Calling all Cake bakers, eaters, makers, etc.

[lovesfortune]

Here are the last 3 cakes that I have made all on my own. So you can see what I CAN do. Which isn't phenomonal, but I think they are pretty neat and my family seems to love them and I have found that I LOVE making them.

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj14/lovesfortune/2009part2149.jpg
http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj14/lovesfortune/2009part2148.jpg

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj14/lovesfortune/noah3bday001.jpg
http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj14/lovesfortune/noah3bday002.jpg

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj14/lovesfortune/cake001.jpg

The dump truck cake was my son's 3rd bday and the ladybugs were for my daughters 2nd. The Tractor was for my son as well.


I've only made cakes with buttercream frosting, never experimented with fondant, but am willing to give anything a try.

I have been asked to make my cousin's baby shower cake. She is having a boy and is doing a sports theme in the nursery. She and her hubby are Nascar fans as well. I am totally stumped as to what I could make for a cake? I was thinking maybe a "Nascar" car, but then instead of decorating it to look like a certain car with sponsors, I would put baby related items like a pacifier, diaper, rattle, etc?

Anyone else have any ideas? I looked online, but didn't really come up with anything?

[dame_wolf]

Way better then I could do!!! My cousin would love the ladybug cakes, she's obsessed!

[Dakota Sunrise]

I don't really have any ideas for you, but those cakes look AWESOME! Great job!

[FatSpottedAppy]

I think your idea sounds pretty good, just make sure that it still has the Nascar theme and not just a car with baby theme! Maybe you could do the checkered flag somewhere?

[lovesfortune]

ooh, thanks FSA. I think i'll do that then. A baby themed Nascar with a checkered flag!

Thanks for the compliments guys! They took a long time to make. The truck cake took me over 6 hours, the lady bug cake 4 hrs.

i'm actually toying with the idea of taking cake decorating classes at the tech school and starting my own business.

[gaited07]

Oh how cute!

[livaward]

Hmmmm......lets see....You could do a checkered flag in fondant but getting the fondant black is going to take ALOT on kneding and I still don't think it would work......lets see.....You could make a sheet of fondant and ripple it like a flag and with black buttercream add the black squares and make your car idea and you can go to a bakery and have them print out the Nascar logo on eatable paper and put it across the car......and put the car kinda on the flag.....I dunno if you want to do that much work.....I would prolly do all that in 2 days

[livaward]

Hmmmm......lets see....You could do a checkered flag in fondant but getting the fondant black is going to take ALOT on kneding and I still don't think it would work......lets see.....You could make a sheet of fondant and ripple it like a flag and with black buttercream add the black squares and make your car idea and you can go to a bakery and have them print out the Nascar logo on eatable paper and put it across the car......and put the car kinda on the flag.....I dunno if you want to do that much work.....I would prolly do all that in 2 days

Or or or! Insead of black checker but either baby blue or pink checkers! Those colors you can do with fondant! and since the fondant wont be part of the cake people will eat you can just buy the store kind so you don't have to go through the hassle of kneding the fondant to the right texture

[lovesfortune]

do you have the fondant recipe that you make yours with? i was hoping you would post!

i was also now just thinking about maybe doing a sports theme nascar instead of baby theme since that is what her nursery will be?

[livaward]

Here you go ma lady

* 1 lb of Mini Marshmallows (easier to melt)
* 1 tsp Clear Vanilla Extract
* 1tsp No Color Butter Flavor
* 2 tbsp of Water
* 2 lbs of Powdered Sugar (sifted)
* A little bit of shortening


Instructions:

1. Grease a microwaveable bowl with shortening. Add all mini marshmallows, clear vanilla, butter flavoring and water

2. Microwave for 60 seconds. Remove from microwave and stir until completely melted with fork

3. If all the mini marshmallows don't melt after stirring, return to microwave for 30 seconds and sitr (repeat in itervals if necessary) - this step is usually not necesary for me

4. Add the powdered sugar gradually (you might not need all the sugar) and process at low speed until well incorporated, then increase speed (if you don't have a stand mixer, mix with fork until well incorporated then knead)

5. Powder surface with powder sugar. Knead marshmallow mix (careful, it might be hot at this point so knead with fork until it cools down a bit. You can grease your hands if you like to avoid marshmallow sticking to your hands). Kneading should not take long.

6. If the mix is too sticky, then add more sugar until it becomes firmer

7. Knead into a loaf (it will be a little bit soft at this point but don't worry). Wrap in plastic and cool for one hour (it will get firmer then)

8. You can store on dry place or refrigerator (it will store for weeks)

[FatSpottedAppy]

Oh, and I wanted to add that your cakes are GREAT.. Very cool!

[lovesfortune]

Thanks! sounds easy. i think i will be testing it out this weekend to see what i come up with. hopefully it will be good enough to post pics of. lol. fondant scares me, but i really want to try!!!

[Remali]

I love 'em.....the ladybugs are my favorites! I always thought it would be fun to do something like that.
In fact, I think it would be such a blast to have a bake shop....what a great way to make a living!

You did a great job!!

[Remali]

I love 'em.....the ladybugs are my favorites! I always thought it would be fun to do something like that.
In fact, I think it would be such a blast to have a bake shop....what a great way to make a living!

You did a great job!!

[sugarsgirl]

Wow, those are really good! I love the lady bugs, soo cute !

[lovesfortune]

i'm about to bite the bullet and make the cake!

i decided on a 3 layer cake with chocolate frosting (since that is what the mom to be wants) which limits my decorating options. so i'm going to TRY to make little baseballs, basketballs, footballs, etc. out of fondant and attach them somehow to the sides of the layers.

then i'm going to TRY to make a bigger 3D mini football out of rice krispies for the cake topper.

Liva - does that sound like it might work out of fondant or should i try something else?

[livaward]

i'm about to bite the bullet and make the cake!

i decided on a 3 layer cake with chocolate frosting (since that is what the mom to be wants) which limits my decorating options. so i'm going to TRY to make little baseballs, basketballs, footballs, etc. out of fondant and attach them somehow to the sides of the layers.

then i'm going to TRY to make a bigger 3D mini football out of rice krispies for the cake topper.

Liva - does that sound like it might work out of fondant or should i try something else?

Yeah that will work.....I don't know if you remember my 2nd fondant but I used a cookie cutter and rolled the fondant out pretty thin and dampened one side and stuck it on.....

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh181/jlw012061/tv4thcake004.jpg

[zoel_222]

mmmmm cake *drools*

[lovesfortune]

yes, i remember that awesome cake. but here is the tricky part. the chocolate frosting will be buttercream .. will it still stick?

[livaward]

yup yup yup

[lovesfortune]

okay. another question... the fondant pieces... should i make them say tonight and then put them in a tupperware so they can dry and be hard before i put them on the cake? or make them on saturday with everything else?

the shower is sunday at 11.

[lovesfortune]

alright - it's finished! i'm not 100% happy with it and i had some frosting 'run' since it's about 85 here today and HUMID and our house doens't have AC so my kitchen got pretty warm.

BUT it looks alright. hope she likes it tomorrow.

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj14/lovesfortune/009.jpg

[livaward]

awwwww i like it!

[lovesfortune]

thanks! i'm not sure how i feel about fondant. it's a lot harder to work with than i thought. but i already have the next cake in mind.

[Remali]

I love it!! Makes me want to try something like that. You did a great job!

[miatapony]

that is a nice looking cake !!!

[natisha]

Very nice. What is fondant?

[lovesfortune]

natisha - it's a kind of frosting made out of marshmallows and powdered sugar. it's like a dough almost and really smooth. the chocolate on this cake is regular frosting, but the sports shapes are all fondant.

[miatapony]

i think i want to go make a cake now but OMG who will eat it .....
GAITED AND VEGAS will come over ...lol
ill ahve to mail it to Appylover ...tooo

[lovesfortune]

just one more picture, i promise! i had so many left over sportsballs that i thought i would make cupcakes for the guys. i hate to see my first fondant adventure tossed away since i made so many extra (in case of a disaster)

it's an all ladies shower, but most of the women are married or dating and their significant others are up for the weekend as well. and what guy doesn't love a cupcake?

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj14/lovesfortune/011.jpg

and mita - make one and take pictures! someone would eat it!!

[livaward]

Hey fondant will last forever almost if you keep it in a air tight containment...you can freeze it too....just when you get ready to use it again pop it in the microwave for a bit and presto!

[lovesfortune]

thanks liva! i will have to remember that for next time. although i could freeze a bit of colored stuff i have that i didn't even make into anything. or can it not be colored?