“Honey I hope you don’t mind but your birthday cake is going to be a handbag” I told Mr NQN just before his recent birthday.
He looked at me, that usual skeptical look that he gives me when I suggest something that he isn’t too thrilled about.
“But it will be blue!” I said gaily.
“What about that thousand layer apple cake instead?” he says cheekily.
“We don’t talk about that cake any more” I told him firmly my mood turning instantly dark and I fix him with a menacing look.
From this…
I was lucky enough to attend the Planet Cake Novelty 103 Complex Handbag Workshop recently. In fact it was the day before Mr NQN’s birthday and I figured that having spent seven hours decorating a cake meant that I had no time to make another cake for him. Photographs are strictly not permitted at all Planet Cake cake decorating classes and our pre course email warns us that it can cause you to be ejected from the class without a refund. So I feel particularly lucky to be able to document this!
To something like this!
The class is being taught by Jessica, a cake artist and professional fighter (she sounds to me like a movie character “By day, she decorates cakes, by night she fights!” ). Marianne is the facilitator who ensures that we have all of our supplies. We all do introductions and I realise quite rapidly that I am out of my depth. You see I had missed that crucial word “complex” and I didn’t realise that I had jumped a level in enrolling in this. Everyone else here is experienced in cake decorating so I shrink back and pray to the gods of pastry that a miracle will emerge. My bench neighbour Rebecca is here from interstate and has flown up for three classes. She will drive all the way back home with three cakes in the rental car. On my left is Veeni whose boyfriend is an NQN reader-hi!
Trimming off the crusty or hard bits at the top with serrated knife
Cutting cake into three layers
We all start off which a 8×8 inch chocolate mud cake. For novelty cakes, a firm, dense cake like a mud cake is necessary as it needs to support decorations and also maintain the integrity of the structure. For that reason sponges and similar cakes are not used. She starts by slicing it into three layers horizontally. To do this, mark the layers using the back of a long, serrated knife and then moving the cake start cutting across. As it is a stainless steel knife, you simply watch the part of the knife that is closest to you and the top of the blade will follow.
Brushing layers with sugar syrup to keep moist
After whipping the ganache in the corner, it becomes a lighter colour
To give it extra moisture brush it lightly with a sugar syrup (if you use a fruit infused one, make sure that the fruit pieces are strained out). Take your ganache filling. As it is Winter here in Australia at the moment, the ganache will set fairly hard quite quickly. So microwave the ganache on low heat until the corner of the container is soft and then whip it up incorporating some of the firmer but not hard areas of ganache to give yourself a fluffy ganache frosting that is also very spreadable.
Ta da!
Spread ganache on two of the layers and stick them together to put the cake together again. If your cutting isn’t done smoothly they replace the layers in the same order much like a stacking puzzle (yes mine weren’t!). We go back to our benches and do this for ourselves.
Slicing up the cake-clean serrated knife with paring knife between cuts
First check to see that the pieces stack up to make the shape that you want
Then disassemble and spread ganache and restack the pieces using the ganache as a “glue”
Then comes the part where I almost had a minor freakout. The cutting of the layers. Jessica warns us to always clean our serrated knife using the paring knife between cuts to avoid “dirty” cuts. She cuts it into just under a half and then cuts the second one into four pieces. She then stacks the pieces on top of each other until we reach a sort of rectangular tower shape. She places two pieces on the top. She then removes them and ganaches between them using a back and forth motion, never a patting motion as that is the quickest way to pick up crumbs. I suspect bricklayers would be very good at this part! We all go back and do this at our benches.
So cut in two pieces, one slightly larger than the other. Cut off extra piece and line the pieces halves up
Cut one half into five pieces
Then practice your stack before ganaching them together
Shaping the sides for a tapered look
Once the ganache has set (10 minutes or so), the next part is the shaping. Jessica looks at the finished product (it always helps to have one as an example and a woman actually brought in her Kelly to model a cake on!) and compares and sees where it tapers in and marks it with a paring knife. All of the little gaps are filled with crumbs and the cut off pieces of cake which can be adhered with a tiny amount of ganache if needed although the mud cake is moist and will often stick together of its own accord. At the very base of the cake she slices into it giving it an indent where we will tuck the fondant under.
Placing on the presentation board
We then place some ganache on the presentation board and then adhere the cake onto it which by now looks like a house!
My house ahem handbag!
Spreading with ganache coating to give an even surface
Using a metal smoothing tool to ensure that it is as smooth as possible
Finished (and yes mine is slightly lopsided)
After this is done Jessica shows us how to ganache and buff the cake. This is important to ensure that the fondant has a completely smooth surface to rest on as any lumps can show through the fondant. The trick is to smooth the fondant on firmly with a palette knife and then use the metal smoothing tool to ensure that the finish is as smooth as possible.
Dip a finger of fondant into the colouring gel
And then knead it in using a circular motion
Now comes the muscle bit. As I am short, I get a foot stool to help to incorporate the colouring gel into the fondant. I choose a blue and decide to have the bag all in the one finish, as a Louis Vuitton Speedy is all in one colour. I also want to make it in the Epi leather pattern so I will have to add the patterns on as soon as the fondant is added. After much exhaustion and a lot of kneading, my fondant is coloured (and we get to keep the fondant that we make, YAY!).
Kneaded fondant
It’s not quite the blue of the Epi but it will do as the darker colour that is needed, the harder it is to work with. She suggests avoiding red, blacks and browns as the colouring in those shades is so intense that it needs to rest overnight.
Measuring the cake with a rolling pin
We then brush the cake with some sugar syrup ready for our fondant. We knead the fondant to soften it and then dust the table lightly with cornflour, place it presentation side up we roll it out into a rectangular shape making sure to turn it regularly to pick up the cornflour on the table. To measure the size of the fondant for the cake Jessica uses the rolling pin size as a guide. Sliding her hands and arms under the fondant, she gently blankets the cake with the fondant.
Lifting the fondant onto the cake
Smoothing the fondant onto the cake
Tucking in the sides of the cake
She creates two seams that sit at the back of the cake by folding it over. She then pats down the fondant onto the cake by using downwards motions and then cuts off the excess smoothing down the edges. Lastly she trims the edges of the icing flush against the cake. Then she buffs the cake using the acrylic smoothing tool. Airholes are removed with a fine pin on an angle. Marianne explains that sometimes airholes can grow even once lanced so it’s important to keep an eye on them as they can stretch the fondant.
Cutting off the excess
Buffing the joins
Cutting off extra fondant
I manage to get my fondant on but not without a bit of drama. I didn’t put it on properly so I had to remove it but by now there was some chocolate on the back of my fondant so I couldn’t roll it again. Jessica explains that it’s easy to deal with. Simply discard any pieces of fondant that have chocolate on them and then reroll it.
Buffing the fondant until smooth and removing any air bubbles
Making the “epi” pattern
Using the thinnest side of the decorating tool I make stripes across the fondant filling in gaps while the fondant is still soft.
Slicing off extra white fondant on base
It then comes time to add on the base fondant, we roll out our white fondant and measure the size of our cakes leaving a couple of centimetres to allow for stretch. We slice out that size and carefully lift the white fondant over the cake itself and trim the edges to fit.
Cutting out pieces
Adding the top zipper
Adding the stitching pieces
Now comes the fun bit-decorating the cake! We first measure the top dimensions of the cake to create the zipper. We use a ravioli cutter to make the actual zipper and then simulate the stitching using a stitching tool. We then cut four strips to make the side contrast panels. These are all adhered using a light brush of water. Jessica also shows us how to do a piping edge should we want to do that.
Rolling piping detail
Affixing piping detail
I decided to add the stitching edge to mine
The secret to the handle!
Measuring the circumference of plastic tubing with fondant
Now comes the tricky bit-the handle! I bet you were wondering like I was how on earth that happened like I was. Well the trick is flexible tubing and wooden dowel rods! Firstly measure the circumference on your plastic tubing by using a piece of fondant or tape measure. Then slice out a length with that width plus a little extra.
Place the fondant over the plastic tubing like a sheath
And buff the edges together
Stick your two dowel rods into each end of the tubing. Brushing some sticky piping gel onto the plastic tubing to ensure that the fondant sticks to it. Stick one dowel rod into some foam and wrap the fondant around the plastic tubing and then buff the edges together. Then we mark the places where we want to stick the handle and trim the dowel rods so that about 2 inches remains.
Mark where you would like to place the handles and insert them
Use tweezers or pliers to push the last bits in
We then stick the handles into the cake finishing the job with tweezers or pliers as the fondant is still soft and cannot have pressure applied to it. They are then finished off with two squares of fondant that have stitching details on them.
Back handle
Adding final touches to the back handle
The back handle is much easier. it is simply a sausage stuck on with water and two squares with stitching detail. I am pleased as it is finally starting to look like a bag! I look round and everyone’s bags are different with different colours and different details and they all look magnificent.
Making the luggage tag
The final fondant detail? The luggage tag of course. I was going to put Mr NQN’s name on it but he is shy so I just put on NQN as Lorraine wouldn’t have fit.
I think I prefer the back 
Everyone is busy finishing off their cakes. I then finish it off with some gold paint detail on the zipper and it is photo time! With cakes like this it’s very tempting to keep going and going but viola, here is mine!
My certificate (please note blue dye under fingernails-haha!)
Although mine is a little wonky I am quite pleased that I managed to finish my cake. It’s not quite as purty as the other’s but I am amazed that it actually looks like a bag (well if you kind of squint 
).
So tell me Dear Reader, which novelty cake have you always wanted to know how to make?
NQN attended the Complex Handbag Cake decorating class as a guest of Planet Cake.
Planet Cake
106 Beattie Street, Balmain, NSW
Tel: +61 (02) 9810 3843
www.planetcake.com.au
The cost for the Complex Handbag class is $375 plus GST.
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95 Comments | Add your own
Wow you did a great job Lorraine! Your cake looks fantastic! I’m sure Mr NQN appreciates all the work you put in to it, even though it was in a shape of a handbag
And Happy belated Birthday for Mr NQN! xx
Congrats! I wish I could do that too! So pretty.
Cheers,
Rosa
Lorraine…how fun…the handbags are adorable…love the pictures…very cool!
Oh what a wonderful post – thanks so much for the detailed step-by-step pictures (and ROFL at the intro for the baker-fighter instructor). What amazing cakes you all made. Bravo! I’m slowly taking the Wilton Course 2 so I am a newbie baby to cake decorating. I’m thinking a tiered wedding cake would be my biggest challenge.
I think your cake looks lovely, totally like a handbag. I would so love to attend the Planet Cake courses here in Brisbane when they start them off again.
I’ve been waiting for this! Looks fabulous L! What a cool class! xx
Novelty cake.. hmmm… I’d love to know how to recreate my wedding cake truth be told…
Lorraine, you should totally open your own bakery! Your bag is a masterpiece…I would absolutely carry it around if it were in fact a real bag! Amazing.
Oh how GORGEOUS!!! I have always wanted to make a fairy castle, I know it’s naff but just so adorable
My Mum made me one once with ice cream cones and we had the party at Lane Cove park and a wind blew them all off!!
Lorraine,
That is a beautiful cake! I love the blue and the Epi finish.
Also, it’s great that the cake itself is chocolate and not fruit cake. For some reason, I always thing of fruit cake as the basis of cake sculptures. It must be from all those wedding cakes when I was a child.
SSG xxx
How fun! You’re such a clever lady, Lorraine.
I love the amazing things you come up with and try! 
Actually, I think yours looks the most like a bag! All the others are lovely, but they look like..um…cakes.
I think your blue one would go very nicely with my denims and cowboy boots..haha
Your cake looks like a gorgeous purse!
Ben would freak out if I gave him a purse cake.
I still need to learn to make the number cakes of my childhood. Oh and the swimming pool cake from Womens weekly, of course! Oh I love that cookbook!
oh your cake is so pretty.. i mean handsome if mr nqn is reading this.
i’ve wanted to do a class at PC for so long, but the thought of making a adorable cake i couldn’t eat is too much for me to bare. maybe one day PC will offer a course for glutards like me
My goodness! I had to do a doubel take – I thought it was a REAL handbag! Great job!!!
LOL – what a fun workshop, and agorgeous cake. Bravo! Seven hours to make eh – now that’s dedication, and Mr NQN should be pleased.
Lorraine- Shut up- stop all that cake self depreciating!! You are way too modest. Your bag looks amazing!
Thats amazing seeing all the photos in how it comes together. I have seen this cake before but only the finished product. So not only does it look fantastic, its got to taste good too!
Nicely done!
Oh dont be so modest- yours looks fantastic.
Oh-my-God, this cake is just crazylicious!!! Can a human actually make that??
Anyway, congrats Lorraine, this looks amazing… I understand the suspicious look from Mr NQN though, probably not the cake a boy would have picked first
Oh, could you make a novelty cake in the shape of an iMac or Louis Vuitton briefcase?!
what a good sport mr nqn is! hope he had a good birthday!
x
Oh my NQN it looks amazing! Do you think you would be able to do one at home as well without the guidance?
I think thats where I would have issues but I would LOVE to do that class
How exciting and how generous of Planet Cake to let you take so many photos!
I once had to make a King Tut sarcophogus cake in gold and blue, with all the details. That was challenging!
I always wanted a “mushroom” cake when smurfs were all the rage, though never got one. Sad face. I’m impressed by all your effort in making this handbag cake. Well done Lorraine!
Very cool! It looks super hard though. Well done.
When my daughter was younger she wanted a castle birthday cake, yep, we can do this thought I! What a disaster that was! I managed to get the top layer on ok, but it was when we got to the turrets in each corner that it got messy, read 38 degree day, air-con not keeping up, icing paste used as glue starting to drip. Then I decided that maybe some skewers might hold the turrets up until the icing paste set, nup that wasn’t working either. My daughter got a lovely big sponge cake beautifully decorated by the local bakery for her birthday!
My grand-daughter Caitlyn turns five in October and she has requested a chocolate Castle cake with a Princess sitting in one of the turrets. HELP!!!
Oh Lorraine how wonderful to attend this fab Planet Cake course love your (or should I say Mr NQN’s cake)
I think I would love to have the opportunity to make this particular cake looks sooooooo gorgeous
Beautiful! I’d like to make one I once saw that was ballet shoes with beautiful ribbons – looked so difficult though!
Wow Lorraine, this is something I definitely cannot do! I can’t even frost a cake properly! Well done! … and yes, I can imagine her to be a fighter by night..
Holy moley, that is some impressive cake decorating! Lucky Mr NQN gets to eat ALL that chocolate cake?
During my apprenticeship I was in awe of our Cake Queen aka all bakery sweetness & nice in the Desserts dept. She would turn out the most magnificent cakes making me wonder if I’d ever be able to master such masterpieces & I doubt if I ever measured up tho I studied hard to learn the skills. These days I run 2 huge Function Centres and get to see Wedding Cakes of all shapes and sizes regularly but these ‘bags’ are amazing. I love the construction pics, and I remember the hours of massaging, kneading & sore muscles from getting the colour through the fondant just right too.
Its official…., I’m still in awe of masterpieces like this. Well done…, and great post.
Cheers Anna
Jo and Claire had to make the cake at Planet Cake in the Kids Party Challenge and they did an amazing job.
I would like to make an acoustic guitar cake. To eat, not to play!
Congratulations, Lorraine. I think you are very clever! I think I would still be “puddling” along trying to get it to look like something that could be recognised. Go girl!
Wow! That is so awesome!
I do like the Epi bags, and your edible version is too cool for words! Thanks for taking the photos, too – did you have to get special dispensation from the cake gods?
When the class starts they do tell you that photos are allowed, as long as you don’t take photos of customer’s cakes. How did you manage to take that many photos when you would have had your hands (and arms) covered in ganache? =p Haha after doing the BASIC 101 exploding cake I’d love to go back again, maybe a novelty 101 course though =D Well done on the handbag! You just had to tell Mr NQN that it was a manbag
Thanks for sharing the behind-the-scenes look at the Planet Cake classes Lorraine. I’m still dreaming about the Alice in Wonderland cupcakes you did with them….but right now I’d settle for any PC course in Melbourne! Have my fingers crossed I’ll get to do their week long Basics foundation course in Oct!
OMG I need that mud cake receipe, I was drooling on my keyboard!!
It’s great Lorraine! I absolutely love the way it is slightly bulging like it has lots of expensive things stuffed inside
Perhaps Mr NQNs tech gadgets…
Oh my heavens. I bow down to you… there’s no way I’d even consider making something as complex as that. I know my head would explode and there would be tears! Well done you
Thankyou so much for the details and photos. I live in regional Qld and don’t have access to classes but I really enjoy baking and decorating cakes.
My oldest daughter has her birthday in the extremely hot and humid part of the year which adds extra challenges to decorating and storing her cake – any tips?
Thankyou for taking the time and effort to share your ideas and knowledge!
The 1st paragraph cracked me up!! Poor Mr NQN, at least you coloured it blue. Great job!!
OK Missy, now you’re just showing off! That looks fantastic…I have always wanted to do something unique, but that also tastes good, so fondant is not a possibility…hmmmn can I get back to you on that??
I am very very impressed! I am so not a baker but if I am, just I want to make a soccer ball. I know I am a chic but I love soccer!
thats amazing how u managed to take so many pictures even while making the bag, well done it looks really pretty!
oh wow you lucky duck! I know plenty of people who’d love to do one of those classes! love how she’s a fighter and cake decorator, they soooo go together!
corrie:)
I think your too hard on yourself, your cake/bag looks great.I’m really impressed.I’ve always wanted to make one of these bags.Lucky Mr NQN.
Awww the cake is ADORABLE. I LOVE it!! After seeing this I am definitely inspired to do a cake decorating class. It’s just a pity I didn’t do one earlier as I am going to attempt to make a pirate themed cake for the boys birthday on the weekend
That is an amazing achievement Lorraine! Well done! I don’t have enough talent or patience to be able to create something like that but I think it’s absolutely fabulous! Such a talent!
I am speechless.You possess such finesse. The cake is totally a handbag
Oh wow they all look stunning! So much attention to detail but without making it look false. Amazing!
I’m amazed at how real they all look (including yours). I always imagined these kind of cakes would have a very uninteresting filling but I really like the look of that chocolate sponge with chocolate ganache (just would need to remove the fondant first as I’m not a fan)
wow, thanks for the very imformative review. I just booked for the 101 basic course.. cant wait
I have always wanted to make a big 3d teddy bear cake but I know I would be loath to eat it if I succeeded! Congratulations on your cake, it looks great
Fabulous Lorraine!
Whoa! That is amazing! I remember when I first flipped through the Planet Cake cookbook, my jaw was just on the floor. But as lovely as these novelty cakes look, I can’t bring myself to make one because I think the focus is on what’s on the outside, whereas I’m usually more preoccupied with what’s on the inside- i.e. the actual cake
OMG…there’s a chocolate mud cake in the bag?!? Insanely yummers!~
awesome… the cake looks fab…. am sure the experience would have been fun
cheers,
Cheers,
The Variable, Crazy Over Desserts – Nachiketa
Catch me on facebook @ Crazy Over Desserts
Your cake looks adorable! Trust me, if you can make that, you can sew too!
wow! I got a little bit too excited when I read this post, because I have a bright blue epi – and now its met its cake form!!
Amazing work, how did you feel when you had to cut it up for mr nqn’s birthday? lucky man!
The detail on those cakes is amazing – I have made a handbag cake but I am a fan of using buttercream icing – your description of the fondant icing is interesting but seems so complicated that I think my buttercream is much easier.
Hope Mr NQN had a great birthday – have you watched brit comedy gameshow shooting stars – it always amused me when they shook their handbags at people!
It’s a terribly manly bag! Honest it is!
I think if anyone were to tell me they saw a handbag cake on a food blog I would be able to immediately guess whose blog it was
And you claim you’re not crafty! It looks fantastic! I can’t get over how delicious the actual cake looks too, yum!
I think i’d love to make a bee or ladybrid
My grandmother used to make handbag cakes, and also doll cakes (ie: a doll at the top of the cake in a crinoline hat and with an umbrella, then the cake was iced to be a crinoline skirt. So cute. And a lot of work.
What an incredibly unique course. How fortunate for you to have special privileges to then share these great step by step photos. Who knows…maybe my niece will be up to the challenge.
Also nice to know that your Hubby is so gracious about the whole thing ;o)
Ciao for now,
Claudia
Love it! I’m sure he didn’t mind the blue handbag cake, seeing as it looked so pretty!
Firstly, happy birthday to Mr NQN. He must be a fellow leo like myself!
I admire your patience with this one Lorraine. Certainly not one of my strong points.
I made a carousel cake for one of my nieces a few years ago, complete with horses! It took 30 minutes to bake, and 5 hours to assemble.
After that, I stuck with regular cakes. My nieces happily agreed. Too much fondant and icing, not enough cake!
I wouldn’t want to eat it.
Sounds like a fun class. I have never worked with fondant. I think your bag looks spectacular. xoxo Mum
The cake is amazing. I wouldn’t know whether to eat it or frame it though!
while i think that this is completely awesome, it would be hard for me to make something like it (and not only because it requires patience and skill). i’m positive i would have snacked on the cake and frosting so much throughout the process that there would be too little left to use.
That looks soo cute!!!
I want a chanel cake bag now…muauahuahua
wow. i don’t know what else to say. WOW!
I think you did an amazing job, Lorraine!
And you posted this ON my birthday?!? Awww…how sweet of you!! (Not that you knew my birthday was on the 10th…but still!)
While I didn’t get a handbag cake for my birthday, my friend did make me a Gingerbread Man (from Shrek) cake!
Hi Maria-Thankyou very much! You are too kind!
xxx
Hi Rosa-I think you so could Rosa!
Hi Juliana-thanks, you are so sweet!
Hi Ann-Thankyou very much! Ahh I think I’m much the same as you!
Oh yes that would be such a challenge 
Hi Linda-Thanks, they’re really worthwhile!
Hi Liss-hehe thankyou! It was a lot of fun! Oooh sounds like it would make for a great blog post! xxx
Hi Faith-hehe aww you are too kind but I am afraid my cakes would end up on cakewrecks
Thankyou! 
Hi Lulu-thankyou!
Oh yes one of those would be just amazing! 
Aww no, that silly wind! 
Hi Sydney Shop Girl-Thanks SSG! Yes I think a lot of traditional cakes are made using fruit cake which isn’t so popular! xxx
Hi Krista-Thankyou!
Aww you are too kind! 
Hi Celia-Oh really?
I thought it was a bit wonky so I hid it in the back 
Haha!
Hi Blond Duck-Why thankyou!
Haha Mr NQN kind of did but I gave him banana pudding 
Hi Fiona-Oh yes those number cakes were so skillful!
Hi holly-Thankyou Holly!
I know, I didn’t want to cut into it to be honest 
Hi Lisa-Aww shucks thankyou so much!
Hi Cakelaw-Thankyou! It was so much fun and you learn so much!
I think he liked the cake in the end 
Hi Gastronomy Gal-hehe well all I can see is the lopsidedness!
Hi cityhippyfarmgirl-Thankyou so much! yes I was amazed at how it came together!
Hi sandra-thanks, but when you create it, all you can see is the faults!
Hi Myriam-Thanks darling! Hehe I think something like a sailboat for next year hehe
Hi Iron Chef Shellie-he did thanks Shellie! x
Hi Nic-thankyou!
I think I could actually which is amazing 
Hi InTolerantChef-I know, I felt very lucky indeed. Oh wow, that sounds very full on!
Hi John-Haha that’s so cute!
Thankyou so much! 
Hi Gab-no honestly it isn’t. It’s just a matter of being shown how to do it I promise
Hi Tania-Oh no I’m sorry to hear that!
You poor thing! 
But what a smart solution! 
Hi Matilda-Oh wow, best of luck with that!
I’ll be thinking of you!
Hi Marelle-I agree, it was very fun!
You should definitely give it a try!
Hi Shan-Thankyou! Oh yes that sounds so pretty-but hard!
Hi shirley-I bet you could honestly!
I know, isn’t that a combo!
Hi Moya-Thanks Moya!
Hehe we shared it amongst 10 of us 
Hi Anna-I know, they are truly artists aren’t they! Oh yes the fondant kneading is crazy isn’t it. I was exhausted!
Thankyou! 
Hi Matthew-Oh I missed that episode!
haha of course! 
Hi Pam-Thankyou Pam!
You are so kind but I bet you’d do well and they would help you out too 
Thanks!
Hi Betty-Thanks Betty!
Hi OohLookBel-Thanks Bel!
I think I had to for sure! 
Hi angie-Oh when we introduced ourselves I told everyone that I was writing up the class for my blog and if they didn’t want to be in any photos to tell me and that’s when they said that photos aren’t generally allowed. I know, it was very hard! That’s why I took so many photos of Jessica doing it as I knew once I got started my hands would be covered
Thankyou! Heheh yes! 
Hi Diana-You’re more than welcome!
Oh yes that was so much fun too! Fantastic, have a lot of fun there!
Hi laura-hehe sorry but they buy in the cake and we didn’t make it
Hi Christie-Thankyou-I think!
Hi Hannah-Oh no, I bet you so could do it Hannah! Thankyou
Hi Cathy-You’re welcome!
Hmm that does present a challenge but a cake like this is best for hot and humid weather as it doesn’t need refrigeration. Perhaps set the ganache on the cake in the fridge though? 
Hi Shanks-Hehe yes I tried to sell it to him although it didn’t quite work
Thankyou!
Hi Tenina-Aww you are really so kind Tenina! Ahh well I don’t eat the fondant!
Hi penny-thankyou!
haha I love it! 
Hi Betty-Thanks! It was hard and I had to clean my hands a lot
thankyou!
Hi corrie-Thankyou!
I know, isn’t it a great combo? 
Hi Portuguese Kitchen-Thankyou! I guess I am very critical of my own work!
Hi delicieux-Thankyou!
Ooh pirate, how much fun does that sound! 
Hi Sian-Thanks Sian!
I never thought I did too! 
Hi Priyanka-Aww you are so sweet!
Hi Katie-Thanks! yes everyone did a great job!
Hi Sarah-yes it’s actually a very tasty cake in the end which is important. And yes I just ate around it
Hi Ja-Oh cool! I bet your cake is fantastic!
Hi Katie-hehe I know what you mean, it’s hard to cut into them!
Thankyou! 
Hi Elaine-Thankyou!
Hi Honey-Thanks!
I know, aren’t they amazing? 
Oh no, these taste good on the inside too 
Hi Midge-hehe yes there is!
Hi Nachiketa-Aww thanks Nachiketa!
Hi Jen-Thanks Jen!
Oh really? So there’s hope for me yet?
Hi Gianna-haha cool! Isn’t it a great bag?
Funny you say that as I let out a cry when he cut into it! 
Hi Johanna-Thankyou!
Ahh buttercream is interesting but yes gives an entirely different finish 
Hehe no I haven’t, I’ll have to check it out! 
Hi Conor-haha thankyou Conor!
I’ll pay you later 
Haha true true! 
Hi Phunk-I am so not usually I promise! Aww I love the sound of a ladybird cake!
Hi Tasty Thailand-Oh wow, what a talent!
That sounds amazing!
Hi FOODESSA-Yes it was great to be able to do that! I’m sure she will!
Hi Su-yin-Thankyou! hehe I don’t think he minded in the end
Hi Julia-Yes he is indeed! Thanks! hehe I know what you mean
It takes ages doesn’t it!
Hi Debra-I didn’t!
Hi Barbara-Thanks Mum! You are so sweet! It’s fun to work with but some people don’t like eating it xxx
Hi Cath-hahah thankyou Cath!
Hi grace-hehe the good thing is that there are plenty of offcuts to snack on!
Hi yuki-Oooh yes I wanted a Chanel one too!
Hi clearlytangled-thankyou so much!
Hi Liv-Thanks Liv!
haha what timing and Happy Birthday to you! 
Aww how cute! 
OMG, those cakes (handbags!) look so awesome!! Lucky you for being able to document your cake making so you can always remember it!
LOL, love you that managed to convince Mr NQN to accept it as a birthday cake!
Happy birthday to Mr NQN!
I am planning to buy this for my wife when the new classes come up for it. They are currently all booked out. She has the Speedy Epi and would adore it.
You did a great job, Lorraine. Especially considering you aren’t a professional! Thanks for the step by step
It’s beautiful, I’m amazed at how good it looks, esp the epi detail you’ve added to your handbag cake.
I’m sure Mr NQN will be pleased with this bday cake =)
How awesome! That’s not a cake, it’s a work or art! I’m passing this on to my lovely nephew who made his own wedding cake! Inspiration for my nieces upcoming 30th birthday.
That’s not a cake, it’s a work of art! Thanks for sharing Lorraine. My nephew is a great cook and made his own wedding cake last year, so I’m sending him the link … his sister’s 30th is coming up and a cake like this would be awesome!
Lucky you to be able to attend another Planet cake class! I’m so jealous! Your purse turned out PERFECTLY! Your blue purse definitely stands out! I’m sure Mr. NQN ended up loving it!
Oh wow, this looks amazing! I was in cupcake heaven in America (they are everywhere! How on earth do they stay thin?) and bought a few dessert books – there are some intricate cakes in there i’m dying to try – especially one that is covered in ‘twigs’ and ‘cherry blossoms’.
Briony xx
http://agirlastyle.wordpress.com/
Waw!! You did a masterclass on that!! I didn’t know thay existed!!
I think I love your blue handbag a lot!! But I don’t love frosting & all of that to eat but I do love the inside though!!
You did an amazing & wonderful job, my friend!
I am soon going to my first fondant class. Maybe I can make a small change purse. hahaha
This is adorable.
Love it! I think it looks exactly like a handbag!
Love it!! Are you becoming a cake decorating addict too?? That makes me soooo happy!!
Wow! Wow! Wow! This is really fantastic! Your cake looks so beautiful! Thank you for posting all the step by step guide. I’m so willing to do the Planet Cake course (but I just can’t
, I’m in US ) I’ll try to make them any soon.. =)
Thanks again!
Love, Ella.
Hi again, Lorraine! Just come by to say thank you for your inspiring post. I really did make the handbag with this step by step guide your post. Visit us (the cake and me) here when you have the time
http://lacupella.blogspot.com/2010/12/last-week-project-designer-handbag-cake.html
again, thank you Lorraine!
I love it it looks fantastic and so very real .Well done
What a beautiful work is this!! Thank you so much for the step by step photos and instructions. They are very helpfull!!
WOW,WOW,WOW i love the bags.
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[...] wanted to make again.“Sorry but no” I said firmly.“OK well anything apart from a handbag cake then” he said grimacing at the memory. Yes the handbag cake had become somewhat of a notorious [...]
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