Beauty School Graduation

For a gal graduating from John Casablanca Institute - and her real love is "waxing"! yikes :-)  Chocolate cake with chocolate ganache filling atop a Sour Cream Vanilla cake with raspberry buttercream filling.  Fondant features include the textured spa towel and the pretty bow.  All the little accessories, makeup, balloons, hot wax bucket (and of course the graduate in her spa uniform) are in gum paste.

Balloons were painted with 50:50 vodka and corn syrup so they would stay shiny when dry.

Note in her hand she has a wax strip with little hairs on it.. I love adding these little humorous touches...

gum paste tiger lily

Stars Wars cake toppers

Just a couple of cute toppers in gum paste...

Gravity defying cake!

My first effort at a gravity defying cake - to celebrate the opening of our new breast centre at the hospital!

Mini-Marcus had a wee accident during the party so I took him home for some cake "orthopedic surgery".  That's the danger when I make my creations only a few days before the event - legs, etc are not so stable.  These little guys are best done at minimum 7 days pre party.  That way the sugar paste sets up rock hard and they last forever!!!

Dinosaur Dig Cake

Birthday party for a couple of 4 year old twins who love dinosaurs!  The vanilla sponge cake in front was adorned with T Rex fossil bones - each bone individually molded out of fondant..the kids had fun eating all the bones!  The back cake (the volcano) was a chocolate mud cake.  Dinosaurs are made from combination of either rice krispies, fondant and gum paste.  All keepsakes.  More pictures after the jump.

Airplane Birthday Cake

A double birthday cake - 3D Cessna Airplane Cake!  

My instructions:...Dad (turning 50) is a Cessna pilot who grows prize tomatoes (when deer aren't climbing into his garden to eat them).  Daughter (turning 18) is a volleyball player who owns and loves bunnies!
So the cake is  my version of a Cessna airplane (all cake except the wings - white almond sour cream cake with white chocolate buttercream filling) sitting on a chocolate cake with mocha buttercream filling.  People, bunnies, tomato plant and deer are all gumpaste keepsakes.  The real challenge was figuring out how to have the airplane sit above the cake on its wheels.  Bubble straws and dowels to the rescue!

A few close-up details...tried out a new technique for making "glass" on the windshield: combination of alcohol and corn syrup = dries hard and shiny like glass!

Rose cake pops how to make flower cake pops roses cake pop tutorial

Cool tutorial by Zoe's Fancy Cakes for when you want really edible flowers on your cake :-)

Tardis cake

Having just started my blog, I am playing catch up with  a few cakes.. this is a Tardis cake that I did a while back for my nephew Anton and his family - Sammi and the twins, Shula and Maretta.  I included their dog Jimmy and a few "adipose creatures" from Dr Who!  a couple more photos after the jump...

Family Birthday Cake

 Decadent family birthday cake for my sister and nephew (that's the two of them perched on top of a caramel chocolate "Snickers" cake).

My gum paste figurines will last forever...unless mischievous little hands get a hold of them before they make to a shelf   ;-)

Travel Cake (vintage suitcase, camera and globe)

"Around the World in 80 Years" - A cake for a fabulous lady!  Actually, 3 cakes in 1!

The vintage suitcase was a white almond sour cream cake with white chocolate raspberry buttercream. The camera was chocolate with chocolate ganache covered in black fondant and hand painted details - yes, all cake!  The globe was a spice cake with salted buttercream filling.

And, of course, I added one of my "trademark" gum paste figurines: the birthday girl sitting atop a suitcase and a Canadian passport.  Plus I threw on a little gum paste roll of film - 80 exposure of course.  (I also tried out a new technique for creating the look of concrete on the cake board, which may be my new favorite).   Lots of support, skewers and melted chocolate "glue" as the cake had to travel from Abbotsford to Victoria by ferry.  But I'm told it made it there in one piece!

Yoga Mat Cake

This gluten and dairy free cake was done for a gal turning 60 who's into yoga and Buddhism (hence the yoga mat and lotus flower.. And she's seated in the lotus position ).. I don't do a lot of flowers but I was kinda proud of this one.

Dinosaurs!

My twin nieces have requested a dinosaur themed cake for their 4th birthday party this year.  I'm planning something spectacular - I hope!  I've had a little dino practice thanks to my brother, also an avid dino fan.  This was his birthday cake this year - T-Rex emerging from a chocolate swamp!

Valentines' Day Heart Cake

The client wanted a "realistic" looking heart...and that's exactly what I gave her!

Puppies on a Pillow

A pillow cake for a gal's 90th birthday party.  I was told she had 3 chocolate labs that she loved, so I made 3 little puppy toppers sitting atop a shiny pillow.  I carved the pillow out of 3 10 X 10 cakes. Lustre dust gave the pillow it's sheen.  Apparently, the puppies were a big hit at the party!

Ambulance cake

Large ambulance cake made for a paramedic turning 50!  Technically challenging cake, but fun to make!!

...more photos after the jump!

Playful Kitty Cake

Just a simple little ball of yarn birthday cake!

Soccer Ball Cake

 Birthday cake for a little soccer player!

Long boarder cake toppers

Once again, I was responsible for the cake toppers only.  My friend Michelle threw a 16th birthday party for her son and his best friend - both avid longboarders.  I had no clue what longboarding was but after a bit of research was able to create little action replicas of them for the top of her cake.  Lots of internal wire structure in these guys to create movement.

Christmas Cake

My Christmas cake - a chocolate Yule log...or Buche de Noel.  And, of course, I have to add a Christmas elf...

Diaper Bag Cake

Baby shower cake, obviously!  The bag is all cake, the accessories are a mix of gumpaste sculptures (shoes, rattle, teddy, pacifier) and rice krispie sculptures (bottle and duck). Close up photos are after the jump.

Pirate Treasure Chest

Birthday cake for a little boy named Evan..... fondant covered chocolate layer cake filled with oreo buttercream and a gumpaste pirate!  Topped with lots of candy "loot"...

Photos of cake details after the jump!

St. Patrick's Day cakes

Two examples of St. Paddy's Day cakes.... naturally, both cakes were Chocolate Guinness cakes with Bailey's Irish cream filling and frosting!

Planes, Trains & Automobiles

The twins 3rd birthday... I tackled a transportation theme!  Very detailed cakes (they each had to have their own, of course!).

More photos after the jump!

Hockey Player Cakes

In honour of Stanley Cup season.......a couple of hockey themed cakes.  This first cake is one I did for a local hockey team, the Abbotsford HEAT.  Fondant covered cake made as a replica of one of their jerseys, with gum paste toppers.

The next cake was done by my friend Michelle... I contributed the hockey players and net.  All in gumpaste.  The net was a challenge...clay extruder came in very handy!  More photos after the jump!