The Dangers of Cake Decorating

A little "sna-phoo" happened to me recently.  I won't get into the details but it really put some things about cake decorating into perspective for me.

Things that I take for granted when decorating.

Things that can be dangerous if one isn't careful and takes the proper precautions.

Or if you are just prone to accidents like me.

Most people have never considered that there dangerous things involved in cake decorating.

From leveling a cake (with this amazing AGBAY by the way)

To carving a 3D cake with a serrated knife!

If you cut your own cake bases...

foam core with a hot knife!
(This was the culprit.)

wood bases with a hand saw!

If you use PVC pipe to create a base structure for 3D cakes!

If you use poured sugar that gets up to 338* and can burn the begeezes of you!

Not to mention the basics of baking & handling hot pans!

Don't get me started on all the motorized and pyrotechnics that some cake decorators use!

A dedicated cake decorator will put blood, sweat, & tears into decorating a cake... LITERALLY!

Be careful out there cake decorators!

It's a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it!

Happy Anniversary Busy Bee!

Busy Bee celebrated their two year anniversary yesterday! 

Two years ago David Woody Lockwood and Chris Powers opened Busy Bee Cafe and The Hive on April 6, 2008.

The Busy Bee originally opened in 1913, serving breakfast and lunch to Raleigh’s downtown crowd. The café had a varied menu, including fish, oyster and steak. There was also a private dining room for women, hence the “Ladies Invited” signage on the original storefront (see picture). After the café closed in 1925, the space was occupied by a number of businesses, including an auto parts store (Advance), a hardware store (Carolina Hardware), a furniture and appliance store, and most recently a hip-hop fashion outfitter (Capital Clothing). It was also rumored to have been a strip club in the late 1960s. The building was condemned after the entire storefront fell into Wilmington Street in the late 90s, you can still see where the original brick of the wall and the newer brick of the storefront meet. After purchase in the summer of 2008, the building underwent an extensive renovation, reopening as Busy Bee Café and The Hive on April 6, 2009.

I had the honor of creating a cake for them to celebrate!

The theme was barrel-aged beer.

I started off with a rough sketch of my idea....

Piece... 

by piece... 

It turned into this!

Happy Anniversary Busy Bee! 

Princess Birthday

So for my sister's birthday she asked for a barbie cake....

It just so happen that I recieved a little gift in the mail... from ME!

The Wilton Wonder Mold kit!

I COULDN'T WAIT TO TRY IT OUT!!

It was super easy!  There's a heating core rod that goes in the center of the pan to conduct heat to the center.  This allows the cake to cook evenly.

I made my sister a strawberry cake (her FAVORITE!) with a vanilla swiss meringue buttercream

 There are these wonderful instructions in the kit for several different styles of dresses for your doll!

I used the Wilton Graceful Vines fondant imprint mat to get the design on the dress.  She was workin that au' natural hair do.

 

And she wasn't done wihtout a little edible pink pearl dust painted on!

 

My sister LOVED the cake... but she wasn't the only one.

This was no KRABBY birthday!

I had the pleasure of creating a birthday cake for a wonderful little boy named Elijah!

He wanted a cake of the one & only...

SPONGEBOB!

This cake was so much fun to make!

 Elijah was all about eating that nose!  Can you blame him???

I decided SpongeBob was not complete without a birthday hat to fit the occasion!

 

Does SpongeBob go anywhere without having a krabby patty??

SpongeBob could not make it to the party without a present for Elijah!

Elijah's mom had this to say...

OMG.....the cake was unbelieveable!!!!!! It was soooo GOOD and everyone LOVED it! People came in and was like "oh nice centerpiece" and we were like uh...it is a cake...it was the main topic ALL DAY!!! I am soooo pleased and Elijah loved it. We are saving the nose to eat later...he didnt want to eat it while everyone was around yesterday. I told him it was a stick but he said he will lick the cake off of it!! LOL I am so so happy at how it turned out. Parents took cards with them.....AWESOME job!! THANK YOU so much for not only making the cake beautiful....but making it taste as good as it looked! We had more than enough cake for everyone and people even took some home!!! THANK YOU AGAIN for making Elijah's birthday extra special!!!!!!

Thank you Williams Family and Happy Birthday Elijah!

April Classes!

Sign up as soon as you can!  Space is limited!

Tuesdays - Decorating Basics
April 5, 12, 19, 26

Registration Fee: $45

April Special: 50% off = $22.50!

 

 

Thursdays - Gum Paste & Fondant
April 7, 14, 21, 28

Registration Fee: $45

April Special: 50% off = $22.50!

 

 

 

 

 

Cupcakes & More Class!... The March Edition

Yes!!  It's back!!! Cupcakes & More got such a good response, I am offering it again!  

Tuesday, March 22nd 6:30-8:30 pm! 

Stop by the store to register ASAP!

Registration fee is $15.

See you there!!

 

Decorating Basics - Final Cakes!

This week was our final class for Course 1: Decorating Basics! These students had a blast! We finished off the course by learning the Wilton buttercream rose.

Their final cakes were amazing! Check out these cakes!