cinderella cake {and a blog redesign}
{want to learn how to make this pumpkin carriage? click here!}
Transformations. Aren’t they the best?
Imagine, if you will, a dude wearing the following: a Female Body Inspector t-shirt tightly tucked under the waistband of his too-short-for-him grey sweatpants, white sports socks shoved into the brown deck shoes he’s been wearing since 1990, and a neon coloured ski jacket paired with what appear to be hockey gloves. (This dude exists, friends. I’ve seen him at the grocery store.)
Now imagine that same dude wearing an expertly crafted, made-to-measure suit. One worthy of Leonardo DiCaprio. We’re talkin’ Prada. In other words, picture that dude TRANSFORMATIONIZED. Better, right? Or, should you have preferred the first look, different. He’d look different. And changing things up is always nice, isn’t it?
I’ve been in transformation mode for over a year now. Can you even believe I went to baking school? It makes me want to break out an interpretive dance with ribbons and scarves. I’ve been doing a lot of stuff that doesn’t suck lately, and I hope you have too.
Speaking of things that don’t suck, have you noticed the new look on this here blog? Tranformationized! Take a little peek around. Melissa Hartfiel has been acting as my Interweb Fairy Godmother. She is a co-founder of Food Bloggers of Canada, has her own blog, and is the genius behind Fine Lime Designs. Also, Melissa hates bubble fonts as much as I do – which is incredibly important when selecting a web designer. Melissa has been waving her wand around here for weeks, answering question after question, and generally taking things to the next level. I think you’ll find the site is easier to navigate, has some cool features, and reflects the happy spot I hope this to be. I highly recommend you get in touch with Melissa should your blog ever need a little spell cast over it…
So, to mark transformations of all sorts, I give you this cake. Because Cinderella is one of my most favourite ballets, and because Cinderella wasn’t afraid of a little hard work and change. You’re lookin’ at about 800 wee rosettes there. And those rosettes sit beneath a pastillage pumpkin carriage – entirely edible, albeit crunchy. It took a couple of attempts to make the carriage – but I’ve got the technique hammered out now. The little vine wheels are one of my most favourite details. 2.0 really likes the glass window in the door. Did you notice that the stem is shaped like a crown? Of course you did.
So, here’s to transformations and new beginnings!
(Don’t worry, I’ll still tell you stories about giant hairballs and stuff.)
Inspiration Sources:
- about a year ago, I saw these wedding cupcakes on Martha Stewart and was all: I want to cover an entire cake in little rosettes
- Tessa Huff over at Style Sweet CA beat me to it, but her exquisite rosette cake only confirmed that wee flowers were, indeed, the perfect accompaniment to Cinderella’s carriage
- The National Ballet of Canada’s Cinderella served as inspiration for the pumpkin carriage – set in the 1920‘s, Cinderella floats to the ball in a huge, hollowed out pumpkin
- the touch of whimsy Melissa Hartfiel has added to my blog is totally Royal Ball worthy and makes me wanna kick my legs up high
- to learn how to make the pumpkin carriage, click here to download my free ebook
Beautiful! Have a Happy Friday.
Thanks, Liz! Happy Friday back at cha!
I LOVE it!!! Of course I have a soft spot for Cinderella myself and love all things Disney inspired…..I did make the castle out of gingerbread after all. I love the little rosettes so much, so creative! I may want to borrow your idea. This cake is so sweet and pretty, seems a shame to cut it. LOL I love the soft colors too….it transports you to a sweet lovely spot where all things are beautiful and calm. Wonderful job!
I had already finished this cake when your Ginger entry arrived, and was so excited to see that you liked Cinderella as much as I do! I was dying to say something, but didn’t want to spill the Cinderella beans early…
I saw this cake pop up on my fb newsfeed and had to come check it out immediately. I’m not kidding when I say this is the most beautiful cake I have EVER seen, Movita! I absolutely love it- the colors, the decorations, everything. Wow. Those little leaves are my favorite part 🙂 I’m very curious to know how long it took to decorate this…
Also, your new blog design is awesome. I so need to hire someone to do something to my blog…but first I need to get back to posting on a regular basis.
Thanks, Amy! I started this cake in September – just poked away at it when I had free time. Built the carriage body first, then added bits on when I had time. Made rosettes while watching Mad About You on Netflix. Assembling didn’t take long once the various bits were constructed. So, I’m not sure how long it would actually take allowing for dry times, etc. I have another project on the go right now, so I’m going to try to track hands-on time!
So, you’re the other person watching Mad About You on Netflix…
Your shiny transformatized blog is making me swoon. I originally typed ‘sweeon’ there because it is so beautiful that mundane things like accurate typing have become impossible.
Your cake! Argh! The vines are my favourite part but I looooooove (leeove?) the rosettes, too, absolutely gorgeous. The whole thing is a perfect first post after transformatizing.
Congratulations!
Thank yeeeeou!
Absolutely beautiful cake, I think the roses are the best part…I could definitely see a whole cake in just that…especially since I wouldn’t be the one making it…OMG how long did it take to make that many little roses? …and the blog design is beautiful…awesome transformation.
Thanks, Sandra! The rosettes took… a long time. But I made them in small batches when I had time, so it wasn’t so bad. Had I tried to make 800 in one sitting? I’d be dead.
I must admit I am speechless! What a totally fairytale cake, it makes me want to put on my meringue ball dress! Is there a tiny prince inside?
A MERINGUE BALL DRESS WOULD BE AWESOME. (And you could eat it if you got hungry whilst dancing.) Of course there’s a tiny prince inside – he’s making dinner.
*walks in doorway* it looks SO BEAUTIFUL UP IN HERE. I mean, it was pretty before, but this; this really looks good, my friend. I love it. You (and Melissa) did a wonderful, thoughtful job.
and this cake THIS CAKE! I’m sure that’s easily the most adorable faux pumpkin i’ve ever seen, and i love the color scheme: not *too* princess/disney, more sort of muted classic disney circa 1950’s, which i enjoy quite a bit. I wish i could do this: like legitimately wish maybe i could come up and spend a few weeks with you learning (but would we get anything done? that i don’t know. could just be coffee and tea and talking and random acts of cake.)
Thanks, lady! Isn’t Melissa the bomb? I could never do the stuff she does. The interwebs would collapse around me.
Listen, I’m sure we could work AND talk at the same time when you come for a pastillage workshop. I’ve got a few big projects on the go, and it would be super helpful if you could do the really monotonous stuff…
this is so amazing that i can only think of one word: show-off.
and i love it.
Cinderella made me do it.
Lovely! The cake and the transformation(ization)!
I KNEW that word would catch on!
Congrats and high fives from Baltimore!
Thanks, Molly!
Whoa, that is amazing! I can’t imagine the hours of patience required. Did you eat it in the end?
For as tempting as it was to eat/demolish the pumpkin, it’s now in storage for future use. The rosettes will be re-purposed for another project. But all other scraps? Consumed as quickly as possible!
Never in my life (or my life of dreams) have I seen such a cake as this! Positively flabbergasted breathless! My dear, that is a cake before which all cakes should bow……(and now my words are all gone because none of them are equal to this wonderment!)
Except to say, love your new look here, and it SO speaks of fun and you!
Thanks, Spree! This means a lot coming from you – mostly because I’m betting you believe in magic and stuff… xox
I LOVE THE NEW LOOK! LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! And the cake. Amazing.
Thanks, Wee Natalie!
This cake blew my mind – it’s PERFECT! Also, I LOVE the new design! I will say that on my screen the menu text is really light and almost impossible to read. Might I suggest a slightly darker font color so the full scope of your tremendous awesomeness can be appreciated??
Thanks, Mellissa! I know the cake ain’t got no bacon, but…
Can you cover this gorgeous cake with some kind of resin in order for it to stay pristine like this for eternity and never ever cut it?!
Movita’s Mummy said the same thing. It should be preserved for time and all eternity!
Sorry ladies, the cake (and it’s various bits) have been repurposed! But there’s more awesome to come…
I loooooove the new digs, Movita! You and Melissa did a bang-up job coming up with the perfect design… it’s just loverly. (As is the cake. Holy crap, it’s so gorgeous it just takes my breath away.)
Thanks, Isabelle! I think Melissa really captured everything I was hoping for in my new blog design. And I’m so glad you like the cake!
I love the redesign, but I’m going to miss the sketchy Movita with boobs and stick arms 🙁
JULS! Sketchy movita has been gone forever! If it make you feel any better, the competition logos are still sketched. See? Better? Would cake help?
I agree Juls, missing sketchy Movita with boobs, but then I got over it. The site looks awesome, and that cake is spectacular! Planning to pimp out my Honda civic to resemble that carriage, I just know I would look fabulous riding around in that carriage…
Aaaaaaand now I desperately want to drive around in a pumpkin carriage…
Love. Everything.
Love. You. For. Saying. That.
I am in love with this cake!
Thanks, Lonie!!
It looks great (but really, it did not suck before!). Love the color, love the cake.
Thanks, Karen! I’m kinda in love with the colour too…
You must have done some serious meditation and zen work in your transformation to have this kind of patience and creativity. This is museum quality- and I just saw my question answered up top. Did you eat it. The scraps. Now how do you store the art parts?
PS I like your about page illustration.
I’ve got the pumpkin stored in a box with tissue paper. I’ve accepted that it won’t last forever, but I’m hoping to use it again in the future. I just couldn’t destroy it! And the rosettes? Well they’re being used for another project (and won’t be eaten)!
Holy S$#@ woman! This is ridiculously magnificent. My mouth is literally hanging open and that is not a good look for me. Send Melissa to my office immediately before they call the paramedics.
Good grief, woman. This is a miracle of cake-wonderment. I could weep for the joy of it all. You just won everything. EVERYTHING!
Thanks, Cheri! I plan to use the phrase cake-wonderment often…
MELISSA, SHARON NEEDS HELP!
That outta do it.
Firstly — love the new design! Very clean and easy on the eyes. I may be getting in touch with Melissa very soon myself… my space is in need of a facelift.
Secondly — most incredibly edible pumpkin carriage I have EVER SEEN. Albeit, I haven’t seen many edible pumpkin carriages, but I still know that this one takes the cake. (See what I did there?)
Thirdly — little rosettes all over a cake. YES. And also, YES. I would say I want a slice, but I wouldn’t want to ruin all the pretty.
Thanks, Willow. I kinda want to cover EVERYTHING with rosettes now…
The cake is beautiful! I’m in love with the rosettes and the vines! Great job on the blog redesign too!
Thanks! I’m basically in love with my blog now.
First – the cake is absolutely, positively awesome and second – the new design rocks. I really love it! 🙂
Thanks so much!
Would you like to make my 50th birthday cake? It may involve a mountain landscape, an antique quilt, or possibly a dead body. All scenes will require lots of flower decorations, and possibly a dog.(I’m a complex woman.)
xo
Off the top of my head: atop the cake sits what appears to be a freshly covered grave. Flowers have been left for the occupant, and a dog is digging up the body. The side of the cake, of course, will be adorned with little quilt squares, each of which has a mountain on it.
Alternatively, we can just pick something up at the Superstore.
I want to live in your Interweb home. Maybe even right inside that gorgeously crafted carriage. Those vines! I love that there’s a guy in that get up right inside the very grocery store you shop at, which leads me to choosing LD for my partner in pumpkin carriage crime. Seriously, this place is too hot to trot.
You are welcome to move in at any time…
I just knew I would love your new blog, Movita.. it’s gorgeous and fairy tale pretty, just like you! This cake is so abundantly astounding, how on earth did you make all of these little flowers. If I tried, I think the rest of the cake would be months old before I finished. You are genuinely talented, congratulations!!!xx
Thanks, lady!! It really is fairy tale pretty – I owe it all to Melissa! As for the rosettes: thank goodness for Netflix… mindless television can really help when you’ve gotta make 800 of anything!
Love it! Now inspired for my girls birthday cake next week.
I’m going to assume you’ve assembled a pumpkin carriage by now.
I haven’t seen you in like … forever! and look what baking school did you to you! I’m so happy and excited and this cake is just pure beautiful 🙂
Thanks, Ann! I’ve gotta say, baking school was just the kick in the bum I needed…
The vine wheels are very cool.
Thanks! They are the second version of wheels – the first set was brown and looked more rustic. Alas, they met with the compost bin once I made these green babies!
You are supremely gifted, my friend.
The Llama swooned and had to be revived with smelling salts upon seeing this vision of beauteous cakery 😀
Loving the new look blog too! Very you!
xx
Thanks, lady! I hope Llama has recovered…
Beautiful cake…what flavor is the cake? Did you enjoy it shortly after taking the pictures?
Thanks! This is a dummy cake – for display only. I figured it was the only way to assemble the cake and photograph it alongside my REAL job! It was a two-day process… It has since been taken apart and used for parts.
Holy jumpin’, it takes 10 minutes to scroll down far enough to comment. The cake looks too good to eat! Glad you will still be writing about hairballs and stuff. 🙂
And poop, Bonnie. I’ll tell you about poop too.
Dang sexy ! I luuuuurve it. Your site is looking faboosh and delish all at once.
Now, if you could just deliver that cake to Ontario.
Hmmm?
Thanks, Lynne! FYI, I just added a comment reply notification plugin to my blog – because of you!! You SHOULD be the first person to get a notification from me!!
Ohhhhmergerd. It worked !!
THIS IS SO EXCITING. And, proof that you have altered my life for the better…
Melissa is clearly a benevolent genius, much like Cinderella’s fairy godmother. I love your new site! And that cake, holy hell! It’s all that’s right and wonderful about this world. The vine wheels are my favorite part too.
Cake has a way of being wonderful and right, doesn’t it?
What a beautiful cake!!! And your blog design looks beautiful too!
Thanks, Zoe! Every time I look at my new blog design, I start to smile!!
Beautiful cake!!
Thanks, lady!
I stumbled on your site through the lovely world of Pinterest, and I’m hooked! I love your sense of humor and writing style, and you are CLEARLY talented.
I can’t wait to see what you’ll share with us next!
WHAT?! Thanks, Megan! I love you already…
I’m loving the blog redesign, Movita. We have the same style – very clean, modern, and fuss free (with no bubble fonts, yay!). And this cake. Girl. Damn. Ah-may-zing. Never in my wildest dreams do I imagine I can make something this dreamy and perfect and beautiful. It’s art – I can’t stop staring at it! And I’m looking forward to hearing more about hairballs from you up in here.
I will teach you the things so you can make the cakes. Your wildest dreams will come true…
I love your blog’s new dress!! This cake is outstanding. I did notice the crown and I thought that was a very nice touch. You are very clever indeed.
Thanks, Maureen! I KNEW you’d notice the crown…
Whoeeee!! This is one hell of a gorgeous blog! And that cake! I have no words. I am totally blown away. The only thing I wonder is…what was the occasion for the cake? In-credible.
I actually made the cake for my blog launch. I love the transformation scene in Cinderella, and figured it was a good tie-in for the new look! Also, I made it in the fall – pumpkins were EVERYWHERE…
That cake! OMG, that cake! Seriously, Movita, it may be the most beautiful cake I’ve ever seen. And then I read that you made the pumpkin carriage topper. Oh dear, is it time for me to put away my baking tools and give up? No, it’ll never be time for that, especially with your inspiration. Okay, the pumpkin is not something I’m ever going to make, but I could make those cool little rosettes and decorate a cake with them, And the Little Misses will be besides themselves with delight. When they ask me where I got the idea I’ll tell them about your blog, but forbid them to read it until they’re 18 LOL.
Congrats on the new blog design! You and Melissa did an amazing job!
Thank you so much!! I have great plans to teach y’all how to make pumpkins and stuff – so don’t put away your tools yet! It won’t be that hard, I promise…
Holy cow, just amazing. Kind of speechless at this cake, it’s one of the best looking sweets I’ve ever seen!
Thanks, Pamela! I’ve gotta say, I think I like this cake more than anything I’ve made. EVER.
I believe I read somewhere that there is a place, what is it called, the third circle of Hell I think (?), where people do nothing but sit around and make cake rosettes all day long for the rest of eternity forever. Good work Movita, on breaking free from that circle. This looks like torture. Pure, beautiful torture.
Emma, YOU WIN. Best comment ever.
I cannot even believe YOU MADE THIS!!!!! I mean, I can. But I…never, in my wildest dreams, EVER ever never never could make something so beautiful!!! First of all, the creativity – amazing. Then, the technical skills to get said brainwaves to translate into a real cake. Then, you actually have to know how to bake so that you don’t just have a super pretty cake that’s creative – it has to taste fab, too. And this, is all. Wow. Pinned.
And I love your redesign. Soooo perfect for you! Love it.
Dude. This cake is insane. I bet Justin Beiber requested THIS VERY CAKE while he was locked up this week. You know, as a pre-bail-posting snack. That’s what I would do if I were eleven years old and sitting in a county jail.
I *love* the redesign. You can’t make the font bigger, can you? The font on my site is too small. I wish mine were bigger, so maybe I’m just projecting. (I love. . . big. . . fonts and I cannot lie. . . SING IT.)
Okay a few things I need to say.
Holy F the new design is gorgeous. I love it. Melissa rocked it out for you. It’s seriously purty.
Holy double F that cake is spectacular. I am in awe. I bow to you.
And lastly please, please, please do not stop talking about hairballs. Or the interwebs. Or 2.0.
I came across your website through FBC and boy am I glad I clicked on the link! This cake is absolutely stunning! And I love, love, love, the look of your site!
You. Are. Fabulous. Yeah you and your little blog too. Congrats on the beautiful new look! You’re blog looks pretty nice too ; )
Oh, my gosh is this one amazing cake!!!! You rocked it!!!
This cake looks absolutely stunning! I love it! Your layout is also so beautiful 🙂 .
This cake is beautiful! You are so talented 🙂
This cake is stunning in the most serene and subtle way. Wonderful job!
Is there a class on how to make this carriage?
No, Courtney. I just made it up as I went along! It took a few attempts though…
Hi Movita, I saw on Craftsy that you were working on a tutorial. Is that done and available somewhere?
Sorry, I haven’t done a tutorial yet!
Amazing. Just amazing. I can’t believe this exists. I pinned this, because it deserves to be pinned more than any beef stew.
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