Wedding Cake - Finished!

Phew! It's done. They loved it!... couldn't get over how much like the groom the little model was! LOL!

As always, you can see it on my other blog: http://www.patacake-parties.blogspot.com/ or on my 'proper' website: http://www.patacake-parties.com/Wedding.htm

Oh, you might notice that there aren't any ribbons or bows on the cake. Well.... I should have put the ribbon on before I stacked the cakes. I just couldn't get it to stick. And despite the pulling ribbons making gorgeous bows, they just didn't look right stuck on the cake without the ribbon. So I left them off.

But the bride and groom didn't say anything when I delivered it and set it up and they seemed really, really happy with it!

Suzanne x

Nearly!

The groom now has his wing collar and his cravat.

Good news: I went to the cake supplies shop this morning and bought some 'pulling bows'. They're great! It's ribbon which has a string that runs through the middle. You pull the string and it pulls the ribbon into a bow! Fantastic!!!

Bad news: I don't think they look right on the cake.

Righteo.... all I need to do is give the bride some hair, decide for once and for all what I'm going to do about the bows and then it's all done.

So Near and Yet So Far

12.25am

It's almost done.

The groom needs a shirt collar and a cravat. The bride needs hair!

I'm not 100% certain what I'm going to do about the bows yet. But I'm too tired to concentrate properly right now.

I'll decide tomorrow.

Bows

6.10pm - bottom tier is decorated. Apart from the bow. I can't do the damn bow.

And the middle tier is supposed to have one, too.

What am I going to do??????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Stacked

1.10pm - cakes dowelled and stacked.

Carry on Cake Making

The vanilla madeira cake is now filled and covered.

This cake presents another first for me, because this one needs to look like a box with a lid. I haven't done that before.

There's a tool I nearly bought - several times - but didn't. But I wish I had. It would have made things a lot easier when doing the 'lid'. But it was over £12.00 and I didn't think I could justify the expense. But it looks OK, I think.

I've found a pic of it on the web. It's the 4th one down... http://www.kitbox4sugarcraft.co.uk/shop/exec/shop.php?pid=2

Now I need to assemble the cake before I can put the decoration/finishing touches to it.

I need to find my junior hacksaw so I can dowel the cakes!

And the audience said.....

I went for c.

She's so lovely.

She said that she did want vanilla madeira, but if I'd made chocolate, she'd have chocolate as she didn't want to put me to any trouble.

What could I say?

"No, don't be silly. It's no trouble. There's time. If you want vanilla sponge, I'll make one for you". That's what I said.

So, I'm off to Tesco before I get the boys from after school club.

*sigh*

Oh no. Oh no. Oh no.

Oh Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.

I have baked all the cakes. I have filled and marzipanned all the cakes. All lovely rich, moist chocolate cakes.

Just checked the order form and the middle tier is supposed to be vanilla madeira.

Shit.

I know how this error occured. I've been reading through e-mails from the customer and in one of them she told me how she went to a wedding and the wedding cake was horrible and there was loads of maripzan on it.... so I e-mailed her back and said did she want to change to all vanilla madeira? And she said no, she only likes chocolate. So I've had only chocolate on my mind.

I've been going through the options.

a) say nothing and give her all chocolate and hope she doesn't say anything afterwards. Not very nice or very professional.
b) bake another cake tonight. Possible. Will entail a trip to Tesco, but do-able.
c) phone customer, tell her what's happened and ask her if she wants all chocolate or if she did indeed want the middle tier to be vanilla madeira. Could do. But do I want to worry/stress the customer a couple of days before her wedding??????

What would you do?

Modelling

I've spent the whole evening doing the groom for the cake. I did the bride yesterday (although, she's still bald - I think I'll do her hair once she's in place!)

OK, so I did punctuate the evening checking e-mails and looking in on Babyworld now and again. But it has taken ages, just to do the head and body.

I'm really tired. And peckish. I'm going to tidy up the kitchen (OMG - it looks like a bomb's gone off!!), have a slice of toast and then go to bed.

Steve is taking the boys to school tomorrow and I've booked the boys into the after school club, so I've the entire day - until about quarter to six when I have to leave to pick the boys up - to work.

Tomorrow I intend to get the cakes marzipanned and covered in sugarpaste. I'll also try and get it stacked tomorrow. Friday will be when I put the decoration on the cake. I'm delivering the cake for 6pm on Saturday, so I also have over half a day to finish off any last minute bits that crop up.

Suzanne x

Cornelli Lace

Seeing as the entire middle tier of the cake is covered in what's called Cornelli Lace, I thought I really ought to have a go - seeing as I've never done it before! This is just a cake dummy that's been covered with sugarpaste. Then I piped the 'lace'.

I e-mailed this pic to my friend and mentor for her comments. She said it's fine and I have the right idea, but - as I had pointed out - it might look better if I can make it smaller.

At least I'm on the right track!

Wedding Cake 'Hayley'

This is the cake I'm making for this weekend (picture provided by the bride). The colours are slightly different, but the basic design is the same.

I've started the box. It's not easy. I posted a message on a cake-making website I go on to see if anyone has any ideas. They suggested doing it the way I'd already started to do it (ie cut out 6 square panels, let them dry, then royal ice them together). However, someone else suggested doing a very small square cake and only doing the models of the bridge and groom to the waist. As I've said, I've started the box, but I may well end up making a 4" square cake and cutting it down a bit.

When I quoted for this cake, a year ago, I hadn't long started cake orders. I really underquoted for this one! :o( Still, we live and learn.

Bratz Cake - Finished

So, I finished the cake last night.

Customer came to collect it this morning, and she absolutely loved it!!

In fact, she's already e-mailed me to thank me again and tell me how much her daughter loves it. AND she's asked if I'm available to make a 1st birthday cake for her twin boys, in September.

Pic of the cake is on my blog: http://www.patacake-parties.blogspot.com/ and if you click on the word 'comments', under the photo, I'll copy the e-mail she sent me.

Suzanne x

Bratz Cake

I'm doing a cake.... customer asked for this:

http://www.patacake-parties.com/Bratz%205%20cake.jpg

I think that the cake on my website is bigger than an 8" square, which I'm doing for this customer. So the 3 dolls look a bit more 'cozy' on this cake.

I don't know why, but I don't like this cake. I mean, there's nothing wrong with it - I've done what the customer has asked for. But it's not one of my favourites.

And I've got edible bloody glitter everywhere! I've decided I don't like working with glitter. Not today, anyway! :op

She loved it!

Katie's just been to collect the cake.

She absolutely loved it - and she said Isabella will adore it (especially the bow and the way it's so shimmery).

She also said that Max's Spiderman cake was so delicious that they ate the whole thing within a few days and didn't give any out to family or friends, LOL!!!!!!


:o)

It's Taking Shape

As Rolph Harris would say..... "Can you tell what it is yet?"

Panic Over

AND BREATHE.........

There's obviously lots and lots more to do to the cake, but the bow's done. And it's not a bad first attempt, if I say so myself!

I've booked the boys into the After School Club today so that I can carry on working for a while longer.

Another Memorial Cookie Update

MIL's friend phoned me today.

She and the committee love the cookies. They want to put them in the going home goodie-bags. She also said that I shouldn't feel put out that they're going in the bags... by all accounts, they're going to be very up-market! Cool!

She's rather particular, though. She asked if I can make the ribbon an even deeper red. And can I make sure the ribbons all cross over the same way - and she's going to send me a leaflet which shows an AIDS awareness ribbon, so I can make sure it's done the right way!

More about the Bow!

I'm still procrastinating about this blessed bow. I suppose it's about half done.

The cake is marzipanned, covered with sugarpaste and is on the cake board, waiting to be finished off with the bow and other bits and bobs.

If the cake is only half-finished, why am I on the computer writing about it???? BECAUSE I'M PROCRASTINATING (looks like I've found my 'word of the day'. Procrastinating. Good word. Me, down to a tee!)

The Problem of The Bow

I've got another cake this weekend. It looks simple enough. But I just know that I'm going to have problems doing the bow.

I've found instructions:

http://www.cakecentral.com/article17-How-to-Make-a-Fondant-Loop-Bow.html

I've made the first 7 loops. But assembling it is going to be problematic. I just know it is. For a start, I'm drying the loops over my mini rolling pin and I can only get 7 on at a time. And the instructions say to leave them to dry for 24 hours. However, I think that might be for sugarpaste and I'm using pastillage. So they should be dry enough to keep their shape in a little while.

Why do I do this to myself? I've been putting off doing this all day, because I've been so worried about it. I'll try and put it together tomorrow. But I don't know what I'm going to do if it all goes horribly wrong.