First Communion Cake

I made this cake for my dear friend's daughter on her First Holy Communion. It was about a year ago, but I'm just getting my act together. Looking at it now the gumpaste chalice really is not as well done as I would have liked. It was my first go at trying to make one and I think next time I will get a mold instead of free handing it. The grapes and wheat were very successful and I did enjoy learning to make the drape. This was my first draping attempt.

The cake was gluten-free vanilla and chocolate with vanilla buttercream. The accents are all gumpaste/fondant/buttecream. The little hosts were so easy to make. I really enjoyed making this cake for all the trouble it gave me...honestly I'm so used to using dairy-free buttercream I think the texture and the crusting always trips me up when I work with icing that has butter. Sculpting fondant is my passion when it comes to cake decorating. I enjoy it all, but the part I love really is the sculpting.

I consider this one a good design that I may use for my own daughter's First Holy Communion cake. Hopefully if I do another Chalice I can have a little more success next time.

Blessings!

Sacred Heart Cake

 "I need nothing but God, and to lose myself in the heart of Jesus."

Yesterday was the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This devotion became popular following the Lord's revelations to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. More information can be found at American Catholic.org...see link here:
Saint Margaret Mary

I have a very special devotion to Our Lord through this image of His Loving Heart. We did the Sacred Heart Enthronement just before our daughter was born and this Feast is extremely important to our family.

The kids made some toppers for cupcakes to share and I made this 6 inch cake for our family. It is small, but filled with love for Our Lord! :)

The cake is gluten-free vanilla with dairy-free buttercream and fondant accents. If I'd had more time and more red fondant I would have covered it completely, but time was short and I was making dinner at the same time so I left it as it is above. I painted the wooden pieces with food color mixed with vanilla extract and dyed a little red fondant burgundy to do the blood from the wound made by the soldier's lance. My son was very adamant that we not leave any detail off of the cake.
Immaculate Heart of Mary Pray for us.
Sacred Heart of Jesus Have Mercy on us.

 Many blessings to you during these two precious feasts.