Cake Life @ The Velvet Buttercream

While attending the Art Institute of Phoenix, one phrase was consistently burned in the back of our minds.. "You eat with your eyes first, and then with your mouth." This phrase is entirely true, even at a grocery store where cakes are production based. Many of you have expressed a considerable amount of interest in the beauty of my cakes, although only a few of you have had the pleasure of tasting them! "How do you sell a cake that may taste amazing, but has a bland looking exterior?" It's a question that I wish more cake decorators understood. We all have this amazing idea as to how a cake should taste, but it's not like we are reinventing the wheel. As much as I would love to write about the flavors of cake, this blog is particularly about the exterior look. Detail work with roses, or toy kits makes the cake much more appealing. Elegant cakes like this wedding cake were made to be beautiful and to taste just as amazing. The cake pictured above is a d

This is a love/hate relationship when it comes to making roses. When I first started cake decorating I had no experience in making roses but I tried, and kept on trying till my hands hurt. I learned how to craft beautiful roses through repetition while on the job at Albertson's, and I can successfully say that I do them well. First attempt: 08-2008 11-2008 07-2009 12-2009 So i've gone from crappy roses to amazing roses in just over a year from working at Albertson's. Practice makes perfect when it comes to cake decorating. I tried to find a video on how to make buttercream roses.. but I ended up finding more videos on how NOT to make them. One example: Not to rip on this lady.. but man that is so not the way to make a rose. You can tell that she works at a grocery store because of how fast she can make them. As you already know, I put quality product over quantity. You've gotta have passion for making beautiful cakes

The cake life... it seems like such a broad topic, and it really is! There are so many little bits of information that are never seen, or that are never told of. I will tell you about my adventures as a cake decorator. I have my Associates Degree in Culinary Arts from the Art Institute of Phoenix. Although my degree is for culinary in general, I specialize in baking and pastry arts. I work for a local grocery store here in Phoenix as a full time cake decorator. I specialize in the cakes that other decorators can't do. Cakes that other decorators say are impossible are just another challenge for me to overcome. This was my first wedding cake attempt. A three tier Chocolate, Marble, and Vanilla cake, filled with fresh raspberries, strawberries, and banana's, completed with a baby blue buttercream icing and pastillage lilies. The cake was created from a few pictures showing colors and basic shapes.. the rest was all inspiration. I've seen the Good, the bad, and the ugly! My