And here is the cake:

The exposed surface of the cake is not actually cake, but fondant that had been made to look like cake:

To achieve the effect, I first covered the cake in a layer of chocolate fondant. I took the matching coloured fondant, mixed it with a bit of water, then melted it it down until it had a paste-like consistency. The melted fondant was then dabbed onto the surface, thus creative that rough texture.

For the layers of filling, cream coloured fondant strips were applied, then roughed up using a paring knife. A thin line of red food colouring was painted on to create the look of jam.

The actual cake inside was chocolate cake with mango buttercream, and the strategically placed crumbs you see  at the bottom of the cake are actually made from torn pieces of fondant.

Here are some photos I wanted to share with you of a champagne bottle cake for a champagne birthday! Did you know that a Champagne birthday is when you turn the same age as the day you were born? (Also known as a Golden or Grand birthday)

This champagne bottle cake itself measures over 18″ long and was carved out of white cake filled with chocolate buttercream. Even the cork and neck were made of cake on the inside. To make the neck look like it is sitting up, it actually rested on a cushion of cake.

The bow is made of gumpaste. Gumpaste is the secret to making realistic bows that look like fabric. Gumpaste rolls out much more thin, holds it shape better, and dries faster. However, gumpaste does tend to dry hard and brittle, making the edible art much more delicate… and thus intriguing.

The gold metallic look on the label and cap was created using edible lustre dust mixed with a small amount of alcohol, then painted on. The alcohol quickly evaporates – so no worries – no alcohol was consumed in eating the cake itself.

It’s that time of year for me to reflect, and it’s been another whirlwind of a year, full of interesting cake adventures. I am very thankful for all the amazing people that I have met & connected with along the way. Cake has a magical way of bringing people together, and I feel very lucky to play a small part.

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!  Hope you enjoy the photos.

Here’s a pic of Meagan and Kirt after their moment:

Now that’s happiness.

The helicopter itself is the N137PH Eurocopter from Papillion Grand Helicopters:

It’s not everyday I get the chance to recreate such a special scene and to create a helicopter cake…

The making of the helicopter cake was an incredible process. This was by far, one of the most structurally challenging cakes I have done so far. Not only was it making the cake, but it felt like recreating the helicopter itself. The entire cake itself measured 3 feet long, and the planning alone took the most time. Many components such as the base, main rotor, tail and tail rotor couldn’t be made out of cake and needed careful consideration.

It all came together the day before the wedding:

I learned a number of techniques to create the internal structure of this cake from Mike McCarey’s Cake Structure Class as well as his Cakenology DVD. I found myself reviewing many of my notes and photos from his class. A kind thank you to the amazing Mike for putting this information out there. Check out his cakes here.

And thank you to Kim and Janis for the help on this cake – their talents never cease to amaze me.

Thank you to Simply Brooke Photography for this sweet photo of the cake cutting (pun intended):

It astonishes me everyday what cake really represent. This was a tangible, edible, symbol of love and happiness – from their hearts… and into their bellies!

Here’s a slideshow of the process. Enjoy!:

When I heard that their wedding was to be held at The Art Gallery of Calgary, I wanted to design a cake that would not only celebrate their love, but also their love of art and culture.

The cake design that resonated the most was the design of a cake hand painted with a re-creation the famous painting, The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh. I consider the original painting itself very romantic, with abstract swirls, magical globes of stars, wavy cedar trees, and the quaint French village. I couldn’t think of a better venue for such a cake.

I was absolutely delighted to witness the amazing job of lighting they did of the venue, and overjoyed to have spotlights to showcase the cake itself.

Congratulations Roseann & Dave!

What an busy weeks it has been! I have been dying to share this – my team and I had the amazing opportunity to create the cake for the 50th Anniversary of the Mount Royal University Broadcasting Program!

When I first met with Michelle and Alana from the Broadcasting Alumni Chapter, I understood immediately the value and importance of this program. It reminded me much of my own Baking and Pastry Arts Program – where many of the people that were once students in the Mount Royal Broadcasting program have branched out and become long-standing members of the industry.

Alana and Michelle even kindly showed me around the studio, and explained that although there have been many renovations throughout the years, the original room where the filming is done remains the same. When I walked into this room, there was this amazing nostalgic feel to it – the feeling that it all starts from here. And the ladder! Alana explained that there’s a very special story behind the ladder as it has been there from the beginning, and almost all the students have been on it at one time or another.

Here are some pictures from their actual studio:

Many people asked how many hours we put into this cake, and to be honest, for a project like this there were many uncounted hours of planning and preparation. This is one of the largest(and heaviest) cake projects I have done to date, and for each step along the way, it took an incredible amount of thought and careful consideration.

As for the process, we got as many of the gumpaste or dry pieces done throughout the week – this included the buttons, the dials, the radio mic, TV antennae, the candle, and big number 50. The top slice, the radio, the books, the TV, and the bottom tier are all made of cake.  All the final decoration of the cake came together during the evening before the event, where we worked late into the night to get the cake ready for the big day.

Because of the size of the cake and the number of tiers, this cake required final assembly on-site. To help hold the cake together, there was a center rod that ran the entire length of the cake, along with the usual boards and dowels in-between each layer. I estimated the final weight of this cake to be nearly 100 lbs, and it could have easily served up to 250 or more.

The Alumni Chapter did an amazing job of planning the party, the original cake sketch was tied into the table centerpieces, the screens throughout the building, and even on the tickets! Even Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi came out to celebrate and have first cut of the cake!

I’m incredibly grateful for this amazing opportunity and I hope I was able to tell their story through their cake. I thought it was an interesting correlation – through cake and creativity I try my best to tell a story and to deliver a message, and broadcasting does the same through wavelengths, frequencies, screens, and sound. Congratulations to the Mount Royal Broadcasting Program to an amazing 50 years!

Check out the slideshow of the process below:

Congratulations Derra & Brent!

(This gorgeous black and white themed wedding was held at the Ranche Restaurant. Gumpaste sugar flowers on the cake were inspired by the gorgeous flower arrangements from Creative Edge Flowers. And to see some pictures of the cake cut up, check out the awesome slideshow from We-Connect Wedding Planning.)

Thanks for looking!

For Rhonda & Darren’s wedding….

This was my inspiration, Mount Temple in Banff:

photo by John G. Wilbanks

This was a mountain of cake. Literally. This cake weighed about 40 lbs. That’s 40 lbs of cake, buttercream icing and fondant. Here’s what the inside looked like:

And thank goodness for walk-ins! Here it was all packed up, this cake needed a cart to move around:

There’s a special story behind the van. I had a chance to see the van in person, and I was really impressed with what a unique vehicle it is. To make room for an extra sleeping spot, it’s even got a roof that folds up! They told me that when they first got the van it had been sitting on a beach and it was a true surfer’s van – full of sand, and even a surfing poster tacked onto the roof. Here are her words:

“We bought a 1981 Volkswagen Camper Van with the pop top roof in California about five years ago.  We flew down to L.A. and drove it home without incident (amazingly).  We were going to take a year to rebuild the van and it took us five.  It’s inaugeral camping trip was the September long weekend last year and we almost froze (it snowed of course), because a van from California does not have a gas heater… regardless we had lots of fun.”

Here’s their actual van:

And here it is as a cake (chocolate cake with vanilla icing):

Rhonda & Darren spend most of their time in the mountains, enjoying the life! Skiing, biking, paddleboarding, and just being in the great outdoors – that’s what this cake was all about.

I’m so grateful to have a chance to work with such a wonderful couple. I think they really share a philosophy that I live by as well – and that is that you live only once, so live life to it’s fullest.

Congratulations Rhonda & Darren!

Apparently it’s an inside joke.

The cake inside was  chocolate cake with peanut butter coloured icing. The jelly is purple coloured piping gel, and the crust is painted on using food colouring.

I really like food cakes. They feel like I’m cooking and cake decorating at the same time.