tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51701785333979265762024-03-05T07:32:25.285-05:00ZacO CakesZachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13040872652238359468noreply@blogger.comBlogger82125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170178533397926576.post-61145913203094115662016-01-19T19:16:00.004-05:002016-01-19T19:16:54.466-05:00Next Step: Tails 2 Trails - San Diego Dog Walker<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJv4C3RzD31p5Sgr58L8Hfhbx5Kw8Ne3PiqlblxpYttejqLGS9lF0_UE25ujONB5pbua5ZCiKK5hz17w4ctPAz4EYhNfaXXkuGkdN0i2zXd7A2PeV0HFpRSOTmUveSn00n1-_BGSHYVTfY/s1600/12463619_10102346919256927_63493143_n.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJv4C3RzD31p5Sgr58L8Hfhbx5Kw8Ne3PiqlblxpYttejqLGS9lF0_UE25ujONB5pbua5ZCiKK5hz17w4ctPAz4EYhNfaXXkuGkdN0i2zXd7A2PeV0HFpRSOTmUveSn00n1-_BGSHYVTfY/s320/12463619_10102346919256927_63493143_n.jpg" width="318" /></a><br />
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This blog brings back memories. I really loved making cakes in Maine! Unfortunately my passion fizzled out when I moved to San Diego. I realized the only way to keep on enjoying my cakes is to keep it as a hobby business. So...one day...<br />
For now I'm keeping it simple. Last month I opened up my own pet care business in San Diego, <a href="http://www.tails-2-trails.com/" target="_blank">Tails 2 Trails</a>. The focus will be on dog walks but also the occasional cat sit. So far I've met some really awesome pets! Check out the links below...and one day...I will be caking again.<br />
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<a href="http://www.san-diego-dog-walker.com/" target="_blank">Tails 2 Trails Website</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/tails-2-trails-san-diego" target="_blank">Yelp</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.instagram.com/tails2trails" target="_blank">Instagram</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/tails2trailssd" target="_blank">Facebook</a> </div>
Zachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13040872652238359468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170178533397926576.post-52826936199305344942013-05-16T18:37:00.002-04:002013-05-16T18:37:20.219-04:00Broadway Themed Celebration Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguletKoo-NYbqH7a99g9D2lIoLAITZahOzVlOp5oJMOzU8ATNinpHPoek8QYGwGWDNsLF9CxNKG-6rOpEeY479ny0EgJbkYuRJldwrLmx1552DsK0vj2R7v5Ws0-hZsMIwbO43fYKbh648/s1600/broadwaycake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguletKoo-NYbqH7a99g9D2lIoLAITZahOzVlOp5oJMOzU8ATNinpHPoek8QYGwGWDNsLF9CxNKG-6rOpEeY479ny0EgJbkYuRJldwrLmx1552DsK0vj2R7v5Ws0-hZsMIwbO43fYKbh648/s400/broadwaycake.jpg" width="342" /></a></div>
As I've been going through my past blogs I noticed I never posted about this one! Probably because I was so busy at the time as this was a Christmas present for my sister. I have a hard time at Christmas. It's really kind of a pain shopping for people just for the sake of shopping, hoping you will stumble across something that's personal and won't break the bank. My sister Avery helped me with my designs and tastings when we lived together in Montreal, and it had been ages since we had been together to celbrate a birthday of hers. I figured why not give her a gift that's totally personal and from the heart.<br />
She's a huge Broadway fanatic so the choice was pretty easy. She's literally seen Wicked at least five times, possibly up to ten for Rock of Ages. All the decor on the cake is edible, minus the posts used for the signage. My favorite part is the city scape on the bottom tier. I love the way it turned out...unfortuantely it's kinda easy to look past it since it's covered by a lot of decor. <br />
Avery didn't really appreciate it as much as I had hoped but a year and a half later and I don't regret my decision :)<br />
I look forward to making another Broadway themed cake in the future. There's just so much potential!!<br />
<a href="http://www.cakelabsd.com/" target="_blank">Cake Lab San Diego</a>Zachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13040872652238359468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170178533397926576.post-68467088552985385342013-05-15T13:06:00.002-04:002013-05-15T13:06:40.747-04:00Hello Kitty Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2587FIIlHTXtk2fjnVjFeYrG0tPC1SBEyP4JG1KZunAZWKtWlCBg9kQjNabgoeSkSrH_kmLHKF9TLtlFtelnM9yi8vPN4IGoTkz5oQ0lk4zgMKZk7xL3-lY0MTxg6plibtk_x9sbm1ZnZ/s1600/hello_kitty_cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2587FIIlHTXtk2fjnVjFeYrG0tPC1SBEyP4JG1KZunAZWKtWlCBg9kQjNabgoeSkSrH_kmLHKF9TLtlFtelnM9yi8vPN4IGoTkz5oQ0lk4zgMKZk7xL3-lY0MTxg6plibtk_x9sbm1ZnZ/s320/hello_kitty_cake.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Damn.</div>
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41 blog posts in 2010.</div>
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36 blog posts in 2011.</div>
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2 blog posts in 2012...</div>
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And this is my first entry for 2013.</div>
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I guess it's safe to say I haven't given my business all the attention it requires. The importance of blogging is pretty huge as search engines love them. Just do an image search for a Abby Cadabby, Marvel Comics, or Tangled Tower Cake, and a Cake Lab photo will appear near the top. Blogging is obviously a great way to build an audience. I guess it was easier to put more effort into my Cake biz back in Maine. It was all I really had there. Now that I'm in San Diego I have a lot more distractions...but I need to sometimes step back and remember what I want out of life. So anyway, this is me taking one step forward.</div>
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This was a pretty simple cake, not a whole lot to it, just a Hello Kitty face. All edible and really nothing too challenging. I made numerous Hello Kitty cakes during my time at Twiggs and Sweet Cheeks but this is the first time making the face out of cake. Always more fun when the project involves sculpting cake...except that means I have to face the tempting scraps. Still been munching on them five days later...</div>
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<a href="http://www.cakelabsd.com/" target="_blank">Cake Lab San Diego</a></div>
<br />Zachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13040872652238359468noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170178533397926576.post-34374707243375494602012-10-25T14:13:00.001-04:002012-10-25T14:13:16.156-04:00Cake Lab 2.0 - ZacO Cakes in San Diego!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqBEZmEnwdHzvkbmvIzYQdu7Sepg1z9_jgtdpejX4MMjYdeadL99YYn2uPmwrEWFhC0bvpR2VLvwlu8EM0An4iEBciZIl3DGuUGkbeBBlKcHN9QZCrTBr4Uxf0hD0h9aTNs-p2OjHyBREp/s1600/logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqBEZmEnwdHzvkbmvIzYQdu7Sepg1z9_jgtdpejX4MMjYdeadL99YYn2uPmwrEWFhC0bvpR2VLvwlu8EM0An4iEBciZIl3DGuUGkbeBBlKcHN9QZCrTBr4Uxf0hD0h9aTNs-p2OjHyBREp/s200/logo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's about time!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After working at Twiggs Bakery for two months, followed by six months at Sweet Cheeks Baking Company, I'm finally ready to branch off and bring Cake Lab to the West Coast. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is it a little bit scary? Sure. But it's been my dream to create my own cakes in a city like this ever since I discovered my passion. Working for someone else will just never satisfy my creative juices. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, there will surely be crazy amounts of stress at times...but no risk = no reward! Lots of people thought it was daring of me to move cross country to a city I had never been to and had no contacts. Deep down I knew it was the right decision for me, and boy have I been lucky. The strangers I moved in with from Craigslist couldn't have been better first roommates. And I landed not one, but two full time cake jobs without ever taking a decorating class or attending culinary school (thank you to my friends and customers in Maine!!)</span>. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've also made a small but nice group of friends here and I can easily say I'm having some of the most fun of my life. Being in a city with beautiful weather year round doesn't hurt either :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know it will take some time to pick up, but I know Cake Lab San Diego is going to bring awesome things to my life! I could not be more excited.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also have a new website that I'm still working on, but it's passable for now : www.cakelabsd.com </span>Zachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13040872652238359468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170178533397926576.post-8361976456694676592012-07-21T15:37:00.003-04:002012-07-21T16:24:27.477-04:00It's Been a While...Today I decided to revisit my blog. Shocked to see I'm nearing 100,000 page views! Crazy to receive so much exposure for something that started out as a hobby. I took a look at some of my early posts after getting a little nostalgic. I realized I started this blog as a way to record my journey into the cake world, not just a place to show of my cakes. So it's time I update this blog on the past half year.<br />I arrived in San Diego like planned February 1st. On the 3rd I had an interview for a position at Sweet Cheeks Baking Company. I waited another week for interview #2, then another week to start a two week internship to test things out. Unfortunately...I didn't get the job. I was getting desperate. I applied to every cake company in San Diego and started looking for ANY type of work. I just needed some income. As luck would have it, a full time cake position opened up at Twiggs bakery about a week after I started looking for a new job. It felt serendipitous! When I went in for my trial day and was hired I was told part of the reason I was hired was due to the glowing recommendation from Elaine, one of the owners of Sweet Cheeks, who said she would have loved to hire me but didn't have a position available.<br />Working at Twiggs was my first time having an official job in a commercial kitchen. People say it's hard to adjust when you come from working in a home kitchen, but I feel like I adjusted pretty quickly. The hardest part was just becoming orientated with all the supplies and getting used to sharing a small space with others. I also had to work on my more basic skills like icing a cake smoothly in buttercream and piping on details.<br />About six weeks after working at Twiggs I was contacted by Sweet Cheeks again. They had a position available for me. Obviously I was in quite the dilemma. I just started working at Twiggs but there were many advantages to working at SC. First of all, it's just two minutes away from my apartment. The kitchen is large and spacious, and I click better with the other bakers/decorators. Not to mention the fact that they don't work weekends and they have a slightly higher standard of quality. I thought the decision was a no brainier, how could I say no? So I started working both jobs while I waited finish up my last two weeks at Twiggs. It sure was nice to get that first weekend off!! Definitely one I won't forget.<br />So now I'm working at Sweet Cheeks. Getting paid to make cakes. Is it everything I dreamed of? Well I guess not, but this was never my end goal. Now my main focus is on figuring out how I'm going to make my dream a reality. I've come a long way in the three years since I started decorating cakes as a hobby, but I'm still just beginning. Watch out!<br /><br />I haven't made a whole ton of cakes at work that I'm truly proud of, but here is one of my favorite Sweet Cheeks cakes. Not what I would've done if it was a Cake Lab cake but it's still fun.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Angry Birds Cake<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDzsX7RG1mwoq2JqBWgsNesAMI1N8frStGP2-RuQ96ZCoA0RRgcfy4xrpftmFKqNQvwgszQAjilouluHSwIwlQP1M9PDdAhPNscZS-LJIQ-roSxuNo8vggOcejmLDk_jslDEKYc3Wazhhe/s1600/photo%252810%2529.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDzsX7RG1mwoq2JqBWgsNesAMI1N8frStGP2-RuQ96ZCoA0RRgcfy4xrpftmFKqNQvwgszQAjilouluHSwIwlQP1M9PDdAhPNscZS-LJIQ-roSxuNo8vggOcejmLDk_jslDEKYc3Wazhhe/s320/photo%252810%2529.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5767720705713264834" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Zachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13040872652238359468noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170178533397926576.post-19561652703351218852011-12-15T19:59:00.004-05:002011-12-21T08:43:53.396-05:00Whimsical Stack of Chrsitmas Presents Cake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvYsXzDDzv2Ecaqsz8U3SzPakNHi834uboGXDZU8xtYIYVb1GLtxnjT1jKtYwLHLIyd1wLPPpavmm3qA8eKMAX7DA4h4RyWmZ2I3MY_H2HSTfvhlT5CqJPZefcxmdsLbQpuRBoiW_pZOlC/s1600/presents.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 352px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvYsXzDDzv2Ecaqsz8U3SzPakNHi834uboGXDZU8xtYIYVb1GLtxnjT1jKtYwLHLIyd1wLPPpavmm3qA8eKMAX7DA4h4RyWmZ2I3MY_H2HSTfvhlT5CqJPZefcxmdsLbQpuRBoiW_pZOlC/s400/presents.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686525129270778594" border="0" /></a>Two years ago my cake hobby was still really new. That Christmas I decided to make a real elaborate cake scene consisting of five presents (one for each member of my family). It was a pretty huge disaster. I tried carving for the first time and everything fell apart (NEVER carve a warm cake), so I ended up starting over and making a simple snowflake cake.<br />Two years later and I have come a long way...which I should hope so, otherwise this path would seem pretty pointless. Not only are these presents bigger, but they are stacked and one is shaped. I'm also now a big fan of paneling the fondant for squared cakes. The angles are so much sharper than when you drape fondant.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcgkIz0vTgTcCdE4GbmX4YQ-_P79kiQJUGyP434h4an24Yjyzf_OmIF9sd3Pt1h2WRTwVmiTQBKRffqe8R7_L3AHz1g3KK82n6GDUeysYiCpLdprXAdrQmxxioYM8CcJIqCSfu1wOcfc7A/s1600/DSCN8556.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcgkIz0vTgTcCdE4GbmX4YQ-_P79kiQJUGyP434h4an24Yjyzf_OmIF9sd3Pt1h2WRTwVmiTQBKRffqe8R7_L3AHz1g3KK82n6GDUeysYiCpLdprXAdrQmxxioYM8CcJIqCSfu1wOcfc7A/s320/DSCN8556.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688575079261418978" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />All the details on the cake are edible, although I did decide to include real ornaments basically just to save time. it would have been cool to make them out of cake balls, but after a while I run out of steam. In terms of the overall look of the cake, I'm not really that satisfied. I had a really hard time coming up with a design for the top tier. Originally it was white and sprayed silver, but I wasn't really liking that so I airbrushed it red and applied white snowflakes. It was nice, but a little too traditional so I tore off the fondant and started over. I think I probably would have been better off keeping in the pink/green theme. Either way the cake was a hit with my co-workers. A fun, colorful cake for some fun people!Zachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13040872652238359468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170178533397926576.post-21924434508997787542011-12-11T15:50:00.004-05:002011-12-11T16:26:35.573-05:00Dr. Seuss's Cat in the Hat Cake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4DjuplyQmLyBBK2YqEDJ9dBO4ccV-zMQvokT7VybeUG1hsJWCckYS6rlUmEQ8tn4cKG9Z617nlLQlWUSN3prrJwHJY5g2sdzgsSM5Atkfbmr61ePwj6Mhyphenhyphen_LvsGThsvdVaWqyLEbZDDkC/s1600/cathatcake.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 353px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4DjuplyQmLyBBK2YqEDJ9dBO4ccV-zMQvokT7VybeUG1hsJWCckYS6rlUmEQ8tn4cKG9Z617nlLQlWUSN3prrJwHJY5g2sdzgsSM5Atkfbmr61ePwj6Mhyphenhyphen_LvsGThsvdVaWqyLEbZDDkC/s400/cathatcake.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5684976272547395682" border="0" /></a>Last February I made a <a href="http://zacocakes.blogspot.com/2011/02/cat-in-hat-cake.html">Cat in the Hat cake</a> for fun that was based off another shop's design. The resulting cake felt bland and uninspired. This week I was pretty excited to have the chance to right my wrong. The client sent me some photos of two cake designs to choose from. After learning from my mistake I told them I would rather not try to mimic their preselected designs, so they said as long as it was topsy turvy and Cat in the Hat themed I had free reign.<br />After baking the cake (which required LOTTTS of strawberries), the first thing I sculpted was the fish. Originally I had found a small glass candle holder that the fish was supposed to "fall" out of, and I brushed it with blue piping gel for water. It looked cool but I put it aside till the end.<br />All details on the cake are edible. Rice cereal treats for the hat and box and icing images for the characters. In terms of difficultly, nothing gave me TOO much trouble. The worst part was the structure of the cake. This is definitely the most extreme topsy turvy carving I've done. In fact if you looked at the side/back it would look almost like it really would tip over...which I guess is the point, but I liked the angles I picked for the front of the cake better. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMtBKHFRK2B9bc5B4e0V7U7RYN7t1u2qhL-GO7lVwpj2gvEtiyESnsYdXhWThwBhBb2QuXdR9fvnLhcqHfMxd1qHwtgLBSbHlVenPhlwI5PVnymyox7wTVyM_h6zJapo-T0BZt65cRn0g/s1600/DSCN8285.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMtBKHFRK2B9bc5B4e0V7U7RYN7t1u2qhL-GO7lVwpj2gvEtiyESnsYdXhWThwBhBb2QuXdR9fvnLhcqHfMxd1qHwtgLBSbHlVenPhlwI5PVnymyox7wTVyM_h6zJapo-T0BZt65cRn0g/s320/DSCN8285.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5684980185355824034" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">When I reached the end of placing the details on the cake, I almost forgot about the first thing I made! In my original sketch the fish was supposed to be on the top of the cake, but there was no room for him with the hat and the candles. I placed him on the bottom right but that interfered with the flow of the cake. The only option I could think of was to cut him up and stick him on the cake. I added some fondant wave accents and I'm actually really happy with the way he ended up.<br />So far I have yet to have a caketastrophe, but this one definitely made me nervous. The only reason I had this order in the first place was because the original baker's cake collapsed in the fridge and I was a last minute backup. Every time I left the cake I held my breath upon returning, hoping it would still be in one piece. Extra thick cake board, generous amounts of royal icing, and sturdy dowels helped keep the cake in one piece. <br />In the end I think it might just be my favorite cake so far. Actually kinda sad to see it go haha. I guess I have a love/hate relationship with my cakes. My least favorite part is always the beginning...baking, carving, icing, covering in fondant. I really don't start to relax until the cake is on the board and details are being added, but by that point I am pretty tired from the 5-6 hours I already put into the cake. I'm hoping one day I will have someone to help me with the grunt work! <br /><br /></div></div>Zachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13040872652238359468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170178533397926576.post-84112622378014610672011-12-01T21:17:00.003-05:002011-12-01T21:48:01.147-05:00Blue Nissan VERSA Car Cake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy9KnBV90jtWyPktjYmnWCJx-NXg_OFIemPflMIjtBa9jE8TMlIsFfkM-drgD5khRJjFVCm8FedouHemdEpGeiC4pzSf3yXCCZeGsRnp5w-tzMIx0RjNdSnflvN0t3zX8fRfhWFooP8NL7/s1600/versacake.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 276px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy9KnBV90jtWyPktjYmnWCJx-NXg_OFIemPflMIjtBa9jE8TMlIsFfkM-drgD5khRJjFVCm8FedouHemdEpGeiC4pzSf3yXCCZeGsRnp5w-tzMIx0RjNdSnflvN0t3zX8fRfhWFooP8NL7/s400/versacake.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681349865986462562" border="0" /></a><br />It's been a while since I've made a cake purely for fun, but I had a little more free time than normal this week, and had a craving to get lost in a cake.<br />At first I was thinking of making a new shoe cake, as the <a href="http://zacocakes.blogspot.com/2010/09/converse-sneaker-cake.html">Converse Sneaker Cake</a> was my first ever sculpted cake. Back then it helped me decide to do my own thing, instead of relying on someone else to teach me the trade. I remember spending hours adding details to that mound of cake and being fascinated as the cake slowly began to look like a real shoe. Pure excitement.<br />But this time I decided to make a cake more symbolic of my next step. I'm heading to San Diego in about six weeks with nothing but my new car and cake supplies. I figured, why not make my car?! It would also allow me to try out a few different decorating methods from my first two cars (<a href="http://zacocakes.blogspot.com/2011/07/yellow-maserati-car-cake.html">Maserati </a>and <a href="http://zacocakes.blogspot.com/2010/09/batmobile-cake.html">Batmobile</a>).<br />On the first two cakes I covered the entire thing in black fondant and then an additional layer, and cut out the windows. This time I decided to cover it in white, airbrush it, then cut out and replace the windows with black fondant. In the future...I will definitely go back to my original method. I also took advantage of my new edible printer to save some time on the details. Unfortunately with all the printed details...the cake started to look like crap. I decided that the front lights and detailing had to be done in fondant, but used the edible images for the tires, license plates, and rear lights. <br />I wasn't sure if I would be able to get the LED lights in this cake because it was significantly smaller than the maserati cake. Fortunately they JUST fit. Everything else is edible. Grass is buttercream, "pavement" is crushed rice cereal mixed with granulated and brown sugar. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE1J6rz59eOkOQ4PcX0QCWr8vA1FceyYhgCrHkvfqkZy3Sp4ETlcSIMIs7WDdJw9SQ2CAM_eSTQanJg1UrjiJeshlqlNonlGESkAxqzGQkP6UeDuVZdOlGg7Py3w2A6GJfMsEbJhBBSFMP/s1600/DSCN8506.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE1J6rz59eOkOQ4PcX0QCWr8vA1FceyYhgCrHkvfqkZy3Sp4ETlcSIMIs7WDdJw9SQ2CAM_eSTQanJg1UrjiJeshlqlNonlGESkAxqzGQkP6UeDuVZdOlGg7Py3w2A6GJfMsEbJhBBSFMP/s320/DSCN8506.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681350993788366562" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">My biggest beef with this cake is the shape of the front. It is so off! Unfortunately the sketch I created at the beginning (check out pics on my <a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.329692750379355.98767.165815153433783&type=1">Facebook page</a>) was not accurate, and sadly, I did not realize until I was really far along. Oh well, next time I will be more careful with my sketch.<br />I added the laminated paper map in the background because I thought it would be fun to highlight my upcoming route. I am very excited for the next step, and nervous of course. I will surely miss making cakes in my kitchen, but I've come a long way from making cakes out of my tiny apartment in Montreal. I know whatever is coming next is going to be that much better.<br /></div></div>Zachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13040872652238359468noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170178533397926576.post-80391873279449106092011-11-29T16:46:00.002-05:002011-11-29T18:02:25.350-05:00Marvel Comics Birthday Cake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj78muzN_w2AGI6oqk6sssV_SRWD_I0IbxjijI21w72teFI4ZwkoMEXMCPv5FW541g4ajU1_HJUMq6qVJlReMUL-ZHlaRKS5CUXIwNgJY6g0tS9g1xLCNp7GOH6FMT7AeRbi_AvPIFGPoCm/s1600/marvelcake.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 347px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj78muzN_w2AGI6oqk6sssV_SRWD_I0IbxjijI21w72teFI4ZwkoMEXMCPv5FW541g4ajU1_HJUMq6qVJlReMUL-ZHlaRKS5CUXIwNgJY6g0tS9g1xLCNp7GOH6FMT7AeRbi_AvPIFGPoCm/s400/marvelcake.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680537581016692386" border="0" /></a><br />This cake is another example of how important it is to invest in sweet decorating tools. First off the airbrush, something I've been using for over a year now. It allowed me to cover both tiers in white fondant, saving either time (kneading color into it SUX) or money (you can't get that deep red unless it's store bought). It allowed me to give the blue a little bit of texture for the sky, the only downside is that color flies everywhere!<br />My newest tool is my printer that produces edible images. I wasn't 100% sure how these guys would turn out but they crisp and vibrant. I cut the images out of the paper and attached them to gum paste with some piping gel. Then I glued candy sticks to them with some melted chocolate. Easy enough to use but you definitely have to handle those images before they dry out and become prone to damage. <br />Characters such as these would easily take 2-3 hours at least to sculpt out of edible materials. Sure it would be fun, but that equates to 10-15 hours on JUST figures, forget about the baking, icing, carving, and all the other decorating details that take hours. Obviously it is not really feasible or cost effective, so the edible printer is a great alternative and I am very happy for the purchase. So many ideas on how to use it next!Zachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13040872652238359468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170178533397926576.post-71653709099399097332011-11-28T12:55:00.005-05:002011-11-29T18:08:40.878-05:00Peacock Themed Birthday Cake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvNVqQ9RN3osknmpu7mCIRI5SngFKkwAil-w8sABV3dVCJXqJZm02a2r_PM-KyFitgCDI60a5IFteFbhbc2ax29A4Xvw7w0JmMT5EFRQ66QE2gsaZ0S87fVv48kU7SxIbMOZxUeaT4Q_G/s1600/peacockcake.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 314px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvNVqQ9RN3osknmpu7mCIRI5SngFKkwAil-w8sABV3dVCJXqJZm02a2r_PM-KyFitgCDI60a5IFteFbhbc2ax29A4Xvw7w0JmMT5EFRQ66QE2gsaZ0S87fVv48kU7SxIbMOZxUeaT4Q_G/s400/peacockcake.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680107036469788930" border="0" /></a>Time for my mom's birthday cake! She's the lucky one in the family who always happens to be around me for her special day, and that means she get a special cake every year.<br />This year I decided to go with a peacock theme because we live on peacock hill rd, we used to have pet peacocks in Thailand, and whenever we were in a zoo my mom was guaranteed to imitate the peacock mating calls. Plus it would make for a beautifully colorful cake.<br />Normally I'm all for keeping the cake as edible as possible, but after my initial design I decided I wanted to include a real peacock feather in the cake (well real silk...real bird would be icky). I actually was not able to find a single peacock feather for sale, just some type of floral arrangement that had a couple feathers in it. I decided to buy it and cut off the feather I needed.<br />As the cake was being made, I wondered how it would look if I just stuck the whole arrangement in the top. I tried it and it actually looked pretty nice, but a little too big for this cake. I decided to cut off the feathers and place them in different locations...worked out perfectly!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9_GFFwDM_njwcSV6kUnEPtvR05tFM_-2HTYPnS3ti0pSUNkjb80k5f9TU84u6ZRt49628HpGQqKkxDKUK4H8ppqOtGxKWfWHS6HGEvRkJa4N0ptpyieB3tlTRlnimgT8A7lZMAq9n2Dt7/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 113px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9_GFFwDM_njwcSV6kUnEPtvR05tFM_-2HTYPnS3ti0pSUNkjb80k5f9TU84u6ZRt49628HpGQqKkxDKUK4H8ppqOtGxKWfWHS6HGEvRkJa4N0ptpyieB3tlTRlnimgT8A7lZMAq9n2Dt7/s320/Untitled-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680110885246924946" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">My mom's 49th birthday cake was my third real decorated cake. Not exactly something to rave about...but it's awesome looking back to see the progress I made between '09-'10, and then '10-'11. I know I've come a long ways and I have no plans to remain stagnant. I can't wait to see the types of cakes I'll be creating three, five or even ten years down the line.<br /></div></div>Zachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13040872652238359468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170178533397926576.post-16602993733773150022011-11-27T21:41:00.002-05:002011-11-28T12:54:31.033-05:00LEGO Soldier Cake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1SMRO0HV3LLbOeLfrtcdHENRNn9EeKvV-fVgNwxwIntCnemyRNrxkLhxZqmNYl8iLeFr0JHFprqrJxTn5lB86vHDwlIISFQodPoaBgBUdpAqIuyv-SdhABvQISiF7qjb_OAY5k9Gci2Dt/s1600/lego_cake.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 318px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1SMRO0HV3LLbOeLfrtcdHENRNn9EeKvV-fVgNwxwIntCnemyRNrxkLhxZqmNYl8iLeFr0JHFprqrJxTn5lB86vHDwlIISFQodPoaBgBUdpAqIuyv-SdhABvQISiF7qjb_OAY5k9Gci2Dt/s400/lego_cake.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679871560026714114" border="0" /></a><br />I've made a few vertically daring cakes in the past year, but when I heard about a standing LEGO character I was definitely worried. All of my tall cakes have been pretty equal in terms of width and depth, but the LEGO man is much wider than he is deep. I really wasn't sure if this was something I would be able to pull off.<br />To increase the cakes survival during delivery, I decided to make the cake deeper than I would if I were to make it to scale. Generally I like to keep the cakes as close to scale as possible, but I feel if I did on this one it would have resulted in a unstable cake. I don't think the increased depth distracts from the look of the cake.<br />I also kept the head removable so it could be transported in a box separately. Arms were maded of rice cereal treats with fondant and gumpaste accents. Have to say these type of cakes sure do stress me out, but it's pretty cool to pull it off, and no collapsed cake so far! *fingers crossed*Zachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13040872652238359468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170178533397926576.post-79664576977747420462011-10-01T14:27:00.006-04:002011-11-27T20:28:13.296-05:00Circles and Swirls Cake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRiEh0ocFPWzpaW8aPm3EYmtMFtxEPqQV_RakgkCLDBW8JnqPSSyBbcjjBGF3dAax35PFtMZXPHffp7_jryVR8y1TuhXLp5Oe-CXRzZrlTJpNEvK0u3kXZnFgOB0duZ3-ouVPd_KtiSzvJ/s1600/floral30cake.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 330px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRiEh0ocFPWzpaW8aPm3EYmtMFtxEPqQV_RakgkCLDBW8JnqPSSyBbcjjBGF3dAax35PFtMZXPHffp7_jryVR8y1TuhXLp5Oe-CXRzZrlTJpNEvK0u3kXZnFgOB0duZ3-ouVPd_KtiSzvJ/s400/floral30cake.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679852354998509106" border="0" /></a>I took some time off from making cakes because I needed to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. Being young and single I feel like the options are somewhat endless...I just have to figure out what's most important to me and still makes sense.<br />After spending about a year experimenting with cake techniques in Cake Lab, I wondered if maybe it would be better for me to travel elsewhere and learn from a more experienced decorator. Kill two birds with one stone! Warmer weather and less stress from doing your own thing...but after giving it some more thought, I realized I love making cakes. I love making MY cakes. While I'm sure it would be nice to have a helpful hand guiding me once in a while, I have kinda gotten use to taking responsibility for all the successes and flaws. It's also been reassuring to receive lots of positive feedback after the cake has been delivered and consumed, and I even ran into two customers in the past couple weeks who told me how much they loved the cakes I made for them and told me when their next cake will be needed. Definitely a good sign. I felt like I kinda had to continue doing my own thing, but with a new look. I decided on Cake Haven, but may actually still end up using Cake Lab (more on that later).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaBsWa-zTICWIoA9mem2ng0G-w9I4rJh1imN2hujohMGvAY2pE5R4yyL-I734ylDK1sl2G72DpRTLkI9bUiSDeP3VbUxEOhw6Vt1Z3TnJYxAcEqxOHrsms0andYmdk3tP2yjqAsJS17ehV/s1600/DSCN8192.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 307px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaBsWa-zTICWIoA9mem2ng0G-w9I4rJh1imN2hujohMGvAY2pE5R4yyL-I734ylDK1sl2G72DpRTLkI9bUiSDeP3VbUxEOhw6Vt1Z3TnJYxAcEqxOHrsms0andYmdk3tP2yjqAsJS17ehV/s320/DSCN8192.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658993368600012754" border="0" /></a><br />I had lots of freedom with the design of this cake. The only specifications were two tier format with colors like green, pink, and red. These colors reminded me of a cake I had recently seen in a book that was topsy turvy with lots of flowers. Then I remembered a circle and swirl design on a pack of Orbit gum I really liked...the ideas kinda just kept flowing around in there. Even once I started I wasn't really sure what it was going to look like (like most of my cakes!), but those are the most fun to make and the client was very pleased.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuO7ZlC_O9U_rGVlNFqUVUiztEe8S63nVZsBYZJ_DtWg894JEkEu_C85A-AAHZJgGeJqP-ig3gWeAlt7r2hWM2306uuk-HuQWsv3-v5tY1VtrlCXhIBxdPjzfMthPf7pKcNYC86fbKH9GY/s1600/DSCN8213.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 254px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuO7ZlC_O9U_rGVlNFqUVUiztEe8S63nVZsBYZJ_DtWg894JEkEu_C85A-AAHZJgGeJqP-ig3gWeAlt7r2hWM2306uuk-HuQWsv3-v5tY1VtrlCXhIBxdPjzfMthPf7pKcNYC86fbKH9GY/s320/DSCN8213.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658995674273009794" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Zachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13040872652238359468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170178533397926576.post-48695267749145233592011-10-01T13:40:00.004-04:002011-10-01T13:56:30.257-04:00Luau Mini Cake & Cupcakes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSx8c4QwzNMG47TwxUj97rfPe4lzHb-pDE3CY9WaxDR971Fjg7gDzyK-rHNTtHupjaY_caSiZBv6T8hPOFBys_-IMV3BtNXeHGu9qIcPxGRVC1Dg909Ff29nXZ0U5yjgWmWF6udQ-gzkcQ/s1600/DSCN8026.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSx8c4QwzNMG47TwxUj97rfPe4lzHb-pDE3CY9WaxDR971Fjg7gDzyK-rHNTtHupjaY_caSiZBv6T8hPOFBys_-IMV3BtNXeHGu9qIcPxGRVC1Dg909Ff29nXZ0U5yjgWmWF6udQ-gzkcQ/s400/DSCN8026.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658581772149287362" border="0" /></a><br />So, I'm kinda terrible at keeping up with my blog. This cake was made over five weeks ago!<br />The cake/cupcake presentation was for a joint 40th birthday celebration, and was exactly what I needed to get myself out of my creative slump.<br />I love just about everything on this cake. It's relatively simple but so pretty to look at. The fish, shells, colors and surfboards...love how they all go together. Oh and how can I forget the buttercream waves that adorned the risers. This little project proved to myself that unless I'm making an object out of cake, I really need to let the design come from my head otherwise it just doesn't work as well.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngOEqVZKPm3Lq5jGOyDteztUkGaaO_0cKqRBIF5snEhuZdx1GRv_HbStHKNHSHR7qs6A5W81jwraXAIkt_JHH21Kp9k2xBi25-qg2Aatss50OH3qKcExCXiHlrp4UcRh_zEQlq31Jv0jy/s1600/DSCN8027.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 188px; height: 252px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngOEqVZKPm3Lq5jGOyDteztUkGaaO_0cKqRBIF5snEhuZdx1GRv_HbStHKNHSHR7qs6A5W81jwraXAIkt_JHH21Kp9k2xBi25-qg2Aatss50OH3qKcExCXiHlrp4UcRh_zEQlq31Jv0jy/s320/DSCN8027.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658583554840890066" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Zachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13040872652238359468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170178533397926576.post-88747274571339242182011-09-14T20:11:00.002-04:002011-09-14T20:21:44.679-04:00Cookie Monster Cake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgheIeVEs1TqnlQ2THCur0UylXVsnHo2_KCNvE31cSlMuw0U_cqYIpG22mbLaw34NnIN_N4rnsVDpbyYAVdpuWI0kaylLwgNbKFTW-XqcVERrgGQBJkAbrJybCKSwSNuNMvzZ54gLaXFlrO/s1600/cookie_monster_cake.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 344px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgheIeVEs1TqnlQ2THCur0UylXVsnHo2_KCNvE31cSlMuw0U_cqYIpG22mbLaw34NnIN_N4rnsVDpbyYAVdpuWI0kaylLwgNbKFTW-XqcVERrgGQBJkAbrJybCKSwSNuNMvzZ54gLaXFlrO/s400/cookie_monster_cake.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652373001041524962" border="0" /></a><br />Cookie Monster was one of my first fun cakes in a while. I wanted to do something cute, fairly impressive, and not too stressful, so he seemed like the perfect choice. Cookie Monster was made out of chocolate cake and covered in blue buttercream with fondant accents. Real chocolate chip cookies were use for the cake, which I enjoyed because I'm not really such a cake person anyway.<br />I tried a new cookie dough filling for the inside since it seemed a little unique and appropriate for the cake. I gotta admit, it was delicious!Zachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13040872652238359468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170178533397926576.post-76309961938484284602011-08-21T14:50:00.003-04:002011-08-21T15:17:34.159-04:00Blue Waves Wedding Cake
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtwjRuY8IWL7TmhZvetpTU61_fe2bOHWuejMYYqoiThRc8yyGWifELIMNWspxbhYt65hFeYWksSIYwQLT_2RH7XprfYkcHUQZTEfQnuFM3uEWC8sS3Tzd_0wNvgBqxi8kRrgFJ2wiQj1mr/s1600/283926_268836466464984_165815153433783_1244865_2571421_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 367px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtwjRuY8IWL7TmhZvetpTU61_fe2bOHWuejMYYqoiThRc8yyGWifELIMNWspxbhYt65hFeYWksSIYwQLT_2RH7XprfYkcHUQZTEfQnuFM3uEWC8sS3Tzd_0wNvgBqxi8kRrgFJ2wiQj1mr/s400/283926_268836466464984_165815153433783_1244865_2571421_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643385861249739858" border="0" /></a>
<br />This is only my second wedding cake, and a little more traditional than my first (although far from lace and flowers!). I did not come up with the design, it was based off something I had seen online, and I think that was my biggest mistake in this challenge.
<br />The original cake was beautiful. I loved looking at it. My version is nice enough, but clearly it was not executed as smoothly. I do believe that with more time and practice I would be able to make this cake the way I really want to, as even the version I produced this time around couldn't have been made by myself a year ago.
<br />In the end I think this cake ended up being "perfectly nice", but definitely nothing special. I think that even if I was able to make an exact replica...would I really be pleased? I felt no connection to this cake in the end. Creating the design is probably one of my favorite aspects of cake decorating, but it is also quite time consuming. I think I took the lazy man's way out this time. MY cake should have been topsy turvy, and used those waves as inspiration for my design.
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<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid7e5ONf-kGIeTPK89QRyigb67afBhzIT4svKD-iGxSZ5p7xzQIMBQZc7DbsXP7lydTyXV_C2SjeSQaioqhUCExCd9hfdNWgDTNrPmkv5ycK81UvdjKdfm3ZfnpOLk3tkcRKG-Ox-BL15d/s1600/226151_268836429798321_165815153433783_1244864_7146274_n%25281%2529.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 186px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid7e5ONf-kGIeTPK89QRyigb67afBhzIT4svKD-iGxSZ5p7xzQIMBQZc7DbsXP7lydTyXV_C2SjeSQaioqhUCExCd9hfdNWgDTNrPmkv5ycK81UvdjKdfm3ZfnpOLk3tkcRKG-Ox-BL15d/s320/226151_268836429798321_165815153433783_1244864_7146274_n%25281%2529.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643387689689888530" border="0" /></a>
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<br />The timing of this cake was quite interesting. Just as I'm deciding if I should continue my bushiness or if I should move to a city and work for someone else...
<br />Will I be satisfied producing a cake designed by someone else? I guess it is a job, and it would be a pretty nice job as far as jobs go. Then again, maybe I would someday be in a position to make calls on the design of the cake. Ahhhh decisions, decisions!
<br />Zachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13040872652238359468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170178533397926576.post-18577059589240912682011-08-21T14:38:00.004-04:002011-08-21T14:49:55.215-04:00ARAI "Warfare" Dirtbike Helmet
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrIS1sNGLDKAd02G8ie616x37i9d_lByoGd6o9aEm4RWSafUU-qi5uGvmvwC3e7T6JP9tQE7t16Pqdp9u-ZOYhdikhXbm0RoxL0blyVRFISDC27c8DZcDO8u7tCHJOHgswKTCo3TLGoth-/s1600/6015674395_8dc7050a8c_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 287px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrIS1sNGLDKAd02G8ie616x37i9d_lByoGd6o9aEm4RWSafUU-qi5uGvmvwC3e7T6JP9tQE7t16Pqdp9u-ZOYhdikhXbm0RoxL0blyVRFISDC27c8DZcDO8u7tCHJOHgswKTCo3TLGoth-/s400/6015674395_8dc7050a8c_b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643380744104262626" border="0" /></a>
<br />When I first saw the design for this cake I was pretty intimidated for some obvious reasons. I had no idea if I could do it, but all I knew was that it looked really cool. I decided to accept the challenge and test out my painting skills.
<br />I was actually really pleased with the way the tribal design turned out, which was the result of about 7 hours of painting with small brushes and toothpicks. Although I really wish I only had to do the one side...I planned on doing the left side first and having it be the "practice" side, but the left side ended up looking nicer, probably because I was feeling fresher, so it ended up being the presentation side.
<br />While I'm fairly happy with the end result, there is definitely something wrong that keeps this from being a great cake. I think the shape is kinda off (and not just the lumpiness on the top...). I didn't expect this to be a difficult shape to carve, but when I was working with just a 2D image I wasn't really sure how the shape was supposed to be. Kinda heartbreaking...next time I'll need to buy and return a real helmet so I'll have something to compare to.
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<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifArjNqc4Ot19PgZ3m1VWIBxRikGFbrwCkA58wI7z0dDcZpGjmjN_f4M3Bzl0eG8REVfqohQlUgN-sUVwSaZ1nGurBQzlCwks_MzUf2c4FmFbkRksI222vG5cNJUURe51cW8Yy8v59zbck/s1600/helmetcake.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 235px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifArjNqc4Ot19PgZ3m1VWIBxRikGFbrwCkA58wI7z0dDcZpGjmjN_f4M3Bzl0eG8REVfqohQlUgN-sUVwSaZ1nGurBQzlCwks_MzUf2c4FmFbkRksI222vG5cNJUURe51cW8Yy8v59zbck/s320/helmetcake.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643382811887006066" border="0" /></a>
<br /></div>Zachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13040872652238359468noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170178533397926576.post-7924055767229380492011-08-09T16:45:00.002-04:002011-08-09T16:54:02.632-04:00Beach Themed Birthday Cake
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JbH80JdXx7gDjEZVdo_pBu84IWnbAuSazB28mOq0s40TYPYhHIWHxu2Rw0kmEEi_bgxHeu0PTVZRq874sblf3BSOcptbxTJEHQjruIbebr1YuPd0sar2knvMZR0uk1euRhf_oDyH_dDV/s1600/6015673653_f5f7d84fd1_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 387px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JbH80JdXx7gDjEZVdo_pBu84IWnbAuSazB28mOq0s40TYPYhHIWHxu2Rw0kmEEi_bgxHeu0PTVZRq874sblf3BSOcptbxTJEHQjruIbebr1YuPd0sar2knvMZR0uk1euRhf_oDyH_dDV/s400/6015673653_f5f7d84fd1_b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638960599896095218" border="0" /></a>
<br />A couple of months ago I ran a cake raffle and donated all the proceeds to the Make-a-Wish foundation. The winner decided they wanted a beach themed cake for their birthday, and decided to share it with a friend who whose birthday is on the same day.
<br />I poured melted white chocolate into silicone molds and then airbrushed them to simulate the real things. Umbrella and chair were sculpted out of gumpaste. A little difficult to assemble the chair but fortunately I had enough time to let it dry. The sand was crushed up gram crackers mixed with a few types of sugar.
<br />Starting to become more of a fan of royal icing. I used it for the rope on the fence and it was actually much easier to use than I expected. Definitely something I will be using more of in the future.
<br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJ8AbqxUvacTljZQHqZ9AEvKeJQvg_QAX2zVBujzEXqIcnIaykLvzqiRYxvQWhArYzbD6Fn7G6qTOKjK4cEZSlsqPkTR5OT_Gf4a0W7X1qrDuTwXcdZQhYsntSOSERmS3QotfwCIWDTVw/s1600/DSCN7916.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 258px; height: 202px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJ8AbqxUvacTljZQHqZ9AEvKeJQvg_QAX2zVBujzEXqIcnIaykLvzqiRYxvQWhArYzbD6Fn7G6qTOKjK4cEZSlsqPkTR5OT_Gf4a0W7X1qrDuTwXcdZQhYsntSOSERmS3QotfwCIWDTVw/s320/DSCN7916.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638962210200916450" border="0" /></a>
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<br />Zachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13040872652238359468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170178533397926576.post-44032242551614251402011-07-20T09:36:00.003-04:002011-07-20T09:45:00.061-04:00Pool Table Cake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQrxOXYTxqhRfQ7wks_V_6bZLhZhqPSEKNCjSgI8t7MdtZJDUY6tqm-U6dUnHvJUeR1dZoXC6qM8GFd2S52-XnQsoib6oY4lD_gtH6OYQ-0yqKhRttGm-IydIf_B4WXHKJGGJs43whoLo/s1600/pool_table_cake.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 426px; height: 330px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQrxOXYTxqhRfQ7wks_V_6bZLhZhqPSEKNCjSgI8t7MdtZJDUY6tqm-U6dUnHvJUeR1dZoXC6qM8GFd2S52-XnQsoib6oY4lD_gtH6OYQ-0yqKhRttGm-IydIf_B4WXHKJGGJs43whoLo/s400/pool_table_cake.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631428191425038722" border="0" /></a><br />Another 3D object cake...my favorite. This pool table cake was made of strawberry cake with a cream cheese filling. <br />This is a cake I had known about for a while but I wasn't sure how I was going to execute it. I think I thought it would be so simple that I wouldn't have to worry about it, so when it came time to get started I realized I had a few things to figure out. I used a layer of rice cereal treats for the border of the table so that I wouldn't have to waste any cake and it would also give me sharper corners.<br />Thick wooden dowels were used for the legs, which I covered in tubing from some gift wrap to give them some bulk, which were then wrapped in black fondant so they matched the rest of the cake. As with most 3D cakes, there were a few more details I would have loved to have added but there just isn't always the time. Not perfect but cool cake nonetheless.Zachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13040872652238359468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170178533397926576.post-1140329484145541672011-07-19T18:21:00.003-04:002011-07-19T18:38:18.395-04:00"Sex & the City" Themed Bridal Shower Cake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQoe5iUtFr5FylLVFC1g5szn02T_XlX8XHlhMfRQgpn62JYRzqR-PCWi7gBarIK3MPMMiWmp6kEfb4Dz4zklIYMojDdpDM8Cb8viWILLyP3c-Hj_ek4o0nay2BbWrPbwKoVgXk-HA5t_8y/s1600/citycake.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 352px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQoe5iUtFr5FylLVFC1g5szn02T_XlX8XHlhMfRQgpn62JYRzqR-PCWi7gBarIK3MPMMiWmp6kEfb4Dz4zklIYMojDdpDM8Cb8viWILLyP3c-Hj_ek4o0nay2BbWrPbwKoVgXk-HA5t_8y/s400/citycake.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631192535768352146" border="0" /></a>When I first started Cake Lab last October, one of my first cakes was a <a href="http://zacocakes.blogspot.com/2010/10/sex-city-themed-b-day-cake.html">"Sex & the City" themed birthday cake</a>. I was happy with the cake back then but I've come a long way since.<br />This time around, I decided to use edible disco dust for the city. I have to say...that crap is a pain! It's hard to stick on and very expensive, but it does result in a unique look when you walk by it. Nothing else reflects the light quite like it. I think from now on I will stick to using it for smaller objects.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5JsMA8pu30sgwgmSFl0NpkhW7XODeEo6Mov6ylVduu3cCNp10D4PLB2Iv6b07ow1Q-mNNk_SeN227bwk4HspjpfeERg2VwToz-4aS5SEY0n2PC28ba7rvu9lkX3m-nzjv0vem2yHWpqAC/s1600/accessories.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 153px; height: 153px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5JsMA8pu30sgwgmSFl0NpkhW7XODeEo6Mov6ylVduu3cCNp10D4PLB2Iv6b07ow1Q-mNNk_SeN227bwk4HspjpfeERg2VwToz-4aS5SEY0n2PC28ba7rvu9lkX3m-nzjv0vem2yHWpqAC/s320/accessories.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631194340068819042" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I do like this cake but overall I feel like something isn't quite right, just can't put my finger on it. What I do love is the accessories. First time making gumpaste shoes and it wasn't too tricky. The nail polish looked exactly like I wanted. Applied a little vegetable spray on it to give the bottle a shiny appearance, something I learned from a flickr member. The bag was rice cereal treats covered in modeling chocolate then fondant. It was the easiest accessory to make but I think it looks the most impressive. Funny :/<br />Jello for the drink and fishing wire for the gumpaste pearls. Overall a fun cake and I look forward to upping the ante next time I am asked to do the theme again.<br /></div></div>Zachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13040872652238359468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170178533397926576.post-54445868215747432282011-07-19T16:53:00.005-04:002011-07-19T17:15:54.943-04:00"Space Needs Color" Cake for Threadcakes Contest<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijnPNSrTFNLiFtfYC2hGnW9KJrNr8Q67X5MWF6IlKLncLRyhMhvG9yJ0M4ytJOvphLKMbzvcl2StcU3eGoKe2Nk7zzybUgwKKMADavwY-0MGGKRDijs2WJLrzxmKxaBUm1VqBKtcyQHdw5/s1600/DSCN7805.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 353px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijnPNSrTFNLiFtfYC2hGnW9KJrNr8Q67X5MWF6IlKLncLRyhMhvG9yJ0M4ytJOvphLKMbzvcl2StcU3eGoKe2Nk7zzybUgwKKMADavwY-0MGGKRDijs2WJLrzxmKxaBUm1VqBKtcyQHdw5/s400/DSCN7805.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631170167684232978" border="0" /></a><br />A cake contest that is based off crazy graphic T shirt designs? Count me in!<br />The competition is put on by <a href="http://www.threadless.com/">Threadless</a>, and if you are interested in seeing all the possible design choices you can click <a href="http://www.threadless.com/all?utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=gg_aff&utm_campaign=k210012">here</a>.<br />If you decided to check out the link, you will see that the options are pretty much endless. Not easy to choose just one, so I decided to start off with a simple one that caught my eye called "Space Needs Color":<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8mRMUvg14GAC4VqBVTaAw_AYnqkgXChHkdc4U09XSHcPc5LZ6hjkUDVeBPN7SMgFn_bqzBBjdnaDmfDkRcwNXDP2X0gARcwVP3F6kuPqC7IY7MCWwnRIkZgl1FDo-JRTcd3-iFwbXVWbB/s1600/636x460design_01.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 231px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8mRMUvg14GAC4VqBVTaAw_AYnqkgXChHkdc4U09XSHcPc5LZ6hjkUDVeBPN7SMgFn_bqzBBjdnaDmfDkRcwNXDP2X0gARcwVP3F6kuPqC7IY7MCWwnRIkZgl1FDo-JRTcd3-iFwbXVWbB/s320/636x460design_01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631173473443391522" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">My full Threadcakes entry can be viewed <a href="http://www.threadcakes.com/entries/view/1070">here</a>.<br />Nothing really complicated in terms of technique. It's nice carving lumpy items like rocket exhaust and volcanoes after doing something as smooth and shapely as a car. Again, airbrush came is super handy. Don't know what I'd do without it!<br />The rocket and paint tubes were made of rice cereal treats covered in modeling chocolate and fondant. I used some fishing wire to suspend the paint drops. It worked out pretty well but I regret not adding more of them. Guess there's always going to be something on every cake that could be done a little differently. <br />There are many more deign options I want to convert to cake, but I'm probably going to just have time for one, and it's going to require lots of details. Can't wait!<br /></div></div>Zachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13040872652238359468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170178533397926576.post-90512203900567687532011-07-19T16:25:00.003-04:002011-07-19T16:46:48.188-04:00Volcano Cake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-1BLWxqC4T7ZkQ5qMtCPgG5BrVvzfbM2jJQA63mBhNQIhTi5aLboo4MMho9PGX8uN5t8uEhIHiz2FyWof7ijFGZ7VRz_hBSbguCBtAVBRarqVWxN_gEnkU0JO3yGMPlmzV0tUWsrkAs5_/s1600/volcano_cake.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 355px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-1BLWxqC4T7ZkQ5qMtCPgG5BrVvzfbM2jJQA63mBhNQIhTi5aLboo4MMho9PGX8uN5t8uEhIHiz2FyWof7ijFGZ7VRz_hBSbguCBtAVBRarqVWxN_gEnkU0JO3yGMPlmzV0tUWsrkAs5_/s400/volcano_cake.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631162420149035650" border="0" /></a><br />Wow, I'm not sure how I've gotten so far behind on my blogging. It's a good habit for me to keep up on for numerous reasons so let's see how many I can whip out today.<br />When I was first asked to do a dinosaur themed cake I got really excited. Not like I'm a huge dino fan or anything, but I do really enjoy Jurassic Park and they just look...cool haha.<br />For this cake I invested in some molds which is something I don't normally do. I do enjoy sculpting figures from scratch, but the molds definitely make things go a LOT faster and leaves me more time to focus on other details. The palm tree mold was an excellent choice, they turned out great, were easy to make, and I'm sure I'll be using it again in the future.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiewgUX3gBU2igI6cqK2S7EpDSgkbRzDY56hPiDsJ9Tr5DIlj_xcoVsBOhmYMcHt2gvDIv9hTPO28ixnayB4SqTP1nACC5FsUtYki9BydB4vEzwn5UCN4Qgh4NjhGbg3nVRJJGXDf3aEFE3/s1600/DSCN7766.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiewgUX3gBU2igI6cqK2S7EpDSgkbRzDY56hPiDsJ9Tr5DIlj_xcoVsBOhmYMcHt2gvDIv9hTPO28ixnayB4SqTP1nACC5FsUtYki9BydB4vEzwn5UCN4Qgh4NjhGbg3nVRJJGXDf3aEFE3/s320/DSCN7766.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631164606985589138" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The idea for the bottom tier actually came from another cake I saw online. They used the cricut to cut out dinosaur silhouettes, and I loved the contrast of the black on the light blue. Unfortunately, my silhouettes ended up being my least favorite part of the cake. I see now how I could have made them better, but it was the final push in a really busy week. At least I won't make the same mistake again. Still, a fun colorful cake!<br /></div></div>Zachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13040872652238359468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170178533397926576.post-11191582909497236752011-07-05T22:04:00.004-04:002011-07-05T22:21:07.957-04:00Yellow Maserati Car Cake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieV7yLeAa1hyphenhyphenwrOOp12Ukjx9yO2XB7X7nQwOLbvqC1rHzuAZnWDXnQU9lhFV2G8gxJCn7HuXjO1ETjrcO9iVUWNb0V1xZIU3iW1xwK_wYQ5R3EoK_-FvHYUB05xBLyZt2ltVbl92lHYD9r/s1600/maserati_cake.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieV7yLeAa1hyphenhyphenwrOOp12Ukjx9yO2XB7X7nQwOLbvqC1rHzuAZnWDXnQU9lhFV2G8gxJCn7HuXjO1ETjrcO9iVUWNb0V1xZIU3iW1xwK_wYQ5R3EoK_-FvHYUB05xBLyZt2ltVbl92lHYD9r/s400/maserati_cake.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626054667667620450" border="0" /></a>I've made a decent number of 3D cakes in the past 6 months, but most of them are fairly simple in terms of carving. Not since my <a href="http://zacocakes.blogspot.com/2010/09/batmobile-cake.html">batmobile </a>cake have I carved something so complex (that was only my second time carving cake and was on a much smaller scale). I forgot how long the carving process can take! Even though I had previously prepared a scaled and elevated cake board for the cake to sit on, and a stencil to get the proportions correct, it still took me about 2.5 hours to do all the carving. Honestly I'm not sure how the time can fly by so quickly! I just kept on carving it away little by little because I had to factor in for the extra bulk that would be added by the buttercream and double layer of fondant. In the end the shape of the car isn't quite as slender as I wanted, but I'll accept it for now! Next time though...gotta be better.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB4jdSpFR2lQJz2u9PXOzN-IpeQAEqoHjEApb6x-D9zXKuhnIXP7B3-akNedRGJr7B0TzQhmf0t5ku48bDMIr10sZI-BEqyP2jZg0hPKzfT5R1UjJVkCWxxF7GiIXs-7hz5NKO1-0tp9M0/s1600/DSCN7747.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 252px; height: 164px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB4jdSpFR2lQJz2u9PXOzN-IpeQAEqoHjEApb6x-D9zXKuhnIXP7B3-akNedRGJr7B0TzQhmf0t5ku48bDMIr10sZI-BEqyP2jZg0hPKzfT5R1UjJVkCWxxF7GiIXs-7hz5NKO1-0tp9M0/s320/DSCN7747.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626054854973032370" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />The wheels were pretty time consuming, made of rice cereal treats covered in fondant with a gumpaste center. If I didn't make them the week before I'm not sure I would've been able to finish the cake on time!!<br />My favorite part is the LED lights. The client wasn't expecting them but I thought it was such a cool idea and really wanted it to work. Took me a while to find them but so happy I did. They are battery powered and last about 100 hours, so it was no problem to put them in the cake switched on and covered in fondant. I painted the fondant with silver petal dust and it gave such a realistic effect, definitely something I will be using in future cakes when appropriate.Zachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13040872652238359468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170178533397926576.post-85811609716159455562011-07-05T21:40:00.004-04:002011-07-05T22:04:10.831-04:00Purple Pink and Black Topsy Turvy Cake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxb2jEqLiFFXNNEqvcvmBWkW7uZis5z2CdSFeTRlfenWlpaF9BujZPgJhFMc_cF_UtLDzcl5chhnuh0A8ypVFwUIwpxX5JWtU1uvoBeizMtbsj8TpILja1GOU-GhZ28EVq19w9TfAXF1dH/s1600/meahTTC.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 310px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxb2jEqLiFFXNNEqvcvmBWkW7uZis5z2CdSFeTRlfenWlpaF9BujZPgJhFMc_cF_UtLDzcl5chhnuh0A8ypVFwUIwpxX5JWtU1uvoBeizMtbsj8TpILja1GOU-GhZ28EVq19w9TfAXF1dH/s400/meahTTC.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626050300209076402" border="0" /></a><br />What a busy week it was! Not often do I make three cakes in one week. Fortunately there were elements on all the cakes that were able to be done in advance so it wasn't as crazy as it could have been.<br /><div style="text-align: left;">This topsy turvy cake has been planned for a while and I couldn't wait to make it as I really like the color combo. Nothing too complex going on here, and for the most part it went pretty smoothly...until I got to the topper and name. I had prepared the name a week earlier, but at that point it was just the sparkly purple text with no background. I liked the look of it, but when I placed it on the cake it got so lost in the busyness of the background. It needed something to help it stand out, so I put a base layer of white under it. I didn't love that, so painted some pink...but didn't love that so added some black. At the same time trying to figure out how to position the wires the way I wanted. Just kinda funny looking back at how much I stressed over this fairly simple cake in the final hours the night before the cake was due. Now that it's over I'm actually quite happy with it! Haha I guess the stress never ends...<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigpzXQ8b1HDCsV7RrfZ82SPHae7dJzTN4ddUZmk3XoeBE48oSrJvGX4KmNWuCRCxceNfcJAOXh2s3HvnEwIM8NVdsq8tsWEkcI2tjPnt-tQGEf4G1xKLzmuv3VfDOKP4WhDrPl7aKcwKin/s1600/DSCN7683.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 163px; height: 219px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigpzXQ8b1HDCsV7RrfZ82SPHae7dJzTN4ddUZmk3XoeBE48oSrJvGX4KmNWuCRCxceNfcJAOXh2s3HvnEwIM8NVdsq8tsWEkcI2tjPnt-tQGEf4G1xKLzmuv3VfDOKP4WhDrPl7aKcwKin/s320/DSCN7683.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626053873485253666" border="0" /></a></div>Zachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13040872652238359468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170178533397926576.post-40392318997453927102011-06-25T20:55:00.003-04:002011-06-25T21:21:46.807-04:00Chessboard & Pieces Cake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-T3yHIhZDPV6ZTf6KYnoKAlWczSTAG2_fDlwOp1Ndy1I8dM73R6eVn4ivZIJrVl0sM0z8_nG9Gytr0E1y241he-rb0vdwsQuacqu2Kwt1uPidHQV-V-KdkGQ7zuqVCDUSww_KnXLQKxtU/s1600/chesscake.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 363px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-T3yHIhZDPV6ZTf6KYnoKAlWczSTAG2_fDlwOp1Ndy1I8dM73R6eVn4ivZIJrVl0sM0z8_nG9Gytr0E1y241he-rb0vdwsQuacqu2Kwt1uPidHQV-V-KdkGQ7zuqVCDUSww_KnXLQKxtU/s400/chesscake.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622325923571978130" border="0" /></a>I don't even know where to begin with this cake...<br />One week later and it's still haunting me! I usually have a couple mood swings while working on a cake, but that's just part of the process. This cake literally almost brought me to tears multiple times (but for the record, no actual tears were shed).<br />The cake started off smoothly enough. Covering the chessboard was simple enough, but I first came across some trouble with the small chess pieces. I thought it would be a great idea to make them out of chocolate versus gumpaste because it's so much tastier. But that meant there was the extra step of melting the chocolate, pouring it in the molds, placing in the freezer and removing. Sometimes there were air pockets in them so I discarded them. The black chocolate presented another problem. You can't actually but black colored chocolate, so I bought dark chocolate and thought I could easily enough turn it black by adding black gel color to the melted chocolate. Not so fast. That stuff turned into a sticky gunk. I then tried dusting the brown pieces black and airbrushing them, but neither of those methods were effective. Then I learned that you could add a little bit of vegetable oil to the melted chocolate to help keep it a soft mixture and that worked pretty well, but still...more time lost and another couple steps. <br />After successfully making all the chocolate halves, each half needed to be warmed so the pieces could be molded together and the seam could be erased. Basically just took way more time then I needed.<br />The night before the cake was due I stopped working at midnight. Unfortunately the thought of chess pieces couldn't leave my mind so after an hour or so of tossing and turning I decided to go back to work till 4 am. This may not seem like a big deal to most, but I never stayed up so late for an exam during my 5 years in college. I was clearly stressed.<br />Once I got to the big pieces, things were going pretty well and I was feeling pretty confident. As I was covering the black piece, I noticed the white fondant on the other piece was beginning to sag. My heart just sank. The finish was so smooth earlier, and now it just looked like crap. I wanted to redo it but not enough time. <br />I had a whole scene planned out, with cool a cool 2D gumpaste knight and bishop and a medium sized rook made out of rice cereal treats that would all be scattered around the board to make it look complete. But the only accent I finished was the knight, and without the other pieces it didn't look like it belonged, so I decided to leave it behind as the client was only expecting the chessboard and pieces anyway. The last couple hours I was just a wreck. I realized there was no way I was going to be able to complete all the accents I thought were so cool and I was barely going to finish making the big pieces look acceptable. Even writing this now is making me feel depressed all over again!<br />Right now I'm working on three cakes for the week. I feel like I have to work extra hard to prove to myself that I can make really cool cakes that I can say I'm proud of. But no matter how great those cakes turn out, it still won't make up for my failure. However, what's done is done and there is nothing I can change, so I just have to move forward with these next cakes and learn from this experience.<br />Grr...this "fun" job is stressful.Zachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13040872652238359468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5170178533397926576.post-79939046883938690402011-06-09T13:14:00.007-04:002011-06-09T13:32:37.232-04:00Buffy TVS Slayer's Scythe Cake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPeRICNHxONuDtOL2c18t3VOydUIaYeeAhadis6klJ7-MTicHKnDyrH3eGqQuk2YXL_hpXyvIJvojgYUshwlX9XiShkR2qi2-qBigk_KfzZO8HrB8XLi7Y2k209ahV83ivfB5Q-Ds8pzC/s1600/slayer_scythe.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 284px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPeRICNHxONuDtOL2c18t3VOydUIaYeeAhadis6klJ7-MTicHKnDyrH3eGqQuk2YXL_hpXyvIJvojgYUshwlX9XiShkR2qi2-qBigk_KfzZO8HrB8XLi7Y2k209ahV83ivfB5Q-Ds8pzC/s400/slayer_scythe.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616269936584054914" border="0" /></a>It was my birthday earlier this week which meant I had the chance to make a really cool cake for myself. Normally I enjoy working on just about every cake I make, but it's extra fun when I get to make something based on one of my own interests.<br />This Slayer's Scythe cake was the perfect selection, as it allowed me to make a big sculpted cake (my favorite type), without needing a ton of cake. I decided to make the handle out of brownies since it was so thin, and I like brownies more than cake anyway!<br />It was fun making the cake section by section. I tried to give the wrap a leather look by rolling it over plastic wrap. It did give me the exact texture I was looking for, but I had time making it as noticeable as I wanted. And gotta love my new extruder for the rope, such a useful tool and I've used it on just about every cake since I bought it!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLJ6Pr2r7nJMtrnUJtPQ33tRa7F7MjOS0uyEXKck9gv3sTJoOjgaPJKS5UhjWMP0VEq9ikpOSJl9oePn_NwKBC2bfDTu7hmSIdhua5FBJGw0GZ7jOZ7XAQ-LH4R63LP-uj9RDhw-0ppccR/s1600/DSCN7547.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLJ6Pr2r7nJMtrnUJtPQ33tRa7F7MjOS0uyEXKck9gv3sTJoOjgaPJKS5UhjWMP0VEq9ikpOSJl9oePn_NwKBC2bfDTu7hmSIdhua5FBJGw0GZ7jOZ7XAQ-LH4R63LP-uj9RDhw-0ppccR/s320/DSCN7547.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616270089762801378" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The only challenge I had with the cake was figuring out how to get the blade silver and red while using the same piece of fondant. I decided to roll white fondant over the cake and then covered the part I wanted silver in blue masking tape. I then airbrushed the cake red, removed the tape, and dusted it with silver petal dust. Not as difficult as I thought!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfAvEMIzvxoDaQwSTm9DBA3__ywX0REO9zu-J1yFa26NYbKHfF3kWo6BPhyDyRuwAZ0nCOmRuiwdJj6GxZ7HD5yOEo0dNFI-47DQqFIoOybmwKirnc_YsuRqWiUsh7ucbfXlvV1dGjxobR/s1600/cakefun.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfAvEMIzvxoDaQwSTm9DBA3__ywX0REO9zu-J1yFa26NYbKHfF3kWo6BPhyDyRuwAZ0nCOmRuiwdJj6GxZ7HD5yOEo0dNFI-47DQqFIoOybmwKirnc_YsuRqWiUsh7ucbfXlvV1dGjxobR/s320/cakefun.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616272726694680114" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Oh and I had to have a little bit of fun in photoshop with this cake :)<br />Have some really cool cakes coming up in June and this was the perfect way to start the month!<br /></div>Zachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13040872652238359468noreply@blogger.com0