pastry bag experience #1 (pic)

18 years ago

Well, I made a red velvet cake and decorated it with a pastry bag. I bought a number 32 tip (the bag didn't come with that size). I used it for the circumference of the cake and for the little green shells on the top. It was great mixing the food coloring with the frosting to come up with different shades. I felt like an artist (you should have seen the kitchen!) It was my first time doing that. I had fun, though it looks very much like a first attempt, it was appreciated. Poor Sheila, getting to be my practice ginuea pig. She deserved better than this for her 30th birthday! She'd been hinting that she wanted a red velvet cake for a while, but she didn't know I was going to make and deliver one for her birthday. It was an extra special day, because they just moved (on that same day!) from a 2 bedroom condo to a 4 bedroom house... still renting but lots more space for 3 nieces, 3 cats, and a black lab!

Stacy3, I used your recipe for the cake. The cake was WONDERFUL. I tried the frosting as well, but didn't like it at all. I used the buttercream frosting recipe from the Wiltons web site and it was great. It's a sin not to have cream cheese frosting on that cake, but the birthday girl doesn't like cream cheese frosting! I bought Wiltons piping gel to color for the writing of the name... I didn't want to make a whole second batch of frosting just to write with. It looked and tasted awful, so I bought some colored gel to write with isntead. Well, I thought it was writing icing. As Sheila, and her three nieces (7,8, and 13) and I ate the and our teeth turned BLUE I realized what I bought (gel food coloring). We all laughed a lot!

Sheila has a picture of her nieces and an open slice of the cake (taken with a real camera instead of a phone), which I'd post... but she can't send them because the computer isn't hooked up yet!

Thanks again to all the forum helpers who advised me on pastry bag practices and red velvet recipes.

I have another friend whose birthday is Saturday and Sheila's niece has one next week... I think I'd better install a radiator and cooling fan on my stand mixer so it doesn't overheat in April!

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Comments (19)

lindac
18 years ago
Bobby the cake guy!! Way to go!! Sheila looks like a happy camper....and soon you will be a real pro with that cake decorator!
Linda C
annie1992
18 years ago
Bobby, that's pretty darned good for a first try, I'm impressed.

I agree that carrot cake needs cream cheese frosting but still, the birthday girl should ALWAYS get what she wants. ALWAYS. (grin)

What a good friend you are. So, who's next?

Annie
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Terri_PacNW
18 years ago
Oh Bobby..you're a good egg! Well done!
Your KA won't mind the work out..don't need to buy a fan and such...It'll actually enjoy it!
User
18 years ago
Good for you Bobby, job well done! What a good friend you are.
fearlessem
18 years ago
What a great story Bobby, and you're a great friend! Now what I want is a photo of you guys with the blue teeth!

Em
mustangs81
18 years ago
Bobby, that was so nice! I know Sheila was delighted with your efforts for her birthday. Great job!

Cathy
jcrowley99
18 years ago
Wow! That looks great for the first cake you ever decorated! I don't think my first decorated cake looked that good. Shelia certainly looks happy with it! I'm glad you tried something new and had so much fun doing it. The next one will be even better!

Joanne
artsyshell
18 years ago
Great looking cake! looks like you figured out the pastry bag no problem.

Shelley
shaun
18 years ago
Great job! I laughed out loud at the part where you used blue food coloring instead of icing to write with!! So funny!
earthlydelights
18 years ago
excellent bobby, you're truly a good friend. what a nice surprise. practice will make perfect.

i remember back in the day when i refused to spend $75.00 on my son's confirmation cake, afterall, i wanted one of those sugared bibles in the center, like mine had (but i didn't want the italian rum cake). $1200 or more later, i learned to make them, having invested in decorating courses, equipment and everything else that went along with it.

looking forward to seeing the next cake.

maryanne
lsr2002
18 years ago
You did a great job. I've never decorated a cake and don't think I could even dream of doing that well on a first try.

You are a good friend indeed. And Happy Birthday to Sheila!

Lee
colleenoz
18 years ago
Cake looks great! I'm sure Shiela was thrilled- I would be if someone else baked ME a cake!
Next time, you don't have to make a whole another batch of icing for coloured icing. Make a little extra (maybe a one and a half batches) of your white icing, then scoop some out and add a few drops of food colouring and stir well. You can make as many different colours as you like this way.
scott55405
18 years ago
That looks fabulous Bobbylish! If you're doing that well the very first time, imagine what nice cakes you'll be decorating by, say, December! ;-) And yay, now I know what Sheila looks like too!
sally2_gw
18 years ago
You done good, Bobby! Sheila looks so happy - I would be too! I'm with Em, where's the pics of y'all with blue teeth?

Sally
Cloud Swift
18 years ago
Good start Bobby. I hadn't read the first thread (because I thought you were asking about using it for pastry - not decorating).

Sweet peas are my favorite decorating flower because they are pretty easy to make and come out nicely. You can do a vine with stems coming out where you want.
sweet pea directions at Wilton
And you have the tips you need for them - the 104 and the 2 (the directions say 3 but the 2 will work fine for making the stems too).

Did you figure out how to close the bag? Once it is loaded with frosting, twist the top closed - then you can hold the bag cradled in your hand with the twisted top held where your thumb meets your palm. As you work and the bag empties you can twist a bit more to keep the frosting close to the tip. It helps to not fill the bag too much. The Wilton site has pictures of filling and holding the bag:
filling and holding the bag

It helps tho have somewhat less stiff frosting for covering the cake so it spreads easily and stiffer for decorating so it will hold an edge. You can add a little milk or whatever liquid you are using to thin (just a little at a time like a tsp) or more confectioners sugar to thicken.
caliloo
18 years ago
That is an awesome looking cake - you should be very pleased! It sure looks like Shiela is happy with it too!

Ans I am LOLing at the blue food coloring part of the story - that will be something you laugh about for a loooong time!

Alexa
pat_t
18 years ago
Bravo! Great job!

My first thought was that I wanted to see a photo of you all with blue teeth too. Too funny!
homesforsale
18 years ago
That was so nice of you~
lyndaluu2
18 years ago
Great job Bobby, the cake is awsome!!

Linda

pastry bag experience #1 (pic)

Comments (19)

lindac

annie1992

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