Pretty Cakes

Last month I mentioned that I was going to start taking a cake decorating class, and so I have. The course is actually broken down into three four-week classes. The first is basic cake decorating, the second is flower design, and the third is fondant and gum paste. There is also an extra class on cake stacking for wedding cakes! It has been really fun so far. I have learned a lot of tips and tricks to decorate a cake so that the icing doesn't run off everywhere. I just finished the first month and here is my final cake that I produced last night:

As you can see, I can now do shell borders, roses and leaves. I also learned how to do writing (that doesn't look like a kindergartener did it) and other flowers and borders. Did you notice how perfectly smooth the pink frosting is? Interesting trick - frost the cake and let the icing "crust" over a bit so that you can touch it without picking up any frosting. Then take a paper towel (Viva brand works great because there is no pattern) and place it on the top of the cake and then rub the palm of your hand over it until it is smooth. Looks almost as nice as fondant and only takes a couple of minutes. Cool, huh? Ok... well, I think it is cool!

Anyway, I am having fun with it. So, if anyone ever needs a cake for a birthday or anniversary or um... a Monday, just let me know! Cake decorating just might turn out to be a nice little side business!