Bondie's Cake Tip #3: Piping Perfect Polka Dots

We're going to interrupt this wee-little cake tutorial for a bit of a countdown to something very special happening tomorrow in the blondie household: 

0 - the number of times Ryan or I have broken any bones in our lifetimes.

Also, the number of times either one of us has wanted to watch any Transformer movies.

1 - the number of children we have ... a little blonde-haired-blue-eyed-potty-training-car-loving-manchild.

Also, the number of times I've left the country while we were married (to South Korea and Japan). 

2 - the number of cars we've had in our marriage (our first was a 1990 Chrysler New Yorker), and now we drive a Toyota Yaris (completley paid off in less than a year!) 

Also, the number of times I've tried crab and lobster. Hated it both times. 

 3- the number of college degrees we've earned from Brigham Young University. Me = Music Performance with an Emphasis in Woodwind Performance. Ryan = A double major in Economics and Political Science, and as of this April, a Law Degree! 

Also, it's the number of times Ryan has been on the winning team for the Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay (BYU and Nordic Track one year).

4 - the number of times we've moved to a new place to live. Our first home was in Provo, Utah, in an apartment complex. We lived there until we both finished our undergraduate degrees, about 3 years. Then we lived in Ryan's parent's basement for 4 months one summer while we saved up money for law school. During law school, we lived back in Provo again for 3 more years. Now, we live in West Jordan, Utah, and plan to live here until we can save up enough money to pay off our car and put down a hefty down payment on a home. 

5 - the number of car accidents we've been in since we met. We have really bad luck with vehicles. 

No really. One was a rollover. We were making out. Long story, but a very bad idea, friends. 

and finally...

6 - the number of years since we got married! 

Happy Anniversary (tomorrow), love. 

Oh yes, the cake. Polka dots were a must. It fit the party, fit the darling woman receiving the cake, and fit my sanity level that week as well. 

The first thing my husband said when he saw the cake was along the lines of "how long did it take you to pipe on all those spots!?!?" Let's just say, it was more than an episode of Glee  and less than an episode of Sherlock on Netflix, so definitely a little while. However, it felt like it blew right by! 

I've seen plenty of cakes with polka dots, and a lot of them have what I call hershey kiss dots, versus polka dots. The tail is the giveaway, and it could have been taken care of so quickly! 

So here's the deal: when you pipe your circles, map out the spots with a tooth pick so that your spots are organized and evenly spaced. Also, when you're done piping the dot, stop squeezing the dang thing before you pull it. If you happen to get the tail, no worries at all, my friend. Wait a minute or two, then pat the tail down with your finger. Not moving, still? Get your finger a little wet and then pat it down. Should do the trick nicely. 

xo, 

blondie

Don't forget to come back tomorrow to see the finished cake! 

If you missed the previous two tutorials, here they are, darlings:

Smoothing out Buttercream to look like Fondant

The Trick to Flattening out Fondant