VOTING IS NOW CLOSED. Results will be announced on Sunday, Sep 15th Wow, there were some impressive entries in the Cake Decorating with Modeling Chocolate Competition. Thanks to all the talented dessert artists who submitted photos! There were many great … Continue reading
No carving involved! How wise is that? This step-by-step tutorial demonstrates how to make a 3D owl cake baked in a bowl, frosted with buttercream and decorated with modeling chocolate. Tips: Half Sphere Cake Tutorial Items Needed Half sphere … Continue reading
This tutorial demonstrates how to bake, slice, fill and frost cakes in the shape of hemispheres and full spheres without any carving. With this simple shape, you can build all kinds of 3D sculpted cakes including soccer balls, basketballs, planets, … Continue reading
It has come to my attention that a great way to relieve stress and anxiety is to punch cake. How this exercise in baker’s therapy came to pass was that recently, a fellow cake decorator friend of mine named Liz … Continue reading
This 3D cake adventure involves modeling chocolate, piped chocolate, malt balls, buttercream frosting, wood dowel infrastructure, carved cake construction, and Pepperidge Farm Pirouette Rolled Wafers. This boat wedding cake was designed for a couple that met at the 2009 San Diego Singles Conference on … Continue reading
I like to use parchment paper cones to decorate cakes with melted chocolate, buttercream frosting, or royal icing. The cones allow for more control and better rotation with the wrist to accomplish swirls and finer detail work up close on cakes. They are disposable … Continue reading
THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED VIEW THE FINALISTS AND VOTE HERE Rules of the contest 1. Any cake shape or design qualifies for this contest. Extra points will be awarded for originality! 2. All entries must include the use of at … Continue reading
The 3D car is a wildly popular sculpted cake design for groom’s cakes, birthday cakes and father’s day cakes. Unfortunately, it is an especially time consuming shape to create. I have spent many late nights working on car cakes, realizing that I should either charge … Continue reading
Skip straight to the recipes or read this introduction to modeling chocolate. Modeling Chocolate Modeling chocolate, also known as plastic chocolate, chocolate leather, or candy clay, is a soft, pliable confection made from chocolate and sugar syrup. It can be used in … Continue reading
The yummiest kind of motorbike for ripping up single track is made of modeling chocolate. This motorcycle cake tutorial is for bakers who find themselves challenged by designs that involve two-wheel vehicles, i.e. bicycles, dirt bikes, scooters etc. Because the problem with … Continue reading
This 3D piano cake design involves minimal carving. The cake presentation involves a raised stand that is simple to build out of cardboard, dowels, tape and screws. It helps the cake look like a real piano. Baking and Carving the Piano Cake Begin with … Continue reading
The topsy turvy cake, also known as the wonderland cake, mad hatter cake, or falling down cake is a popular cake design technique that involves carving and the physics of counterbalance. This tutorial demonstrates how to carve and assemble a topsy turvy cake … Continue reading
This tutorial demonstrates how to carve and frost tapered, angled or slanted cake tiers using the Upside-Down Method. This style of cake has a playful aesthetic. Here, 1” (25 mm) is carved off the diameter of the base of each … Continue reading
The challenge of the creature cake involves striking a balance between realistic and yummy. Here, modeling chocolate combined with fondant makes piggish features possible while yumminess is conveyed in a chocolate buttercream mud puddle, splashes of dark chocolate glaze, truffles, malt balls, … Continue reading
The classic present cake is appropriate for almost any occasion. Modeling chocolate is particularly well suited for forming fine bows because it can be rolled so thin. The trick to a full-looking bow is to cut wider strips for the loops … Continue reading
In 2010, I was filmed making a giant cake for one episode (season 2, episode 4) of a Discovery Network reality television show called Fabulous Cakes, now syndicated on TLC. I was under contract to NOT blog about the filming for … Continue reading
There are a number of ways to add infrastructure to the inside of a wedding cake or sculpted cake so it doesn’t collapse. After building 1000+ custom cakes using a variety of systems including wood dowels, SPS and bubble tea … Continue reading
This alternative wedding cake is finished in rolled modeling chocolate and piped chocolate. It was for a couple whose reception took place in Balboa Park’s Japanese Friendship Gardens, which has a zen rock garden and koi pond full of plump, spotted fish. The groom asked … Continue reading
Here in San Diego, California, there is Camp Pendleton, the Coronado Naval Base, and the Mirimar Marine Air Corps Station all with cake-delivery distance, so here is another naval ship finished in modeling chocolate. The trick to rendering something in cake that … Continue reading
This tutorial demonstrates how to sculpt 3D cake elements out of PVC pipe, rice treats, and modeling chocolate. This cactus, jalapeño pepper, sleeping Mexican cake was 100% the vision of a a client. The cakes are all finished in modeling chocolate. … Continue reading