The Sesame Street Project

Cake and Sugar Cookie Set-up at the venue

Hello. Sorry if I haven’t updated for a while. I’ve been pretty busy and if I ever blog, it’ll be kind of repetitive and boring. Anyway! It’s August and I’ve been busy since the end of July. Not that I’m complaining but it’s really been pretty hectic for me. Being a solo baker, cake decorator, purchaser and seller all in all I’m juggling everything almost everyday.

This project was informed by my client if I remember correctly, around 3 weeks ago. I agreed to make a cake together with the Sugar Cookies. I was both excited and nervous since it’s the first time I’m going to make a 14″ cake. I bought the materials early so I won’t have to rush and be cranky when it’s time to make them.

Last week, when I finished my last meet-up for the week. I wrote an outline about how to go on this project at the same time make other orders as well. So I decided to start on Friday.

Friday – Bake the Carrot Cake order for Monday’s meet-up and bake half of the 14″ Chocolate Butter Cake. I was able to bake the Carrot Cake but disaster came with the Chocolate Butter Cake. I was baking it until I realized the heat from the oven was gone. I immediately called the repairman and told me he’s coming the next day. I was so frantic that I don’t want to waste what I’ve made. I decided to try and steam the cake, if it work, I’m super lucky, if not, then I have to wait for the repairman to repair my oven.

The cake was baked thru steaming, lol. It was funny, I have to use our laundry basin just to accommodate the big cake pan. I baked it from 7 PM to 10:30 PM. The cake was pretty decent, the top was not as smooth like the cake baked in the oven since I have to cover it with aluminum foil completely, but everything turned out well. An experiment that worked. Hoho. I tried microwaving a cupcake before, it’s not as good as the baked one though.

Saturday –  I did some customized toppers, Baby Elmo, Big Bird, Cookie Monster, and Oscar the Grouch. Made fondant. Repairman came by and told me he’ll come back on Monday, same problem — thermostat. My dad is planning to buy me a new oven, a Gas oven.

Sunday – made Ernie, Bert, Ms. Piggy, Grover and Telly. My Kitchen Aid died down on me, I was able to make Italian Buttercream by whisking in the butter by hand. Thankfully, the Italian Meringue was cooled down when the gears in my mixer decided die on me. (My reaction: Of all days why does everything have to happen to me all of a sudden. Kill. Me. NOW.)

Monday – Oven was fixed, when to Robinson’s Galleria to repair my Kitchen Aid and did the meet-up there. Took us 3 hours to finish (It was supposed to be only an hour to two hours max but the repairman repaired the other Kitchen Aid instead of mine so we have to sit and wait for another hour. *sigh* Came home almost five in the afternoon and decided to start working on the Sesame Street Royal Icing. Finished around 11 pm. Left some outside and most of the toppers inside my dad’s room.

Tuesday – Since our weather is so unpredictable, I ended up with ruined toppers outside good thing 80% of my toppers were inside the room. Geez. Then baked the cookies, 100 + pieces since I have other orders. Hmm. The oven is acting weird, everything looked underbaked so I baked it longer than their usual time. 😐 Weird. Added the sticks for the Sesame Street toppers. Did the remaining toppers.

Wednesday – Baked another carrot cake and the last half of the 14″ cake. Frosted the cookies, oh well, since the weather is super weird it affected the cookies and it became so soft it breaks down easily. Ended up destroying fourteen pieces. Okay made another batch of cookies to bake the next day and I made the 6″ dummy cake. Oh I fell too, because the boy-crazy maid mopped the kitchen floor with a wet mop. Until now when I sit for a long time my tailbone aches, bloody hell.

(One thing I learned in this experience is that I should have finished the front design of the cookies first before doing the back thing if the customers wanted the cookies with sticks, that way the Royal Icing helps the cookies to hold together and not crack easily. I just tried to do the back thing first, I thought it would turn out okay but it backfired. :\)

Thursday – Baked the last cookies and did the Hello Kitty Cake. Made the 10″ dummy cake. Made and kneaded 2 kg of fondant. By the time I was resting my left arm ached so much. Yes, and my tailbone is still aching. Lucky me. -_-;;

Carrot Cake with Buttercream Frosting

Friday – Did meet-up in the morning went home immediately and did the 14″ cake. Thank God my left arm wasn’t sore and aching like what it did Thursday night or else I’m doomed and thankfully the weather gave me a happy sunny weather that I managed to drape the big cake in just one try. *happy dance*

Today – went to Prestige tower, did the cake set-up. Was able to talk to two even coordinators, if things went well hopefully they would order customized cakes from me. The first one was from the even prior to mine and the other was the coordinator to the event I catered itself, was able to interview her about event coordinating for a short time.

The 14″ Cake was made out of Chocolate Butter Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting. 🙂

I never thought the cake would look really pretty. While I was building the dummy cakes, I thought the design and outcome looked really bland. Lol. But when I placed it together with the actual cake. It turned out really well. I was shocked to see the colors really complemented each other. I was just going with the flow as I made them. I never really draw my cakes on paper. I just go with the flow and sometimes look at some ideas around the web or the for this case the client gave me a picture what she wanted the cake to look like. But I never really followed the details of the original cake, just some here and there then added my own stuff. Lol.

My client loved it and the event coordinator was impressed with my work. All the things that I’ve been put through this week really paid off. The accidents that happened to me was nothing compared to the compliment that was given to me by the client and her friends. It was a very challenging experience for me and I really felt fulfilled today with all the feedbacks I got, even some of my friends messaged me haha.. I was giddy and happy. I hope there will be more orders to come and I can’t wait for it. I think I’m really good at kiddie themed cakes. I’m not so sure about weddings. I haven’t tried making a wedding cake yet. But who knows, I might pull it off as well. 😉

I need another rolling pin haha.

Well, see you later! 🙂