PAULINE BAKES THE CAKE!

Claire's "No.1" With Butterflies And Garden Vines!

2012-01-27T00:51:00.003+08:00

"No.1"!

Claire celebrated her first birthday with a number "1" shaped cake, commissioned by her parents Raymond and Sophia. They requested for a sugar art figurine of a little girl, resembling Claire, wearing her white party dress with pink sash, to be the cake topper. The rest of the design was left to me.

I decided upon a bright and cheerful garden theme with lots of colorful butterflies, flowers, leaves, vines and even ladybugs! The cake was covered in sky blue fondant with a green vine border around the base.

Garden theme!

Butterflies and flowers!

Sugar art figurine of "Claire" in her shimmering white dress with pink sash!

Surrounded by butterflies... A colorful one on her finger!

Pearl buttons and pink bow at the back!


Claire's butterfly and double layered skirt with "broderie anglaise" lace over piped with royal icing!

She wears white "mary janes" with pearl buttons!

Top view of "Claire"!

"Claire" spelled out with vines, ladybugs and flowers!

Chinese New Year 2012...Year Of The Dragon!

2012-01-23T20:57:00.008+08:00

Here's a 2D sugar art figurine of a golden "Chinese Dragon" to usher in the year of the dragon! Wishing you all a year that makes you smile with success & prosperity!

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

The Chinese dragon!

Symbol of power, strength and good luck!

From template to sugar art dragon!

Chinese New Year 2012 Cupcake Rush!

2012-01-22T19:38:00.007+08:00

One hundred "Chinese New Year" themed cupcakes commissioned by a marketing and promotional products company to be packaged into mini gift baskets for their corporate clients. This was a very last minute order, only two days notice given. Naturally, I roped in a dear cake artist friend to help me out!

Phew! We made it!

My simpler design for the first batch of cupcakes!

Joint effort!

My second design!

Shikin's design!

Cherry blossoms everywhere!

Gold ingots!

Firecrackers!

Chinese lanterns!

Thank you, Shikin! : )

To My Mommy Dearest... Spring Garden Cupcakes!

2012-01-15T23:57:00.006+08:00

It's my mom's birthday today! Mom loves flowers and since I was in the mood for some gardening, I made these garden themed cupcakes for her. Each one is lovingly hand painted with spring flowers by moi. Happy Birthday Mom!

Yo Ho Mateys!

2012-01-10T00:28:00.007+08:00

My first cake for the year 2012 and it's a butter cream iced cake! To be honest, I haven't made one of these (butter cream cakes) for a while... the last one I did was probably two years ago. : o

This cake was commissioned by my client for her four year old son Kyle's "pirate" themed birthday party. Kyle loves "Jake And The Never Land Pirates", a relatively new show on the Disney channel. The original request was for a simple design fondant iced cake with four 2D sugar art faces of the main characters. However, Kyle's mom later requested for the pirate ship to be incorporated into the design.

Visual from "Jake and the Never Land Pirates"

Jake!

Izzy!

Cubby!

Skully!

All aboard!

A closer look! Timber hull, gold port windows and the wavy sea.

Looking out for Captain Hook!

Looking out to sea!

Looking overboard?

Sweet Treat "Funny Faces" Cake For Some Special Kids!

2011-12-19T23:25:00.002+08:00

I volunteered this cake for my son Ethan's year end class party on November 30th at The Learning Connection, a school for children with learning disabilities. The cake was decorated with six 2D sugar art "funny faces" that resemble each child in Ethan's class. According to the class teacher, the cake was a hit, not only with the children but also with the teachers from other classes, who came over to Ethan's class to take photos of the cake! Also, each child got to take their "face" home!

The boys... Ethan and Daniel,

Nick and Ilya!

The girls... Ashley and Lea!

All together... funny faces galore!

Last day of school... Happy Holdays!

Ethan's favorite... "Dolly Mixture" candy!

Sweet holiday treat!

Christmas 2011 "Snow Child" Figurines!

2011-12-12T00:22:00.003+08:00

Fancy one of these angelic "Snow Child" sugar art figurines to grace the top of your Christmas cake this season?

Each "Snow Child" figurine is wholly handcrafted without the use of any molds and therefore each one I make will be unique! Height is 4.5 inches to 5 inches. I put in a lot of attention to details and lovingly hand paint their facial features with high quality food colors and edible petal dust for that perfect look. Each figurine takes at least 3 days (including drying time) to complete. It can be kept as a keepsake for many years if kept in a cool, dry place e.g. display cabinet. Of course, you can choose to eat it too!

During this short period till Christmas, I shall only be able to make five of these "Snow Children" figurines. Last commission date is December 20th. Collection date is December 24th.

Merry Christmas and Season Greetings 2011! : )

Snow time...

with Grace...


and Faith!

All dressed in white!

Snow man!

A closer look at Faith!

A closer look at Grace!

Grace's side profile!

Faith's side profile!

Grace and Faith!

Demure Faith!

View from the back!

Sebastian's "No. 1" with Baby Tigger And New Friends!

2011-12-08T15:24:00.008+08:00

Sebastian celebrated his first birthday with a number "1" shaped cake, commissioned by his mom Chermayne. She requested for a scene where Disney's Winnie the Pooh's Tigger, a pig and a chicken are sitting together amidst grass and flowers. Here's my interpretation!

For extra cuteness, I decided on the baby version of Tigger!


My own creation... "Hugging Piggie" in a red jumpsuit!

Made this "Cheeky Chick" instead of a chicken!
Original design of the "Cheeky Chick" is by renowned sugarcrafter, Lorraine McKay of Extra Icing On The Cake!.

Put them together and we have... Baby Tigger and his new friends!

On top of Sebastian's Cake!

Sebastian's "No. 1" Cake!

Top view with pearly, bubbly clouds in the background!

Back view of my piggie! Ha! Ha!

Closeup view of fondant grass and bright, colorful flowers!

Clarins "Sea Lily" Cupcakes

2011-12-07T13:23:00.004+08:00

Commissioned by cosmetics company Clarins for a press event to introduce a newly formulated whitening product, of which one of the key ingredients is extract of the rare Sea Lily. They requested for a simplified 2D version of the original Sea Lily to grace the top of each cupcake.

My version of the "Sea Lily"!

Hand crafted... no two lilies are the same!

2D simplified version!

Dusted with edible petal dust for a natural look!

Edible except for the inedible stamen!

The trumpet and petals were frilled for a natural curve!

Individually packed "Sea Lily" cupcakes!

Clarins "Sea Lily" visual!

Here Comes The "Bugatti Veyron"... Fastest Car In The World!

2011-11-27T22:21:00.002+08:00

Commissioned by Chermayne who wanted to surprise her husband Marcus with a simple design birthday cake topped with a sugar art model of the sports car, Bugatti Veyron. Marcus loves high performance cars, and what better way to impress him than with the Bugatti Veyron, the fastest car in the world with a top speed of over 400 km/h!

She provided me these pics of a fiery red Bugatti Veyron which threw me into a state of panic as I have never modeled a "non cartoon" sports car before.

Here's my version of the Bugatti Veyron, crafted in sugar!

The Bugatti Veyron in fiery red!

With adjustable side mirrors and hand painted details!

Top view!

Close up of the engine!

Top back view!

Personalized number plate "Marcus"!

The Bugatti logo in glittering silver!

Happy Birthday Marcus!

Marcus's comment? "Impressive!". : )

Solo Barney

2011-11-27T21:05:00.000+08:00

Yes, I do take commissions for sugar art figurines alone. This one was commissioned by Joey who wanted a "sitting down" Barney.

Barney...

... the purple dino!

Goodbye Barney! Into the box you go and off to your new owner. I will miss you...

Romeo Turns 2 And He Loves "Cars" Too!

2011-11-25T22:19:00.002+08:00

Romeo turns 2 and I had the pleasure of making his birthday cake again! This cake was commissioned by his mom Brenda who requested for a Disney's "Cars" themed cake as Romeo loves the cars in the movie. She provided some visuals from the new "Cars 2" movie for my reference and here's the result!

Sugar art figurines of Lightning McQueen (red Ferrari) and his girlfriend, Sally Carrera (blue Porsche). All details were hand painted.

"Romeo" on the fondant plaque of the Cars logo! Hand painted with edible silver for the metallic effect.

Cars on the track!

Sally Carrera on the tracks!

Lightning McQueen on the tracks!

Let's race!

Sally's personalized number plate "Romeo".

Cobblestone effect on the cake board and checkered flags.

Caution... winding road ahead!

Here's looking at you from the tracks! Surface dusted with edible silver to look like asphalt.

Romeo's "Cars" themed birthday cake!

Visuals from "Cars 2".
Inspiration to have Romeo's name in the Cars logo came from this!

Visuals from "Cars 2".

Idea for the cobblestone effect on the cake board came from this!

Visuals from "Cars 2" .
Modeled the expression of Lightning McQueen from this!

"Beauty and the Prince" Wedding Cake Entry at the ICCA Annual Cake Competition 2011

2011-10-22T14:47:00.007+08:00

This is my "Beauty and the Prince" romantic wedding cake which I designed and submitted as entry in the Wedding Cake category at the ICCA Annual Cake Competition 2011 held at Sunway Giza on September 30th to October 2nd. The panel of judges consisted of Alan Dunn (UK), Lorraine McKay (UK), Rosalind Chan (Canada), Datuk Chef Wan (Malaysia) and Amy Beh (Malaysia).

The sugar art figurines on this cake were based on the characters of Belle and Prince Adam from Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" movie. Prince Adam was known as the "Beast" in the movie before being transformed back into human form when Belle broke to spell. Here they are, living happily ever after and about to begin their dance.

I am happy that my cake received the 4th placing (Highly Commendable) in the competition. The cake took me 3 months in the making and is the reason why I didnt take any new commissions for the months of August and September except for the "Petronas Twin Towers and Austrian Alps" Anniversary Cake.


"Beauty and the Prince" Romantic Wedding Cake. As displayed at the competition area before judging, on the first day.

Modern string work, resembling delicate lace on the first tier. Edible ivory pearls at the base.

Another view of the modern string work on the first tier.


Fondant "broderie anglaise" pieces with piped royal icing string work. Embossed wedding bell motifs were hand painted with edible gold and ivory pearl sheen.

Cascading arrangement of sugar flowers and foliage.

Sugar flowers arrangement of Vanda orchids and Champagne roses.

Fondant lace pieces suspended by piped royal icing lace work on the bottom tier.

The wedding topper and main attraction, "Beauty and the Prince" sugar art figurines.

Piped royal icing lace work on Beauty's bodice and skirt.

A peek at her petticoats.

Princess Belle (Beauty) and Prince Adam (formeryl the Beast) gazing lovingly into each others' eyes.

Judges' feedback and comments on the third day.
From left: Amy Beh, Me, Alan Dunn, Rosalind Chan (hidden) and Lorraine McKay

Judges' feedback and comments.
From left: Amy Beh, Me, Alan Dunn, Rosalind Chan (hidden) and Lorraine McKay

Up on stage with Rosalind Chan (left) and Amy Beh.
Photo courtesy of ICCA.

"Petronas Twin Towers and Austrian Alps" Anniversary Cake for Chermayne and Marcus

2011-09-25T11:40:00.004+08:00

My client Chermayne requested for a cake with both the Petronas Twin Towers and the Austrian Alps as a surprise for her husband, Marcus on their 8th wedding anniversary. The two sugar art figurines are to represent them as Chermayne is Malaysian and Marcus is from Austria.

Chermayne and Marcus celebrated their 8th anniversary with...

the Austrian Alps...

and the Petronas Twin Towers...

with the glistening and wavy sea between the two landmarks.

The Austrian Alps and the Petronas Twin Towers!

Another view.

Back view.

Chermayne's and Marcus's 8th Anniversary Cake!

A Sugar Fairy for Sweet Marissa

2011-07-06T01:46:00.007+08:00

This sugar art fairy was a very last minute commission by Yen May who had been searching for 3 fairy figurines to grace her daughter Marissa's birthday cake. As I was only given a few days notice, I could only provide her with this lone fairy. Since the cake was to have a garden fairy theme, I dressed her up with a dress resembling pink flower petals, and gave her a pair of butterfly wings.

Sugar art fairy...

dressed in frilled pink flower petals...

... and a flower calyx around the neck of her dress.

A brunette with sparkling green eyes...

... and luscious pink lips.

Playing with her pet butterfly.

Her hair is curled...

... into soft ringlets.

A pair of butterfly wings complete her look.

Pretty in pink.


Butterfly on her wrist.

She's got fingernails too.

Frills dusted with edible petal dust...

... to bring out the flower effect.

Thank you Yen May for putting your trust in me, and for giving me the free rein in the creation of this fairy. : )

Amelia's "Beauty and the Beast : Enchanted Castle Characters" Cake

2011-07-04T20:39:00.047+08:00

Commissioned by Li Yi for her niece Amelia's 6th birthday, is this cake with ample space for Li Yi to place Amelia's birthday gift, a real Princess Belle doll, together with sugar art figurines of characters from the enchanted castle in "Beauty and the Beast".

Princess Belle... Amelia's gift.

Cogsworth

Lumiere

Mrs. Potts & Chip

The Enchanted Characters... from the front.

The Enchanted Characters... from the side.

"Madagascar" Cake Entry at the ICCA Novelty Cake Competition 2011

2011-06-20T15:06:00.004+08:00

This is my "Madagascar" themed cake that I designed and submitted as entry at the ICCA Novelty Cake Competition 2011 held at the Mines International Exhibition Centre on June 9th to 12th. The panel of judges consisted of Rosalind Chan (founder of ICCA and renowned cake designer from Canada), Chef Wan (celebrity chef and 'Food Ambassador of Malaysia') and Master Chef Tan See Fong. The cake earned a "Highly Commendable" title as one of the top entries in the competition.

"Madagascar" themed cake with beach scene in the foreground and desert oasis scene in the background.

Alex the Lion lazing atop the taller sand rock!

Self proclaimed 'king of the lemurs' King Julien (top) is standing jubilant atop the lower sand rock, together with his second in command, Maurice (bottom)!

Gloria the Hippo and Melman the Giraffe relaxing by the rock pool and flashing their gorgeous eyelashes at the crowd!

Marty the Zebra resting by the rock pool!

Madagascar penguins, Rico (left) and Kowalski (right) keeping an eye out for danger at the beach front!

Madagascar penguins, Skipper (left) and Private (right) on the look out at the beach front!

Beach scene. The judges loved the watery effect of the 'sea'.

Highly Commendable!

Calvin's Madagascar Penguins

2011-06-16T15:48:00.002+08:00

Made these cute sugar penguins especially for my dear friend Calvin who loves cartoons and especially, the "Madagascar Penguins" TV show. However, I borrowed them and they landed up on my "Madagascar" cake entry at the ICCA Novelty Cake Competition!

Madagascar Penguins in a row. From left: Rico, Kowalski, Skipper and Private.

Madagascar Penguins in a row.

Private in salute!

Skipper is watchful with his binoculars!

Kowalski thinking up a storm!

Rico is awesome with his mallet!

Positioned on my "Madagascar" cake entry at the ICCA Novelty Cake Competition.

Don't worry Calvin, you will definitely get them back. : )

"Celebrate Life" Figurine for a Cake Challenge

2011-06-11T01:01:00.002+08:00

I was among 15 finalists for the Star Online Kuali Cake Challenge recently. The challenge was to complete decorating a cake with frosting and decorative items given during the challenge in one hour. The theme given for this challenge was "Celebrate Life" and as contestants were allowed to bring along their own decorations, I made this figurine of a joyful, rejoicing girl throwing up her arms to embrace life.

My "Celebrate Life" sugar art figurine

My inspiration was this garden statue (right)

Arms outstretched to embrace life

Hand painted motives on her dress

A ring of tiny blossoms in her hair

My completed cake in one hour

My prize? A 'one on one' cake decorating session with Hotel Istana's award winning pastry chef, Chef Kumaran, for being among the top 6!

Lenard's "Bugs Day" Mini Cakes

2011-05-21T14:00:00.002+08:00

Last minute mini cakes especially made for my cousin Lenard to celebrate his birthday. Why bugs? Because his little girl, Meghan has a fascination for bugs and when Meghan is happy, daddy is happy!

Design inspired by Debbie Brown in her book "Gorgeous and Gruesome Cakes".

Red bug... Lady bird?

Yellow bug... Bumble bee but I forgot about the wings!

Green Bug... Caterpillar!

Athea's 4th "Dora the Explorer and Friends" Cake

2011-04-27T02:26:00.002+08:00

This cake was designed for my client Anouk, who commissioned me to make a "Dora the Explorer and Friends" themed cake for her daughter Athea's 4th birthday party. Top tier is blue skies and clouds; and bottom tier is lush jungle / garden where Dora's friends are playing hide and seek.

Athea's "Dora and Friends" cake.

"Dora the Explorer" sugar art figurine.

Dora's purple backpack.

Dora's map.

Swiper the fox.

Boots the monkey.

Peeping from behind bushes and trees.

Athea's 4th "Ariel the Little Mermaid" Cake

2011-04-13T01:44:00.009+08:00

Athea had an early 4th birthday celebration with her teachers and friends at her kindergarten with this "Ariel the Little Mermaid" under the sea themed cake, commissioned by her mom, Anouk.

"Ariel the Little Mermaid" sugar art figurine

Ariel, with her wavy red hair and dreamy blue eyes...

... poised atop a rock...

... day dreaming of meeting her prince one day.

Dania's 4th "Toy Story" Jessie Cowgirl Figurine

2011-04-08T18:49:00.009+08:00

This Jessie Cowgirl figurine was commissioned by Zarina for her daughter Dania's upcoming 4th birthday.

Jessie Cowgirl says "Howdy!".

Braided red hair with yellow ribbon.

Hand painted details on shirt and chaps (cow print).

Red cowboy hat with white trim.

Latest update! My dear client sent me these pics featuring the Jessie Cowgirl figurine from Dania's birthday bash on April 10th. Pics are posted here with her kind permission.

Cake by Kak Shaz of Mama Chak's Recipe

It's Time for "Angry Birds" Again! For Elaine's Birthday

2011-04-05T00:32:00.010+08:00

Here's another "Angry Birds" cake, back to back with the first one I did for Valentine's Day. Based on the origins of the war between the birds and the pigs,

I designed this "Angry Birds" cake for Elaine, commissioned by her friend Jimmy. This was a last minute order.

Empty Nest! Where are the eggs?

No guessing who is the culprit.

Oh dear... look who's really angry now.

Thieving pig is safe in his shelter of glass and timber... but not for long

Angry bird ready to be launched from his catapult

"Angry Birds" cake for Elaine

Eric's Valentine's "Angry Birds" Cake

2011-03-08T02:39:00.004+08:00

This might well be a child's cake but it was not! My client wanted to surprise her fiance, Eric on his birthday which also falls on Valentine's Day. Eric loves to play the game "Angry Birds" on his iPhone. The premise of the game is simple. You use birds with different abilities to bust through various puzzles and destroy the pigs that have stolen their eggs.

Since the client requested for some elements of Valentine's love on the cake, I decided not to have the birds and the pigs at war. The result ... a "Valentines Truce" for the day!

Sugar art figurines of the birds with their precious eggs


Sugar art figurines of the pigs with their king sitting on his throne of glass and timber

The catapult for launching the birds

The scene ... the pigs have returned the eggs to the birds so peace reigns for the day

Eric's "Angry Birds" Birthday cum Valentine's Day cake!

Skill Upgrade : PME Professional Diploma Course (Sugar Flowers)

2011-01-02T15:29:00.006+08:00

Hooray! I can now make different varieties of sugar flowers! I completed the PME (UK) Professional Diploma Course in Sugar Flowers in October 2010. This was a 6-day intensive course, conducted at Artisan Cake Craft by Calvin Mark Ng, wedding cake designer and founder of Black Forest Tavern.

All blooms and buds were handcrafted from gumpaste then hand painted with food colors and dusted with edible petal dust. Although the PME course content focuses on commercial type flowers but Calvin also taught us the biological version of some of the flowers. He really is an excellent and dedicated instructor.

PME Diploma in Sugar Flowers

Sugar flowers

Champagne Roses

Lily

White Poinsettia

Cherry Blossoms

Cattleya Orchid

Another Cattleya Orchid

Moth Orchid and mini Cymbidium Orchids

Fushcia

Jasmine

Above pics are only few of the flowers taught in the course... those that are my favorites and those whose names I can remember! : D

Baby Face Cupcakes with Beanies & Dummies

2010-12-29T14:16:00.002+08:00

Made these sweet little baby face cupcakes just for the fun of it! Original design by Planet Cake.

Blue is for boys...

... and pink is for girls!

Sweet little babies!

Mervyn's 2nd Pop Up Barney Dino With Star Bursts

2010-12-27T10:49:00.003+08:00

Mervyn turns two on Boxing Day, with his favorite Barney the purple dinosaur popping up from this cake commissioned by his mom, Melissa. This is my second pop up Barney, the first being Evvah's Mini Cakes. Inspiration for this cake was from Pink Cake Box.


Bright and cheerful sky blue complimented by gumball colors!

Barney the Purple Dino popping out of the cake...

... with wired stars bursting out from behind him...

... and holding out two candles for Mervyn to blow out!

Happy Birthday Mervyn! Thank you Melissa!

Jonathan's 3rd "Thomas and Friends" Theme Cupcakes

2010-12-21T04:48:00.005+08:00

My client Sylvia commissioned these cupcakes for her son Jonathan's 3rd birthday. Jonathan loves the show "Thomas and Friends" so the main focus of these cupcakes was a miniature sugar art model of Thomas the Engine. I also incorporated a couple of 2D faces of Thomas's friends which were really fun to make.

Thomas, the Little Engine!

In a cheerful mood

Complete with coal bunker, filled to the brim with coal

James (red), Thomas (blue) and Percy (green)

Thomas on track... timber sleepers and steel tracks

The whole set of 16 cupcakes

Happy Birthday to Jonathan and thanks for the order, Sylvia! : )

Saxophone for a Jazz Music Lover

2010-12-12T17:24:00.005+08:00

I was commissioned by my client to design this cake for her colleague's birthday. He is an anesthesiologist but she didn't want any doctor themed cakes. She described him as a quiet and serious person who loves to listen to Jazz music. We then decided upon a Jazz music themed cake with a sugar art saxophone for this Jazz music lover.

Much research was done the the anatomy of this elaborate musical instrument. I learned the main parts , that is, the neck, the body, the bow and the bell. Also, different components like mouthpiece, reed, octave key, octave pin, ligature, reed, neck cork, neck screw, tenon, keys, pads, key guard and the list goes on. At the end of the day, I was a confused cake artist albeit a very much educated one! ; )

Jazz music themed cake...

... in black and gold!

Ebony and ivory piano keys

Hand painted logo

Sax...

... in gold and silver!

Thanks for the order, Dr. Goh. : )

Christmas 2010 "Snowflakes" Collection

2010-12-10T01:18:00.008+08:00

These are my cupcake designs for this coming Christmas, featuring snowflakes in icy colors of blue and white... a truly wintry theme.

Imprinted and hand painted snow flake design on fondant iced cupcakes

Textured and hand painted snowflake cutouts on fondant iced cupcakes

Each snowflake design is hand painted in pearl sheen color for that icy and shimmery effect!

Cupcake size is 2.5oz souffle cup. Minimum order is 20 pieces. Available in two flavors, Moist Chocolate and Golden Vanilla. Limited to one flavor per minimum order.

Wen Yan's 3rd "Toy Story" Jessie Cowgirl Theme Cupcakes

2010-11-12T17:13:00.013+08:00

I got to try my hand at another Toy Story theme... this time, commissioned by a client whose daughter Wen Yan is a big fan of Toy Story. It was a toss up between her favorite characters, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie the Cowgirl or Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head, on who would be the main character(s) on her 3rd birthday cupcakes. Ultimately, it was Jessie who won hands down!

"Jessie the Cowgirl" sugar art figurine

Back view with cowboy hat and braided hair tied up with ribbon

Side view... here's looking at you with those green eyes

The "3" from the title of "Toy Story 3"

Lassos and cow print

Jessie sitting on timber floor effect cupcakes

The whole set... 16 cupcakes!

Happy Birthday dear Wen Yan! Thank you for the order, Joanne.

Sum Yu's 2nd "Barney and I" Cake

2010-11-07T14:31:00.065+08:00

This cake was commissioned by my client to celebrate her daughter Sum Yu's second birthday. Sum Yu's favorite toy is Barney the purple dinosaur. Mom suggested a cake with a personalized figurine of her daughter wearing the dress that she will be wearing at her birthday party, and holding hands with Barney.

Cake toppers "Little Birthday Girl" and "Barney the Purple Dino" sugar art figurines...

Pic of pretty little Sum Yu in her lovely white with satin peach birthday dress, courtesy of her mom

Closeup of "Little Girl" figurine (Clockwise from top left) : 1. Front view 2. Side view 3. Tiny peach ribbons on the skirt and ballerina pumps with pearl buttons 4. Peach sash at the back

Pretty blossoms and butterflies

The cake!

Happy Birthday Sum Yu and thanks for the order, Pei Ling. : )

Zhen Yu's "Toy Story" Books with Woody and Buzz Lightyear

2010-10-31T13:31:00.082+08:00

This cake was designed for my client who commissioned me to make a Toy Story themed cake for her nephew Zhen Yu's 3rd birthday.The cake is to resemble a couple of books stacked one atop another. Of course, this Toy Story themed cake would not be complete without its two main characters, Woody, the Cowboy Sheriff and Buzz Lightyear, the Space Ranger.

Books on the timber flooring

The title of the book is the birthday boy's name amidst stars and golden planets


Stacked books

Fondant covered cake board with timber floor effect

Happy Birthday message along the book spines

Woody sugar art figurine sitting on top of the books with his legs dangling over the edge

Woody closeup (anti clockwise from top left) : 1. Stetson hat 2. Boots with gold spurs 3. Book in hand, "Reading is good for you" 4. Back view with checkered shirt and cow print vest 5. Front view with red scarf and gold sheriff badge

Buzz sugar art figurine sitting beside the books

Buzz closeup (anti clockwise from top left) : 1. Front panel with colored buttons and hand painted "Space Ranger" emblem 2. Space boots 3. Right arm with laser button and laser 4. Left arm with hand painted rocket emblem

Happy Birthday Zhen Yu and Thanks for the order, Brenda. : )

Ethan's Mr & Mrs Potato Head and their Detachable Parts Cupcakes

2010-10-11T11:25:00.013+08:00

These were last minute cupcakes which I made for my son Ethan to celebrate his belated birthday with his friends, teachers and therapists at The Learning Connection, a school for children with learning disabilities. Still exhausted from the weeks of preparation and creation of my "Black Lace" wedding cake entry at the ICCA Cake Competition, I had decided not to celebrate his birthday this year. Also, some important family members were not around on the day itself . However, I changed my mind and these cupcakes were the result. I chose this theme because Ethan has a Mr Potato Head toy which his therapists uses to teach him body parts via play, and I also thought that it would be fun for the children to identify the parts while enjoying the cupcakes.

Mr. Potato Head

Mrs. Potato Head

The happy couple?

Standing on their cupcakes

Bowler hats

Eyes, ears and nose

Lips, teeth and tongue

Hands or gloves?

44 cupcakes!

Happy Belated Birthday to my dearest son, Ethan!

"Black Lace" : Wedding Cake Entry in the ICCA Annual Cake Competition 2010

2010-10-06T15:24:00.006+08:00

This is my "Black Lace" wedding cake that I designed and submitted as entry in the Wedding Cake category at the ICCA Annual Cake Competition 2010 held at Sunway Giza on October 1st to 3rd. The international panel of judges consisted of Eddie Spence, MBE (UK), Debbie Brown (UK), Rosalind Chan (Canada) and Rose Wallace (USA). Eddie Spence is the Master of Royal Icing and cake maker to England's Royal Family. I am ecstatic that my cake was "commended" as one of the top 10 entries in the competition. Great for a first timer!

"Topsy Turvy" 4 tier wedding cake

with Black and White contrast

I chose the colors black on white because they are a total contrast and would bring out the black royal icing lace and string work against the white background to the best effect. I also love the challenge of producing a clean and neat cake despite black being such a strong color.

"Commended" as one of the top 10 cake entries in the competition

Shimmery fantasy flowers between the tiers


Scallop bridge with Australian String Work fringed with lace pieces on the bottom tier. Cake board is covered with black fondant and stenciled with white royal icing

Bridge with Australian String Work fringed with lace pieces on the second tier

Black royal icing lace work on the top tier.

Close up of lace work : Pressure piped scrolls and delicate fish net lace

Close up of lace work : brush embroidery flowers

Close up of lace work : Pressure piped scrolls with herring fish scales lace and net lace

The judges (from Left) : Rose Wallace, Rosalind Chan, Eddie Spence and Debbie Brown

Congratulations from the Master of Royal Icing, Eddie Spence

Judges' feedback and comments. The judges especially Eddie Spence loved the string work. The term they used 'Exquisite'

The Top 10!

Up on stage

Xander's 1st "Astro B.Yond Remote Control and Other Favorites" Cupcakes

2010-09-16T00:24:00.004+08:00

These cupcakes were especially designed for my client to celebrate her son Xander's first birthday which also falls on Malaysia Day (September 16). Xander's favorites are the central theme of these cupcakes.

Xander's biggest favorite is the "Astro B.yond Remote Control". Mom requested for a customized sugar art model and miniature version of this remote control to be the center piece of the cupcakes.

The "Astro B.Yond" vs. the "Xander X."
with customized "Xander" and "X" logos.

The miniature "Xander X." only spans 2 cupcakes.

On top of this,

X. A. N. D. E. R ...

turns "1" ...

... with his favorite balls ...

... and his favorite animals, the elephant, the monkey and the lion, the king of the jungle.

16 moist chocolate cupcakes with chocolate ganache filling.

Happy Birthday, Xander! Thanks for the order, Aprel. : )

Grand Lady's 93rd Sweet and Lovely Cupcakes in Pink, Lilac and White

2010-08-25T01:53:00.003+08:00

I guess I was still in the mood for pink, lilac and white colors, after completing Evvah's Pop Up Barney Mini Cakes, when I was requested by this client to make some simple design cupcakes for her friend's mom's 93rd birthday. Wow! That's really a grand age to be.

I decided on a floral theme with blooms of spring daisies and mini frangipanis... something simple and yet, sweet and lovely to celebrate this grand lady's big day.

32 cupcakes in my two best selling flavors, Vanilla Cupcake with Buttercream Filling and Moist Chocolate Cupcake with Chocolate Ganache Filling.

For some unknown reason, the photos with the Moist Chocolate cupcakes didn't turn out. : (

Spring daisies with pearl centers and mini frangipanis

Minimum 16 cupcakes per order and per cake flavor

All packed and ready to go, the Vanilla Cupcakes...

... and the Moist Chocolate Cupcakes

Thank you for the order, Auntie Janet. : )

Evvah's 2nd Pop Up Barney Dino with Bows, Ribbons and Polka Dots Mini Cakes

2010-08-09T02:27:00.018+08:00

My client commissioned me to design some mini cakes for the occasion of her niece Evvah's second birthday. Evvah's favorite toy is Barney, the purple dinosaur, so a figurine of the lovable character is the order of the day. The client also requested for the cakes to have bows with ribbons and polka dots. The overall color scheme for the cake design is to be pink, purple and white. Ooh... I can tell these cakes are going to be sweet and pretty!

Here are the sweet treats for little Evvah's birthday celebration from her beloved Aunt...

Pretty in shades of pink, purple and white are 16 mini cakes sitting atop a fondant covered cake board with pink polka dots

E. V. V. A. H surrounded by pretty little blossoms

15 mini cakes in three designs...

Clockwise from top : 1. Dotty on Pink 2. White Bow on Lilac
3. Purple Bow on White

Sugar art figurine of Barney, the purple dino...

... popping up from the center cake...

... and holding on to the candles for dear life!

Client's feedback to me "Thanks for the lovely cake... My niece loved it so much... Everyone liked the mini cakes too".

Happy Birthday, Evvah and thanks for the order, Brenda. : )

Romeo's 1st "Baby Blue and Cow Print" Party Cakes

2010-07-27T02:31:00.016+08:00

I was commissioned by this lovely client to design a two tiered cake together with 30 cupcakes for her little boy Romeo's first birthday party. The cake designs are to be based on the "Baby Blue and Cow Print" theme of the party.

The banner and invitation card, courtesy of Romeo's mom.

It was an enjoyable process during the design stage of the cakes as Romeo's mom provided great ideas for the cakes, one of which was a personalized figurine of a "little boy in a cow suit". Dear Romeo's party cakes include...

A two tiered cake...

... with R. O. M. E. O on top...

... and a cake topper "Little Boy in a Cow Suit" sugar art figurine...

I love this little guy so much, I gave him his own photo shoot!

Clockwise from top left corner : 1. Peek a Boo (or Peek a Moo)! 2. Yoo Hoo! Now you see me. 3. Whee! I love to slide. 4. Legs up! Exercise is good.

Mom sent me this photo of the cow suit for my reference.

The Cow Suit.

Clockwise from top left corner : 1. Cow ears attached to the hood 2. Zip... how else to get into the suit?? 3. Cow tail... Oops! Forgot to add one but Mom says it's not necessary anyway 4. Cute baby pink soles

... with pearly clouds and rustic wooden fences...

Mom's lovely idea to add these!

... and cow print on the bottom tier...

... together with "cow face" cupcakes...

Notice each cow face is unique?

... and an assortment of "cow print" and "1st" cupcakes.

Mom made my day twice! She sent me a message on Facebook, "Thanks a lot for the cake!! Everyone loves the cake." and another via email, "We all were really happy with not only the cake design, but also with your cake. It is really delicious".

Happy Birthday, dear Romeo and thanks for the order, Brenda. : )

Skill Upgrade : Life Size Flowers "African Orchids"

2010-07-11T13:00:00.015+08:00

Hooray! I can finally make sugar flowers! Well, sugar orchids to be precise. This is another skill upgrade for me. I went for the Life Size Flowers "African Orchids Series 1" course at Artisan Cake Craft. This was a 3 day course conducted by Mr. Calvin Ng, Malaysia's renowned wedding cake designer and founder of Black Forest Tavern.

All blooms and buds were handcrafted from gumpaste then painstakingly hand painted with food colors and dusted with edible petal dust. Very life like and realistic! My Dad thought they were real flowers until I told him they were made from sugar... edible except for the wires and floral tape holding them together.

Four varieties of orchids growing from a tree log

The Vanda Orchid.

The Apassia Orchid.

The Cattleya Orchid.

The Zygopetalum Orchid.

A Violin Fit For The Virtuosi

2010-06-07T11:23:00.024+08:00

This is a 3D sculpted violin cake specially made for a young lady who plays the violin and loves listening to classical music. Much research was done on the anatomy of the violin before the start of this cake project, to the point where I can name most of the parts now... cake art can be educational too. ; )

Voila violin!

The belly of the violin, featuring the chin rest, the tail piece and the button anchoring the tail piece...

The tail piece holds the strings and the strings pull up over the bridge...

and stretch above the fingerboard, to be played by the violinist.

f-hole on each side of the belly.

The neck and head of the violin, ending with the peg box and the scroll. The neck is decorated with sugar orchids.

Oh yes... everything on the cake is edible... including the strings!

Going Solo On The Traditional Indonesian Layer Cake

2010-06-03T23:54:00.002+08:00

A month after attending the Indonesian Layer Cake course, I decided to make the traditional Indonesian layer cake on my own lest I forget the process. Here's the result,

Managed to achieve 16 layers... not bad for a first timer! The texture was buttery and moist. The way to enjoy this cake is to slice it into thin slices and to savour it slowly, taking in the aroma of the spices. Some people like to eat it by removing and relishing each layer at a time. It makes for a great tea time cake!

All wrapped up in cling film and ready to be chilled in the refrigerator after a day or two. This cake is made with lots of egg yolks (more than 20 for this 9 inch square cake) and without preservatives, would not last long at room temperature in our hot and humid Malaysian climate. Best to chill it then bring it back to room temperature before consuming.

The Indonesian Layer Cake

2010-05-17T03:04:00.006+08:00

I just love the Indonesian Layer Cake, with its multiple layered texture and its fragrant blend of spices that include cinnamon and clove. So, when Artisan Cake Craft (a cake decorating and baking supplies retailer that also offers classes in baking and cake decorating) announced that Calvin Mark Ng, wedding cake designer and founder of Black Forest Tavern will be conducting a course to bake three variations of this beauty on April 18, I jumped at it!

Let me introduce the three varieties... the "Traditional" layer cake in the yellow corner, the "Domino" (or basket weave) layer cake in the green corner and the "Pyramid" layer cake in the red corner.

The making of the "Traditional" layer cake involves spreading layers upon layers of spice cake batter into the cake pan and grilling each layer until golden brown. Care must be taken that each layer is not burnt so the baker must constantly stand watch over the oven for hours on end, putting in and grilling each layer until the cake batter is finished. The art is to get the layers really thin. This is tedious work!

The "Domino" layer cake, so called because of its pattern, involves the same layering process as the "Traditional" one, and more! Half of the cake batter is flavored with chocolate then alternately layered with the normal cake batter. I wouldn't go into the details of it but it involves cutting and arranging the layers to get the domino pattern in the middle.

And finally, the "Pyramid" layer cake, to cut a long story short, is equally as tedious to make as the "Domino" layer cake. The pinkish layers are achieved by flavoring the cake batter with strawberry jam.

Phew! After learning how to make these labor-intensive cakes, I can now appreciate why Indonesian layer cakes (especially the authentic ones) are costly.

For A Bride Who Loves Pearls : A Pearly Affair with Oriental and Australian String Work

2010-05-06T01:30:00.018+08:00

I designed this wedding cake for the lovely bride mentioned in my previous post For the Romantic Couple : Let's Sit Side by Side, Hand in Hand. The bride wanted a wedding cake that marries both the contemporary and traditional style. As evident from her pearl jewelery and the pearls adorning her wedding gown, she really loves her pearls. Thus, it follows that the cake must also feature pearls, pearls and more pearls!

A pearly affair...

with Australian and Oriental string work.

The top tier...

with their wedding monogram.

The middle tier with Oriental string work and Australian string work.

Oriental string work.

The bottom tier with quilting and embedded edible pearls.

For the Romantic Couple : Let's Sit Side by Side, Hand in Hand...

2010-04-28T02:32:00.006+08:00

This is a personalized bride and groom wedding cake topper for an upcoming wedding cake that I have been commissioned to make. The client, a lovely soon-to-be bride wanted the bride and groom figurines to represent her and her fiance. She requested for the bride figurine to be wearing a replica of the gown that she will be wearing on her wedding day. Also, to include her pearl jewelery that goes with the gown; and the wedding bands on the bride's and groom's fingers to signify their union. Everything must be down to the smallest detail!

How romantic... the bride and groom, sitting side by side and holding hands.

Closeup view of the lovely bride and the dashing groom.

Here comes the bride!

From left to right: 1. Completed the look with ringlets framing her face, tiara in her hair and pearls around her neck 2. Pearl teardrop earrings on her ears 3. Pearl details at the back of her dress too.

With this ring I be wed.

The wedding gown.

Photos of the original gown, courtesy of the bride.

Fondant Dinosaur Round-Up

2010-04-20T17:09:00.008+08:00

Wow! My frolicking dinosaurs were mentioned in A Baked Creation, a Canadian cupcake blog, in their Fondant Dinosaur Round-Up! Their dinosaur cupcake toppers were the inspiration for my fondant dinosaurs.

Check them out! They have some really awesome stuff on their site.

Thanks Sylvia!

Australian String Work : The 'Rolls Royce' of Cake Decorating

2010-04-14T21:53:00.007+08:00

I made this cake to feature the Australian String Work technique. String work, an extremely delicate form of cake decoration, is also known as extension work. This cake decorating technique employs the use of royal icing piping on an intricate curtain and lacework on the side of the cake. Regarded by cake decorators as the Rolls Royce of cake decorating and by many, as a difficult technique to master, the arduous task requires much patience and the perfect icing to accomplish it.

Bridge extension work on side of the cake.

Suspended (bridgeless) string work on the other side.

At the top of the cake, fondant plaque with stenciled tulip, painted with edible dusting powder.

Piped royal icing bead border at the cake base; and fondant covered board with embossed butterflies.

Closeup of the bridge with extension work.

Step by step of bridge extension work.

Clockwise from top left: 1. Pipe first string of icing along scribed line. 2. Pipe layer of strings atop one another until a bridge is formed (10 layers). 3. Using the finest piping tip, pipe fine strings extending from the scribed line (at the top) to the bridge. 4. Repeat (step 3) until finish.

Closeup of the suspended string work (top layer).

Side profile of the suspended string work.

Step by step of suspended string work.

Clockwise from top left: 1. Insert pins into cake along top of existing bridge string work 2. Pipe a string draping it across the pins. 3. Using the finest piping tip, pipe fine strings extending from the scribed line (at the top) to the suspended string. 4. Repeat (step 3) until finish then carefully remove the pins.

Thanya's 1st: Beach and Under the Sea Cake

2010-04-01T20:07:00.029+08:00

I was commissioned by a client to design an underwater themed cake with a personalized cake topper for her daughter Thanya's 1st birthday. Mom wanted an underwater theme since her daughter loves her fishes and her bedroom is decorated with them. She also requested for a figurine of a "curly haired little girl in a swimsuit", modeled after her daughter, sitting on the cake. Based on this, I made this beach and under the sea themed cake especially for sweet and cute Thanya.

Cake flavor is rich butter cake layered, filled and covered with Mousseline buttercream (also known as Italian Meringue buttercream), a less sweet alternative to buttercream icing and fondant icing; and decorated with fondant accents and decorations.

Mom sent me this photo of her sweet Thanya, taken a few months ago, for my reference.

The cake topper : "Curly haired little girl in a swimsuit" sugar art figurine. Notice her innocent and "in awe" expression?

The beach scene.
Made the waves rising up the beach using the brush embroidery technique.

The Beach Scene.

Clockwise from top left corner : 1. Crab testing the water 2. Child's spade and pail filled with sand 3. Tiny shells on a mat (made by my daughter Rachel. Do we have a budding sugar artist here?) 4. Sand castles

The underwater scene.

Clockwise from top left corner : 1. Puffer fishes meet in the midst of a starfish 2. Striped Angel fish 3. Friendly octopus 4. Seahorse and friends

Mom made my day! She called me right before the cake cutting to tell me "Thank you! The cake is so beautiful ...way beyond our expectations! We have a problem now because we don't know how to cut into the cake". Happy Birthday Thanya! Thanks for the order, Subu (Grandma) and Kanjna (Mom).

Skill Upgrade : PME Professional Diploma Course (Royal Icing & Piping Module)

2010-03-25T22:52:00.008+08:00

I am a self-taught cake decorator, having learnt most of my skills from many books and the internet. However, I doubted my piping skills (or lack of it) and have always shied away from piping complicated buttercream / royal icing flowers and decorations. To upgrade my decorating skills and at the same time, get some formal qualifications, I enrolled in and completed the PME Professional Diploma Course in Royal Icing. It was a 5-day intensive course, from 1st March to 5th March, conducted at Artisan Cake Craft Centre. The instructor for the course is Calvin Mark Ng, wedding cake designer and founder of Black Forest Tavern.

Receiving my diploma certificate from my instructor, Calvin.

My PME Royal Icing Cake Project 1

My PME Royal Icing Cake Project 2

My PME Royal Icing Cake Project 3

Rachel's Clematis & Stripes Cake

2010-03-15T01:33:00.015+08:00

As promised in a previous post Rachel, a Girl who Loves to Read, here is my daughter Rachel's two tiered birthday cake. Cake flavors are marbled butter cake layered and filled with chocolate ganache for the top tier; and butter cake layered and filled with vanilla buttercream for the bottom tier.

Figurine of Rachel, sitting on top of the top tier.

Clematis flowers and leaves brush embroidered with on the sides of the top tier.

The bottom tier decorated with fondant stripes and fondant balls.

The assembled cake!

Notice the birthday girl's top matches the colors on the cake?

I am glad that Rachel loved the design of the cake although someone did comment that the pink was so bright that it had a neon effect. I chose pink as the predominant color because it is Rachel's favorite. The other colors complimented the pink to make the cake "bright and cheery", suitable for a young girl ("I am a tween!" corrected Rachel, who just turned 12).

We had a lunch party of 23 people (including children) and the bottom tier was finished off within minutes. The top tier? I am reserving it ... but that is another story!

Cupcakes for a Mathematics Professor

2010-02-18T03:47:00.008+08:00

CakesI received this order from a lovely lady in Dublin, Ireland for 30 cupcakes for her Dad's 60th birthday. Although she cannot make it back to Malaysia for the celebration, she wanted to make the occasion special with some customized cupcakes... See? she really is lovely! Dad is a Mathematics professor, lecturing at a local university. She wanted a standing figurine of her dad in his graduation robe since he never left university, and low relief fondant motifs of her mum and grandparents to appear on the cupcakes. Also, to make mum and grandma look "really nice".

Here is Dad in his graduation robe paired with a silver neck tie.

Mum,

Grandma... described as having gray curly hair and wearing spectacles (omitted the specs because I wanted her to look youthful),

and Grandpa ... with spiky white hair.

Also, not forgetting his mortar board, calculator, computer, books and math formulas. Since it is still the Chinese New Year season, I added cherry blossoms to the collection.

Cupcake flavor is moist chocolate cake with buttercream icing. Thanks for the order, San Hung. Hope your parents and their guests enjoyed the cupcakes and the celebration lunch.

Exploding "50" Retro Polka Dots Cake

2010-02-13T13:23:00.035+08:00

Designed and made this retro themed cake last night, until the wee hours of the morning, especially for my brother in law who will be celebrating his milestone 50th birthday on Valentine's day tomorrow. The cake is a gift from me and my hubby; to be eaten as dessert after the family's Chinese New Year dinner (first day of Chinese New Year coincides with Valentine's Day this year). Cake flavor is chocolate mud cake layered with dark chocolate ganache and covered with chocolate fondant. Color scheme that I chose for the cake is silver, teal, brown and white.

The numbers "50" is hand crafted from gumpaste and painted with silver sheen and luster dust. Edible, except for the cocktail sticks partly embedded in them to enable them to stand up. Of course, I made these days in advance to allow for drying time.

The "50" exploding out from the cake. I filled the explosion rip with silver dragees for a silvery effect.

Another view of the exploding "50" surrounded by silver, teal and white polka dots cutouts arranged in a retro style.

Top view of the cake!

This cake will be traveling with us back to Ipoh (hubby's hometown) which is a 2 hour drive away. However, with everybody rushing back to their respective hometowns for the CNY celebrations, it may take up to 3 to 4 hours along the congested highway. I really hope this cake arrives safely; and in one piece!

Happy and Blessed 50th Birthday, Steven! Many Happy Returns for this milestone in your life. Hope we all enjoy the cake tomorrow.

Post Event Update on Feb 15th!

Well, the cake did arrive in Ipoh safely but I can't say the same for my hubby and myself after 4 hours of car travel. The weather in Ipoh was also very hot and humid; and we had to keep the cake in the air conditioned bedroom overnight and well into the next day.

When we presented this cake to the birthday "boy" Steven, he commented that it looked like a "piece of art" and that he couldn't bring himself to cut into it. I insisted so that I could take a photo of the inside. Here it is:

Actually, this is the first time that I attempted this chocolate mud cake recipe which I found on the internet. I tested it out on the family and I am glad that everybody loved it. It was moist, rich and chocolatey. Nephew Caleb (Steven's son) even gave it a "thumbs up"!

Under the Sea Cupcakes

2010-02-10T15:23:00.010+08:00

On top of the "present" cake, Zoee's mom also ordered 30 "Under the sea" themed cupcakes for her sweet 16th birthday. These were for her birthday celebration with her classmates and teachers at school. Flavor was moist chocolate cake filled with dark chocolate ganache; topped and decorated with butter cream icing and fondant toppers.

Red haired mermaid figurine since Zoee's favorite mermaid character is Disney's Ariel .

A medley of sea creatures including puffer fishes, angel fishes, a star fish and a seahorse.

Not forgetting the jelly fishes! Did you know they are a Chinese delicacy?

Friendly octopus!

Shake on it!... but be careful of the claws.

Arrangement of the cupcakes for the occasion.

Hope Zoee and her friends enjoyed the cupcakes. Thanks for the order, Bee Yang.

Love Gift for a Sweet 16

2010-02-03T02:48:00.010+08:00

Actually this customer requested me to make a moist chocolate cake based on the design of the Pretty Bow & Dots Cake for her daughter who turns 16 today. Wanting to try my hand at something different, I asked her whether she would mind if I did the cake with a different type of bow, and she replied it was okay as long as it was pretty and cute. So this is the bow I came up with:

Top view of the bow which I made about 2 weeks ago. I rolled the fondant over an imprint mat to get the flower-imprinted design on the ribbons.

Another view of the bow. So far so good!

Since this is a young teen's cake, I had decided to go for a brighter and more playful color scheme... vibrant pink with contrasting sky blue and lime green.

From here on, things started going wrong. Firstly, not taking into account that the moist chocolate cake was not as firm and sturdy as the butter cake, I had a hard time getting it into the perfect shape to be covered with the fondant. When I finally covered the cake with the fondant, it started tearing at the corners and the sides. There were also air pockets under the fondant to contend with. I ended up with an unsightly pink cake with tears where the dark chocolate cake showed through and also small pin holes where I have stuck the needle in to release the air. : (

I thought of giving up but then my customer (who is also a good friend) will be so disappointed. Maybe I can cover the defects with polka dots cutouts but one of the tears was really large and uneven shaped ... no way I can cover it with dots. So, I decided to use heart shaped cutouts instead since Valentine's Day is around the corner and love is in the air. Here's the outcome:

Large heart shape cutout that covered the large tear. It appeared so bare that I added the birthday girl's name.

Zoee is 16.

The finished cake after 6 hours of labor. I thank the Lord for giving me the inspiration for the new design and the perseverance to finish this cake. Phew! Happy to report that the customer was delighted with the cake.

Happy and Blessed Sweet 16, Zoee! Hope you and your family enjoy the cake. Thanks for the order, Bee Yang.

Mermaid and Friends

2010-01-23T12:14:00.003+08:00

Made these toppers for an order of "Under the Sea" themed cupcakes.

Chinese New Year Cupcakes

2010-01-16T12:12:00.032+08:00

Surprise your loved ones during this festive season with a collection of Chinese New Year themed buttercream and fondant iced cupcakes! Vanilla cupcakes filled and frosted with vanilla buttercream, topped with fondant decorations. All decorations on the cakes are edible.

Gong Xi! Gong Xi! Hmm ... I think I should have made her hair darker?

Mandarin Oranges ... usually associated with good luck. It is exchanged among family & friends to usher in prosperity!

Wealth ... Gold ingot and gold coins.

Firecrackers to usher in the New Year. Umm ... did I get the Chinese character for 'Prosperity' right??

And finally,

Peach blossoms. Oh dear... my perfectionist self tells me not to include this in the package. Maybe I should send it to Cake Wrecks! Oh well ... back to the drawing board.

And finally (again?),

Tiger ... After all 2010 is the year of the tiger, third sign of the lunar Chinese Horoscope.

Cupcakes comes in standard size (top 2.5 inches diameter) souffle solo cups.

To Rachel, A Girl who Loves to Read

2010-01-12T03:50:00.017+08:00

Modeled this fondant girl figurine as a topper for my daughter Rachel's upcoming birthday cake in February. I wanted to personalize the figurine to reflect her character. At first, I wanted to make a girl sitting demurely on the edge of the cake, wearing a pretty pink dress and ballerina pumps, holding a sprig of pretty blossoms ... but on second thoughts, that's not the real Rachel! Rachel is into books, and not flowers. The only flowers you 'll see on her are those embroidered onto her jeans. She's more of a "t-shirt and jeans" girl and I don't think I have ever seen her sitting like a lady....yet. She also loves her hair long and dreads haircuts.

It took me 3 days to complete this model. Reason is that the body has to be left to dry overnight before the head is attached. Then, the head has to be dry before the hair is attached. So here she is, after 8 hours of hard work:

Thanks to my new tool, a clay gun, I was able to make the hair in a jiffy. Actually, Rachel's hair is long , straight and even length but I have given the model a layered cut and twisted the front portion of the hair into ringlets for a neater effect. Thankfully, Rachel liked this hairstyle and commented that it makes her look Japanese.

I 've given the model a pair of pink "Mary Janes", something on my daughter's wish list.

Stay posted for Rachel's cake which I'll be baking and decorating sometime in February. I think I will attempt a two tiered cake, my first!

Post Event Update on Feb 28th!

Yes, I did attempt the two tiered cake and here it is, Rachel's Clematis and Stripes Cake

The Perfect Gift - Pretty Bow & Dots Cake

2010-01-08T09:54:00.009+08:00

Made this small cake (6" square) just for fun and to practice my fondant skills. It's a marbled butter cake filled and coated with dark chocolate ganache, then covered with a thin layer of fondant.

It was so yummy and chocolatey!

Cherry Blossoms New Year Cake

2010-01-05T03:12:00.015+08:00

Happy & Blessed New Year 2010! This is my first cake of the year .. a moist chocolate ganache cake, topped with a fondant plaque of cherry blossoms and butterflies. Made this for a customer who SMSed me that she wanted a cake on January 4th, "suitable for NY, just surprise us with ur choice, x ask anymore, just do". Huh?

Pink blossoms and golden butterflies!

Thank you for the order, Ms. Yam.

Let's Play Golf Cupcakes

2009-12-31T23:52:00.011+08:00

A collection of golf themed buttercream and fondant cupcakes for my golfer dad's birthday today. Everything is edible except for the flag poles which are made of cocktail sticks.

Christmas Nativity Cake

2009-12-25T17:55:00.011+08:00

For Christmas 2009 ... a fondant covered rich Eurasian sugee cake with fondant Christmas Nativity figurines. Made this for my family's annual Christmas dinner.

The complete picture!