How a cake is made

Thought y'all might want to see what a cake goes through before I'm finished with it. In this case, I'm practicing for eldest daughter's wedding cake next year -- her latest desire is for a "Topsy-Turvy" cake, so I thought I'd better start practicing.

This is a tiny version of the eventual masterpiece, which started out with 2 9x13 cakes that I carved into appropriate-sized circles. Now I have a huge bowl full of cake scraps left over, along with a bunch of icing, so I'll eventually make some festive "cake balls" to foist off on any unsuspecting visitors that might stop by. Later, though. I baked these cakes Friday night and froze them. Thawed them out Saturday morning, then started the process at 2:30 Saturday afternoon. An hour later, I was at this stage: (see below)

Crumb Coating

See all those crumbs? That's what happens when you try to carve a 3-tiered round cake out of two rectangles! You have to glue the crumbs back onto the cake with icing. Still wondering how a topsy-turvy cake gets made out of those two flat slabs of cake? Stay tuned.

This was right before....

I had to go help youngest daughter with the bloody nose of the little boy she was babysitting. Then had to let out-of-town neighbor's dog out, and the poor dear was evidently constipated, so it took her forever to do her business. So I got back to the cake an hour later, washed my hands for the 90th time, and worked 'til 2:30 am on it. Woke up at 6:30 to put on the finishing touches, and ...

Voila!

If any of you are viewing this in Houston today, you can stop by tonight and have a piece. And bring your friends. Please!

And now there's a movie!

Oh my gosh. Check out this review. http://msnbc.msn.com/id/13468807/

An entire movie about cakes and their artists!

Can't wait 'til it comes to Houston.

Emily's 21

My most ambitious undertaking to date. Totally edible, fondant (sugar paste) shoe, crafted after one that I grabbed out of her closet. The purse is 3 layers of chocolate cake, iced in buttercream, with fondant applied all around 'til it looked like a purse!

Just Ducky

This was made for a boy-baby shower I was hosting with eldest daughter. Chocolate cake, buttercream icing, everything else is fondant, including the duckies peeking out from under the lid.

Thank You gift

A "present" cake, made for a lovely Greek lady who shared her vast knowledge of cooking with our daughter who has to create and serve a Greek dinner for 50 next week. Chocolate cake, buttercream icing, covered in fondant with fondant bow and decorations, fresh flowers from darling husband's organic garden.

Annie's Cake

Made for a little girl's first birthday. Chocolate cake, chocolate buttercream frosting, fondant bow.

Stack-o-Books Cake

Made for youngest daughter's high school graduation. All buttercream icing on "Funfetti" cakes.