A+ for Improvement

A couple of months ago my favorite little sister invited me to take a cake decorating class at the local craft store and I said yes (which is huge in and of itself because I have major commitment issues. But with that said it's something I have wanted to do for a very long time but never had the right motivation (which here means I didn't want to go all by myself because I'm a big baby when it come to adventuring by myself).  So Lizzie signed us up and I was committed for every Tuesday evening from 6:30-8:30.

Week 1 - the classroom was so hot (it was one of those unseasonably warm days and the AC in the store hadn't been turned on yet).

Week 2 - we brought our own cakes and learned to frost them like the pros (ala Chef Brockett from Mr. Rogers Neighborhood) -- I made a cute cake with icing cupcake on the top.  The frosting ended up tasting exactly like shortening (yuck!) making the cake more than inedible in the end, but it was very cute!

Week 3 - Cupcakes, frosting flowers and borders  -- mine were a colossal flop because I hadn't eaten right all day and I was feeling less than patient.  Luckily Lizzie stepped in and swirled my cupcakes like the old pro she is.  We also learned how to make star flowers and cute little posy-type flowers.


Week 4  - I perfected my frosting flavor! (Toby gave me an A+ for most improved frosting flavor)

I discovered that my frosting was too stiff which made making the ribbon roses seriously difficult (As if they weren't tricky enough to start with).  With the help of our instructor I got my icing thinned out a little but I still think it was too thick.  Apparently I need to work on my hand strength as squeezing a decorator bag is hard work! Luckily there are not pictures of the first few--they looked more like roses that had been run over by a lawn mower and then eaten by aphids---but I hear practice makes perfect. In spite of the challenges I think my first attempt at ribbon roses turned out rather nice.  I especially like how the frosting kind of frayed at the edges giving the roses a more organic look.