These cakes represent what is my most productive weekend, cake-wise. The Strawberry three tier was made in a day and a half, started Friday morning at 8am and ended Saturday afternoon at around 2pm. Getting home from that party, (I was invited to stay but did not, because of my embarrassment which will be explained) I started the next cake at around 5pm, and got everything made for it by midnight, then put it all together the next day (Sunday). Busy weekend.
Emma Cake: Congratulations Emma! (June 19th)
Emma's Cake is a three tier Gold cake, frosted and filled with fresh Strawberry Meringue Buttercream. The tiers measure 6, 9, and 12 inches. The embarrasement was because of the WEATHER! During transit, the heat started melting everything, and the cake started sliding around on the base. I hit a few bumps (many, actually) and it was just awful. Such a pretty cake and it was destroyed because of the hot sun.
I heard later that the buttercream started sliding off the cake (the house was not air conditioned). I was so crushed! But its over, and I have pictures of it in its glory.
Amanda's Cake: Congrats Amanda! (June 20th)
This cake was a challenge from the beginning because I had never (ever) made marbled cake before. The concept sounds simple, and in fact it is, but I was terrified from the start. As you can see from the pictures below, everything turned out completely great.
(By the way, this was a 14-inch round cake, exactly 5 inches tall, Vanilla and Spiced Chocolate Marbled Cake with Chocolate Meringue Buttercream...and strawberries to garnish. I had a bunch left over.)
The second challenge was the Chocolate Buttercream. It just would not set. The house I live in is supposed to have Central Air, but apparently it doesn't half the time, only AC. This was the explanation given to me when I exclaimed a week earlier, THANK GOODNESS I BAKE WITH CENTRAL AIR! So I believe that although the house was cool, (not extremely), it was the humidity that did the chocolate buttercream in and thus the quasi-disaster was born.
Having the buttercream in such a state, I grabbed some leftover strawberries and went a little organic on the design, as the Emma Cake was also very organic.
A note on cake style: Mostly I prefer cakes that have contrast to them, not made with colored fondant but details with buttercream, and subtle sparkle. With these two cakes, I experimented with the natural form, incorporating real strawberries and not sifting out the pulp, and chocolate buttercream that swirled and created an airy look.
You can see them now:
