This is the Xbox controller cake I made today. It turned out pretty cute. I was nervous because it is my first carved cake. It is made out of chocolate cake, vanilla buttercream and fondant controls. I'll post some better pictures later. I took this one with my phone.

This is my latest cake! I tried to keep it simple in every way. I think I could have done a better job but I will always think that about my work. One thing is for certain: making this cake taught me a lot!

It is a chocolate devil's food cake with vanilla buttercream icing. The icing tasted really good! It wasn't at all difficult to make either. I know I don't want to buy the pre-made stuff in the bucket as it was easy enough to whip up a batch (or two!) of this.

The food colors I used weren't quite as saturated as I had hoped they would be but I still think the colors are cute together. Even after all the equipment I have invested in I can see how I need a lot more! I need to work on my piping skills as well. I think that I just need more practice.

I had envisioned myself making a lot of really cute fondant cakes but no one I know likes fondant! It's really expensive and it tastes pretty bad. I need to just stick to working with buttercream and maybe use the fondant sparingly for some decorations.

Next up is a cake that will look like an Xbox controller. I'm super excited about this cake and I think that it is going to be really cute. I will post some photos of it on Friday, so check back to see them!

I'm On Fire!

Or actually my left ankle is! All day in heels, leasing apartments and then all night making my first cake. Well, my first cake for an actual customer and my first cake that I am going to attempt to collect money for making. I tell you, it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be!

I think things will get better, though. One thing about it all is that I have enough invested in this to really try and make a go of it. I made some rookie mistakes tonight, that's for sure. How many times could I stick my finger in the bottom border? Twice. Did I put the cake box down on the counter without wiping it off first, thereby getting chocolate cake crumbs all over the exterior of the cake box? Yes. Yes, I did. Did I try to trim a round cake and take too much off of one of the layers? Why, of course! (I filled it in with buttercream.) Did I underestimate the intensity of the food coloring and end up with a much more pastel color-scheme than I had envisioned. Well....I'm sure you are now sensing the theme.

I also didn't have my camera (my beloved Blackberry, which I left in my desk at work) and I asked my brother to take a pic with his iPhone which he did but I didn't get the email and yadda, yadda, yadda...I have no picture to post. Tomorrow, my friends, tomorrow...

Orders Are Pouring In!

Orders for my cakes are already starting! Whoohoo! It's pretty exciting to be starting my own business. Of course, there are many logistics to be considered besides just the decorating. I won't bore you with the boring details but I know that as I gain more experience I will figure out the best way to do things.

Mostly I think you just have to be fearless. You just have to dive in head-first without knowing how deep the water is and hope that you don't break your neck! That's what starting a business is all about.

As time goes by I hope to develop my own aesthetic and really make some cakes no one has seen before. I hope that instead of people bringing me ideas they've seen other places that they will come to me for my unique take on things.

I have two orders for this week and they are both very different cakes. Well, different looking cakes. They are both chocolate, so they will taste the same but they will look completely different. One is for a boy's (er young man's) birthday and one is for a young lady's birthday. I can't wait to make these actual cakes and see how they turn out! I will of course post pictures of the cakes so you all can see!

And so this is the Tall City of Midland, TX. Other obvious Midland/West Texas themes are oil, cattle, cotton, and football. I would love to make a cake with oil derricks, cotton bolls and a few cute little cows. Cotoica committee, call me!

Photo credit

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