An Enlightening Cake

Have I ever mentioned how much I enjoy the people I work with. They are incredible people and very supportive of my cakes. As a matter of fact when walking by Christy's office the other day I heard a, "...well she is walking by my office right now..." and I must admit that I looked around to see who she was talking about and didn't see anyone else, but yet my brilliant self still did not take the clue that she might be talking about me until she called my name. At that point I was thinking to myself, oh oh did I volunteer Christy for something I forgot to warn her about??? Alas I could not think of a thing. Christy must have read my mind from looking at my face and just laughed. Then she explained that she had gotten off the phone with a friend that had enjoyed the cake I had made for her daughter's college graduation and was wondering if I could make them and scary cake for Halloween. Although we were both wondering what the definition of scary was in this case (ugly witch, nasty headstone or something really bloody and gory) I agreed and she said she would get more details.

Not long after she said a simple Halloween sheet cake would be fine that said Happy Halloween Colton & Collin. Everyone who knows me knows that a simple sheet cake is not in my vocabulary. I asked if I could do something a little more fun and she said sure go for it and further explained that the person ordering it really wanted cake and was getting it for herself and her sons.

So I did my very favorite thing and used a cake pan I had not used before (I really wanted to do this cake pan because unlike the others the pan is iridescent orange-and really neat looking) that looked like a Jack-O-Lantern. I made a yellow butter cake which seems to be the most popular of all. I decorated it in orange, and yellow with a green stem and black eyes and writing. I must admit writing on this cake was a little difficult. I had actually thought about writing on the sides but every child deserves to have his or her name on the top not the sides so I ventured on. I thought it made a very happy Halloween cake and one that I might get to make again in the future.

Birthday Pikachu

Well I have to admit it's been awhile since I posted to the blog. Work like has been a little wide open as we say here and cakes have not been in my scheduling. However last week one of my coworkers sons had a birthday. He said all he wanted for his birthday was to go to Fayetteville and play laser tag. So with laser tag and pizza in the plans I couldn't help but volunteer to make a birthday cake. I told my coworker that what ever her son wanted I would create so they hit the blog and checked out the slide show in the introduction section and the next day I was told it was narrowed down to Sponge Bob and Pickachu but Pickachu won out. So I baked a yellow cake and Pickachu was created with icing and love. She picked it up after the pizza so they could have a little family party at home.

One other little thing I did...I must admit to it. I could not resist throwing in some candles for this cake. Of course they were not your traditional candles. They were tall sparklers that relight when you blow them out. I figured since Dillon is a big 12 years old right now it was a good time to have a little fun. I told mom she could blame me for it and she promised she would. Do you think I should worry?

Single Best Reaction to a Cake EVER!

It is not often that I am asked to do a 50th wedding anniversary cake. When it happens I want to make sure the cake is extra special. This cake however offered some special challenges and opportunities. You see this couple was going to have a surprise anniversary party so they knew nothing about the cake or anything which made it impossible for me or anyone else to interview them on their likes and dislikes. As I interviewed one of their sons I got that they wanted it to look like a wedding cake, stacked construction not separated, they wanted a big cake even though they were only planning a party for about 50-60 guests, they wanted a classic wedding cake but not too formal because the couple is not a traditional/formal couple. Okay so my first thought is I am supposed to make a formal wedding cake not look formal. As their son poured over the books and photos I had he kept picking intricate and more formal cakes with sprays of flowers and roping and wanted it all in white. So then I came up with an idea for a photo cake. No not a sheet cake with edible photos but separators between the layers of the cake that could have photos and words on the cakes. However after consulting with the family there were no photos to get their hands on for the cake and the words were a little too modern for them. So we went back and forth and up and down and after realizing that 50 was the golden anniversary the son agreed to a cake that was slightly off white (which would give it a less formal look) and gold ribbon separators instead of photos. As a matter of fact after seeing the 50 for the top of the cake he was inspired to go get the gold ribbon for me, which was a plain gold and he felt suited his parents style to add to the cake.

So I baked three butter cakes. Although we had discussed doing different flavors for different cakes when they realized there would be more cake than people they decided to go with one flavor. So I bakes a 14 inch, 10 inch and 6 inch cakes each two layered about 4 inch cakes when I got done. I set up the separators with the ribbon and had my dowel rods ready and in place. Getting the cake to where it needed to go was another issue.

The party was held in the Woodmen of the World building about 15 miles from my house. So I loaded up and headed down. Now remember this is a surprise party so everything must be set up well in advance and the cake is going to have to last several hours in one spot. Usually this is not a problem however this building was quaint, useful, and very old. Every time someone took a step in the building the entire floor would shake which made tables and chair shake so I figured out rather quickly we had a vibrating cake table which is not always good for stability. My other issue was the temperature. Although there was air in the building, it was a hot day outside and we were in and out a lot. Cake stability is best in a climate that is not changing and that is fairly cool. However you work with what you have and often pray for the best and that is what I did.

I quickly went to the task of getting the cake together and putting the finishing touches on it. The off white icing made the cake less formal than a wedding cake and the decorations on the side added a little whimsy to the cake giving it a great design and allowing it to be more of an anniversary cake. The finishing touches are the gold ribbon separators and the 50 in the top of the cake. Once it was together I hoped for the best and prayed we would not have much slippage.

The cake was up and I cleaned up, hiding all of my cake stuff until it was time to cut the cake. I waited as guests arrived and did my best to help out with other things. Now mind you, the family was in on the surprise, the guests were asked not to say anything (and didn't) but the husband had to be let in on it all to make it work. So instead of playing golf that morning he went to the building to help clean up and set up for his own anniversary party. As cooking was going on he left and went back home. His wife was under the impression that she was headed to an event in Lumberton and needed to be there by noon and if he was not ready in time she was prepared to leave him behind because this was very important to her to be at this event on time. To add to the story her son even had her make bannana pudding for the event (which he planned as one of the dishes for the party). So, as the story was related to all of us at the party, she is getting ready to leave her husband behind because it is taking him too long to get ready and she does not want to be late. She has already loaded the pudding in the car and he makes it out of the house in the nick of time and is complaining that he does not want to go to this event. As they get ready to turn the corner to head to Lumberton he looks the other way and pretends to notice all the cars at the Woodmen of the World building. He claims to be upset because no one is supposed to be there and turns the corner to further investigate. His wife on the other hand is very upset because she will be late for this very important event and is doing her best to convince him to leave this investigation alone and turn the car around. She is so busy she does not notice the people in the crowd at the building or the cars as they rush the car and yell surprise the look of shock and amazement on her face is priceless.

It takes several minutes for it all to sink in and realize that the event was a rouse to get her here and this party is for the happy couple. After hugging everyone and getting some family photos with sons, daughter in law and grandson she heads inside to a room full of friends and family. She makes the rounds in the room two other three times each time noticing someone else.

Still getting over the shock and letting it all sink in she turns to make another round and speak to everyone again and notices the cake. She stands frozen looking at it and tears well up in her eyes. I asked her if it was okay, did I do something wrong and she asked if I made the cake. I admitted I had and she just hugged me. She held her husbands hand and pointed to the cake and he admitted he knew about it, and she just quietly said,"I never had a wedding cake." That did it. Tears welled up in my eyes and I knew this cake was something more special than any other cake I had made.

As the party went on you could feel the love of this family and friends as they came together to celebrate over a fantastic meal. When it came time to cut the cake the happy couple got up together to cut it as if it were their wedding day. They opened gifts and shared in more laughter and love before sending everyone home. What a fantastic day and fantastic party!

Scooby Snack!

Scooby Scooby Doo, where are you? Not too long ago he was making a special appearance for a young man's birthday party. How he got there is a neat story.

Often I take photos of the cakes I make to my office, or sometimes the cakes themselves go there so people can come by and pick them up. On such an occasion I was showing photos and one of the people who work in the building was talking about his grandson who loves Scooby Doo and was wondering if I could make a Scooby cake. Well I sent him to the blog and he found and printed the Scooby cake (which if you know him that was a great feat managing the Internet that way because it is not he favorite thing to do). Next thing I knew he came in and needed a Scooby cake. Now I do not want to be gender discriminatory but most times when I start asking men questions they have no idea what is involved in ordering a cake. Question number one is what flavor and he just looked at me like most men who do not realize cakes come in different flavors. He said he would have to ask. I asked how many the cake would need to feed, he looked at me again. So I wrote down my questions and he laughed and wen to make his phone call to the woman who could answer the questions. A couple days later he was back and we worked it all out.

On the official day of the cake I brought the finished product in to him and he asked if I had someplace safe to keep it. I put it on a back table and every 15 minutes or so he would come in and check on it to make sure it was okay. I have never had such security for a cake. When the little boys mother arrived to pick up the cake I understand she was pleased as well. Later reports say the cake was a hit, and did not last long so I would say everyone enjoyed this Scooby Snack.

Cap, Gown and Don't Forget the Cake...

Have I ever mentioned I love team work? Did not know this about myself but recently the benefits of team work have allowed me to graduate to a whole new level. This cake is an example of that.

One of my co-workers asked me to do a cake for her daughter's graduation from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP). The basic instructions were black and gold icing (school colors) and it needed to serve 50 people. Then she handed me a picture. She liked the shape and the stack but not the design we needed to improvise on that. A day or so later I showed her a few ideas and she picked out the ones I liked too.

So the cake was designed with a two layer square cake, and a two layer round cake off center on the top. Then a sugar cookie stacked on top to look like a cap. The tassel was done with icing. We did stripes on the bottom and circles on the top in the various colors and sizes.

I understand that the graduate was happy with her cake (and happier with her diploma as it should be), and the party was a great celebration of this young lady's accomplishment.

Happy Birthday Like Never Before

My Daddy always used to say, "Never say Never." He also said, "never throw a 7 until a 7 has been thrown," when we played Gin, but I digress.

On this occasion it is easy for me to say this was a birthday that was celebrated like never before. No it was not mine, but my father's favorite aunt, Edith Harrison, who turned 90 in April. I was fortunate to receive an invitation, not only to the party, but to make the birthday cake for this incredible celebration. There were no instructions, just do whatever my heart desired, and feed 200 people (actually to be fair they were going to buy extra cakes to make sure there was enough but I said if I am going to bake for 100 it is just as easy to bake for 200). It wasn't the designing, baking, or decorating that challenged me on this assignment but the logistics. You see the party was being held in Cartersville, VA and I am in North Carolina, 20 miles from the South Carolina line. So there was a little transportation issue. How do you safely transport a cake almost 400 miles? Of course I had a plan.

I baked the cake in North Carolina and froze all the layers. I placed them in a cooler with ice bricks and drove to Charlottesville (about an hour from the party.) This is not nearly as challenging as it sounds as my mother recently moved to Charlottesville and she was at a conference in Florida so I was able to take over her kitchen and decorate. I put the base layer and basket weave (or trellis work depending on the cake) on each cake, eight in all, and got ready to transport the next morning.

I carefully loaded the cakes in the vehicle along with hardware to construct the cake icing and decorating tool box (and clothes to change into) and headed towards Cartersville. It was only an hour long drive and I was feeling pretty good about the process until I went across a large set of railroad tracks a little too fast and got a little nervous. When I got to the community building there was very little damage, none that couldn't be fixed with icing (icing is the super glue/duct tape of the baking world). I commenced to construction and decorating.

Decorating was based on the decorating at the party. It was really quite amazing.
A small building had been transformed into a comfortable living room setting with the most beautiful flower arrangements everywhere. There was soft tulle draped across the ceiling softening the stark building, and making it just right for an afternoon celebration. The color scheme with blues, violets and pinks was transformed into the design of the cake. I had three hours to construct a three plus foot cake and get all the flowers on it.

In my favor was that everyone left to change so I could work on the cake and

have it (hopefully) magically transform in front of their eyes (or at least look a little better when they got back.) I got to work and constructed the cake and then decorated cake after cake, layer after layer, until I was finally satisfied that there was not much more I could do, and I really needed to clean up.

The thing about a cake this size is that it does not stay up long. After everyone got a chance to see it (especially the birthday celebrity) we cut into it. Everyone seemed pleased with it, especially my cousin's little boys who stood in front of the cake eating other food as fast as possible hoping beyond hope I would not cut into it. Finally she explained to me that they were not allowed to have cake until they ate other food first. However they were concerned that the cake would be all gone before they could eat enough to please their parents so I made them a deal to save them each their favorite flavor of cake to make sure nothing would happen to it. I couldn't cut it fast enough, as soon as I figured out which cake was which there they were ready for their cake.

I must say what a pleasant day. About 200 people came by to share their birthday wishes and enjoy this special celebration. Elizabeth (Aunt Edith's granddaughter) was doing her best to catch everything via camera card (while Robert is still using a camera with film...but we're trying) Aunt Edith seemed tickled with the variety of people who came, many that she had not seen in years. As it should be it seemed that she had a fantastic time. Thanks to Judith and her planning the party went off without a hitch and everything from the food to the decorations were just perfect.

This week Aunt Edith sent me the most wonderful thank you note for the cake. Inside was a clipping from the local paper, showing her in the background cutting the cake. The article gave highlights of the party including that I had decorated the cake. Imagine my first press coverage of a cake, and I can't imagine a more fitting occasion cake to publish. I must admit I don't think Ace of Cakes has anything to worry about. In the meantime however I will continue to enjoy this special cake made for a special lady on a special occasion, one like never before.

Say "I Do" to the Cake

We've all seen or at least heard of the show saying I Do to the Dress, but what about the cake? Each wedding is different and what a bride or groom concentrates on as being the most important part of the wedding. For this wedding they kept telling me how the cake was going to be the show piece of the reception and all I could think about was how everyone would be looking at them not the cake...at least not until they cut it.

Well when I got to the church (the reception was in the social hall for the church), I was greeted by covered but empty tables, and the bride, with hair done and veil on getting ready to slip into her dress for photos, and several people who just looked at me in my jeans, polo shirt and ball cap concerned that I was dressed for the wedding. As I looked around for the cake table it was hard to miss.
On the wall hung a large wooden cross with white sheer fabric draped to each side and a ball of the fabric in the center. I found out later that the ball of fabric was actually filled with small white lights that looked really incredible when lit. In front of the cross and under this fabric ball was a round table, the cake table. To either side against the wall were two tables, with photos draped with cloth so the groom could not see the bride in her dress before the wedding (by the way I did get to see her in her dress and she looked like she stepped out of a fairy tale...every girls dream of how she hopes to look on her wedding day.) Through the middle of the room was a Z shape of tables for all the food that smelled so good simmering in the kitchen.

I went to work constructing this cake. There are days when I feel like I am either an architect or construction worker as I build these rather large cakes. I started with an 18 inch plate and placed the fountain and greenery around it and then added 13 inch columns. On top of the 6 13 inch columns sat a 16 inch heart shaped butter cake with off white icing, rose colored roses and sage colored leaves, stems and seashell border. Three inches above that cake sat a 12 inch cake and a nine inch cake on top of that. The topper was the most beautiful Lucite heart with two intertwined hearts, their names, and wedding date etched in the center. By the time the cake was up and constructed it was an inch shy of being a three foot wedding cake.

The bride saw it dashing from one part of the church to the other (trying to avoid being seen by the groom), and commented that it was beautiful. The groom had the opportunity to see it on his way to change for the big event, and seemed pleased with how it turned out. I gave cutting instructions to a very nice lady who was in charge of cutting the cake after they cut it, and she seemed ready to divide it up quickly and efficiently for all.

Today, the day after the wedding I have received several reports on how much people enjoyed the wedding and how happy the couple looked. I also heard from one of the guests that the cake was really good, which makes me happy that it was up and tasted good (because that is the most important part to me..who wants to celebrate the happiest day of their lives with a bad cake?). I am looking forward to hearing from the happy couple when they return from their honeymoon...in the meantime I will work on their wedding cake photo album, and enjoy being able to take a part in this happiest of occasions in their lives.