Month: February 2019

Some cakes are just too fun to create and we have had a string of them lately!  This cake was a special birthday for  Whitaker who loves penguins!

To created this cake, we started by sculpting these adorable penguins out of fondant a few days ahead, so they could dry.  We formed their bodies and heads and then assembled them with their wings, feet and beaks.  Their coloring and texture are just too cute!

For the main cake, we kept it simple, so the penguin toppers would be the focal point.  We iced the cake smooth in arctic blue buttercream and added white snowflakes in a variety of sizes.  We added our sentiment to the cake drum to wish Whitaker a Happy Birthday as well as a snowy border with white buttercream and sugar crystals.  Finally, we added a thick piece of white fondant on top as the iceberg the penguins would float on.  This cake makes me want to bundle up with some hot chocolate…Brrr!

I love this simple little cake.  Maybe it’s because it’s iced in my favorite color.  Maybe it’s the multicolor dots that add a pop of fun.  Or maybe it’s all the delicious buttercream flowers on top. Either way, we hope Judy loves her birthday cake as much as we loved creating it for her!

For this cake, we started with a smooth purple buttercream icing.  It’s a perfect pinky-purple that we enhanced by airbrushing the base to give it an ombre effect.  We then added perfectly spaced colorful buttercream dots around the sides to give it some texture.  We topped it off with a ring of buttercream flowers and leaves.  So simple.  So fun.  So delicious!

It was a Friday night.  The sun had gone down.  All my employees had gone home.  My kids were probably playing Fortnite online with their friends.  My husband was probably reading a book with our dogs curled up at his feet.  And I was still at work.

I was exhausted.  I had an employee just give her two weeks notice out of the blue.  I had my CPA blowing up my phone for statements and W9s.  I had brides who needed wedding cake contracts.  I had customers who needed emails returned.  And I was still at work.

The fun stuff was done.  The cupcakes were all iced.  The tasting kits were all packaged.  And the cakes were all boxed and ready for their Saturday parties.  And I was still at work.

There have only been a handful of times in the last 9 years when I wanted to liquidate everything and get a “real job.”  It was usually a fleeting thought followed by a big hug from my husband.  But this week the idea wasn’t fleeting.  It wasn’t going away.

This week, the work seemed to be neverending.  Nothing I did or said seemed to make people happy.  I had a grumpy person message me through my facebook page at 6am frantically needing a custom birthday cake in 2 days.  (I mean, if only your child’s birthday was on the same day every year, so it was easier to remember, right?!) When I replied (AT 6AM!) that we were, unfortunately, booked, he left me a 1 star google review.   Ugh.

I know you can’t please everyone, but it’s extremely hard to be a cheerleader all the time.  You have to smile for the customers…stay upbeat with your employees…enthusiastically network with fellow vendors….and somehow have energy for your family.  It’s hard. Really, really hard. And this week I was beyond over it.

And then I went to get in my car to finally go home. And I saw my sign.  It was all lit up. And I swear I heard a little voice say, “it’s worth it…”

The unwarranted customer complaints, the human resource issues, the taxes, the competition, the bridezillas, the equipment failures, the constantly rising cost of EVERYTHING, the impossibility of pleasing everyone.  It’s still worth it.

Why?

Because at the end of the day…When it’s dark…And everyone else has gone home…It’s my sign that lights up the shopping center.  It’s my brand.  It’s my baby.  It’s my legacy.  It’s something that my children can be proud of.  It’s my business that I built with my own two hands.  It’s my logo that I created at midnight while writing my business plan when I was laid off 10 years ago.  It’s my company that has been a part of THOUSANDS of celebrations.  It’s a place that employs people and contributes to the local economy.  It’s a store that people need and enjoy coming to. And it’s mine.

Who doesn’t love weddings?  We sure do!  From the first meeting with the bride and groom all the way to the final picture when we drop off the cake…we love every step of the way!  And we especially love weddings that are delivered to our exclusive partners – one of which is the Hidden Porch in Catoosa.

These two cakes were delivered recently for the sweetest couple!  They knew what they wanted from the start and we did our best to come through for them.  The main cake had a mix of round and square tiers and served about 100 people.  It was iced in smooth buttercream with some hand piped wording and delicate scrolls.  It was simple and romantic and was topped with a pop of red buttercream roses.

The groom is a Chicago Blackhawks fan, so he opted for a simple cake with an approved edible image of the team’s logo on the front.  We iced this cake in red to coordinate with both the wedding colors and the team colors.  We then mounted the edible image on fondant and let it dry, so it would have a more 3D effect on the front of the cake.

It was a lovely January day when we delivered this cake among the twinkle lights at the Hidden Porch. We can’t wait for the next wedding there!

How I Wonder What You Are…

This cake is so peaceful and serene that it makes me want to take a nap on a cloud among the stars.  From the soft colors of green and yellow to the sleepy bear, this cake captured the dreamy feel of this baby shower perfectly.

This cake started with a smooth coat of soft sage buttercream on both tiers.  We then added the lettering from the popular children’s song, “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.”  We created this lettering from two different fondant molds.  While it would have been simpler to pipe the wording onto the cake, we wanted the contrasting fonts and clean lines that you get from fondant lettering.  Once the lettering was on the cake, we added dozens and dozens of tiny gold stars on top of the cake.  We had some falling and scattered sporadically on the remainder of the cake as well.

For the topper, we created a bundle of fluffy fondant clouds and added the sleeping fondant teddy bear on top.  I love the stitching on the bear as well as the coordinating yellow bow.  He is so serene as he sleeps under the sliver of the fondant moon.  This complete topper was created ahead of time, so that the pieces could properly dry.  Once ready, it was placed on the bed of tiny golden stars.  This topper is definiely what sweet dreams are made of.

I think I need a nap now.  Nighty night!