RUFFLED SKIRT & CROWN TOPPER

Continuation........

I would advise that when you are making a topper, make it ahead of time. You can make them weeks ahead. If something happens to the topper there would be enough time to troubleshoot, right?

PROJECT #2: CROWN TOPPER

My dear friend (Jannette) asked me to create a princess-like cake topper. SO, I went to my collection of cookie cutters and dig what I can use for this cake project.....tadaaaan!





daisy cutter



crown cutter

I will admit it.... DAISY cookie cutter is one of my favorite cutters because of its versatility. I can use it in many ways other than making DAISY COOKIES. But before I discuss the ruffled skirt using a daisy cookie cutter, I prepared the crown FIRST!

Get a fist-size fondant. Knead it a bit and put GUM ARABIC POWDER or GUM TRAGACANTH POWDER (see the picture below). You will only knead in 1/2 tsp of (any) powdered above-mentioned into the fondant. Roll out the fondant dough in 1/4 inch thick. By using a crown cookie cutter, press it against the fondant. You may also design the surface of the fondant (before pressing the cookie cutter) by using impression mat or textured sheet.

knead in gum arabic powder in order
for the fondant to harden like a "figurine"

cute crown cookie cutter





Place the crown on top of an elongated tube and set it aside. The following day, the crown is very hard and becomes breakable. Perfect for painting it with your desired color. You can use gold gel paste diluted in Vodka or any clear alcohol. Or simply dust it with luster dust or disco dust. Design the crown as you wish. BE CREATIVE! You can use dragees to decorate the crown or use a piping tip to put small holes on each edges of the crown.

let it rest until it becomes stable and hard as rock



I also made a circlar tag for the cake using a fluted 1 1/2 inch round cutter. Then I use a piping tip with a small round tip to decorate the edge. Let it dry like the crown.



PROJECT #3:   RUFFLED SKIRT

Using my daisy cutter, I cut pink rolled out fondant. The fondant should be rolled out very thin in order to create an illusion of a fabric for the skirt.

Use a 1 inch diameter round cutter (MAKINS' ROUND CUTTER SET) to make a hole in the center of the daisy.

I use my very reliable (also one of my favorite tools) mini palette knife to cut the daisy (see photo below)

my ever reliable palette knife

Using a ball tool (plastic ball tool will also work well), carefully roll it against the edges of the fondant daisy. On each petal, the movement should be half circular (up and down). LIGHTLY PRESSING BUT NOT TOO HARD.

I use piping gel to glue the fondant to the dummy styro cake. In that way, I can control the attachment and can possibly make movement and adjustment. VERY IMPORTANT: dab piping gel only on the inner edge of the daisy...that portion to be attached to the styro or cake. Avoid putting piping gel at the back of the petals!

dab a bit of piping gel at the back of the daisy.
Place the gel on the side touching the styro. Get IT?

Using a smaller ball tool, flip up some petal of the stretched out daisy. Do one daisy at a time because if you cut out to many fondant it will dry easily and the edge will tend to crack once you press the ball tool against the edges of the fondant as it dries out easily once expose to air.

I rolled into tiny circles a tissue/table napkin and place it in between flipped petals and let it set for 1 day. The following day, when I checked the skirt, they all dried up and I carefully remove the rolled tissues.

small ball tool helped me to positioned the tiny tissues in between

Want to check how it turned out? Here it is.....

skirt & crown

Have a great weekend everyone!



COVERING A CAKE DRUM or BOARD

Last August, my dear friend from West Covina asked me to create a birthday cake and cupcakes for her daugther. Amidst my busy schedule, I obliged myself to do it because (FIRST) she is my friend. (SECOND) I love baby Andi to pieces (THIRD) I love to bake and decorate cakes/cupcakes. Giddy me.....

With proper time management I was able to prepare the mini, dummy cake, 120 cupcakes and 2-tiered princess cake.

sweets overload!

I prepared the dummy cake more than a week ahead of the scheduled party in order for the fondant to dry and harden enough.

PROJECT ONE:  COVERING A CAKE DRUM.

I love covering my cake board with sugarpaste/fondant...it is simply dainty!   

Board or Cake Drums are used to support our fondant cakes. Cakes with several tiers need a thick board under the bottom layer. Since fondant cakes are basically heavy and dense, we have to create a stable and thicker board in lieu of a cake drum (which is expensive! Just to give you an idea, a piece of a cake drum with size as 8 inches is already $7...geeeee).  

If cake drum is not available, try to glue together 3 pieces of cake board and cover the side with cute and petite ribbons. Make sure that the top surface where you will attach the base of the EDIBLE cake is CLEAN, FOOD SAFE and WAXED.  

1. I did a 6-inch diameter dummy cake and used 8-inch round for the cake drum. I usually use my spare fondant to cover cake drum since this is only to cover the base. I keep unused but well-kept fondant from a previous cake project.

rolled out white fondant. Use any impression mat available
to decorate the top surface of the fondantt

2. I would suggest to just LIFT the rolled out fondant and not use the rolling pin to place it above the cake drum because there is already an impression made unto the fondant. This way, you will avoid destroying the design made on the fondant. Be careful when you lift the fondant in order not to  STRETCH it.

Lift the rolled out fondant and slide underneath the cake drum

slide it baby!

3. When cake drum is covered, use a pizza cutter to cut the edge. By the way, I only use WATER (yesss, water!!!!) to attach the fondant to the cake drum. Some use corn syrup or piping gel but water works for me.  brush or dab water on the surface of the board or cake drum.

i love those swirls

4. For purposes of tutotial and tips, I cut the center of the board in order to attach the bottom of the cake on the waxed board (if you are only placing a dummy cake, no need to cut the center of the covered board). This way, cake will be stable.  

another use of 5-inch round cookie cutter

i put a small amount of confectionery coating
at the bottom of the styro

5. I use confectionery coating, candy melt or royal icing to attach edible cake to the board. TIP: if you are only using a corrugated board (not waxed), you may put a CAKE CIRCLE (we offer these pre-cut cake circles) to cover the circle in the center of the board. This will protect the bottom of the cake to be contaminated. 





attach the cake or styro in the CENTER to cover the hole

Ready to be dolled up!

To be continued......

Nothing Beats Butter

Today I started baking again....yooohoo! 

I've been deprived of baking for almost 4 months and I terribly miss my kitchen.... I'm just so glad that I have the luxury of time to stay in the kitchen today and bake my favorite red velvet cupcakes. 

As I glide into my journey in the kitchen, I have thought that it would be a great idea to get  pictures of some portion of my baking experiences today and share some "helpful" tips to my BID's readers/viewers and followers. 

back to the kitchen

I have to get the frozen butter out of the freezer and let it soften a bit for 30 minutes....while waiting, I decided to take a picture of it.... so, let's start with the BUTTER!

Before I begin with my butter tips, let me share my funny, if not stupid,  experience with butter. Way back 2008, then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo went to visit California. It so happened that me and my husband were invited to a lunch with the "VIPs". While every Fil-American guests were so busy to get close to the President (me not really interested to have a dialogue with her), I just sat in one of the tables and saw this plate of very, very cute yellow balls. It looks so yummy and very inviting! I was so delighted!!! My head just screamed: "APPETIZER!!!" I thought that while everyone is busy taking picture of the "little" person, I have that plate of sweets by myself...in my little corner. With twinkling eyes, I abruptly grabbed one piece (size of a pingpong ball) and put it in my mouth. Boyyy, I was so hungry that day! I was expecting it was sweet and yummy.....but my disgusted, hungry mouth just discovered that it is not an appetizer....it is BUTTER! So that's the story why I don't really like butter. So much of that butter story.... it reminded me how stupid I was that day.

Going back to Butter, many recipes for baked good will instruct to cream the butter. So how do you cream the butter to create a buttercream? Make sense? First, we have to cream the butter in order to incorporate air into the batter mixture, giving a tender and light mixture. That was according to my Home Economics teacher!

HOW TO MEASURE THE BUTTER:  Most, if not all, butter wrap have measurement printed on the side which will show where to cut to get the indicated amount asks in a recipe. This is a very handy measuring shortcut. If there is no measurement printed on the butter wrap, NO PROBLEMO! Get a ruler and measure the length of the stick or brick butter, then divide the brick or stick according to the measurement I will provide below. As a friendly reminder, 1 lb (454 grams) brick butter is equivalent to 2 CUPS (500 ml.)

Here are some of the helpful equivalent measurements:

2 cups = 4 sticks = 1 pound = 32 tablespoons

1 cup = 2 sticks = 1/2 pound = 16 tablespoons

1/2 cup = 1 stick = 1/4 pound = 8 tablespoons

1/4 cup = 1/2 stick = 1/8 pound = 4 tablespoons

After measuring the butter you will need, cut it into cubes and set aside...soften it for 30 minutes. Just enough that your finger   (CLEAN IT FIRST PLEASE) easily leaves an impression in the butter when you press against the surface of the butter.

leave a slight impression...it's ready!

Now, the butter is ready to mingle with the sugar or dry ingredients. Cream it using a hand mixer (use the paddle attachment). Beat until smooth, creamy and uniform in texture. There should be no trace of the cubed butter before adding other ingredients.

Finally, start to beat the butter at a medium speed and when no traces of the cubed butter, put the mixer on a HIGH speed. This will make your butter creamier in texture and in taste. 

Red Velvet with creamy cheese...yum! 

Indulge and enjoy!

Have a great day everyone!