Decorator's Wish List: More Sophisticated, More Annoying

Time for part 2 of the gift list.

Revved up, more juice, and more annoying to procure the items if you have no idea what it is.

In fact it's probably how my family feels anytime I ask for anything to do with the decorator's craft.

Usually have to send a link for that specific item (or items, so they can find the thing that has the least shipping cost.)

So, with the stores playing Christmas music and homes getting glittered up everywhere I give you the most annoyingly specific wish list ever.

Not my place.
I don't have spare room for a tree.

Item 1: The Cookie Swivel

I want the buttons too.

What the heck is it and why do I want it? Well it's exactly what it sounds like. You put a cookie/cupcake/whatever-smaller-than-cake-item on it and then you can decorate all you want without having to continuously touch it. Means cleaner hands and cleaner treat. No melted chocolate, glaze or icing on your hands. Find them here.

I want at least 2. One for me and one for my future assistant (hopefully not too distant future.)

Item 2: Instant Flower Nozzle Set

I have a different set coming.
Hopefully in time for spring.

How does this work and why wouldn't I want it? It's magic. Just pop into a piping bag, add a few cups of stiff icing and go. They are pricing for piping tips, but (I hope) totally worth it. I mean, look at the pretty! You can get the set shown above here.

Item 3: Chocolate Gem Molds

If you don't get how this works then... I dunno. Put a little chocolate in, put in some center goodies, fill with more chocolate. Tempered chocolate works best of course but, ya know, that's technical.

Why do I want it? Well they are nice, and people love chocolates. I want to give them chocolates. Win-Win. The silicone ones (on the left) work nicer than the plastic (right.) Plastic tends to crack, sometimes on the first use, sometimes on the hundredth, but they do wear down at some point.

There are lots of places to get these, lots of shapes, sizes. For the pictured silicone you can get them here, and the plastic here.

Item 4: Ateco 612 Revolving Cake Stand

So smooth and lovely to pipe with

This isn't your cheap Wilton turntable from Michaels. This baby is heavy duty (yet lightweight,) has those lovely marks to center you cake on it, and turns so easily when piping. So easily. Like a dream. Plus it comes with a non-skid mat so your cake isn't going to slide around while you're trying to pipe the Sistine Chapel on it.

It's a serious must have for any caker.

Item 5: Tutorial subscriptions or online classes

This should maybe #1. It's the easiest to get and could quite possibly be the most appreciated. Online classes used to be youtube tutorials and Craftsy but now many online sugar-art schools have launched in the last six months that use subscription services to access amazing tutorials. Like how to make this:

Lumberjack Cake from Lizzo Marek of Artisan Cake Company
Tutorial at sugargeekshow.com
Hint hint: I need a subscription

And no, that is not made with the Wilton checker cake kit... Lizzo don't cake that way.

So here is a short list of class sites or tutorial subscription sites you can give your beloved sugar artist:

Sugar Geek Show by Elizabeth (Lizzo) Marek (officially launching January 1, 2016.) Subscription.

Avalon Cakes School of Sugar Art by Avalon Yarnes. Subscription.

Craftsy by... Craftsy. Individual classes (click the link to get right to the gift a class page.)

Warning: Gifting such subscriptions or classes may cause the giftee to emit a high pitched squee type noise. Please wear ear protection.

And that's the list. There are a lot more I could put on here, but it's already unlikely you'd get any of this before the big day.

Note: I've also finished my New Year's Resolution for 2015. 12 Cakes in 12 months with different techniques. Post on the last cake will be up as soon as I can get some better pictures. Please be patient and thank you for checking back.

All Hallows' Eve: Little Red verses the Wolf

I love Halloween.

For those of you who hate Halloween, who can't stand it, who think it's stupid. Move on, this post is not for you.

But if you're wishing it was still Halloween, and you can't believe it's over already I raise my glass to you and thank you for sharing the love.

When you're little Halloween is all about running around to houses, getting candy and picking through your pillowcase to see what candy you'll give to your parents. As you get older you either prank your neighbours, pick the ritziest places to trick-or-treat at for the biggest score, party, or stay in and watch all the Halloween episodes of Buffy.

My Halloween is usually a month of planning or more. I'm not one of those who can do a half-assed costume or simply purchase an outfit from a store. If you can pull that off then good for you. But I'm 5'11 3/4" and 155 lbs, so those costumes don't work for me. Either too short or I swim in them, which is only good for certain costumes.

A few years ago I spent a month figuring out Ring Master of the Dead Circus. Finding pieces to put together, crafting parts. Finding a whip that looked real enough but didn't cost all the money was the hardest part. It all turned out though.

Ring Master and Ring Girl (not actually...)
Photo courtesy of @smoonie

All this work is for the amazing party held at our friends' business. Last year there wasn't a party (not that I can blame them, it's got to be a lot of work to put these shindig's together, plus clean up before opening the next day) so the costume plan got bumped to this year.

Little Red Riding Hood.

But I had to put a spin on it, so it became Self-Sufficient Little Red Riding Hood.

Not actual wolf skin, only humanely harvested hare
(poor thing drowned in a storm.)

And yes I had treats in my basket. Not wine and a piece of cake as per the story, but candy. There was also a knife and cake server in there for the party.

Some candlelight with your cake?

The cake didn't turn out as well as I hoped. I used LMF and didn't get the same quality that the cake community raves about. It was crumbly and had little dry cracks all over but I was determined to make it work. It is noticeable on the top tier and probably only to those who know what to look for, but still.

Two tone frills.
Not like Michael Jackson.

And those ruffles. My first time doing frills/ruffles and what happened? When I went to flip it over the cake pan slid and snapped the back portion. It was horrifying.  I know there is a back to the cake but I was hoping it wouldn't be that bad. Things to look out for for next time I guess.

Wolf vs Red.
My monies on Red.

I am happy with how the frame and picture turned out. Face off between Red and the Wolf, eyes watching. It was a lot of fun and quite fast and easy to do. Made me want to pick up my paintbrushes again.

Prized wolf skull.
Candy clay, of course.

This skull was fun as well. I like the stuff I can make ahead of time and put it to the side for later. Of course then I have dreams of forgetting to grab it and put it on the cake... I actually had the full skull made, but I didn't like the look of it all together so I made a design decision and only used the top.

If you follow my Instagram account (@KitchChick) or FaceBook page you would have seen this:

Got my tools out

As I was making the armature I asked people to guess what it was. Of course I only got one guess (and a creative one at that.) People just don't understand that I can't give away prizes without some participation! No I'm not kidding, this isn't no-zero school where everyone gets a ribbon and a passing grade; this is real life.

So that was my Halloween. Cake, party, music, candy, friends, and Denny's for 1:00 AM food.

How was yours? Share your costume in the comments if that's what you're into.

Happy Halloween

Gold Drama Cake: Sequins & So Much More

When you were turning 15 didn't you want a fancy grown up party with a fancy cake?

With all the sugar you could handle?

I'm not even sure I had a 15th birthday party. Last one I can remember is when I was turning 11. Doesn't mean I didn't want it though.

I was quite happy doing this cake. It's what every girl should get for her birthday. Brownie cake with cookie dough and German buttercream.

If you've never had German buttercream I feel for you. It's amazing. Custard base, so it tastes like ice cream. I could just eat it with a spoon.

Although German buttercream and fondant don't really get along I learned. It's like trying to put fondant on a cake covered in whip cream. Not so much with the cooperation and more with the hole having due to weight...

But that's ok. It's a lesson learned and it got covered with quins anyways. And gold luster. Lots of gold luster.

Another lesson: Gold luster does not cover absolutely. Some colour will show through, but don't worry, it looks good, and gives it some more character to the metallic sheen.

Also, don't spend hours trying to do full coverage, it's not worth it. And it makes your not-sticking-on-so-well-fondant wet and less happy.

This is the last cake that will have homemade fondant. Homemade fondant just isn't working. I really wanted it to work, made many many batches and cannot figure out how to make a nice fondant that covers cakes in that nice pretty flawless way.

Gumpaste and I have made friends, however.

Tulips and roses aren't a classic combination, I know, but I like the drama of it all.

I decided not to do any foliage, although a rose leaf or two would not pull away from the flowers, this cake was full enough.

Parrot tulips are very dramatic. They come in all sorts of colours, but this sunburst kinda colour stole my heart. And I had real life inspiration.

Can you tell the difference between the gumpaste and real flowers?

The main give away for me was the stamens.

...I have to work on that.

Additional lesson learned: colour the petals before attaching them to the stamens. Everything became orangey-red. 

I think I've leveled up though. Can I determine that? (Insert Zelda music here.)

So this was cake 5 of 12. It's the end of March and I have 7 cakes to do in 9 months.

Seems like lots of time, right? But I've written off summer. My place gets insanely warm and I usually feel like dying, not baking, during that time.

I do have 2 cakes to be done toward the end of the year. At least I think I do. Things haven't been finalized yet. 

And I'm hoping I can do a big cake for an event in early May. Really really hoping. Cause it would be amazing. And Big. Really BIG.

But don't worry. I'll be doing things in the in between time. And I'll post things here, even if they aren't all cake related.

That is... If you care. If you're reading this... Whomever you are.

Are you just looking for some pretty pictures? 

I can't blame you for that.

In parting, my own personal grumpy cat says, "Leave."

"I was grumpy before Tartar Sauce."
~Boroboro