Thailand Inspired Cupcakes

I was recently asked to make cupcakes for a ladies daughter who is going to be moving to Thailand.  She asked for something simple.  Just her daughters name in Thai and maybe a flower or two.

I thought "well, what else can I do?"  and I decided that I should paint an elephant.  You know a pretty one with stuff on him.  I found a picture online and got to work.

First I wanted to make the gum paste and let it dry a bit before I painted on it. 

Then I decided to make some flowers.  I recently got THIS!

The Wilton gumpaste set.  I was SO EXCITED to play with it.  So flowers.  I wanted to make something that looked like a plumeria but not exactly.

So here goes.

I rolled out some gum paste

Then I used a rose petal cutter and cut out six petals.

I used my new ball tool to soften out the edges and make it a little bigger.

I put some cornstarch on my tool so that it wouldnt stick to the gum paste.

Then I stuck them together in a 'fan' motion in my attempt to make the flower pretty...but it didnt really work

I dusted the middle with gold luster dust.

On to the Thai words.  I took the print out that the mom gave me and I used my knife to cut it out and then I traced it on to the gum paste.

Added some borders.

Time for some elephants.  I am not an artist.  SO I traced the outline of the elephant and hoped for the best.

Not to shabby!

I like it!

Sunshine DAAAAY!!!!

When ever you are feeling a bit blue.  All you need to do is watch this clip:




I have been doing a lot of cakes recently.  Finally did some cookies.

Sunflower cookies (hence the sunshine theme)

Add some sprinkles to the middle to make the seeds.

That doesnt look right...

Much better!!!!

So remember.  When you are sad and feeling blue.  Remember the Brady Bunch kids are there to make you smile.

Wilton Decorating Classes - Final Class!!!!

Today was the final class of the Wilton Decorating Course One.  I am really happy that I signed up, but I am really happy that it is OVER!

There was a few things about the course that I didn't like but I will get to that later.  First here is my final cake.

This is the top of the cake.  For the last class we were told to bring in a cake to decorate. 

I made my buttercream and frosted my cake at home.

The Wilton buttercream is made with Crisco (which is gross...but I am sure Safeway cakes have the same type of frosting).

ACTION SHOT!!!!

My plan was to have a teal cake with white frosting.  I crumb coated.

Then I frosted.  I had so issues with my "crumb coat" i which the crumbs were not coated.

I got to class and the girl that complimented me last week was already there.  We sat next to each other and she asked me what I was doing for my final cake.  I explained it to her and then she said "I drew mine out".  I laughed and said "ME TOO!!!"

Mine is on the right, on my "kid paper"  (side note:  My niece said I need "grown up paper")

So once everyone arrived for class we started to make ribbon roses.  Not real roses but ribbon roses.

First you need a flower nail with a piece of parchment on top.

Then you a mound in the middle of the nail.

Then you make ribbons around the mound.

My pictures are kind of blurry.

I like these.  I was unsure about them because they are "fake" roses but I think they were easy and they came out nice. 

Not too shabby.  Then I moved on to my final cake.  I first wanted to practice my top flower.  I wanted to make something that we didn't learn in class and I made this...

I started to pipe all of my little dots.  There was A LOT of dots.

The girl next to me (my first BFF) was like "show off".  She said it in a teasing tone but still...I don't think I was showing off.

I actually had some trouble with touching the cake.  I didn't bring my turntable so I had to move the whole cake board to decorate and at one point my finger totally gabbed my cake and left a hole in the side.  When I asked the "teacher" how to fix it she told me "I guess that's your back"  Really?!

The girl next to me made a MILLION drop flowers in royal icing and was proceeding to put them on her cake. 

So here are my thoughts about the Wilton class.  The ones in my neighborhood weren't all that great.  Perhaps I was looking for more but I didn't like the way she "taught" I don't think I learned anything.

The instructor never really told us how to fix our mistakes.  There was only one point in which I asked her for help and all she told me was "you're being too hard on yourself".  All I wanted was for her to tell me "oh you are pressing down too hard" or "you need to add more pressure".

I decided that I will not sign up for the other classes.  I will instead by some books and practice at home.  Then I dont have to lug all of my crap to and from class. 

When I got home I had so much buttercream left over.  I decided to try to make a real rose.

Not bad!  Then...disaster.

Then I tried other stuff....

Then I went back to the rose.