TIPS AND HINTS THAT MAKE IT EASIER - GETTING A HEAD START ON MOTHER'S DAY CAKES

BOX OF ROSES CAKE: I know we can't add pictures. But you have at least one way to view this cake. It is already on my web site. Http://w3.one.net/~proicer/index.html - see in SPECIAL TECHNIQUES. Also, I think EBWATERS is planning to post this cake SOMEWHERE for Mother's Day.

This cake makes perfect' roses for Mom on her special day. It is also perfect for that special lady's birthday and other occasions.

NEEDED 8-1/2 x 12" 1-layer cake (1 cake mix). This cake pan is a little smaller than the 9x13. It holds one cake mix nicely. Or - for larger production, we had a pan made that is the correct size without cutting the cake. Long cardboard cut to fit box and wrap with greaseproof wrap or foil - (I used white freezer wrap) Long-stemmed roses box with waxed liner 'Card' (make the card of color-flo, wafer paper, gum paste, white coating chocolate or rolled fondant)

You would need to he sure it fits in your oven before you buy it.

TO DO: 1. Cut cake in half length-wise as shown in diagram above, left. 2. Place cakes on the long cut cardboard, as shown in diagram, above, right. 3. Ice cake with Cake Icier tip (thin icing for cut-side!!! Soupy! So you don't pull off crumbs). 4. Pipe tip 18 shell top border. (Not much room for a bottom border) 5. Pipe 12 green tip 5 rose stems; add "stickers" on rose stems 6. Pipe green tip 67 "fern" (hold bag as for star fill-in) 7. Pipe tip 104 roses in Mom's favorite color. Some roses should be just large buds and others fully opened. 8. Pipe green tip 3 sepals and calyx at base of each rose. Add tip 68 green leaves. 9. Write tip 1 message on the edible card and place on the cake 10. Add tip 103-104 icing bow on stems, if you like

TO BOX THE CAKE UP: 1. Fold the box, leaving one side open. 2. Drape the green waxed liner in the box. 3. Place cake in box and fold up the box side. Place lid on.

* All products used are available at Sugarcraft: 513-896 7089. call 9:30 - 5:00 EST & ask for Sue. They carry Visa, Master Card and Discover. - Box with green wax liner paper $1.70 - WE HAD A SPECIAL PAN MADE FOR THIS - Regular $28.00 on sale for $24.99 --- Pan measures 23 x 4 x 2 - inches --- You would need to he sure it fits in your oven before you buy it. 

APPLE SPICE CAKE with CREAM CHEESE FROSTING I found this great recipe on AOL - someplace once: Cake: 1 box Duncan Hines Spice cake mix 3 eggs 1/3 cup oil 1 1/3 cup apple juice 2 large Granny Smith apples (or up to 4 small ones) peeled, cored and coarsely shredded Frosting: 8 oz cream cheese 1 stick butter 1 lb confectioners' sugar 1 tsp vanilla

Place cake mix, eggs, oil, and apple juice in a large mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer for 3 minutes. Fold in the coarsely shredded apples by hand just until blended. Pour into a buttered 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 35-40 minutes or until done. Remove from oven and cool completely in pan on a rack.

When cake is completely cooled, place all frosting ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer at high speed until spreading consistency. Spread icing evenly over cake (still in pan). Cut into squares to serve. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.

Notes: The cake is very moist. It can be served as soon as frosted or refrigerated over night to be served the next day. (I think it is better the next day)

If you like raisins or nuts, you can add 1/4 cup of these to the cake mix or chop and sprinkle them over the top of the frosting.

Ohio is having a 6-state ICES Day Of Sharing (DOS) on April 26-27th. Some of the demonstrators are: Darlene Horner, PA, Dolores McCann (me), Rosemary Watson, NJ, Millie Green, IN, Gloria Griffin, Can, Geraldine Kiddwell, KY, Susan Larson, OH, Geraldine Randlesome, Can, Linda Shonk, IN. Lidia Snow, KY - all are listed in your Buckeye Bulletin newsletter - if from Ohio. I don't know what other states do to publicize.

EleCre: Our fall Ices meeting is in Traverse City and Earlene Moore will be there

Earlene's Part:

WEDDING CAKE SEASON IS ALMOST HERE. This is a solution we found for delivering cakes where the borders were hanging over the plates edge. It is hard to pick those cakes up without destroying those borders. We use the crystal clear divider sets. This set up has white plastic round plates and clear legs in 7 1/2 and 9 1/2 inch lengths. We had some 5/8 inch wooden dowel rods cut into 2 inch lengths and they are just for delivering those cakes. Place one plate (the same size as the plate under your cake) on the table bottom up. Put four of the 2 inch wooden dowels in the leg holes. Place the cake on top of this placing it on the wooden dowels to decorate and travel securely. Place this whole unit on a non-skid mat to deliver to the wedding reception site. No more fingers in the borders.

CAKE DUMMY TIP: Isn't this sugar world fun - always new things to try and experiments that work great occasionally. Early this morning (5am) I could not sleep and my workroom was a mess. I have been trying to get things together for the day of sharing in Louisiana this weekend. I had to make my dummy cake for the grooms cake demo all over again. At the ices Baltimore convention I gave my demo cake away because it would have cost me another $50 to get it back home. I finally finished it late last night and had planned on using another dummy cake also. This morning I looked at the other dummy cake that is at least 18 months old and it really was drab and dull. I put the tea kettle on and steamed that whole cake (that was fun - trying to figure out just how to hold on to it and not destroy it). It is shinny again and looks great. Don't be afraid to try something new - if it doesn't work you have at least learned something in the process. If it does work share it with the other decorators around you. We are all looking for solutions for one thing or another in this sugar world.

I hope those of you close enough to the Ohio or Louisiana DAYS OF SHARING this weekend will make a special attempt to attend. If you have never gone to a dos - you are in for a real treat. Fun, fellowship, new ideas, and lots of things to learn. No matter how long you have been in this business - there is always something else to learn. Most of the time I go away from these days of sharing saying now why didn't I think of doing that like that. I always learn something. When we quit learning we are headed downhill. Keep your skills alive by learning new things - just remember to give the credit to those who showed you or taught you their ideas when you share them with others.

Shirley Manbeck shared with me many years ago how she keeps her left over colored icing in the refrigerator. She looked in my refrigerator and it had dozens of small bowls of icing. Lol HER WAY WAS TO PUT THE COLORED ICING IN PLASTIC WRAP AND THEN PLACE IN ONE LARGE CONTAINER. Now when I need some colored icing I just pull out that one container - check if I have that color - if I do I take it out to warm up - work it around with my hot hands - drop the icing, bag (the whole thing) in my decorating bag with the tip in it and tighten it down. When the plastic wrap busts the icing goes down into the tip and I am ready to decorate again. No mess and this method takes so little room in the refrigerator.

NOW FOR SOME MOTHERS DAY IDEAS FOR YOU For the mom who sews - draw a pattern lay out to go on your cake. Make a wax paper stencil and cut out the pattern pieces with an exacto knife. The piece with the holes in it is your stencil. Ice your cake with buttercream icing and let the icing crust. Soften some of your buttercream icing with a little additional water. Color mom's favorite color or a pretty pastel. Lay your stencil pattern on top of your cake. With an angled spatula gently seal the edges of the stencil holes and ice and smooth. Remove the wax paper pattern. Outline the design with a small tip and a contrasting color. Make a pincushion from rolled buttercream or fondant. You could always add more sewing incidentals such as a tape measure, pins, thread and etc.

FOR THE MOM WHO LOVES GOLF. Make a sheet cake and cut a hole a little larger than a golf ball, ice the inside of the hole with dirt color icing. Ice the cake with grass green icing. Let dry slightly. With a damp sponge - pat the sides with the sponge to leave a rough texture on the sides of the cake. Make three colors of green icing - moss green, leaf green and emerald green. Using a 234 tip - fill your bag with the three colors layering them vertically in your bag. Now make grass on the top of your cake. Using the cake you cut out for the hole - mash it together and make a ball. Wrap this ball with either rolled buttercream or fondant. Make the indentions in the golf ball with a hat pin or something similar. Lay on top of the cake near the hole or drop into the hole. Make a flag and attach to a skewer with happy mothers day or your #1 with us written on the flag.

FOR THE MOM WHO LOVES MUSIC. Make royal icing notes and place randomly around the cake. A stylized music staff across the cake. Black and white with some red roses.

For the mom who is a cake decorator - make her a pie

For the mom who is constantly picking up after her family or maybe she is doing some fix up or re-decorating in her home- Roland Winbeckler's mop lady is great. She has rollers in her hair, frumpy and fun. Happy mothers day sexy should make mom smile.

For the mom who loves butterflies - make 3d rice paper butterflies for her cake. You will need a black and white drawing of your type of butterfly (draw the whole butterfly - with only a small space between the wings. Lay the rice paper over the drawing and using a non toxic pen draw the butterflies details. Color in with felt tip pens, non-toxic chalks or food coloring and a paint brush. If you use a paintbrush and food coloring be very careful - water will dissolve the rice paper. You will need to use an almost dry brush. After the butterflies are totally dry cut them out with an exacto knife - do not cut the wings apart - fold gently where the body needs to be piped. Pipe the body with royal icing and prop with Kleenex to dry. When dry place on your cake at various angles. I have a butterfly picture hanging in my kitchen window given to me by a special friend that says "love is like a butterfly - it goes where it pleases and it pleases where ever it goes"

For the mom who has lots of grandchildren. Do a stencil with hands cut out. Stencil a set of hands for each child and write their name across the hands. Or make her a sweatshirt or t-shirt with all of the hands and write grammy's, grandmothers, nana's or (whatever the kids call her) helping hands.

But most of all don't forget to give mom a big hug and tell her that you love her. Cakes are nice, gifts are fun but as a mom - to just have another day with your kids and grandkids and them spend some time with you is the best. 

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