Violets and Daffodils Cake {Playing with sugar...}

 

Welcome to my blog!! I'm Jacqueline and I recently completed my first ever decorating class. YAAYYY!! This Violets and Daffodils Cake was my final project from the Wilton Beginner Cake Decorating course.

 

Strange thing, while I was in the checkout at my local craft store, I saw that they had some courses on sale and decided on a whim to sign up. I don't bake much, cook even less and, although I admire well-decorated cakes, I had never even come close to trying. I signed up on the spot! The cost was only twenty dollars, so if after a class or two I decided it wasn't for me, no love lost.

 

Perhaps I was in the mood to try something new - that my sister had recently completed the same course in her neck of the woods may have played a part, as well. I was so thrilled when I called to tell her that I'd signed up. I had not shown an interest or aptitude in baking, much less decorating, so my announcement was first received with shock, quickly followed by encouragement.

 

For this Violets and Daffodils Cake, I used home-made buttercream icing to cover and decorate the cake and to make the vines and leaves. I'll add here that I am not at all a fan of the buttercream they taught us in the class. It was a mix of butter, vegetable shorting, sugar and vanilla extract. The mouthfeel just did not appeal to me, but it held up well in decorating. The flowers, Violets and Daffodils, I made using home-made royal icing a day ahead and let air dry.

 

Under all that sugar and vegetable shortening in this Violets and Daffodils Cake is a brown sugar cake - which was on the spicy side - a nice complement to the sweet. For a first, I think it turned out alright!

 

I've started this blog to document my foray into the world of sugar and butter and all the things into which they are whipped and folded. I hope you'll join in!