A Blog Tells All

I don't follow every blog, or even a lot of blogs. There are just too many good ones to visit everything. But I do like to read Orangette and Bakerella for industry comments and ideas.

Orangette has been talking about what it means to open a restaurant and I love her candidness. There is no sugar coating it, this is a hard industry, so you better love what you are doing!

Bakerella I am still trying to figure out. Her photos are outstanding, but I don't think she has a "storefront" business. Whatever she is or does, she is very creative and fun to follow.

There are so many more, but I do like a blog that tells all.

Et, Voila!

Begin with a blank canvas.

Add a touch of whimsy.

Et, Voila!

One Step Closer

A few days before the cake is pretty at the reception, the preparation begins.

Baking of all the layers comes first. While the cake is in the oven, buttercream is whipping into a fluffy cloud and the fillings are begun.

Layered into cake pans to keep the sides straight and the sizing consistent, it's just one more day until all is revealed.

Retirement Package

This went out on Tuesday for a retirement party. I recreated the new car, new plane, new dog, not to mention the retiree! Definitely a great retirement package.

Simply Styling

Gartner Studios asked if I could provide some cupcakes and 2 or 3 cakes for a photo shoot earlier this summer. A project was in the works, and I jumped right on it.

The cakes had been shot before, but they fit the feel of the shots, so I sent them along with the cupcakes. Pretty enough to photograph, they were a sweet reward at the end of the day.

Down By The River

I am finishing the 3-d elements of this week's riverboat wedding cake. I stopped by the Padelford Riverboat down at Harriet Island for a couple more photos to be sure I had the details right for the gangplank and staircase to the pilot house. What a pretty day for a boat ride. People were gathering in the park prior to boarding.

Last weekend was also spent down by the river. Raspberries were the inspiration for this event. Each guest received a miniature jar of raspberry preserves as a favor, the cake was sour cream chocolate filled with raspberries and ganache, the exterior of the cake was frosted with ganache and then adorned with gold dusted gumpaste raspberry leaves. Jeweled rapsberries tumbling down onto a gold cloth finished the look.
My hope is that they were able to enjoy their reception without the same storm related evacuations that affected Cirque de Soliel and the Irish Fair.

Mad for Macaroons

Cindy needed some bite sized treats for her wedding guests this weekend. Her colors were red, black and white, so we wanted her selections to repeat that color scheme. Heart shaped vanilla and chocolate linzer cookies were filled with raspberry or white chocolate ganache, chocolate shortbread squares were dipped in white chocolate as well.

She then added some almond and pecan bars for some nutty crunch, and- my favorite-coconut macaroons for a bit more white. Since I hadn't made macaroons for a while, I made some extra, just for my snacking benefit.

Now I remember why I haven't made them in a while. I haven't stopped snacking yet.

The Color Is Blue

I will never be asked to be a hand model. My hands are not pretty, but they are capable.

My hands are my most trusted tools.They finish a sentence when that word escapes me, tell me if I have flour lumps in my cake batter, if my fondant has air bubbles before I wrap a cake, even if a cake is done. Like all well-used tools, mine are a bit dinged, and soft skin has been replaced with calluses, scars and, of course, colors.

You will always know what colors I have been tinting my fondant. This week's color is blue.

Carnival, NOT Carnivale!

I admit it was a little more about me than the cake with that one. I have had a half-baked design in my head with a Venetian Carnivale theme for months. Thought I could coax it out with a birthday cake for my niece and nephew. Just because they are only going to be 7, and Carnivale is for grown ups......

Getting back on track with children... animals are big, especially monkeys. Requests have included contemporary shapes and colors as well as classic storybook characters. Since George has already made his appearance, and he needs company, the upcoming carnival cake will add some lions, tigers, and bears, oh my! Sorry, that kind of opening is hard to ignore, even paraphrased to fit my needs. The "half-baked" comment was actually accidental.