NQR wedding cake

[Quilting Heidi]

Hi all. Well I've told you that I've been tasked with making the wedding cake for both my children's wedding. The first one is a beach theme wedding and the bride wants a cake with shells. This is a mock-up of what we have so far. I made two different sides so she could see some options. She has a cake topper that is a sand castle and hopefully we'll have it by tomorrow so that we can test to see what it looks like on the cake. That was why I put the "sand" on the upper layer on one side. I'm not a huge fan of the sand but the bride wants it so we'll see. She likes option 1 with a little more color on the coral which I'll add in and see what happens. We have also decided to add in a few little hibiscus flowers just for a little touch of color. We're going to take the shells off before we cut it and play to see if she comes up with something different.

I made the fondant and it tastes so much better than the store bought. I also made all the shells and they are moldable so that is how I got the starfish (another major theme of the wedding) to hang over the side. If anybody has done a cake with "sand" please let me know what you used. I'm not thrilled with that part.

Here is option 1

[SandraC]

How beautiful! I wish I had talent like that! If you are asking for an opinion...I like them both but maybe the second a bit more...it seems very elegant for some reason.

What did you use for sand??? Remember I haven't the experience so I hope this isn't a dumb question...can you use a sprinkle of brown sugar, or would that melt away into the icing???

Sandra

[kimmiequilts]

Dotto Heidi, they are both so wonderful! You are amazingly taletented! I like the second one a bit more too!

Wow, I am so impressed, wish that I could do that!

[JudyLynn]

Very inventive. Can sure tell you are an artist, in more than one way. I don't do things like that, but the thought came to me, that if you can use oreo cookies to look like dirt, way not use the light colored sandwich cookies to look like sand, crush them and sprinkle that about. Or even mix the two if you need some color. Or any kind of cookie that is the right color for the sand. Just a thought here. Good luck. Judy

[BethDurand]

That is amazing! Haven't got any suggestions, but WOW!

[meg_marsh]

Those cakes are unbelievable! - I like the 2nd one best also.

[hayevymae]

My Mother made wedding cakes as a business, she passed away a couple of years ago. If she were still here, I'm sure she'd have plenty of ideas for you! Could you use graham cracker crumbs for sand? I think that would work pretty good. Or if you'd want it lighter in color, how about sugar cookie crumbs? Just a thought! I love both sides of the cake... what a beautiful idea! Good luck, and send pics of the finished product!

[Quilting Heidi]

Thanks guys and keep the ideas coming. I'll update with the new versions when I get time. The bride wanted the coral done in a pink/coral color and wanted it dark. I'm not a huge fan but then again I'm only the mother of the groom! It is her day and her cake. We'll see what son has to say. I think a very light color coral would be much more elegant. I'm not sure how I feel about the cookie crumbs. Yes I agree it would give me a lighter color but I don't know how I feel about the texture and eating it. I'd rather not have any of the sand on the cake. We'll get there and I keep reminding myself that it isn't my cake!

[Neher-in-law5]

Again, I'm the oddball veiwpoint. It may be just the clarity of the pictures but I liked the first one better and it did look elegant, but with a change of the sand. You may need to add a bit of sand to the shell areas of the other layers to help it get tied in more.

When I have made cakes (I made my 3 daughters wedding cakes and most of the nieces and nephews and for friends) I have used brown sugar for effects. I really like the idea of sugar cookies ground up. The color would be close but the texture would help the look she wants. Just tell everyone that it is the white sand from some of those exotic beaches! When grinding up the sugar cookies could you use a food processor or blender to get them fine?

Or I just realized that the very finely ground nuts (looks and feels like flour texture) might give you the look you want. That stuff doesn't clump like brown sugar and will be a nice flavor too. You would just need to be aware of allergies for the guests. So the cookie idea might be better. Can you toast any of the crumbs for color? or color white sugar to beach sand color, or do they have the right color of sugar crystals that you can use?

Have fun. You do great work.

[Belbelle]

Beautiful cakes - - not sure about the sand, but what about turbinado (raw) sugar. Would it melt into the fondant?

[nineva]

WOWWWWW!!I have no ideas to add, but ....WOWWWWWW.:):)

[Hollyrw]

I'll second Nancy Jo's comment. WOWWWWW!!

[SandraC]

I think I like the idea of the ground nuts.

[cmoore1223]

Not only a talented quilter but a cake maker too!! I'm really impressed!

[sammi357]

Turbinado sugar (Sugar in the Raw is one brand name) has a deeper color than white sugar, like brown sugar, not quite as dark, but the crystals are larger, so it might look more 'sandish' ~ if that's a word! You can find it in the sugar aisle of the store, usually in a brown box. It might 'glisten' a bit more than regular sugar. It also has a mild flavor, so it wouldn't compete with the cake. Link:

http://www.sugarintheraw.com/

(on the tab "our sugar" if you click there's a close up of what it looks like. I think it looks very 'sandy'!)

I like it in my coffee and sometimes sprinkle it on the muffin tops and baked breads, like banana bread, for a little extra sparkle.

(It would be like comparing regular table salt to a more granular sea salt.)

might work?

sammi

[Susanri]

pretty!!!

[Bekah]

WOW WOW WOW those are absolutely gorgeous. My my you are one talented lady

[QuiltsbyNini]

Sorry, I have no help to offer, but I think they are both beautiful! You have a very lucky soon to be DIL!

It makes me remember my daughter wedding a little over a year ago. An aunt of the groom made the cake. Amanda had a clear idea of what she wanted, but the aunt told her she could not have it that way. Amanda wanted real red roses and the aunt said you could not eat the cake if real flowers were used.

They feuded for 6 months...my DIL solved the problem. When the aunt wasn't looking, DIL exchanged the fake flowers for the real ones...and it was too late for the aunt to do anything about it! Everyone loved the cake!!

Nini

[quiltmonkey]

Heidi,

That cake is adorable! Where in the world do you have time to do the following:

1) Full time job crunching numbers for engineers at a big university?

2) Full time wife?

3) Designing and quiltng a wholecloth wedding quilt for your daughter?

4) Designing and quiltng a wholecloth wedding quilt for your daughter's best friend?

5) Designing and quiltng a wholecloth wedding quilt for your son?

6) Designing and making a specialty "beach theme" wedding cake for your daughter?

7) No doubt also designing and making a specialty wedding cake for your son?

Are you sure you aren't Martha Stewart? Are you the engergizer bunny?

[MCramer]

Shana, I sure hope Heidi has a team of helpers- behind the scenes like Martha.

If not this woman deserves somekind of an award!!!!!!!

[Robin]

I think I lean toward the second one, but they are both gorgeous.

You are truly an artist!

[Renae]

All I can say is WOWWWWWW!!! I do believe you are the energizer MOM!!!

Renae Gamel

[Busy Quilting]

My mum also was a cake decorator, never had to put "sand " on a cake though, but you could try colouring desicated coconut or even raw sugar or brown sugar.

If you paint the icing with some egg white it will make it sticky enough for the sugar to stick to it without colouring the icing.

You could also try moulding some frangipani's and painting the internal with food colouring.

Lyn

[ffq-lar]

Heidi--you are Wonder Woman!!

The cake is beautiful!! You are very accommodating to offer a "mock-up" for approval.

Even the Cake Divas decline to offer that!! They only give taste samples of the cake.

I like #1 the best--I guess because of that big beautiful shell up front!

And the pearls around the bases are perfect!

I worked in the bakery department for several years in the grocery store and there is

actually a legal reason that fresh flowers are declined to be arranged on a cake.

The preservative used in the water for cut flowers can migrate into the icing when used on a cake and can make people ill.

It goes without saying, we love the works-in-progress you share.

I am in awe of all you get done--stand next to me and maybe it will rub off on me!!

[kennan100]

What about using plain granulated suger and adding just a touch of color to it? I know there's a way to add color to it, or maybe they sell it precolored. Avery pale yellow would work I think. It's a lighter texture than brown sugar or cookie crumbs, too.