Cute Lil' Turtle

Even kids can be crazy about cake decorating and this cute little turtle was created by a 10 year old enrolled in my Introduction to Cake Decorating for Youth Series.

Kids develop self-esteem, brush up on math skills, hand-eye coordination, following instructions, and taking turns....and at the end of class, have a beautiful work of edible art to share with family and friends. Who knew cake decorating could be so much fun!

Sugarlicious Peonies!

I am a gardener and love, love, love creating gumpaste flowers. I learned the basics of this flower's construction from my friend Chef Ruth Drennan, Ruth Drennan Cakes, and I added my own twist. I teach gumpaste flowers and I also sell selected sugar flowers. Isn't that sweet?

Christening Cake

I designed this cake for a friend.  The cake was made using a lace pattern press.  I used "Amazing Putty" to make a mold for the gumpaste cross, and strung gumpaste "beads" onto dental floss for the rosary beads.  My signature roses reign supreme. I think they are a cross between my mentor Scott Clark Woolley's and Alan Dunn's style with a twist.

My Geisha Cake

My favorite class this year was a class with Bronwen Weber hosted by the NYC Cake Decorators Meetup.  It was the first time in years I carved a cake....I just had that thing about throwing away cake--you know the starving kids in Africa or China thing...Bronwen devised a method to carve an 11 x 15 inch cake with virtually no waste! That was simply genious!  Now I am challenged to use my noggin to accomplish the same thing.

My Geisha is a little quirky....Yikes! I forgot about the eyes-they are too round and the chin is too long.  Other than that I'm not too disappointed, except when I picked up the cake to take this photo and cracked the neck! I took notes and the second time around will be the charm.

Flower Box Cake

 
This cake is a work in progress. I look at it and see so many things I would change.  Don't we sugar artist just obsess and fuss over every little detail?  I am the same way.  I just have to work on another piece soon.

Hello Sugar!

 
I've had many orders for my sugar flowers. I enlisted my daughter and we worked assembly-line to get all the sugar flowers out on time.

My sugar peonies were the number one request. Here is a custom colored peony and day lily to match a watch provided by one of my clients.  Pretty close huh?

I'm Back!!!!!

I've been busy teaching despite a knee injury (since healed)  and now a shoulder sprain- that's just the way the cookie crumbles.. I felt well enough this week to get back to some serious blogging.

This is a sample of gumpaste orchids and butterflies created by my senior students. I conducted a year long class for seniors on the Lower Eastside of Manhattan. The seniors were a bit of a challenge but even they fell under the spell of sugar art.  Aren't their creations great!

My Gumpaste Calla Lily Class was a hit with newbie cake decorators.  They got the hang of this technique in a snap!

I especially love, love, loved working with kids and these Daisy Scouts were so sweet.  I and fellow caker Lynn C. planned the Bugs, Bees, and Butterfly cookie decorating class to coordinate with their current Daisy badge lesson.  Even this Mad Cake Baker gets a little teary eyed when I am conducting a class for kids.