Customized

So, as of late.. I have been trying to push the envelope, in terms of my baking adventures. Well, I have always wanted to be able to make em' fondant figurines etc. But I have been lacking in cake covering in fondant skills.

They always tend to appear.. 'bubbly'.

I kid you not. See here is a cake I did for a colleague at work. Bubbly. Grrrr.... But I'm definitely having fun with fondant toppers! So covering cakes aside, I think I'm quite content with my development re: fondant toppers. 

The ones below are customised toppers for my husband's relative. I'm loving the mini fondant cupcakes, don't you? Oh yeah.. My handwriting still needs a whole lot of improvement, LOL! 

I think I needed to let these dry more before putting on the cupcakes. They kinda wilted a bit upon touching the cold frosting! 

Haaaa, these (below) were made for a friend's son's birthday party! Loved the opportunity to make these toppers. She only had to tell me the theme, and I... went crazy! Haha.. You gotta have matching toppers with the cake, no? 

Note the dim looking picture. When did you think these were made? In the middle of the night of course! Haha! 

Also made macarons for the event!  

Finally... a smooth covered cake! Weehooo! I was so excited with the finishing. The mini make-ups on it were definitely a plus point too! Have always wanted to make this design, so who better to make it for, than ze bestfriend who can never have enough make-up. She has a good stash at her work desk. I can definitely rely on her for make-up supplies should I need to get ready at the office for a wedding! 

I think I've learnt a thing or two from my past mistakes. But I definitely still need more practice!

xx

Ride off into the sunset

Figuratively speaking, of course.

So about 2 weeks ago, Yas' cousin contacted me to place an order for a red velvet cake and 40 chocolate macarons.

Ah but wait. It's not JUST a red velvet cake. It's fondant red velvet cake... with a scooter on top! Oh yeahhhhh... apparently the birthday girl had just got herself one and her colleagues decided to get her a helmet for her birthday. 

When we were discussing the theme of the cake, I wasn't quite sure whether or not I would be capable of making a helmet cake. So we agreed that we (I!) would probably just get a toy scooter and plonk it on the cake. 

Now that simply won't do.

After that discussion, I immediately looked up fondant/gumpaste scooter/vespa online. Ahhhh.. Seems doable enough. Discussed the engineering and design bit with my ever supportive QC/Manager/Deliveryman husband (Haha!) and the production began! 

Look at em' tabs open in my browser! Always trying to beef up knowledge on baking basics, always! 

Step 1. Get the parts ready. I read somewhere that it's easier to let the parts dry separately before putting them together.

Step 2. Try to assemble (TRY, being the operative word). Yeah, the day after Aaron came up to me with the headlights (only) *facepalm* He 'claims' it fell off the bike. OK, I believed him.

Oh the sponges aren't just there for decorative purposes.. they're actually HOLDING up the bike so it won't fall over whilst it dries.

Step 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10... Try to muster up engineering skills (which I don't have, AT ALL!) to put it back together again. Not to mention skills of constantly reminding my son to NOT TOUCH THE BIKE, on repeat! Up to a point that he doesn't even dare to look at it or else this parrot of a mother would start membebel again! 

Oh, did I tell you that I came back from the office the day after that to find it scattered into pieces and NOT where I left it? Yeah, the maid 'picked-up' up the bike. &$%#@#!!)*%#*&$#!!!!???!!!!!! Why?? Why?? Why?? Fuhh Fuhh Fuhh! ... So yeah, managed to piece it back together again, reinforced the structure. At first I tried to mimic the 'curved' design of the real scooter and guess what, it won't stay that way! You can see it collapsing slowlyyyyyy, like a slow motion video. I swear, this has more engineering in it than design! Regretting not taking physics in high school?

NOT!

So yeah, there it is, parked on top of what supposedly is a motorcycle tyre. Bear with me yah? Used mom-bought cookie cutters for the letters and wah lahhhhhh! 

Ok, so it doesn't look THAT realistic.. but I'm so proud of it nonetheless. He calls it my masterpiece (awh, shucks!). We spent years in the UK (and Malaysia) watching cake/cupcake making competitions, because this one just loves putting on the food channel, just because. Doing it for real now seems, surreal!

So focused on the motorcycle that I ALMOST forgot about the macarons!

Here's to more (better looking!) novelty cakes to come! 

xx

PInata Cake!

No, not a cake that needs bashing! 

It's supposed to be a pinata cake so when you cut it open.. the goodies inside should flow out, as below (pictured cake is not mine! source=google)

So that is how it SHOULD look like. Yeah you guessed it. Mine did not FLOWWWW like how I imagined, and unfortunately, how I explained it to husband. After the cake was cut he turned to me and said... 

"where's the (insert hand gestures describing explosion)?" Yeah.. that was how I described a pinata cake should be. Grrrrr.. But before that, let's go through my experience making it (with joy and full of hope!!)

As usual, watched a bunch of tutorial beforehand, before actually attempting to make this. Even envisioned the cake to be covered in HOME-MADE marshmallow fondant. Yes, very ambitious this woman. So the cake took no time to bake. Even managed to squeeze-in dinner after whilst waiting for it to cool. Well, after the kids went to bed is when mummy started to partay!!

Out comes my spatula. 

Efficiency is key. Remember how we had dinner before? Yeah, at the same time I took out the butter and cream cheese to let them come to room temp. This is so when I actually wanted to start completing my cake, everything is ready! Made strawberry cream cheese this time, and it tastes... OH SO LOVELY!! (if I do say so myself ;).. ). So cake cooled, and I started to make it into a sort of pinata like, using M&Ms assortment bought earlier.

Don't you just LOVE the look of M&Ms in the cake?? 

I think I'm getting a hang of slabbing frosting on cake, and covering it like how I see it done on TV/Youtube. Good times. Done frosting, to the fridge it goes! (12.00am)

Proceeded to make my marshmallow fondant...

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1.05am - Chucked the whole lot into the bin...

(-____-)

Could not get it to work. So sticky. So gooey. Sooooo.. Tiring! I kneaded and kneaded and it looked fine! It wasn't until I started rolling it that everything went downhill. Thankfully I have other fondant on-hand. Decided to just make the best out of it... and went to bed...

at 3.00am..

Kesimpulan, NEVER making my own marshmallow fondant again! Yes, I love the idea because apparently it tastes so much better than normal fondant. But..... I think I need to try again.. and NOT the night before. 

Well, I loved how it turned out (outside). Will need more M&Ms for next time though. But definitely one I'll add to my list. 

The guests loved it so that's important ;) 

xx

Plunger cutters

 Remember I told you about the 'stash' mom bought from Aussie? 

Yes, IN LOVE! In the stash, I received a bunch of cool shaped plunger cutters. It's kinda like playdoh 'shapers' if you will. Just roll your fondant/gumpaste mix, and press the plunger cutter on the same.. lay it out flat on your board, wahla! Leave to dry in desired mould-like thingy. As you can see here, make-shift egg cartons, folded baking paper and water color palette to the rescue! 

They make great cupcake decorations don't you think? 

Haha.. but to make these so early in advanced is key.. you need them dry enough so they won't 'wilt' when you place them on your product. 

Got time? 

Haha, I now have a permanent section beside my nightlight complete with a small desk and 2 storage boxes filled with tools for my midnight work. Somehow working in the bedroom at 3am feels much much less scary than downstairs......

Yes, I'm a scaredy cat... 

xx