Another cake!

But this one is not only chocolate, it is also low-fat, and everyone who tastes it loves it.

The down side is that if you've never folded beaten egg whites into a mixture, it may seem too difficult.  That's why I made a video of the procedures.  My older son, who does not do much baking, had success on his first attempt, even using a hand mixer.

Sometimes the shop just has to take a back seat to the kitchen!

Fun with Photoshop

I was cleaning out my files, trying to free up some space, when I came across the cover of the issue containing my original Ribbons and Bows box, along with a fun version of the cover, merging scroll sawing with cake decorating.  The cake in the moose's mouth was really quite a production--all the fruit was modeled out of sugar paste, and the basket was the actual cake.  I used to love playing with Photoshop, switching heads and stuff.  Most of my work these days, however, involves process shots for my projects, and it's hard to get creative with that.

Fabric paint cautionary tale

I was finishing up a new version of the decorative bed box (see blog post of 3/28/12) for an article in Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts.  I had the pattern all marked out, and started to pipe the dots with fabric paint. Well, the opening in the parchment tube I tried using was too large, and the dots came out terribly.

Instead of waiting until the dots dried so I could remove them neatly, I tried to take them off wet.  This only succeeded in smearing the paint into the pores of the purpleheart.  I was forced to wait until the whole mess dried, then scraped off all the offending paint and sanded the whole things down.

Tomorrow I'll have to apply a new coat of lacquer, trace the pattern, and try again.  Lesson learned is that if you pipe something that doesn't look right LEAVE IT ALONE UNTIL IT DRIES!!!

How I made my son's wedding cake

Here's a three-part video tutorial that documents the steps involved in making the cake for my son's wedding last Sunday.  As you'll see, it was a lot of work, but also a lot of fun.

A cake board for the wedding cake

I decided to make videos of the various steps I followed to make my son's wedding cake.  This is the first video of the series, and shows how I made the cake board.  Cake boards for major cakes must be strong enough to support the weight of the cake, and should also add to the overall presentation.  As you'll see, the scroll saw was a necessary tool, as was the sewing machine, making this a multi-craft project.

Flour, not sawdust, last week!

My younger son got married on Sunday, and it was my pleasure to make his wedding cake.  I've found that sawdust and flour really don't mix, so I put my shop projects on hold for a few days.  The wedding was great, and the bride, who is a pastry chef, loved the cake.  And, as usual, I breathed a sigh of relief when it was safely in place.

Finished and ready for delivery!

Here's the final presentation!