The bits you DON’T see.

After a weekend spent mostly eating cake and being taught a few new piping tricks, I had a craving I couldn’t shake when I finally got home yesterday. So, new decorating tips purchased. Fresh cake baked. As per usual, I can’t get the texture right, but it’s good enough. The part I really care about is the frosting: my first attempt at a Swiss buttercream. Using the recipe and tutorial from Smitten Kitchen, the experience is easy-peasy and problem free.

Except for one thing. One not-so-tiny thing.

In my jet-lagged haze, I used salted butter.

And so the beautiful, silky frosting is dumped, the cake layers are wrapped in wax paper and tucked into the freezer. There’s always tomorrow.