Congrates to TAYTECK and JUJU - Part 1

I have known Tayteck since she was a baby and that am very close to her family especially to her grandma whose house is next to ours and a that she is a very very close friend of my late mom.

Tayteck and fiancee Juju came to our house and told us exactly what they wanted for their big day.

This is what they wanted:

14" white fondant cake and to have their names on it

there is to be a 2nd and 3rd tier - with cupcakes on them

Whenever I have an order for a wedding cake - my mind will furiously proceed with my plannings...

1. bake cakes - check all my ingredients

2. plan deco for cakes and cupcakes

3. how to do my "tiers"

4. need to get a 14" round pan

5. need to get a bigger cake board

6. check whether I have enough fondant in stock

All things covered! But as we are all aware we can do the planning but things wont go as smoothly as how we would want them to be. I believe this is by far the most challenging experience I have had for a wedding!

Let me list out what happened:

Truth be told I was only worried about item NO. 3.

Lesson No. 1 - use imprint AFTER and not before covering a cake

Covering a 14" inch was the least of my worries... I initially bought a new imprint mat and wanted to use it for the cake... I should have used it AFTER i covered the cake and not before... so cracked fondant due to the designs on the fondant. Plus of course I had to smooth the fondant... defeats the purpose of having the imprints on the same...

Lesson No. 2 - Practise free hand writings

I had envisioned Tayteck and Juju's name and how the hand writing on the same would be... hence FREE Hand writing of the same! Big mistake - I am definitely not the maestro Buddy Valastro from CAKE BOSS.... It was horrid and the fact that they are in PINK on my white fondant cake did not help!!! You cannot get rid of royal icing once it is on the cake!

I had to do this twice!!!

Lesson No. 3 - Melted buttercream

This is the first time I have experienced this.... I usually use the heat from a hair dryer to help the fondant dry faster. It also rained the night before hence my fondant was shiny and slightly wet from all the moisture in the air.... As you are all aware I am very very good at multi tasking... hence while my hair dryer provides the warmth for the fondant I go about cleaning up the kitchen... next thing I know I can see butter seaping through my cracked fondant!!!! I felt like crying!!

Lesson No. 4 - Even if the request is made by the couple, please get the details for the contact person on the day of function (I always do this but this time around I did not) - EVEN if you know the couple and their families personally...

There was a bit of drama with regards to the table for the cake... Usually I would assume that if the groom wants to have a wedding cake cutting ceremony, they would set up a table for the same. But this time around there was only one table meant for the cake AND for the nasi temuan.

So, next time please contact the person in charge and ensure that there is a table waiting for the wedding cake.

It is frustrating when you are setting up... and guests have started pouring in...

A lesson well learnt there!

Lesson No. 5

Rain + fondant = disaster ....

I covered the 18" cake board with fondant earlier ... the night before exactly so that it would dry completely the day after... but unfortunely it rained the night before... and it's now all wet and shiny.... and you cant see the Patchwork cutter imprint anymore... sad sad... so I had to redo covering the 18" cake board.... sigh...

Nonetheless, in view of the above challenges... I pulled myself together.... and...

1. took out the pillars - and dabbed all the residue of the melted buttercream...

2. covered the cake with fondant again

2. made a plaque for the name - cause I no longer dare to write directly unto the cake

3. a more lavender light pink royal icing for the names - thanks to my friend Siti who pointed out that my earlier pink colour was a little too bright for a wedding.

... I SLEPT AT 3AM completing all of the above ....

... But it was all worth the effort!!! ....

Conclusion

This is by far the most challenging project I have done ... with lots of obstacles with gave me lots and lots of valuable lesson for my future wedding cake projects....

Seriously... I never anticipated any of the above... and honestly I was just worried about making the tiers for the cupcakes myself since I am horrible at arts and crafts...

But all in all tiring as it was... it was a good good experience which I would never ever want to go through again....

For my next wedding project - I will be more prepared for any possibilities of anything that could go wrong.... well, as I have said... it was a well learnt lesson... subject to ALLAH swt's grace and blessing. Insya Allah. AMIN.