Today I'm celebrating the conclusion of my second year in business! And what a year it as been - no sophomore slump here!! The question I get asked more than anything by family and friends is - "which cake is your favorite?" I tried, I really tried to pick ONE single favorite cake from my second year in business.
From October 2016 to October 2017, I had a 90 different cakes to choose from, but I just couldn't do it. All my cakes are my babies and are my favorite for different reasons. I was lamenting about this to my hair stylist (p.s. if you're a bride looking for great hair & makeup, she is your gal!) and she gave me a great idea ... categories! So we did a quick brainstorm on some category options, and I posted on Facebook & Instagram asking for your input.
So, without any further ado ... I give you my many favorites!
From October 2016 to October 2017, I had a 90 different cakes to choose from, but I just couldn't do it. All my cakes are my babies and are my favorite for different reasons. I was lamenting about this to my hair stylist (p.s. if you're a bride looking for great hair & makeup, she is your gal!) and she gave me a great idea ... categories! So we did a quick brainstorm on some category options, and I posted on Facebook & Instagram asking for your input.
So, without any further ado ... I give you my many favorites!
Favorite Fondant Wedding Cake
I love me some mid-century modern (in fact that was my theme for my 2016 Orange County Fair cake decorating competition entry). So I was thrilled with I met with Becky & Sue for their tasting and they told me this was their wedding theme. The orange ombre was such a cool and bold choice and it perfectly complimented the venue (The Modern). The starburst was an important feature to them, as it was on their wedding invitations, and proved to be a fun challenge for me to figure out 1) how to make it, and 2) how to affix it to the cake. This cake required careful precision ... no boo-boos allowed as there were no flowers, no decor, no nothing to cover up any imperfections. Often, "simple" cakes are more work and take more time than highly detailed cakes. Simplicity is not so simple, or as I always tell clients who ask for a "simple" cake .... simplicity is in the eye of the beholder.) But in this case, the final product was simply stunning.
Favorite Buttercream Wedding Cake
(also favorite sugar flowers!)
Combed and textured buttercream wedding cakes are a big trend right now - giving off a simple, rustic, elegant vibe. Applying the texture to the buttercream is done freehand and is a nice change of pace from the fine precision of a fondant cake. Each one comes out differently, they are like snowflakes, no two can be exactly alike. And then there are the sugar flowers. I LOVE making flowers. This cake has three types: rose, ranunculus and peony. Roses are the easiest & fastest for me to make. Peonies require a lot of practice, and patience. A very thin wire gets threaded through each very thin petal, and if I've done my job right, you can't see that darn wire! The ranunculus is a beast of a project. Each petal is individually cut, cupped and placed. But they are gorgeous.
I always put the sugar flowers on the cake when I arrive at the venue, never before. So it's a special treat for me to finally see the finished cake. I was so happy with how this cake turned out. And once the amazingly talented Megan Papageorge of Sweet Peach Planning finished setting up the dessert bar around the cake, I was in love.
I always put the sugar flowers on the cake when I arrive at the venue, never before. So it's a special treat for me to finally see the finished cake. I was so happy with how this cake turned out. And once the amazingly talented Megan Papageorge of Sweet Peach Planning finished setting up the dessert bar around the cake, I was in love.
Favorite Kid's Cake
I'm totally biased here, I can't lie. There is one little kid I love more than all the other little kids in the world, my nephew Lars. So I can't help but love his cake the most!! For his second birthday, my sister requested a cake with his two favorite things: 1. Trains (or choo-choos) and 2. Cats (or nanos, yes, he called them nanos) - this a train with Cutians cat passengers. Lars' birthday comes at a particularly busy time of year - July. That is smack dab in the middle of wedding season and it's also when my OC Fair cake competition entry is always due. Before even starting his cake, I was already burnt out. May and June had been particularly busy months. July was even busier, and I was no where close to being done with my OC Fair entry (which was due in 3 days). I knew I needed to muster up the energy to do right by my favorite little dude - knowing I had some long days and late nights of work ahead.
The hard work paid off (as it always does). But this cake was particularly satisfying since I got to see the reaction - my favorite part! After singing Happy Birthday, I had a brief moment of horror as I watched my nephew reach out and grab one of the cats off the cake. It's my natural reaction - don't touch the cake! But two seconds later I realized he was PLAYING with the cat and the train. It made my heart melt and re-energized me. It was just the thing I needed, and bonus, we got it on video!!
The hard work paid off (as it always does). But this cake was particularly satisfying since I got to see the reaction - my favorite part! After singing Happy Birthday, I had a brief moment of horror as I watched my nephew reach out and grab one of the cats off the cake. It's my natural reaction - don't touch the cake! But two seconds later I realized he was PLAYING with the cat and the train. It made my heart melt and re-energized me. It was just the thing I needed, and bonus, we got it on video!!
Most Challenging
This cake was a beast. On the bottom is a 14" round cake that stands 5" tall. On top of that are not one, but TWO 12" round cakes stacked on top of each other (this is called a double-barrel cake) to make one extra tall tier. I called her the big-mama. On top of her was a 10" round cake and a 6" square cake. Not to mention the gravity-defying syrup pour effect. All told, the cake was over 3 feet tall. There were so many challenges with this cake. Just the sheer size of bottom two tiers required a lot of pre-planning in regards to the construction of the cake to make sure it would be stable & secure when stacked. This is something people don't think of when ordering a wedding or special event cake and wonder why the price is "so high." Construction time and materials aren't the most glamorous part of the cake order, but it's absolutely necessary. A cake isn't just flour and butter, it's an engineering project.
Most Time-Consuming Technique (but so worth it!)
I had been dying to try this scallop technique (middle tier), so I was super excited when Debbie & Jon picked this design from the options I presented. I knew it was going to be a time-consuming technique and I did my best to estimate my time. But holy moly was I way off. Each scallop has 8 individually cut and cupped petals. Then each petal is glued and stacked to create one scallop. There are at least 30 scallops on this cake, so that's 240 individually cut and cupped and stacked petals. Even with help, I was way past the time I estimated. But with the last scallop in place, I did a little happy dance. It was gorgeous!!
Most Meaningful
This category is a tie. There was no way I could break it.
I regularly get requests for several, ahem, "exotic" cakes (and I've made a couple). Those are always funny phone calls. But one Saturday afternoon I got a call from a mother looking for cake in the shape of ... an ear. I advised her that while I've never done and ear cake (because, who has!), I was certain I was up for the job. Then she told me the story - that her beautiful 8 year old girl was born without an ear, and she was throwing an Ear Party to celebrate the surgery she just had to construct her new ear. Yes, you heard that right, an Ear Party! I loved it. Life isn't always roses and butterflies (surprise!), but if you can find a way to have fun and laugh through the tough times, it's so much easier. I loved being a part of this fun and quirky celebration.
I just couldn't leave this one out. This cake made me so happy to make. I got an email from a gal who said she was just coming out of a tough time personally, and was throwing herself a party to celebrate the beginning of a new chapter in life. I thought that was so amazing and beautiful. So often we are our own worst critics, we say things to ourselves that we would never in a million years say about our friends and loved ones. I just felt this was such a special celebration and I was honored to help make it festive.
I regularly get requests for several, ahem, "exotic" cakes (and I've made a couple). Those are always funny phone calls. But one Saturday afternoon I got a call from a mother looking for cake in the shape of ... an ear. I advised her that while I've never done and ear cake (because, who has!), I was certain I was up for the job. Then she told me the story - that her beautiful 8 year old girl was born without an ear, and she was throwing an Ear Party to celebrate the surgery she just had to construct her new ear. Yes, you heard that right, an Ear Party! I loved it. Life isn't always roses and butterflies (surprise!), but if you can find a way to have fun and laugh through the tough times, it's so much easier. I loved being a part of this fun and quirky celebration.
I just couldn't leave this one out. This cake made me so happy to make. I got an email from a gal who said she was just coming out of a tough time personally, and was throwing herself a party to celebrate the beginning of a new chapter in life. I thought that was so amazing and beautiful. So often we are our own worst critics, we say things to ourselves that we would never in a million years say about our friends and loved ones. I just felt this was such a special celebration and I was honored to help make it festive.
Technique I thought would be easy ... but I was WRONG!
I've done it a million times - watched an online tutorial on a new technique and executed it with little to no problems. I had every expectation that this would be no different. I was wrong. To make these bubbles, you blow up a bunch of water balloons in various sizes. Then each balloon is coated in shortening and dipped in a colored gelatin mixture. Once the gelatin hardens, you pop the balloon and pull it out. And voila! You're left with a perfect bubble shell. Sounded a bit time-consuming with lots of steps, but generally easy enough. The bubbles you see on this cake were my third batch. The first batch I didn't put enough shortening on the balloons, so they didn't detach from the gelatin when the balloon was popped. The second batch I popped too early and the "bubbles" looked more like raisins. I wanted to scream! I probably did. Finally, third time was a charm!
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