Bon Voyage

My husband Russell is a musician with the Royal Australian Navy Band. Last year he was on a ship (to be more exact a frigate) for 6 months. The thought of him being away at sea for 6 months was really difficult. But planning a Bon Voyage party and making a cake into the shape of a lifesaver were great distractions. If you keep scrolling down you can see some pictures of some other sweet treats (thanks to my lil' sis Cathy for bringing the Hershey Kisses all the way from LA to Melbourne) and Russell in his uniform :o).

Two 8-cm butter cakes, with buttercream icing

Lemon Meringue Tarts

Peanut Butter Blossoms 

Too cute to resist.

Russell's Journey

Gotta love a man in uniform.

More Buttercream

Dave and Trin, being very trusting friends, let me make their son Ayden's 1st birthday cake. After taking the cake class this was the perfect opportunity to practise my piping skills.

Ayden's 1st Birthday - Quilt cake

(9"x18")

Novelty Cakes 101

The next part of my journey was signing up for a cake class. I love learning just as much as I enjoy teaching. My first task was to make a butterfly-shaped cake and decorate it. I started with a round, 8cm butter cake. After some cutting and re-shaping this was the outcome. I was pretty pleased with the shape and the icing. I have a new-found respect for those who work with buttercream. Tip of the day: Half fill your icing bag. The heat from your hand overheats the icing causing it to melt, particularly if you're working with it for awhile like I was because I kept making mistakes.