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This month I am celebrating so many things I felt it necessary to make myself a cake and have a party, with you! As you all know by now it is my blog-iversary, but it is also my birthday in a couple of weeks, the first anniversary of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day (75,000 in print, oh my!), the election is FINALLY here and this just happens to be my 100th post! To say the least November is a BIG month for me!
The very talented and generous folks at Crooked Brook, where I get all of my chef jackets, sent me a wonderful apron (see picture below) to give away! Leave a comment and I’ll pick the winner next Sunday and send it off, just in time for Thanksgiving!
I know my blog-iversary cake seems to have gone on and on and on, with the baking of the Génoise, making of the rolled fondant, filling it with Milk Chocolate Cinnamon Mousse and covering it in a layer of Cinnamon Buttercream. Here are the final touches; rolling out the homemade fondant and creating a few simple gum paste roses.
Assembling the cake:
What you will need:
Homemade Rolled Fondant or prepared Wilton Pure White Rolled Fondant (Wilton is easy to work with, but you DO NOT want to eat it. I only use this if the person I’m making the cake for intends to peel off the fondant. Yes, you just peel the entire layer of fondant off and reveal some delicious icing underneath. I’m suggesting you start with Wilton’s product just because it is so easy to use.)
Food Color Soft Gel Paste
Food Service Grade Disposable Latex Glove (This will protect your hands from the food coloring.)
Heavy Gauge Clear Vinyl
Pastry Wheel
Corn Starch
Corn Syrup (to adjust the consistency of the fondant, read on)
Start by adding the color to your fondant. As you can see I mixed the color into my homemade fondant in a stand mixer. If you use Wilton fondant, it is a lot gummier and easier to add the color by hand as seen here.
Between two layers of the clear Vinyl
As you can see the edges of the fondant were cracking almost like a pie crust. It happened because I let the fondant sit for almost a week wrapped, at room temperature and it dried out slightly. Have no fear, you can fix that!
I just put it back in my mixer and added a tablespoon of corn syrup. Voila it was…
nice and smooth again!
Be sure you are rolling it out so that the fondant will hang down beyond the bottom of the cake.
Press the fondant to the cake and then trim off the excess with scissors and smooth is with your fondant smoother.
I picked up the scraps and added more color to it in the mixer. Roll this out to 1/8″ thick. Using a metal ruler press and cut off a 1/2″strip that will be laid onto the cake to create the stripes. Obviously you can make them as thick or thin as you like! Or create polka dots with a round cookie cutter as I did on cake #11.
Once all of your strips are laid on you may need to add a very tiny amount of water to glue them down. Make sure your pastry brush is just barely damp, you don’t want water dripping down your cake.
To make the gum paste flowers, use a prepared gum paste product and roll it out as thin as you can, using the same technique as you did for the rolled fondant. Gum paste is so strong that you can get it almost as thin as a piece of paper. It also dries incredibly fast so be sure to keep it covered as you use it. Cut it into 1″x4″ thick strips. Starting at one end begin to roll and crimp the gum paste to create a rose. You will want to stretch it slightly as you roll, to create the look of petals as you go.
Now you can arrange the flowers on your cake.
The “1″ was made in the same way I created the “C” for Claudia’s cake.
Thank you all so much for visiting Zoëbakes during the past year! I love having a place where I can create pastries and share the things I have learned over the years. As a small token of my gratitude I’m giving away this lovely unisex apron that Crooked Brook made specially for this occasion. It has been such a pleasure to get to know so many of you through blogging and Twitter! Thank you to the many food bloggers who have been such an inspiration to me!
Leave me a note below and win the apron! For those of you who want to purchase an apron you can contact me!
Don’t forget to VOTE!!!
Thanks for stopping by. I'm Zoe Francois, pastry chef and cook book author. This is where I play with sugar and take the mystery out of baking everything from cookies to wedding cakes. 
& 
are available from Amazon.
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Oh, pick me pick me pick me! You look stunning in your apron — and that cake ain’t bad either!
The cake is amazing!
Zoe, you, your book, and your blogs all ROCK!!! Happy anniversary!
Congratulations for the coming celebrations!!! This cake is a masterpiece.
Congrats! I’m waiting for the Apple Pumpkin Cake from your previous post to cool while reading this entry!
what a fun cake! looks like a bit of work, but an payoff and a great way to commemorate the blog.
congrats on the anniversary!
Zoe-That cake looks so great! Thanks for taking the time to post all of the step by step directions. And I’d love to win the apron….
Congratulations on one year! I love reading your blog! I recently made the Apple Pumpkin Cake and it was delicious. I am hooked on “Artisan Bread” . . . just bought ten more individual brioche tins today to add to the six I have so I can make a big batch at once. Thanks for all the photos, too.
Happy Birthday, blogiversary and bookiversary!
What a lovely cake!
Hi Zoe and congrats on your year blog-iversary…I owe you big time for all your help and advise in my beginning bread making months…I hope you sell a miilion more copies of your great book!! Sue in Atlanta.
Congratulations! That fabulous cake looks like a great way to celebrate your 1 year blogiversary!
Love the tip on how to fix the dried fondant.
Great work. Hope to be as talented some day. I love working with sugar and chocolate, artistically and to eat.
Congrats on all fronts… Bday, book, blogiversary.
Hope you have many more…
Happy Blogiversary! That apron is stunning – and so is your amazing cake!
BTW, your book came on Friday . . . I’m so excited! Not sure what to make first!
Wow! That is a spectacular cake!
I am going to go make the olive oil dough right now.
I make absolutely everything from the boule recipe. Even my own hamburger buns and hot dog buns.
I adore this method!
This joyful website is always a delight. Brava, Zoe!
I use you book everyday and am so pleased to have met you. happy everythinganniversary! You deserve only the best! Many
thanks again for your book! Would love to taste that cake!
I just started reading your blog, which has been fun and informative. The book looks great as well. Congratulations on all your milestones!
What a gorgeous cake!
It’s been a great year with your blog (and with your bread!), and I hope you have a very happy birthday!
Wow, what a beautiful cake! I’d never have the patience.
Love the cake. Congrats on your anniversary.
Congratulations! Everything on your blog looks absolutely wonderful and delicious–I love it!
Zoe, your cake looks stunning! Thank you so much for your step by step instructions and happy first anniversary for your blog!
Lovely cake and lovely apron
Wowow, what an awesome cake,it’s so colorful! Happy Blogiversary and hope you have loads more!
Ciao
What a beautiful cake! Excellent pics too – I would love to imitate it but have a long way to go to get anywhere near making such a cake.
The cake looks beautiful! I love the color combination! Congrats on your anniversary!
Hi Zoe,
As always the cake is gorgeous and you have inspired me to try working with fondant again.The apron is very stylish. Happy Blogiversary. I can’t wait to see what is next.
What a gorgeous looking cake. You are truly one talented gal.
congratulations and well deserved applause…brava & bravi (the 2 of you) for a great book that gives joy to everyone,
S & S
The cake looks AMAZING! CONGRATS on a whole year of blogging!!!
What a gorgeous cake! happy blogoversary!
Happy Blogiversary!
The cake is absolutely beautiful.(Those Tastespotting people must be crazy!!)
Happy Blogiversary!!! This cake is gorgeous!!!
Add me to the congrats. Oh and pick me!
Thank you for all your tips and information. I really have used quiet a few in starting my own Bakery. You are truly an inspiration. Happy Birthday, Blogiversary, Bookiversary, and Voting Day!
Your cake looks so good! I have never tried coloring fondant on my own, so maybe that is something I need to try.
Happy Blogiversary!
Happy Anniversary! My husband and I love your book, and I love reading your entries. Keep up the great work!
happy everything! what a fun month for you. beautiful cake!
Lovely cake… Happy Blogiversary! Love the black apron, too!
Love the book. My husband makes bread in bed for me every morning. Thanks so much. PS. Love the apron too.
great to see the rest of the steps for creating your blog-iversary cake … and such a nice apron to give away…
Your blog is very educational and inspiring!
I did my civic duty! That cake looks lovely. You can never have too many aprons… Congrats on your many milestones!
I just stumbled upon your blog a few weeks ago, and the reading has been entertaining and inspiring! Thanks for taking the time to explain the things you do.
Congrats on all your achievements! That cake looks amazing! Also, thanks for the chance to win!
Happy November!!! It’s a great month to have a birthday. I just celebrated mine on Saturday. I love that apron.
Congrats Zoe and many happy return readers!
I’d love to have that nifty apron, please.
LOVE the cake, Zoe, and so enjoy every one of your posts. Happy birthday in a few weeks! (What day is it? Mine is in November also. I never liked having my birthday on Thanksgiving every few years because I end up working too hard that day. But thanks to Artisan Bread in 5, at least I won’t have to slave over the bread!)
Congratulations, Zoe, on all of your milestones and successes!!! I have to say that your cookbook has changed my life more than any I have ever picked up – and I am a compulsive cookbook collector! It has been so much fun to bake bread I think I have you to thank for a few extra pounds on my body (but some culinary admiration from my friends!) I’d love to win that apron!!!I have an apron from the days of FoodFest in Rochester which was autographed by all of the visiting chefs over the years. I would need your autograph too – wish me luck!
Thanks for all you do!
Congrtulations on everything happening in your life! That apron is so cute! But really I’m in love with the cake! Gorgeous colors and so elegantly decorated!
Congratulations on your one year Blog-iversary! Amazing cake:) Thank you for always taking the time to post the beautiful pictures. Have a wonderful Birthday!
Congratulations on one year!!!!
Wishing you many many more!
Congratulations on a wonderful year!
Hahppy one year blogiversary! That cake is beautiful. Thanks for the giveaway.
Gorgeous cake and great apron!
Congratulations on your year! I got the cookbook for Christmas last year, and eleven months later, it’s still my favorite gift – the one that keeps on giving!
Thanks for making cake decorating look so simple.
I am sure I would still mess the cake up. It is absolutely beautiful!
Congratulation Zoe! Wow! great steps to a beautiful fondant cake!
I did another wedding cake last weekend but a smaller one with lots of petite flowers and just posted on blog yesterday, let me know it is!
Found your book at the library which is what drew me to locate this blog. Have had a great time baking bread and will now need my very own copy of the book.
Congrats on year 1 – the cake is too pretty to eat!
Happy Birthday and Congratulations Zoe!
I am a very happy owner of your book – Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day – and it has changed my life. Thank you for that and very best wishes for many more great years of baking and blogging.
Congrats Zoe-
I enjoy your blog and of course the book. I am waiting for the next book to come out. Thanks again for sharing with us.
That cake is absolutley beautiful! I am moving in a couple weeks and can not wait to have a kitchen again. One of my first goals is to use fondant on a cake. It looks so fun to do. I hope it comes out even a fraction as well as yours. I love the colors.
I love your book and blog, you recipes are fantastic!
Happy anniversary!!! That is a lovely apron! Crossing my fingers
Your cake is ‘to die for’ beautiful! Well, maybe to injure myself slightly for, haha!
What a talent you have, Zoe – an artist in icing!
Ummm – can’t I have the CAKE? lol! If not, the apron would be PERFECT for the demo’s I’m giving of your bread this month!
Thank you for sharing!
The cake is beautiful! You’re an awesome blogger and I love the apron.
Beautiful cake Zoe! Congratulations on your 1st blogiversary and your 100th post- both excellent milestones- along with the well deserved success of your book
Best wishes to you!
Gabi at The Feast Within
Amazing cake! Congrats on your first blog-aversay and 100th post. I hope there are many more!!!
congrats on all your yearly news, but that cake is the real stunner here! i love your flavor combo and to see the finished product is beautiful! i love how you share your step by step pics, makes a novice think they have a fighting chance in the kitchen!
Wonderful cake and happy 100th post! Interesting timing for my first visit here because November 1st is my 1 year blogging anniversary as well, although I’m only at about 90 posts, I need to catch up!
Congratulations!!! Great blog, gorgeous cake!
What a great looking cake! I’m coming upon my 1 year anniversary also right after Christmas!
What a wonderful baking & blog year. I must say, I took a quick look at the photo of you with your apron and I thought it was Sarah Palin. I guess that I have watched far too much campaign coverage and now it’s time to return to the basics — BAKING! Congrats on your first.
What a beautiful cake! You are so talented… in writing and baking. Keep up the great work!
I really, really would love that apron. I think I will just have to paint a picture of the cake- I don’t think I could make it.
Zoe..I love the apron and your cake looks amazing!!!
Hi Everyone,
Thank you so much for all of the incredibly kind comments about the cake and I’m so glad you like the apron!
Happy blog-iversary to so many of you! It is exciting times for us food bloggers, a great group!
Happy Birthday to all the other November babies!
Thank you so much to all of you bread bakers! It is such a compliment to know you are still baking bread and enjoying the book!
This has been a fantastic year and it just keeps getting better!
xo Zoë
Congrats n completing a year of blogging. Feeling thrilled, aren’t you?
Thanks Zoe for your fabulous website. I love to read it and am thankful for your “how-to” pictures. It inspires me to be creative, even though my creations never look anything like yours!
Felicitaciones Zoe!! I enjoy reading your blog very much.
Love your blog, love your book and that cake is beautiful. Happy Blogiversary. Looking forward to the next 100 posts!
That is one hell of a beautiful cake! Happy blogiversary! You totally out beat our cake by I don’t even know what kind of measure.
You look so beautiful in your apron! I love your bread book, love the cake, and would love that apron! Steph
The cake is gorgeous! I love the stripes. Congrats on your big month.
The cake is adorable. I had to show my mom, too, and she agrees. I am inspired to figure out when my blogiversary is so I can make a special cake for it.
Happy Blogiversary( from the eG member who started your bread topic over on Egullet).
Love the cake… Love the apron!
The cake is beautiful! Happy 100th!!
Happy Bloganniversary! That cake looks terrific! Wow!
Cheers,
Rosa
That cake is so adorable, Zoe! I love the color palette you chose. Also, I have definitely enjoyed following you on Twitter, especially when I found out you actually lived here in Bakersfield at one time! Happy Blogiversary
Happy Anniversary!
Love your blog!
Happy first bloggaversary! So inspired to make cake right now.
Happy Blog-iversary! The cake looks incredible! Love the bread recipes!
Happy Anniversary. Gorgeous cake. I’m looking forward to taking your class tomorrow at Cooks of Crocus Hill.
Carol
Hi Carol,
That is wonderful, I’ll see you tomorrow!
Thanks, Zoë
Ooh, congratulations–and I hope you pick my name!
The cake is really inspiring. You’re so talented!
That cake is amazing.. and intimidating! I think I’ll have to work my way up to that one.
Happy 1st blog birthday! The cake is gorgeous. I will featured it on my daily quick links.
Zoe, I have been enjoying your book so much but even more so now that you are on Twitter and Facebook.
Apron. Me, me, me.
(tee hee)….
Lu
happy anniversary!!
beautiful cake
beautiful blog
Beautiful cake! Happy blog-birthday and happy (early) birthday! Fondant is my next cake decorating task to attempt. Thank you for your words of wisdom.
Love the apron!
Your photos are beautiful!
Hi Zoe! Thanks for bread baking class today at Cooks of Crocus Hill – me and my girlfriends had a great time!
Hi Zoe, I was in your class today and I had a wonderful time. It was fun to get to meet you and I thought that all of the breads that we made tasted wonderful. I am a true convert to your idae of artisan bread in five minutes!! You are a very good teacher, and I thank you for sharing your expertise with us.
If I don’t “win ” the apron, I would be interested in buying one:-)
Congratulations Zoe, on your blog, the book, your birthday and the election too!
I thought it was quite a stretch when I read that purchasing your book “changed my life”. But I really believe it now. The main recipe is so versatile and the whole book so user friendly, it’s no wonder this book makes such a big impression!
Congratulations again!
Tora in Chagrin Falls, Ohio
What a gorgeous cake! Congrats on your anniversary, birthday and milestones! I “won” your book in a little drawing an online friend had. Priceless!!!
Geez, Zoe! If Martha Stewart ever decides to quit the biz, I think we’ve found her replacement! Nice photos and story! CONGRATS on your 1 YEAR anniversary!
Glad I follow you on Twitter!
i hope i win your apron
Hi Zoe,
It was nice to meet you yesterday at COCH. I look forward to reading your blog and trying more bread!
It looks beautiful and the cinnamon sounds wonderful!
Congratulations Zoe and here’s to many more to come!!!!
Thanks for the great class yesterday. Congratulations on your anniversary and birthday. I have 2 loaves of bread baking right now.
Congrats on your blogversary! The cake is absolutely stunning – love the colours, ans lovely little flowers.
And way to go for being #9 cookbook on Amazon!
I realize the contest is over, but I still wanted to offer my congratulations on all you’ve accomplished this past year. Woohoo!
Happy Anniversary! You’ve got a wonderful blog, I love coming here to see all your amazing creations!
Absolutely gorgeous cake!! Found your blog just today and am ordering your book. Can’t wait!!
Happy blogiversary!
Love the apron!
Beautiful cake!
The apron looks fabulous.
How’s the new book coming?
Congratulations for so many things!!!
Thank you for inspired me!
Hello! What a beautiful cake – and very stylish apron! Congratulations!