Sunday, September 16, 2012

Needlework Basket Cake

This cake is more of a Smocking Basket Cake.  There are so many cakes on knitting, quilting, patchwork, cross-stitching, needlework on the internet but I cannot find one for smocking.  There are smocking as decoration on sides of the cakes but not smocking per se ~ as a design on the whole.

So I use this idea as a cake for my mother-in-law who loves making smocking dresses.

This is a very colorful cake.  Bright and vibrant colors. 

I have a basket-weave print mold but I prefer to make real weave for this basket.  I just love the rustic look after handpainting it as compared to airbrushing it.  I know it is very time consuming but the effect speaks a thousand words.  

Remember my Apple Basket Cake?  That basket-weave was embossed with the print mold.  It spoilt the whole cake design especially so when i put in so much effort on molding, covering and painting the apples.  Ahh....just like when I used to leave my cake boards naked!!!!  I mean how damaging can that be?  I was new.  I was new.  I learned that going that extra mile for the finishing is so important.

Inside this basket is sugee or semolina cake.  The top is covered with sugar threads...the same brand that my m-i-l uses...DMC !!!  The unfinished smocking dress is casually placed on the basket..... with a sugar tape measure as well.  

What is more interesting is the Made-in-China-pin-holder.  Traditionally these comes in typical bright colors.  I can make them pastel as to be more original/creative but for an old lady I would prefer to go real.  She can identify the pin-holder better!!!  Hehehe.  Of course this comes complete with those little Chinese 'kids' around!!  Since it is a pin holder it has to have pins!

A sewing kit is not complete without a thimble....and this is painted with silver sheen and further dusted with silver petal dust.  Had wanted to make scissor too but I was too sleepy to continue.....




The handweaved and painted sugar basket

Close up of the smocking

The tape measure

The pin-holder

The colourful 'DMC' threads

Top view









Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Mee Koo Cake

'Mee Koo' is our traditional bun use in Chinese festive celebrations and cultural ceremonies as offering to god during prayers or simply as a symbolic cake.   It is red.  It is in the shape of a turtle.  To us Chinese, turtle symbolizes longevity .....and red prosperity.  

The pink buns are 'huat kueh' which is steamed rice buns.  The steaming process of this rice cake causes the typical 'bloom' which means prosper.  This is another bun used in festive celebrations and ceremonies.

'Ang koo kueh' is the small red oval shaped cake with soft sticky skin wrapped with sweet filling in the center. The oval shaped of the cake is designed to resemble tortoise or turtle.  Again, it is a symbolic cake offered during rituals like religious event, childbirth and birthday.

So what better concept to use as a cake design for my then future daughter-in-law's mother than this set?

The full set





'Ang koo kueh'



'Huat kueh'

'Mee Koo' when cut








Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Barcelona Jersey Cake

Another attire-inspired cake.  Barcelona football jersey cake.  Its red velvet cake inside.

The red center is airbrushed with dark blue at the sides, then cut and pasted on the blue fondant covered cake.  All logos are handpainted on separate fondant, cut and pasted on the cake too.  This cake has lots of cut and paste, huh?







Girl Jumps Out Cake

This is a third time returned customer!  She came back from Dallas just to celebrate her brother's 21st birthday. 

Its lemon curd in between two layers of plain butter cake.  

Figurine is sugar paste.  I had wanted to make it from molding chocolate so that I can have seamless joints but unfortunately I have 2 hot hands and fingers.  The chocolate cannot hold its shape during molding.  It softened and sometimes melted.  Frustrated I went back to using sugar paste.  Hehehe...it turned out good.  Somehow I managed to smoothen out the joints!

This girl is suppose to 'jump out of the cake' but birthday boy wants a full bodied figurine...so she is actually kneeling on the top tier....looking sexy.












Friday, September 7, 2012

Lange Sohne Watch Cake

Another watch cake.  This time it is an A. Lange Sohne - limited edition watch...commissioned by a young lady for her bf's 18th birthday.



White face with red-gold frame - everything is handpiped
or handpainted

Brown leather strap

Box is suppose to be leather too

Receipient's name is part of the design

Gold tag with brand engraved on it

This is the real watch....
its ONLY USD128,850!!!!!!!!!








Rolex Watch Cake

A young lady wanted a cake that has a Rolex Submariner and gold bars for her bf.  I made her a big watch scaled to the real one on a stack of gold bars.  She screamed her thank you when she saw the cake!!!! She was so excited I cannot really hear what she said....but 'thank you' in between.





The stack of gold bars



Close up of the 'ROLEX' engraved
around the inner face
The famous crown

The sugar paste card

Cake size






Rilakkuma Cake

When this customer wanted a Rilakkuma cake...I was like huh?  What is Rilakkuma??

I had to surf the net after getting the correct spelling from him! Hahaha.  Cake decorating has taken me away from real life.  I am suppose to love teddy bears and I expect myself to at least know another of its 'cousin' existed.  Tsk tsk.


Rilakkuma and his friends



I made smocking design in front followed by ruffles




Teddy Bear Cake

I love teddy bears.  I have a closet full of them - I mean the plush ones.  SO when someone wanted a teddy bear cake I go weak and made more than proposed.  Since the customer is a nice lady I decorated it with all 6 instead of 3.

I love making colorful cakes for children but I made this very pastel.  Love it! Love it!!