Cake Decorating Class - Handbags

Earlier in the summer we held a cake decorating class to demonstrate how to make a handbag cake. It was a fun group and we had a great time.

We learned how to carve the cake into a handbag shape and then crumb coat the cake. Once the cake was slightly chilled we added a final coat of buttercream and then covered it with a piece of rolled fondant.

Finally each of the students chose whatever decoration they wanted to complete the bag design: fondant bows, cutouts, stripes, polka dots etc..

Special thanks to Lisa, Nancy and Cora for organizing the class.

Pink Bow Baby Shower Cake and Cupcake Tree

A red velvet cake with cream cheese filling, covered in ivory fondant and with a pink bow. Fondant cutouts of baby bottles and rattles decorate the cake. The cake sits on top of an acrylic display stand, where we placed matching cupcakes, topped with a baby bottle, rattle or pacifier fondant cutout.

Birthday Presents and Jungle Animals Cake

I made this two tier orange and blue cake for a birthday party at the Turtleback Zoo in West Orange NJ. Red velvet cake with cream cheese filling on the bottom tier, and yellow vanilla cake with dulce de leche cream filling on the top. The cake is covered in matching color fondant stripes, polka dots, with jungle animals (giraffe, lion and elephant) and gifts.

I also baked two dozen animal cookies as favors for the guests.

Beach Theme Retirement Cake for Police Captain

A Police Captain celebrating his retirement asked us to create a beach theme cake for his party. His Police vehicle is driven into the ocean, all his gear is discarded on the beach and he is relaxing in a hammock strung between two palm trees.

The beach is rum cake with orange chocolate cream and the sea is red velvet cake with Madagascar Vanilla bean filling. Delivered to Matawan NJ.

Red Maple Leaf Wedding Cake

A four tier round ivory colored wedding cake with red velvet cake and cream cheese filling. A chocolate ribbon and red fondant pearls surround each tier. Four branches with red and orange sugar maple leaves cascade down the side of the cake. The cake was delivered to a Fall wedding reception at the Orange Lawn Tennis Club in South Orange NJ.

New Yankee Stadium Bar Mitzvah Cake

We delivered this New Yankee Stadium cake as a surprise. It has layers of vanilla and chocolate fudge cake with Oreo cream filling. The electronic screen shows Derek Jeter hitting a homer. For a diehard Yankees fan celebrating his Bar Mitzvah at the Illusions club in the Sheraton Crossroads hotel in Mahwah NJ.

Cymbidium Orchids Purple Wedding Cake

A square three tier wedding cake for a reception at the Orange Lawn Tennis Club in South Orange NJ. The bride selected multiple flavor combinations: a lemon coconut cake with passion fruit cream filling, red velvet cake with cream cheese filling, and a straight coconut cake with key lime buttercream. The cake is covered in a purple fondant, decorated with brushed embroidery flowers and additionally with sugar Cymbidium orchids.

Seton Hall Blue Wedding Mini-Cakes

We made 265 two tier mini-cakes for a wedding at the Westin Governor Hotel in Morristown NJ. Each one is pure white vanilla cake and chocolate fudge cake with orange chocolate cream filling. They are covered in a dark blue fondant and swiss dots to match the colors of the Bride and Groom's college: Seton Hall University. On top of the display stand we placed a matching two tier cake decorated with a bouquet of white sugar hydrangeas and fondant bows.

How I prepare fondant and decorate a cake - video link

I thought some of you might enjoy reading this article by Monica Puri Bangia that was recently posted on South Orange Patch, a great place to keep up with news and events in our local community.

Being Her Own Cake Boss at Cake Fiction - South Orange, NJ Patch

Monica visited me for a demonstration on how I make fondant and prepare it for covering a cake. She filmed me in the cake decorating process. My daughters have been asking for my autograph, but I'm not that famous yet!

Oscar de la Renta Shoe Bridal Shower Cake

A round two tier cake with alternate vanilla-chocolate-vanilla layers and cannoli filling, and covered in ivory colored fondant with a chocolate brown fondant ribbon. A white Oscar de la Renta shoe with sugar flowers sits on top of the cake, also a bridal bouquet of Calla Lillies with sugar pearls decorate the front. We delivered the cake to a Bridal Shower at Luce Restaurant in Caldwell NJ.

Fall Wedding Cake with Dahlias and Chrysanthemums

A three tier white wedding cake delivered to the Olde Mill Inn at Basking Ridge NJ. The bottom tier has alternate layers of vanilla and chocolate cake with amaretto moccha cream filling, and the top two tiers are chocolate fudge cake with Madagascar Vanilla bean filling.

The white fondant is decorated with fall foliage such as maple and oak leaves, embossed with a lace pattern. An eggplant color ribbon surrounds each tier. Bunches of sugar dahlias and chrysanthemums with hypercurium berries adorn the cake.

The cakes sits on a custom made board, covered in white fondant and with white ceramic feet.