20.10.2010

This day marks exactly 1 year since i started taking up cake decorating. It was a year ago have i only found out that i can make nice, decent looking cakes. So happy! :D

I have now become a home baker/cake decorator ever since. On a small scale, but still. Here's the one cake  i made for my husband's birthday last year, before taking any lessons. Just see for your self. You might even think it was done by someone in the third grade or something! Hihihi.

(pictures are intentionally uploaded in smaller size. Heheh.)

It sorely lacks imagination, i know. It would have been nicer with plain colourful candles i would imagine, but since those were unavailable, i just used the colourful Happy Birthday candles instead. (My god, i actually cringed when i look back at these photos. Haha).

But u know, (ok here comes the defensive part) i didn't have any tools at hand except the spatula. Just a straight one at that too... Ok, fine. The truth is, i had no idea there were so many tools in the market that could aid plain looking cakes like this one. (But not that i know how to work them at that time anyways). Thanks to mum who helped me achieve that natural look on the buttercream. So you see, it could have been worse! (Those who laughed at the cake earlier should now feel bad because it was HER that made it look that way. Haha kidding. It was all ME. Mum had helped to make it less critical. Hehehe).

Have a good weekend now, folks! And if you do have the time, do learn new skills. Who knows, you might just unleash the Martha Stewart in you! ;)

TV3 Cake Day

TV3 is celebrating their 26th year this year and will be having a Cake Day this month end. Saturday, October 31st to be exact. There's a cake decorating competition organised on that day too. So those who has got the talent (and guts) can get more info and register yourselves here.

This will be a challenging one as all decoration works are to be done ON THE SPOT. Time given was not stated in the T&C, though. *shrugs*.

Last year's winner was a chef. To view the winning cakes and winners' sweet moments, click at his blog entry here.

Pretty pastels for the weekend wedding

For Fareeza & Fariq's wedding, i made 60 of these:

 .. and 16 of these:

The bride and her SIL both wanted buttercream to be given to their guests at the akad and for the hantaran. I hope i can get my hands on the picture of the hantaran cupcakes on the dulang soon. Congratulations to the newlyweds!

ICCA Cake Competition result

Here are the results from the First Cake Competition held by ICCA last week. I can't say much on the cakes, though as i didn't get to see them up close.

1st prize: Shahril Shamsuddin

I actually came across his blog before and had noticed his impressive works and this just proves how skilled he truly is. For close ups visit Shahril's blog here.

He has more than 10 years of experience designing cakes and has entered and won a number of cake competitions. He also conducts cake-deco & sugarcraft classes. I see myself taking one of his lessons soon.. heheh..

2nd prize:

Not sure who this belongs to. I think it was the tallest cake there.
Stunning.

3rd prize:

I didn't really see this one when i was there.
I like the colour contrast and brush embroidery. The stringwork looks flawless too.

*******

Top 5 of Highly commended by the judges:

I love this piece! Even from afar..
Very pretty.

I can't really comment on this one as i couldn't see the cornelli and delicate works on the cake..
But the sugarflowers look great!

One of my favourite ones at the competition. Love the stenciling on the board and intricate stringwork and lacework.
(Me and mum are such big fans of Black & White)
I was on my toes trying to get a closer look.

and this.. simply impressive. Looks like a lot of work! I loved it!
(Hubby not a fan, but what does he know..)

This is by my sifu, Paige Fong.
I didn't see it too, as it was facing the other side. Her orchids are needless to say, lovely as ever.
I may be biased, but her sugarcraft is always impressive.

*******

I also noticed this interesting cake even it was placed in the middle section. It was done by the youngest entrant. A 12 year old!
The cake was commended by the judges too.
Salute!

.. and here are some others that caught my attention.. Well, as far as the eyes could see.. mostly were near to where i was standing, of course.

love the painting.

Very detailed. Remind me to enroll in a brush embroidery class, will you?

Loving the drapery. The red fondant looks like real fabric.

Very nice.

*photos courtesy of MCDC

*******

Oh hey, i totally forgot that there was a Teen Category. I must have omitted because it was held the next day and i was not able to go see. Sorry about that.

Here's the winner, Nicole with her winning cake creation (her mum is crazy talented too!). The theme was GO GREEN. Congratulations!

** photos via passionate cakes (the mum's blog)

Cake Competition update

Will have an update on the recent cake competition held by ICCA soon. I only went on Friday to checkout the amazing works of art but unfortunately i didn't get to stay long enough till it was open for public. So i only had a chance to look at the beautiful cakes from afar. (God knows how much i wanted to cross over that yellow chain! Tsk.)

Anyways, here are some photos at the exhibition hall:

the committee members in green.

The judges deliberating.
l-r: Rose Wallace from Wilton USA, Rosalind Chan - founder & CEO of ICCA, Eddie Spence and Debbie Brown from Squires Kitchen, UK.

Some of the cakes:

G.L.A.M.O.R.O.U.S.

The theme was Colourful & Glamorous. The plan was:


... something like that. The sketch was of course, not drawn to scale.
I wanted to have the 30 standing and some stars and fuschia feathers added to the cake. Everything went according to plan until the number 3 broke!! Arghhhhhh!! And i only had a couple of hours left till it's party time! I wanted to cry!!!

Panicked, i fixed the no. 3, hands already trembling and dashed to an air-conditioned room (at the upper floor!) to let it dry, trying to cool myself down.. and thought, i couldn't risk having it broken the for second time during transportation or worse, at the party. And so i ran back down and started thinking of plan B. After minutes of head scratching, i quickly grabbed the 6" cake board (fda approved ;)) and get back upstairs to see if it can fit the 2 digits and when it did, i then started rolling out some purple fondant to cover the board and apply the pearl lustre to match the whole look and throw gold beads around it and there you go. The contingency version of my Glam cake:


here's one with a better tone in a slightly different angle:

I was a bit frustrated and was truly nervous on the reaction i would receive from the guests especially the celebrated, but she loved it! She texted me the next day thanking me again for coming and for the gorgeous cake (her words exactly.. hehe) that according to her, is yummy too! She also commented that she was one happy customer in one of her fb photos. So, i couldn't ask for more :)) (I don't just say this, okay.. i swear!)

Perhaps it was better to have done it this way, otherwise it would have been a bit too broadway. Hehehe. - trying to make myself better here.. pfft).

However, underneath all the pressure, i had a good time experiencing the patchwork cutter and sheer joy of dabbing and applying the gold sheen and disco dust for the first time (while Fergie's Glamorous song playing over and over in my head - obviously this was before the hapless incident. Hehe).

I absolutely love the glitter!!

..can you see it??

The birthday gal and her cake:

Happy Birthday, Glam gal! :)

Note to self: next time, have spares!!!!!!!

Barney bearing gifts

I received a particular Barney themed cake order loooooong before the kid's birthday. Last year to be exact. But the thing is, the mum haven't decided on the date of the birthday do. And not long after i have agreed to an order from another customer-friend, the mum dropped me the bomb. It falls on the same day!!! Luckily enough, the Barney party was to be held down south so collection has to be made a day earlier. And the other function was at night. So, i didn't have to cancel anyone. Phew!!

Barney and the friend's figurines (i don't know the name. Not a fan of Barney's :p) was sculpted based on photos of the characters. Made a banner to be placed at the back of the 2 figurines and some pressies to complete the whole look too. And since i have another order, i thought the safest and best way (to save time) to decorate the cupcakes is by using edible image. And, voila!

The major challenge this time was the weather. It was so humid, (it was raining, but was darn hot the whole day) the fondant turned soft so quickly that i couldn't get a smooth finishing on some parts of the cake. Urgh.. stress! :(
Time to think about installing an aircond in the back room.... Hmm.

Happy Birthday, Rayyan darling!!

p/s. Thanks mum, for lending me a helping hand. And ayah, for lending mum to me ;)