Ok, You Asked For It...............

[ChesterV]

Ok, here are some pics from "way back when".
I worked in a grocery store bakery in a "high end" area of town, so my boss let me do what I wanted, since I brought in the money.

This is where I had to learn how to work with sculpting in buttercream, as fondant was very expensive at the time and my boss wouldn't order me any so I could learn how to decorate with it. (fondant looks pretty, but tastes nasty anyway)

So, just remember..........

I was teaching myself how to sculpt in cake and buttercream at this point, AND this was BEFORE cell phones had cameras in them. I could only afford disposable cameras at the time, and they did not take the clearest or sharpest pictures......so I'm sorry if some of them look out of focus or fuzzy.

 

[ChesterV]

I had my own display case, because this was a large store, we had an extra case we did not use, so my boss let me have it for all of my creations.

Here is a Frog Cake, Spaghetti and Meatball Cake, LadyBug Cake (not mine), and a Doll Face Cake.

Here is a Spaghetti and Meatball Cake, Hamburger and Fries, and Watermelon Cake.

 

[ChesterV]

This was a special order cake....a Beach Ball (life sized), this was a HUGE cake!
The cake board is decorated with "grass" and gummie frogs.

This is a Bear Face Cake

Dinosaur Cake.
This was a VERY popular cake and was a PAIN to make.
The color is washed out on this a bit. It's a brown dinosaur with pink spots.

Goldfish Cake

LadyBug Cake
This was semi-popular.

 

[ChesterV]

Piggy Cake

White Terrier Cake
The details are washed out, but you get the idea.

Trailer Cake.
I made this for my boss when she moved into a trailer house.

Smiling Turtle Cake



It is time consuming having to scan these then trim, cut, and paste them.
I will put more pictures on when I'm not so pooped.

 

[Finella]

The lady bug is so cute! <3

 

[Becky]

Wow, those cakes are amazing! You have such a great talent, it's a shame you don't do it anymore.

 

[ChesterV]

Wow, those cakes are amazing! You have such a great talent, it's a shame you don't do it anymore.

Well, like I said in other posts......I tried to get my own bakery for almost 15 years and was shot down and even laughed at when asking for small loans or anything to help me get going. I just finally gave up....it wasn't worth the aggravation anymore.

I would have stayed in the grocery store game, but it doesn't pay much. I told them I wanted to go into management training, and they said no. So I walked out the door and went into office work.

I did try to start an "at home" business, but nobody wanted to pay for it, they all wanted it for free.
I even created a small "menu" that listed sizes, types, and flavors of cakes, as well as some other stuff I make, like homemade sandwich spreads.

 

[Becky]

Yeah, it's certainly a very difficult market to go in to at the moment

 

[ChesterV]

Easter Bunny Cake


Flower Power Cake
This one was popular, but a pain because of all the colors I had to pipe out

Here was a Fathers Day cake I made....
a grill with a hamburger and hot dogs on it.

Here is a VW Bug painted like a Lady Bug

 

[ChesterV]

We had a lot of ginger bread houses left over from Christmas, so we decorated them for Valentines Day and called them "Love Shacks"

Here is an "Over The Hill" cake
a man laying over a hill...........get it?

Smiley Face Cake

Soccer Ball Cake
Basketball Cake

 

[ChesterV]

This was a specific order.......a lady wanted a "tye dye" cake.
It took me a few tries to figure out how to make it look like tye dye....but I did it

Pink VW Bug cake

VW Van Cake

 

[ChesterV]

I did a lot of wedding cakes also, but the photos were all washed out, as most of the cakes are all white or light colors so you cant see any detail.

 

[Zyni]

Wow, these are really great. You are definitely talented. Looks like a LOT of work but great results.

I've only tinkered with a few simple shapes, mostly when the kids were little. Numbers, letters, flowers, a (very simple) dino for a cousin, and I did manage a bib and a onesie for my daughter's baby shower that turned out cute. I mostly do "straight lines," noting too fancy. Not like yours.

Nice!

 

[ChesterV]

Wow, these are really great. You are definitely talented. Looks like a LOT of work but great results.

I've only tinkered with a few simple shapes, mostly when the kids were little. Numbers, letters, flowers, a (very simple) dino for a cousin, and I did manage a bib and a onesie for my daughter's baby shower that turned out cute. I mostly do "straight lines," noting too fancy. Not like yours.

Nice!

Well, I found the secret to shaped cakes, is actually having SHAPED cake!! Not having to pile tons of frosting on and sculpt out of that. I taught myself how to shape cakes and then frost them and decorate to resemble something.

 

[Winterybella]

Amazing as I expected and I am here to tell you it isn't too late to accomplish your goals. I am positive there are ways to showcase your talent and make a living from it even. Just saying @ChesterV .....it can still happen.

 

[cupcakechef]

Chester, these are awesome! Thanks first and foremost for taking the time to scan and upload all the pictures!

I LOVE the burger and fries cake. I think that's my favorite! I also love the effect you used to create the tie-dye looking cake - it really does look just like a tie-dyed shirt!

 

[Diane Lane]

Great cakes, lots of variety there. I love the trailer and flower power cakes, and what a great idea to make 'love shacks' with the leftover gingerbread houses! I'm sure the owner really appreciated the inventiveness of that. I made the basics back when I took cake decorating, and afterwards for a bit, but then I got busy with work and school, and have since lost my skills.

 

[Zyni]

Chester, these are awesome! Thanks first and foremost for taking the time to scan and upload all the pictures!

I LOVE the burger and fries cake. I think that's my favorite! I also love the effect you used to create the tie-dye looking cake - it really does look just like a tie-dyed shirt!

The burger and fries is cool, but I love the grill one. Too darned cute. The spaghetti and meatballs one is funny too. That's something I never would have thought up in a million years. I really like the watermelon slices as well. Heck, I just like all of them. So creative.

 

[cupcakechef]

The burger and fries is cool, but I love the grill one. Too darned cute. The spaghetti and meatballs one is funny too. That's something I never would have thought up in a million years. I really like the watermelon slices as well. Heck, I just like all of them. So creative.

True...I would not complain at all if I received any of them as a birthday or special occasion cake! They're all awesome!

 

[ChesterV]

Ok, here are some more....

This is a Christmas cake, made to look like a snow scene.
I know its hard to make out some of the decor on it.

The first doll cake I ever made.

This is a grave cake with arms and legs sticking out of it.
This was for some older people I worked with at the time.
They wanted to get married on Halloween, and their kids thought they were crazy and would not throw them a party. So we did at work.

Easter Egg Cake