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Offroad Jeep Topper with Moving Topper
In this tutorial, you will start by first downloading the Jeep template from the website Liz provided you. Then, edit the template to the desired size to ensure proper proportions for the Jeep. Next, watch Liz as she shows you how to create the wheels using a custom made wheel mold and filling them with chocolate. Moving on, you will begin carving the Jeep using rice crispy treats and the template as your guide. You will then cover the carved Jeep in modeling chocolate to bulk up and add depth. In addition to the modeling chocolate, you will cover the entire Jeep with a piece of fondant and begin cutting out the windows and adding the indentations and details to add another level of realism to the Jeep. After that, add the bumpers and the remaining car parts needed to complete the Jeep. In conclusion, learn how to make the spinning wheel and add the wheels to the Jeep before attaching the Jeep to the cake using proper supports.
Run Time
47:55
Techniques Used
- Rice Crispy Treats
- Modeling Chocolate
- Mold Making
- Motorized Wheel
Tutorial Chapters
- 0:20 Preparing the Template
- 7:44 Making the Wheel Molds
- 14:43 Carving the Jeep
- 20:55 Covering the Jeep in Modeling Chocolate and Fondant
- 26:17 Adding Details
- 40:33 Making the Spinning Wheel
- 46:48 Attaching the Jeep to the Cake
Offroad Jeep Topper with Moving Topper
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Geode Cakes are Taking Over the World
Geode cakes may very well be the most popular trend in wedding cakes since Buttercream was invented. They are EVERYWHERE. Creating the first sugar geode was the brilliant work of Viki Kane of Just a Little Dessert Co.. Rachael Teufel of Intricate Icings took the idea a step further and buried these babies right inside a cake making for the most breathtaking and unique cake the internet had ever seen. Today we want to show you 12 of these beauties we think are worthy of some extra attention.
Here is the original geode idea from Viki Kane, the Mother of Sugar Geodes, which if you're a caker, is pert near as cool as the Mother of Dragons.
Everyone has seen that first viral Geode Cake of Rachael Teuful's, but have you seen this one? Are you kidding me?! How cool is the geode hole right through the cake! Bravo again Rachael, Bravo.
Cynthia Inguanzo-Underwood executed the geode inlay perfectly here with a beautiful deep sea green. Gawgeous.
The beautiful blue ring makes this geode cake extra unique and I am also lovin' the use of both gold and silver leaf around the geode.
Della Hall of Tastebuds Cakery incorporated geodes unlike anyone else with her hot pink color and use of one to balance the tiers. Mega cool.
This is another one of a kind geode cake with the geode standing at 16" tall! Bree Woody-Stanfill of Vintage Soul Cakes delivered an impressive visual geode experience with this one.
It's been said about this cake before but it really does take you right to the Emerald City in the Wizard of Oz, and who doesn't want to go there? Lovely job by Melissa Gray of Cakes by Gray.
Christine Leaming of Sweets Geeky Cakes brings us this absolutely stunning black and white marble cake and the addition of the pure white geodes on the outside. Very chic.
The double colors in this cake by Andi Brown of The Yellow Rose Cakery are freakin' fantastic! I also really love the realistic rock look around the geode. Not another like it on the internet and you saw it here first.
Okay, this is pretty cool. Yellow geodes! So eye catching and to top it off this is a straight up buttercream cake.
I really enjoy the small geode additions to the corners of this cake and the fact that it is a desert wedding where geodes are found! Move aside mountain weddings.
Another beauty with a thin slice of geode from top to bottom but the real winner in this picture is the bride in the mirror, check out her reaction to her breathtaking geode wedding cake! No really, she literally looks as though she is gasping for air. PRICELESS. A round of applause for Sarah Myers of High Five Cakes.
As promised, I've shown you 12 stunning Geode Cakes and now I am throwing in a bonus! In love with these geode cupcake toppers by Sweet Bites!
Are you geoded (I'm making that a word right now) out yet? Of course not because that's not a thing. We will never tire of seeing these incredible nature meets cake creations. If you'd like to learn how to make some sugar geodes of your own check out the Rock Candy Geode Topper Tutorial we offer from guest instructor Viki Kane herself as well as the Geode Love Cake Tutorial from one of Liz's inspiration shoots.
Changing Your Cake Life One Hack at a Time
Who doesn't love a good hack? People who enjoy doing things the hard way or spending money they don't need to, aka no one. We turned to our Sugar Geeks to find out what sorta cake hacks they have come up with during their times of need and boy did they deliver! Here are 10 amazing cake hacks you may not have thought of but will surely be using from here on out.
#1 Place your buttercream or any icing in plastic wrap before putting in your piping bag. You can easily change out colors and avoid messy clean up!
Hack provided by Nancy Mann Russell
#2 When putting dragees on a cake, place a tea towel underneath your cake/turntable so that when dropped they stay in place on the towel rather than all over your kitchen! And before you start, pick up this handy little tool from Design A Cake!
Hack provided by Julie Tenlen
#3 Don't have an airbrush color? Pssshhhht no biggie. Just mix together some gel paste and vodka 'til it is airbrush consistency!
Hack provided by Holly Rust Tumidajski
#4 Use a coffee filter (minus the coffee) to line an 8" round pan before baking your cake to ensure it doesn't stick! Spray your pan and lay the filter flat inside and you're done! You could even pretty quickly cut it down for a smaller cake or use it for a larger size as well.
Hack provided by Helen Moberg Tinsley
#5 Use a cheese knife to slice your fondant, yep, I said cheese knife. There are many types of cheese knives but I am sure any kind will work. Just pretend the cheese in the photo is fondant and you should be able to execute it properly.
Hack provided by Jennifer Everett
#6 Keep the little plastic tip you cut off the end of your piping bag. It can be used to cover your piping tip to keep your buttercream fresh when not in use. Just unscrew your coupler nut, place the plastic triangle over the piping tip and screw the nut back on! "No waste and perfect fit".
Hack provided by Shannon Bond
#7 Use a pill organizer to organize small letter stamps! I bet there are several things these babies would come in handy for!
Hack provided by Melissa Pedreña
#8 Poke a hole in the center of a stretch to fit food cover and place over mixing bowl to keep sugar and splatter at bay while mixing! How genius is that!
Hack provided by Lynn Page
#9 Cover your turntable, counters and back splash with Glad Press N' Seal before airbrushing! And a tip from me, wear a mask to avoid colored snot for days.
Hack provided by Amy Grant
#10 Not particularly good at old school hand sharpening with a knife? Use a pencil sharpener to sharpen your center dowel rods! ¼" is the same width as a pencil.
Hack provided by Lauren Cortesi
So there ya go. 10 time and/or money saving caker hacks delivered right to you. Just spreading the cake love whenever we can.
Oppa Gingham Style
Sing it with me, "Oppa Gingham Style, op op op op op, Oppa Gingham Style, ehhh sexy lady" You know you're doing it, it's pretty much impossible not to, and now I have ruined the rest of your day by permanently sticking that in your head #sorrynotsorry, and yes, I know the real song says GANGNAM, it's a play on words people. That's right we're bringing gingham back and on the inside of yo' cake! This gorgeous Springy cake with watercolor painting, a beautiful flower spray and of course the eye-catching gingham pattern on the inside is now available for your learning pleasure. You are welcome. This cake was also featured on the cover of the June issue of Cake Master's Magazine and a full pictorial can be found inside there as well. BONUS. Let's dive in and see some of the beautiful details in process starting with the sweet crackle board.
This is such a cool Isomalt effect (SimiCakes Brand Preferred) that could go with so many cakes! It is also a dream come true for the cake decorator who puts off covering their boards until the last minute, am I right? So basically every cake decorator ever. Original technique created by Choux Cake Studio.
Working our way up these shots get us up close to the simple yet beautiful watercolor painting. Liz shows you how easy it is to get this stunning effect.
Here are the different elements in the flower spray that are offered in the tutorial including Amaranth, Poppies, Hydrangeas and Jasmine leaves. Many different products are used throughout this tutorial including Flexique, an amazing edible fabric product that proves to have more and more uses! Also learn dusting techniques and assembly of the floral arrangement.
Instruction for beautiful application and arrangement of the floral spray.
And of course, last but not least, the star of the cake, the gingham, op op op op op.
Overall, it is a gorgeous cake full of many techniques anyone can execute for a beautiful look!
Do not miss out on this amazing tutorial. Sign Up as a Premium or Elite Member today 🙂 Then work on getting that insanely catchy song out of your head.
Gingham Spring Cake
Skill level: Intermediate
Spring has already sprung but it is never too late to create this one of a kind watercolor creation completed with a floral arrangement and a top tier that has a surprise gingham center.
First begin by baking, trimming, and cutting the gingham cakes before assembling the cut pieces to form the layers as shown by Liz in this tutorial. Next, stack and frost each layer with a thin layer of ganache. Then, cover the cake in a final coat of ganache and chill overnight. After that you will learn how to create and assemble perfectly pink poppies, delicate jasmine flowers, realistic amaranth flowers, and gorgeous hydrangeas using cutters, veiners, and other simple techniques designed to make this amazing floral arrangement come to life. Moving on, learn how to cover the cake board with marbled fondant and then use isomalt to create the crackle effect inspired by Choux Cake Studio's Crackle Tutorial.
You will then be shown how to finish the cakes by covering them in fondant and paint each tier using edible watercolors before stacking them onto the cake board. Lastly, Liz will show you how to arrange the sugar flowers onto the cake before dusting them with water or steam to lock in their colors. You will then be able to take the tools and techniques learned in this tutorial and apply them to any and all future cake orders!
1:01:55 Minutes of Instruction
What You Will Learn
- How to hand-paint a beautiful watercolor design on the cake
- Make a stunning gingham plaid design on the inside
- How to make some amazing sugar flowers to match
Tutorial Chapters
- Assembling the Gingham Cake Layers
- Making the Pink Poppies
- Assembling the Poppy Flowers
- Making the Jasmine Leaves
- Assembling the Jasmine Leaves
- Creating the Amaranth
- Assembling the Amaranth
- Making the Hydrangeas
- Assembling the Hydrangeas
- Dusting the Leaves
- Glazing the Leaves
- Assembling the Leaves
- Making the Leaves
- Dusting the Leaves
- Glazing the Leaves
Gingham Spring Cake
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Forget the Pony, I want a Pegasus!
If the idea of a baby Pegasus cake doesn't excite you to the very core then you may be too deeply rooted in reality and I don't think a friendship between us would ever work out. I could get lost in the idea of magical lands with fairies and flying Pegasus, goblins and spells, strange creatures and forces of evil needing to be destroyed and very easily never come back if I didn't have to. Learn to create this magical cake from the basic structure and wafer paper wings to the color detailing and beautiful isomalt water. Personalize it to your heart's content, maybe your Pegasus has a pink main and silver wings, the sky is the limit.
This genius cake idea started out on the Bake Boss Tour 2016 in Australia as an in person class but Lizzo loves her Sugar Geeks so much she decided to offer it to those of us who couldn't make it to the land down under to learn it in person. Sign up as a Premium or Elite Sugar Geek today if you haven't already to get access to this amazing in depth class.
Check out this preview for the class from our brand new Sugar Geek Show YouTube Channel! Subscribe today for awesome free tips and tuts as well as future previews for Sugar Geek Show Classes.
This may very well be one of the most magical cake tutorials you'll ever watch. You're welcome.
Baby Pegasus Cake
Skill level: Advanced
In this tutorial, you will be shown how to use build up the Pegasus' back and neck. Then how to build up the body, head, and legs using modeling chocolate keeping in mind the anatomy of a horse by referencing photos, figurines, etc. of horses. Next, learn an easy technique used to create the flexique feathers. Next you will be taught how to add the facial features, once again, making sure you are being anatomically correct to make the face look as realistic as possible.
You will also learn how to create the reflective water cake board by following some simply amazing techniques before adding fondant around the edge of the board and creating rocks to place on top of the fondant. After that is finished, you will be shown how to create the reflective water before moving onto making and assembling the wings and then adding the mane and tail using small pieces of fondant. Finally, you will be taught how to attach the flexique feathers to the wings and when all is said and done you too will have a special little Pegasus to share with others!
49:48 Minutes of Instruction
What You Will Learn
- How to make a horse structure for cake
- An easy technique to make the detailed pegasus wings
- How to make the water pond effect below the pegasus
Baby Pegasus Cake
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Life is Short so Stop and Eat the Roses
Time for another blog on what's new in the world of red hot cake trends! The name of the game is buttercream flowers. I am here to show you five awesome FREE tutorials on how to make beautiful buttercream flowers, from the ultra popular wreaths to an amazing arrangement of succulents! Yes BUTTERCREAM succulents! Let's dive in shall we?
First up we have this gorgeous Buttercream Flower Wreath Cake Tutorial from Olga Zaytseva complete with super trendy peonies, poppies and blossoms! I love the fact that this wreath is not completely symmetrical all the way around. The larger flowers on one side cascading around to the smaller flowers on the other side adds a ton of interest!
Of course I also appreciate the classic beauty of this Buttercream Flower Wreath as well! Here Cake Style shows us how to put together this lovely cake topped with three different styles of roses as well as a ranunculus and adorable filler blossoms.
Here we have another tutorial from the awesome Cake Style demonstrating how to create this full blown arrangement of succulents in a concrete pot! In her Buttercream Succulent Cake Tutorial she shows how to do several varieties of traditional succulents as well as fillers. I am not a buttercream girl by nature but her tutorials really make me want to "give it a go". (I also love listening to her Australian accent).
Next up is a super unique tutorial for a Buttercream Hibiscus Flower from Liz Larson. This gorgeous Hibiscus could easily be piped onto a large flower nail topped with parchment, chilled and added to any other arrangement of buttercream flowers! Pretty much in love with this one.
Rosie Cake-Diva is nothing short of fantabulous and here she shows us how to make a stunning Buttercream Chrysanthemum Cupcake. Buttercream flower cupcakes have been popular for some time now and again, this could also be piped onto parchment, chilled and used in another arrangement to really give it a wow factor!
Did I say five free tutorials? Ah well, here is one more 🙂 I swooned over this beautiful cake by Fancy Favours & Edible Art adorned with Large, Ruffly Romantic Buttercream Roses and Peonies in pale natural shades. This screams modern buttercream wedding cake to me!
Everyone loves free tutorials, I mean, my entire cake decorating career launched from the knowledge gained from free tutorials! There is something to be said though for also learning from paid tutorials. I happened upon this amazing Buttercream Flowers Class offered by Make Fabulous Cakes and knew I had to share this for anyone interested in taking their buttercream flower game to the next level! I mean look, just LOOK at these breathtaking, detailed, flawless buttercream flowers!! I hate when people say this but these really are ALMOST too pretty to eat.
These peeps make all this buttercream work look so easy it makes me want to dust off my piping tips and flower nails, take some fish oil and get to piping! How about you?? Share your buttercream flower beauties with us on our FB Page when you do, and afterward be sure to take time to stop and eat the roses.
Edible Watercolor
Guest Instructor Angela Nino shows how to make edible watercolor washes.
Every Love Story is Beautiful
We have talked about it before, geode's are super trendy and popular right now in the world of cakes. Geode's are beautiful no matter what shape, color or type you see, they are beautiful. Nature's work at it's finest. Geode's are a lot like love. There are many different types of love, each beautiful in it's own way. Liz's Geode Love Cake was used in a beautiful, love inspired shoot with a breathtaking vintage mountain theme. You can find more photos and information about this gorgeous shoot over on the blog by Rustic Wedding Chic.
The Geode Love Cake Tutorial not only teaches you how to make a beautiful version of edible geodes and a crystal spacer between tiers but also how to get that unique marbling that is also crazy in right now. In fact, the marbling, which emulates the pattern found in agate, another beautiful rock found in nature, is almost always paired with the geode look on cakes. The two compliment each other really well. Needless to say the tutorial is full of info every cake decorator needs right now and can undoubtedly use in many applications.
The entire shoot is filled with beautiful details and gorgeous glimpses of the lovely couple who are dressed to perfection. You can't help but find yourself mesmerized in the beauty of this shoot and theme.
Love is a beautiful thing. No matter what form it comes in, it is beautiful. It is something meant to be cherished and appreciated, not criticized and belittled. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims in Orlando. <3
Sources – photography: Steena Photography / venue: Camp Arrah Wanna, an Oregon Wedding Venue / dresses & accessories: CRBoggs Designs / event specialists & coordinator: Pearl and Roses Wedding Planning / invitations, chalkboard artist: BHDesigns / cake: Artisan Cake Company / desserts: Sugar Mommas bake shop / beauty: Portland Makeup and Hair / florals: Portland Bloem / models: Alexandra Hagel, Brittany Hampton
Vintage Birthday Cake
Skill level: Intermediate
Would you like to create a one of a kind cake, full of character? If you are an old soul or know someone who is then this vintage birthday cake tutorial is perfect for you!
In this tutorial you will find out how to make edible lace using a wonderful new product from Flexique called Flexique Lace. With Liz as your guide, you will learn how to apply this gorgeous lace to a piece of modeling chocolate to create a beautifully unique chocolate crown.
Learn how to create adorable Flexique ruffles by brushing the Flexique onto printed wafer paper of your choice before cutting the wafer paper into strips and preparing them to be placed into the bottom tier. Liz will show you how to panel a 6" dummy cake with modeling chocolate and how to use molds around the top and bottom borders giving the tier more of an old-style charm. Watch as you are creatively taught how to make a pink paint color that you will then use to paint the 6" tier before learning how to create a shabby chic appearance by distressing the tier with foil. You will then be shown how to place the Flexique ruffles onto the bottom tier using toothpicks and how to properly assemble the entire cake. Lastly, learn how little details such as adding gold painted pearls for borders and a touch of pink paint to the chocolate crown aid in tying all of the tiers together creating a flowing piece of art. This tutorial is filled with many new techniques that will leave your guests wondering just how you did it!
25:44 Minutes of Instruction
What You Will Learn
- Learn how to make realistic edible fabric ruffles out of Flexique
- How to create an awesome shabby chic tier and crown details
- Create edible lace and learn how to create rustic detailed scrollwork
Tutorial Chapters
- Making the Edible Lace
- Creating a Chocolate Crown
- Making Edible Fabric
- Making the Flexique Ruffles
- Paneling the Top Tier
- Adding Details to Top Tier
- Making Pink Paint Color
- Brushing Pink Paint onto the Crown
- Assembling the Lower Tier
- Distressing the Paint on Top Tier
- Creating the Support for the Top Tier
- Placing Pearl Border on the Top Tier
Pods and Leaves Sugar Flower Tutorial
Discover how to create life like seed pods, variegated leaves, and berries alongside guest instructor, Shaile Socher.You'll begin this tutorial with Shaile giving an overview on what you will be learning in this tutorial. Then you will be shown how to use different size leaf cutters to cut out the leaves before learning how to wire and shape each leaf. Next you will create a wire cage and use tear drop cutters to form realistic seed pods before creating very simple, true-to- nature berries. Moving on, Shaile will then demonstrate how adding just the right colors and details to the leaves, seed pods, and berries brings life and naturalism to each piece. Lastly, learn the very basic steps in putting together a prepossessing floral spray and how to delicately place your floral spray onto your cake, making it a captivating show stopper for all to enjoy!
Run Time
1:03:44
Techniques Used
- Gumpaste
- Using Cutters & Veiners
- Wire Cage for Pods
Tutorial Chapters
1. Variegated Leaves
- 1:00: Making the Leaves
- 26:10: Dusting the Leaves
- 46:04: Glazing the Leaves
- 52:31: Assembling the Leaves
2. Seed Pods
- 7:29: Making the Pods
- 32:10: Dusting the Pods
- 47:27: Glazing the Pods
- 54:10: Assembling the Pods
3. Simple Berries
- 18:31: Making the Berries
- 41:19: Dusting the Berries
- 49:03: Glazing the Berries
4. Placing Floral Spray on the Cake
Vintage Birthday Cake
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Pods and Leaves Sugar Flower Tutorial
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Caution: This Post May Be Distracting
Entremets, En-tre-mets. What an ugly word for such a beautiful cake! I'm kidding, only if you pronounce it incorrectly like I did the first several times I said it. If you pronounce it correctly then it is quite beautiful. Ahn-truh-meyz, of course it is French, they make those of us who can't speak their language look stupid and everything else look beautiful, and these cakes are no exception. Have you seen these gorgeous pieces of edible art?! Fan-freakin-tastic. I could stare at one for hours. Don't ask me how I know.
This look is created with mirror glaze. It's made from gelatin and is usually poured over a chilled mousse. Here are 25 of our favorite shiny cakes aka Entremets.
#1-Totally mesmerizing, is that a building we can see in that glass like reflection?!
#2-Such gorgeous, vivid colors! Almost need a pair of sunglasses it's so shiny and bright.
#3-Normally this would be considered a photo bomb, but in this case it's just impressive that you can see it.
#4-This one is captivating. A cross between marble and tie dye. Pure eye candy.
#5-Love the simple perfection here, really makes you want to see what's inside!
#6- This mint green is fabulous with the pop of color from the fruit, looks so pristine and refreshing!
#7- So much interest here, like a sweet interpretation of spaghetti and a meatball.
#8- If that isn't enticing, I don't know what is. You naughty thing you.
#9- Faberge Egg or delectable dessert?
#10-Crazy cool Mars interpretation with a sweet galaxy board to call home.
#11-Love the shape of this one, it's like a giant pill but one you actually want to take, all at once.
#12- A trio of adorable shiny desserts. I'll take 9.
#13- This is true modern art. I want to freeze this one and put it in my living room.
#14- The creativity here is incredible! The contrast of the shiny Entremet on the inside and the matte chocolate on the outside really catch your eye.
#15- A gravity defying masterpiece with a shiny platform.
#16- LOVE the rainbow colors! This one just screams fun!
#17- The pristine surface and circle designs make me think of ripples in water.
#18- Another seriously interesting shape to show off that amazing shine.
#19- Mouthwatering deliciousness. I really need to eat this, like NOW.
#20-Pretty pink palette. I reeaally want to find out what one of these tastes like. I bet they are so soft and fluffy in your mouth.
#21- I see symbolism of a dragon, commanding and beautiful.
#22- A super interesting pattern with every hue of yellow.
#23- Like the paint job on a sexy motorcycle.
#24- Entremet in action. Love the marbling here!
#25- Simple yet bold. And look at that inside. Oh Em Gee. (Drools)
How long did it take you to finish looking at them? I told you you'd be distracted, they are just too shiny, you can't say I didn't warn you.
I feel like my first introduction to eating one needs to be from someone who knows what they're doing. Then maybe I will attempt to make one myself, that way I will know what I am striving for and that I royally screwed it up.
Here is a recipe for the mirror glaze if you would like to try it yourself!
Chocolate Mirror Glaze:
This recipe came from Ленивая кухня here. Though she uses glucose, you can use corn syrup.
Ingredient Amount
Powdered Gelatin 3 packets (Knox)/20 grams
Water (cold) 120 grams
Corn Syrup 300 grams
White Sugar 300 grams
Water 150 grams
Condensed Milk 200 grams
White Chocolate 300 grams
Instructions
- Bloom gelatin in 120 grams of water for 15 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, combine the white chocolate, condensed milk and bloomed gelatin.
- In a medium sauce pot, boil 150 grams of water with the sugar and corn syrup until it reaches 103*C / 217*F.
- Pour the boiled mixture over the chocolate/milk/gelatin mixture and allow to melt.
- Using a hand blender blend until smooth avoiding air bubbles.
- Add white food color to balance the yellowish color. Add any additional color you want to make it.
If you give these beauties a try, post your pics on The Sugar Geek Show Facebook Page, we'd love to see 'em! Because you know we have more time to sit around staring at shiny cakes.
Mermaid Wash Hand Painted Cake
Learn some simple techniques on how to recreate this lovely water-themed hand-painted tier using edible watercolors.
Face Sculpting with a Chocolate Skull
Skill level: Intermediate
In this tutorial, you will learn basic facial anatomy that is sure to bring life to your sculpture, creating lasting impressions on all who see!
With step by step instructions from Liz, you will learn how to sculpt a face starting with the making of a delicious chocolate skull using Liz's silicone skull mold. This skull is a quicker platform for making realistic sculpted faces. Using modeling chocolate you will be taught how to create the eyes, build up the mouth and define the lips. You will also learn how to build up the nose and create the nostrils with the greatest of ease. Next, you will be shown how forming the cheeks will give definition and depth to the face. Then, follow Liz as she teaches you how paint realistic life like eyes before creating the lower and upper eyelids around the eyeballs. And then, you will be shown you how to cover the forehead and define the brow lines before moving on to a brief explanation on how to create the tear ducts and cover the chin and neck with modeling chocolate. Lastly, discover Liz's simple steps on the proper placement of the ears as well as the minimal details on sculpting the ears. With all the amazing steps in this tutorial, you will be ready to sculpt realistic faces quicker and better than ever before!
47:04 Minutes of Instruction
What You Will Learn
- How to create a realistic face using a chocolate skull as a base
- Tips on how to place the facial anatomy
- How to create realistic eyes
- Liz Marek's tips on how to achieve a face sculpt full of life
Tutorial Chapters
- Making the skull mold
- Adding the eyes
- Building up the mouth
- Adding the nose
- Adding the cheeks
- Painting the eyes
- Building the eyelids
- Covering the foreheads
- Building up the eyebrows
- Creating the tearducts
- Covering the chin and neck
- Making the ears
Garden Flowers and Jasmine Sugar Flower
Learn to make beautiful garden flowers and a Jasmine sugar flower in this tutorial
Lumberjack is the New Rustic
"Rustic" has been a popular theme among weddings for some time now and it looks like there's a new kid in town. The lumberjack theme is popping up everywhere from birthdays and baby showers to yes, even weddings. Plaid is the trademark lumberjack print and is a fun addition to the world of rustic themes. What cooler way to incorporate plaid then on the INSIDE of your cake? The answer is, there really is no cooler way. Anyone can go buy a plaid shirt but with Liz's Lumberjack Cake Tutorial you could bring something new and impressive to the lumberjack game.
Chances are you saw the Plaid Lumberjack cake that went totally viral (take that all you tree stump cake naysayers!) but you may not have seen the gorgeous styled shoot that took place shortly after. Beautiful, whimsical wedding cake with a bold surprise on the inside, how fun is that? Not to mention the adorable meringue mushrooms and crazy realistic moss.
A lumberjack wedding calls for a tree stump groom's cake complete with an axe, I mean really, an Xbox cake would just look weird.
That stump fits right in out there because it looks so real. It looks more real than the real slab it's sitting on. No offense wooden slab, it's not your fault.
The rest of the styled shoot gives you a real feel for the lumberjack theme. Once again the gorgeous photos were taken by Hazelwood Photo out of Portland and are absolutely breathtaking. So many incredible vendors took part in the shoot including a gourmet s'more company! Clearly I have been sorely deprived. Gaze upon the amazing details and I highly recommend you head over and see more of the jaw-dropping pictures of the Lumberjack Styled Shoot.
And last but not least, the famous Lumberjack Cake seen 'round the world. Click the link above to learn all the amazing techniques needed to create this incredible cake. Realistic bark, axe and of course the plaid baby. Gotta love the plaid.
Vendor Credits:
Cake(s): Artisan Cake Company // Styling + Rentals: Something Borrowed Vintage Rentals // Collaborating Photographer: Aniko Productions // Hair + Makeup: Jein King
Florals: Swoon Floral Design // Invitations + Lazercuts: Nimbi Creative // Chalkboard Signage: BH Design // Gourmet S’mores: Nineteen 27 S’mores // Cocktails: Mint + Mirth
Men’s Attire: Duchess Clothier // Women’s Vintage Attire: Hattie’s Vintage // Venue: Magness Tree Farm
Face Sculpting with a Chocolate Skull
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Garden Flowers and Jasmine Sugar Flower
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Get Your Glamour On
Glitz, Glamour and Style. What more could you want from a wedding cake? Ok, flavor is important too but you get the idea. This Old Hollywood Wedding Cake has all of that and more, plus take a peek into the amazingly coordinated and beautifully decorated wedding. The Great Gatsby is a popular theme among weddings these days and this one's done right.
Are you seeing this cake? I will give you a moment to catch your breath 😉 it really is one of those breathtaking cakes that leaves you in awe and wonderment. How did she do that? It must've taken forever! Would you believe me if I told you it look a whole lot less time then it looks like it did? Like less than half the time it looks like it did? Well believe it because with Liz's tips and shortcuts it really is something anyone with a bit of cake experience can do without having to block out an entire week to do it. The way she achieves maximum detail will blow your mind.
Learn the classic brush embroidery technique and how to make the perfect royal icing for it as well as adding all of the details in a way that is cohesive and pleasing to the eye. In a separate paid tutorial Liz teaches how to make the gorgeous gumpaste peony that can of course be used for a huge array of cakes and applications. For some of the details you'll want to check out the free Mold Making Tutorial.
The cake certainly stands alone as a rare beauty but it was inspired from the theme of the wedding and it melds beautifully into the decor. Perhaps Liz had a little extra love and inspiration for this cake it being for her best friend 🙂
Devan McCabe, owner of Nimbi Creative Design is the beautiful bride and lucky recipient of this beautiful gift. Here is her understandable reaction when she first saw the cake.
Aww makes me feel all sorts of warm and gooshy.
Devan herself put a crazy amount of work and design into the wedding being that's what she does and is crazy good at it. Seriously, check out her work, GAWGEOUS. Here's a glimpse of the rest of the Old Hollywood Wedding. Coolest. Theme. Ever.
The AMAZING photos were taken by Hazelwood Photo and another blog post was written about this incredible wedding over at 100Layer Cake if you'd like to check it out and swoon over the many more photos and incredibly touching video available there.
Additional Vendors:
Videographer: Moving Picture Weddings / Ceremony Venue: Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden / Reception Venue: Treasury Ballroom / Planner: Bridal Bliss / Floral: Bramble Floral / Hair & Makeup: Jein King / Paper Goods, Décor: Bride, (Nimbi Creative) / Music: John Ross Music / Cake: Artisan Cake Company / Catering: Food In Bloom / Rentals: Something Borrowed PDX / Photo Booth: HappyMatic / Officiant: Dee Richardson / Bride’s Dress: Casablanca from Anna’s Bridal / Shoes: ModCloth / Ring: Kasab Jewelers / Suit: Custom from Este’s / Shoes: DSW
Diversifying Your Cake Income
Like money? Of course you do. That's an absurd question really. I know the mysterious "they" say money doesn't bring happiness but it certainly takes a whole lot of stress off when we have more of it, am I right? Less stress=More happiness. "They" also say money doesn't grow on trees but I refuse to have my dreams crushed by a pessimistic group whom I've never met and am not totally convinced exists. I mean, where do they congregate to come up with all of these silly "truths" anyway?
If you're part of the 100% of people who like money and would like to know of ways to diversify your income than this class is for you! Liz shows you how to effectively use social media, something completely foreign to most (the effectively part), to bring you more exposure and business! This information is helpful to anyone running any kind of business. You'll also learn how you can take what you've already been doing and BOOM make it bring in revenue in other ways you've probably never thought of or have been too afraid to try. How cool is that?! Liz breaks it all down to make it less overwhelming from what and when to post to websites and resources. You definitely want in on this. Check out the preview video below and Sign up to be a Premium or Elite Member of the Sugar Geek Show to get this along with hundreds of hours of other awesome info!
You can also check out the extra free advice Liz gives about Getting Better Clients, Cake Pricing, and How to Make a Great Cake Website all to help make you more money! These are live Periscope broadcasts that have been recorded and are very lax compared to a formal tutorial or class but that just makes it more fun. Like these easy-going advice packed sessions? Visit Liz's YouTube Channel for more! So go on, get out there and start making more money!
Wonder Woman Cake Topper
Learn how to make a cute little pin-up style wonder woman cake topper using fondant and minimal supports! Change up the design and features to make any type of sitting cake topper!
Video Content
- Creating the structure
- Sculpting the body
- Sculpting the head
- Finishing details
How to Package a Topper and Ship it
How to pack toppers so you can ship them anywhere!
Video Content
- Tips for making a successful topper to ship
- Preparing your topper for shipping
- Shipping your topper safely
Diversifying Your Cake Income
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Open Rose Sugar Flower
Sugar flowers can seem very scary to beginners and experienced cake decorators alike but Shaile Socher teaches you some very simple techniques for a beautiful open rose. Complete with matching leaves. This flower can be customized in colors to suit your cake design and is an easier version of the traditional rose.
Video Content
- Creating gumpaste petals
- Making your own centers
- Making gumpaste leaves
- Dusting
- Assembly
Diversifying Your Cake Income
Making a profit with your cake business can be a real challenge. In this video, Liz walks you through them most popular social medial platforms for your business and how you can utilize them to make additional income with minimal work.
Video Content
- Learn how to leverage social media and what users on social media want
- Youtube: how to film tutorials and make passive income
- Etsy/Ecwid: how to use online stores to promote your non-cake work
- Instagram: why you should be using it and how it helps you get clients
- Facebook: how to get the most out of posting, when to post, what to post and how often
Open Rose Sugar Flower
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A Melting Ice Cream Cake Never Looked So Fun
So drip cakes are super popular right now and a giant melting ice cream cake with an amazing gravity-defying waffle cone is an awesome excuse to use the drip technique in a fun way! The only thing more fun than a bright, colorful birthday cake would be ice cream to go with the cake. So we created a cake tutorial that puts the ice cream on top of the cake. Although it looks melted, it will hold up and keep it's cool design far longer than real ice cream.
New Ways to Use Drip Cake Technique
This cake looks like a giant ice cream cone flipped itself over onto the cake and is melting into a rainbow of deliciousness. It doesn't get much more fun than that and this technique is easy to pull off!
Also, the best part is you don't even have to clean up the mess or listen to any heartbroken crying children.
You can mix up the colors and even add extras to customize the look to your theme. Ombre maybe? Let's not forget that this design is also gravity-defying which is another awesome factor that can be used in many different cake designs.
Any time you can use vibrant colors, you should! Bright colors add so much interest to a cake design and really make it pop. Just check out that eye candy. Makes you want to ride a unicorn through a rainbow while eating ice cream and who wouldn't want that?
Because the ratio we use to make the ganache for the scoops is just right and is a perfect consistency to mimic scoopable ice cream. The consistency of the second ganache allows for the awesome melted drip effect and looks amazing.
Make Your Own Waffle Cones at Any Size
You could just use a real waffle cone but why be restricted to the standard size? ice cream cake class will teach you how to make your own realistic cone at any size.
Re-creating food cakes is so much fun because it doesn't have to be perfect because food isn't perfect! In fact, almost nothing in life is so those little added textures, color differences and variations actually add to the realism. Embrace them and have fun with it!
Ice Cream Cake Tutorial Available to Sugar Geeks
This Ice Cream Cone Drip Cake Tutorial is available for paid members of The Sugar Geek Show, sign up here for this and many other amazing tutorials!
Want a freebie? Check out this fun and easy Drip Cake Tutorial for free. You'll learn the basics of how to pull off this technique, and it's very easy for beginners. A simple cake with the drip technique will wow your friends and family.
Heart of Gold Drip Cake
Make your Valentine's heart melt with this golden drip cake! Create yummy salted caramel filling, decadent chocolate cake and delicious ganache all topped by a dazzling drizzle of gold. Anyone can make this cake!
Video Content
- Preparing ganache drizzle
- Stacking and Icing the Cake
- Making the Heart
- Painting and finishing details
Geode Love Cake Tutorial
Skill level: Intermediate
Geode cakes are so trendy right now! Learn the tricks to making a spectacular geode cake with stunning details and a crystal center spacer. This cake is sure to elevate your work and get clients interested in this amazing trend in the cake community.
Liz Marek's unique take on this growing trend incorporates a geode running horizontally through the middle of the cake as well as some hand-made geode toppers, one in the shape of a heart!
24:32 Minutes of Instruction
What You Will Learn
- How to create the crystal geode topper this trend is known for
- How to create a realistic center geode spacer
- A cool technique to create a marbled fondant that looks like a realistic geode design
Tutorial Chapters
- Making the marbled top tier
- Working on the bottom tier
- Making the gem mold
- The geode topper
- Stacking the cake tiers
- Painting the gold onto the cake
Baseball Glove Cake
Let's PLAY BALL! Learn to make this 100% cake baseball glove complete with cake baseball. Sarah Myers of High Five Cakes shows you how to make this super realistic and super delicious cake!
Video Content
- Sculpting your cake
- Applying buttercream to odd shaped cakes and applying fondant
- Making the ball
- Airbrushing and final details
Baseball Glove Cake
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Geode Love Cake Tutorial
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Heart of Gold Drip Cake
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