Striped Cake Version 2.

Remember I asked if you wanted to see a version 2 of some cakes I have created in the past?
Well, here's the first! Enjoy! :)

The weather is getting really warm here in Los Angeles and I feel like these colors are so appropriate!

Buttercream!

I love fondant, but I have always had a bigger heart for buttercream.
I am so excited to see buttercream cakes slowly, but surely, making a comeback!

I was browsing through Craftsy and found two buttercream classes! Best part is, one of them is free!

If you didn't already know, Craftsy offers a free buttercream class called Modern Buttercream taught by Joshua John Russell. I haven't been able to sit through this class yet, but from what I have skimmed through, you will learn how to evenly level cakes, trim cake layers, and mask a cake in buttercream. Even if you have mastered the art of buttercream, I think it would be a great opportunity to review and re-learn some of the skills.

If this class isn't enough, they have another class called Piping Buttercream Borders taught by Roland Winbeckler currently offered at 50% off! I was only able to watch the preview, but I love Roland's storytelling and personal approach in interacting with his audience-- it's a breath of fresh air!

Have a wonderful weekend and I hope your weekend is full of buttercream! I can't wait to make time and sit through both classes. Perhaps I will do so with a bowl of popcorn! :)

Rustic.

Keeping this sheet cake extremely simple and rustic today.
Everybody needs a break, right? : )
Have a great Sunday!

Black and White Cake.

Double barrel buttercream cake with a sugarpaste rose brooch. 

Photo: Sylvia G Photography

Buttercream 'Watercolor' Cake.

Buttercream 'Watercolor' Cake for Half Baked- The Cake Blog.
To learn how to get this effect, click the link above!
Enjoy!

I am Miso.

I am a blogger.

Actually, I take that back. 

I am not a blogger because I do not blog enough. 

I tell myself every new year that I have to blog at least twice a month, but that never happens. 

Sometimes, or more like majority of the time, the California sun lures me to spend much of my free time outdoors. Doing what?  Haha, you're going to laugh, but I like to people watch or go to the Farmer's Market on the weekends. 

I am a cake artist.

Actually, I take that back, too.

That title makes me feel awkward because I do not own a bakery (yet). 

However, I am not saying that all cake artists have to own a bakery or work at one. 

I just personally feel like I still have so much more to learn and to grow to be qualified for that title.

Today, I feel most comfortable being just plain Miso. 

I am a twenty-something who can never have enough pairs of shoes and clothes.

I am a wannabe foodie who loves grocery shopping and asks the lady buying 10 pounds of carrots what they will turn into. 

I am a child at heart who watches cartoons. In case you're wondering, I think Phineas and Ferb is quite entertaining. 

I am an introvert who steps away from the spotlight. After 4 years, I still get embarrassed when people talk about my cakes. 

I am a cookbook addict. I can never have enough. I have about $1500 worth of cookbooks saved in my Amazon basket. It's not like I have tried all the recipes in the books I currently own or have read any of them cover to cover, but I have an itch if I don't buy new ones periodically. 

I have self-diagnosed ADD and extremely short-term memory. I am one of those people who call someone and ask who they are because I forget whose number I dialed. Ridiculous, I tell you! Ridiculous! 

My diet? I tell myself I will start tomorrow, but, as you may know, tomorrow never comes because it turns into today. So clever I am, right? It's like I am waiting for Godot in Samuel Beckett's play, Waiting for Godot. 

Bottom line, I am Miso and I just happen to have a crazy, almost sickening, heart-wrenching love for cakes. Sometimes, they turn out completely different from what I had envisioned, but my heart is still content. Other times, they turn out exactly how I had pictured it, but my heart screams in horror and last minute adjustments have to be made. (Trust me, it's not just you. It's all of us. Sometimes, sketches are way prettier than the actual cake. If this does not apply to you, then you are a lucky.... brat.) However, ultimately, the hard work and panic pays off as you give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done.  

I guess, what I am trying to say is: I still make mistakes. I am still learning where it is best to draw the line. I strive for simplicity, but sometimes, 'one more rose' turns into ten more and then I want to kick myself in the shins because it looks... well, ugly. I throw a short-lived tantrum, but then tell myself it is better to make mistakes than to be perfect all the time because mistakes are what drives us to work harder. I know, I am awesome at making myself feel better.

When I get a message or an email with someone saying that they aspire to become like me, I feel so blessed and honored, but then feel like a ten-pound load is added to my shoulders. I don't have an established name or a business. My skills are still amateur and I still lack in many ways. Therefore, I quite honestly feel uncomfortable being put on a pedestal. I don't want to be someone looked up to, instead, I want to be your silly friend with a crazy imagination and dream. I want to be on the same page as all of you because I, in turn, learn so much from you. 

From some, I learn patience. From some, I learn techniques. From some, I learn persistence. From some, I learn optimism. From some, I learn generosity. From some, I learn the definition of passion. 

Before I make some of you doze off, I wanted to say... 

Hi, my name is Miso and it is the greatest blessing to have you be a part of my journey.
I cannot teach you to be a better caker, but by being a part of my journey, I hope, if anything, I can encourage you to press on and push forward through the struggles in pursuing your dreams in this industry. It sure isn't an easy one, but it is one well worth giving a try.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  I meant to get this post up sooner, but it just slipped my mind!
Head on over to The Cake Blog to learn how to make the heart-shaped three-leaf and four-leaf clovers!

To make the teardrop clovers, see below and proceed as you would with the heart shaped...

The cake was a Guinness cake iced in Bailey's Buttercream!