Mmmm… cake

26th June 2008

posted in Personal |

I mentioned before that I like to decorate cakes. I’m not terribly skilled at it, but its an artistic outlet for me that bonus, tastes great, too. I don’t make cakes that often because when I’m through, my kitchen looks like a baby powder factory exploded, but I do make them on special occasions for friends and family. Here’s a couple I’ve made recently:

My mom’s 50th birthday

50th Over the Hill Cake

Coworker’s 30th birthday celebrated today

Travel suitcase cake

(I won’t even begin to tell you how many comments I heard from female coworkers about “how I really shouldn’t take a piece, but will anyway;” “please, only a little slice!;” “This is going straight to my butt;” and the old familiar standby, “I’m being sooo bad!”)

You can see more of my creations here.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, June 26th, 2008 at 4:57 pm and is filed under Personal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

1 On June 26th, 2008, Marste

said:

Rachel, I don’t know what makes you think you’re “not terribly skilled” at decorating cakes: those are AWESOME!

I really wish we had your mom’s cake for my dad’s 50th. He was so freaked out about turning 50 that of course we had to decorate everything in a cemetery theme. Good times.

posted on June 26th, 2008 at 5:07 pm

2 On June 26th, 2008, Ashley

I’m a wedding planner, and have noticed this bizarre phenomenon. Everyone wants cake, but NO ONE wants to be the first person to eat the cake. So people will wait, staring at the cake, lest they’re seen as the 1st to partake.

I thus consider it part of my job and my sacred duty to grab a piece of cake as soon as it’s available. Invariably, people follow me.

posted on June 26th, 2008 at 6:47 pm

3 On June 26th, 2008, Charlotte

Rachel, those are amazing! I love the one you made for you mom, I wish I had that at my dad’s 50th last year.

posted on June 26th, 2008 at 6:52 pm

4 On June 26th, 2008, nuckingfutz

Rachel, those are fantastic! I love the one for your mom… hee!

posted on June 26th, 2008 at 7:24 pm

5 On June 26th, 2008, Carrie

Rachel,

I might say “I shouldn’t,” but only because I don’t want you to cut them. You’re amazing! The suicase cake rocks.

posted on June 26th, 2008 at 7:38 pm

6 On June 26th, 2008, Meowser

Wow, that’s some talent you have.

Of course, I feel rotten enough about aging as it is…

posted on June 26th, 2008 at 8:24 pm

7 On June 26th, 2008, Charlynn

“Not skilled” my you-know-what! You have some amazing talent! I want you to decorate my birthday cake.

posted on June 26th, 2008 at 9:23 pm

8 On June 26th, 2008, Melissa

No you’re not terribly skilled at it
You’re absolutely awesomely skilled at it!!!

Those were great… now I want a piece of cake!

posted on June 26th, 2008 at 10:23 pm

9 On June 26th, 2008, devil

Rachel, you do fantastic work. Really, those cakes are amazing.

I’ve always appreciated the art of cake decorating, especially since I have no talent for it. And cake is my favorite dessert of all time.

Yes, it seems a shame to ruin the beautiful cakes by cutting them but they were meant to be eaten and enjoyed! I would just take a ton of photos then savor a nice big piece.

Life’s too short for all that “Oh, just a teeny sliver” or “I’m soooo bad” rubbish. Just eat your yummy cake already!

posted on June 26th, 2008 at 10:36 pm

10 On June 26th, 2008, Elizabeth

I LOVE that second cake a lot!
btw, I went to a wedding recently and ate a slice from each (different flavoured) layer and made everyone around me enjoy as well. We were all glad we celebrated the occasion tastily.

posted on June 26th, 2008 at 10:41 pm

11 On June 26th, 2008, apophenia

Those are amazing! A-MA-zing!

About those cake-eating comments… I’m not much of a cake eater, just don’t particularly care for the stuff (I know, freakish, right?)–and you’d be surprised by how frantically people try to push a slice on me when they notice I don’t have a plate. I don’t make a big deal out of not eating it, and certainly don’t say anything about it–I just socialize without a plate in my hand. But geez, do other women seem to freak out when they see me not eating cake when they’re having some. I think it’s the other side of the “Eating is sooooo naughty” coin or something.

Now if it was birthday cheese balls or something, I’d be burying my face in it and growling at anyone else who dared approach me…

Still, dang but those cakes look great!

posted on June 26th, 2008 at 10:55 pm

12 On June 26th, 2008, MrsDrC

Great work!

I promise from the bottom of my bodacious hips if you ever make me a cake the only comments will be “COOL! CAKE!” and “Thank you!” Okay and maybe a lame Portal reference. I’m a game geek.

posted on June 26th, 2008 at 11:52 pm

13 On June 27th, 2008, Gerald

dude, these are sooo rad! major skills, gf.

but even more important: WHAT FLAVOR!

posted on June 27th, 2008 at 1:20 am

14 On June 27th, 2008, tiptoe

Those are awesome looking cakes. I’ve done cake decorating in the past and did stuff like this. I remember even making the cake for my high school graduation party decked out in a beach theme with sun, sand, and tropical trees made of pretzels and icing!

I’d be similar in not wanting to cut the cake due to its beauty, but then again, that’s why we have cameras.

posted on June 27th, 2008 at 6:53 am

15 On June 27th, 2008, tokaiangel

Cake decorating with skill AND wit! I think my mum would have killed me if I’d made her that for her 50th, ha!

I wish I could ban cake guilt in all females. I believe it is a gene we can eradicate.

TA x

posted on June 27th, 2008 at 7:43 am

16 On June 27th, 2008, Rachel

Haha, thanks for the compliments. One coworker even offered to pay me to make her kid’s graduation cake, but I only do these cakes sporadically and on special occasions. And when I say “not terribly skilled,” I’m comparing my cakes with that of, oh, Charm City Cakes. They are my absolute cake muses.

Both cakes were made from a modified dark chocolate cake mix with buttercream frosting and marshmallow fondant. Very rich. And everything was edible, from the edible markers I used to the little gold balls I decorated the corners with. Despite the “I’m so bad” comments, everyone seemed to really enjoy it. I put the rest in our coffee alley at work and I think it was completely gone within the hour.

posted on June 27th, 2008 at 9:53 am

17 On June 27th, 2008, Jackie

Wow you’re a real artist! I find those, “I’m being soooo bad!” comments obnoxious. Like, wow you’re a real rebel, you’re eating a peice of cake. You’d make James Dean quake in fear, oooh eating a peice of cake, that’s sooo bad.

posted on June 27th, 2008 at 10:09 am

18 On June 27th, 2008, jamboree

Well done! I’m not usually a big fan of frosting on cakes, but when it’s so artfully done, it seems almost an insult not to eat a slice. I’ve been in a cake-baking frenzy this past month for my blog, and haven’t managed to make a single one as pretty as yours.

Have you taken classes, or is this just innate talent?

posted on June 27th, 2008 at 1:22 pm

19 On June 27th, 2008, Rachel

I took the Wilton intro class a few years ago, but I’m the kind of person who learns more by watching how its done. The Ace of Cakes show and the Food Network cake design challenges both re-stimulated my interest in cake decorating and gave me tips on how to design cakes. I use fondant primarily now and it’s almost as easy as working with Play-Dough.

I try to take pictures of my cakes before they’re cut, but I don’t cringe when they’re cut into. Cakes are meant to be eaten and enjoyed As I told some of my coworkers who kept talking about how “bad” they were, cake is good for one’s mental health.

posted on June 27th, 2008 at 1:44 pm

20 On June 29th, 2008, Cassandra

I love your cakes! They are very artistic and you can see the love you have used to make them — simply delicious!!

I have an idea for a sarcastic one to make for a get together of girls — “I know exactly where this is going, but what a way to get there!” Curves aren’t always easy to appreciate, but treating ourselves every once in a while isn’t the root of the weight problem either… I love Girl’s Night out (or afternoon, which is usually my case because I work all night)!!

posted on June 29th, 2008 at 8:05 am

21 On July 2nd, 2008, Liza