Tiffany Bridal Shower Cake

A few weeks ago I got a referral from friend who couldn't make the cake herself. The client wanted me to make a cake for her sister's bridal shower. She emailed me a picture along the lines of what she wanted and I got to work. What she wanted was a Tiffany cake with red flowers, to match the wedding colors. The fun part is that the inside matched! It was a red velvet cake with the same Tiffany colored icing on the inside.

Instead of using gum paste and fondant for the flowers, I decided to try candy clay. You know from my earlier post The wonders of CANDY CLAY!!!! that I love candy clay. It's so easy to work with! The only problem is it doesn't do well in the heat. And it was already 95 when I delivered the cake at 9:30! Luckily the cake was being displayed inside.

Although I had a picture to work from and knew how the cake was supposed to turn out, I still went ahead and drew up a sketch anyway. After all, it is the reason I justified buying an iPad. That way all my cake and pop sketches would be in one centralized location that I wouldn't misplace as easily as the countless notebooks over the past few years.




Here's the sketch of how I hoped things would turn out. With flowers in the top tier of course. I debated whether or not to make it three tiers, but like it so much more with the third in the sketch that I went with it in the end.

Next up came the flowers. The candy clay was easy to shape by hand and with my gum paste cutters. I even used my veining tools to really make them pop. I went a little overboard on the flower making. It was fun. Plus I would rather be over prepared than under prepared. One thing I've found in cake decorating is that sometimes you know exactly how the cake is going to look, sometimes you don't know until you're in the moment and inspiration strikes, and more often than not, the cake turns out completely different than you expected in the most wonderful way possible.

Back to the flowers.....


This is about 2/3 of what I ended up making and about half of what I actually used in the cake.

As much as I love cake decorating, it is a lot of work to buy yourself. Idid as much ahead of time as possible; like making the flowers and icing beforehand. But I like my flakes to be as fresh as possible. So the day before it's delivered, I baked it, leveled it, filled it, crumb-coated it, iced it and decorated it with the icing comb before the icing set. All after working an 8-hour day. Needless to say, I was tired by the time I was done cleaning up my mess.

But, once I got passed the "I hate this cake!" stage, it was worth it.

Are you ready?


It's pretty spectacular.....






Yup... definitely in love with this one. I've got so many flowers left over I might have to make another one of these for Fourth of July this year. Just change the blue up a little bit ;)

Thanks for checking in. See you after my next cake or pop adventure!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

To catch you up

Ok... So it's kind of hard for me to actually blog since, even though it's 2012, the only Internet I have at home is dial-up. Aww the joys of country living! I am going to attempt to at least post pictures of what I make. I bought a fancy app for my iPad to see if that helps. Somehow being able to use my iPad to do something is extra incentive. With the amount of money I paid for it, I use it all I can.
Anyway.... to catch you up on the things I've made lately, here a few pictures.

Mark's ninja birthday cake!

iPhone's and hearts and tvs, oh my!

Cameo and Dennis's wedding cake.

Owl cake pops. (ignore the knife, I promise they were friendly)

Bowling cake pops for my lovely Aunt's birthday.

Followed by Wonder Woman cake pops the very next day for my cousin's birthday.

Captain Hook Cake Pops. Really loved these. Plus, they were chocolate raspberry! YUM!!!

Fun circle and dot cake for Kimmy's birthday (my sister).
AND........

...last, but not least, my cousin's 20th anniversary cake! Which, btw, is today. I'll be delivering it to their party after work. Then all the hand shaped flowers go on! I'll post an updated picture when they do :)
There have been many more creations, but these are the few that I have pictures of. I really need to buy a new camera so I can get you guys some good pictures.
Until next time....(and who knows when that will actually be :))

UPDATE: here is the anniversary cake all finished at the party!




Just how I hoped it would look. :) I'll have to make this one again. So pretty!

The wonders of CANDY CLAY!!!!

Have you ever had a moment when you simultaneously say "Why haven't I done this before?" and "I can't believe I made that!?!?!" Well that is what just happened to me.

Today I discovered candy clay!!!!!

Well, maybe not discovered, but actually got around to trying. I've always wanted to try modeling chocolate, but had no idea where to buy it or how to even make it. So I did what everybody does in that situation.... I googled it.

I found that both modeling chocolate and candy clay are made the same way. By melting the chocolate/candy and then adding corn syrup.

This weekend my mom, sister and I are putting on a baby shower for my cousin. I'm making her a cake and o e of the decorations I wanted to do was a little teddy bear figurine. So I decided to test out candy clay in place of fondant/gum paste I would normally use in this situation.

So I started by melting the candy melts until smooth and then stirred in the corn syrup. Once thoroughly mixed, I poured it out onto waxed paper to dry.

I have to say... It looked pretty weird. I then let it dry/harden overnight, wrapped in the waxed paper.

Then in the morning (after a few cups of coffee), I began the hardest part of the whole candy clay experience: kneading it to a workable consistency.

If you've ever worked with real clay, it's similar to working the clay to get the bubbles out. This was not an easy task and took a LOT of hand strength. But it was definitely worth it in the end.

Here is what I looked like once all kneaded and ready to go.

Then I started to shape the individual body parts.

The head.



The body.

And the arms and legs.

Once the basics were done, I started shaping the bear to how I actually wanted him to look. I used my veining tool (from my gum paste kit) to to seal the extremities to the body by working the seams together and then smoothing them out.

Here he is all put together the shape I wanted him.

Now the last step.

I took a fork and started scoring him, from the bottom up, to create a fur effect.

Then I used the thin end of my veining tool to make holes for the eyes.

I can't believe how cute he is!!!



Ok... so maybe that wasn't the last step.

For the eyes, I took some white nonpareils sprinkles (the color doesn't really matter) and covered them in black candy coating. I also used the black candy to make a nose on the waxed paper. I used a little bit of the candy to make the eyes and nose stick. Finally, I drew on a mouth.

Are you ready for this.......

Adorable! I still can't believe that I made him. And I have a bunch of candy clay left! Can't wait to play with it again. Its much more workable for figurines than gum paste/fondant and tastes so much better!

Here is the recipe if you want to give it a try.

 

Ingredients:

• One bag (14 oz) Candy Melts
• 1/3 cup corn syrup 

To Store
Prepared candy clay will last for several weeks at room temperature in an airtight container.

Thanks for visiting :)



Snowman Cake Pops

And now... the main event. Well, maybe not the main event, but we're getting close.

Last night my dance studiohaad a  holiday party. It was a lot of fun! Nothing says happy holidays like a pot luck, tap dancing and an ornament exchange. Or so I've been told.

As I said in my last blog, I made snowman cake pops. 

This blog may get a little lengthy, as I've never blogged about cake pops before. But I promise you it's worth it. These cake pops are a holiday treat that will impress everyone.

So let's start with the basics.

There are several methods of making cake pops. You can buy a fancy cake pop machine, or a pan to bake them in (much like cupcakes). Or there is my personal favorite, the crumb technique. I like making cake pops this way for two reasons:

1. You aren't limited in the shape of just a ball. You can mold the cake pop into virtually any shape you can imagine.
2. Frosting! Frosting is mixed into the crumbled cake to hold it together. Plus, it makes it delicious!

What you'll need to make cake pops is :

• Cake
• Frosting
• candy melts (white for snowmen) or almond bark, any type of confectionery coating
• lollipop sticks
• Styrofoam block (at least 2 in. thick)
• accessories
• for snowman:
• regular oreos
• mini oreos
• orange sunflower seeds
• edible ink pen

The first step is to bake a cake. One 13in x 9in cake will make 48 cake pops. That is quite an undertaking. I normally make 24 at a time. What's great is that you can wrap the other half of the cake in plastic wrap and freeze it until the next time you want to make cake pops.

Once the cake is baked and cooled, crumb it. Cut the cake into fourths, then, pick up two fourths and rub them together over the top of a large mixing bowl. If any large chunks fall in, be sure to break them up. Also, remove any dark corner pieces.

 Here is the result of half a crumbed cake.

 

Next, mix in frosting. If you're working with premade frosting, add about 1/3 of a can of frosting for half a cake (just less than 3/4 of a can for a whole cake). If you make your frosting, go with just over 1/2 cup of frosting for half a cake.

 

Mix the frosting in until it disappears into the cake. I know it sounds funny, but just keep mixing until the frosting can't be seen any more. It's easiest to do with the back of a spoon.

 

It should look like this when done.....

 

 

 

Here comes the fun messy part. Take your frosting and cake mixture and form it into balls. I find that squeezing a small amount in my hand and then rolling works best. Aim for 1 into1 1/2in size balls. Place on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper.

 

Remember, 24 for half a cake, 48 for a whole cake.

Once you've shaped all the cake balls (they're not pops yet), place them in the freezer for 15-20 minutes, or in the refrigerator for several hours. You want them to be firm, but not frozen. That way they will stick together better while you shape and dip them. But if they get too cold, the candy melts will solidify too quickly around the cake pop and it won't look smooth and may get too heavy for the stick and fall apart.

I normally take this time, while the cake balls are chilling, to start melting my candy melts. Just follow the package directions. Make sure you use a bowl that is deep enough to dip your cake pop in. Keep in mind that candy melts are oil based, so if you get any water in them, they will be ruined. So don't try to thin them out by adding water. Add some melted shortening instead :). The same goes for coloring your candy melt. There are many colors available, but if you want one you can't find in the stores don't add food coloring or gel coloring for frosting. They are water based and will ruin the candy melts. Instead, use candy coloring. AmeriColor makes some. They also make the best edible ink pens I've ever used. They're amazing!

I also get out any accessories that I'm making at this time and lay them all out on plates or bowls so that they are easily accessible. Also, prepare your styrofaom block. Use an empty lollipop stick and poke holes at two inch intervals. Make sure the holes go far enough down that the sticks will stand upright, but not so far down that you poke a hole through the bottom. That can prove problemsome when it comes to moving your cake pops, trust me.

Once all this is done, and your cake is firm, but not frozen, let the dipping begin.

Take a lollipop stick and dip it about 1/2 an inch into the candy melt. Then insert it half way through the cake ball.

I like to dip the bottom of the cake pop, where I insert the stick in, in the candy melt. I find that it gives a little sturdier base when I go to dip the pop.

 

Let the cake pop rest for a minute so that the candy melt can solidify and the cake will stick when you dip it.

 

Once it's hardened.... dip!

 

 

Make sure that the candy melt touches the stick at the base of the cake. Then pull out and let any excess candy melt fall back into the bowl.

 

The technique that I use is what my sister refers to as the s'more technique. Slowly rotate the cake pop above the candy melt with one hand (like when roasting marshmallows) while taping your wrist gently with your other hand. The tapping obviously shakes the pop to allow the excess to come off and the rotating makes it so one side doesn't get too heavy; it evenly distributes the candy melt.

 

For basic cake pops, you are now done! Set in the styrofoam block and let dry.

 

Now for the snowman cake pops!

 

As stated before, you'll need Oreos(TM) (reguar and mini), orange sunflower seeds and an edible ink pen.

 

Before the candy melt solidifies, add an orange sunflower seed for the nose.

 

Repeat with the remaining cake pops.

While the candy melt is solidifying, assemble the hats.

Remove the filling from 12 regular oreos (if making 24 pops).  Then, using some melted candy melt as glue, attach one small oreo to the center of each cookie piece.

What you do with the extra frosting is up to you. I chose to make one giant cookie with it.

But somehow it ended up turning into a monster cookie....

Back to the cake pops....

Using the glue method once more, place a small amount of candy melt onto the bottom of the cookie hats.

Then hold the hat on the snowman's head until the candy melt has slightly solidified.

Once dry, draw on a face with a black edible ink pen.

Then...

Get creative. Give them different faces! They don't all have to look the same.

The monster cookie felt left out.

That reminds me... toothpicks come in very handy. Let's say you want to make a full sized snowman and add some buttons and a scarf. The toothpick allows you to be very accurate with your placement of the candy melt.

Let me show you....

Pretzel arms, licorise rope scarf and confetti sprinkles.

And there you have it... snowman cake pops.

They were a big hit at the party last night. Everyone oooed and ahhhed as I walked in with them. Plus, they were delicious. I look foward to eating one when I get home tonight.

Next time I blog about cake pops I'll tell you about how to store and transport them. And the best ways to display them.

Merry Christmas!

Hope you enjoy your snowmen.

Let the baking begin!

Although I have to work this week, unlike years past, I still plan on getting as much baking in as possible. It wouldn't be Christmas if my house wasn't filled with a million different kinds of cookies, bonbons, Christmas bread, and new to the menu this year.... CAKE POPS!!!! I think I might be in love with cake pops.

Naturally I don't eat all of this by myself. I have plenty of help. My mom and I normally team up and give away baskets to our family and close friends.

So as a warm-up to the week, I did a little baking at work today. One of the many benefits of being a nanny is that I can bake all I want and then leave behind the goodies for others to eat. Much better for my waist line then baking at home.

This morning when I asked the kids what they wanted to do they replied "Bake treats for the neighbors!" They apparently got lots of goodies from different neighbors over the weekend and wanted to reciprocate. Very sweet of them. We made these delicious cookies that I saw in Sunset Magazine a few weeks ago. They are called White Christmas Dream Drops.

Mmmm.....If you like peppermint and white chocolate, you'll love these. They're almost a cross between a meringue and a pavlova; hard on the outside, but a little bit soft when you bite into them. Delicious! I hope their neighbors like them. I think they may have made the list for baskets this year. Any cookie that you have to bang the crud out of peppermint candies for is alright in my book.

So now that I'm all warmed up what's next?.....

Cake pops of course! I have a Christmas party at my dance studio (I take tap if you didn't know) tomorrow night and I promised one of my little dancer friends that I would make snowman cake pops. I'm looking forward to it. I bought some fun stuff to accessorize them. Like oreos for top hats, sunflower seeds for noses...well, you'll see. I'll take lots of pictures and give you all step by step details in case you want to make your own.

Stay tuned. Lots to come in the next week.

It really is the most wonderful time of the year :)

The Beginning...

So I've decided to start a blog.

Sounds simple enough, but we'll see. Since we're at the beginning, lets start with the basics: who am I and why am I doing this?

Well that's simple.

My name is Amy Geddes and I am the only one like me (corny, but true). I have many passions in life, such as dancing, cooking, counseling, sports, art... the list goes on and on. But what I'm most passionate about (in terms of things to do that is) has to be baking. At least once a week I bake something. If I didn't have other obligations, like work :/, I would probably bake 24/7. Even when I'm not baking I can be seen designing different creations. Whether its sketching a cake for a cousin's baby shower or creating a one-of-a-kind cake pop for a friend's birthday--my brain tends to think in creative ways, centered around food (things could be worse!). Then, when I get a chance, they become reality.

Here are a few examples of cakes and cake pops I've made in the past few months.

This is the side view of the birthday cake I made for the little girl I nanny. It was her second birthday. She's obsessed with ladybugs.

I made these cake pops for my mom for her birthday this year.

Let's see... one more example.

This is a giraffe (hopefully you guessed that). He's made out of gumpaste. This was before he was 100% finished. He's kicking a field goal. I attached a football made out of fondant to him. What else are you supposed to do when a four-year-old tells you he wants a giraffe and football cake. :)

So why am I starting this blog?

I've decided I need a place to organize all of my thoughts and creations. I'm always posting pictures on facebook of the different things I've made. The problem is, everything gets spread out and I don't know where things end up.

Another reason for this blog is to share my experiences and knowledge with all of you. More often then not, when I show up with a cake or other baked item I get asked "How did you do that?!?!" I never really know if people want to know, or if their just astonished at what I've accomplished. So I thought, why not start a blog about the tricks I've learned, the great recipes I've found, and the fun, quirkiness that baking and cake decorating can be.

My goal is whenever I bake (something besides chocolate chip cookies that is) to post it here so that people can see what I've done. If I'm really on top of it, I'll take step by step pictures so you can see the whole process. But let's not get too carried away.

Bear with me as I get this started. Hopefully the pictures will get better and the blogs more interesting. But that's a given--what's more interesting than baking! ;)

I'm always up for suggestions of what to make too. So if you have an idea share it with me!

Oh... and I should probably explain the name of the blog. Cakes and Crumbs (also the name on my business cards). Cakes is obvious, I make and decorate cakes. Crumbs comes from the way I make cake pops. I'm not a big fan of baking round circles of cakes and putting them on sticks, but of crumbing the cake, addind frosting and letting my imagination take over. You'll see. I've got some cute cake pops in the works for Christmas. I love this time of year!