Bridal Shower Branch Cake

So first, I need to apologize for the messy table in these photos. I usually clean up before I get out the camera, but this cake was a little different in that the client actually came to help and took the cake once we were done! So I didn't have time to clean. (I know, my only vinyl tablecloth has a Halloween print...it's a real professional outfit I'm runnin' here...) That being said, the cake didn't get the fancy photos it deserved.

I created the design (with Sara's help) from the shower invitation, which had the deep teal and brown colors. Sara, a fellow preschool mom, asked if she could come and help and learn some fondant techniques, so I put her to work. We hand-tinted the teal fondant and covered both cakes. Sara made the cream colored fondant flowers, and I piped the chocolate shell border and chocolate branches on the fondant. We added the gold dragees to the flowers to give the cake the little "bling" it needed. The cake inside was vanilla with a raspberry filling (and quite tasty, as we sampled as we decorated this time!) It was my favorite kind of design: simple and elegant. And I hear that the shower guests loved it. Success!