Some things take practice ... and patience ...

Over the years I've done several cakes where I created parts of the design using what is sometimes called floodwork, or run-outs or Color-Flow (if you're following current Wilton method).  The first ones I did were back in high school when I taught myself using the information I found in an old Wilton Yearbook that my mom had sitting on the recipe book shelf.  They were pretty simple, using patterns that came from a colouring book if I recall correctly.  I'm sure there are pictures somewhere around and if I ever find them, I'll add them in, 'cause I was pretty proud of myself.



My next attempt at using the technique was, well... let's call it less successful, though bordering on disaster might be more accurate.  For my mom's retirement party, I thought it would be great idea to create the same design that was on her nursing class grad ring to put in the centre of the cake.  It's was a good plan, but the plan was way more difficult than my experience level and I didn't now how critical it was to make sure you had more than enough time to let it dry.  Suffice it to say, it fell apart into approximately a billion pieces (okay, I'm exaggerating, but 30 or 40 is probably not far off) as I attempted to add it to the cake about 2 hours before the party was to begin.  I'll admit I didn't take well to my five year old niece's suggestion to "Just puzzle it back together Aunt Karen."  Truth is, after my sister-in-law quietly took her out of the kitchen while her Aunt had a little meltdown, that's pretty much exactly what I did. What other choice was there when you didn't make an extra one and you've got no other ideas for the cake!

My final cake from the Wilton
Level 2 Class with my bluebird run-out.



Thankfully, since then, I've taken a Wilton class or two and learned about their Color-Flow product that helps make run-outs stronger ... oh and I learned the lesson about making an extra just in case and about letting it dry extra long if in doubt. One other trick our instructor suggested was that rather than using wax paper or parchment to create the run-out, Look oven bags work really well.  You can see your pattern clearly and it peels off perfectly.


It was worth the practice and the patience in order to make a cake for the most recent departure from our office.  When we decided we wanted a CVSE enforcement vehicle on the cake, a run-out for the car and fondant for the road were obvious choices.  Kneading in a little black decorating sugar added the right texture for the asphalt pavement. 

If only I'd thought about making the lights actually flash when there was time to make it happen!

The look on my colleague's face made the Saturday night, when I spent the evening piping all the tiny details to get the SUV just right, well worth it. That's exactly why I love doing this for family and friends.  It's that look of surpise and joy that's the best payment in the world!