Friday, August 28, 2009

why I'm not going into the wedding cake business anytime soon

Our third Wilton Method class came to an end this week. The final cake was made from two double layer cakes. We could use pillars or stack them, and all of us chose to stack them. We'll save the pillars for another time.

We got to choose any design we wanted for our final cakes. I wanted to do a fondant covered cake and use an imprint mat to put a "graceful vines" pattern on the entire thing. The plan was to then pipe red buttercream frosting on top of the pattern, add a dot border around both layers in the same buttercream, and cover the entire top in red fondant roses with bright green leaves.

It didn't exactly turn out that way. The "graceful vines" didn't transfer to the fondant, so I had to just wing it when it came to the vines and flowers. Looks more like squiggles and stars. And I ruined my buttercream by overwhipping and adding too much color, so I had to use tubes of Wilton's pre-colored decorator frosting. And the heat and my exhaustion killed the idea of me making more than 5 flowers (or Mr. MacGregor's cabbages again). After about 18 total hours, this is what I came up with.


A better look at the top...


Now I know why people charge so much for wedding cakes. They are labor intensive in a way you don't understand until you're elbow deep in buttercream that has wilted and your fondant won't roll.

I will let Mark post his own photos of his cake on his blog, but you have to see the great cakes made by the other people in our class. They were so creative.

Marsha's incredible royal icing flowers and cornelli lace:


Amanda's dinosaur:


Claire's brush embroidery:


One more class left - Fondant and Gum Paste.

Stay tuned...

2 comments:

Unknown said...

i think your cake is beautiful. :)
i also saw how much time and effort went into it, and i solemly vow to never ask you to make my wedding cake :-)

Theresa said...

I agree with Amber, your cake looks great! I'm so disappointed you won't do wedding cakes. I was so looking forward to awkwardly obligating you to waste a torturous six days of your life slaving away over a six-layer monstrosity with a retardedly complicated damask pattern all over it for my wedding. And then I'd somehow never pay you for it and never bring it up again in your presence. ;) Hope things are going well!!