Monday 8 June 2009

Making Friends with the M1

Ok- so this may be a strange tittle, but it is not often that I have to drive the M1 to the coast, let alone 2 days in a row.
What is a straight forward drive, is still rather long, and often heavy with traffic, despite the 4 lanes.
I left on Friday around Lunch time- with my grandmother as my travelling companion- as everyone else was at work ;( - and headed up the highway to Mt Tambourine. It was my first ever personal delivery to Mt Tambourine Rainforest Gardens- while I have sent cakes their before, the clients have always collected them.
I arrived up the mountain to the gardens, beautiful gorgeous gardens, with perfectly trimmed hedges! The room where the reception was being held was romantically lit, and decorated in white and champagne colours- just pretty!

The tower of Frangipani cupcakes looked soft and elegant amongst the like setting.
Having a companion meant I could pop in for a quick lunch at one of my favourite Mt Tambourine Cafes, and as per usual- the food was fabulous!
On the Saturday I headed back up the freeway to Sanctuary Cove Country club, where the reception was set in the foyer. Beautiful tall table centerpieces with White Singapore orchids and tortured willow looked amazing! Karen from Bliss floral was once again responsible for the gorgeous floral arrangements and wedding flowers.
Karen had dropped the cake flowers and vine to me in the morning of the wedding, before heading up to Mt Tambourine and Sanctuary Cove to deliver the bridal , church and reception flowers. It made me realise what a huge day florists have too- especially when they often wait for the ceremony to finish then take the ceremony flowers to the reception! WOW!


The cake itself was actually for a friend of one of our close friends. Rachel and Gavin chose a three tier square cake, with a piped "criss cross" design, and a triple band of ribbons to match in with the bridesmaids dresses.
Once back in Brisbane- it was off the Clovelly Estate cellar door at Red Hill- where this single tier wedding cake was just adorable.

Keeping the cake a single tier doesn't have to be boring, this cake had cut black blossoms in different sizes and a cartoon couple on top. While I can imagine just how awesome this cake would look as a three or four tier design, the single tier was classy all on its own.

Pink and Purple butterflies graced the next cupcake tower. Soft pastel shades blended well together in this design.

I really need to become a better photographer- to capture the true colours of the cakes - maybe it is the fact that I have a pentax point and shoot camera rather than a spenny big black one ;) Oh and the fact that I am not a photographer LOL!!
My week wasn't over with the Saturday- I had two weddings on the Sunday- and two very similar cakes.
The first was for the cousin of a past client (and the cousin of a florist I know)- This cake was replicated from an image in a magazine. Piped icing pearls formed a "triangular" pattern up the front side of the cake, sugar roses on the top- then the entire cake was lustered with snow flake. Snow flake is a translucent power that gives an awesome shimmer effect the cakes and flowers etc.. I had used this very liberally on this cake, only to find out just hours later that my supplier is having issues getting it in stock!!! A quick trawl of the Internet had me ordering my own shipment to keep "Cake That" in stock of all things shimmery!
Last but not least for the weekend was for a return client (well the same family). I made the bride's sisters cake 2 years ago, I never met the bride and groom, or the Bride's mother- who organised the cake- and this time was no different. All via phone and email.
The design they chose has sort of become a "Cake That!" classic. I make this cake really often, and each time it looks just as pretty. the piped icing pearls rise up the sides, ranging in size, like little bubbles floating up each tier. White sugar roses on the top to complete the look.


After a long weekend of delivering cakes I got the chance to catch up with some other fellow Brisbane cake decorators. There are some really fabulous decorators in Brisbane, and getting to know them and sharing ideas and techniques is such fun. It may sound a bit kitsch- but it really is nice to have a network of decorator Friends. These are the people that I recommend when I am not able to help, and am more than happy to pass work their way.

I am slowly catching up with the blog- more to come..............

1 comment:

Unknown said...

You are incredible! Your cakes are fantastic!