Week 3 of  the weekly "Soap Challenge".  

This week's soap challenge was piping soap, think of decorating cakes but using a soap instead of frosting. I told myself that it sounds pretty easy, I think I can manage this one. I watched Amy's video from Great Cakes Soapworks  and also watched some videos on YouTube. Now it was my turn.....after mixing my soap batter I separated it into 3 measuring cups, I colored one with a yellow mica, one with yellow oxide, and the last with titanium dioxide (for the frosting). The fragrance I used for the cake was lemongrass, and the frosting was fragranced with lime. For the bottom of the cake I poured the lemon mica colored soap, then I poured the yellow oxide colored soap, holding it up high as I poured around the mold, and I did the same with some of the white soap, then swirled the colors. I had enough yellow soap batter left to pour 5 cupcakes. Now for the frosting,...it took a long time for the soap to get thick enough to frost. I stick blended it, let it rest a long time, stirred it some more, let it rest, stirred it some more, and finally it was ready to start to pipe (over an hour later). The tip I used was Wilton's #2D. Took me a few tries practicing on a piece of wax paper to get the hang of piping the soap, then on to the cake. I went around the outside of the cake first, then continued in rounds until I got to the middle with one last dollop to finish the cake. Then to frost the cupcakes, this was a lot harder for me to get it tall enough and have it look like it was not leaning. Finally after the first 2 cupcakes they starting looking more even by the time I reached the top of the swirl. I still had a lot of frosting batter left and not knowing what to do with it I made 2 more rounds around the cake and a dollop in the center. I then added some of Wilton's Sugar Pearls on both the cake and the cupcake. A few days later I unmolded the cake and cut it into 6 pieces, they weigh 4.7 oz. to 5.2 oz each. I did not like the look of the frosting on mine as well after cutting, the dollop in the middle of course got cut 6 ways and was not at all attractive so I cut it down some. I want to try this again and have some other ideas for the piping where it won't look so busy.

For me this was a HUGH challenge and this is what I have learned from it:

#1: It is not as easy as it looks by watching people doing it on YouTube, and I have a new found respect for their talents.

#2: I need to take cake decorating lessons!!!!

#3: I need TONS of practice. Guess we will be eating a lot of cakes and cupcakes in the future.



Thank you Amy for the "Challenge" and I can't wait for next week's challenge, "Soaping with Alcohol". My first thought about that challenge is: I wonder if spraying the top of my soaps with 91% alcohol would count as soaping with alcohol? That's not much of a challenge is it, so guess I better get my thinking cap on and get to planning. Stay tuned for next week......

Swirling in the colors.

The frosting is not thick enough yet.

Finally thick enough to frost.



Here I go...wish me luck.

Almost done.

Now for the cupcakes.

Whew...all done.

Here they are out of the mold.

The cake soap cut.

The finished cupcakes.

Introducing my Lemon/Lime cupcakes.