All About Cakes - Part 2

(If you missed yesterday's post on cake decorating, click here.)

Since I am cross posting today with my other blog, I will post the pictures first since I know my readers over there don't care about all of the labor that is involved in researching ingredients for Tyler's safety. You guys are lucky! The rest of my PA Kid readers and I envy you!

The first cake I made was really sad looking. I didn't take a picture of it. It was made the night before my knee surgery and I was a bundle of nerves. I kind of regret not taking a picture now.

Last week's cake, however, turned out awesome. Here is the clown cake:

(Please note the heads are plastic. It even confused my family!)

Then, this weeks cake was all about roses. I live with all boys so I'm not sure how many roses I will make. Since my husband is a pastor, I'm hoping to get practice by making some pretty cakes for potlucks and funerals. Here's the rose cake:

(Scroll to the bottom to see a picture after Dylan climbed on the table and attacked it. I caught him before he damaged it too bad.)

For fun, here is a picture of the cake I made Tyler this past January. I've improved a lot!! (I used safe fruit snacks for decorations. Ugh!!)


Much of my first week of my cake decorating class was doing lots of research to see what was safe for me to put in my frosting for my cakes. I thought it would be simple to just make everything from scratch. Of course, nothing is when it comes to Tyler's peanut allergy.

As you saw from my post yesterday, I determined, for me, that Wilton's meringue powder was safe. It's true that it is processed in the same facility with peanuts but not on the same lines and not even near the peanuts. I realize this is a little out of some people's comfort zone. You can make frosting without it, the powder just helps it keep its form.

Before this class, I used food coloring for frosting but the Wilton's gel coloring are much more concentrated and don't affect the texture of the icing at all. They have the same "processed in a facility but not anywhere near peanuts" issue.

The flavorings was where I didn't feel comfortable with Wilton's. They are processed on the same lines with peanuts. I used McCormick's and was happy. If you want pure white icing, make sure you use clear vanilla so it's not off white.

I didn't use any sugars or other decorations but I probably will in the future. One reader a few days ago e-mailed me and said she recently spoke with Cake Mate. Here is what that reader said:

They said they are very careful with their products (making them in separate rooms) and if there's any chance of cross contamination they'll put it on the label.

The sugars I usually use are Wal-Mart's generic. They have great labeling and are safe. (Always check the label first because it could vary by region.)

Another reader asked me for my cake recipe. I could post a really complicated one but I'd be fibbing. I trust Pillsbury and Betty Crocker to label for cross contamination. Pillsbury was on sale the day I bought them so that is what all three of my cakes were. The frosting was complicated enough. I didn't need a difficult cake, too!

Another product I learned is not safe is CK Products. They are out of Indiana so they may just serve the Midwest. They told me all of their products could possibly contain nuts. Most of my class used their products, but I couldn't.

The last night of class, there were only 5 of the original 8 of us left. Others just stopped showing up. This was not easy so I assume that's why some quit. But I loved the people in my class. One girl made a nutless banana nut cake. She sat 3 people down from me but told me she was too afraid one of her nuts might harm Tyler. Another girl I sat right next to used almond flavoring. She was very paranoid about any of her frosting touching anything that was mine. She also said she worried about hurting Tyler.

I couldn't have asked for a nicer group of ladies. I only wish everyone was this concerned about Tyler's peanut allergy!

As you might have guessed, I'm totally hooked on the cake decorating. I signed up for level two which will start in 2 or 3 weeks. All 5 of us did. This one will focus mostly on making flowers. As I said, flowers are not big in my house but I think much of the techniques can be carried out in other "non-girly" areas that my guys will appreciate.

On a final note, I've been so paranoid that my 23 month old will destroy one of my cakes. He is into everything and there is hardly any place we can put things anymore that he can't reach. The morning after my class, he climbed up on the table to get a bite of my rose cake. I caught him before he damaged it too much but here is what it looked like after an encounter with Dylan.

(He actually got it on both sides and that was hard to capture. One rose is laying on its side with a misplaced leaf, in addition to portions missing from each side.)

I had to laugh. I'm taking the class for the boys so if one of them wants to destroy my art, it just reminds me how thankful I am to have both of them!