Best cake ever!*

I've finished my second Wilton cake decorating course, and here's my final cake.  It features pansies, mums, roses, primroses, daffodils, violets, apple blossoms, and daisies, which are all made out of royal icing (they're made ahead of time and placed on the cake when hard).  I also learned the super awesome-looking basketweave maneuver.  I'm really damn impressed with myself.  Next up is the class that teaches me how to work with fondant and make tiered cakes.  I'm not sure when that will be, but I'm thinking I'll wait a couple months to let the rage subside.  

This is a fun thing to learn, but it's a real bitch to prepare all the different kinds and colors of icing for each class -- especially considering that royal icing falls apart into a sobbing, useless heap if it comes into contact with the slightest bit of grease.  My kitchen has to be medical-grade clean before I can make this stuff.  Seriously, I spray everything down -- tablespoon, mixer bowl and beater, tupperware containers -- with 401 before I start.  It's outrageous.

* Yeah I know "Best cake ever!" is hardly modest.  But holy crap, LOOK AT IT!!