It's past time to get ready for June weddings! Some weeks, (and some months) are busier for me than others of course. June is one of my busier times, but not necessarily THE busiest anymore. June IS busy, but not very much busier for me than October. October is the last good month here in southern Ohio as far as the weather is concerned. And there is also Sweetest Day, which makes some brides choose that weekend (3rd Sunday of October). It is good to have some insight into all the busier times. This way you can plan your life around business. One year the 13th came on a Saturday in June. I gambled and took a vacation that week. I think I only had one wedding cake. But the weeks prior and after we were loaded. On this past May 17th , we had 9 wedding cakes - and I was gone! Did I hear about that when I got back. There would not appear to be any good reason for this, unless you consider the fact of all the changes in young lives this time of May. College and high school graduations seem to make a big difference here. I live in a college town and there is another college near my shop - only 20 minutes from one another. Weddings are planned so that friends can attend before they leave for the summer.

Pwd Sugar: College graduation time and they want to get married and get on with their lives

• Millie D2: Where can you go to learn how to airbrush portraits on cakes? My husband saw the "Cake Lady" and now wants to do it too.
• Pwd Sugar: Roland Winbeckler teaches a new method of doing portraits - neat techniques
• Shavkin: Carole Faxon will be doing air brushing on fake cakes at ICES convention. She's great!
• Pwd Sugar: Carole Faxon is great with the airbrush but I have never seen her do a portrait
• Millie D2: Are any of the ICES conventions ever held in NYC? I would love to attend
• SDcaker: Millie-you can attend the Fancy Food show in Manhattan in July. Fun!!!!! It's held at the Jacob Javits center.
• Millie D2: Yeah. I'm in Manhattan. That would be perfect. How do I get information about the Fancy Food show?
• SDcaker: Mille-Call 708 344-4444 tomorrow to get them to fax you a form. It's free if you "register" by May 30. If you work in a shop or have a catering biz or anything in the culinary field, you can go. Over 800 booths of munchies--a real learning experience. Take your friends as ts and you can learn from their techniques while you're munching on pates, gummy bears etc

Shavkin: I'm domoing my technique on "Gumpaste & Fondant Embroidery". The flowers, leaves, hearts, etc. are marked into the medium (gp or fondant) with a gumpaste cutter and flower petals are raised up from the base of the gp/fondant, but remain attached. The ruffle is made directly from the edge of the gumpaste plaque. For instance, u cut out a heart shape or circle of gumpaste and then proceed with a certain tool to create the attached ruffle with an eyelet, hearts cut of along the edge of the ruffle, etc. Then u use dusting powders to create the colors. Each attendee to the demo will receive instructions, recipe, and a picture of one of my works that displays/shows this technique.

Another Look-ahead" is when the bride brings a recipe to you for her cake. Has SHE tried it? Where did she get it? I won't use an strange recipe for a big tiered cake without making a trial run first. Recipes out of magazines should be definitely be tried before using.

Then, there is the bride who wants someone else to bake a special cake and YOU decorate it. I once had a bride who I let do this. Supposedly they had this special 'secret' recipe they didn't want to give me, so they wanted to bake it. ...Dad was a baker, etc... Well, that cake was NO GOOD at all! He had over-baked it, layers were not nearly high enough. It was lopsided. IF he was a baker at all...I wouldn't want to eat his cakes. I fixed it as best I could and made do. But I don't like for my name to be associated with that kind of quality.

Pwd Sugar: I had a couple last year that I baked the cake for them because the grooms grandmother was flying in and wanted to decorate the cake for them.

Its hard to have all the answers. You probably never will. But this is one good place to browse for <some> of the answers LOL.

• MNWoolley: great! Whats the best way to keep crumbs from coming through the frosting?
• Pwd Sugar: Crumb coat your cakes Woolley
• MNWoolley: I've used stabilized whipping cream on some of my cakes, but they don't seem to do borders well. any suggestions?
• Pwd Sugar: Woolley - use buttercream icing - whipping cream is so difficult to control
• SDcaker: I"ve used a great whipped cream stabilizer called "whip It" made by Oetker
• Chefcakes: Has anyone tried mousse to decorate instead of icing or whipped cream?
• Chefcakes: Sure, actually its a mousse mix that you whip into heavy cream. Holds up great.

LOW-CAL FLUFFY FROSTING:

• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 2 tb Water
• 2 pk Sweet 'n 'Low
• 2 Large egg whites
• 1/4 ts Cream of tartar
• 1/2 ts Vanilla

FAT FREE QUICK CHOCOLATE FROSTING

• 1/2 cup Cold skim milk
• 1/2 ts Vanilla
• 1 pk Dream Whip
• 2 oz Sugar-free Chocolate pudding mix

LOW-CAL CREAMY FROSTING

• 1/2 cup Non-fat cottage cheese; sieve
• 1/8 ts Salt
• 1/2 tb Diet margarine, melted
• 1/2 cup Equal-Sugar twin
• 1 ts Vanilla

Earlene's Part

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING WITH NO SUGAR

• 16 oz cream cheese softened
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 2 Tbsp. vanilla
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 egg whites, beaten stiff
• 1 pkg vanilla sugar free pudding mix. Jello

"Gearing up for the June weddings"

I think the secret for being able to do multiple weddings in this busy season is advance planning. When a bride orders a cake with very time consuming decorations that I can make in advance, I require that she pays for that cake order completely one month ahead of her wedding date. This allows me to work on flowers, lace work, plaques, color flow designs, fondant embellishments and etc for a month before her cake is due. I never make flowers, leaves and etc until that cake is totally paid for. If her cake is being decorated with fresh flowers and the grooms cake is decorated with fresh chocolate dipped strawberries then they must have the entire amount paid for two weeks ahead of the wedding. Which gives her check time to clear my bank before the wedding day. Check with your bank to be sure that is enough time for your checks to clear. I had one wedding a couple of years ago and the check was on a new Mexico bank. It came back two days after the wedding. When I called the mother she assured me that it was good and asked me to please put it through the bank again. Guess what? It bounced sky high. I ended up taking it to the district attorneys office and because I had not gotten a drivers license on her check - I probably will never be able to collect that money. With a drivers license number on the check they could find her - but I did not know that then. Protect yourself and deposit those checks at least two weeks before the wedding date and get a drivers license number on all the checks given to you.

• Cakestmper: Without pictures, I cant remember what I've done myself.
• DragoDan: dummies in your store dont hurt either
• Chefcakes: I have pictures of almost everything I've done. Interesting to watch you maturity
• AnnieCraft: and don't rely on the customer to send you a picture. They usually forget
• Dolores777: I get the phot. name and call them myself. But some phot. will give me photos. Another thing, DO get ALL the phone#s you can...caterer, photg, etc...in case of something like what happened to Pwd
• CAKESUP: Pictures can save you if something happens to the cake after you leave it. That happen to me once.
• DragoDan: its always nice to work with people you know
• NRJCAKE: Pwd, are the florist, etc. willing to talk if you just walk in off the street?
• Dolores777: I bet ALL the florist in Lubbock know Pwd sugar!!!!
• Pwd Sugar: RIght - And my cakes in their sample albums don't hurt either
• NRJCAKE: Pwd, don't most brides get the cake from the Hall that they book the wedding at?

Are you networking with other bridal businesses in your area. Your best references can come from caterers, florist, and photographers. These are the people who you make look good. The caterers know whose cakes cut nicely, taste good and look good. They also appreciate delivery promptness. If you make them look good then they will refer brides to you.

(I have three caterers who refer to me) The florist has a high profile job in a wedding. His flowers make (the bridal party, the church, the reception area and sometimes the cake ) beautiful stunning showpieces. When the best florists in town know that your cakes look good, taste good and have a good texture that will not fall apart when they put fresh flowers on them - then they will refer brides to you.

(I have five florist who refer brides to me) Photographers have the memory making job. Everyone works to build a photographic image for the photographers. All of the dresses, tuxes, flowers, scenery, cakes and people make their picture pallets. A photographer sees

(1) if people eat your cake (or take one bite and throw it away),

(2) if your cake is leaning,

(3) if your cake is presented nicely and

(4) if your cake decorating is above average for your area. (I have five photographers who refer brides to me)

So you see these thirteen businesses refer lots of brides to me.

Networking builds your wedding cake business. In turn I also let the brides know (if asked) the best people in town for their needs. Remember most of these brides have not done this before and welcome some help from you. Networking helps you and you in turn can help refer to those businesses also. You will have knowledge that these brides need. Who is on time? Who's bouquets fall apart? Who's food is really good? Who rants and raves and is always late? Sometimes I tell them that the best person to answer their questions is the photographer. The photographer sees a wedding from start to finish and they know who causes problems and who bends over backwards to help things go smoothly.

Stock up on ingredients so that you are not running to the store frequently when you are so busy. Time is money. I have a spread sheet that a friend helped me make several years ago when I got my first computer. It lists all of the ingredients that are used in my cake recipes. The recipes are in columns and all I have to do is enter how many servings that I need of each kind of cake and it makes me a list of what is needed. I print that list and check off what is on hand and with list in hand go to Sam's, the grocery store and it sure makes my shopping easier. I don't make so many trips to the store now for something that got forgotten as an ingredient. If you are interested in a copy of this format just e-mail me your snail mail address. I don't think I can send this to you in a file by e-mail.

Last weeks cake with the red, magenta and purple was very striking and set up beautifully. The 7 hours to deliver and set up the cake 150 miles away made for a very-very long delivery day.

I love this time of year because many of the summer brides get a little more creative with their cakes. I have one cake the middle of June that will be completely covered with embossed fondant roses on buttercream icing to look similar to her dress. She has the lace roses on her entire dress and I will strive for that same type of look on her cake. "fun to do new things." This cake will also have cascading white and ivory gumpaste flowers and leaves and lace points. It could be a case of over cake decoratoritis. LOL it will certainly be different and should be gorgeous.

• NRJCAKE: Pwd, how much does a cake like that cost?
• Pwd Sugar: Depending on the type of flowers they want from $9 to $12 a serving. LOTS of work - LOTS of time and time is money
• NRJCAKE: What do you mean depends on the type of flowers?
• Pwd Sugar: SOme Gumpaste flowers are harder to make than others. If they want all very small flowers and no big space occupying flowers it is higher
• SlimNSassy: Pwd....how do you charge? by the person?
• Pwd Sugar: By the serving Pwd Sugar: Right - It probably will take a dozen flowers to fill up the space one lilly with six petals would occupy

• Dolores777: ICES: Isn't JUNE 1 the deadline for early registration for the ICES convention? Price goes u
• Pwd Sugar: Right Dee - June 1 - get that registration in
• Shavkin: Pwd... Let us all know what your demoing at convention
• Pwd Sugar: Versatile Lace Wraps - I just got four new ones in today from Rosemary to play with before convention
• Pwd Sugar: Demoing in Florida - How many ways you can use the new one piece lace wraps. Rosemary Watson makes these lace wrap molds and you can use them on buttercream Chocolate, fondant and etc. Very versitle and less expensive than the two piece mold. She just sent me four BRAND NEW LACE WRAP MOLDS YES - very easy - especially with the short cuts I have now. Love the one piece molds and the many ways you can use them. The wraps are the silicone molds and you can make fondant, chocolate or buttercream lace on your cakes with them
• NRJCAKE: Pwd, are the wraps of gumpaste...used on buttercream? Pwd, does the buttercream have to be stiff to be wrapped?
• CB332: i have one of the smaller wraps but have yet to try it out. any tips?
• Pwd Sugar: Regular buttercream icing is used - not stiff at all
• Wigglebott: a good buttercream is the best
• Pwd Sugar: The two piece molds cannot be used with regular buttercream.

• Shavkin: Pwd .... will u be demoing the wraps at the evening of sharing this year. Last year, I got to "peek" and see your lovely cake that u were working on during the evening of sharing
• Pwd Sugar: HRJCAKE you can order a catalog from Sugar Bouquets, 23 North Star Drive, Morristown, NJ O7960 I think the catalog cost is a couple of dollars CB332: which is better with wrap.. fondant or buttercr.?
• Pwd Sugar: I use all buttercream, buttercream with fondant lace or fondant with fondant Pwd Sugar: The two piece molds cannot be used with regular buttercream.
• NRJCAKE: Shavkin, at the night of sharing can you get up close to see what people are demoing?
• (From Dolores --- YES, you just mill around and watch whomever you like as long as you like. Mostly, they do the demo over a few times.)
• NRJCAKE: Delores, My cancelled check for convention reg. came back, but no packet! Cakestmper: Contact registration chairperson, the person you sent check to originally
• CAKESUP: Packet will come before long. We put them together a couple of weekends ago.

• Shavkin: When you get to convention. Go "immediately" to the registration area....and register. You will get your packet that has in it: your badge that must be worn for all events except the Saturday night banquet which is "The Enchanted Ball". Black tie for the attire for the gentlemen, only if desired to do so. Some will really dress up and some will not. It is up to the ind. that must be worn for all. There will be your ticket for the General Membership Mtg on Fri. morning. It is a breakfast and starts at 7:30 am. In packet, there is the ballot to vote for President and other ICES officers and for 7 Board members. You can vote for up to 7.... you do not have to pick 7; you can pick less; but no more than 7 or your vote won't count. You must bring ur ballot to the meeting as no ballots will be handed out at the mtg. You will also get your voting sheet that you will use as a "flag" to vote if there are any motions placed on the floor. On the back of the voting sheet will probably be the resumes of all of the candidates. You also get a book for keep as a momento which has all the Reps, Board member pics, Founder's pic, etc. and the events of the convention
• Shavkin: One thing at convention re' packet is to be sure to keep the small handbook with u because it has the demo schedule and the events schedule in it. And, if u lose it, you get no other
• SlimNSassy: where is ICES? Dolores777: Shavkin - Pwd, when ARE packets sent? 2 dif. places I bet NR
• SlimNSassy: Dol....when?
• Cakestmper: Convention dates are Aug 7-10 Chefcakes: new to the web. what is ICES
• DragoDan: can someone give me the ICES web page?
• Dolores777: thats http://www.ices.org
• Dolores777: It is our org. for cake decorating Chef:::
• Cakestmper: International Cake Exploration Societe Shavkin: ICES is for anyone interesting in the art of cake decorating. The purpose of the organization is to promote the art of cake decorating.
• Chefcakes: is there membership, publications?
• Dolores777: $27.00 per yr and a newsletter
• Dolores777: You can read about it on aol/"cake dec. online/"discuss cake decorating" Chef ... Pwd sugar put all kinds of info in our cake dec. topics. You can learn so much there JNMmccann: those of you involved in ICES? do you network with other bakers in Ca. more specifically S.F

• NRJCAKE: Shavkin, have you been cake decorating long?
• Shavkin: NR... Yes, since 1969. I do not do much cake dec anymore; mostly things for convention and days of sharing.. I used to travel to teach, but only do that very infrequently now. My specialty is gumpaste woodgraining effects, woodland scenes and miniatures. I mainly do candy as my sideline business now.
• NRJCAKE: Shavkin, sounds interesting! Do you work out of your home?
• Shavkin: Yes, I have a workroom downstairs with 12 feet of cabinet space and a formica-covered pool table. I have been doing candy since 1978.. I am doing a display for Florida's convention. The cake will be covered in rolled fondant. The top will have 8 discs of pink chocolate that has 3-D, free-hand painted bunnies (with clothes) and decorated Easter eggs. The center disk says, "Happy Easter". that is printed with an artist brush & lavender chocolate. NRJCAKE: Shavkin, sounds like Bas relief? Sounds incredible! How much time will it take? Shavkin: Isn't Bas relief with gumpaste?
• NRJCAKE: Yes, but it is the painting that seems to make it so different.
• Shavkin: Doesn't take much time to paint. I love it so much! I enjoy the 3-D painting and do lots of it on my regular orders. Just not as involved as with the bunnies. For instance, my chocolate houses have the fronts painted with "lights", wreathes, candles in the window, etc. I don't think it's like Bas relief.
• NRJCAKE: Shavkin, do you have a background in art? I've been decorating for 6 years but my background isn't art. I sew, cook, etc. and that helps.
• Shavkin: No formal teaching in art. It just comes to me somehow. I have read some books such as an art book to try to understand "perspective". Which I found that issue to be difficult but, somehow learned it, too. I understand that my uncle painted. Uncle on my father's side. My sister, Joan, when she was alive started to take lessons in art around 1969. Then, my mother did that, too. Both of them started cake decorating around that time, too. And, my sister Iris was also cake decorating. So, they sent me some tips and a Wilton book to read. Mom showed me a few basics in painting. Not much. She was taking lessons and working on a picture and the teacher was astonished at what she was creating without much in
• NRJCAKE: Shavkin, sounds like it came naturally to you.
• Shavkin: Yes. But that Australian decorating.. Forget it. I just couldn't sit there and do one string after another. I have much better at hand molding and putting clothes on gp miniature animals than doing things that have to be done a certain way and that's it or the flower is just not a pansy, rose, etc.
• NRJCAKE: Shavkin, I enjoy the Australian decorating. It is tedious, but the results are pretty. I Shavkin: I took a class from Betty Van years, ago, and we were all supposed to make those lace points. Oh, my! I did not like doing those. Same thing one after another.
• NRJCAKE: Shavkin, I registered and paid my deposit for hotel...haven't bought plane ticket yet
• Shavkin: Then, from Eleanor Reilander, we did flowers. Soon, as I got to do the miniature iris -I was in my glory. Fun fun fun!

• Shavkin: NR... About the chcolate painting... I might be doing that at midyear 1998 in Kansas City. Carolyn wants me to possibly do something in chocolate. She would like me to demo the chocolate house either there or sometime for convention. I did the 3-D chocolate painting about 2 years ago at convention. Last year I did "How to set up a gumpaste woodland miniature scene and how to prepare the dummy for the lake, stream, paths, etc.

• Psous: Sounds lovely. Can you or have you thought of substituting applesauce for all that oil?
• Pwd Sugar: Haven't tried it yet with the applesauce instead of oil. Considering this is 1/2 cake mixes that is not so much oil.
• Psous: Most of the new wave are working with applesauce. Cutting the oil. It works well.
• LadyWest2: Apple sauce works great Ps, I use it all the time, bananas, juice, lots of things
• SlimNSassy: Psous...is it an even swap....ie. one cup for one cup oil, etc.

I think I finally have this strawberry cake (cake mix) recipe right. If you have time check it out. I have been working on this recipe for several years and would welcome your input.

Please let me know if you try it - is it just right___ to dry __ to moist__ enough flavor__ other comment _____________________ 

STRAWBERRY CAKE WITH A MIX

• 2 1/2 strawberry (Duncan Hines) cake mixes
• 1 1/2 cups of egg whites
• 1 cup of whole eggs
• 2 cups of strawberries pureed in the blender
• 2 packages of unsweetened strawberry Kool-Aid
• 1 pound of sour cream
• 3/4 cup of Wesson oil
• 3/4 cup of flour

Shavkin: Here's a sugar free dessert to share:

MOUSSE AU CHOCOLATE:

• 2 oz.bitter chocolate
• 3 T. boiling water
• 4 pkgs. Equal
• 1 t. rum flavoring
• 2 eggs - separated.

• MMP77: SHAVKIN, no sugar in the bitter chocolate??
• Shavkin: Buy unsweetened bakers chocolate for no sugar.

• Millie D2: How do you store piping gel once its been opened?
• Dolores777: In the fridge Millie - seal tight so it won't dry up and thicken. (Can thin with Karo syrup too).

• Ising C: has anyone crystallized pansies this year? Saw some beauties at Cake Club this week. I'm not sure of the full tech, missed part of the meeting. Anyone help on crystallizing? I think something about egg whites and sugar sprinkles over them. First they washed the pansies, then used an egg white wash or something. then sprinkled fine gran sugar over the petals. They looked great. the colors this year look great.
• EleCre: Brush with egg whites and sprinkle with superfine sugar. let them air dry
• Chefcakes: She says that she's try crystallizing and the petal wither. Suggestions?
• In the JUNE issue of American Cake Decorating Magazine," it gives in complete detail, the instructions for sugaring real flowers. Great article. This magazine is available in most book stores. You can also contact them on their web page at http://www.cakemag.com

• MMP77: PWD do u do wedding cheesecakes? are they harder to work with?
• Pwd Sugar: NO to the cheesecakes
• Dolores777: I don't do cheesecakes either---not enough refrigerators
• Chefcakes: I've done individual cheesecakes and made arrangements, but never the traditional stacked or tiered. how large were the cheesecakes? bigger then 10"
• MMP77: hmmmm bottom looked bigger than 10", then got smaller was choc. cheesecake swirl for nearly 175

• NRJCAKE: Pwd, do you do mostly gumpaste flowers this time of year?
• Pwd Sugar: I do lots of gumpaste this time of year but I also use royal flowers in some of those arrangements. Especially if they are wanting to cut their cost. NRJCAKE: Pwd, will florist, etc. talk to you "off the street."
• Pwd Sugar: You bet the florist, caterers and photographers are now good friends. We are all the best in town - So it is nice to work with the best.

• Cakestmper: I did a cake with castle from American Cake Decorator magazine, white gum paste over styrofoam with lots of gold accents, used for centerpiece with 3 tiers of cake.
• NRJCAKE: Pwd, how much does a cake like that cost?

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