Peas in a Pod Cake

So I had a super fun little cake this week.  It is based on two pictures.  One was a belly cake, the other was a one-tier round.  Each of these pictures featured only one baby, but this cake is for a baby shower for TWINS!
  I have been taking some time to perfect my recipe amounts.  I found the right amount of batter to make my cakes as tall as possible with as little waste as possible.  Before, I have been cutting the tops flat for a nice level surface.  For this cake I took the two 10" chocolate and two 6" yellow cakes right out of the oven and flipped them so the dome was sitting on a platter - face side down, I guess you would say.  Doing this made a completely level surface on both top and bottom without wasting any cake.  This is good for two reasons: 1.  The cake has maximum volume with no wasted ingredients.  2. I'm not eating the leftover tops of cakes anymore.  I'm sure my hubster will be upset with no leftovers around, but c'est la vie, non?  When I make cakes, I usually fill the pan about 2/3 full.  Each recipe has a different rise, so each new recipe has to be tested to make sure you're getting the full potential height but not overfilling to the point of overflow during baking.
  Well, at any rate, the cakes were baked and the strawberry filling was made.  I made the cake board by putting together three stiff foam poster boards and cutting out a 12.5" diameter circle.  I use a razor blade for this.  I have found that this kind of poster board is great for cake boards.  The technique I use for making the cake board has evolved over time.  I recently picked up a compass, which has made making perfect circles SO much easier.  It was 2 bucks at Walmart, and it was the best 2 bucks I've ever spent!

  So I filled the cake, let it settle (filled cakes are going to settle a bit, so it's best to wait a while after putting on the 2nd layer to finish the tier off.  Otherwise the filling will make a bump in your cake.  I just learned this) and rolled out my fondant on a counter lightly coated with shortening.  Wilton has a fondant coverage chart that deals with weights, and while it allows for a little more than I require usually to cover a cake, it makes sure that I have enough.  This fondant was white, so no problems coloring it.  I placed and smoothed the bottom tier and put cut wooden dowels into the bottom tier for the top to sit upon.  I did the 6" top tier next in much the same way.  After I finished covering it with fondant, I placed the top tier onto the bottom tier's dowel system, then I cut a dowel large enough to go through the entire cake, made a point on one end so it could go through the board under the 6", and put it through to give more strength to the overall structure.  I covered the remaining cake board with fondant, then I made ribbons out of green fondant and placed them.
  Making the babies and the peas with the pod was easier than I thought it would be.  It's like playing with playdough!  The vines were fun to make and to place.  I used my edible gumpaste glue to put them and the dots on the cake, created some leaves, and VOILA, there it is.  I had an excellent time!

My Busy Weekend, Part 2

The last cake that was due this weekend, on Sunday, was for the same client who picked up the Striped Cat Cake on Friday.  Her twins turned 8 (did I mention that already?  I just can't remember!) and she had the awesome cute idea of using the figure 8 cakes for both of them, decorated very differently.  It was truly inspired!

The Race Track Cake was very straightforward and a welcome cake after the hard time I had with the last cake.  Just two 2-layer 8" rounds pieced together and frosted with chocolate frosting colored dark gray (think asphalt).  I layered, fit together, covered, let it crust, and smoothed with Viva paper towels on Saturday night and let the cake hang out in the fridge until the morning.  During waiting/baking times, I made the flags out of gumpaste and let dry a little, then painted on the checkered flag and handled it roughly...MISTAKE!  It ripped right next to the "pole".  So I did it again and painted one side, then let it sit overnight with the fan on it.  The next day, fully refreshed, I piped on the outlines on the cake, piped the grass around, painted the other side of the checkered flag, and *poof* cake was done!  The client was to place some Hot Wheels on the track prior to serving.  Super cute!  Happy Birthday to Twins!
By the way, moms of twins are amazing.  Every time I see twins, I set their mom on a pedestal.  You know the best part?  They usually have makeup on and their clothing matches and has no stains (totally unlike me, and I only have one)!   It's simply awesome to me when I realize that there are mothers out there who can handle two at one time.  To all moms of multiples out there, you rock!