2013 Cake Gallery

As I started this blog in December of 2013, I thought it would be appropriate to make a posting of my past cakes that were made in 2013. In 2013 I was not very diligent on taking pictures of my creations, so a lot of them were missed. Enjoy!

The cakes:

1st Birthday Smash-Cake

Anniversary Cake 2013

Baby Shower Cake

Baseball Season Begins

Baseball Season Cake - Front Side

Happy Birthday Cake - Pink for a Girly-Girl

Carmel Apple Cake

Farewell to Nikki; Chocolates: Congrats, Good Luck, Aloha, Goodbye, As-Ta La Vista Baby

Happy Birthday - Fairy Cake

Minion - from the movie "Despicable Me"

Munch - A - Minion

3-Tier Birthday - Pirate Cake with fondant accents & pirate rings on the sides

Baby Shower Cake 2013

Multiple Celebrations - United way & 92 years in business

And then the cupcakes:

Cupcake Flowers (2nd Prize) Sorry, this picture is of how I transported them & a picture was not taken at the display table.

Cupcake Poodle - Foxy Lady

Cincinnati Reds Cake

A tried & true Reds fan. "Paint the town Red." 
This was a cake I made for a 80th Birthday celebration on Saturday February 22.

This is the start; homemade fondant was dyed red and used to shape into round circles. Buttons were created using a large decorator tip to cut the circles, a round cutter to make an indent and a fondant tool with a sharp tip to create the holes for the buttons.

shes should honor your loved one’s eight decades on this planet — no easy feat
Read more at http://www.birthdaymessages.net/80th-birthday-wishes.html#BuvGsQ5bAHZosyAs.99

 This is for their loved one's eight decade on this planet, no easy feat.

Best wishes go out to this octogenarian

In the box and ready for delivery.  I placed a baseball at the top of the cake on the cake board.

Here is a poem that I found that seems appropriate.  

 On your 80th birthday
Consider this fact absolute
Time is Infinite
So remain resolute

If your body seems to be deteriorating
And showing signs immortality's gone
Adopt the wartime spirit

Keep Calm and Carry On

Jon Bratton © 2012

Great American Ball Park

Located on the winding banks of the Ohio River in downtown Cincinnati, Great American Ball Park serves as the home of the Cincinnati Reds, baseball's first professional franchise. The ballpark officially opened for the 2003 season, making 2013 its 11th big-league season.

Here are a few pictures from the birthday party and a comment from his daughter.

Thanks again for the wonderful job you did on my dad's Cincinnati Reds cake!
He loved it, as did the entire family. 

80th birthday wishes should honor your loved one’s eight decades on this planet — no easy feat.
Read more at http://www.birthdaymessages.net/80th-birthday-wishes.html#BuvGsQ5bAHZosyAs.99

80th birthday wishes should honor your loved one’s eight decades on this planet — no easy feat.
Read more at http://www.birthdaymessages.net/80th-birthday-wishes.html#BuvGsQ5bAHZosyAs.99

Valentine's Day

History:
Each year on February 14^th; many people exchange cards, candy, gifts or flowers with their special “valentine.” The day of romance (February 14^th ) we call Valentine’s Day is named for a Christian martyr and dates back to the 5^th century, but has origins in the Roman holiday Lupercalia.

Ancient Rome; Lupercalia, a fertility festival, is celebrated in mid February.
200-300 A.D.; at least two  christian clerics known as Valentine are martyred.
Late 400 A.D.; Pope Galesius declares a day for honoring Saint Valentine.
1300's A.D; Saint Valentine's Day becomes associated with love and romance.
1600's A.D.; Europe embraces the tradition of exchanging valentines.
1840's A.D.; The first mass-produced valentines are sold in the US.
Today millions of dollars are spent on Valentine's Day with an average of 62% of adults celebrating.
Over 180 million Valentine's Day cards are exchanged annually.


 A heart shaped cake with hand dipped chocolate covered strawberries. Yuummm!
Heart shape chocolate lollypops. Soooo cute! 

Cupcakes with handmade chocolates using a candy mold. Chocolates are cherry cordial and milk chocolate.

A Valentine's Day Celebration; Gifts, Flowers, Hearts, Chocolate, Candy, Cupcakes and Cake.
I ask, what more can you ask for (Well, maybe jewelry)?

Thanks go out (From a lot of people I'm sure) to whom ever started this holiday.
Happy Valentine's Day,
Celebrate & Enjoy!  

Baby Shower 2-1-14

Baby Shower to welcome Camia: 

"A baby is"

A baby is cuddles and tickles on toes,
The sweet scent of powder, a kiss on the nose.
A baby is teddy bears, rattles, powder, and pins,
Meals at midnight, giggles, and grins.

 Starting the fondant pieces (Onsie, baby feet, flowers, etc), a few days to a week prior to the special occasion. These were made using homemade fondant and gum paste mixed with lemon & strawberry flavorings to enhance the taste of the fondant. A mold was used for the baby feet, a flower cutter was used for the flowers and hand formed other pieces were designed.

The Onsie will be the main attraction on the cake.

I try all different ideas to see what works for the cake I am producing. Some fondant items were kept and some items were discarded, **sigh**. I do not like to discard any items but that is always a learning curve that I am willing to make. It all takes time.

Once I have a good idea of what I want something to look like I start to color the fondant. I shape each new piece, fit them together with edible glue and review at the finished product. Walla!! New handmade fondant items were created (Bib, booties & baby bottles). 

The baby bottles are my personal favorite, Soooo Cute! I will definitely make them again. I think I will revamp the booties and bibs for another order by adding something to them.

There were 24 cupcakes and a cake ordered. Here is the finished product. So, So Adorable. I purchased a few sugar items to also decorate, for contrast (Sugar: diaper pin, bow and baby bottle).

12 Vanilla Cupcakes

12 Chocolate Cupcakes

The bottom layer of the cake is vanilla and the top layer is rich chocolate. A layer of Ganache is put between with chocolate buttercream filling, then it is iced with buttercream frosting. Decorated with handmade fondant pieces and sugar decorations.

The finished cake, adorable!

"A LITTLE BIT OF SUNSHINE"

She's a little bit of sunshine,
She's a smile to light your days,
She will steal your heart and
keep it with her warm endearing ways,
She's your precious little daughter,
With a sweetness from above
Who will fill your years with laughter
and your lives with lots of love
Author: unknown

This is the picture that was sent to me from the Baby Shower to welcome Camia. A precious little girl to love. Congratulations!