My son Alex once asked me how I got started making cakes. I told him that when he was 4 years old, 3 years ago, I thought about making him a special cake. Ordering cake from a grocery store didn't seem so memorable. So I decided to do research... youtube.com was a great first source. Mayen of Way Beyond Cakes was such a big help to me.( www.WayBeyondCakes.com ). And also Edna de la Cruz of Design Me a Cake ( www.designmeacake.com ) There are a few more names that I should give credit to for my start-up, but I'll mention them along the way:) I really didn't know anything about baking, making icing and especially making fondant. What the heck is a fondant anyway? Well, come to find out it's made of marshmallows and powdered sugar...of course you can add any flavoring you want...I love almond flavored fondant!
My very first trial cake was a chocolate cake with milk chocolate icing, then the Mario mushroom head on top...now, that was interesting:) I didn't think anything of it after I made them...So we just ate the cake, and decided that I was ready! Hahaha! Let me tell you how I misjudged my ability:) I made my son's birthday a day before the party. He had a Mario Bros. and Sonic the Hedgehog theme on his cake. It was 2 tiers, with round cake on the bottom and a mushroom guy on top. I made my very first marshmallow fondant...yay!...and even made the characters out of fondant also. Of course, they were all laying down. Not having known about gumpaste medium at this level of my caking knowledge, they were limpy and soft:) So...I declared the cake finished! Ha! After 2 hours of sitting on the counter top...the CAKE collapsed!!!! I was so frustrated!!!!!!!!! I thought I was going to cry...I may have...I don't remember. I got a hold of myself and fished out the characters I very lovingly molded. I tried to figure out what had happened. What did I do wrong?! Well, I realized that there weren't any support on the bottom tier. Wow!!! I had no idea that cake making involves physics:) Anyway, I just had to do everything over, and do it right this time!
That first cake was a success that I just realized in all the hobbies I've had over the years...and I mean lots of hobbies...(sewing purses, sewing baby bibs, machine embroidery, jewelry making, making tutus, flipflop designing, curtain making, costume making, crocheted hats and scarves, crocheted blankets, etc....just can't remember others:) ...this was the most rewarding of all. Everybody needs a cake one way or another. So I took some classes at the prestigious Michael's Hobby Store, and learned more stuff:) Of course looking through pictures after pictures of beautiful cakes online, magazines and books were all so helpful and overwhelming at the same time. But it does give me great pleasure, even after working and being on your feet all hours long, delivering the cakes of their dreams and seeing their awed faces. I just knew I love what I do!
www.PetiteLei.com
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