Monotone 3 tier 40th birthday cake

I can't wait to share this cake with you ! I have had to get the recipient, my lovely friend Pauline to promise not to look at my blog or tweets and also do drop me on Facebook.  It's not very often I get to have completely free artistic rein, and when I do I think it shows.  So this is for you Pauline, on your super extended 40th birthday.  Bring on the party on Saturday!

The cake involves using several different techniques.  On the bottom tier I have used a hand cut lace wrap for the first time.  The second tier has filigree black hearts that are dusted with a black and silver lustre, and finally the top tier is quilted and has hand painted flowers with an edible black diamond in the centre of each one.

The finished funky VW beetle for my niece's 18th

I  hope you all like the finished cake, the final detail quite literally took my hours, but it was worth it, so here goes..

Valentines Cupcakes

I was asked my lovely friend of over 33 years now, to make some valentines cupcakes for her to  give to some close friends and family as a little treat.  I used the same recipe a last year as it is so lushhhh....strawberry shortcake, which is a vanilla cupcake with a strawberry in the bottom and topped with buttercream and crumbled digestive biscuits.

And Just Before Spraying

VW Beetle under construction!

I thought that I would share a couple more pictures with you of my current project in its undressed state!

Multi Tasking!!

I am working very hard at the moment behind the scenes, preparing and quoting, which of course means I don't have many pictures to share with you, but there will be plenty soon.

I am currently working on an 18th birthday cake for my lovely niece Harriet, as well as valentines cupcakes, a birthday cake which is a labour exchange (free business cards and fliers) and my lovely jubbly friend Pauline's 40th (she kill me for mentioning that on here) creation.

Things are then a little quieter, so that's when I will do my preparation for a wedding at the beginning of March and Mothering Sunday.

Just out of interest, I thought that you might like to see one of the cakes in it's raw, ganached state?

Baby Bella's Christening Cake!

My second cake this week has taken me hours and hours to make, but it had to be very special!  I t is for a little baby named Bella Louise Shaw who has spent a great deal of her new life in hospital.  Hopefully now she is well, and to celebrate she is being christened this Sunday.  

I have made several cakes for her granny Teresa, and hopefully this will be her favourite?

Jungle Chums!

I have a few very busy weeks coming up, so I need to get a little more organised, I forgot to photograph last week's cake!
My first cake of the week is for a little boy who will be celebrating his second birthday and is based on a cake made originally by The Celebration Cake.  I have tweaked it a little and this is what I came up with:-