K8memphis

Clicky for a picture of the Wilton mold. Edited to say - the advantage here is that you can make the mold in advance and stick the cakes in a coupla days ahead and there's no smoothing issues. But there's the (white) chocolate learning curve.

Clicky here for an adorable "Individual Wedding Cake Story" from Just Fabulous Pastries in San Diego. It will answer a lot of your questions.

Depending on how overboard we are going . little branches of brown fondant with either cherry blossoms or cherries on them - even in miniature - that would be pretty cool.

I really like Canadian Bakin' or second choice Bacon's Bakin'. I have had a long struggle with a business name also - I finally finally finally thought of one based on a nickname that only my Mom called me. I don't have the name reserved on the internet or anywhere yet so mum's the word on mine for the time being. But Canadian Bakin' could hardly hit the mark better y'know??!!!

Wull like you just pipe a dab of icing in there and place a circle of cake - y'know that you cut out like with a cookie cutter and place it in there and do that for each tier - is what I am told - I have not made any like that with the mold - but my friends rave about this concept. I have only done the poured and rolled fondant ones and probably some buttercream iced ones too. Y'know you can fill in the cracks with a squirt of buttercream. In fact they used to sell these molds on ebay - I couldn't find any though. I was just passing this info on to plk.

Wull, we got to 250-300 because she went to high school, college, grad school here, taught college, attended two churches and now teaching high school which her students are invited too - then there's his side - he grew up here too...toss in a coupla neighbors...it was easy to get to 250-ish. But if you just keep one or a handful of relationships from each of those plus family and their kids - then with her students coming...it's a small private school but still...family will be flying & driving in from around the country. It's a big deal celebration. All the grandparents are all gone on our side so this will be a great family get-together time too.

Sugar free everything jello, Healthy Choice fudgsicles, homemade choc chips w/unsweetened choc & aspartame, sugar free choc candy - Hey, knock me over with a feather this stuff is really good! And and and I got the wedding of my only daughter coming up in May so...I'm motivated too. She wants me and her daddy walking her down the aisle. Hey - our complexions are crystal clear, the scales are not groaning under my feet I've already lost like all the holiday pounds plus 5-6 more - Have a ways to go... ahum But my desserts are great - who knew? (But going forward I'm still gonna do those cookies, Afterburner!)

Clicky here for a picture of another way to make your mini-tier cakes. This picture is depicting the method before they started making the molds for this. Wilton has molds now for this technique. You can find the molds at Michael's stores but apparently they are not on the Wilton website or I can't find them on there. But they will look similar to this when completed - depending on how you decorate them though. You pour the melted candy melts into the mold, pour out the excess so you are just making a shell, let it set up. Then you fill that candy shell with cake and wa-a-ala smooth and pretty mini tier cakes for your wedding. You'll need to keep them out of the heat of course at your reception and you'll want to practice this in advance but it is very doable, especially for just 50 servings. Just look carefully at Michaels' because the clerks often are not familiar with these. Another idea for you.

Clicky here & scroll down for some real cool cupcake liners.

Wull even though I agree with everyone - I did do my own wedding cake - but it was 26 years ago before I grew any amount of brain - those little bitty cakes are way more time consuming than you can possibly realize - even stacking cupcakes on a stand is very time consuming - wull you'll only have 50 after all. But it is nerve wracking because it is so last minute. And and and I am doing my daughter's wedding cake in May but but but - it will take some time setting up on that day and applying the flowers - we have the reception place there for the night before thoughout that day - ceremony in the same place - it will be baked way ahead of time - flowers made ahead of time - secure boxes made well in advance of baking so I can freeze them already iced - take them from the freezer into the frige the night before - it's a very pretty style that will be a breeze to set up - it's gonna be just stacking up five tiers plop, plop, plop, plop, plop - it will be relaxing to put on the flowers - maybe I'll get my sister & neice to help y'know? The sides of the cake and the boards will be flush. The flowers are different size smallish white blossoms and just cover where a bottom border would be if there was one and creep up the sides real random though & cover the board too - hanging down some climbing up some - like a solid cover from the border up to mid-way then the top is all just plain - butter colored icing & white flowers - It's a Martha Stewart design. I really didn't mean to hijack your post - just rambling... In other words, I have a very lenient plan. I mean even my husband or son or one of the bridesmaids could set this up & apply the flowers y'know??? I have backup plans with back up kwim??? So it sure can be done - but this will surely be the most painless cake I've ever done. Now the groom's cake on the other hand...

Go real light on the liquid you add to the cream cheese icing and it will perform better. Like technically, two hours is how long you could leave it out. But the bakery I used to work for left it at room temp after decorating and it was fine.

Wull, if you mean like the decoration??? If you toast some coconut, you could use it for the bottom border - it's fluffy and textural - and you could place pecan halves above or below that. Then if you can pipe a scroll border around the top the white cream cheese icing would be pretty or if you added cocoa powder (& a little water if it got too thick) brown would be a pretty border with the toasted coconut. Then write HB. Grate some chocolate (white or brown) and sprinkle it around. Or or or get some fruity roll ups & make ribbon roses - or break out the gum paste or fondant - some people use bubble gum to make ribbon roses. Pink and/or red roses go with everything. What about perusing a cake book or wilton.com to get a few ideas broiling??? Or or or play up the kindergarten look - if that's what you've got going - do something whimsical & childish - pipe a birthday cake & candles on the side, some gift boxes, bowl of ice cream - that would be real cute. Get some confetti - confetti, sprinkles, edible glitter covers a multitude!! Hey go here clicky and look at the tool box and then arrow over right one spot and see the difference the curliques make??? Read the captions if you want. Curliques are sooo easy!! And make a big difference - just make 'snakes' out of gum paste or fondant and wrap them around plastic straws or dowel - let 'em dry - wa-a-a-la. PS. When I am asked to make something like 'her aunt used to make' - I always smile and say, "Sorry, I don't do legends. But I can make you an unforgettable great cake" PPS. I always use a rum splash - rum flavored simple syrup - squirted into in my baked butter pecan cake before I ice it. Then I use a toffee filling made with toasted coconut so it's a similar kinda cake. ...maybe I will try to post the pictures... sans curlques Tool box still in progress... OK now on this cake I should have a.) trimmed my tools better and b.) used a bigger board & not stacked the tools up the side of the cake - tacky but in the next shot... with curliques Curliques are our friend ...See how the curliques redeem the effect?? Love a well placed curlique! And I just used the upside down cake board all brown because it was a tool box after all.

Question for you, halloweencat, If your focus is kidnapping and slavery why did you post on egullet society for culinary arts and letters? Thanks Kate

Deborah - That's beautiful!! The plaid and berries are a great compliment to your gorgeous creation - wonderful work!!!

7. Click on the 'Click for Actual URL.' ← !!!!!!!!! Thank you Thank you Thank you !!!!!!!!

You are awesome - I love your style! Baking is such a freaking wild endeavor in such a (seemingly opposite) controlled environment. I can always sum that up in the fact that brownies were 'created' by an accident. Somebody's chocolate cake bombed & viola the birth of the brownie! I love what the Japanese are doing to bread baking - just blowing the socks off old stodgey methods & ways of thinking because they are fresh & new with it, unencumbered by the 'old school'. Super creative - the sky's the limit. The "hoo boy" part is killing me I agree carob is good in it's own right as carob only - there is no substitute for chocolate. Wull, you may already know this...but if you put a piece of bread down under the cookies in your cookie jar it will go stale and that will help keep your cookies moist. And if you put several slices, it will re-moisten them too. Since you like the chewy ones. You can also set them over mildly steamy water on a rack and I set mine in the microwave to re-moisten or or or like use a skillet and the rack and just set the lid on & that will do it - of couse - not enough steam to condense & drip back down - let it set a while y'know. So in a few months I'll try the 2T irish cream & let you know. Hmmm wonder how those chocolate liqueurs would do in cookies??? And and and I wonder what flavor would remain if I boiled it first to dampen the hootchiness...maybe just one tablespoon...food for thought - great idea, Afterburner!

Paramount crystals help thin it and help keep it from seizing.

St. Brendan's, actually. It's richer to my tastebuds, and also cheaper. ← Wull, actually vanilla is a flavoring and the irish cream is a drink. I think you'll get more flavor bang for your buck with the vanilla. I mean true you do have alcohol and alcohol but not true in flavoring strengths. It sounds wonderful in chocolate chip cookies. But for me - I would use the greater liquid amount for the irish cream. C'mon, if you're up to using barley flour and blue corn meal If I ever get off this diet (we got a wedding in May) I'm gonna do the irish cream in some - great idea, Afterburner!!

Very interesting - umm, ever think about substituting your irish cream* for the milk & keeping the vanilla??? *You do mean Bailey's??? signed, a cookieholic

Thanks for your insight, Scott, I appreciate it very much.

I love anise. I mean I've had better tasting nasty medicine, y'know??

I tried stevia and I apparently got some bad stuff - it was horrible!!! And let me hasten to say that I have not ventured out into any kind of sugar-free baking. This thread however is very eye-opening. Nullo, is there a good brand of stevia??? Thanks

Carolyn, I do not have a recipe but have you tried the Viet Nam cinnamon???? Oh my soul, it is sooooo good!!! I've seen it at the major grocery stores labeled as Saigon cinnamon put out by Durkee or McCormack or something. I got mine off of King Arthur's. Just tremendous flavor - sort of a muted red hot cinnamon burst. Just really worth your while if you're doing spice stuff. You could just take a regular recipe that you like & put in that cinnamon alone for an A+ gold star cake! Way good!

I've never heard that, Wendy. Would you elaborate??? I mean hit and miss in what way??? For example that all the strawberries are not the same flavor or some of the flavors don't hit the mark?? Thanks

possibly a picture posting edited to say: or not