Big Red Truck!

When a friend's daughter's boyfriend graduates, she asks for a special cake.

His most prized possession is his truck. 

Our cake option was clear...

Big. Red. Lifted.

The truck is all edible! Red velvet, filled and covered with chocolate ganache. 

Hand painted fondant. Rice cereal wheels.

And working lights. 

Working. Lights.

Because my wiring expert husband is awesome!

Because of the lift, I really wanted air under the cake.

Building the platform to accommodate the life and wiring was a challenge. 

But it worked!

And then this. That grin right there. 

The whole reason I do what I do!

A massive bowl of Ramen. But cake!

With a risk of hurting feelings, this family is my favorite. The parents toss ideas back and forth and then come to me with a loose concept and let me run with it. And as an artist? I love it! 

All I got for this cake was, "Okay...so...what about a big bowl of Ramen noodles? 

And make the cake a rainbow?" 

Done. 

Six layers of vanilla cake, each colored and stacked up like a rainbow. Only six, because really...indigo is just silly. Sorry indigo lovers!

Filled and covered with vanilla buttercream.

Fondant "noodles", modeling chocolate peas and lettering. 

Which, I'm trusting the Google search that assured me this was "Happy Birthday" in Chinese.

And a modeling chocolate fortune cookie. Because cookie.

I couldn't leave the backside of the bowl unadorned. That would just be unseemly. 

I thinned out tinted buttercream and attempted a watercolor effect. 

The mom just sent me a picture of the cut cake. It's a rainbow! 

The birthday girl was not expecting it and was so surprised and excited! Hooray!

Certainly the most fun I've had designing and creating a cake in a long time! 

Happy Birthday, Miss V! Can't wait for next year's challenge!

Graduation!

Two of my favorite humans on the planet graduated from high school last week. 

I could not be more proud of them!

So, of course, I made them a cake. 

And I triple checked the spelling of "congratulations"...because don't be a cake wreck!

Since I made them share...they each got their own special bits. 

Half of the cake is delicious chocolate, and the other half is yummy vanilla--

but in delightful tie dye swirls. 

I used my new favorite French Buttercream recipe. So forgiving! And so very delicious!

Sarah is an exceptionally talented artist with a passion for photography and nature. 

I wanted her side to reflect all of those things.

Ethan is on his way to a chemistry major. He aspires to teach high school chemistry. I had no choice but to spell his name out using elements from the periodic table. And, yes, those are all real. 

I hand painted fondant "photographs" based off of a few of Sarah's Instagram photos. 

Her childhood dog, Buddy, had to be included. 

Ethan had the honor and esteemed privilege of serving as Drum Major for marching band his senior year. One of my favorite pictures of him is him looking very fierce in his plumed head gear. 

I dug out my palette knife for the sunflowers. 

Getting to blend old talents with new. This is my happy place.

Congratulations, you twos! 

Love you both...to the moon and back!

Flowers and Butterflies!

I've been creating this little girl's birthday cakes for several years now. She doesn't even hesitate when she makes her requests. I love a girl who knows what she wants! 

Obviously, I cannot copy a cake from a picture (that would be Stealing. And that's just Bad Form.) But I can use it as inspiration and a "spring board" for my own unique creation. 

The picture she sent me was all fondant, lots of flowers and butterflies. 

She wanted buttercream--because who wouldn't? 

Six layers of delicious chocolate cake filled with a chocolate buttercream. 

Covered with vanilla buttercream.

Lots and lots of modeling chocolate flowers!

A few fondant butterflies flitting about here and there...

The birthday girl loved it! 

She was the sweetest--she made sure that everyone at the party knew who had made her cake. 

Can't wait to see what she sends me next year!