So two weekends ago I completed my Personal Growth Project. I made the cake for the 8th Grade Dance. This was a huge project for me because I designed the cake and it was the largest cake I have ever made. The theme for the cake was simple, V. Sue Cleveland High School. That's where we are all going next year so I figured instead of dwelling on the past, we should look to the future. My cake really stood out in the room because all the decorations were purple and black, my middle school's colors, but the cake was electric blue and silver. The cake was yellow and chocolate alternating, so everyone got a taste of both flavors. Once I got the cakes baked I had to start on the fondant. This was one of the hardest parts because the bottom tier was going to be electric blue. That is such a unique color and it's very important to me to get it right. I think in the end it all worked out. The bottom tier took the most time to decorate also. I did a quilting technique. I had to cut intersecting lines on the cake and where they met I put a candy pearl.The second tier had a checkerboard pattern. I left the background white because I couldn't find the silver spray that I needed. I incorporated the silver on the top tier. I painted the whole thing silver and put electric blue lightning bolts on the sides. The finishing touch was the writing on the top. I put "STORM Class Of 2015". That's when we graduate so I felt it was appropriate for our last middle school dance. The cake was a huge success. I wasn't at the dance but my friends told me that no one touched the sheet cakes the school bought. Everyone loved my cake and they said it was delicious. This whole project really showed my growth. I know that a year ago I would not have been able to make this cake. I didn't have the skills or the state of mind. I really taught myself a lot of techniques this year. From working with gumpaste to painting. I have also learned to calm down when making my cakes. I don't blow up like I used to when decorating. I have grown a lot as a cake decorator. This whole experience has just shown me that I really am interested in doing this for a living. There was always a possibility that at the end of this I could decide that I hate decorating cakes, but I didn't. I will definitely be making more cakes over the years.
