I'm about to help make
and deliver a wedding cake.
[groans]
Don't look over here right now.
That shouldn't be too stressful.
Right?
-I hit a bump.
Ah!
Today I'm heading to a
fantastic bakery in Long Beach.
But I'm not here for
those incredible cupcakes.
Seriously.
Tear yourself away
from the cupcakes.
OK, today I'm at the Sweet and
Saucy Shop to see my friend,
Melody.
-Hi!
-Hi!
Oh my god!
She's sort of a local
wedding cake legend.
No big deal.
Are you excited to
make a wedding cake?
-I'm so excited.
-All right!
Let's do it.
Let's go!
OK, Candy Bar Cake.
Candy Bar Cake-- we
have two fillings.
We're going to do
a layer of peanut
butter cream cheese frosting.
-No.
Yes.
And then chocolate ganache.
Oh my god.
And then we add salted caramel.
Oh my god.
We start with layers
of yellow buttermilk
cake, which have been chilled
so they're easier to work with.
Now it's time to
fill and frost them.
So we're going to start with
Swiss meringue butter cream.
Oh.
We want to create a dam--
Naturally.
 --so that all of our
filling and frostings
don't come out of our cake.
OK.
The frosting dam
allows you to keep
the candy bar
filling from spilling
over the sides of the cake.
Easy peezy.
I feel like I'm in cake class.
Yeah, I'm trying to help you.
Thank you.
I like this.
The dam allows me to really
pile on the chocolate ganache.
You could put it in your coffee.
Exactly.
And the salted caramel?
Do you want more?
Yeah, let's do a lot.
Don't even get me started.
All right, I think we've got
good on the salted caramel.
Correct?
-Just wait.
-OK, a little bit more.
-OK.
Done.
It looks like we're going
to need a bigger dam.
All right, wonderful.
We add the second layer.
We'll just put
that in the middle.
Now you can see
the dam in action.
A little bit of
this squeezed out.
So I'm just going
to go up like that.
Oh, that's why you have a dam.
Yeah, that's why we have
the dam, to hold all that in.
This is just going to
seal in the crumbs.
Now let's frost this thing.
OK, so you want to
go around the top.
Melody uses a pastry bag.
Ooh, look at this.
Thank you for your turnings.
Yeah, you know it!
Oh!
And get this-- she's
got a secret tool
for smoothing out the frosting.
This is a hemming ruler.
I like the thin, and I
like how high this is.
Because some of our
tiers are tall tiers.
Right.
But a bench scraper is
only about four inches tall.
-Right.
-So then you'd have to go twice.
It doesn't work out.
Melody is full of
frosting knowledge.
And then I'm going to
hold my hemming ruler
straight up and down.
But I want a little gap
at an angle, like that.
And then I'm just
turning it the same time
as I'm going around and around.
That's clever.
And that's going to start
smoothing it already.
Now you know.
Perfect!
Whoa, this is fun.
Whoa!
Joy the Baker,
Wedding cake maker!
I am so into this.
So while that tier
gets refrigerated,
it's time to face
my fear of fondant.
So this is a dummy tier.
OK.
This is a great practicing
agent for a lot of people.
Because we're
talking about fondant.
Because we're
talking about fondant.
And I'm scared.
And sometimes you need
to practice doing fondant.
Yeah.
Really.
OK.
Fondant is that smooth
outer layer you see
on almost every wedding cake.
But getting that perfect
look is not easy.
Trust me.
You're going to do it
on the real top tier.
So actually, you might have
a little more pressure.
Gulp.
Cause yours is going to
be on the wedding cake.
OK.
-No-- no big deal.
OK.
We are working some
shortening into the fondant
to make it more pliable.
We're just going to knead it,
sort of like a pizza dough.
But it's a little
firmer, of course.
OK.
And here's how you
know it's ready.
Oh, Look at that!
Oh, that's good.
Perfect OK.
Now we just need
to roll it out.
And if you're getting tired,
I can do some rolling too.
OK, I'll go faster.
That was your way of
saying, go faster.
[laughs]
That was my mother way
of saying, go faster.
It's like, who knew
you could go so slow
and do such a bad
job at the same time?
I hear you.
I hear what you're saying.
Then we just need to put it on.
Flip it back here.
Flip it back over.
Now stick your arm under.
This arm under here somehow.
All right, now
lift up real quick.
OK.
And then let's-- yep,
you're good on this side.
Look!
We did it.
OK.
OK, let's take our
smoother to the top.
Smoother to the top.
It's on the cake.
[laughs]
It's on the cake and
it didn't break yet.
Then we're going to--
remember-- open it, push down.
And see how much
of a skirt we have?
Like, an extra amount?
[groans]
Don't look over here right now.
Closing my eyes.
Don't look.
OK, so then we're
going to turn it.
You only have one
more side left.
[exhales]
OK, there we go.
Now, this.
This?
Yeah, just that.
It's not a big deal.
Then we trim the excess
fondant and smooth it out.
Whoa!
This is looking so good.
Are you proud of yourself?
Yeah, I'm breathing.
You're breathing.
You're not dead.
I would say, for your
first fondant job, uh--
Wow.
Thank you.
 --that was great.
[laughs]
Thank you.
OK!
[music playing]
The next day-- the tiers
have been assembled,
and now have to be loaded
into the delivery van--
Thanks, Joy.
 --and driven to the
wedding cake location.
All right.
No big deal.
Total.
Big.
Deal.
-See you there, Luke.
-All right.
All right.
[music playing]
Wow, it's 63 miles.
It's long.
That's a long way.
I know.
Keep in mind, any
sudden stop or hard turn,
and the cake is done.
Ooh, look.
I hit a bump.
[laughs]
We're all just like, ah!
How does she look so relaxed?
The cake is cool
The cake is cool.
When we arrive at
the wedding site--
-Hey, Luke.
-Hey.
Hi!
All right, Joy, you want
to grab some mini desserts?
Yes.
Melody and her assistant,
Luke, make pretty much
the most stressful walk ever.
The assembled cake
is finally delivered
to the reception hall.
All right, we made it, Joy!
Oh my gosh.
Melody also made cupcakes
and other baked sweets
that we set up on
the dessert table.
Now there's only one thing left.
[music playing]
And in that moment,
everything changes.
Yesterday this was all
just butter and flour
and sugar and fondant.
Wow.
There we go.
Oh my gosh.
Now it's transformed
into something magical.
And so beautiful.
Here's the tier you covered.
[laughs]
See how immaculate it looks?
No big deal.
Are you so proud of yourself?
Yes.
And then we did a bubble
lace mold on the bottom.
OK.
And then this is
another like, flower mold
that we did with the fondant.
Mhm.
And then all of these are
hand-done sugar flowers.
Little bit--
It's so beautiful.
-Oh--
-It's so beautiful.
I'm so glad you got
to be a part of this.
Thank you for-- thank you for
having me be a part of this.
Something that, like,
previously made me so anxious.
Oh, good.
I took anxiety away?
-Well--
Oh.
[laughs]
Well, you took
the anxiety away,
but you showed me how intricate
and special it is-- Yeah.
 --like, what you do.
So thank you.
-Oh.
-I'm so happy.
Girl!
Thank you.
[music playing]
This cake is beautiful.
It's got a timeless
vintage look.
Oh, and let's not forget that
the inside is filled with candy
bar salted caramel goodness.
And it's all part of
a stunning display
that Melody has
helped put together.
And I'm so lucky that I
got to be a part of it.
So great.
OK, now I get to come into
your kitchen sometime soon.
Right?
-Yeah, we'll make biscuits.
-OK.
-It's like, no big deal.
OK!
Good!
I'm ready.
[music playing]
