Cafe Cake Finally Done!! Yay!!!

Decorating By ellepal Updated 21 Sep 2005 , 11:03am by boween

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ellepal Posted 20 Sep 2005 , 1:40am
post #1 of 31

Hi...I just finished decorating my French cafe cake, and wanted to post it. I did all of the little mini food, and my husband painted the cafe scene on the front. (I am posting close-ups of both).

I did have a tremendous learning experience with it. NEVER EVER EVER EVER use crisco instead of corn starch to roll out fondant. I did for the top layer of the cake, and it was very loose, and extremely difficult to work with. It felt like it was "dripping" and did not want to cling at the bottom. I did my best on damage control, but it looks slightly wavy in the photo. I (thank-goodness) had planned on using the burgundy stripes anyway, so it covered up a bit of the waviness, but lesson learned!! It is not as noticeable in real life, but I am picky!!!

This cake is for an interview doing cakes for a French cafe. Mon Dieu!!!!! I just hope they like it!! It's the orange-marble fudge cake with grand marnier, so at least I'm confident it tastes good!!

Ellen
LL
LL
LL

30 replies
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traci Posted 20 Sep 2005 , 1:45am
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I think it looks great!!! You and your husband should be business partners...the painting is awesome!!! thumbs_up.gif
traci

Good luck with the interview!!!! icon_smile.gif

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tcturtleshell Posted 20 Sep 2005 , 1:51am
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Great cake Ellen!! Good luck on the interview too!! I agree w/ Traci... you & your hubby should open your own bakery~

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NEWTODECORATING Posted 20 Sep 2005 , 1:54am
post #4 of 31

I love it! Your husband has a great talent. I would put it to good use!

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llj68 Posted 20 Sep 2005 , 2:06am
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Gorgeous!! Looks like you and your dh are both GREAT artists!!!

Lisa

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crimsonhair Posted 20 Sep 2005 , 2:11am
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What a fabulous cake. I love it. You both did such a great job.. I agree you and hubby should go into business. I think that interview will be a piece of cake. icon_smile.gif
Liz

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bonniesido Posted 20 Sep 2005 , 2:39am
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That is such a cute cake and your fondant looks really nice.

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alimonkey Posted 20 Sep 2005 , 2:50am
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Fantastic cake! I'm sure you'll get the job!

I had the same experience with Crisco & fondant, too. I was trying to make my first bow and it just kept stretching & wiggling and got wavy and didn't dry well. Scrapped it. Good thing the bow wasn't requested. You did a great job of hiding it, though.

Ali

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ellepal Posted 20 Sep 2005 , 3:01am
post #9 of 31

Thanks, everyone for the vote of confidence! I am trying to get my husband in on the cakes. He has a Bachelors in Fine Arts and incredibly talented in sketching/painting/sculpture/cartooning, etc. You name it, he's an artist!! He loved painting the scene too, so hopefully, all of your postive comments will inspire him to get more involved!!

I am glad that I'm not the only one with crisco/fondant probs. I thought that since it works so well with gumpaste, that fondant would be the same! WRONG!!!

I am a little upset, because I wanted perfection on this cake, but it looks better live than in a pic. The lighting makes it look wavier than it is. Oh well, live and learn!!

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SquirrellyCakes Posted 20 Sep 2005 , 3:13am
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That is just amazing kiddo, that is fine work, you should be proud!
Regarding the Crisco, how much are you folks using? All you do is slightly dab two finger tips in a wee bit and slightly smear it on your work surface, not like you are greasing a pan. Just maybe 1/2 tsp. for a work area of 24 inches square, if that much. You only want to see a slight sheen, no Crisco to notice. Almost like you slightly lemon oiled a wooden table.
I suspect you folks are greasing your surface like you would a cake pan?
Actually this is how bakers are taught, either to use Crisco or glycerine. I started off doing the cornstarch or powdered sugar dusting and it tends to crack your fondant or gumpaste but no problems with the Crisco at all.
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

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KayDay Posted 20 Sep 2005 , 3:16am
post #11 of 31

It is amazingly gorgeous! And I agree the painting is awesome too! How did you get the fondant that lovely shade of gold?

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ellepal Posted 20 Sep 2005 , 3:20am
post #12 of 31

Thanks, KayDay....the fondant is actually a beige color. I just mixed in brown food coloring with white fondant until I got the beige I wanted. The light from the camera gave it a glimmer, I guess!

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ellepal Posted 20 Sep 2005 , 3:25am
post #13 of 31

Squirrelly....I used a s*** load of crisco!!! LOL Lesson learned!!! I'm stickin' to the non-stickin' cornstarch!! icon_smile.gif

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meandmine Posted 20 Sep 2005 , 3:50am
post #14 of 31

the cake is so cute you and your husband are a great team good luck on your interview

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SquirrellyCakes Posted 20 Sep 2005 , 3:56am
post #15 of 31
Quote:
Originally Posted by ellepal

Squirrelly....I used a s*** load of crisco!!! LOL Lesson learned!!! I'm stickin' to the non-stickin' cornstarch!! icon_smile.gif



Heehee, well you can use a s***load of Crisco, but only a mouse's s***load, not mOuse's, mouse's, haha! Hhmn, hope she doesn't see this, haha!
Meant to say that the art work was extraordinary. How much fun is that to do with hubby, that is so nice!
Heehee, my first date with hubby was painting, but walls, nothing artistic. Hhmn, been paying for that paint ever since!
Hugs Squirrelly

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lastingmoments Posted 20 Sep 2005 , 5:40am
post #16 of 31

squirrellycakes you crack me up!!!

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2cakes Posted 20 Sep 2005 , 5:57am
post #17 of 31

Great job and the decors on the thing are absolutely stunning. Very pretty. thumbs_up.gifthumbs_up.gifthumbs_up.gificon_smile.gif

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IHATEFONDANT Posted 20 Sep 2005 , 10:08am
post #18 of 31

Beautiful cake.....I'm sure they will jump at the chance to work with you.

That cake combo sounds great...is that recipe posted somewhere?? My DH would love that combo of Orange and Chocolate for his birthday!!

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allysons Posted 20 Sep 2005 , 10:29am
post #19 of 31

C'est Magnifique!! icon_smile.gif

Great job - good luck at your interview!

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ellepal Posted 20 Sep 2005 , 11:14am
post #20 of 31

Merci!

I hate fondant: the recipe is posted to a forum from the other day. I can try to also post it to the recipe section also.

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irisinbloom Posted 20 Sep 2005 , 11:27am
post #21 of 31

GREAT job, a BIG thumbs up to you and your dhicon_smile.gif

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stephanie214 Posted 20 Sep 2005 , 2:03pm
post #22 of 31

Wow...super job ellepal.

I see a husband wife team in the making. thumbs_up.gif

Good luck on your interview.

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IHATEFONDANT Posted 20 Sep 2005 , 2:20pm
post #23 of 31

elle...must have missed it!!!

Do you remember which forum? I hate to put you to the trouble of posting it again.

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ellepal Posted 20 Sep 2005 , 2:41pm
post #24 of 31

It's in the general forum......I think it's one page back

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IHATEFONDANT Posted 20 Sep 2005 , 2:47pm
post #25 of 31

elle....thanks!! I found it...I must be blind..I don't know how I missed it!!

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melodyscakes Posted 20 Sep 2005 , 3:30pm
post #26 of 31

that cake is AWSOME!!! wow! i would definatly make hubby vice president of your company...haha he could be your silent partner. (thats what i call my hubby....when he puts his two cents in about anything i remind him that he is the silent partner, so shhhh) haha

so, if you dont mind me asking? what kind of interview is this? are you interviewing to make desserts for this cafe? i am blown away at how wonderful your cake is!

squirly cakes, you crack me up, thanks for the laugh this morning!

melody

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candyladyhelen Posted 20 Sep 2005 , 3:32pm
post #27 of 31

Cake is really good!

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ellepal Posted 20 Sep 2005 , 3:54pm
post #28 of 31

thank-you so much melody!! Actually, the interview is to do occasional cakes for a French cafe in my area. They were looking for people to do wedding and novelty cakes, so I gave them a call. I don't have all the details yet, but I hit it off with the lady who owns it, and I am going in today. If she likes my work, I will have an opportunity to expand my portfolio by decorating cakes for her shop on occasion. I don't even think I will bake; just decorate, since I am not a certified pastry chef.

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cakemommy Posted 20 Sep 2005 , 4:00pm
post #29 of 31

Wonderful!!! Let us know how it turns out!


Amy

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Daniela Posted 20 Sep 2005 , 7:54pm
post #30 of 31

Ellepal, your cake looks beautiful icon_biggrin.gif Don't forget to let us know how it turns out. Good luck thumbs_up.gif

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