Creating something special from scratch for people you care about adds a unique touch not found in bought items, and decorated cakes are well received! The 24 cakes I’ve made for folks in recent months are what I describe as fancy cakes, as compared to everyday cakes without intricate design and decoration.
In a recent post Fancy Cakes – Part 1, I shared some of these cakes, and today I have the next installment.
It’s fun to sketch out a design for the cakes and make them come to life. When I deliver one, I’ll let the recipient know the “Cake Truck” is on its way, and I enjoy seeing people’s faces when they see their cake for their special day or just for no reason at all!
Here’s some backstory on this next set of (fancy!) cakes:
Triple Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting and Fondant Decoration
This cake was for my mother on Mother’s Day so it had to be special! It took two full days to bake and embellish this one, and I ended up making more than 175 hand-molded fondant pieces for the decorations. The cake itself was about as chocolate as you can get, and it was a big cake with tall layers. As for colors, I wanted something dramatic with deep black as the backdrop, and decided on a decorating color combination of pink, red, and lime green.
After mixing various fondants to get the pink and green shades I wanted, next came molding lots of flowers, leaves and stems. Each was carefully removed from the molds, and the edges smoothed before affixing them to the cake. This time I didn’t sketch on paper the design I wanted to use, but I could see it in my head and got to work putting it together flower by flower.
It’s not a hat-shaped cake, but the flat-lay photo of the finished cake shot from overhead – with the black platter under it – make it look a bit like a lady’s hat, perfect for Mother’s Day!
Vanilla Cakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting and Edible Flowers Decoration
Recently I became interested in using edible flowers to decorate a cake, something I’d not done before. I researched edible flowers, and ordered some online. It’s a different kind of thing to use for topping a cake, and I was a little uncomfortable serving a cake like this until I first taste tested the edible flowers. Fortunately this turned out well, and it was green light go for making the cakes!
They are vanilla cakes with vanilla buttercream frosting. After frosting the cakes, I used a cake comb to make the patterned sides, arranged the flowers, and placed pearl and gold sugar dots all over. Next came ribbons to cover the base of the cakes, as well as the perimeter of the cake boards. Decorating these cakes was incredibly fun, not only because it was something new for me but also because it involved flowers. Designing with flowers is easy because they’re so beautiful on their own!
The cakes were delicious, and nothing but good came from incorporating edible flowers!
Chocolate Espresso Cake with Chocolate Espresso Frosting and Bittersweet Chocolate Chips with Strawberries
This birthday cake was for an avowed chocolate and coffee lover, so bittersweet chocolate and espresso were a great combination. The layers were tall, and it made for a nicely shaped cake. After the routine crumb coat frosting, (read more about my recommended baking tips in this previous post), bittersweet chocolate chips on top of frosting were placed between the two cake layers, and then a thick layer of chocolate espresso frosting was placed all over the cake.
And why stop there with the chocolate?? Bittersweet chocolate chips were pressed into the entire surface of the cake for an extra infusion of this delicious flavor. And since all massively chocolate desserts need a healthy aspect, strawberries were arranged on top (including for a pop of color)!
The cakes I make for people are presented in special cake boxes I found in various sizes for a nice finishing touch (and safe transport).
Vanilla Cake with Buttercream Frosting and Fondant Decoration
A friend received this cake, and coincidentally her daughter’s birthday was that very day so it had a double purpose unbeknownst to me when I made it! It’s a vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream frosting tinted a lovely peach shade.
Hand-cut and molded pieces from specially mixed fondant were used to decorate the cake in a combination of coral, white, yellow, and lime green colors. The centerpiece fondant was made of multiple layers, and hand-shaped for a three-dimensional effect.
Tiny yellow sugar dots became the centers of flowers, as well as decoration for the rest of the cake. Finally, yellow polka-dot ribbon covered the base of the cake and the perimeter of the cake board. I especially like the flat-lay, overhead shot of this cake!
Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Espresso Frosting and Decoration with Fondant and Candy
A recent post Celebrating a Belated Halloween featured this cake, which was for a friend whose birthday is on Halloween. I asked if she wanted a birthday cake or a Halloween cake, and was delighted when she chose Halloween!
The cake is chocolate with a chocolate espresso frosting, and decorated with a hand-made witch’s hat from several fondant colors, and Halloween-themed M&Ms. Extra cake batter gave me the opportunity to make accompanying cupcakes, and it was a hit for this dual birthday and Halloween celebration!
Has someone made you a special cake for a special occasion? What kind of cake was it? Please comment below!
