Darryl's 60th Birthday

DECEMBER 2010

This was quite a big piece of work.

I ended up using styrofoam for the top layer so I could prepare it ahead of time.

I created fondant balls to look like golf balls and baseballs and set them to the side. I also prepared '60' numbers to paint later on.

The top layer was covered with red fondant and black fondant to resemble a stage (both pre coloured from Caroline's Sugar Art). I then added edible silver balls one by one and fixed the toy drum set with wire. I painted the numbers with edible silver paint.

I tried making gum paste balls but didn't find that I could keep the shape as well. They set completely hard so would have been better in the long run as the fondant balls were a bit sticky after being in a container. Should have left them out in the air.





The bottom cake is rick chocolate cake (Green's packet mix). It took 3 mixes to fill the 30cm pan.

I put wet tea-towels around the cake tin which helps the cake to rise evenly.

I did a test run to find out how long the large cake needed to cook for so the actual cake worked well.

I cut the top off to level and then cut it in half. I think I filled it with buttercream and covered it in ivory fondant. I placed black fondant over the top.






I personalised the cake with all the hobbies Dad has or has had and information about his accomplishments and life. The balls were placed into the cake with toothpicks.

The cake was displayed on a silver painted lazy susan.

Deb's Birthday (2)

APRIL 2010

This is the 'failed' birthday cake that I simply ran out of time to do properly.

The cake is a chocolate cake (or could be red velvet) with cocoa butter cream filling and covering.

The paws and bone are made from chocolate modelling chocolate.

Deb's Birthday - Present

APRIL 2010

I set out with great plans of doing a birthday cake for work, for friends and for family. In the end it was a bit too much and I only ended up with one decorated cake. I took this into work.

I think this one was a basic butter cake (aka pound cake). I can't remember if I filled the cake - maybe with chocolate fudge.

I made the mistake of making everything from scratch - the fondant and the modelling chocolate. One or the other probably would have been fine. I can't bring myself to make fondant again because you see how much icing sugar goes into it which kind of ruins the beautiful flavour :-)

I made white modelling chocolate which is notoriously hard to do and also did milk chocolate modelling chocolate. This was really hard to work with and get warm enough to be pliable. Probably need to try a few more techniques like the microwave and leaving out longer. I coloured the white chocolate to be pink and purple using chocolate colouring powder.

I cut strips of the modelling chocolate and formed them to make bow parts and put it all together on the cake. I finished the ribbon with strips of modelling chocolate.

The cake was covered with butter cream and ivory fondant. I then cut out modellign chocolate stars and had Guy roll modelling chocolate balls.

Guy's 30th Birthday - Disco

FEBRUARY 2010

Guy's party was an ode to his TimeWarp clubbing days at Heaven.

His cake needed to match the theme and I had the idea of a disco ball but didn't think I could make a ball on my first cake attempt.

I settled for a tiered cake with a disco ball I happened to have at home placed on top.

The top tier was actually just fondant over a square cake tin.

The bottom tier was a Mississippi Mud Cake. It was a packet cake bought from Caroline's Sugar Art. Needed 2 packets for the large cake.

I don't think I sliced the cake in half and filled it.

The covering is butter cream then ivory fondant. I brushed it with lustre dust and placed the edible silver balls on one-by-one.

I was happy with this for a first attempt.