Hello heavenly honeycomb!  The latest trend for 2013 is all about this graphic hexagonal pattern.  Honeycomb prints are popping up in everything from fashion to interior design this spring.  We’ve been loving on honeycomb ever since the Spring of 2012, when we featured this honeycomb cake.  And now we’re smitten with another new spin on honeycomb.  Today’s featured cake is a more of a subtle nod to this growing trend, celebrating the honeycomb structure of a dahlia flower with blooms that take gorgeous to the next level.  I’m talking amazing sugar flowers that will make your heart flutter.  And let’s not forget the incredible white ruffles, gracefully dancing from top to bottom.  It’s certainly not hard to see why we’re just plain smitten with this cake.  Let’s take a look at this oh-so-beautiful Ruffles & Dahlias Cake, created by Charlotte of  Sugar Ruffles.

Charlotte of Sugar Ruffles shares her inspiration for this design:

“The design of this cake was inspired by a beautiful picture of a dahlia flower that I came across.  I loved the interesting honeycomb texture of the flower and wanted to create a wedding cake with dahlia flowers as the main focus. I added further texture to the design by using ruffles on each of the tiers, keeping each of the tiers white to allow the dahlia flowers to remain the main focus.”

Charlotte of  Sugar Ruffles gives us the scoop on the photo shoot:

“The cake is featured as a step by step project in the Cake Craft Guide Magazine.  The styling for the photo shoot was also inspired by the dahlia flower.  The pink tissue honeycomb decorations were chosen to mirror the honeycomb texture of the dahlia flowers on the cake.”

There’s only one word for these dahlias…. amazing!  They are incredibly gorgeous as are the layers upon layers of delicate ruffles.  The entire scene is screaming to be the inspiration for your next special event!

A big thank you to Charlotte of  Sugar Ruffles for sharing her gorgeous Ruffles & Dahlias Cake with us today!  To learn more about Charlotte’s techniques, be sure to check out her step-by-step tutorial in Cake Craft Guide Magazine.

VENDORS & CREDITS
Cake :  Sugar Ruffles
Photography :  Sarah Kay Photography

Our contributor, Miso of Miso Bakes, is here with a new tutorial perfect for Spring and Mother’s Day.

This past December, I traveled to Europe again but this time with my mom accompanying me. Together we visited many museums and looked at hundreds, if not thousands, of paintings. Though I have been to and have seen some of the museums and paintings a few times before, my fingers still tingled in excitement and my heart still smiled at the sight of works by Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, Georges Seurat, etc. The use of colors and textures, brushstrokes and lighting in some of the paintings left me so in awe that I talked about them for days. Months later, I still sit here and daydream about them.

I returned wanting to create a cake inspired by all the art I saw. I wanted to add texture and depth using various buttercream colors, but at the same time, I wanted it to be season appropriate. This is what I created…

Today we’re going to talk about how to “paint” your cake using shades of buttecream and a palette knife.  Let’s get started with this Watercolor Painted Cake Tutorial…

WATERCOLOR PAINTED CAKE
a DIY by Miso Bakes

STEP 1:   Tint small amounts of buttercream to your liking. If you have time to spare, do this the night before so the colors can fully develop and you can adjust the colors if needed.

STEP 2:  Have your cake iced in buttercream and ready to go. Make sure the cake is well chilled.

STEP 3:  Using the tip of your palette knife, dab a little buttercream to the chilled cake.

STEP 4:  Using the side of your palette knife, smooth it out.

STEP 5:  Continue doing this throughout the whole tier. If the white buttercream starts clinging to your palette knife or dragging along with the green buttercream, chill your cake and try it again.

STEP 6:  Once you have your first layer of green on, you may chill your cake and apply a second coat of green buttercream in a different color. By applying your green in separate coats, you can control the overall look and effect of your cake.

STEP 7:  However, if you wish to be a bit more daring or artsy, you can mix your colors and then dab it onto the cake like this.

STEP 8:  Similar effect, but different technique. You may choose either technique. It’s ultimately what you feel most comfortable with.

STEP 9:  Chill your cake and design the cake to your heart’s desire. I piped buttercream roses, grass and leaves since it’s Spring.

TIP: If you would like to add ‘brushstrokes’ you can brush over some areas with a clean paintbrush.

While the concept of watercolor painted cakes is not new, I hope you enjoy my approach to this technique!   Happy Caking!

	Miso Bakes Miso is a monthly contributor for The Cake Blog. She is a talented pastry chef with a big passion for cakes. Read more about Miso on her bio page.

I could not be more excited about today’s post!  We’re taking you to the kitchen of an inspiring baker and giving you a behind the scenes look at her creation process.  It’s a fabulous Friday field trip and I hope your permission slip is signed!

Marcella Robin is the owner, baker, designer and chief mastermind at MRobin Cakes in Portland.  If you’ve been reading for awhile, you probably remember when we first featured Marcella’s work back in 2011.  (If you’re new, you can catch up HERE.)  Marcella designs entremet cakes which are made of sponge cake, layered with a variety of creams, custards, mousses and then wrapped in a thin exterior layer of sponge cake.  The design is actually baked into the outside layer.  And they are simply out of this world!  This creative spin on cake design is bold, fresh and just down right fun.

Okay, so here’s the agenda for our time with Marcella.  First we’re going to swoon over a few of her most recent designs.  Then take a peek at her creation process.  Followed by the sweetest treat of all…. a must see video!  If you watch one thing this weekend, make it this video!  So stick with me for a few.  You won’t want to miss a single moment.  We’re hanging In the Kitchen with MRobin Cake Design!

Simply a.ma.zing.  I could write an entire post about either one of these cakes!  They are seriously so incredible.  But we have an appointment to keep and I want to keep us on track.  Let’s head to the kitchen….

If you think the cakes are cool, you simply must, must watch the full video.  I’ve watched it several times already.  Not only is Marcella extremely talented, which is evident from her cakes, but she’s totally laid back and incredibly humble.  And this video captures all of the funky extrement fun!  You’re going to love this peek into her creative process!  If you’re at work or somewhere you can’t just launch into a video, then make a mental note in your weekend planner.  This is a must see….

Are you loving this or what?  Seriously, it’s okay to hit the play button again.  I know you want to!

A special thanks to Marcella at MRobin Cakes for inviting us into her kitchen today.  And to the talented crew over at Cineastas who shared their awesome video with us.  Happy Weekend everyone!

VENDORS & CREDITS
Cake:  MRobin Cakes
Video & Still Photography:  Cineastas Video Production
Photography:  Precious Bugarin Design