80th Birthday cake for Elaine's Mother-in-law

I was asked to make a fruit cake for a special lady's 80th birthday. The lady in question was the mother-in-law of one of my colleagues, Elaine.

We discussed what she would like and settled on two individual cakes (one for the family get together, the other for friends at home). I wanted to do the cake in the shape of the two numbers and also wanted to keep it elegantly simple, fitting a lady of such a wonderful age.

The colours settled on we're pinks & purples and off I went to create this...

The fruit cake is covered in white marzipan and then white fondant. It's decorated with tones of pink & purple flowers. I then used white royal icing to add some 'texture' in the form of piped dots.

I received some lovely compliments from colleagues when I took it in to work, and some equally lovely ones from relatives of Elaine's mother-in-law. Seemingly it tasted good too!

I also made 4 co-ordinating cupcakes to go with it for those who don't love fruit cake.

Carrieanne's Cupcake Bouquet

Ok, this was a first time challenge. Can I make 'one of these?' was the question that accompanied the photograph. Ever up for a challenge, I said I'd give it a go!

There are 7 vanilla cupcakes in the bouquet, each housed in little cups which are stuck together to form a 'flower bouquet'. They're piped with pink/cream striped buttercream roses & embellished with a fondant flower & leaf. Wrapped in tissue paper and in cellophane just as a flower bouquet would be delivered.

Originally ordered as a present, she kept them for her own birthday the following day!

Layla's gymnastic cake

A special request for this cake. It had to be dairy free so that Layla could actually have a piece of her own cake.

Vitalite was used in the sponge and Lactofree spread in the buttercream icing between the cake and the fondant.

Layla's a very keen (and very good) gymnast who practices alongside Tia, which is the other gymnastic cake I made that week. So she just HAD to have a cake to celebrate her achievements in gymnastics.

Her mum told me she loved the cake and was excited to be able to eat a slice as it was specially made dairy free just for her. Every little girl deserves a birthday cake that she can have a slice of, don't you think?

Tia's gymnastic cake

Tia is a fantastic gymnasts and Tia's mum is a friend of an old school friend of mine, (Savannah's mum, hence the recommendation).

This was the first of two gymnastic cakes that were made in the same week but I wanted them to be very different to each other. Not just in colour, but also in general style too.

My first attempt at making fondant people. They do need some practice and further work but you can tell its a human!!!

Hannah's giant make up cupcake

Hannah is the daughter of one of my daughter's teachers. She was just about to turn 17 and has the ambition to become a make up artist; hence the theme of her cake.

The brief included purple and gold as well as being trendy. Mum was pleased with it when she collected it, and Hannah loved it too, which is the reason that I make them; to bring joy to someone on their special day.

Ronnie's 50th

This was a double layered vanilla traybake. Commissioned by Lynn for her husband Ronnie's 50th birthday. It was also their 5th wedding anniversary around the same time so I decided to make 2 little ducks swimming on a heart shaped pond in his garden.

Being a keen gardener of both flowers and a little vegetable plot, Lynn had asked me to make his cake to that theme.

I loved the collection of this one, as he was taken out on a 'magical mystery tour' in the car and ended up at my house to receive his cake!