Frilled Flower

I had a coworker ask me to make a cake for his wife's birthday. I'm sure there are guys out there that are full of ideas and care about cake decorating, but this guy is not one of them. He did not care except that it was chocolate with chocolate icing. So I get some details about his wife... the few he could think of. She likes dolphins, lily of the valley... that's about all I got. Well since it was a chocolate cake I didn't want a dolphin to be swimming around in brown icing so I nixed that idea. I've never made any lilies of the valley but from what I researched I didn't want to for this cake.


The good thing about not being confined to the ideas he gave me was that I could do whatever I wanted. That can be tricky especially since I am the most indecisive person ever. But I recently saw a post on My Cake School of a flower she did inspired by her little girl's favorite shirt. I thought it was cute and wanted to try it sometime. What a perfect time!


I also got a Cricut Cake last year and should really use it more. I have found it's trickier than I thought it would be, but I have it and know it can work so I am determined to not give up on it! I just need to work with it more. One of the cartridges I have has a "happy birthday" image so there we go! I can practice a new technique I found and work with my Cricut.

Before I start decorating the cake, I think "I'll do a tutorial of this flower." Then I begin... haha, I quickly learn you can't do a tutorial on something you've never done before! Duh!! She just made it look so easy that I didn't think I'd have an issue doing it. Maybe it is really easy for everyone else and I'm just a slow learner. That is a valid option. I also just did it pretty much from memory. It's funny that I test my memory even though my husband just offered that we get my memory checked. Haha, it's going early. Again, I think it is a simple technique but her flower looks so much better than mine. I suppose I can chalk it up being my first time. I have to do it better next time.


I will show you a few steps...

I have chosen my fondant and rolled it out. Now I put it through my snazzy KitchenAid pasta roller a few times. 

Then I roll out a few strips a half an inch wide.

Then, using a ball tool, "ruffle" one side of the strips. I need to practice this.

This is the point where I'm rethinking the picture by picture tutorial and thinking about just trying to accomplish this flower. I will note that I am doing this on buttercream and I'm pretty sure My Cake School did it on a fondant covered cake. I don't know how big of a difference it makes though. Do you notice how the ruffle on the outside seemed to disappear and reappear on the inside?? haha, magic. But this is the beginning of the flower. I used piping gel to attach the fondant.

Fast forward and here's my result

 Umm... I hope you can at least tell it's supposed to be a flower. I think it's... ok. But check out My Cake School. Gosh, hers is beautiful. Feel free to not compare hers and mine :)

There's the final cake. Now that I've written this, I really want to re-do this whole thing. Maybe I will. Eventually. 

At least, I hope his wife liked it!! (fingers crossed)