Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Baby Cakes!



Babies are so special. A family's first baby is extra special. It is the beginning of a brand new era in the lives of the parents. This particular baby cake is for one of those extra special baby celebrations. We celebrated the upcoming arrival of baby Stella Rayne, my brother Cory and his wife Lori's first baby girl. This baby holds a special spot in many people's hearts, along with Cory & Lori's. On the maternal side, this is the first grandchild for Lori's Mom & Dad and the first niece for Lori's brothers. On the paternal side, this baby will share the name Stella Bainbridge with her much loved and missed great-grandmother Stella 'Nana' Bainbridge. She also is the namesake for Lori's great-grandmother, Stella.

God has blessed me with so many hand picked nieces, nephews and loved ones. Stella Rayne will be my first niece by family relation. God bless Cory and Lori with this new baby girl. I envision her to be a beautiful curly headed brunette full of life and love...
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Thursday, November 19, 2009

Tennis Cake

Do you realize the possibilities there are in cake shapes and sizes? By using just a few tips and techniques, cake decorators can create a cake into many different shapes. This cake did not require a special pan or any unique tool...just a regular sheet cake pan and a good ol' sharp knife. What fun it is to create a replica of someone's favorite sporting equipment or tool!

We are working on digging some more pictures from the archives. Many years ago I created a blue hammer for a special little guy who never went anywhere with out it. He is a little older now and would trade his hammer for a set of car keys any day, but that cake reminds us of an era in his life that we wouldn't want to forget!
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Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Surf's Up Groom's Cake

Props! Cake trends of today display all sorts of highly ornate sugar-made accent pieces. While they are unique and truly a work of art, these sugar made additons do not get eaten and they consume a large amount of time to create, thus driving the price of the cake way beyond the means of everyday people. The perfect alternative is to incorporate props that coordinate with the theme of the cake and bring a flare to the otherwise ordinary sheet cake. In this instance, a minature beach house along with the addition of hand made wooden stilts, a decorative surf board and goggles brought together this Surf's Up Groom's Cake!
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Monday, November 9, 2009

Groom's Delight



Often times the groom defers to the bride for most of the ceremony choices, colors, arrangements and so forth, but when it comes to the groom's cake, he gets his chance to express himself in a unique sort of way. Whether it is a red-velvet armadillo cake or a replica of his favorite baseball hat, the groom's cake is sure to bring some laughs and stories to be told for years to come!
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Ribbon wrapped wedding cakes are a HUGE trend right now. They can incorporate any color you want for your wedding while giving a smooth satin or velvet texture to the most visable surface of your cake. This can be an inexpensive way to dress up a very simple cake.
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Sunday, November 8, 2009

Chocolate~Chocolate


Many of us have an undenyable addiction to chocolate cake! Too many times though, the beauty of a creamy white buttercream or fondant tries to out-weigh the craving for the oh-so-good flavor of a yummy chocolate cake. The myth that a chocolate cake cannot be beautiful as well should be dispelled! When you bring together coordinating colors, a chocolate cake can be both beautiful and scrumptious! Take your time, talk to the decorator and let them know...CHOCOLATE ROCKS!~

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Thomas the Tank Engine



A Choo-Choo just for you!


This cake was from the early days of decorating. Many of the birthday cakes for young children have been character cakes. The children really love being able to have their favorite character at their birthday party to help them celebrate the special day. These cakes can be any flavor, but the frosting is normally a vanilla butter cream or cream cheese butter cream. A cake like this can easily feed 20 people. If additional cake is needed, it can be placed upon a sheet cake or coordinating cupcakes can be made.
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Saturday, October 24, 2009

Cookie Cake!

Digging through the archives, this cake was a great alternative for an outdoor summer birthday party for my daughter, Hannah. With the summer heat threatening to melt us all, a cookie cake stood up just fine as we all celebrated her 10th birthday outdoors at a local park! Her love of horses were incorporated into the theme of this cake personalizing it just for her.

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Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Lavender and Lace


Everyone loves a wedding. And the cake can be the highlight of the reception.
It can be a wonderful way to tie in the wedding colors and the environment of the wedding itself.

As plans progress for your wedding reception, make sure that the host or hostess has been informed as to the best way to cut the cake. If your cake is stacked as this one is, cutting it incorrectly can lead to a wedding disaster. Ask your decorator what the appropriate way to disassemble the cake and how to properly wrap the top so it can be frozen until the first anniversary!
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Sand & Seashells Wedding Cake

One of the greatest pleasures in life is to give something to someone you love that you have created with your own two hands.  When I had a chance to make my brother & sister-in-law's wedding cake, it felt like it was something that no one else could give them.  Certainly, they could have had another decorator make their cake, but it wouldn't have been a personal gift, an investment in the celebration of union between the two of them. 
My assistant created the perfectly matched shell chocolates that brought together the entire theme of the cake.

Fondant, Oh the Possibilities!

Fondant isn't something I have spent much time with.  It certainly breaks the mold with regard to texture and taste of traditional buttercream frosting.  It brings me back to the days of playing with playdough and using the molding presses.  I have to admit, after seeing the possibilities of such a moldable cake covering, I am hooked!  There truly is no other way to create an impeccably smooth surface as well as emboss, mold and layer designs quite like you can with fondant.

For those who just cannot bear the thought of cake without the smooth buttercream frosting on it, you can still satisfy your palate with a fondant covered cake.  Between the cake and the fondant, an ample amount of buttercream frosting is applied to anchor the fondant to the cake.

Journey of a Cake Decorator

Take a look at the Journey of a Cake Decorator


Welcome to the place where sweet celebrations
can occur any day!

There are so many wonderful events that take place everyday! Each day is another opportunity to celebrate new beginnings, milestones, anniversaries or plain ol' 'Just Because'.  As a wife and mother of 3, there is no shortage of reasons to bake a cake and call it a celebration!