celenes

Thanks for the pictures on buttercream. I appreciate it and I shall try my hand at this over the next few weeks. I am slammed with cakes this upcoming week so I doubt I will be able to try a practice run but I am definitely going to try something. I think I will invest in the Sugar Veil product too and see what I can come up with. If I understood correctly there is no need to buy their tool but just use the decorating tips I have correct? I am so excited I now have time to be more creative with my cakes since I have quit my job and am now putting all my time into Celene's. Yes it's scarry but everytime I think no one is going to call the phone rings for another order. Yipppeee. Now all I need is some reliable help especially with Easter in the wings.

While I have never tried the technique myself, I am curious to know can you do the same on buttercream frosting once it crusts or is it just impossible to do. I don't work with fondant much but do a lot of other cakes with buttercream and with Spring here now I would love to use the technique for some upcoming cakes.

Yes I agree the cakes are beautiful. I have a question though: I have always been directed that you can not recreate a licensed character or logo on cakes for sale without the permission of the company. So how is Michelle able to do such things like this (i.e. Disney, Willy Wonka etc.) I am asking the question because I have turned away a few orders because of my fear of getting tagged with an trademark infringement fine.

Oh yes I'm still around just haven't had time to post or read as much as I would like because business is going well but I couldn't resist this topic because I have found here in Ohio cupcakes are quite popular. I just did several dozen on Friday for customers. I created a cassata cupcake which is simply pudding filling with pineapple topped with a whipped frosting and finished with a strawberry. My other popular cupcake is a chocolate cupcake with german chocolate filling then topped with a thin layer of chocolate ganache and finished with a chocolate cream cheese frosting. Yummmm I call this the "It's Friday" cupcake

Actually no they don't want cupcakes they want a decent slice of cake with a strawberry. The objective of the pre-slice is so that folks can see the cake is red??? But to me if you know what red velvet cake is you already know if is red. I thought if I made individual loaves it would be a better presentation versus precutting a large sheet cake and a half. It is my understanding the cakes will be out for those in attendance to view so it is not like it will come from the back and be placed in front of the guest. It just seems backwards to me.

Hi, I have received a request from a client to make a full sheet red velvet cake and a half sheet cake and they want it pre-cliced in generous pieces with a strawberry on each slice and they also want some strawberry puree to drizzle on the top if desired. First of how do I cut the cake without make a horrific mess of the whole thing? I hate to put in a lot of work in decorating the cake only to screw it up be pre-slicing. I don't have any of the gadgets either that I been researching this week to equally divide the cake is this something I should invest in? I recommended to the client that perhaps I make mini cakes and put them in the decorative foil petite holders but apparently my price is too much for that. I didn't think it was expensive but the client did. HELP.

Kolachy is very popular in OH too. I have made them a few times and plan to offer them this holiday season if I have enough time to dedicate to making them. I usually make the cream cheese dough with the fruit filling and then sprinkle with powdered sugar. If they do freeze well I can start making them after I get through the potential Cleveland Indians playoff, Sweetest Day and Halloween

Hi All, In anticipation of the upcoming Halloween season along with Thanksgiving and Christmas I would like to get a jump start on my cookies. My question is if I bake sugar cookies and decorate them with royal frosting and maybe sprinkles can I then freeze them? Will the cookies taste ok and not be gummy providing I wrap them properly? I figure I will bake and decorate next week so I won't be overwhelmed and now that I am working part-time I have more time to bake more and put things away versus on demand baking. Thanks in advance for your assistance.

What a cute story. Yes the real world is an eye-opening place I know. But I have decided that if I don't step away from Corporate and try my dream I will be more miserable because I didn't. So off I go and as things start to pull together, I hope to have enough time to journalize the opening of Celene's through this forum with pictures but no promises because we all know having time is a commodity itself. Thanks to all who continue to add their advice, resources and experiences with those of us who haven't been out there for any length of time.

Congratulations DragonFlyDesserts on your new venture. I wish you lots of luck and I thought I had energy but you certainly have me topped. I am just beginning to investigate opening a storefront myself, so your posting is quite timely. I have just begun my process and unlike you I don't have a financial backer just yet but met with a SBA RM last week to begin the conversations. I also don't won't a huge array of items to manage right off the top but just a few things. I make birthday cakes, shower cakes etc. Limited cookies and pies but I can do those things as well I just prefer the cake mode. I have operated my business from my home for the last two years and this year has been a very good year so far. My one corporate client has asked me to take on other locations for them and I will be agreeing to that one day next week once I put in my notice at my fulltime job. But I also plan to approach several other small accounts in case my big account decides to dump me which can happen so I caution you to think of that scenerio as you delve into more corporate clients (restaurants) I am sure I don't need to tell you that because it appears you have the knowledge on that facet. Again good luck and continue to keep the forum in the loop when time permits. I know it can be difficult, I haven't posted for a while because I have been very busy this summer despite the tremendous heat. Oh, yes I was overwhelmed by how much people enjoy cake too. It's very interesting in this age of watching your weight, low carb diets etc.

To assist in coloring your frosting use a little bit of black coloring and a little brown coloring which will deepen as your frosting matures. I did that last week and I got a great color and didn't diminish my chocolate flavor. Go luck.

I am wondering what's the easiest way to get rid of the seeds from raspberries? I have a recipe that uses fresh raspberries in the batter and I would like it to be less crunchy but still have the raspberry. Do I just need to puree it better or is there another way? I don't want to use seedless jam in replace of the fresh raspberries if I don't have to.

K8Memphis can you only use the white cake mix or does this recipe work for other flavors too?

The easiest way to write on the side of a cake is to have a tilting cake decorating stand. If you can imprint the message first and then pipe over it that would be helpful too.

I am totally laughing at your response about the demo. Hmmm, I was just at Lowe's yesterday getting some flowers for my flower boxes for my porch. I'm not much of a gardener but I like things to look pretty so I made a small purchase and the hubby got his hands dirty as I new he would because I'm too girly to get my hands dirty except for icing of course. I am very interested to see how it goes with the equipment you purchased. I know lots of decorators utilize stuff for cake decorating from the hardware/home improvement stores. Infact in the wedding cake competion a few months back one or even more used paint sprayers.