Want to see some more cakes from the National Capital Area Cake Show? How about another blue beauty?

This cake had crystals that hang off of the top tier. They are made from sugar, melted and hardened over floss to create the dramatic effect of glass.

The roses here are gumpaste flowers which are made entirely of sugar. Yup. Sugar. Any you can see some more examples of stringwork on the white tiers.

No matter what anyone says about fine crystal and diamonds, I am sticking to the theory that shoes are a girl’s best friend. Don’t you just want to slip this one on? And the rich texture of the bows is a really great way to add richness. And the buttons! Don’t get me started. I love buttons. Shiny buttons, on a cake? Too much!!

OK, I got a little worked up back there at the shoe cake. Should we take a break from cake-ogling and play a game? How about Scrabble? WAIT! This Scrabble board IS a cake and is covered with baking words. So fun! 

 Here are two last cakes that I really enjoyed looking at this year. The first is a GIANT steampunk-esque bride and groom. I adore the industrial feel. 

 This cake from the “Under the Sea” category takes us 20,000 leagues deeper and is reminiscent of a Jules Verne metallic all its own. The squid tentacle is somehow both mesmerizing and creepy. Surely its intended effect.

So, as you can see, the cake room this year was top notch!  I hope you enjoyed this quick tour through the room with me. See you next year at NCACS!

Here are some of my favorite cakes from the cake competition at NCACS 2011.

This cupcake set is based on the dresses of Audrey Hepburn. Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Sabrina, Funny Face. Do you see it now? The dresses are made from draped fondant with textured patterns and stencil work to create the look of lush fabric. Awesome job Marla!

As a child I loved Rapunzel and every morning my mom french braid my hair for school. It was never quite THIS long though.

And this cake, it is actually made of CAKE.  No Styrofoam here folks. That is requirement for any sculpted cake and there are photos on the bottom of its construction, just to prove it for the judges. Here is a close up of the cake layers and the super fine details at the base. See the tiny butterflies? That takes TLC.

A similar type of TLC is exhibited here where the artist piped tiny loops of royal icing. When they dry they are called lace work and create  a beautiful and light effect. The black squiggles on the blue background is also a very detailed task. It is called Cornelli Lace and adds a lot of grace and color, don’t you think? Piping with black icing takes a lot of extra skill too, because if you mess up it will stain the fondant and cannot be easily repaired. The creator of this cake has a very steady hand!

Wow- that was a wild ride! NCACS is always a crazy weekend of amazing cakes, great classes, fantastic people, and all kinds of sugar-laced adventures. Here are some of my favorite memories from the weekend.

#5- Brushing snow off of my car on Saturday morning (random!) and then walking around in a tee-shirt all afternoon.

#4- Seeing the faces of new visitors as they walk into the cake room for the first time and see the amazing works of sugar art sparkling all around them.

#3- Frosting 30+ dozen mini cupcakes in under an hour down in the green room. (Each cardboard box holds about 4 dozen)

#2- Meeting people in the new novice classes and helping them get a foot through the confectionary door.

#1- Cupcakes! The Cupcake Cocktail Hour was magnificent. I have never seen so many cupcakes in one place in my entire life. Glorious.

But more on that later…