as taught by jade

I think one of the most flattering things anyone has ever said to me was "No one appreciates food the way you do" when Ann was trying to get me to visit Austin (which because I suck, still hasn't happened..). Laura and Jeanette have told me that the way I talk about food is unlike anyone they've known. 

And though I always found myself in the company of people who were obsessed with food porn or fatassery or the atmosphere of kitchens or all of the above... I knew there was something special about these Madison kids.

On one wonderfully rainy Sunday, we attended a cake decorating class.. from the cozy kitchen of Jade's apartment. Because... yeah, of course.
A note about our teacher: it might be easier to ask, "What didn't you make yourself?"



Materials
rounds of red wine chocolate cake
Swiss meringue buttercream
Crisco + powdered sugar (for practice)
marshmallow fluff (optional)
torch (optional, but mandatory if you opt for the marshmallow fluff)
...and all the basic miscellaneous cake decorating tools

Methods
Step one: Tort the cake.
Step two: Pipe a log of buttercream along the edge.
Step three (optional): Spread marshmallow fluff in center and torch.

Step four: Crumb coat and pop in fridge.

Step five: Take picture next to book opened to page of cake you want to make next.

Steps six through one hundred six: Practice piping. Big roses, little roses, cabbages, borders, writing, squiggles, everything.

Foot note: guess which one is Jules' model rose. 

Hint: furthest one to the left.

Step one hundred seven: Apply another clean layer of buttercream.

Step one hundred eight: Decorate.

Results and Discussion

The cake at the top left, decorated with three roses, said "sugar." Suggesting Jules' obsession with all things sugar (except pecan pie as noted previously). The cake pictured just below that displayed two roses with white stems and green leaves. This was possibly due to Daren's not squeezing out the Crisco frosting residue before attempting to pipe green stems. The cake at the bottom right was unique and featured one perfect rose in a bed of buttercream squiggles. Evidence for Jade's range of experience and expertise with cakes.
And my cake (pictured below) displayed three roses and a phrase that was enigmatic to everyone expect me. And my moon. Supporting our previous hypothesis that Amelia feels in extremes.

References