I was so booked with cakes this weekend, that when I received a request for a last minute cake, my first reaction was ‘Oh, no. Darn. I can’t do another one.’ Then I read the email. A sweet man wanted a very special 40th birthday cake for his wife, she had made it clear that nothing from a grocery store would do so he was in trouble, & he said I could do anything I want. O-O He just wanted it to be ‘PRETTY’, & in the school colors of TCU—-purple, silver & white. He had me at ‘PRETTY’. And purple is my favorite color. And the fact that I had free reign on design. Who needs sleep when you get free reign on a ‘pretty’ purple cake??? I’d rather be caking!

I had been dying to do the lovely painting technique where you drag one color over another. So I gave the entire cake an amethyst luster finish, via Kara Andretta’s awesome tutorial (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoCjQoVeR2E&feature=youtu.be) Then I dragged silver over it. LOVE the effect!!! The ruffles are alternating layers of fondant & cake lace airbrushed silver. Gumpaste peony & modeling chocolate leaves.

The cake is Chocolate Velvet, filled with Salted Caramel buttercream, & finished with dark chocolate ganache. I hope you enjoy Miss Pretty as much as I did making it!