September's Great Cakes Soap Challenge features soap piping, a technique that requires precision and creativity. With less than ten days remaining before the submission deadline, the participant, despite being in the experienced category (more than two years of soap-making), admits to a limited background in this specific skill, having only attempted it once, several years prior, with results they deemed unsatisfactory. The challenge guidelines are stringent: entries must be crafted exclusively with cold process soap, include at least one piped component featuring more than one color within a single piping bag, and allow only body-safe glitter as an embellishment. Participants have the freedom to choose any mold type.

To prepare for the challenge, the participant initially watched various tutorials before heading to Michaels, where they acquired silicone cupcake liners and a clearance Cake Boss piping set. The sheer variety of piping tips in the set proved daunting, leading to an overwhelming feeling after watching numerous YouTube videos on piping techniques. This undertaking clearly pushed the participant out of their comfort zone.

The first practical step involved calculating the soap volume required for the eight silicone cupcake liners, each holding approximately 4.4 ounces. This meant a base recipe of around 35 ounces for the "cupcake" portion, with an additional estimated two ounces per cupcake for piping, bringing the total recipe weight to approximately 52 ounces. The selection of a suitable soap challenge recipe was the next critical decision.

After re-reviewing tutorials, the participant opted to adapt one of Amy's recipes, making substitutions with comparable ingredients. The initial attempt at making a smaller batch for piping proved frustrating; the soap batter reached a medium trace too quickly, becoming too firm to incorporate the chosen mica colors. This batch was salvaged for rebatching. Recalling that Amy's recipe, which used Russian tips, required a very stiff batter, the participant decided to switch to their personal shea butter recipe, resizing it for both the piped elements and the cupcake bases. For this second attempt, all mica colors—Yellow Vibrance, Orange Vibrance, Coral Mica, Red Vibrance, Wisteria Purple, Kumbo Green, and Super Sparkles Mica—were pre-mixed. A bright orange was achieved by combining Orange Vibrance and Coral Mica, while a maroonish hue resulted from Red Vibrance, Coral Mica, and Wisteria Purple. Super Sparkles Mica was added to the orange, yellow, and maroon colors to enhance their visual appeal.

Piping bags, tips, and small squares of freezer paper for the piped flowers were all prepared in advance.

The shea butter recipe yielded a much more workable consistency, allowing ample time for color mixing and filling the piping bags.

To achieve the required dual-color effect for piping, the participant employed the saran wrap technique: spreading one color of soap onto the wrap, then adding a second color on top before rolling it and inserting it into the piping bag.

Despite feeling like a "super greenie" with cake decorating, the participant began the piping process. This involved applying a small amount of soap to a cake nail, adding a freezer paper square, and then piping a swirl of uncolored soap as a base for the flowers. Dual-colored soap was then used for the petals, creating numerous maroon, yellow-orange, and green leaf elements. Many initial attempts were discarded and reincorporated into the bags. After more than two hours of intense piping, the participant had to stop as the soap became too difficult to squeeze from the bags. The significant amount of leftover soap, approximately two and a half pounds, was set aside for rebatching. The piping tips required an overnight soak for cleaning, while the newly piped flowers were left to firm up.

The following morning, ingredients for the shea butter cupcake base were assembled, including one tablespoon of ground oats, one teaspoon of French yellow clay, and Natures Garden's oatmeal milk and honey fragrance oil. Two piping tips were prepared for applying the "glue" to secure the flowers, with the open star tip ultimately chosen despite a desire for a larger size.

With oils and lye prepared, the stick blending process commenced.

Upon reaching trace, the ground oats were incorporated. Approximately six ounces of soap were set aside for the "glue," while the remaining batter received the yellow clay and fragrance oil. The addition of the fragrance oil notably thickened the batter, a desirable characteristic for the cupcake bases. The participant filled the silicone liners, smoothed the tops, and transferred the reserved soap into a piping bag for the "glue."

Each cupcake received a piped circular mound of the "glue" soap, onto which the pre-made flowers and leaves were carefully arranged. Despite not being entirely satisfied with the final outcome, the participant gained significant learning experience throughout the process. The best creations will be selected for submission to the soap challenge, with close-up photographs to highlight their details.

After being removed from the silicone liners and cleaned with alcohol to prevent soda ash, the finished soaps represent the participant's best effort for this particular soap challenge.

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