A Wedding Cake Request

Another year of success and happiness has passed. With every new year, comes greater challenges and obstacles in life. I wish all of you courage, hope and faith to overcome all the hurdles you face. May you have a great year and a wonderful time ahead. God bless you.

My first challenge in 2015 was a wedding cake request. It was always my dream to do a wedding cake and finally my friend Jane gave me this opportunity to let me have the chance to test my skill in wedding cake decoration.

A month ago, my friend approach me to do a 5 tier wedding cakes for her eldest son wedding. It sure was a big surprise for me cos I have no experience in wedding cakes.
Me: "Huh, Jane I got no experience in wedding cakes and it's 5 tiers!" You sure or not?
Jane: I know you very well, you sure can do it. Ok, deal!
Me: When?
Jane: 3rd January 2015. 5 tier cakes and my daughter in law favorite colour is green.
Me: Ok then, since you trust my skill. hahaha....
I was so excited and having sleepless night for several nights thinking of the wedding cake decorations.

Presenting my first time constructing a 5 tier wedding cakes.

Fruit cakes 4 pieces to use as the base.

Heart shaped butter cake.

Marble cake.

Total 12 cakes to construct a 5 tier wedding cakes.

I used 7kg of fondant for the entire cakes. To mix the colouring and hand knead until well blend is a tough job.

I wanted to make pink roses for the cake but due to bad weather, the roses didn't turn out to my expectation.

So I changed the design to daisies flowers. Stamped the daisies flowers at least 1 day ahead.

Used the fondant tool to make a depression on the flowers petals for nicer effect.

Roll a small ball of fondant as the disk florets. Just brush with a little water to use as adhesive.

Stacked the 12 cakes together to checked for balancing. OMG......slant to the left.

Trim all the cakes with cake leveler.

Arh.... finally it balance nice and tall. It sure give my SILs and friends heart attack when I posted this picture in FB.

Roll the fondant to 1/8in thick. Dust with sifted icing sugar in between the rolling. It's tough to roll manually till smooth and 1/8 in thickness. Took me several attempt to get it right.

Stacked the 4 fruit cakes together, brushed with diluted apricot jam in between the cakes as adhesive. Then brush the whole cake with apricot jam and leave it for 10 mins before cover with fondant.
* Mix apricot jam with a bit of water and boil until simmering.

Covered the side of the cake board with fondant and stick the little daisies.

 Took me half a day to complete the base and planting those little daisies.

Joined  2 cakes together and sealed with diluted apricot jam then brush the whole cake with diluted apricot jam.

Covered all fondant seams with daisies and leaves.

I dressed up all the 5 cakes in 2 days.

Saturday 3rd, afternoon 1pm getting ready to assemble the cakes at the banquet hall.

The base measured 18 x 12 in and estimate weight 25kg with fondant. My daughter carried  the cake from our second floor apartment to car park. Phweett...cold sweat!! hahaha.....

The Chinese restaurant which it's 15 mins drive from my house.

The banquet hall. The main table at centre is for bride and groom and their immediate family.

Getting ready to construct the wedding cakes.

Put several dowels at the centre of the base before putting the 2nd tier of cake.
On the right is the bride MIL, a very nice and humble lady.

Repairing the fondant.

Covered the baseline with ribbon.

Add several dowels on every tier of the cake for support or else the cakes will collapse.

Constructing the 3rd tier. Exciting but very nervous at the same time.

4th tier...getting more nervous now.

Woowoooo.... the 5th tier.

Measure the long dowel for the entire cakes. That's my son on the left, he is my assistance helping to checked the balancing and defect. Credit goes to my eldest daughter who took all the pictures.

Get set, ready, go.........getting ready to insert the long dowel.

The final tiers, hands must be steady and I can't afford to make any slight mistake. Holding my breath and make sure I don't hiccups or sneeze during this time.

Ta...daa.... it went in smoothly without ruin the entire cake.

Push the long dowel slowly all the way down to the last tier of the cakes.

Insert extra dowels for insurance.

Combination of white and pink little daisies at the side of the cake board.

Use a cookie cutter to cut out a round disk. Glue with diluted apricot jam to the cupcakes.

Stick a little daisy on top the cupcake. I used water as adhesive for the fondant.

Cupcakes for table decoration.

Prepare the cupcakes toppers at least 1 day earlier..

And some candles in between the cupcakes.

Planting more flowers at the 1st tier of the cake.

Doing some touch up job.

My assistance helping me to do the final checking. He gave me more tension than the cake owner cos his QC is 120%, making sure no defect at all. Glad that both my children are very supportive and helpful with my first wedding cake project.

Repairing and patched up the fondant.

And finally.... completed the 5 tier wedding cake without any hiccups. Took me 3 hours to assemble the cakes.

So far this is my biggest and highest challenge. It may not be 100% perfect but the lovely bride and handsome groom and the family members love it very much.

Here's 3 short videos combined together of me constructing the 5th tier and final touch up.




Sharing some pictures taken from the wedding dinner, It's a grand wedding with 1160 invited guests.

I'm seated at table number 64.

Final touch up of the cake, put the cake topper and light up the candles just before the bride and groom arrive.

The cute cake topper made of porcelain, ordered from china.
Congratulation to Adrian and Shadow. Always know deep down that you're each other's best friend!

I've been asked to make another wedding cake end of this year. Guess the next wedding cake, I won't be so nervous anymore. :))

Have a nice week ahead,regards.
Amelia

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR

31st December
Another year of success and happiness has passed. With every new year, comes greater challenges and obstacles in life. I wish all of you courage, hope and faith to overcome all the hurdles you face. May you have a great year and a wonderful time ahead. God bless you.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my friends and family members. The glitter of bright decorations, the sound of joyous Christmas carols, the happy children and the cheerful "Merry Christmas" greetings. Do take this opportunity to tell your loves one how much they mean to you.
Forget the things that made us sad and remember those that made you glad.
Forget the troubles that passed your way and remember the blessing that come each day.

When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.

When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings—*money cannot buy *wealth can never buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.

So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

Greeting cards from Lovely friends Mai Soon, June & Sheoh.

Beside cooking and baking, let's me share with all of you my other past time wonderful hobbies.

DIY Stocking flowers, my new hobby.

Various colour stockings and wires. Brought large amount last week at rock bottom price cos one of the shop closing down sales offer. Can't wait to start this craft......

Crochet handbag

This the nylon net I used, black netting is a bit on the stiff side.

 

Or you can use white netting which its softer.

 

My first crochet handbag. I'm a lefty, the lady who thought me crochet is right handed. I've to used my own imagination to crochet from the left side. LOL

The various designs of crochet bags and hats using cotton thread or Hamnaka Eco Andaria yarn. I already ordered my Hamnaka yarn but yet to arrive. 

Cross stitches, my collection of DMC threads and cross stitch material.

My abandon project since....... don't know when!!! hahaha......

Left one quarter to go, hopefully I can finish it by end of 2015. Keep my fingers and toes cross but hopefully when I finish my eyes won't cross!!! hahaha....

28th December 2014, brought all these at rock bottom price cos today last day closing down sale.

And cross stitch materials.....I brought all the leftover that's in the shop. Shop Uncle gave me 1 meter free.  

To make cross stitch greetings card, fold the A4 colour paper into half.

Use a strong adhesive to glue the cross stitch design in the middle of the card.
You can make your own birthday card, Christmas card, wedding cards, etc....

Patchwork....., just starting to do another blanket.

To make a queen size blankets, you need to make at least 5000 to 6500 x 2.5cm hexagons pieces.

This is the design I'm going to hand stitch. Pattern contributed by FB members@ Fat Fat Wan in Patchwork club. This will take me sometime to finish but wandering if I can finish in 1 year time cos I got so many hobbies to play.

This is my virgin patchwork, I hand stitch this queen size blanket 25 years ago.

 Still using my faithful blanket. hahaha.....

 

My other craft books collections. So little time but so many fun stuff to play.

And nothing better to do, I love to sew my own curtains. These hooks and heading tape, I brought at rock bottom price too.

Another nothing better to do hobby, cutting beautiful liqueur and wine bottles pictures from magazine.

Haven't decide what to do with it but I just enjoyed collecting those beautiful liqueur pictures from magazine.

My stamps collection, some are from my pen pals 35 years ago. Not fanatic about it, now just collect what I can get from my office.

Let's go back to my kitchen......my all time favorite dessert. Recipe courtesy from my good friend.

Rose, Rose I love You Pudding

1 packet agar agar powder ( 13gm )
1000 mls water
1 cup milk/ thick coconut milk
180gm sugar
80gm sago
1 egg white
3 pandan leaves  ( optional )

1/  Wash the sago and soak in water for 30 mins. Then drain off the water.

Sago

2/  Mix the water with agar agar powder, sugar and mix well.
3/  Throw in the pandan leaves and put to boil until sugar melted.
4/  Scoop out half cup of the agar agar solution. Divide into 2 parts and add red coloring to one portion and another portion  green.

Agar agar powder

Rose brand agar agar, this is one of the best brand.

 Scoop the red colour to the rose mold follow the design.

Color the leave with green agar agar mixture. Leave it to set.

5/  Add sago to the rest of the agar agar mixture. Boil until transparent, keep stirring to prevent burn.
6/  Add the coconut milk + pinch of salt or milk and mix well. Keep warm.
7/  Beat the egg white until stiff, mix the egg white to the agar agar mixture in batches. Mix well.

The egg white will float on top the jelly but it doesn't matter.

8/  Pour the entire mixture slowly to the rose mold. Cool completely and chill in fridge.

9/ Remove the pudding from mold and serve chill.

If you don't have rose mold for this pudding, you can use the dessert cup to make rainbow layers.

Put 1/2 tbsp of red agar agar mixture, chill in the fridge to let it set. 2nd layer scoop a tablespoon of the white mixture, chill until set. 3rd layer scoop 1/2 tbsp of green agar agar mixture and chill till set. Repeat another 3 times.

Delightful and refreshing pudding.

May the good times and treasure of the present become the golden memories of tomorrow.
Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wander what you are,
Up above the world so high like a diamond in the sky,
Star light, star bright, the first star I see tonight,
I wish I my, I wish I might have the wish tonight.

Have a wonderful holiday.
Amelia