful we took a pastry bag and painted strips with icing gel, I think this technique is called bag stripping.  In order to keep the lines intact you squeeze the icing into the stripped bag from another bag.  The design on the top is a rosette or it's supposed to be.

We did rosettes around the bottom and ta-da it's done!  And looks pretty awesome if I say so myself. {grin}

 Momma (top) and Amy (bottom) didn't do too bad either!  I'm proud of all of us!

 The last thing we did in class was the ribbon roses.  My icing was too stiff so they weren't coming out exactly smooth but for my first attempt it looks pretty good!

Tomorrow is the big day!  I host my Bunko group around the pool at Momma and Daddy's!  I hope my super hostess powers are at full strength!  I guess we'll see what happens, I'll let you know tomorrow!

Bye y'all!