My friend Annie shared this interesting e-mail she received from a cheerfully deranged baker:
<<I swear I'm not making it up! As a bit of backstory, I was replying in a forum where another pastry chef was trying to figure out how to make a Star Wars cake actually explode. I had written that perhaps exploding cakes weren't such a good idea, so why this guy wrote ME about it.....I have no idea...... Begin forwarded message:
A questing pastry chef,
C
I wrote the guy back and told him I only specialized in non-exploding cakes. :-)
On a serious note, I have respect for cake as food. I don't believe it should have moving parts, rocket engines, or explode, a la Duff Goldman. That's sort of where I draw the line.....eating cake is the other half of the equation, and when you add all that "interactive" stuff, it just adds an aura of inedibility to me! Whatever happened to "Wow! This cake is delicious!" I'll take taste over pyrotechnics any day......>>
Anne Hjelte/Welch
Home Page: http://www.cake-o-rama.com
Blog: http://valanne.vox.com
Hear, hear, Annie. I think that the Food Network (which, by the way, I ADORE) is encouraging cake people to take their "productions" higher, bigger, louder, and scarier than is really necessary just for the sake of drama. Hey, I'm all for artistic, inventive, creative detail and the occasional coffin cake with the moldy sarcophagus inside, who WOULDN'T love that? The one Cake Challenge they had, I think it was called Extreme Cakes, was, I'm sorry, really dumb. No disrespect to the contestants, they just did what they were supposed to do but NONE of those cakes could honestly be called "Cake". They were "structures" made of edible (and non-edible) material. There was a lot of concern about the potential flammability of materials with the giant sock monkey (luv u Elisa!) and the Swiss Army Knife one could easily have pierced someone with a flying whatever.
I think exploding cakes should probably stay inside the realm of the cartoonist (perfect for a Bugs Bunny or Road Runner episode) or a pyromaniac's pleasant daydream. I say, "Keep Cakes Explosive Free". Don't be afraid of your cake.
It must be fun to be a food stylist and try to find materials to approximate the food you're needing to have photographed. Especially for situations that require the product to be shot in an environment that would not normally allow the food to remain at it's pristine best such as under hot lights or direct sun or freezing cold or whatever.
We were asked by this nail polish company to make a wedding cake (faux of course) for it's newest line of wedding-centric polishes. Just a sort of classic style that they could place the polishes on top of as "bride and groom". Super cute, don't you think? I think this was from last year.
This year, they wanted us to do six little "candies" that would be coated with their newest shades. The candies were actually about 3 inches in diameter but through the magic of PhotoShop (or something techier, who knows) they appeared as small as the little candy hearts we love to munch on around Valentine's Day but with the names of the polishes instead of "oh you kid" or "be mine". You can see the beginning of the process and the final outcome. Pretty cool, huh?
I happened to see a full sized poster in a beauty suppy store that I frequent and proudly announced that my company was responsible for part of the ad. I think they thought my hair color had gone to my brain but they were politely "impressed".
This Food Network Challenge first aired about 3 years ago, I think. But it keeps showing up, 2 or 3 times a year for a week at a time. And then we get a deluge of phone calls and e-mails for a little while and then everything goes back to normal. It always amuses me up when I deliver a cake or meet someone at a food event and they say, "hey, you should do one of those Food Network Competitions, you know the ones where those chefs make all those weird cakes? I bet you could get on there!" Well, Loyal Reader, it may surprise you to know that Just Fabulous has been on the Food Network 4 times in the last 3 years.
The first time was in a segment on the now deceased Sugar Rush, hosted by the adorable and oh so mellllllllowwww Warren Brown, where they visited our kitchen and watched as we made individual Faberge egg cakes. I swore I would never do a Challenge because just the THOUGHT of being in front of a TV camera brought on an anxiety attack. So, when they asked me to be on the Elvis Birthday Cake Challenge I immediately said No Thank You and they said, how about being a judge, then you can sort of get a feel for what it's like? And I thought, hmmm, sort of being in front of a TV camera but without the focus being on me. I bet I can do that. So, that was in Memphis, filmed in the Elvis Pressley Car Museum. Very cool place. Got to stay in the kind of bizarre Heartbreak Hotel. Got to hang after the show with the Amazing Mike McCarey and pre-ace-of-cakes Duff Goldman, eating ribs at the world famous Rendezvous.
Then, I was invited to be in the Surprise Birthday Cake Challenge in Denver. I thought to myself, by golly, get over yourself! This is something you MUST do before you die just so you can say you did it. So, my lovely assistant and I made the trek to a VERY snowy Denver to be on the show. We hauled ice chests and boxes and luggage (you would not BELIEVE the labor and preparation that goes into one of these shows unless you've actually done one) through the snow and completely filled our rented SUV. First stop, Home Depot. It's where most competitors start off. We needed propane (for some reason you just can't take that on a plane!) and some sort of large piece of plywood that we could use for our cake base. Anyway, the rest you know if you saw the show. We got 2nd place. Norman Davis won with his stunning safari extravaganza.
The next one was the Surprise Wedding Cake Challenge which was filmed in Tulsa. That also aired recently and does so several times a year, usually in June during Wedding Week. I felt a tiny bit more relaxed for this one, just knowing the routine a little bit. There's the same cool camera guy, the same smooth "director", the MC Keegan Gerhard who's like your favorite uncle. They're all there. It's fun to meet the other competitors. Having a microphone on for 8 hours is somewhat annoying. I think my assistant and I probably got the most "bleeps" of anyone. Chefs have really bad language habits I'm sorry to say and being women makes no difference. But we're all getting accustomed to that after watching a few episodes of Hell's Kitchen, right? Anyway, once again, we got 2nd place. Michelle Bommarito won with her awesome design. But that's OK. It was still a great experience.
EVERYTHING was sagging in this photo. After 8 (or was it 7?) grueling hours, we AND the cake were showing signs of fatigue!
Photo shoots are really fun. As long as you don't have to hang around all day and watch because it's about like watching paint dry. Rearranging, different angles, different lighting, different cameras, adding and deleting props. And then there's sifting through the hundreds of shots to find the perfect one, or as my photographer friend likes to call them, the "heroes". The fun part, for me, is making the cake and then seeing it in it's fabulous setting. And for this particular shoot, I was invited by my friend, florist and event planner extraordinaire Kathy Wright to create a wedding cake to complement a tablescape she was creating for Bloomingdales. She and Bridal Registry Manager Amy Treichler (whose wedding cake I just HAPPENED to make and deliver to Las Vegas last year!) chose a stunning china pattern by Bernardaud called Grand Versailles which is a virtual riot of color and design elements. The story behind the pattern is (and I hope I get this right!) that it was based on the Royal Bedchamber of one of those Louis fellows residing in the palace at Versailles. Apparently, the pattern uses 65 different colors and many of the patterns from said Bedchamber. For me, it was a delicious cornucopia of design from which to choose. I decided to do a somewhat narrow octagonal shape mainly because the table was rectangular but also because having 8 sides created more visual drama. Anyway, the tablescape came out amazingly and I'm sure there will be some lucky brides registering for the crystal and china they will see this weekend. High fives to everybody who made this beautiful setting come alive.
Just for the record, for actual enjoyment of food, I much prefer a white plate. The food should be the focal point, in my humble opinion. Can you imagine trying to even FIND your food on plates like these? So, I'm in a quandry here. I'm a chef so the food's the thing. I'm a cake stylist, so the design's the thing. And, there's no denying the sensual pleasure of seeing a fabulously adorned table. When it's time to eat, though, please bring my food on a white plate.
This is what I love about our business. All in the same week, cakes can go from serious and "normal" to completely crazy. This week we had some on both sides of the scale.
This cake took a lighthearted game and made it elegant and sophisticated. The soft celery green fondant was lightly airbrushed with super pearl luster dust, then wrapped with a wide olive green satin ribbon and again with a narrow celery satin ribbon. The Scrabble tiles were made to look like real wood. Thanks to Pink Cake Box for the fun idea.
The Material Girl series is one of our most popular cake styles. We've done it in a hundred different ways and each is unique because each reflects the personality of the recipient. The questions we ask are: What are your favorite clothing, shoe, and handbag designers? Favorite places to shop, magazines, hobbies, beverages, etc. These cakes ALWAYS create a stir when we deliver them because of the amazing little details that are literally covering the entire surface. You can visit our website ,starting on about Page 4, for lots more versions.
All the elements are here. Don't you just want to lay down in those poppies, kick off your ruby slippers and take a nice loooooong nap?
I think our Emerald City came across less provocatively than the "Cake Wreck" version.
Everybody is under the impression that June is THE wedding month. Well, maybe in other parts of the country it is but in San Diego, everyone knows that June is usually the WORST month for weddings because of a little weather phenomenon we locals fondly call June Gloom. There's also May Gray which is why May, too, is very wedding un-friendly. The TV meteorologists could record "Low clouds and fog along the coast...." and go on vacation for 2 months.
This year, I'm becoming a true believer in the Global Warming theory. There was no May Gray or June Gloom. Even April was blazing hot. What's going on here?
Anyway, whatever. This past weekend sort of caught me off guard because, well, June isn't usually a big wedding month, right? It was really.......Wedding Hell. Don't get me wrong. I love my job. I love designing cakes. I love weddings and baby showers and birthday cakes. And so does my wonderful staff. But this weekend was definitely not for the faint of heart. It put all of us to the test. And we lived to tell the tale.
To the left, you can see our Door of Orders. Or, the Door of Terror. Each of those sheets of paper represented a cake. And not one was a "normal" cake. Oh no, there wasn't a "simple but elegant" one in the bunch. Not one cake that we could auto pilot through.
And, it wasn't enough that we were pushed to the very limits of what human beings should have to endure workwise. It was so bloody hot in our kitchen that we probably could have baked the cakes without actually putting them into the oven! I think we all sweat off about 10 pounds. And just imagine the condition of our buttercreams and ganache. Oh, and how about getting that second coat of icing over the crumb coat before it turns into an oil slick? AND IT'S ONLY JUNE! That's the really scary part.
But, the cool thing is, we turned out some pretty freaking amazing cakes. I'll show you a just a few.
This beautiful black and white Parisian wallpaper style cake was featured in The Knot magazine and was designed by Truli Confectionary Arts. As stunning as it was, I truly hope to never make it again. My index finger split at the knuckle, swelled up like a little vienna sausage, and eventually went numb from cutting out all those fabulous swirly floral and leaf motifs.
The Winery Wedding cake was made almost entirely by Brittany. She's developed quite a talent for making figures that really come alive. These clients basically wanted their wedding ON their cake. And the groom IS indeed dressed in a bathrobe, Hawaiian shirt, shorts and flip flops. I don't know if he actually donned that attire for the wedding but I would guess NOT.
This cake was based on the couple's wedding invitation and was done using the digital imagery technique. It also featured silver wired fuschia (VERY hard to find) and clear glass beads as well as edible jewels on the cake itself.
We also had: a pale blue, square, 3 tier, stacked cake with handmade seashells and coral. a 3 tier, round, square, round stacked cake with big pink bows and sparkly beads with silver accents. a 3 tier, square, stacked pink cake with a paler shade of pink "mod" flowers, a fuschia fondant ribbon around each base, and sparkly crystals scattered all over. a mini pirate's treasure chest, slightly opened, filled with edible jewels. a pool party cake featuring.....a swimming pool with 2 swimming kids, stone deck, deck chairs, an umbrella and palm trees.
AND, a Day at the Beach cake. Which is where we all wished we were.
The End
Although it's been open for a while now, The Bridal Bar held it's Grand Opening Bash on Thursday, June 19th. Luring guests with the enticing title of Brides, Bling and Bellinis, the event celebrated it's affiliated vendors and the completion of the Bird Rock Beautification Project.
There were beautiful florals, gowns, tuxes, a lingerie fashion show, coffee and dessert bars (Just Fabulous, of course!), fantastic food, a psychic, music, dancing, and stunning tents from Raj Tents. Providing the bling for the already gorgeous wedding gowns was my pal, Pam Pogue of Juelerie. Please visit her site to see some of her stunning creations. I promise, you'll want EVERYTHING!
The Bridal Bar is a boutique that supplies a complimentary peek at the pre-screened best of the best in the wedding industry. The founders have searched high and low to compile an extensive group of event professionals who have been cordially invited to display their works based on style, experience, and impeccable reputation in their fields of expertise. Brides can lounge on a couch, sip complimentary champagne, view videos and DVD reels, enjoy music samples and photographers’ images, taste cakes and much more. The Bridal Bar allows the discerning bride-to-be to preview and plan for the perfect event. Their staff is there to assist and encourage the ideal that every couple deserves their dream wedding.
Now, I'm not a big baseball fan. In fact, as un-American as it sounds I really don't like it at all. However, I have to admit, this guy is pretty cute. And I know it made one extreme NY Mets fan ecstatic. Not sure how he felt about sticking a fork into his favorite mascot, though.
San Diego is blessed with an abundance of amazing photographers. Of course, each has his or her own style and it's important to find the one who can capture the feeling that you want your wedding photos to project.
Ben Aguirre has worked with well known photographers in Orange County and is breaking into the San Diego market. Several weeks ago he obligingly photographed a cake for me at a beautiful wedding in La Jolla. He has a great website you'll want to check out. Ben Aguirre Photo. Below are a couple of his pics.
Now THAT's the way to enjoy cake!
