Em here, yesterday's post just didn't happen. I know. I'm sorry. One of those days that literally just slips through your fingers. Again, my apologies. While our dearest Marquette is celebrating her 6 year wedding anniversary (woohoo!) I am in charge here, and you are in luck, we have some fun posts for the next week, starting with this doozy from Whitney...
The Original
Fun right?! I love it, and the website Birthdays Direct (the link is above) gives you three different dino cake variations, and instructions and supplies for each, handy right?
Well here is Whitney's version...
The Pinstrosity
Overall, (and you all have seen my cake decorating skills...I'm so sorry, please forgive me) I think it didn't turn out too horrific. But alas, Whitney thinks otherwise, she titled her email "Major Fail". Here are a few things to make this Dino, maybe a little...friendlier...
1. Use the supplies suggested, including the specific cake tips, (they say to use specific numbers, but then there is no where on the site to buy, or even see what tips they are talking about, so I would go with the below guide, and eyeball it)
**A super awesome cake tip guide I found to help out :) http://twistnswirl.blogspot.ca/2011/09/decorating-bag-tips-by-wilton.html
Seriously though, this lady is a genius!**
2.The colors are good, the only suggestion I have with this is that maybe Whitney should have used a color that would contrast better with the green for her outline color, such as black for example.
3. In the original picture, the teeth, and eyes look to perhaps be fondant. I for one think that if you have the fondant on hand, it might just be easier to cut them out and place them on with icing than trying to do all the teeth same size with icing from a bag.
4. And this is important!! Don't be too hard on yourself, the example cake was obviously done by a professional (see the white edging?) This cake artist has hours upon hours of practice, and every tool imaginable at their fingertips. I have had a few people (not just any people, cake people) tell me cake decorating is about trial and error, and TONS of practice.
So make some cakes, practice a lot, and whats the worst that could happen, your cake gets eaten? Let us know YOUR cake tips, I know we have some foodies out there, let yourselves be known! We love your input! Happy Saturday everyone!
-Emilee
I don't think this turned out so bad! Just different from what was pictured. I think what might have gone wrong here is that she just didn't follow the directions or use the recommended colors. Improvising isn't bad, it just won't result in the same thing as the picture! =) I've done tons of these kinds of cakes and getting it just right has been hit or miss for me...it takes a lonnnnnng time and a steady hand to pipe in all of those cute little stars!
ReplyDeleteI am getting into cake decorating and my biggest piece of advice is practice practice practice. I think the pinstrosity turned out pretty cute. The only thing that would have made it better is the contrasting color for the outline. The technique in the original pin is very simple to learn. It is time consuming though. Frost your cake, it gives the sides the nice white look. Then you just do all your outlining, then fill the outlines in with a ton of stars. The eyes and teeth can be done with the frosting if you don't have the fondant, and still look great. http://www.wilton.com/decorating/cake-decorating/covering-shaped-cakes-with-buttercream.cfm is a good, simple tutorial for decorating shaped cakes.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.wilton.com/technique/Star-Tip-Border will show you how to fill in with stars
and http://www.wilton.com/technique/Shell will show you how to do the shell border.
You can buy tips at wilton.com
Good luck with the next cake. Don't give up!!
I think it is cute. The only thing wrong is that the iris in the eye is not black which is why it looks strange. If she had used the black from the nostril in the eye and the yellow from the eye in the nostril it would have been perfect. Not a major fail at all!
ReplyDeleteNot too horrible, although the icing is waaaay too soupy. It's either a bad batch or something was too warm; the room, the cake , or the icing itself. Might even be too much food coloring if she kept adding it to get a certain color. The eye in the first might be fondant, but that can be done with royal icing as well. Make the outline on wax paper (use maybe a coloring book eye or hand draw it and tape that under the wax paper if you aren't confident in your freehand) and let it dry and set, then fill in with white and black. If the icing is too ridge filled or bumpy, use a knife or spatula in warm water to smooth it. Just some stuff that I learned growing up in a cake maker's house.
ReplyDeleteThe icing looks like it's either too wet, or maybe even store bought. Store bought doesn't lend itself well to decorating.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was growing up, my mom took a Wilton cake decorateing class. She made us two star tip cakes. In all of her years of making cakes.... let's say 21 years of makeing 3+ cakes a year, in all that time she made TWO star tips cakes. They are gorgeous... and not TOO difficult in skill... but VERY labor intensive, and after a while your hand ACHES.
They were two AWESOME shaped pan horse cakes, though!
The icing is for sure too soft. Even if you buy store icing, you can add some powdered sugar in to get a good consistency. The teeth and eyes (and scales and nostril) are probably just normal butter-cream. The technique used there is to pipe the icing in, then you cover your finger w/ corn starch or powdered sugar and pat it down smooth. One thing I've learned in all my cakes is the importance of the outline. It makes or breaks the cake, in my opinion. I do agree, though. The cake isn't that bad, just different. My icing loving family would love it!
ReplyDeleteThe tips are inexpensive and very, very easy to use. Probably faster in the long run than messing with the frosting to make it look right. Your hand gets pretty tired if you aren't used to it! You can't use canned frosting, you need to make the butter cream.
ReplyDeleteMy mom and I make cakes like this all the time your icing is too warm they take hours to do... also you have to use tips and do each individual star you see on the cake and refridgerate if needed so that the icing does not melt.
ReplyDeleteI have this cake pan. The eyes are not fondant, they are the star tip, but you coat your finger in powdered sugar, and tap it, to smooth it. And I have to agree with other comments, the icing looks too wet, it needed more powdered sugar to firm it up before coloring it. Icing needs to be really firm for decorating. And the white eye, maybe should have been black. The tips descriptions are on the wilton.com website, as long as you stick with the original style of tip, numbers can be switched out quite easily. But it doesn't look bad, just inexperienced. Trust me, I've made worse. And like you said, what's the worst that can happen? Somebody comes along and eats it?
ReplyDeleteHer cake is not that bad! I also have this pan and love it!
ReplyDeleteHere's a link to my blog post about it
http://caviarshmaviar.blogspot.com/2009/12/t-rex-cake.html