Cake Photos! AND How to Make a Buttercream Shell

Happy Thursday everyone! It's been a hectic few weeks of cake baking, traveling, and fondant rolling. First...pictures! I made two cakes for a very special one year old baby girl last weekend. The first, 8 in square, was a rich chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream and covered with vanilla fondant and The Very Hungry Caterpillar decorations. The second cake, a 6 in circle, was made for the baby's first cake experience - as a smash cake! Once opened, the cake was a moist vanilla rainbow; 6 layers filled with vanilla buttercream and vanilla fondant. Though the baby found the fondant caterpillar to be the most interesting part, her adorable little friends managed to help her smash through to the rainbow (feet first, of course).

Favorite chocolate cake - feeds 20

Rainbow smash cake

 As a result of all of the delicious cake baking, I happened to have another set of rainbow layers left in my freezer (lucky hubby). Time for a practice cake! Today I made another batch of vanilla buttercream - this time Tahitian vanilla - and decorated with buttercream shells and rainbow sprinkles.

What to do with extra layers? Practice cake!

Rainbow explosion!

Let's talk about those shells you see circling the top and bottom of the cake. With a little practice and a piping bag with a star tip, they can be easy for you to do at home!

• First, fill your bag and twist to seal. Use one hand to hold bag, the other hand to squeeze the bag.
• Next, holding your bag at about 45 degrees, slightly squeeze to release some buttercream, move your bag forward and up just a little, then pull back and down in the direction your shell will go. 
• Right before you achieve the desired length of your shell, stop squeezing the bag and continue to drag it until it stops coming out of the bag. 
• Practice on a cake round until you've got the desired effect then you are good to go!

Happy baking!