Final Cake for Course #3

In the last class of the 3rd course we learned how to stack cakes and provide proper supports so they wouldn't sink or slide off. We were asked to bring two cakes (6" and 8") covered in fondant to the last class and we'd stack and decorate them there. Look how nice and smooth they are! 

I thought about what I'd like my cake to look like and came up with this design. I bought the ribbon first and worked from there. I loved the burgundy color and had to go to a few Michael's to find gel color to match. The gels are used to color icing, fondant and gumpaste. We use gels as food coloring is liquid and would change the consistency of the icing.

I had the ribbon and colored gel, but still needed to come up with a design. I was looking around the cake aisle and stumbled upon these pattern sets (Wilton Pattern Press) that came with a variety of presses that you could press into fondant or icing and then use them as a guide for piping. I bought the press set, but still didn't know exactly how I'd use it.

Once in class we stacked our cakes and I put a ribbon around the base of each. Wow, instantly it looked amazing. I could have left it at that and been done with it. So simple and elegant. But I had the presses and the colored icing and I wanted more. I wanted to actually 'decorate' it. I spaced the patterns free hand around the cake hoping that they would be somewhat evenly spaced. It worked out pretty well. I piped the vines and added little burgundy buds.

Looking back at this cake now, 2 months later, here's what I would have done differently:

• pipe the vines free hand and have them going up from the bottom cake connecting to the top
• add more detail around the buds, either making them bigger or adding petals or something
• make a proper cake board - the tin foil covered one ruins the look

I was so happy with this cake and proud of myself that I asked and artist/photographer friend of mine, Keith Walters, to take some professional pics of it. We happen to have an art studio at work where classes are taught and people can go to take photos, etc. and he happened to have fabric in the exact same burgundy color as the ribbon, so it worked out really well.

Thanks again Keith!