Guess what I've been up to.

So I decided it was time to move forward with something I've been wanting to try for awhile - cake decorating!

With that in mind, I signed up for a class at Michael's, Cake 1, which started last week but only today did we actually get hands on and start doing some actual decorating.

Where I proved that I am insane.

We had three choices for cakes for tonight: a character cake, which our instructor told us could take over 2 hours to do; an 8 inch round which would be turned into a rainbow cake and would require 5 colors and pipping gel and transfers; or an 8 inch round and cookie cutters with our choice of colors.

You'd think I would have picked the easier one, the same cake 10 of the other 11 people chose, but no, I went my own way and picked something closer to a character cake, a topsy turvy cake, with a pan borrowed from a friend.

I didn't manage to finish my cake in the class, but it didn't take me as long as the 2 hour minimum suggested. Actually I started finishing it in the last 4 minutes of the Senator's game and finished before the puck was dropped for the Vancouver game.

And here it is!

I admit, my hands hurt some, and the cake isn't completely what I wanted, but I am fairly satisfied with the results, especially considering it is my first cake and the shape is odd.

And I learned that I can pip icing very well with my left hand, almost better than my right. Probably because I do it slower and pay more attention to it. This is a skill I will be quite happy to have in the future!

I learned today that I could take the fondant and gum paste course without the other two cake classes as a prerequisite. I'd like to take the other 2 courses but suspect I will have to wait until the fall as soccer season for two little boys is about to start, as well as their usual activities.

More pictures after next week's class!

18 comments:

Peabody said...

Looks great(a cake decorated as a cake)...and more importantly...good for you for watching playoff hockey!

Lis said...

WAY TO GO!!!

You are MY Canadian Hero, Jenny! You are doing what I've wanted to do for years but never acted upon it.. which can be witnessed a few times at the old blog.. *cough*

I love the cake and the colors you chose.. and I can not wait to see what the future classes will bring!

Yay you!
xoxo

MyKitchenInHalfCups said...

School days, school days, dear old golden rule days... naw, you aren't going to be following any rules in cake decorating class.
Excellent job my dear!!!

Elle said...

I'm impressed. That is a beautiful cake and all of the icing detail is amazing. I could no more draw those lines as go to the moon. Great colors, too!
Do keep posting about the classes and what you're doing.

Dolores said...

Insane... and talented! It's beautiful!

breadchick said...

Quellia, what a lovely and colourful cake! I have absolutely NO patience for all the little "stars" thingies when I decorate cakes...thus mine will never look as gorgeous!

Veron said...

this is great Jenny. I have decorating envy. At least I know who to go to when I have cake decorating issues.

Claudia said...

Wonderful! You did a great job. I see you may have a talent for this. Keep the icing flowing!

Patricia Scarpin said...

Quellia, I love your cake!! I'm a mess with a piping bag and you did an excellent job!

Sara said...

Awesome job! I'd love to be able to do something like that, especially now that I have a nephew, but I am so not artistic it hurts.

Brilynn said...

I want to take cake decorating classes!

Anonymous said...

I love it! I too have always wanted to take decorating/pastry arts courses...

Jenny said...

Thanks everyone! It has been lots of fun so far, and I hope to get much better with more practice!

Freya said...

Looks like great fun! Can't wait to see what you make next week!

Anonymous said...

So pretty!
I took that class too a few years ago. It is a lot of fun, but by the time it is over you will be so sick of cakes. My neighbors had a lot of cakes given to them during that time!

Helene said...

Beautiful job! Awesome achievement!I loved practicing when I first started...I made a million buttercream roses and now all the effort and crankiness is paying off. I still hate making the roses though!

Valentina said...

This is gorgeous. Congratulations. I ahve always wanted to do somethin g like that ( the course I mean) but have never got organized enough.

Cheryl said...

Congrats. I took a cake decorating course at AC Moore. Not sure if you have them where you live, but they are very similar to Michael's.

The courses are great and really give you all the info you need. Keep up the good work. They are alot of fun.