Here is the picture of Bonnie's wedding cake. Yes, this is my first wedding cake masterpiece! I was thrilled and honored to do it. This cake was pretty simple and it was exactly what she wanted. I also did cake squares for the guests! I did the cake squares with little hershy kisses and I made two of these sheet cakes. This was a lot of fun because Bonnie is my friend and she allowed me to use my own creative genius to do this!

This is the Elmo cake that I made for Bud's 3rd birthday! Doesn't it look justl ike Elmo? This cake was made in January of 2008. This one isn't as hard to do because there aren't that many colors. I really enjoyed doing this cake and I would do it again. So here is is my Elmo cake and for anyone who wants to recreate this master piece have fun!

Ok here is the cake that I made for Wanda's 43 birthday. She is 44 now so that tells you that I made this last year! The cake is a red velvet cake with cream cheese icing and pecans in the icing. It's one of those cakes that I can easily make, and it tastes great! The recipe is simple, but I'm sure that everyone has a nice variation that they can add. Just one more note, sometimes the ugliest cakes taste the best! :-)

Hello! I haven't done this in a while and if I don't get something down on this blog, Christy is going to have a fit. Wait she just had a fit! Anyway, I have a few cake pictures to add. The Dora cake was my most recent exploration into the cake world. I did this cake twice this year and both for birthday parties for little girls that I don't really know. The cake took a long time, but if the customer is satisfied then all is well in the world. So here is the picture of Dora the Explorer! I hope you enjoy!

The chocolate cake is a chocolate pound cake with chocolate icing. I did the decorating in cream cheese and surprisingly enough it came out ok. I like the idea of decorating with a soft icing, but one has to be careful because the icing is sensitive to everything. The second cake is one that I did for Christmas 2 years ago. The cake itself if a pound cake with royal icing decorations. The decorations are edible and taste like candy. Again, this cake did not last long at our house during the holidays. I am especially proud of the holiday cake because of the colors. The icing was made out of cream cheese as well and from the reviews of the crowd it was definitely a pleaser.

Everyone has asked me about my cakes. So here are just some random pictures of cakes that I've done over the past few years. I'm sure I could tell a story about each one, but I'll let the work speak for itself! Hmmm.....on second thought let me explain. The cake on the top left is a birthday cake that I did for a former student of mine. It was her birthday and her mom commissioned me to make something special because my student's (Kendra) favorite color is blue. So I added the flowers just to make it look festive, but the reviews from the party goers was phenomenal. Everyone said it tasted really good. That is news that I always like hearing! The second cake on the top right is the red velvet cake that I did for Christmas last year. This one was really good because I didn't last a whole day. I should have cut the cake so you could see hte inside of it, but I'll remember to do that next time. The third cake on the bottom left was my mom's birthday cake last year (05). For the 60th birthday I bought some festive candles to commemorate the new decade, but last year I went for a subtle approach. Needless to say this cake lasted a while because mom likes to savor everything. She put it in the freezer after she cut what she wanted. By the way these cakes freeze beautifully. The next cake looks like a halloween cake but I made it for J. R's (aka Lil 'Bud) thanksgiving party at day care! I love this cake it was so much fun to create and I had a good time doing it as well. Well, here are just a few random pictures with different themes. Let me know what you think! Have a great day.

Well, it's another cake story for me. However, this time the cake turned out well. I'm so pleased and thankful you have no idea. This cake is a full sheet cake which means it's a 12 x 18. Pretty big yes I know, but it's worth the effort considering the price and all. Anyway, I don't have it completely decorated yet, but as soon as I finish I'll be sure to post the picture. This cake is a birthday cake for someone that I've never met, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. You know some of the best business one can get comes from strangers or people you don't know very well. Anyway I baked this cake early enough so that I could avoid as many disasters as possible. Those of you who have read my previous posts know that I have had some close calls in the past. But this cake went off without any major hitches. The one hitch I should say is that just as I was about to bake this cake I realized that I did not have enough sugar. However, it was a bright sunny Saturday without a cloud in the sky (at that point anyway) and I headed back to the IGA for some sugar. For a full sheet cake you have to make two cakes essentially which means six cups of sugar, a dozen eggs, a pound of butter, two pounds of flour, and well you know the rest of the ingredients. Anyway, the cake was set to turn out great once I had enough sugar. I'm just pleased that this one was a winner..........(a few days later.) The cake was delivered today and Jackie (the lady I sold it to and her husband) were pleasantly pleased with the cake. I think though, that her grandson was more pleased when he saw the decorations. Anyway, judge for yourselves and if you're ever interested just let me know. Have a good one!!

The first entry into my blog was about my most recent cake disaster. Well, let me complete the story by telling you all the story of the first cake disaster of the month. This was a horrific week in terms of family tragedy, and just overall schedule shuffling. Those of you who know me well know that I take care of my nephew when daycare is closed. So believe me J.R. aka Lil Bud is tied into this story as well as a few other characters. Hopefully you all will recognize the players as they all had a part in this story too. Ok, it was July 2nd and I had a migraine. This one was bad because I actually took my medicine and normally I don't take anything. Anyway, so the day was a bit hazy, but I knew that I had to get my strength for Monday because I had to babysit my nephew. Anyway, Michael informed me that he was in town and that he'd like to get together on Monday. So, I start thinking. Well, this is doable so I start planning how I'm going to babysit, bake a cake and spend time with a friend. Well, my adrenaline was up and my mind was racing with planning. So Monday morning comes and I get to my sisters house surprisingly not on time. It's a shame too because I was up at 4 and I could have easily gotten to her house by 7:15 but it just didn't happen. Who knows! Anyway so I get to my sister's house at about 7:30 and I unload all of my baking equipment. If you've never had to move a kitchenaid mixer from one place to another I don't suggest it at all. That is a heavy duty piece of equipment, but it whips up a great cake! So anyway, my nephew is up and ready as usual. I swear when the sun comes up so does that kid! Anyway so he's running around and I'm trying to keep up with him and naturally I have not had much sleep because I slept all day on Sunday and not at all Sunday night. So I get started baking at about 9:00 simply because I knew that I had a hair appointment at 1:30 that I would naturally be late for. So I begin baking and much to my surprise my nephew behaved beautifully. Normally he's into everything opening cabinets, throwing things in the sink, pulling out books. You know, he's a kid so he's generally making a mess. So I'm getting this cake done and I only had to run Bud out of the kitchen vents once. That in itself was a major accomplishment. Anyway, the cake goes in the oven at about 10:15. I always take about an hour with each cake simply because I hate feeling like I've rushed to get things done. So anyway the cake is a sheet cake and it took about an hour and fifteen minutes to bake. While the cake was baking, Bud decided he was ready for a nap which meant that it was my nap time too. So he took a nap while the cake was baking and I closed my eyes for a sec while I patted his back. At 12 I took the cake out and what timing it was perfect. Bud however was still asleep which suited me just fine because I didn't want him to see me leave for my hair appointment. So the cake is out and I'm getting dressed and my mom arrived on time at 1:00. I'm still not quite ready and I should have been because I didn't have to fix my hair. So I left Carla's at 1:25 knowing that I wouldn't make it on time. Naturally the bridge that is truly the only short cut from Carla's to Mrs. Harley's (the hairdresser) is out and I have to travel by way of 327. This actually put me three miles out of my way, but what could I do? I'm already late! So I get to Mrs. Harley's at 1:40. I'm only ten minutes late. Guess what, she's not even there. Her husband informed me that she was at the bank, hoping to get back to the shop before I arrived. I'm telling you, she knew I was going to be late. She knew it, but this time I didn't feel compelled to tip her because she was later than I was. :-) So, I got my hair done with no major disasters and I head home to shower and change and get ready for Michael. I'll speed this part of the story up simply because I know that most of you have better things to do than read my blog. Anyway, Michael and I talked, visited my sister, had dinner, visited with my mom, went for a walk and we hugged goodnight. I hope that was good enough for those of you who were hoping for a romantic description. Sorry, no such luck. Anyway, the next day, is Tuesday July 4th. I remember because I did not work on the cake at all until that evening. I was invited to a cookout that I had to attend, simply because this was the first invitation that I received in a long time where I was not required to bring any of the goods. It was a great party. So, I got home after a long day and I began to work on the cake. Just so you know it's about 11:00 pm and I'm about to really make this cake a work of art. So I lift the board and the cake which has already been glazed cracks right down the middle. There is nothing I can do to save it, the cake is broken. I'm stunned. Just stunned and I all I can do is sit there. My dad is asleep while the tv is watching him and my mom bless her heart, is feeling awful for me. Her initial question was can you decorate it anyway? Is the crack noticeable? I said no about decorating a broken cake and I begin to pull butter out of the freezer so that I could begin working on another masterpiece. It's 11:15 and I'm getting things done. Just so you know you cannot bake a cake with frozen butter, therefore I had to get it melted by way of the oven. Sad but true! So the cake is whipped up into a frenzy and I get busy running around the kitchen all in the name of cake decorating. My mom hangs in there and sits in the den trying not to fall asleep, but the poor thing was tuckered out and she slept in the den while I worked feverishly. The cake was in the oven in about an hour and fifteen minutes. I had to work fast because I had no choice. The cake had to be delivered to NC by Thursday and my mom was the delivery truck this time. So I worked on the cake, the minute it came out of the oven I let it cool just so I could glaze it. The glaze was great and while it was drying I whipped up another batch of icing. I also patiently created about eleven roses to decorate the cake with. By this time, my mom was in bed and my dad had not moved an inch. I believe it was about 4:00 AM when I finally finished getting the cake baked, glazed and iced. I was pooped, because rememeber I had not recovered from the lack of sleep on Sunday night. The worse part is that I was supposed to babysit on Wed. because my parents and sister had a funeral to attend. Hmmm...needless to say that when morning came I was still a zombie. I did not hear my mom ask me if I needed her to babysit, nor did I hear her leave. I did however hear my dad calling me at about 7:30 asking me if I was supposed to babysit his grandson. You don't want to know my initial thoughts, but lets just say I can't remember them now anyway and my only reply to him was that if mom isn't here then she's doing it for me. I didn't sleep well that morning because I was up again at about 9 just so I could finish smoothing and decorating the cake. That part went without a hitch. However, there was one more disaster to follow. I decorated the cake in pretty red roses that I made the night before and I trimmed it with red scrolls around the side. It was beautiful and then to finish it up I wrote ,"Happy 46th Birthday Deborah". Well, that cake was finished and I had to leave to babysit. I went over to my sister's where I spent the remainder of my day not giving the cake another thought. That is until my mom called and said you spelled Deborah with an "H". The client specifically asked that the name be spelled "Debora". I was so brain dead that I didn't even realize what my note had said and I did what I thought was correct. My mom reminded me of this and I was too tired to move. So I explained to her how to remove the letter and she said, "I'm not touching that cake, I don't want to ruin it." Mind you this is Wed. evening and my mom is heading back to NC so that she can deliver the cake on Thursday morning. So anyway, I'm pooped and not able to think. My mom called the client and explained to her that the name was spelled wrong and the client said that it wasn't a problem and not to worry about it. The cake delivery went smoothly and all seemed to go well at that momemt. I was thrilled because believe me that cake took me through some changes, but I learned one thing no matter what be prepared for the unexpected. According to the client, the cake was a huge success and the birthday girl would not let anyone cut her roses. That meant a lot to me because often once I deliver a cake I don't hear the reaction that others have to it. I know the cakes are good because I have a resident taste-tester in my mom, but I'm not a cake person. I just love baking and smelling the finished product's aroma permeate the house. So a lesson to all, be prepared no matter what and in life we will all have a little trouble, but work hard to overcome and things will turn out fine! :-) Have a great week and please post your comments! I look forward to reading them.

Spider-Man Cake

Spider-man is a well known comic hero. He can scale a building by casting a web and then he can miraculously save people with that same web. Well, knowing that, I wish Spider-man could have saved me last night. I was working on a cake in the shape of our favorite super hero and things were going great. I started baking at about 12:00 in the afternoon and I must say nothing out of the oridinary happened. So lets see, after mixing all the ingredients and working this cake into a wonderful mound of confection, I put it in the oven to bake for 45 minutes. The cake came out after that time and I let it cool. Standard procedure right? Well, I was making myself useful by washing dishes and cleaning up the kitchen. I did that after the cake was out because I don't like to disturb a cake while it's in the oven. So anyway, the cake is cooled and I'm ready to put it on a board so that I can decorate it. Well, of all the luck I don't have any boards to put the cake on. Knowing what I do about cakes, I know that handling the cake too much is a dire mistake. So being the kind of person that I am, I rushed to the store to get supplies. So while I was at the store I picked up the essentials, make a quick trip to Granddaddy's and then I head home. I come home, and I proceed to get the cake out of the pan, and what happens?? The stupid cake won't come out of the pan. Nothing I did made that cake come out. I put the cake back in the oven hoping the heat will cause it to pop out. Well, after about 30 minutes of trying I finally get the cake out of the pan and naturally half of Spidey's face is still in the pan. What to do? What to do? Well, I didn't cry that's for sure. I called my mom, you know for a little sympathy. I got sympathy, but poor Barb wasn't able to help. So I thought about what I should do and I headed back to the store. On the way out, I hear thunder in the distance. Hmmm... this isn't good, but I think to myself, I can make it. So I head for the IGA. Yes, I know it isn't the most glamorous grocery store, but I'm in a pickle and I need goods fast. In the checkout line the thunder is roaring and the rain picks up. The cashier has just finished tallying up my groceries and as soon as I swipe my card, the power goes out. Well, luckily for me I had cash. So I gather my goods and I wait near the window with the other patrons. I call my sister and she said, "Ohh No!" Well that was that. I waited a few minutes and decided to make a run for it. There I was with another woman running out in torrential rain all in the name of creating the perfect cake. So I put my groceries in the car and then I wade through five inches of water just to return the cart. Needless to say that cart didn't exactly make it back to the cart return. Good thing for me I'm only about a mile from the house so I start driving. The rain is unbelievable and the visibility is not exactly great. On the way, I noticed a red SUV stopped in the other lane and I'm thankful that he's not in front of me simply because I could not see two inches in front of me. So I get home and open the garage and the rain is relentless as I mentioned before and therefore my clothes are soaked. As soon as I open the office door, I notice that the fan isn't blowing. NO POWER! Great. I wait the storm out hoping that the power would come on eventually and nothing happens. I waited about two hours and began packing my things to move in to Granddaddy's for the evening. I would have stayed at my house, but the heat was beginning to rise and it was almost completely dark before I left. So I move into granddaddy's and it's already about 8:35. Needless to say that I began baking furiously and this cake gets made in a hurry. So by 9:20 the cake is in the oven and I'm thinking okay I've overcome one hurdle. So I wait on the cake, and graddaddy's oven is great, but you can't exactly set the temperature to the exact degree simply because the oven overheats. Well, isn't that just lovely. So this cake did not come out of the oven until about 10:15. Before I take a small break to get some dinner, I get this cake out of the pan and onto a cardboard so that I can decorate it. Yeah, my problems seemed to be over, but no that just couldn't be my luck could it? So after my dinner break, I get the icing ready and yes another hitch in the plan, the icing is a bit soft and I don't have any more sugar to thicken it up. GREAT! So I press on because I figure that if worse comes to worse the cake will have to dry out a bit, but at least the icing will settle where it should. So I decorate the cake and get it ready for delivery. By the time I cleaned up the kitchen and settled in for a nice long nap it was about 1:50 and I wasn't even sleepy. So I watched the Dukes of Hazzard, (the TV show not the movie). I fell asleep somewhere in the middle of it only to be awakened by my granddaddy having a loud conversation with himself. I figured it just wasn't important enough to get up for so I rubbed my nose and went back to sleep. Normally this doesn't happen to me (cake disasters), but I have had two cake disasters this month alone and I was beginning to wonder about everything! Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed reading this story as much as I did typing it. I'll put a picture of what Spider-man looks like and I hope that you'll stay tuned to hear the latest on my cakes and other disasters! :-) Love ya! Roslynn