Alex is 1 - Farm themed first birthday & smash cake!

I've never met Alex, but his mother is a colleague of mine.  Alex isn't quite old enough to decide what kind of fabulous, awesome, fun birthday cake he wants, so his mom decided on a farm theme (similar to my little guy's 2nd bday cake).  She requested a sheep, a pig and a family of ducks with a farm themed cake - my signature chocolate cake with cookie-cream filling and vanilla buttercream.  Of course, she also needed a SMASH cake for little Alex.  I can't wait to see some photos of the little guy tearing into his first cake!

Here is the cake - The red barn is a sugar sheet and the rolling hills are SatinIce fondant, everything else is buttercream.

Gumpaste sheep sitting in the buttercream grass

Gumpaste mommy & baby ducks quacking around a buttercream pond.



Gumpaste piggy rolling in chocolate mud.


And here is Alex's "SMASH cake" - he gets this one all to himself, to smash like a birthday boy should on his first birthday! 

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEX!!

Eee i eee i ohh - Happy 2nd Birthday Charlie!!

My little guy's birthday isn't officially for a few more days, but we decided to bring his cake to the huge family reunion today to celebrate.  One of C's favorite books these days Big Red Barn.  The family reunion was at my husband's cousin's llama farm - what a great opportunity to celebrate C's birthday with a Big Red Barn themed cake!

The bottom tier of C's cake was my signature chocolate fudge cake with cookie cream filling.  The top tier was my signature white cake with alternating layers of vanilla buttercream, raspberry and lemon curd.  Both were frosted with vanilla buttercream and accents (clouds, flowers, fence, sun) were made from fondant.  The animals were all hand made from gumpaste.

Here are the pics:

The front and back:

                                        
                                                  Gumpaste cow eating straw:

My lil Birthday Boy looking at his cake.  He was a bit grumpy in this pic since today was a 0-nap day (despite my best attempts).  However, shortly after this pic was taken when everyone sang Happy Birthday to Charlie, his whole face lit up and he had a smile from ear to ear...he was just in awe.  Best moment of the day, hands down!

                                                   Gumpaste lettering, hand molded:

                                                                   Top View:

                                                  the gumpaste horse in the gumpaste barn:

Gumpaste pig rolling in mud (chocolate): 

                                      This one is my fav and full of adorableness - gumpaste sheep:

                                  Gumpaste mommy duck and baby ducks quacking near a pond:

And, here are some pics taken today of my favorite little boy in this whole world.  Happy Birthday Charlie!  Your cake was quite an effort, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat!   My sweet little buddy....I still can't believe you're on the verge of turning TWO!   I love you!  xoxo

The beginings of a farm cake....

I've had lots of requests to post photos of the gumpaste farm animals that I've been working on lately.  Hopefully a rooster and chicken will join these adorable little guys (if time permits).

These all started from a block of white gumpaste which I colored and hand molded.   The piggy will be rolling mud (chocolate) on the cake....can't do that until day-of.  This cake will likely be three tiers when completed.