Anyone in here decorate cakes?

[MosMom]

Oh and if anyone is looking for domain/hosting...I got mine with godaddy.com and I got 2 months of hosting and my domain for $10. I just got the economy hosting plan since I really don't need anymore than that so it is less than $3 a month for hosting. Can't beat it!

I used to do web design and I remember the days of $70 domain names. $1.99 was a deal!

 

[cryssi]

I only use Margie's Incredible Chocolate Cake recipe (with variations, of course) b/c it's just so incredibly yummy...yum...the chanel cake was red velvet with choc. pudding. White cake with vanilla is a smack yo mamma tasty one...lol Everyone always comments on how moist and yummy it is...lol

I'd like to find a scratch vanilla recipe, though, just for the option...

 

[scarlett873]

I have been a doctored cake mix kind of gal forever...most people swear it's not a box mix! Over the weekend, I did try the chocolate cake recipe from my Confetti Cakes book by Elisa Strauss...talk about fall-down-smack-yo-mamma-good...DH even told me it was the best cake i've ever made! I have always had issues with chocolate cakes. They would collapse...no matter what I did! This recipe worked like a charm...I don't know if it's the recipe or my convection oven or I just had a good day...lol

I plan to try her other recipes too. She's got one in there for a vanilla cake, red velvet, and banana, I think. I did use her Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe too. I made the chocolate cake, filled it with a thin, thin, thin layer of raspberry preserves and a thick layer of the SMBC and then iced the whole thing in the SMBC. I then just played with it and decorated it. Nothing earth-shattering...hence no picture! (it was actually hideous scroll work...lol...I need to work on my scrollwork!)

I'll try the vanilla recipe this weekend and let you know how it goes!

What I need is a good buttercream recipe. I love the Swiss Meringue BC, but it's just soooooooo soft. The recipe I would normally use (1/2 butter 1/2 shortening) doesn't crust at all so it's difficult to smooth. I've tried adding meringue powder to it, but that didn't do anything. I tried a recipe I found on cake central that everyone raved about, but I didn't like it at all...any suggestions?


oooh...and have you used the chocolate marshmallows for marshmallow fondant yet? I bought a couple bags the other day to try it!

 

[scarlett873]

Oh...and we did the go daddy thing for our site too!

DH bought me an airbrush last weekend! My colors should be arriving today...I can't wait to play!!

Seriously girls...we all need to move to a central location so we can bring the cake decorating world to its knees! Any takers? Hello? No?...oh...alright fine...lol

 

[cryssi]

I want an airbrush! That's my next cake purchase, I think!

I use buttercream dream from CC b/c it has a good consistency. It's waaaay too sweet for my tastes, though. If I could get ahold of the buttercream recipe DL FTW used on my wedding cake, I would use that b/c it was firm, buttery, and not sweet. Perfect, IMO...

 

[scarlett873]

I just bought my airbrush at a hobby store. I got a Badger 350. It was about $60...no compressor though. I'm just using canned air for now until I figure out the dang thing...lol

 

[wtpntigger2]

I prefer gumpaste but so many people around here want straight buttercream cakes and don't want to pay extra for gumpaste. Poo.

I've been working on my website. It isn't finished yet and I'm working on it daily but it is up and you can take a peek if you want, I'd love opinions.

http://www.sugarcakesco.com

The gallery page will eventually mouseover to show the larger picture below but I'm still working on getting all my pictures into the graphics and then I will work on the code for the mouseover.

Bridget,

Your site looks great as well as your cakes! I wish I lived closer to you, but alas I live in Northern IL.

 

[Disneynutbsv]

I am having withdrawals from not going on cakecentral.com

 

[MrsKreamer]

Hey ladies! I have been lurking on this thread. First of all I have to just say that ALL of your cakes are just beautiful!


I just signed my stepmother and myself up for the Wilton Course I. The class starts Thursday and the girl who signed us up was out of the syllabus. So call yall tell me what I need for the first class? Thanks!

 

[scarlett873]

Welcome to the cakers thread!!

It's been a few years since I took the Wilton courses, but I recall only bringing the student kit for the first night. The gal who was the instructor at the time mainly did a demonstration for highlighting what we would be learning in the course.

I remember having to have stuff for the first night of the Wilton 2 & 3 courses, but not for the first one.

Can anyone else confirm if this is still true?


I fiddled around over the weekend with some cake. I've been searching for a good buttercream recipe for awhile now and I think i've found it! I think...anyway...lol! It's Toba Garrett's Decorator's Buttercream recipe. It seemed to crust a little, but I was a bit on the impatient side so I didn't let it sit out very long before I grew impatient and put it in the freezer for a few minutes. The icing was sweet, but not sickening sweet. It used real butter and shortening...pretty yummy! A little time consuming to make at first, but it wasn't too bad.

I also wanted to play with my airbrush a bit. I got my little cupcake cake ready to go and iced and everything...broke out the airbrush...scared the crap out of myself trying to hook it up to the canned air (i'm sure you would have laughed!)...and after I practiced a bit, I started to decorate the cake. Uh-huh...not very good...lol...so I just started goofing around and writing silly message on the top of the cake before DH told me to just scrape it off and start over. Well, since my canned air was almost empty, I had to resort to decorating the old fashioned way. Didn't turn out too bad in the end! I've got pictures of it at home...i'll post them tonight for your viewing pleasure! Oh...and they were Elisa Strauss's Vanilla Sugar Cake (YUM) with a black cherry filling and iced in Toba Garrett's Decorator's Buttercream!

 

[scarlett873]

It's not perfect by any means, but here's my latest cupcake cake! Again...these were vanilla cake with a black cherry filling and iced in Toba's buttercream.

I swear that the cake circle is not pink!! It was blue! Lighting was weird in this shot, but it gives a good view of my pitiful scrollwork!

 

[MosMom]

That is cute! I bet it tasted yummmmmmmmy.

 

[Disneynutbsv]

I think you did great! Your Scrollwork looks lovely.

I had my Course 2 class 1 yesterday. I learned how to do the mum and the rosebud. The mum is really cute! I don't like the rosebuds, they really don't look like a flower.....just a pink blob.

 

[scarlett873]

I think you did great! Your Scrollwork looks lovely.

I had my Course 2 class 1 yesterday. I learned how to do the mum and the rosebud. The mum is really cute! I don't like the rosebuds, they really don't look like a flower.....just a pink blob.

You know, when I took the Wilton classes, I couldn't quite get the rosebud to look right. But for some reason, early last year, it finally came to me! Not sure what happened, but I figured it out...lol...go figure...

Thanks for the compliments! I'm trying with the scrollwork. I think it's beautiful when it's done right! I'm not there yet, but I keep trying!

 

[MrsKreamer]

Class starts Thursday night! So excited! Even better, my stepmother signed up too, so some time away from my toddlers, and quality time with mom!

Plus the class was half off....too good to be true!

 

[Disneynutbsv]

These were inspired by "cakery" on cake central dot com.

Have fun MrsKreamer!

 

[scarlett873]

Those snowmen are adorable!!

I wanted to bake this weekend, but ended up hurting my back. Not sure what I did...I was putting some books and stuff into a bag to take back to the library and when I stood back up, the lower left part of my back just hurts. Feels like something got pinched...Sucks...hope it's better soon! I have to go help my mom out next week after her surgery and I won't be of much use if I can't move!

Enjoy your class MrsKreamer!

 

[Disneynutbsv]

Those snowmen are adorable!!

I wanted to bake this weekend, but ended up hurting my back. Not sure what I did...I was putting some books and stuff into a bag to take back to the library and when I stood back up, the lower left part of my back just hurts. Feels like something got pinched...Sucks...hope it's better soon! I have to go help my mom out next week after her surgery and I won't be of much use if I can't move!

Enjoy your class MrsKreamer!

Oh, now, take it easy and rest...(those thermacare wraps are awesome!)

And thank you

 

[MrsKreamer]

Wow those cupcakes look so yummy(both sets!). First class was fun. I was a bit surprised at all the stuff I was talked into buying...no wonder the class is cheap, they make their money selling you everything else ...lol.

We have to make the character cake for class two on Thursday. I bought the race car because I figure with two little boys who love hot wheels it would always come in handy for parties.

I will post pics of my first attempts after class on Thursday!

 

[Disneynutbsv]

Wow those cupcakes look so yummy(both sets!). First class was fun. I was a bit surprised at all the stuff I was talked into buying...no wonder the class is cheap, they make their money selling you everything else ...lol.

We have to make the character cake for class two on Thursday. I bought the race car because I figure with two little boys who love hot wheels it would always come in handy for parties.

I will post pics of my first attempts after class on Thursday!

You are lucky, we were told we had to make that rainbow cake. Yes, you do end up buying a lot of stuff, but you'll use it over and over again!

I bought the giant cupcake pan yesterday (had the 40% off coupon that one off the ladies in the class gave me...I don't get them in my area) so it was $27.99 and I got it for $16.79! I'm going to give it a try for my sons 17th birthday