I am not strong in buttercream skills—-fondant girl all the way! But I’m so inspired by the work of the Queen of Hearts Couture Cakes ladies, that it has motivated me to learn. This cake is for my father in law’s birthday, so since it’s a family cake, it’s the perfect time to use them as guinea pigs. No matter what, it will taste AMAZING because it’s my favorite, signature Caramel Apple Cake filled with Maple Salted Caramel buttercream, & it is simply the nectar of the gods! LOL! So if I screwed up a bit on the buttercream the day is not lost.

Using the tutorial from the Contemporary Buttercream Bible, I attempted palette painting for my first foray into their amazing buttercream world. Mostly because they used 2 of my favorite flowers—-sunflowers & delphiniums. I’m fairly happy with it. A few things I can definitely improve on, but they’re right—-it’s a very forgiving technique & if every stroke isn’t perfect, it’s OK. They all blend together to make a lovely vignette. It took forever to color all those buttercream colors! But the technique itself is simple & quick. I enjoyed it & I hope you enjoy seeing it!