Cakes by Suzy

Recent Cakes

2011-11-06T05:07:00.000-08:00

Happy Daylight Savings Time ENDING everyone! Hope you all enjoyed your extra hour of sleep. Me, I actually slept less for some reason....happens every year! If anyone can figure that out, let me know....

Anyhow....cakes....

As usual, Lambertville Inn is keeping me busy with basic wedding cake designs...love working with them! Below are some cakes that were done for other customers.....

The first is a pumpkin I did for a friend last weekend, for a baby's first birthday party...she requested the inside to have plenty of chocolate, for the benefit of cute, messy-baby pictures!!!!

The next was made for one of the staff at Lambertville Inn for a birthday for some boys. Two of the favorite food groups of the male species....Hamburger, and dessert, all wrapped up into one! What could be bad about that! This juicy "hamburger" is actually filled with chocolate/chocolate chip cake and sweet vanilla buttercream!

Then, early this morning, my delivery boy (i.e. husband) went out the door with this Baptism cake for a regular customer......the design was originally from Pink Cake Box....however, we added a tier, changed the color, and the monogram and cross are slightly different due to just varying styles of the decorator:

Check back next week for more cake projects!!!!!!

Gorgeous day for a wedding!

2011-10-08T15:15:00.000-07:00

For those of you here in Pennsylvania...today was DREAM WEDDING WEATHER!!! Bright, sunny, warm but not hot...cool breeze.....AMAZING October wedding weather! The couples who got married today couldn't have custom ordered anything nicer!

The first cake went to the Mercer County Park Marina. It was to be styled after my cake featured in the Philadelphia Weddings Magazine last year, with white fondant and crystal gemstones. This cake was to be slightly ivory with edible pearls. I just love how her topper had the silver and pearls to tie in with the cake and the stand!

The picture could have been better, but I was having technical difficulties with my camera!!!! :-S The cake was vanilla, each tier containing one layer of raspberry preserves filling and two layers of raspberry mousse filling.

The second was a cake for my regular venue, The Inn at Lambertville Station. This vanilla cake with whipped chocolate ganache filling has a nice fall "Woodland" look to it, and goes very well with the rustic decor at the Inn:

I hope everyone is enjoying this amazing weather!!!!!! Congrats to these special couples.

Fall weddings

2011-10-01T17:27:00.000-07:00

Its a beautiful time of the year for a wedding!!!!! And this weekend, I had three wedding cakes to do. One of them, I was not able to photograph because the flowers were placed after I left.

However I will post the other two simple-but-classic designs!

The first was a classic, ribbon-and-swiss-dots wedding cake for The Inn at Lambertville Station:

The next was for a lovely outdoor wedding reception at the bride's parents' home. I have to say, I just LOVE the look of a "Homestyle" iced cake! I think it just looks inviting and delicious...and having the homestyle-iced tiers alternating with short, smooth-iced tiers just "made" the look, in my opinion!

Homestyle iced cakes also remind me of my childhood....I always looked at the swirled icing on the cake photo on the front of a box of cake mix. I remember trying to swirl the canned icing on the cake to look JUST like the front of the box. Or, I'd fork a bite, and then try to swirl the icing on the bite JUST like the advertising photo. Somehow, it just wouldn't taste as good if the icing didn't have a fancy swirl! So, whenever I get treated to the opportunity of doing a classic homestyle iced wedding cake, I have fond memories of those early attempts to "decorate" a cake to match the front of a cake mix box. :-)

While we're mentally digging into those fluffy looking buttercream-covered tiers, I may as well share that the taller tiers are chocolate chip cake with three layers of milk chocolate whipped ganache filling, and the short tiers are a moist, homestyle pumpkin cake with cream cheese filling. "I'll take one of each, please...."

I hope you are all enjoying the fall weather!!!!!

Mitzvah and Baby Blessings

2011-09-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

Three cake projects this past weekend....one was a four tiered scroll cake for The Inn at Lambertville Station, which is my awesome weekly venue....

The next was a Bat Mitzvah, done at the Forsgate Country Club in New Jersey. The lucky girl was having a fancy shopping, shoe, and handbag theme! She picked out the cake design she wanted completely, plus sent me the Christian Louboutin shoe she wanted me to replicate in sugar, and is completely edible. The cupcakes surrounding the cake were for the candlelighting ceremony, so that the candles did not have to be stuck directly into the cake itself:

Lastly, was a replica of a previous design I have on my website, which is a sculpted stork carrying a bundle of baby bear! Of course each cake is unique and can never be a perfect replica but its basically the same. At the venue they had the party, the caterer had a rule they would not serve any outside cakes. So they served the cake from the caterer, but were able to use my cake for display, and then take it home! Hey all the better....all that rich fudgy cake goodness full of chocolate ganache and chocolate buttercream gets to feed their family and friends for the next week or two! :-) Everything on this cake is edible, with a few internal supports inside that are not edible. The head of the stork and the head of the baby bear are made of rice krispy treats. There is no styrofoam in this cake. The satin is there to give the idea that the stork's long legs are hiding in a cloud of baby sweetness. :-)

I hope everyone is enjoying this lovely fall weather! I just had my first Pumpkin Cappo/Coffee of the season this morning....Mmmmm.... and cake is in the oven as I am typing this, making the house warm and yummy smelling. Have a GREAT week!!!!

Bridgetown Mill House

2011-09-10T12:30:00.000-07:00

Just finished delivering this one to the Bridgetown Mill House right down the road from us in Langhorne...

The cake is iced in buttercream and has fondant vines and gumpaste flowers. Some of the fondant vines are right on the cake, and others are wired a little away from the cake for a touch more realism, per request of the bride. The cake has a bit of a pearl sheen as well. The wooden stand was something the bride had specially made and I think its gorgeous! The cake itself will make a delicious dessert as well, with a moist vanilla cake and three yummy layers of raspberry filling per slice!!!!

Keep posted for more cakes next weekend! Fall is a BUSY cake season!!!!

Last two weekends....

2011-09-07T15:42:00.000-07:00

The past two weeks I've been really busy! I don't have a lot of photographs to show for it, but trust me, there is daily cake going on here!!! :-)

Last weekend I had another lovely wedding at Manufacturer's.... I just love the classic scrolled tiers with flowers!!!!!

This weekend I'm working on FIVE cake projects. The first one I finished yesterday so will post right now...it was actually a postponed cake from the "Irene weekend". This little toddler loves her toy instruments, and loves to say "MARCH!" all over the house, so her mother wanted that to be replicated in cake. So here it is:

Four more projects left this week....three of them will be cakes going to Lambertville so will not be photographed (two of them will be unfinished...lacking flowers upon delivery....and one of them is a simple buttercream party cake) but the fourth cake is a wedding cake that I'll be posting over the weekend once its finished.

Hope everybody here in the PA/NJ area will be drying out soon!!!!! I love fall weather, but its always nicest when its dry enough to go OUT and enjoy it!!!!!

Trip to Chicago and Manufacturer's wedding....

2011-08-23T17:07:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been so quiet lately! Lots going on....plus I think in August there are more people on vacation and less people ordering cakes! The weddings hit hard and heavy again starting next week.....

Anyway....

Two weekends ago I had the privilege of going to Chicago to surprise my sister for her baby shower! I was requested to make a cake for it as well. It is really hard to bring a bunch of cake tools and things with me, and rely on local cake shops for the rest, and then bake in somebody else's kitchen, but I managed....mostly. I had many hiccups....the gumpaste I purchased out there locally would NOT dry, so that was pretty interesting. Then, the only cupcake boxes the store had were these flimsy little plastic things with like 1/4" dips for the cupcakes to sit. Well....after we traveled from my family's area in NW Indiana 2 1/2 hours to Chicago for the shower, EVERY cupcake had fallen on its side, or completely upside down. I could NOT believe it. So I had to arrange the least messed up ones to the front, and some of the completely destroyed ones I just had to take a knife and smooth them round and put them on the back. It was pretty messed up. Luckily, the carved pillow topper survived and the gumpaste dried enough that nothing bent or broke, although I did not care for the shape of the tiered stand as the sizes were not as graduated as I would have liked:

It is REALLY amazing how time consuming it is to put together a cake on someone else's "turf". Haha. I was relieved when my part of the shower was over and we could just sit back and relax the rest of the time! Well, that is, until I arrived home and Southwest Airlines lost my luggage.....I suppose somebody somewhere is enjoying all my strange little cake tools because I haven't gotten anything back yet!!!!

Then last weekend I did a nice tall 6-tiered cake for a bride at the Manufacturer's Golf and Country Club. I will also be doing another tall cake for the same place next weekend. This cake was to have a fresh rose topper which the florist added after I left (I presume):

Well today I survived the earthquake, and hopefully will survive Irene (haha) and will be posting a party cake this weekend, and then several weddings next weekend....

Stay safe all!!!!

Fall/Winter Magazines 2011

2011-08-01T12:26:00.000-07:00

Cakes by Suzy is privileged to be in TWO local Bridal magazines this Fall/Winter 2011!

In the Philadelphia Weddings magazine, Suzy made a ribbon cake for the "Crafty Sewing Theme" the magazine chose for the cake feature:

Also, on page 231 of Brides Philadelphia, you can find my Celtic/Gerbera Daisy cake which is also featured on the Home Page of my website. The color scheme of the cake went along with the "Pretty in Pink" theme shown in the magazine.

I loved the above cake because the middle cake was actually divided in half beneath the fondant, and was split and gifted in boxes for each of the in-laws to signify the two families becoming one. I just thought this was an amazing and thoughtful gift for both sides of the family! The two halves are "buttoned" together with celtic knots.

Don't forget, voting ends for Best of Philly Cakes in several more weeks, so if you haven't voted, please go over and vote for Cakes by Suzy! It will only take a couple of minutes.

NEW!!! Free app for Android users!

2011-07-16T17:38:00.000-07:00

Cakes by Suzy (via 4joystech) now brings you a free app for Android users! Now you can get my blog posts right to your SmartPhone as soon as they are posted, along with all the photos! Stay up with my latest cakes on the go.

Check this link on my website for instructions:
Android App via Cakes by Suzy

Wedding bells

2011-07-16T09:25:00.000-07:00

This week I did three wedding cakes....two were for the Inn at Lambertville Station for whom I have been regularly supplying wedding cakes. I rarely get photos of them, however, because usually the florist adds flowers later on. Eventually I may have some from the photographers to share with you.

The third wedding cake is one that is going down to Le Meridian in Philadelphia...its a design that can be found online, but the bride changed it to her colors of grey/silver and deep eggplant. This cake has supports on the top and will receive her Philadelphia "LOVE" topper on site:

I'll be unavailable for the next couple of weeks as our family will be going on vacation! But stay tuned for more cakes in the future! And if you have a chance, don't forget to vote for Cakes by Suzy for the Fox Philly HotList, if you haven't already!!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!

Another Shower Cake

2011-07-09T19:27:00.000-07:00

Sorry my posts have been less frequent! I have been very busy with cakes...but many of them have been similar buttercream weddings, rather than the unique cakes I usually post on my blog. People are still eating delicious and beautiful cakes every week...I'm just not getting photographs of them!

I did get a photo of this weekend's baby shower cake, however:

I thought this cake turned out so sweet! The blocks were made to replicate some personalized blocks the mother of the baby had. The elephant was a special request as well, in place of a stork. The bows were not in the sketch, but as I stood back to study the almost-finished cake, I thought it needed just ONE more touch.....bows it was. Everything is edible...the elephant and baby are made out of gumpaste (it can be kept as a keepsake, as well) and the blocks are made out of white chocolate with handpainted gumpaste panels.

If you love Cakes by Suzy, don't forget to vote in the Fox Philly Hotlist!!!! (Click below) We really need YOUR vote to help us try to win! THANKS!

Baby Shower

2011-06-25T10:17:00.000-07:00

This week I was gone the first half in NYC (awesome fun!!!)...but then I came home and did this baby shower cake for a customer:

The customer requested most of the little gumpaste pieces for a sports loving family, and a Pepsi loving relative!

If you love Cakes by Suzy, don't forget to vote!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!

Its HERE!!!! The Fox Philly Hot List!!!!!

2011-06-24T19:42:00.001-07:00

Its voting time again for the Fox Philly Hotlist!!!! Cakes by Suzy won the "Best of Philly Cakes" in 2009. Last year, we had a lot of things going on and I was not able to promote my business...however, we would love to come back this year with a vengeance!!!! So please, we need your votes! If you love Cakes by Suzy, let everyone know!!!!

Celtic Wedding

2011-06-11T14:54:00.000-07:00

This week was a really fulfilling week for me for one reason in particular....which was that I had a customer particularly choose me for my own unique cake design. I know this sounds strange...but really...so many times a caker is asked to replicate cakes online that they do not have too many chances to develop their own style that keeps the customers coming back for unique designs. Often, my only custom designs are done on dummy cakes as a display or competition.

Several months ago, a soon-to-be bride was looking online for celtic cakes and found this photo of the one I created, in styrofoam, for the "Let Them Eat Cake" competition in Philadelphia in 2009:

She decided it was the cake she wanted, and she asked a few local (Reading, PA area) bakers if they could replicate it. I guess they were taken aback, a bit...and said they didn't know that they could. Then she realized that the original creator of the cake was only about an hour and fifteen minutes away...and she contacted me for a tasting/consult.

I was so pleased that she loved my creation enough to have me replicate it...this time in real cake!!!! For the "real thing" I built an internal center support pole so that the cake would be sturdy for the longer transport, especially with the fourth tier larger than the third. I also changed a few things from the original....I used a larger base board, again for a stable transport....I made the gold a more "true" gold color...and I changed the color of the piping-gel stained glass pattern to match her wedding colors:

In both cases, the cross is made of gumpaste, hand decorated in royal icing, and airbrushed gold, as well as the hard-to-see little symbolic wedding rings on the second tier.

I was so pleased to re-create this beautiful, unique wedding cake for my customer, and I wish her all the best in her marriage!!!

Most weeks I am also involved in making wedding cakes for the Inn at Lambertville Station. In many cases I am not able to photograph the cakes before delivery because they end up getting flowers or other decorations on site later on, so eventually I hope to have a collection of those photographs to show in a separate blog post in the future, once the photographers send them to the planner at The Inn and she can pass them on to me.

Bat Mitzvah at Four Seasons

2011-06-04T16:29:00.000-07:00

This week was really busy for me, although most of it was dedicated to one project. I had a few smaller things to do like a large sheet cake for a graduation, and cupcakes for some birthdays...but the rest of my time was dedicated to designing and executing this Bat Mitzvah cake (thanks to my friend Stacey Hill for editing this photo to take out some shadows!):

This customer allowed me to almost completely design her cake, other than the fact they wanted topsy turvy style, they wanted a "13" on top, the "Mazel Tov", and later they requested I incorporate the design from the table linens, which, by the way, looked gorgeous in the ballroom at the Four Seasons Hotel in Philadelphia.

I just LOVE when a customer allows me to design their cake! It really allows my creativity to really get going, and I'm able to try out patterns and techniques that I have been wanting to see in my portfolio.

The pink and lime tiers with the "ribbon rosettes" are the tiers I did to coordinate with the table linens, which were pink and lime and had similar satin ribbon rosette shapes all throughout the fabric. I am really pleased with how these particular tiers turned out:

Here is the final setup...complete with 13 cupcakes to hold the candles for the candle lighting ceremony:

Next week I will be doing two weddings...one of which will be a replica of a cake I did for a competition a few years ago (can you guess which one???). The bride, from Reading, PA, contacted me because she found the photo of the cake online and wanted the original designer to make it for her! Stay tuned for photos....

A moment of silence....

2011-05-29T10:35:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to give a moment of silence in prayer and thanksgiving for those throughout American history, past and present, who gave their lives that our country may be free. Let us never forget these brave men and women, and let us never take for granted the liberty we enjoy today. Let us also be cautious of those who would take our freedoms away.

............

I had three cake projects this weekend...today I just wanted to share my favorite one. This cake was ordered by a bride as a surprise for her groom down at the Union League in Philadelphia. I hope maybe someday I will be able to see a photograph of his face when they bring it out!

This cake was supposed to be 25 servings...but once I got the stand built, it turned into a bigger project than I intended. Well, that's okay...it will be a great conversation piece, and the deliciously moist pumpkin cake with cream cheese filling inside will definitely NOT go to waste.

Enjoy your holiday weekend, and stay safe, everyone! Check back next week for a big topsy turvy Bat Mitzvah project I'll be doing.

Graduation weekend!

2011-05-15T10:06:00.000-07:00

Happy Graduation to all our local grads!!!! What an exciting time for the area students. Today I will post two graduation cakes I did for the weekend....

The first was for the Harrison College House (U of Penn) in Philadelphia. They had many logos and themes they wanted incorporated into the cake, most of which were condensed into this VERY cool t-shirt they made (and being a Dr. Seuss lover, I think its a GREAT shirt!!!!):

I love how they incorporated different things into this "book" graphic. So neat.

Anyway....I took this theme and translated it into a topsy turvy cake. They wanted additional logos and the house crest, as well as had suggested some random windows to make the cake tiers look somewhat like an abstract form of their dorm building:

Congrats, Harrison College House!!!!

The next cake is a takeoff from a Pink Cake Box design, which the grad's mother wanted altered to fit her daughter's theme:

I also had a cake that I did for a friend this weekend as well, for a baby's first birthday, but did not get a photo of that one.

Best wishes and great future careers for all you college grads!!!!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

2011-05-07T15:33:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to tell all you moms "Happy Mother's Day"! Hope you have a wonderful, spoiled, pampered weekend, and hope all my other readers are doing the same TO their moms!!!!

Real quick I'll post a small cake I did this weekend...it was just for a small wedding but was the first order I filled for The Inn at Lambertville Station. I will be the main cake provider for this venue starting, well, today! I'm really excited about this new partnership.

This cake is great as-is, or even prettier with fresh flowers scattered along the different tiers. The foil is a purple color but came out blue in the photo....

Next week is a busy week for me, so be sure to check back for some cool cake photos next weekend!

Why hire an Independent Cake Artist?

2011-05-04T11:30:00.000-07:00

In the Philadelphia area, there are HUNDREDS of bakeries, cake shops, and cake artists to choose from. How does a bride (or any party host or planner) know how to choose which one is right for their job?

Obviously I cannot tell you who to choose (although around here, we tend to be biased!), but I can definitely share some advantages of hiring an independent cake artist to do your special event cake.

First, by hiring an independent baker, you are avoiding the chance of miscommunication. At many bakeries and catering shops, you discuss your cake design with someone who has been hired to do the consultations...but they do NOT actually work with cake. If they do not actually work with the cake, they may not have the same vision you have for your cake, and they may not be able to help you understand all your options. With an independent baker, you are working with the same person start to finish. I am the only one my customers talk to....from the very first email or phone call, through the consult or tasting, and all the way to the finish and delivery of the cake (although at times my husband does the delivery!). There is never a chance of a miscommunication, or a detail being left out...because the same person you are sharing your vision with is the same person who will be carrying out the project.

Second, by hiring an independent caker, you may be able to save money on a bigger, more unique design. Now, my prices are generally comparable to local, high-end bakeries as far as regular tiered cakes. However, if you ask any major bakery or cake shop for a sculptured or strange/unique design, you are going to need to be ready to shell out, often, thousands of dollars, and that's if the shop has the ability to pull off the design in the first place. An independent caker with experience in sculptured work will be able to give you your crazy ideas, sculpted out of cake, at a fraction of the cost that the "big name" cake sculpturers, would charge. For instance, Charm City Cakes will not sculpt a cake of any size for under $1000, and their new "cakes for two" start at $250. Doing your research on the ability of your independent caker could save you hundreds of dollars on a cake the same quality as the "Big Bakeries" make.

Last for today....quality and attention. An independent baker may not be able to take as many orders per week as a regular bakery, and often, a good independent baker will be booked months ahead of time due to their limitations. However, if you are able to get on their calendar, this can be a good thing! This means that the entire focus of the baker/cake artist will be on YOUR project. Your cake will not be "just another order" in an assembly line of cake. The week of your event, your cake may be one of only two or three projects that are carefully baked fresh to order, filled with fresh, homemade fillings, and iced with creamy buttercream made with fresh butter. Then, it will be decorated carefully according to each detail that was discussed in the original phone/email/personal consultation. There will be no rushing to meet a deadline or to finish the next cake, because the independent cake artist has carefully worked their schedule to make sure there is time to complete each cake in a professional manner, with attention to detail.

In a nutshell, hiring an independent cake artist is basically a "boutique" experience, with full attention being placed on you, and on your cake....not only the appearance, but also flavor and texture.

Be sure to plan your event early enough to get on the schedule of an independent caker. Once you get your spot...enjoy your experience! There are many, many choices in today's high-competition market, especially with specialty cakes being such a hot item these days with the rise of tv shows such as "Cake Boss" and "Ace of Cakes"....but you can't go wrong hiring a licensed, insured, and highly experienced and competent independent cake artist.

Be sure to check out the Cakes by Suzy website, and email me with any questions you may have. And its never too early to book an event date....even for 2012.....time flies!

Yummy!!!!

2011-04-30T19:14:00.000-07:00

This week I made some pretty yummy cake....it was a taste of summer!!!!

Anyway.....

First was a VERY personalized cake, designed by a wife for her husband's 60th birthday. The top tier has the saying that is on his BBQ apron. The middle tier matches the party napkins. And the bottom tier was made of all the things that were special to him and his family, and made the cake extremely personal:

What you can NOT see is the delicious summer flavors underneath the design! The top two tiers are a fluffy lemon cake filled with vanilla mousse and fresh, plump raspberries. Mmmmm! The bottom tier is a lime pound cake filled with lime curd mousse. Very citrus-y and refreshing!

The other cake for the weekend was another cake in the popular "Toy Story" theme....the mother requested this particular design and also provided the toys. The Etch-A-Sketch and other decorations were made of gumpaste and/or fondant:

Some busy weekends in my future...Keep checking back!!!!

The History of Cakes by Suzy

2011-04-21T09:31:00.000-07:00

Instead of showing cakes this week, I thought I'd just reminisce a bit about the beginnings of "Cakes by Suzy" as we know it today!!!

My interest for caking began, casually, as a teenager. I had sort of a mentor who did wedding cakes on the side for friends and family. One day I went to her house as she was making royal icing roses, and she showed me how. So we sat there for a few hours making roses...I remember being thrilled to make one nice enough she would actually keep and use on the cake!!!!

After that I tried to enter a decorated cake in a small school contest...but I had not been patient enough for the royal icing decorations to dry (last minute) and the cake was a dismal failure. (No pix...that was back in 1991 or so.) I sort of lost interest in caking after that for awhile.

Then in the small college I attended, I worked in the kitchen on scholarship....and was the only one who could pipe an icing border...so each month I would make the sheet cake for the birthdays for that month. Sometimes I would also pipe little roses or flowers or pictures on it as well.

After college, I again laid aside cake decorating. But sometime in 2000 or so I decided to buy a Wilton kit and start up again. A friend of mine was having a housewarming, and I wanted to tackle the cake. I baked up a simple two layer, 11x15 sheet cake and iced it the best I could (droopy corners and all) and then got a house shaped 3D candy mold and painstakingly colored all the details with melted candy...put it together...and put it on top of the droopy sheet cake. I tried to find a picture of this "official first cake" but could not!!! I was so proud of it and everyone else thought it was "amazing" so thus began making cakes for friends in the area.

Back then we did not have much in the way of internet, certainly no YouTube or Cake Central...so I tried to mostly figure things out on my own. I copied party plates by using a toothpick to draw the decoration onto a sheet cake and sold it to friends for $20:

Obviously now there are some copyright laws to follow that I was not aware of at that time! I was just practicing on my friends.

Then, before Charm City Cakes hit the scene, I began trying to work on 3D cakes. At first I just used the Wilton molds:

But then, I tried going a step further...I combined the Wilton bear mold with a Wilton wonder mold to make this for my best friend's baby shower:

Here is another 3D attempt I made, using the Wilton ball pan:

Soon after that, I decided to try to do a tiered cake...so I purchased the Wilton "Tall Tier" stand and did this at no charge for our church anniversary service:

Of course the flowers were silk, the beads were not edible...but I was pretty proud of myself. haha. After that, I did my first "real" wedding:

All the daisies were made of royal icing. I just looked up how to make them in the Wilton Yearbook and went to it!

Soon after that, we moved to the Philadelphia area. I continued making cakes here and there by word of mouth, and also dabbling in sculptured work, which was also an early attempt using fondant...this particular fondant was homemade rolled buttercream:

This was my first car cake.....which in my opinion was pretty rough...but it was also pretty big!!!!

As time went on, I dabbled more into fondant cakes:

At this point I took a quick Wilton Course III to make sure I was doing the fondant right...which I was....although it takes a lot of practice to, first, get the buttercream smooth, and then, get the fondant on smoothly on top.

In around 2006 I was able to obtain a part time job at Conroy Catering, at the Knowlton Mansion in Philadelphia, doing wedding cakes. I was able to get in based on my limited portfolio of cakes and then the training I received there was amazing, to increase my confidence in doing tiered cakes, to teach me more about fillings and icings, and to increase my ability to ice cakes in buttercream, particularly non-crusting types of buttercream. I had to quit after that year because I had a little surprise #4 baby. :-)

Also at that time, my "word of mouth" business had become enough to where I knew I had to work on the legal end...before, I really wasn't pulling a profit nor did I realize there was a legal side to baking from home. When my fourth baby was about 5 months old I got my inspection from the Department of Agriculture, in 2008, as well as business insurance and other inspections that were necessary.

My business has grown slowly, but steadily, and I LOVE that I'm able to do this from home as a part-time job. From the humble cakes at the beginning, I have had the privilege of being in two (going on three) issues of the Philadelphia Wedding Magazine....entered several competitions, one of which I've won....and drastically increasing my sculpting abilities and wedding cake experience.

I love that cake decorating is a learning experience that never ends! With each new cake order I improve my skills and try to learn new things. Just because I have moved from amateur to professional does not mean I do not have more things to learn.... and I hope that in 10 more years I'll be able to blog again showing all the additional COOL things I've been able to do with cake and sugar!!!!

Check back next week for more NEW CAKES!!!!!

Souderton Area Education Fundraising Cake Competition

2011-04-17T09:50:00.000-07:00

This Saturday I had the privilege of attending a cake competition at the Souderton Area High School. This was a fundraising effort for the school district which included a raffle, the competition, and then auctioning off the cakes at the end. Chef Mauro from "Cake Boss" and his son also made a guest appearance!!!!!

The theme of the cakes were supposed to have something to do with education. I had already had it in my mind I wanted to make a puppy cake BEFORE I found out the theme...so when I heard the theme I immediately thought, "The dog ate my homework!" But that's not a very "pro-education" theme...so instead, I changed it to the idea of the dog eating the video game instead (every teacher's dream!).

The dog is made completely out of chocolate cake, iced in chocolate buttercream, covered in fondant, and airbrushed. The controller is also cake, covered in buttercream and fondant. The board was covered in new purchased sticky floor tiles (there is also cardboard between the boards and the actual cake). The props are all edible. The paper says "Rusty pleez eet this homwerk" and Rusty is, instead, guiltily munching on an Xbox controller.

I arrived and I found some cakes that looked REALLY nice so I honestly was not sure if I was going to be able to pull off any sort of win. Its always fun looking at all the cakes...there were around 18 Professionals and about 20 Amateurs (some of those were pretty amazing, too!!!!).

As the judging began I waited with my camera to see Chef Mauro go around with his judging pad, along with other judges:

Looking at my cake.....and then I guess it wasn't convincing enough that it was cake, so.....

He poked it! haha....I was standing right there and helpfully volunteered that the puppy was, indeed, ALL CAKE.

Still judging...notice the great cake right next to mine with an adorable owl....I definitely thought her work was superb as well.

I was so happy and surprised to find I had won First Prize!!!!! I had my doubts due to some other really nice cakes and also because I was finding a few people not understanding the "punchline" to my cake. In the photo above, the auctioneer is saying "SOLD" as he finished off the auction. I hope they were able to raise lots of much needed money for the school!!!!

And here is me and Chef Mauro.....so cool!

And then I went home to finish my last cake order for the week, which is being delivered by my dear delivery-boy-husband as I type:

This design was taken from several Dr. Seuss cakes floating around online...the customer requested this particular combination, along with 24 matching cupcakes.

This coming week is a break for me to catch up on the house and some other much needed projects, and the following week I will have more cakes again. I do have an idea for a non-current-cake post, so if I have time this week, I'll try to get it up...so stay tuned!

Let Them Eat Cake Philadelphia 2011

2011-04-12T13:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the 7th Annual Let Them Eat Cake in Philadelphia! Its always such an exciting event. It was my 4th time competing in the Wedding Cake Competition, against nearly 40 other top pastry chefs in the Philadelphia area.

Unfortunately I was not able to bring home any awards. But there's always next year! I would still like to share my cake with you, as it still has a place in my heart. My cake told a story, and during the time I was creating the cake, I felt like the characters really came alive and I fell in love with this couple and their story. Even though the cake was not really an eye-catcher or a traditional design, there will always be a special place in my heart for it!

The theme this year was "Historical Romance: Love in Any Age". So I dedicated my cake to all the couples from whom war stole love, romance, and wedding cake. I could not help but think of all the engaged couples, especially during the World Wars, who were ripped apart...and one half never came home. This cake is dedicated to the sacrifice all these dear people made. It will never be forgotten.

The idea was that the girl, based during the time period of World War II, was at home worrying desperately about her fiance, who had left for war some time before and she had not heard from him. She did not know if he was alive or dead, and she was sitting at her desk writing a poem and thinking of her beloved. The poem on her desk is enlarged in the front of the cake on a piece of pink stationary. It was actually a song I altered slightly, written by Locke Hamilton, and actually has a Celtic origin:

"As I walked out upon the evening fair, and an Eagle flew high above my eyes,

I wondered that I must be tied to this earth, and that he can ride the wind so high.

If I were such a creature, I'd surely fly away, across the boundless ocean wide

In search of my love, far over the waves, for his parting has been a great while.

For when he weighed anchor he said he'd come again, and I know him never to be false.

If he's come to some danger, then I'll go to him, and there take my gladness or my loss.

So give me some wings, and I shall sail the skies--to northern fair winds I will go--

Let the stars be my compass, the tradewinds be my guide,

And my knowing bring peace to my soul.

Let the stars be my compass, the tradewinds be my guide,

And my knowing bring peace to my soul."

I don't even think many people read the poem, but its still one of my favorite songs/poems ever!!!!

The light on her desk really lit up, and the radio on the cake contained a small mp3 player that was loaded with genuine news broadcasts from World War II--Pearl Harbor, and Normandy, among other clips. Unfortunately it was not loud enough to be heard above all the other noise of the event.

Below is a close up of the girl's fiance, stuck in the wet, muddy trenches, bombs dropping all around, and he is pausing to look at a well-worn photo of his girl as he tries to rest his wounded leg. He wonders if he will make it home again to her, as sand pours from a sandbag behind him.

Everything on the cake is edible except the light bulb and hidden mp3 player, and a few supports. The people are completely made out of gumpaste and the tears are isomalt sugar. The window is also isomalt sugar. Everything else is made out of various sugarpastes including the furniture.

I hope you enjoyed looking at my project as much as I enjoyed creating it! I am looking forward to next year!!!!

This week, Part One

2011-04-09T08:06:00.001-07:00

This week I had a couple of small orders...so I am posting one of them here as "Part One" of my week...... this was for a small confirmation party. The customer requested the cross, rosary, and dove...and the colors of ivory and purple and blue (mainly), and asked that it be kept simple and somewhat modern (not too frilly). So this is what I came up with:

The reason I say "Part One" is because Monday is "Let Them Eat Cake" at the Loews Hotel in Philadelphia! I will be attending that, and can't wait to blog about it when I return...stay tuned!!!!!

We Love LIFE!

2011-04-02T11:19:00.000-07:00

This cake was ordered by a loving wife to celebrate her husband's 10th anniversary of life after having a heart transplant. What a great reason to have a party!!!!! The design was difficult to narrow down but eventually they wanted it to pretty much center on the "Donate Life" logo. The Porsche is the husband's "baby" so they wanted that incorporated, as well as themselves and their cute little dog. So we settled on this design, which represents the couple on a fast, fun ride on the exciting journey of life that he's had since being given the gift of life 10 years ago:

The Porsche is a real model that he will be able to have as a keepsake. The figures are made from sugar and will also be able to be kept along with the car! The base board is actually cut into the shape of a heart.

I wish this dear couple many, MANY more years of a HAPPY life ahead!

Strike up the Band!!!

2011-03-26T11:21:00.000-07:00

Well after last week's drum cake it was only right that we have another instrument to add to our cake band!!!! This is a Gretsch Country Gentleman's Guitar for a customer's husband. This cake was designed to be about 75% of life-size scale

Underneath that "wood" body is about 30 servings of rich, fudgy, moist chocolate cake surrounded by light chocolate buttercream! Yummy.... The neck is made of supports and fondant...the hardware is gumpaste (sugar)...and the strings are embroidery thread to add a realistic touch to the cake.

Check back next week to see the cake I'll be making for a guy who's beaten the odds for 10 years and really deserves a great cake!!!!

Dancing with the Stars....

2011-03-19T18:22:00.000-07:00

This week I had a pretty neat design to work on....the customer pretty much designed this herself, as far as the idea. Then I just had to make what was in her head come alive as cake!

The "Birthday Boy" was a tap dancer, and evidently played the drums as well. She also wanted the look of the shoes walking down the drums...because we wanted to show off the look of the drums without distractions, we decided to put footprints along the base of the cake, and then just arrange the (completely edible!!!!) tap shoes on top to look as if they are about to tap right down the side.

The cake serves between 100-115. The bottom tier is chocolate with mocha mousse, and the top two tiers are lemon with cream cheese filling. Each tier is iced with a light whipped buttercream and then covered in fondant. The sugar decorations on the cake, particularly the edible shoes, took several days to make completely, and the cake also took several days to completely assemble (because certain items needed to set up and harden properly before work could continue.)

Below is a closer shot of the handmade sugar shoes:

Then I also delivered a small wedding cake for a little intimate ceremony and reception at someone's home. I actually really like how simple and delicious this cake looks, sitting on their side table. I've done this design before with other sizes of tiers, but I just thought I'd post the design again, since it makes my mouth water just looking at it!!!!

Check back next weekend for a pretty LONG cake project I'll be posting!!!! Can you guess what it will be?

CANDY!!!!

2011-03-05T15:00:00.001-08:00

I adore candy. Its one of my favorite things ever!!! If a new candy comes out, I totally want to try it out, whether its chocolate with pop rocks mixed in, or a Nerds rope, or a new flavor of M&M....I'm there!!!

So of course the Bat Mitzvah I did this weekend was up my alley!

The customer requested that I copy a cake originally made by Coco Paloma Desserts (so this cake design is NOT original to me). So that's what I did, with only a few small adjustments....anything that was "wrapped" was handmade out of sugarpaste, plus all the lollipops were also handmade. Anything unwrapped was real candy, because we agreed that would be more fun for the kids! Plus that way I was able to really pack the cake with candy goodness.

Each "box" is 6" tall of cake goodness, separated midway by a cake cardboard so that it can be served similar to two tiers per box. Also, there is cake inside the three smaller bag/boxes as well. Tonight the guests will be eating red velvet cake with cream cheese filling, as well as chocolate chip cake with peanut butter cup filling.

Here is a photo once I got it set up....I made a few small adjustments as far as where some of the larger candy was sitting, for better color contrast...plus, in this photo the cupcakes for the candle lighting ceremony are also in place.

The room at Meadowlands Country Club looked TOTALLY amazing....all the tablecloths were done in silver sequins, and all was decorated in pink and candy as far as the eyes could see!!!!! There were even jumbo pink and white marshmallows hanging from the ceiling over the tables. WAY cool.

What a fun party it will be tonight!!!!!

Back in Business!!!

2011-02-26T10:17:00.000-08:00

Well I'm back! January and most of February were somewhat slow as far as actual cakes, although I did several tastings and consults, and worked with some venues as well to plan some wedding cakes for the year. The beginning of the year seems like a great time to plan all the parties for the rest of the year! And my calendar is definitely beginning to fill in for the rest of the year.

My main cake this weekend was for a 30th birthday. The client had a list of 30 things the "birthday boy" liked. I was not sure how to incorporate 30 totally different items to where the cake would not look cluttered with "stuff". Finally I decided the best way would be to wrap the tiers in edible image collages. I think it all tied together very nicely!!!!

My other cake this weekend was not something I regularly offer, but it was for a friend....this is a full sized sheet (serves 60) and just incorporates the very first cake decorating skill I learned, long ago as a teenager at a mentor's house....the "Wilton Rose". We would sit around the table making royal icing roses for her cake projects...if I actually made a nice one, I would feel so proud that she kept it to dry for her project.

Fondant has replaced so much of the buttercream piping skills that decorators used in the 60's and 70's and 80's..... but its fun to just go back and put some buttercream roses on a sheet cake every once in awhile!!!! After all, a buttercream rose is MUCH faster than a gumpaste one....and its yummier too! :-)

I'm still here!!!!

2011-02-05T18:36:00.000-08:00

I have not forgotten to blog! January and February are often my slowest months because everyone is recuperating from the holidays as well as planning out future cakes for the year. So I have been busy taking orders and doing tasting consults and speaking with caterers. Its sort of nice to have a small bit of time at the beginning of the year to make new business contacts and work on consultations for future orders.

I've also been planning out my design for the "Let Them Eat Cake" competition in April at the Loews Hotel in Philadelphia. Fun stuff!

Stay tuned for cakes, though, and if you have been thinking about ordering a cake...now is the BEST time to reserve your date! Its never too early to get started planning a cake for a party in 2011!!!!

Mazel Tov!

2011-01-09T19:07:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I was able to do a Bat Mitzvah cake for a repeat customer, for whom I was able to do her son's Bar Mitzvah a few years ago. Its always a pleasure to work with clients for a second time...and even more in the future!

We met last year to plan out and sketch the exact design that the daughter wanted. She was also able to taste and choose three delicious flavors...two of which were in this cake (red velvet with cream cheese filling, and rich chocolate fudge with peanut butter cup filling) and the third in the back as an extra kitchen cake (lemon cake with raspberry preserves) for extra servings. The cupcakes were for the candle-lighting. The entire five tiers were stacked in a showstopping topsy-turvy style:

I am happy to say that even though it snowed nearly all day, that the delivery went smoothly and without a hitch.

I also want to thank my client for the above photo! I had tried to take a few pictures and I just couldn't get my lighting right (I used a white backdrop) but I really prefer the picture she took with the pink lights and satin in the background (above). It is sometimes difficult to take a "studio" type photo of my largest cakes before delivery.

Be sure to book early this year for your 2011 events!

Special Offer for 2011 Brides!!!

2011-01-05T07:33:00.001-08:00

Brides...grab this special offer for your 2011 wedding!!! Order a wedding cake this year ($600 or more) and receive this 9" gourmet chocolate groom's cake FREE, loaded with rich dark chocolate ganache, chocolate mousse, and chocolate buttercream--and complete with fancy dipped strawberries, including bride and groom berries right on top!

A groom's cake is traditionally served at the wedding BUT many couples serve it at the rehearsal dinner the night before instead. So either way works.

Just mention that you saw this deal online when you put down your deposit.

Happy New Year from Cakes by Suzy!!!!

Philadelphia Weddings 2011 Spring/Summer

2010-12-27T15:47:00.001-08:00

Next time you are at a local magazine stand, be sure to pick up a Philadelphia Wedding Magazine!!!!

Cakes by Suzy was honored to be asked to do a second cake for the magazine (the first was fall/winter 2010). This issue, the theme was to match certain china patterns. My cake was the first cake in the issue! Check mine out as well as the other gorgeous designs in the center section. Please excuse the watermark on the picture, it was my amateur freebie way of converting the .pdf to a .jpg..... obviously I need to find a new way!!!!

Each small square of fondant was hand cut and placed in the basketweave pattern individually.....

Brides, be sure to book a tasting with me soon for your 2011/2012 wedding dates!!!!!

2010...out like an....elephant?

2010-12-27T14:52:00.000-08:00

In light of the awesome blizzard the east coast got yesterday, I'd say 2010 is going out like a lion!!!! But MY last cake went out like....well....and elephant and a gorilla. :-)

This cake was done to fulfill a charity certificate I had donated last year, that expired the end of this year. The customer had a brother arriving home from Rwanda, and decided to celebrate with a custom Rwandan-themed cake, with red velvet cake and cream cheese filling:

Both figures were completely handmade out of white gumpaste, and then hand tinted with dry colored dusts and then airbrushing.

And...on to 2011!!! I hope you all are staying warm and dry...that you had a very Merry Christmas...and that you will have a VERY happy New Year!!!!! And check back the weekend of January 8th because the first cake of the year will definitely come IN like a lion....big project!

Take care, everyone!

I'm Back!!!!

2010-12-05T10:12:00.000-08:00

Well, the past two weeks have been pretty crazy! But I'll spare you.....

This weekend I'm uploading a cake from last weekend, as well as two projects from this weekend.

This Alice in Wonderland cake was actually for a Thanksgiving birthday party, and was picked up the day before. The figurines are mostly toys (except the caterpillar/mushroom, and card guys, which are gumpaste) but everything else is edible (except the wire in the tree):

I totally had "We're painting the roses red" stuck in my head for a whole day and a half with that cake!!!!

The next was a project that I ended up doing for a wedding planner I know....they were going to order an entire cake from me but due to some changes in plans, someone else had already ordered the cake...but they still wanted me to do the topper. They sent me a photo of a similar topper made from clothespins for a wedding...but they wanted it done in gumpaste, and for an "Up" themed baby shower. So this is what I came up with, for this little couple, a soon-to-come baby, and their little white dog:

Lastly....an "Atlantis" themed cake (not Disney, but just the mythological city itself). This theme was just infinite...I could have worked on this for a MONTH if I had the time. There were so many details that could have gone into this but staying with time and budget (and room on the board!), this is what I ended up with:

Due to space restraints (the actual cake only serves about 20-25) I was not able to make a large temple to the scale of the people....but I put a smaller one there to represent the temple and other hints of things that would have been in and around the city.

I hope you are all having a GREAT December so far!!!!

Skating Sixteen

2010-11-13T15:36:00.000-08:00

Two cake orders this week!

The first was for a four year old's birthday, and the mother requested a skateboarding park, including a figure of a little brown haired boy on a skateboard....so here is what I came up with:

The backdrop was intended to resemble sort of a "graffiti" message for his birthday...the ramps are all edible, and the figurine is "edible" too....or keepable, either one!!!

The other was a cupcake tower for a Sweet 16 party at Katmandu! It looked like a really fun venue, perfect for a teenager's party. Smelled good in there too! (Its what happens when I deliver around dinner time!!!!) Anyway....

Here it is:

Due to the dark (fun, of course) atmosphere in the hall, I was not able to get a super great photo of the cupcakes all set up...but I tried!

More fun cakes next weekend!!!!! Lots of gumpaste details going on right now.....

Baker's Wednesday--easy homemade dessert ideas

2010-11-10T11:29:00.000-08:00

Today I thought I'd post some easy ideas on what to make for a quick, last minute dessert!

Whenever you bake...if you end up with too much cake batter, just bake it into an extra cake and throw it in the freezer. You can use that later to make cake balls or cake pops (throw cake into the mixer along with a tiny bit of buttercream or flavored creamer, form into truffle-sized balls, chill, then dip in chocolate). Or, you can dice the cake up and layer it with pudding, cool whip, whipped cream, sundae toppings, preserves, pie filling, or mousse into a quick and delicious trifle!

Speaking of mousse....

To make a quick and easy chocolate mousse, you just need cream and chocolate, preferably a decent quality like the Ghiradelli chips. First make a ganache with the cream and chocolate using any of the many recipes that can be found online. Do not make it TOO thick...you want it to still be scoop-able when chilled. Later, whip up some fresh cream with a dab of sugar and vanilla until stiff. (Do not overbeat, or you will end up with butter!) Then fold some of the cooled ganache into the whipped cream. Voila! Chocolate mousse! This is delicious as cake filling...layers in a trifle...or even served in a dessert bowl with a cookie and some chocolate shavings. Try folding in some peanut butter and then topping it with some Reese's cups! Or serve with chocolate/mint cookies and top with an Andes mint.

Lastly, our favorite "last minute dessert" is just plain old Jello cake...or "poke cake". Bake up a 9x13 of your favorite white or vanilla fluffy cake. Take it out of the oven and let it cool for 15-20 minutes. Use a serving fork to poke holes in it all over the surface of the cake, about 1/4" apart. Then use your favorite flavor of jello...mixed with 1 cup of boiling water and only 1/2 cup of cold water...and gently spoon it over the cake so that it goes into all of the holes. Then chill! Top with Cool Whip, and if you have berries on hand, they go well with it, too!

Yum...now I want Jello cake!!!

Enjoy!

Soaring with Eagles

2010-11-06T16:15:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to keep my weekend cake load down just a bit, to make sure I have time to put my full attention to each cake order PLUS not totally forget my family. :-) So this weekend I had two tiered cakes.

The first cake is a three-tiered buttercream cake for a man's birthday. His wife wanted him to have a very special cake, and of the many interests he has, she narrowed it down to a bald eagle. We decided to keep it simple but attractive. The topper is handmade out of gumpaste, done in several steps over the course of two weeks. It was built up on a dowel rod, so that I could put it down into the cake. Inside the top tier is a large straw filled with melted chocolate for support, to help anchor the eagle to the cake without smashing down into the cake with its weight.

Then I took some wire, coated it in chocolate, and arranged it on the cake...adding more chocolate where necessary, as branches.

The tiers were airbrushed and buttercream accents/borders were added...then finally, a fondant banner piped with the message:

The next cake is a wedding cake delivered to the New Hope, PA area. This is a yellow cake filled with whipped chocolate ganache and raspberry preserves....iced in whipped buttercream, wrapped in navy blue ribbon, and then garnished with flowers provided by the florist and left on-site for me to add to the cake:

Sometimes the most beautiful cakes are the timeless, classic designs!!! I love this style.

Check back next week for more custom creations!!!!

Baker's Wednesday! Baking a flat cake.

2010-10-20T16:07:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered why your cakes always dome in the middle? Here are some tips to make sure your cakes come out flat every time!!!!

Domes often occur because the outside is cooking much faster than the inside...so, after the outside of your cake is baked, the inside has nowhere to go, but UP!

The most common reason for this is that your oven's temperature is too high. Try to see what your oven is actually baking by getting an inexpensive oven thermometer and hanging it on the rack while your oven comes to temperature. That will tell you alot! Then, even if your oven does bake on the correct temperature, you should still bake anywhere from 10 to 25 degrees cooler than the recipe calls for...this will help avoid the outside from baking faster than the inside.

Another helpful thing to do is to insulate the outside of your baking pans. Wilton has a product for that called "Bake Easy Strips" that you dampen, and attach to the outside of your pans. This keeps the outside from baking too fast, while the inside is baking. A cheaper way to do the exact same thing is to find an old, clean bath towel and cut it in strips. Then, wet it under the faucet and squeeze out the excess water. Wrap it tightly around your baking pan, and use a large safety pin to secure. Then bake as usual.

If after trying these ideas you still have a small dome, you can still save it by taking a clean towel and gently pressing down on the dome immediately after it comes out of the oven, while its still in the pan. Then, let cool for about 10 minutes, and turn out of the pan onto a rack to cool the rest of the way.

Comment and let me know if you now have flatter cakes! Or upset husbands, if they are used to eating the domes you were cutting off after baking!!!!! :-)

Cars, Cats, and Causes

2010-10-17T14:08:00.000-07:00

The first cake to share this weekend is this sort of "hybrid" Nascar cake! The mother of the groom wanted a "Phillies" themed Nascar, but including her son's favorite Nascar labels ("Miller Lite") as well. She pretty much gave me license to just "make it up" and being the non-sports fan that I am, I hope I did okay with that......

Next, a lady ordered this cat cake for her mom.... it was supposed to be a replica of her mom's cat. They report that it was immediately recognizable, so that's good!!!!! Although hopefully it was not too psychologically difficult to cut and serve! It was NOT red velvet cake, that's a good thing....

Lastly, I was invited to the Macy's "Shop for a Cause" event at the Oxford Valley Mall. There were many vendors scattered throughout the store to make things fun, including Godiva, a Bagpiper, some dancers, and others. So from about 11am-4pm I handed out free mini cupcakes and other handmade, chocolate-dipped treats, and told people about my business. I also had a drawing for a free dessert cake OR $100 off a cake order....and chose a winner as well!!!!

I went prepared with about 350 mini treats and when I packed up to leave a little before 4pm, I only had a handful of chocolate pretzels left! (Which my kids polished off quickly at home for me.) It was a long, but fun, day!

This week I have no cake orders but will be doing some prep work for the following week...PLUS don't forget to check Wednesday for more bakers' tips!!!!!!!

Baker's Wednesday!!!! Baking Soft Cookies.

2010-10-13T17:30:00.002-07:00

I've decided to start a new feature on my blog. "Baker's Wednesday"! I figure that I upload cake photos on the weekend...so halfway through the week I will post some sort of baking and/or decorating tip that readers might find interesting.

Today's tip will be how to bake soft, chewy cookies ALL the time!!!!!

1. If you use a recipe calling for butter or margarine or shortening...use half real butter and half crisco or other vegetable shortening (not butter flavored). The butter makes it taste yummy, but the shortening will help keep it from spreading out too thinly during baking.

2. Use a cookie scoop for evenly sized cookies. The Restaurant Store in Bensalem/Northeast Philadelphia (for you locals!) has a good variety of different sizes so you can make anywhere from bite sized cookies to large, gourmet sizes.

3. Never overbake. Many bakers make the mistake of baking until the cookies are "golden brown". However, after they are removed from the oven, they still continue to bake on the hot metal sheet!!!!! Only bake the cookies until the top looks dry (not shiny like dough) and there is only the vague hint of golden around the edges. Take them out and let them cool on the sheet for 10 minutes, then carefully remove to a baking rack to cool the rest of the way.

4. Bake on parchment paper. It makes cleanup a breeze, and your cookies will never stick!!!! Again, locals--check out the Restaurant Store for great prices on basic metal baking sheets and parchment sheets the perfect size to fit.

5. If your cookies are still getting too brown, try turning your oven down by 25 degrees and see if that helps. Its best to actually put an oven thermometer in your oven to see what temperature its actually baking, and then make adjustments from there.

6. Sometimes the best cookie recipes are right on the back of the package!!!! I get awesome results just using the Toll House recipe, and the Quaker Oatmeal recipe. Otherwise, get trusted recipes from family or friends, or search Allrecipes for the most highly rated and trusted recipes on the 'net.

Happy baking!!!!

Princess Pillows

2010-10-09T08:43:00.001-07:00

This was a quieter week than usual.... I had a couple of tasting appointments and then this fun princess cake for a first birthday!

This is very similar to a cake in my portfolio....but the customer wanted the shoe closed-toe to match the invitation and banner of the party girl...and then to make the overall cake look a little more "girly" including the hearts and blue butterflies that were on the banner. The tiara also coordinates with a tiara on the invitations.

Next week I will have two cake orders PLUS an event at the Macy's at Oxford Valley Mall next Saturday: "Shop for a Cause". If you are around, come get a mini cupcake!!!!

Wedding Week

2010-10-03T20:16:00.000-07:00

Well, this week was wedding week!!!! Its unusual that I have a week with NO party cakes, but this week was it!

My first project, due on Thursday, was a second cake for the Philadelphia Wedding Magazine's Spring/Summer issue. How exciting! I can't wait to see how the finished photography turns out. I also made up a small tasting cake for them to slice and possibly display next to the finished, three-tiered cake.

On Saturday, I delivered this simple-but-classy buttercream scroll tiered wedding cake, garnished with fresh (and might I say, YUMMY!) raspberries and mint leaves:

The top two tiers were rich chocolate fudge cake with whipped ganache filling. The third (down) tier was lemon pound cake with buttercream filling...and the bottom tier was pumpkin cake with cream cheese filling. A nice assortment for the guests!!!!

Next was a wedding cake that had been planned and reserved for nearly an entire year!!!! This couple was planning early in order to have a gorgeous wedding at The Old Mill in Rose Valley, PA. The entire place was decorated in lovely fall colors and pumpkins.

The bride wanted to have a personal touch in everything, and this included her cake. She almost completely designed the cake herself...the 3D pumpkin was her own idea, and then I sent her photos online to help her decide on the design ideas for the rest of the cake. Then, I made a sketch combining what she liked, and she, along with her fiance, declared it final!!!!

So, after months of planning, behold, the delivered cake, shimmering with gold (which is hard to see in the photo):

The pumpkin was completely made of cake, and of course, it was PUMPKIN cake! With cream cheese filling. The tiers were each torted in layers of pumpkin cake and spice cake, and also filled with cream cheese filling. The couple also requested that I add extra spice to their cake, and I must admit the final result was quite delicious!!!!!

I always feel privileged to be a part of a bride-and-groom's special day! Out of everyone in the area, they chose ME to make a special cake centerpiece just for them...and I'm always honored to have a part in each wedding I'm able to deliver cake to!

Of course, I'm honored to create cake for ANYONE who orders one!!!! So check back for next week's projects...as well as watch for a special post soon, giving you an "inside look" at a hectic cake week...you know, kind of like "the rest of the story"...... :-)

Warmup Week

2010-09-25T13:53:00.000-07:00

This week was sort of a warmup week, I think....I had no cakes last week so did some housecleaning and various and assorted other things. This week I had several cakes but nothing too labor-intensive. Next week is going to be total BUSY!!!! But...on to posting this weekend's cakes....

First up is actually a replica of a cake I already have in my portfolio....but the customer wanted fewer flowers and to have it slightly more "boyish" so I reduced the amount of flowers and made them more "boy colors"....gave the monkey some bananas....but otherwise its pretty much the same cake. I do like this newer photo better than my original one:

Next was a rehearsal cake and groom's cake combo. The rehearsal dinner cake was just a delicious gourmet chocolate layer cake, poured in ganache, and garnished with bride and groom strawberries. The bride actually messaged me FROM the rehearsal dinner to let me know how delicious it was!

Then, delivered at the same time to a nearby venue, to be stored overnight, was her surprise groom's cake. She got the idea from a Philadelphia Brides magazine from last year, when my Red Sox cap groom's cake was featured in a "Real Wedding" in the magazine. So she decided to surprise HER groom as well!!!! Not only will the cake design surprise him, but the delicious moist pumpkin cake with cream cheese filling inside will surprise him as well!!!

Check back next weekend for two large wedding cakes, a groom's cake, and an extra surprise project!

NYC and Gardens

2010-09-11T06:37:00.000-07:00

It was a nice, busy cake week this week!!!!

First delivery this week was for a going away party for someone moving to New York City! The customer fully designed this cake and I simply followed her instructions. I did add the stars as an extra. This picture was taken at home the morning of the party:

....and this picture was taken on site after being set up:

Next up is a cake for one of my most faithful repeat customers! Her daughter is having her second birthday at a butterfly garden, so they wanted a cake to correspond with that theme. The mother gave me pretty much free rein on the design (once I know a theme, I LOVE doing that!!!) and this is what we came up with:

The design was created using a combination of handpainted background foliage....royal icing textured flowers, and then fondant flowers to give a depth to the garden. The butterflies, dragonflies, and bees are all edible except the wires. I found the dragonfly bodies to be extremely fragile! But it was so much fun making such a pretty, girly cake!

Last but not least....a themed cake that at first I was unsure as to how to execute. The customer requested two tiers, the bottom of which was to be a full garden behind a white picket fence...and the top was to be the theme of a wolf with green eyes (not howling, so the eyes could be open), a dead tree, and a full moon.

At first I was really stumped as to how to pull the colors and themes together of the bright garden theme and the darker, more mysterious wolf/moon/tree theme. Then I decided to make the entire cake a periwinkle blue, and then just fade up from the garden to a nighttime scene. I ended up very pleased with how it came out:

The tree is wire I twisted to form, and then "painted" in royal icing....the moon is gumpaste which I shaded and airbrushed silver, shaded some more, and sprinkled in edible sparkles. The wolf was made in several steps, by hand (not using a mold) out of gumpaste, fully edible except toothpicks in the legs for support...and then airbrushed/handpainted details.

Next week is a "catching up" week for me (no cakes) but then I'll be back at a full caking schedule the following week...so check back soon!

****As a special add-on...the recipient of the wolf cake has emailed me to let me know the story behind her cake! She is writing a book trilogy that has to do with a fantasy central character who has a magic garden and a picket fence, and another main fantasy character that is sometimes embodied as a wolf with green eyes. So it was really exciting to see the meanings behind the cake...and it was also exciting to see how well the cake fit the theme of the book without my knowing what they all were supposed to mean. Yay!!!! I'm so glad the author loved her cake.***

Old MacDonald lived in Shoe.....

2010-08-28T09:30:00.001-07:00

I had two fun cakes for this week!

The first is pretty much an exact replica of a previous cake I did...which was an exact replica of a cake made by someone on Cake Central (with permission). But it seems to be a favorite for little kiddos with a farm themed birthday! And it IS pretty cute.... this particular cake is a bit smaller than the previous one I made....this one being the smallest two tiered cake I offer, a 9"/6" which serves 30. The barn on top was cut from rice krispy treats (made with caramel flavored marshmallows!) and then iced like the cake. Everything is completely edible:

The other cake was for a bridal shower and was SO much fun to design! Well I guess I didn't have to "design" it too much, because the theme of the party (Bridal Shower) was modeled after a cute, zebra striped pump luggage tag. So the request was to turn that tag into a 3D cake. So...here is what I came up with:

My dear hubby built a wooden support structure which includes a 1" dowel for the heel, and a few pieces of wood to shape the base of the shoe. Then I covered the top pieces of wood with cake cardboards and built the cake on top of that. I used icing and fondant to round out underneath and build the heel. A side shot:

Quiet week next week, just some tasting consults and prep work for a busy cake week to follow!

Its been too long!!!

2010-08-23T18:33:00.000-07:00

Well after a few weeks' "sabbatical" I have turned the oven back on! This past week I did baking for family...this coming week I have cake orders for customers once again!

But about this past week....

Sometimes its just nice to bake for the kids and hubby sometimes! So this week, that's exactly what I did.

I had some nice granny smith apples, so with the hint of fall in the air right now I decided to bake up one of my family's favorites....German Apple Cake! Moist and full of brown sugar, cinnamon, walnuts, and of course packed with Granny Smith apples....then brushed all over with a brown sugar cinnamon glaze and topped with more walnuts...this cake is SO delicious! It also won a blue ribbon at the Haycreek Apple Festival in (or near?) Morgantown, PA several years ago.

(Pssst! I'm also offering this, as one of the three dessert cakes for sale on November 24th and December 24th ONLY this year!!!! Reserve one today!)

Then I began baking cookies...cookies...and MORE cookies, to bag up and freeze for my kids' school lunches.

I had plenty of Granny Smith apples still...so...made some soft oatmeal/apple/walnut cookies:

Then...some chewy soft sugar (snickerdoodle?) cookies...its an old recipe my sister baked as a teenager...and I borrowed it and its our go-to recipe for soft and chewy, comfort-food cookies! Pepperidge Farm has NOTHING on these gorgeous treats:

Of course, you can't bake cookies without baking a good batch of Toll House cookies. Chocolate chip...Mmmmmm.......

I also made the chewiest, peanut buttery-ist, sweetest, most wonderful peanut butter cookies you will EVER taste. Here is one, among the other cookies I tossed into a pile for yummy photography:

Although cookies are not really technically on my "For Sale" menu...I'm in the mood to share! So here's what I'm going to do: Between now and Saturday (September 4...when I will probably be working on a new blog post), post to this article which cookie flavor above is your favorite, and why! Get your friends to post, too! As long as I have 10 or more replies, on September 5th I will draw a random name and you will win two dozen of the cookie flavor of your choice! Locals only please, unless you would like to pay shipping (which can range from $12-$15...seriously..I just shipped some for $15).

Let the cookie contest begin!!!

***As a side note...all eggs used in my cookies AND cakes are local Pennsylvania eggs, and therefore SAFE from the salmonella recall.***

****UPDATE****

Since nobody replied to the blog, nobody won any cookies. *Sniff*

Oh well...don't forget to keep checking back for cool cake pix!

MSU! School days are coming again....

2010-07-25T09:49:00.000-07:00

The summer is flying by! Kids graduating high school and headed to college...and this particular one headed to University of Michigan.

Cake is iced in buttercream, airbrushed, and then accented in dried and handpainted fondant pieces.

Good luck, Scott!!!!

Cakes by Suzy...as seen in PHILADELPHIA WEDDING MAGAZINE!!!!

2010-07-19T16:01:00.000-07:00

And the great news is this...Cakes by Suzy had the privilege of making the COVER CAKE in the fall/winter 2010 issue of Philadelphia Wedding Magazine!!!!!

This issue is the "Sparkle" issue...full of gorgeous, sparkly ideas for fall and winter weddings!!!!

I was thrilled and honored to be chosen to create the cake which was to be used for the front cover/table of contents shot. (The topper is a REAL couple, photoshopped to fit...haha...NOT sugarpaste...)

The tiers are 10"/8"/6", covered in white fondant, quilted, and dotted with crystal studs. (The studs are NOT edible....but look neat in the photo!)

The editors chose several awesome cake artists from the Let Them Eat Cake competition in Philadelphia this year....so don't forget to get YOUR copy and check out the gorgeous cakes in the center article of the magazine!!!!

A special THANK YOU to all my awesome customers...without you, I never would have been able to have the honor of doing this cake for the Philadelphia Magazine.

Busy week!!!!

2010-07-17T07:21:00.001-07:00

Busy week this week!!!!! But hey, that's good for a cake business, right?

First up is a groom's cake for a guy who loves Cuban cigars. Did a little photoshop work (well, my talented brother did that part....) to incorporate the groom's name into a cigar graphic, and this is what we came up with:

Everything on the cigar box cake is edible, except the lid, which had to be made of foamcore so that it would not crack.

Next, a double birthday party for a daughter and a dad! The daughter's cake was requested to be smaller and to be a beach themed round cake with a bikini and flip flops.....

....and the dad's cake was a toolbox, as he is a master carpenter:

Finally, a 3D monkey cake for a little girl. This was made to match the "Mod Monkey" party theme that can be found at party supply shops. The head and legs of this little girl monkey are made out of rice krispy treats, and the body is cake. The strawberries were a special chocolate dipped garnish for a birthday girl who loves strawberries!!!!

That's all for this week but very soon I will be posting something VERY EXCITING!!!!!!! about Cakes by Suzy!!!!!! Keep checking back!!!!

Baptism, Buzz, & Baby's Birthday!

2010-06-28T16:58:00.000-07:00

This week had some fun designs involved! I'm posting three of them, and besides them I also delivered a simple but elegant four tiered buttercream wedding cake with ribbon.

The first was a baptism cake for a little girl. The customer liked my Celtic cake (with stained glass and gold, but had darker colors) so we decided to go with a pastel "stained glass" look and keep the gold...and then to make it look more "girly" and "baby" we added the quilted tier with some pink pearls. In some cases I think a nice photograph really makes a cake look even better, but in the following case, I actually think the cake looked more stunning in person. Maybe because the slightly textured look of the "stained glass" really showed up better in person....

Next was another Toy Story cake....(gee, those are getting popular lately!!!!) This customer wanted a 3D bed, originally, but then we changed it to tiers that were decorated *like* the bedcover and then adapted to tiers...we did add a few "pillows" in there. The customer provided most of the toys on the cake.

The last cake included ALOT of creativity by my customer!!!!! She basically designed her own cake (and I just followed her instructions, with a very little artistic license) and we decided on simple cupcakes with a built-in "zebra stripe":

After I did my part, the customer and her creativity took over!!!! She had decorated her own cupcake stand AND made her own cupcake toppers. She also got all matching favors and lollipops and then also arranged the cake and cupcakes on her stand by herself. I was amazed when she sent me this photo of the attractive and fun table she created for her little baby's first birthday!!!!! Lucky little girl! :-)

This week I actually have a bit of a "break"...a few consults but no big cake orders or anything like that. Which, every once in awhile, its always good to have a "catching up" week!!!! Maybe my toddler will even get the potty training idea this week while I'm "cakeless"....or then again, maybe not....but hey, "fourth time" is a charm?

Maybe????

Lions and Hippos and Flyboats....oh my!

2010-06-19T18:00:00.000-07:00

Busy week this past week!!!!!

First up is a first birthday cake, topsy-turvy, to be decorated in a party theme! Balloons and streamers and fun colors. The cupcakes were a last-minute add-on, but I think the star shaped sprinkles I had on hand and the brightly colored papers worked out just great!!!!

Next is the Wonder Pets! The figurines were toys provided by the customer. The boat ended up a bit too large for the figurines (I had wanted the boat to take up most of the top of the cake) so, being a mom of little boys who watch Wonder Pets, I knew just what to do...add celery! This cake is iced in buttercream with only fondant accents.

Then we have the project that I've been working on for a couple weeks. This was a unique wedding project, for 125 cupcakes, half decorated with handmade lions.....

....and the other half with hippos......

....which seemed to hold some really neat sentimental value having to do with the couple's nicknames. What a fun wedding idea! These peanut butter mousse-filled chocolate cupcakes were then arranged on a tall 6-tier stand and displayed:

Fun stuff!!!!

Not much time to breathe this weekend...another busy cake week ahead!!!!!

2010-06-04T15:36:00.000-07:00

I had several cakes this weekend (it was actually a fairly busy week!!!!) but I'm going to post only one of them this time...because I think it will generate the most interest. Good interest or bad interest, I'll leave that to the viewers....

This customer ordered a cake for her son's birthday....her son is a HUGE Bulls fan. They had found a design online that was a Lakers stadium with basketball and jersey....but they wanted to change it to the United Center with basketball and Bulls jersey. So that's what we did...it serves around 60.

The basketball is an 8" styrofoam ball covered in fondant...the rest of the cake is pure cake and fondant and icing! The top logo was done freehand, due to the fact I could not figure out how to get a transfer done cleanly.

The ironic thing is that this party is kinda nestled into a week when the United Center is big news right now....well, not for the Bulls...but for the hockey games being played there, between Chicago and Philadelphia!!!! The customer and I were thinking maybe she'll need to hire bodyguards to protect the cake from the most avid Flyers fans. Hmmmm..... well luckily, the game THIS week is here in Philly, so the United Center will be innocent, at least during the party.

Next week I have a bit of a break...not a full break, as I'm going to be making 125 figurines for a project due the following week!!!! (And also am going to be potty training my youngest son....I hope....) The week will be so busy between those two things, and other various and assorted doctor and dentist appointments, that I'm so glad I was able to clear the schedule just a bit...but the following week will be jumping right back into caking!

First Comes Love...then marriage...then...twins???

2010-05-29T08:35:00.000-07:00

This week I feel like I kind of fast-forwarded through life!!! Haha...well not really....but first I did this buttercream-and-lilies wedding cake for a friend's daughter (which wedding I also attended...its always interesting to watch what is done with the cake one decorates and delivers!):

The flavors chosen for the tiers were alternating lemon pound cake with lemon curd, and vanilla bean pound cake with strawberry fluff and fresh strawberries.

Her wedding was done simply and very lovely and I think her choice in cakes was perfect...the traditional and feminine cake above AND the delicious looking triple-chocolate groom's cake below. (I think everybody wanted the strawberries more than they wanted a slice of cake!!!!)

The reason I say "fast forward" is because I started with a bride and groom's cake, and then after the wedding I came home to finish up these matching sea turtle cakes for a set of twins!!!!

Not one.....

....but TWO!!!! Feel like you're seeing double?

One of the reasons I love decorating is because it gives me the chance to be a part of big, special events in people's lives. So....my congratulations and best wishes on the marriage of the sweet couple AND congrats and best wishes to the two little guys and their parents on their birthday!!!!!

Next week there will be much to share...

Get well soon, little Charlie!

2010-05-25T18:36:00.000-07:00

One of my regular customers has a dear, sweet little boy named Charlie, who is two years old. Its so much fun to watch families grow up through their cakes each year!!!

Anyway little Charlie has had a rough time of his two years...heart surgeries, a stroke, and other medical issues since birth. But he is the CUTEST little guy, and a tough one too!!!!

This past weekend he had another major heart surgery. Its sooo amazing how kids can just bounce back and recover so quickly...although he's had a few hiccups along the way, he's doing so well! He's so brave, and his family is too.

SO....I thought one of his favorite characters, Cookie Monster, should make a little visit to the hospital and bring him a gift of a cookie! Unfortunately, on the way to the hospital, Cookie got hungry and he sneaked a few bites of Charlie's cookie!!!!! But, since the little guy didn't have a very big appetite, I don't think he minded:

GET WELL SOON little guy!!!!! :-)

Extremely busy weeks coming up, now through the end of June and beyond...so stay posted for more photos and stories coming soon!

Proud as a.....

2010-05-22T20:43:00.000-07:00

This weekend I didn't necessarily have alot of cakes but I did alot of cake work! Alot of prep work going on for a few super busy weeks ahead. Plus I had various and assorted other things going on as well that were NON cake... Also, stay tuned for a very special project I will be working on tomorrow, and posting about early next week.

The cake I did put out this week was for a bridal shower. The customer sent me an invitation...specified buttercream instead of fondant...and the flavor and serving number of the cake. They left the rest up to me! I was pretty much at a loss so I sort of let the cake design itself as I went.

I began by deciding what colors to make each of the two tiers....I alternated a dark base board...then the green from the invitation...then a blue swirled top tier to also resemble the invitation colors.

I had picked up a few peacock feathers at the craft store, so I put a drinking straw into the top tier and poked the feathers down inside the straw. I made two chocolate hearts to help keep the feathers company and give something more to look at on the top of the cake....then I piped some buttercream peacock feathers on the sides of the cake. I ended it with some tiny white dots to help dress up the green tier...sprinkled a few touches of cake glitter...and called it done.

Now if I could only have a personal photographer, I'd be so happy! :-)

Anyway its always fun to do something unique and to have a bit of "artistic freedom" in a cake order...and even though buttercream can be intimidating to a decorator (not as much room for error) this was an enjoyable project for me this week.

Stay tuned, I'll post again soon!

Bridal Shower

2010-05-18T19:54:00.001-07:00

This past weekend I had the opportunity to throw a bridal shower for a young lady for whom I'll also be making a wedding cake in two weeks. I put on quite a few baby showers, but bridal showers are fewer and farther between. But I enjoy them!

Her colors are navy and ivory, mainly....I wanted to do something that is somewhat different from what her wedding cake will be, so I made two separated tiers of cake, each on its own "stand"...the "stands" being actually some pillar candle holders, topped by a stoneware plate, both coordinated to match her colors. I will have to remember that trick for other occasions as well! I was actually quite pleased with how well it made an easy and attractive cake stand:

I should have taken a picture of the punchbowl, as I decided to mold some sherbet in a heart-shaped pan, and it actually looked quite attractive floating in the punch with the pink froth all around the heart. I'll have to remember that for next time, too.

We played fun games like "Guess the Herb", "Guess the Ingredients" (Okay, I guess that one was a bit difficult), and "Make the Wedding Dress" where two teams dressed a younger girl in a toilet paper dress and the bride-to-be got to choose which "dress" she "wanted to wear" on her wedding date!!!!! Fun stuff....

The sister of the bride topped off the afternoon with handmade truffle favors. It was a lovely afternoon and I am looking forward to posting the wedding cake in only a couple of short weeks!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!

2010-05-08T10:44:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to take this time to appreciate my mom!!!! It was her artistic talent and encouragement that has enabled me, even over 13 years after her untimely death, to be able to do the cakes that I do today.

Mom had us doing art at a very young age...using fabric crayons, making felt-and-sequin ornaments for the Christmas tree (and actually using them too...wow, now that's sacrifice! haha), modeling with clay and play-doh, playing with fashion plates (there ya go, all you early 80's kids!), drawing, coloring, and many other fun crafts!!!! She taught us about colors, and how to mix them, and about the color wheel...opposites, putting colors together, etc. She also taught me the VERY valuable lesson that if you mess up...don't cry...just change it in such a way that it looks like you did it on purpose! Most mistakes can be either redone, or changed into something profitable. I think I use that on almost EVERY cake I do! :-)

She has done many works of art...my favorites are the ones my dad still has, because they are beautiful western coyotes and buffalo on barnwood slabs....but here are two of her earlier oil pastel works....pardon the poor quality of the photos!!!!

This lion looks so dramatic in person....obviously I need to clean the glass...ugh...and figure out how to photograph it minus the flash. But the whole picture is just stunning. I guess it makes sense that some of my favorite sculptured cakes to do are some type of animal!!!!

My mom was alot more methodical and patient than I am, and I often think she'd have been such an awesome cake partner! She would have the patience for the tiniest details that sometimes I feel like glossing over or hurrying through.

Although both of her parents were art school grads, all of her talent was natural, and mostly self taught by experience and practice, and of course the great examples of Grandma and Grandpa!

I am so thankful for the artistic background of my family. It has shown itself in such diverse ways in us....my sister has inherited the painting abilities...my brother has inherited the awesome photography talent (I didn't!!!)...and somehow I guess I got the love of food. :-)

So anyway....although after all this time I still miss my mom, I'm so glad that what I'm doing with cake brings back her memory time after time, and that I can keep happy thoughts of her alive through a talent that brings happiness to so many others!!!!

Happy Mother's Day, Mom.

Weekend cakes

2010-05-08T08:56:00.000-07:00

May already...can you believe it?!!! Wow time is SO flying....

Here are some (not all) of the cakes I worked on this weekend:

The first is a wedding cake that had a really unique message in it...the middle tier is actually divided internally into halves. The fondant on the outside was scored at the division site and then "connected" with celtic knots and little pearls. The symbolism of this was to show the joining together of the two families in the marriage, and the tier would be divided and boxed up as gifts for the inlaws after the reception. The top tier was for the couple's anniversary...so the bottom tier and the cupcakes were served to the guests. The scrollwork and daisies were inspiried by her invitations. I just LOVE the topper she chose:

This next cake was almost a replica of a previous cake I had done, but the customer (who ordered all the way from New York!) wanted a few color changes in the cake. All of the Abby figurines and topper are purchased:

And this little sweetie is actually an anniversary tier for a couple who had a very elegant black and white wedding cake...mostly just white with black ribbon, but the bottom tier also included black piped scrolling. The sweet couple is now expecting their first baby, a little boy, and the husband requested that as a surprise I incorporate that into the anniversary tier. So we have the black ribbon and a bit of scrolling to represent the wedding cake, and then a blooming flower opening to reveal a sweet sleeping baby, and a bit of blue sprinkled here and there to represent it being a boy. Happy Anniversary!!!!

Back to work again!

2010-05-01T19:09:00.001-07:00

After a week off from caking, I'm back at it again in full force!!!!!

This weekend, my orders included a Minnesota Vikings cake....the customer gave me a list of everything she wanted on the cake and allowed me to come up with the design:

A shopping bag cake. I always think its very sweet when husbands take the time to order a really special cake for their wives!!!! Especially when they put thought and time into helping come up with a design! Everything you see below is edible. I have blurred the face on the photo for the privacy of my customer:

Then, I put on a Ladies Tea at my church. I made carnation corsages (first time for everything!!! Too bad my sister in law, who is a florist, lives all the way in ALASKA!!! I needed her today!!!!)....another lady decorated the tables...and we collected many different teacups and saucers, one for each lady:

I also made the little mini desserts...well God made the strawberries...but I put them in cups. haha. And made the snowball cookies.....

....and chewy chocolate chip cookies....and triple chocolate cake bites.....and plain and cherry mini cheesecakes:

We had soup and sandwiches too, which another GREAT cook in our church did for us.

Busy week! And I will be hitting the ground running for this next week as well! See you again next weekend......

Let Them Eat Cake, 2010!!!!

2010-04-13T15:18:00.001-07:00

I always look forward every year to "Let Them Eat Cake", a charity wedding cake competition and cake tasting event that supports City of Hope. It was held at the gorgeous Loews Hotel in Philadelphia, and as always (this was my third year) it was so fun to look at everyone's works of art and meet some great people from the area, all milling around and getting sick on over 35 pieces of cake. haha. Mark Kingsdorf of Queen of Hearts Wedding Consultants and others did a wonderful job, as always, setting up and running this awesome event.

The theme this year was "A Wedding Through a Child's Eyes". It was SO difficult to think of what to do...initially I thought of doing a princess or castle...but I really don't like doing super girly fancy stuff...and besides I thought everyone else would think of it. (I guess everyone thought everyone else would do it, because nobody did!!!!) Then I thought about doing candy....but that is not very wedding-ish, even though its like my favorite subject matter ever....thought about doing legos, but I was too lazy to make all those mind-numbing blocks.... so I reached back to my absolute all-time favorite childhood character/author for my inspiration....

Presenting:

The Cat in the Hat came BACK!!!! This time he came bearing a four tiered wedding cake for a precious little Who-couple who were (are?) crazily in love:

As usual, the fish was trying desperately to hold things together and keep his sanity at the same time.

The top tier was real cake, the other three tiers were dummies for the sake of the show. The fishbowl was styrofoam...the fish was rice krispy treats...and the Cat in the Hat is made out of like two whole batches of rice krispy treats! The little Who-couple was made by hand out of gumpaste. They captured my heart somehow and now they are sitting on my dresser in my room. :-)

I didn't win anything this year, but there's always next year! I will say you totally need to check out the Cake Art Studio on Facebook to see her fairy themed cake, which won "Most Artistic". Days of work went into her creation, and the little gumpaste fairies were just gorgeous. I wonder if she has that on her dresser in her bedroom? She should... :-)

As a bonus, I got to experience the Reading Terminal Market for the first time . Wow. Now THAT was an experience...but the cajun food my husband and I settled on was outSTANDing. Yeah...I'll be back!

Until NEXT year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last week sampler

2010-04-13T15:13:00.001-07:00

I had a VERY busy cake weekend this past week....I will post two of my several cake orders today!

The first one was a groom's cake....I was to replicate the groom's second love...his cat! And the cat LOVES to sit in boxes. This is a real (clean, brand new) box which contains a completely edible kitty....all done, including the head, in red velvet cake. I don't know if that was done on purpose or not...haha.

This one was a fun one to do...I love anything western, and I love Toy Story! So, using purchased figurines, I designed this as a combined birthday cake for a little boy and a little girl. Their favorite figurines are on top, with the others bearing the "Happy Birthday" message!

Now, on to post about Let Them Eat Cake....

2010-04-03T06:47:00.000-07:00

Three cakes this weekend....all so different! But that makes it fun!

The first cake went to a customer who was going to last night's Phillies game...so she got his pet cat in cake, wearing a Phillies jersey! Meet "Cooper":

This was for a sweet 16 party...its a variation of a cake design by Pink Cake Box. The only thing that made this cake a bit difficult was that it had a pudding filling! I wasn't thinking when I accepted the filling order...but hey it worked this time...and next time I will be more careful about what filling requests I accept for topsy turvy designs!

This is my favorite one of the week for some reason...its for a bridal shower and sunflowers are so fun! I did a hibiscus cake a couple years ago similar to this design so I was so excited to try it out in a sunflower this time. The cupcakes are going to be boxed up by the client as favors. I hope this soon-to-be bride will have a sun-filled marriage! This is certainly a cheery way to start things off.

Next week is a big week with multiple cake orders AND....

LET THEM EAT CAKE!!!! Come see me and taste my cake at the Loews Hotel in Philadelphia on Monday, April 12 for the biggest wedding cake competition in Philadelphia. The theme is "Wedding Through the Eyes of a Child". My planned cake design is a secret...stay tuned!

A "pretty" good weekend!

2010-03-13T07:51:00.000-08:00

This week I got to do some pretty cakes! Of course its always fun to make cakes for boys too, but sometimes I just love to do some "girl stuff"! This week definitely fit the bill.

The first order was a last minute order from a past customer...always fun to do purses and bows in PINK!!!! The straps were a bit of a challenge and had to make some last minute adjustments to make these work. Purse straps are always interesting to make stand up straight, and every new purse cake is a learning experience in how to make them better...and I have some new ideas to try for next time!

This one was fun...and I guess its unfair to say its "girly" (even though it is!) because its for a man too! This is for a sweet couple's 50th anniversary...50 "Golden" years and still together! Its an example for us all! I loved doing the golden-pearl stenciling on this cake and hope to have many more opportunities to incorporate this design into future cakes.

Happy Anniversary to a special couple!!!!

....and when you wish, you wish for fish!

2010-03-09T08:47:00.000-08:00

Last year, I did a cake for a client that incorporated several things for the "birthday guy". He collects handpainted wooden fish, and runs a coffee company..so we put the fish in the coffee mug for his birthday cake:

This year, we decided to go with another handpainted fish (he collects them, right? Who says they have to be made out of wood?) but this time with the theme of Eagles football, as he is a huge Eagles fan:

Hopefully this year, all his fishes....I mean wishes....come true!!!!

2010-03-07T12:23:00.000-08:00

Had a busy weekend! I won't post all the cakes I did but here are some of them....the first is a quick cupcake tower I did for a baby shower we had at church. The baby is made with fondant using a silicone mold, and then when it dried I hand dusted it with a hint of color. Other than the fondant blankets, the rest is buttercream.

These cookies were made to match a baby's first birthday plate design the customer emailed me. There was also a matching cake to go with it, flat cut out and iced in buttercream.

And here is a cake done for a lady turning...you guessed it...70!!!! The client requested a theme of purple and gold, similar to another cake I had on my site that was originally green, white, black, and silver. I hope she has a WONDERFUL day!!!!

Now more cake is in the oven for a rare Tuesday cake order...will be posting that one soon!

Fun and Fancy

2010-02-27T08:03:00.000-08:00

This week felt like the calm before the storm...next week I will have alot of photos to share!!! I finished this week's projects a day early to make sure I got them done before we lost power in the "terrible, crippling blizzard" that was forecast. As it turned out, we ended up with maybe 3 inches of snow!!! Anyway....

Here is a cake for siblings sharing a birthday party...its always so fun when each gets their own cake even if they are sharing the date!!!!

And this for a regular customer...a Princess theme for a man's "princess" wife...what a guy, eh? I'd say it takes a good one to order a fancy cake for his wife!!!! Very sweet.... (in more ways than one!!! You know...cake...get it?)

I also had a third smaller order that went out, but as it contains an edible image of their little (CUTE!!!) kiddos I am not going to publish it online.

Showers and Puppies and Cars...Oh My!

2010-02-22T09:36:00.000-08:00

Another fun weekend! First, a Disney "Cars" cake, carved into the number "4" for the special birthday boy...and using the Disney playset for cars and sign. The best part about this cake is that its kinda like a Happy Meal...you get to keep the toys!

Next, a bridal shower cake. This design is not original with me but was replicated (but not exactly) from a cake found online on a cake/party website. Still...cute design!

Last but not least, the replica of a customer's labrador puppy! (Well he's a BIG puppy...not exactly a newborn...but then labs grow fast!) Dogs are my favorite animal so I always enjoy attempting to replicate them in cake.

Hope everyone had a GREAT party this weekend!!!

2010-02-15T16:28:00.001-08:00

Here are the cakes from this past (BUSY) weekend!!!! The princess castle was to go with the "Disney Princess" party set. Its done in buttercream with fondant accents, valentine lollipops, and ice cream cone turrets dipped in yummy white chocolate. Also given a final spray of edible pearl luster. Then there was an Abby/Elmo cake with figurine candles and lots of fun stars for the special little birthday girl!....a towering cake display for a group of kids going to the Cirque Mechanics "Birdhouse Factory" show in Princeton. The ball is styrofoam, for effect...and the topper is handmade out of heavy wire and a gumpaste figurine acrobat, and lots of sparkles.........and a sweet engagement ring cake for a happy couple. The sugar gemstone was provided by Truly Custom Cakery....thanks Stacey! I then set it into a "ring" made of gumpaste and a few toothpicks for the setting and painted with silver dust. The box was also pearlized.

Fun BUSY weekend!!!!

2010-02-15T16:17:00.000-08:00

What a busy week! Four cake orders as well as a bridal show in Langhorne, PA to attend. The bridal show was fun...it was a smaller affair but I think because of that there was more time to chat with the brides and answer questions. They definitely went through the cake, which was great! (A few guys even came back for seconds!) I served rich chocolate cake with dark chocolate ganache and chocolate buttercream.....homestyle pumpkin cake with cream cheese icing....and yellow vanilla cake with blackberry preserves and sweet buttercream. One lucky winner also won a heart shaped rich chocolate cake covered in ganache and red roses, as well as a free groom's cake with purchase of a wedding cake. Congratulations!!!!

Here are the cakes I displayed on my table:

Zumba

2010-01-27T05:53:00.000-08:00

I guess in this job one learns something new every day!!!! I had never heard of "Zumba" before last week. But a client called and ordered this cake for her dance/fitness "Zumba" instructor. The shoe is made really cool in that the sole kind of "skips" in the arch-area of the foot to give more mobility and flexibility.

Hm. Neat. I found some pink ones online that I want now. :-)

Stargazing

2010-01-23T17:09:00.000-08:00

This cake was an exciting project! A client ordered a telescope cake and we wanted to go all out for this one.

The tripod is real...and then there is a support board screwed on tight to the top...with a bit of styrofoam underneath to round out the bottom. On top of the board is chocolate chip cake with ganache filling, and vanilla buttercream, carved into a cylinder. The entire scope was then covered in fondant and airbrushed/handpainted.

The cake was fairly large, to serve 40.

Happy Birthday, Bob! :-)

Cuppies!!!

2010-01-22T12:25:00.000-08:00

I have gotten to where I really love doing cupcakes! These are for a small bridal event at Swoozie's gift shop in Warminster, where I will be on Sunday afternoon. So much fun!

These cupcakes are white vanilla cake with a dollop of filling (either strawberry, raspberry, or chocolate ganache...surprise!) with buttercream icing and fondant accents along with some white nonpareils, gold edible glitter, and a gold dragee.

Fisher Price Fun

2010-01-16T15:38:00.001-08:00

This weekend I had a fun little order to match a child's favorite toy. I can't imagine the wonder and excitement for a child to watch his mom cut into a toy! Well I HOPE its wonder and excitement, anyway!

The only bad thing about this cake is that I learned a hard lesson. From now on, any photos I accept via cell phone, I need to keep them right in front of me during a Google search! Little did I know that there are TWO versions of this cookie jar toy!!! One is the toy above...the other has somewhat different coloring and a different expression on the face, although its the same shape and basic design.....

...yeah.....

....you guessed it....

My Google search brought up the wrong one, and I didn't realize there were two to choose from. Well...at least its a cute cake, and its ALMOST right...and my gracious customer will be getting a coupon tomorrow to make up for that part of the "almost" that was not accurately decorated.

Welcome Baby!

2010-01-09T15:43:00.001-08:00

This weekend I had a delightful time decorating this cake in particular. The topper was made using my new First Impressions baby mold. Its out of gumpaste and then when dry, shaded with petal dusts and a tiny bit of food color on the end of a toothpick.

The remainder of the design was made to coordinate with the "Daisy Garden" theme from Pottery Barn Kids...with some small changes as the customer requested theme colors of green, pink, and ivory.

My only problem is that I am not a good photographer. haha.

Congrats to the soon-to-be parents!!!

Merry Christmas!!!!!

2009-12-19T18:32:00.001-08:00

I hope everyone on the East Coast is enjoying the snowstorm!!!! And I also hope that everyone has a WONDERFUL Christmas this week! Take this time to relax and enjoy family and friends and reflect on God's many gifts in our lives every day!

Merry Christmas and a Happy Cake New Year!!!

Freshly baked cookies!!!

2009-11-13T09:32:00.000-08:00

This weekend I'm donating a large cookie platter to the Bridesmaids Ball in Philadelphia (See their website) to help support Leukemia and Lymphoma victims. If you are going, be sure to try them out! These cookies are well loved among friends and family. :-) Also, be sure to bid on my gift certificate for a free custom two-tiered cake during the silent auction as well!!!!

Baby Shower

2009-11-06T18:10:00.000-08:00

I just love being able to put a personal touch on someone's cake...this one was for a mom-to-be who had chosen a handmade blanket from Etsy ("spotted owl" if you want to look it up)....the design was sort of a hand-drawn, watercolored theme, so I tried to incorporate that into her cake. I think baby shower cakes are some of the most enjoyable and happiest cakes to make!

Raspberries!!!!!!!!!

2009-10-24T17:01:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when we have church fellowships I try to make something different and/or use up ingredients I had left from other cakes.

So this is tomorrow's cake: Pink raspberry vanilla cake with two layers of whipped white chocolate ganache filling and one layer of raspberry curd filling...coated in chocolate buttercream, then poured in dark Ghiradelli chocolate ganache and decorated in fresh raspberries. My only complaint is that when I went to drizzle the top in white chocolate, I realized I didn't have any left...so I thinned some buttercream instead. I do think the white chocolate would have looked MUCH nicer. Oh well.

I'm kinda thinking I'll want to try a piece of this and see if it should make its way onto my cake menu!

Boy's Best Friend

2009-10-17T07:44:00.000-07:00

This cake was done for a little boy who is turning one today! His family breeds chihuahuas, and he must love this one the best since its the one his mom wanted me to replicate. This one is a bit larger than life sized, to feed 40 people! The head is made out of rice krispy treats...the rest is cake and fondant, and airbrushed.

Happy Birthday Jonathan!!!

Baking Day

2009-10-09T16:17:00.001-07:00

So today I baked up a few cakes for a weekend tasting. Along with those, I was experimenting with graham cake. I want a nice graham layer of cake to go along with a S'more's cake I'm trying to perfect...so I wanted an actual cake that tasted like graham.

My first layer overflowed, burned on the bottom of the oven, and smoked up the house. *sigh*

My second layer, with a few recipe adjustments, actually baked up rather nicely! Although I do think its too sweet, and I should have accounted for the sweetness of the crushed graham crackers...and will reduce the sugar next time around. Otherwise it made a pretty nicely textured, somewhat denser cake (which will go great layered with my rich chocolate recipe) that is a little overly sweet.

Anyway I cut the sheet I baked into thirds, filled with some vanilla mousse I had on hand, and poured it in dark chocolate ganache. I should have let it chill longer before I sliced the first piece but...anyway here it is:

Anybody want some cake???? (Please? Come get it???)

Autumn has arrived!

2009-10-08T17:38:00.000-07:00

Along with the breezy cool weather come fondant leaves!!!! I just love autumn...don't you? This cake was a modified (smaller) version of one from Pink Cake Box, which I did last week.

New Blog!!!

2009-10-08T17:33:00.001-07:00

Well I wasn't keeping up on my family blog, so I thought maybe if I made a blog about CAKES I would keep up on it? Who knows. :-) But I plan to try! So keep checking back, I want to make various comments on caking and show photos of cakes and the decorating process.

Until then, here is an awesome YouTube video....enjoy!!!! And if you've ever tried to order a Charm City Cake on a Sam's Club budget, well...you may not enjoy. haha.