Join me on my creative journey. I bake, make jewelry, scrapbook, paint and generally make a mess while I teach classes, workshops or just gather with friends to be creative and chat.
It's been a while since I posted anything cake related so I thought I would share what did for a party this weekend.
I made 24 gumpaste lavender stems last week and baked some chocolate chip cupcakes for a family party. It was the first in at least 6 years that I have done anything at this level. Working with gumpaste is very different than working with icing in a piping bag. Some would say it is easier because it doesn't require the same skill set. If I didn't have that skill set, I would agree. Since I do know my way around a piping bag, I think piping these out onto the cupcakes would have been faster, and therefore easier.
I don't know why I didn't pipe these on instead of making them in gumpaste. These definitely give off a fancy vibe and while it was a family gathering, I wanted them to be extra special for this occasion.
Each flower and leaf was painstakingly made by hand and assembled. I was glad I did it. I confirmed for myself that I've still got it!
I had all the supplies that I needed, I just needed some fresh gumpaste. Literally, everything else was in my stash, plus, plus, plus!
I will share a video on how I made them on my YouTube channel soon, so stay tuned for that.
Once a year I offer a special project class in November, the week before the Thanksgiving Holiday. I call it a Cornucopia but is also know as a Horn of Plenty.
In this class we use a cupcake or a muffin as the base to create the horn shaped basket that holds the overflowing bounty of the fall harvest. I teach students how to make all the fruits and veg with buttercream icing. I love this project and I have made a number of these over the years.
It's a little old fashioned looking but that's exactly what I like about it!
I am offering the class on Sunday, November 22nd from 12:30 to 2:30 pm. That's just in time to serve for your Thanksgiving dessert.
Here is the supply list needed for the class, maybe I will see you there!
Supplies needed for Cornucopia Cake Project Class
-1 large cupcake or muffin
-1 10 inch round caked, iced and ready to decorate (optional)
-2 Recipes decorating icing (recipe on previous page)
·Icing colored and separated as follows:
- ¼ cup of Red(tomatoes)
-¾ cup of white(cauliflower)
-1 ½ cups green (Cabbage, cauliflower, etc.)
-¾ cup orange(carrots)
-¾ cup golden yellow(corn)
-2 cups Ivory
-Wax paper
-#7 flower nail
-Decorating turntable (optional but very useful)
-a tablespoon of cornstarch
-Cake Sparkles, white (optional but highly recommended)
-Small angled spatula and Flower lifter (or food safe scissors)
-Bath Towel and Paper towels
-Gallon size zip-lock bag
-Scotch tape
-A Show n Serve board or cake plate
-Small serrated knife
-Large disposable plastic cups
-You willneed the following tips in the quantities listed:
-#21, #104, #233, #103, (3) #5, #349, #7, #14
-Additional tips if we have time for extra’s, #2 or #3
-Advanced preparation is important, please bring bags of icing filled and marked as follows:
-Clear disposable bag or 12 inch re-useable bag with ivory colored icing and tip #21
-2 clear disposable bags each fitted w/a coupler with green icing
·one bag marked “green, tip #104 and tip #103
·one bag marked “green, tip #7, tip #14 and tip #349
-Clear disposable bag “yellow, tip #233” (or tip 3 if you cannot find #233)
-Clear disposable bags or 8 inch re-useable bags filled and marked as follows:
-Red, tip #5
-White, tip #5
-Orange, tip #5
Decorating icing (double batch recipe)
-4 tablespoons water, milk or cream
-2 teaspoon Wilton clear vanilla extract
-2 teaspoon Wilton clear butter extract
-2 teaspoon Wilton clear almond extract
-pinch of salt (optional) let salt dissolve with liquids before adding next ingredient
-2 cup solid vegetable shortening
·Cream liquid and shortening on low speed until combined
