Mama's Rose Cake

 Mama was celebrating her 82nd year, and I volunteered to make the cake. I didn't want anything with 82 on it, and Mama loves roses.

I have been very fortunate to have taken a free form rose making workshop with Lisa Templeton, from  LM Cake Design (Lisa Templeton From Denheath).  Lisa's flowers are so beautiful, they look real.  If you ever get the opportunity to do one of her workshops, do it.

 My roses had to cope with a week of rain and humidity, so they needed lots of support while they dried.  Several of the rose petals "melted" into each other, so I couldn't use them.  

I tried varying the colour of the icing, to get a toned rose.  I like the effect.

My dilemma was the leaves.  I made several rose buds of various colurs, but I don't have the skills or cutters to make leaves.

 I went and picked some rose leaves, washed and dried them.  I melted white chocolate, and added one or two milk chocolate buttons, until it was a pale brown.  Then I added green gel food colouring.  Perfect.  I brushed the chocolate thickly onto the back of the leaves, and waited for them to dry.  Carefully I peeled the leaf off the chocolate.  Just the result I was looking for.

 I had to drive 1 & 1/2 hours to the birthday party venue, and didn't want the roses crushed in travel.

 I poked wooden skewers into the roses and buds, and arranged them on the cake.

 I just hoped the skewers would hold the roses in place during the travel to Hamilton.

 I added the rose buds, and used chocolate to glue the leaves down.  The cake made it to the venue unscathed.  I can breathe again.

Happy Birthday Mama!