Beginning 2011 with some Beauties........

 

After a short Xmas New Year break- I was straight back into all things cake.

Having had a wet few weeks over the holidays- it seemed that the weather was here to stay :(

The First Friday in 2011 had me delivering a cake to the GOMA

The clients had requested a soft iced cake- in keeping with the whimsical elegant theme........but- being January and a venue which is not Air conditioned- I strongly advised against choosing a Soft iced cake- I wouldn't want to have the wedding cake be a melted puddle for their guests!

After taking my advice- I created a palette finish royal iced cake- so the textured soft look- without the worry of melting :)

Each Table had a few different vases on it- with different blooms in each vase- it was just beautiful! The florist (Grandiflora) provided some absolutely stunning fresh luscious blooms for me to adorn the cake with.

Delicate Hydrangeas mixed with large Chrysanthemums and water lilies- divine!

The Saturday had me scooting all over town- trying to dodge the down pours and keep dry in between.

My first stop was Walkabout Creek- where I set up this Invitation inspired cake.

Randomly winding over the tiers- I replicated the invitation pattern in the theme colour over the cake.  

I REALLY Liked this cake. The different elements of the hand painting- the piping detail and applique detail really gave the cake an extra dimension.

The Brides Grandfather had made a stunning wooden stand as a wedding gift for the couple too- such a wonderful gift to cherish indeed.

The next cake was meant to have fresh Frangipanis on top- but with all the rotten weather- every yellow Frangipani tree around was stripped bare!

Having given the option on the Brides quote for Silk Frangipanis I opted to use these as an alternate. I was fretting- but needn't have- as I received a beautiful Thank you form the Bride the very next day :)

 

 We can't help mother nature... and boy doesn't Queensland know that at the moment.

The next cake is one I have done before.

Ordered totally via email- as the couple reside interstate.

I really value the trust that my clients who order over the phone or Internet give me. Relying solely on images of previous cakes and possibly recommendations from others too.

The Arum Swirl design is classically elegant.

The times I have created this cake I always really love the way it looks.

The next cake was for a special Bride indeed.

Not satisfied with being unable to eat cake because of  being a Coeliac- Jasmine contacted me to see if I could make her a classic Gluten free fruit cake- Why YES I Can!

In my opinion- Gluten free shouldn't be tasteless- nor stodgy.

All of my Gluten free recipes are made from scratch- and unless you were told otherwise- you would never guess the cake was a "dietary" cake.

When I say Dietary- I am not meaning Low calorie or Calorie free- because If I had a magical recipe that could create a divine rich cake without the fat and calories I would be a genius LOL!

This cake was A Rich Gluten free fruit cake- with dated Figs- Raisins currants- nuts and so much more. Rum Soaked and baked to a supremely moist perfection.

I must admit- every time I make this Gluten free fruit cake I have to make a little extra- I love it that much. Bad I know - and I am hoping that my nutritionist isn't reading my blog too ;-P

Back to the cakes design....... A Two tier cake- with rounded edges (and can I tell you this is extra hard when you are so use to creating sharper ones) a 30mm Kelly Green ribbon around each tier- with a Diamante brooch- gorgeous!

The cake sat on my silver cake stand in the centre of a gorgeous dessert buffet!

It rained so hard this day that localised flooding had already started- but the father of the Bride  told me that the couple managed to dodge the heavy downpours- thank goodness!

The last- but not least cake for the first weekend in January was for a very special birthday.

I was honored to be making Madeline's 40th Birthday cake as this birthday party was her first ever birthday party! How fantastic!

Her Family had decided that this year she was going to be celebrated monumentally- and together we designed a cake fit for such a wonderful occasion.

With Red Purple and Gold as the theme colours- Madeline wanted a cake that was Bright.

The fact that her guests mouths could become tainted by the rich colours was no cause for concern- in the end it was a birthday party- and parties are all about fun- right!

There were edible glitter numbers and butterflies across the cakes- shiny gold wrappers and a chocolate top tier to finish it all off!

I loved creating this cake- I hope that it made your first every birthday party that bit more special!

 

Well if the first weekend in January is any indication of the fantastic cakes I will get to make again this year- I believe I am off to a wonderful start!

Thanks for reading

SJ

Cute as and Cupcakes

 

The Last weekend in November saw me do a mad dash around SEQ before heading west to Toowoomba for a 3 day workshop with John Qui Hoi- Cake Guru from Melbourne.

There were allot of cupcakes this particular weekend.

The first were delivered to the Holt St Ferry- for a short boat ride across to Tangalooma Island.

 

A bold Red and white theme- with heart and initial details.

The next cakes were collected and taken up to Mt Tambourine.

Deep blue white and silver was the theme colours.

I have made this design previously in a red white and chocolate theme.

Fondant iced cupcakes with a chocolate drizzle and teeny tiny silver hearts across each one.

As it was a case of here there and everywhere- I sent Steve off to Maroochydore to deliver this chocolate cupcake tower.  

To combat the issue of fat soaked pretty cupcake wrappers- and to keep the papers the same colour (as often they change once baked) I baked all the cakes in white papers then once cooled- I slipped a decorative polka dot paper over the top- voila!

It wasn't all cupcakes that weekend.

I had a few "regular" cakes as well.

First stop was Victoria Park where I delivered this Three tier cake- with twisted tiers- Ivory ribbon wrapped around each of the tiers- and random piped icing pearl detail. 

The couple had supplied their own silk flowers to complete the cakes design.

After Vic Park it was over to Coorparoo to deliver another twisted tier creation- this time with a blue theme. 

It was a piping hot day- and I had only one cake left to personally deliver down to Hope Island- before heading to Toowoomba.

When I got to Hope Island- the room was set up like a Magical Enchanted hall.

Crystal chairs and elaborate table decorations.

So it was fitting that the couple chose a pretty Four tier cake.  

 

Once at the venue the couple had left a Dancing Bride and Groom topper to be placed on top.

With such a variety of cake designs that week- I think my fave would have had to have been the First Birthday cake I made for Baby Hugo! 

Hugo is the son of Sandy and Shannon- whose wedding cake I made in 2008.

I have been blessed to have been commissioned to make a few cakes for them since then.

Hugo's first birthday was a celebration to behold.

Styled beautifully- with a Magnificent Dessert table put together by Sandy herself.

Hugo's cake was a double barrel cake- iced in a soft blue- with varied size dots- and a cute as elephant topper- made to mimic the birthday invites!

 A Very Happy Birthday to Hugo! What a brilliant first birthday party!

Do you want to impress your guests with a party set up as spectacular as this?

Check out Sharnel Dollar Designs- Sharnel can style a party for you- but she also has a huge range of items for sale and hire for those that want to DIY!

Well that rounds off my cakes for November.... only December to go- then I can start with the Fabbulous 2011 Creations!!

If you can't wait- check out my Cake that! Facebook page for the latest cakes from Cake That!

Thanks for Reading

SJ

Family month.....

Both of my sisters and both of my Niece's birthdays fall in August- and all within the first 2 weeks.

My Niece Scarlett Turned four this year- wow how time flies! She had a Mermaid and Pirate party- and low and behold just when it was time to take a piccie of the cake- the camera battery runs out!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will have to get a copy from my SIL to share with you all.

The very next day was my baby sister Alex's Birthday. My other sister Kate had beaten her to a design element- which I will get to later- so Alex opted for  giant cupcake instead. I used some of the big silver smarties I got when I was in Melbourne to decorate... which has caused  Kate to shout "favouritism" when getting spenny decorations LOL!!! gotta love sibling rivalry.

 

Alex's giant cupcake also had mini matching cupcakes to go with it.

Inside the cake was Red velvet- so it looked really cool too!

Next up was Imogen- my newest niece! She turned 1 and had a Rubber Duck themed party- too cute indeed!

The invites had red polka dots on them so I gave the duck a party hat to match in with the colour theme.

We also added some white Marshmallows for "bubbles". Immy is such a cool little kid- so happy all the time!

Hello duck bill- I might just pull you off of there hehehehehe

My sister Kate is just under 2 years younger than me. When I was away in Thailand- she sent me an email asking for the Macaroon tower from Masterchef for her birthday- she got first dibs- as when I got home the first thing Alex asked for was the same cake. Sure they both could have had the same- but then I wouldn't have held the cake design power hahahhaha!

So Kate had the Macaroons on her list of requirements- then once I got home she "thought" I may want to make her the "V8" Masterchef cake- um no- a quick text message whilst the show was on assured her that there was no way she was getting that one LOL!

So Kate Being Kate- she decided to hold a 80's style 5th Birthday party this year (32 3+2) complete with all the old school treats and decorations... even games!

I had thought to whip out the old Womens Weekly Birthday cake book to choose something apt for the event- but I knew that the Macaroons were still a request. Having met the Beautiful Linda from Bubble and Sweet Blog during a Debbie Brown Workshop- I had just the fail proof Macaroon Recipe to use.

Dolly Varden cake was something I thought could certainly fit a 5th Birthday theme- but seeing as we are all over eating my cake- I mentioned to Kate that perhaps I could make her a cake with a difference???? She was totally up for it!

Kate had no idea that this was going to be the design- but she knew what was inside- so come party day it was all to be revealed!

Kate with her "mini me" sugar topper! Don't you just love the 80's ruffle top!

so what was inside..................

ROCKY ROAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YUM- Serious Yum! So much better than the chocolate cake we all eat week in week out!

So with Raspberry Macaroons stuck to the outside- and a Ganache coating this cake was a calorie monster indeed!

Our Dad LOVES Chocolate and when Kate was cutting the slices I mentioned that perhaps to cut them smaller- because it was so sweet- and my Dad pipes up and says "yeah cut it smaller- don't give it away- I want to take some home"  ahhh you would swear my family never got any sweet treats LOL!

 Kate with her "wedge" of Rocky Road! Diabetes anyone?

So that was August Family Birthday cakes covered....butthe biggest cake for Family is yet to come because this coming Saturday is my Sister in Law's WEDDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So excited- I can't wait... so stay tuned for that blog!

Thanks for reading

SJ

The Countdown..................

to both my holidays and the brilliant Debbie Brown's arrival was well and truly on this week of June. The final preparations for the workshops was getting in order- and my holiday was being finalised (more on that later) so I was super excited!

I had a cake this week that "In My Opinion" was just jaw dropping beautiful. The design itself was not my original- in fact it was adapted from a small magazine clipping- so unfortunately I do not even know who to credit for the inspiration. Not only had the bride chosen a great cake- she had also commissioned Sandee from Always Fabulous Flowers to look after all things Floral for the wedding! Destined to be an Enchanted wedding for sure!

So now that I have whet your appetite....... I think I will save my favourite of the week for last ;-P

I also had another V cool cake to do......... The Brilliant Toni Snell had me make her partner's birthday cake- A Monaro... pretty cool hey! 

Now I am blessed to get so many referrals from Toni- beautiful wedding cakes for her equally gorgeous brides- so when I got asked to make a car birthday cake I was certainly eager to have a crack! I was honest and upfront when I told Toni that I had very limited car cake making experience- but if she had faith that I could create some thing "car like" then of course I would love to give it a go!

Having  husband who is car mad- and who races scale model cars meant that I had my own personal critic to "help" me create the correct shape- detailing etc... albeit that he was still very critical and pointed out on numerous occasions where I could have improved- in the end I thought it looked pretty damn cool indeed! I finished the cake with  glaze to make it all shiny too!

 I can see where "perhaps" Steve was right and I could have made the cake a bit more realistic- but in the end it is a cake- Toni and Tony loved it so that is all that matters ;))

You can read all about the Birthday on Toni's Blog too!

With Debbie Brown in town the last weekend in June- I found it quite ironic that of all the cakes I have ever been asked to make- it was one of her designs that a client this particular week chose. If only Debbie was here a week earlier- then maybe she may have been able to give me a hand LOL!

This princess ballerina cake was made for Sofia's 4th Birthday.

Layers and layers and layers and layers of frilled icing all around this design.  A pretty Sugar Plum Fairy in her ballet position ( to which I have forgotten the name of... Bravo?????????????)  looking nothing but sweet on the board.

My worst Cake Wrecks Nightmare came to light when the birthday girls Dad came to collect the cake- and noticed that Sofia's name was incorrectly spelled! ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had the order on hand where it was written "Sophia" however this was never picked up earlier.... although my heart rate was sky high with panic- I took a deep breath- removed the "ph" and replaced it with an "f"- moved the "ia " closer and placed on a number 4 and Viola!!! Perfect finish!

So the moral of the story is when you peruse your order double check that every detail is correct... because what I have written down is what you will will get.

I suppose if that is my worst mistake to date it isn't all that bad in the end.

So with the panic over- it was off to deliver the cakes for the day!!!

It must have been birthday week (and the fact that there are fewer weddings in the "J" months) because I had a third birthday cake design to do for the week.

A Handbag cake in soft purple tones for this lovely ladies 40th!

Her wonderful husband came and met with me and did all of the ordering/designing to create a special cake for his wife- awwww how lovely!

I was really lucky to have two weddings almost around the corner from one another- which meant my delivery day was over by mid afternoon!

The first delivery went to the Sailing Club at West End.

The Bright and colourful theme wedding was reflected in the cake! A chocolate creation iced in a chocolate ganache and finished with bright coloured ribbons around the base looked very fitting indeed.

The rolled chocolate roses clustered across the design finished the cake of nicely.

So after the day of delivery and collections- it was off to deliver the grand baby of the week.

I am sure that the Bride thought I was hamming it up on the Friday when I was expressing my love for her cake over the phone- but indeed it really was. Love it Love it Love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This two tier Extended height cake with a piping and applique fine detail was more than beautiful. Elegant and divine- with Ice pink open roses- with darker pink centers really looked smashing on this cake! I can imagine this design in a four tier too- it would look doubly grand and amazing... so if there are any brides out there who would love a bigger version- I am up for it for sure!

So by the end of this week in June I had managed to create a selection of wonderful client cakes- order for the workshops- and finally book in my holiday accommodation! I am certain my browser is thankful for the rest from Trip Advisor LOL!

 I cannot believe that August is upon us! Hasn't the year just been flying by!

Looking forward to sharing the end of June and the Debbie Brown workshops with you all soon

Thanks for reading
SJ

Classy Fun.......

The Third week in February had me making an eclectic mix of cake designs. Classic Elegant designs- through to genuinely fun talking points.

My week of deliveries began on Friday with this gorgeous and timeless design. A Three teir cake simply decorated with Sugar roses which had their centres dusted a blush pink colour- Simple- Elegant- all round gorgeous- my kind of cake!

I am often heard saying to my clients that fussy doesn't always mean beautiful- simple can be equally attractive. This cake was banded with sugar ribbon- to complete the design.

The Friday also had me delivering a cake for a returning client- Tempe. The last time I made a cake for Tempe was for her 18th- now it was time to Celebrate her 21st! Tempe's  mum came and met with me to decide on a design for Tempe's 21st Birthday Dinner. Deciding to forgo the traditional all out 21st bash- Tempe opted for a more intimate elegant dinner with her closest family and friends. A suitably matching cake design was chosen, incorporating the birthday girls favourite colour- a sweet African flowers she had recently seen whilst in South Africa on Holidays- and her nickname"Flossy".

 

These small flowers were made from an image the clients provided me. I cut out each petal to try and recreate the flowers in the image.

The flowers trailed down and across the front of the cake- finishing at the "flossy" on the board. Once at the venue fresh roses filled between the tiers. Beautiful, girly and elegant!

It is amazing how different the cake looks with an without the fresh roses in between!

Saturday had me - for the first time in a very long time- with NO cake deliveries! My actual delivery run was Friday and Sunday- so it felt a bit strange not tripping around Brisbane delivering cakes- but all the same a nice change to actually be able to meet with clients in the morning- and spend the afternoon socialising- like regular people do on Saturdays ;))

I did have one cake for the Saturday- which was collected.

This 40th Birthday present cake.

 

Organised as a surprise by this lucky recipients husband- a chocolate mud cake filled with chocolate ganache- and from the kind thanks I have received since the party- it seems it was thoroughly enjoyed by all!

Sunday had me out and about again delivering cakes- The first was totally fun indeed! 

This two tier cake was inspired by a Martha Stewart wedding cake- sugar confetti- yes I cut out each little piece of confetti from sugar- trailed overthe design. The confetti was colour matched to the weddings colour theme- so it fit in wonderfully!

 

The cake was topped with a cartoon bridal couple- with a twist.....

Very personalised cartoon toppers included the groom using a vacuum cleaner to "vacuum up" the confetti! What a hoot! The topper's domestic addition was surprise for the groom- from the bride. As the story told to me goes- there seems to be not a single day that goes past where the vacuum cleaner isn't being used in their household- the groom constantly cleaning up and vacuuming around the house... so the bride thought it a complete laugh to have her groom vacuuming on top of the cake!

Not only is the vacuum a signature of the groom- but his electric blue glasses are also a prominent feature of him. So complete with his glasses and trusty red vacuum- this little guy was set to steal the show at the wedding!

I rounded off the week in a very similar fashion to what it began!

The last cake of the week was just as beautiful as the first- proving that classic elegance is indeed the current trend for cake design.

 

This cake was finished with roses that had the ends dusted in pink- with  ivory centres.

It was a great week of cakes indeed- making it very hard for me to choose a favourite for sure.

Thanks for reading

SJ

Hello Holidays.....................

OK- in order to actually catch up and get into 2010 I thought I had better couple the last weeks of 2009 together.

Some truly wicked cakes finished off last year.

I often have people ask if I can make the toppers in different outfits rather than a "generic" wedding outfit. OF Course!!! All of the toppers are made to suit the clients and thier likeness- including any unusual traits or designs that they might desire.

The weekend of the 12/13th December was no different.

I had a chocolate creation with a bride and her "Conan the Barbarian" Groom! Too cute!

"What's that clinging to the side??" you ask- well it is their grey kitten of course! Pets and children can certainly be included in the figure sets.

I also did a variation of a Mad Hatter design that was sent to me over email.

The original bakers design had extended tiers, heart detail and a blingged up Monogram initial- but this couple chose to incorporated their love of all things horses and have three horse heads emerging from the top- as well as golden horse shoe decorations!

  

This cake really captures the "Mad hatter" Feel- bright and bold, personalised and all out fun!

The "Invitation Print" Cake design on my site is a very popular cake choice lately.

The cake was originally created for a couple to match their invites from Amity Invites 

Since the original cake was posted in my blog and site I have had numerous requests to recreate it. The design is simple and elegant- with a contemporary feel. The Invite designer actually contacted me after I sent clients her way that wanted to purchase the invites to match the cake- usually it is the other way around ( invite pattern onto the cake!) She seemed delighted to have had her design on the cake- and was kind enough to send me through a heap of her Invite samples to have available for my clients to look through when they come in for their cake consultation.

A gorgeous cake for Gianni's Portside late on a Summer Friday afternoon saw me running into the fabulous Jennine from Florabella! Jennine was doing the wedding flowers for the same wedding and was waiting for access to the venue when I came to deliver the cake. Unfortunately I was not able to personally place the cake on the cake table ( as the venue was not set)- but the wonderful Jennine sent me images of the cake beautifully set up!

The four tier cake had a royal icing finish- with piped teardrop and silver cachous detail. A band of Ivory sugar "ribbon" and  Sugar Ivory roses covered the top- Just beautiful. Another stunner to add to my favourite monochromatic cakes!

Brush Embroidery cake designs are also quite vogue with the popularity of the Vintage theme.

This design included teardrop Swarovski Crystals attached to champagne ribbons- arranged at differing heights over the tier. The Brush embroidery technique can be used to replicate lace patterning or a flower detail onto the icing surface. The raised effect adds texture and a touch of elegance to the design.

Purely because of availability- I generally don't get to make many birthday cakes during the year- as for most people it is a last minute thought about ordering a cake.

I do have some savvy clients though who understand the importance of booking early- which means I have the availability to create  a magnificent cake for their event!

One of my last cakes for the year was for  Singer/Music teacher- who wanted something "Funky" for her Birthday.

Together we cam up with a design that incorporated her party colours- her fun personality- and her love of all things music!

Edible Glitter Music Notes wound up and around the tiers all the way to the big "40" at the top! In amongst the black piped icing pearls was the occasional red one- just for something different!

Putting the cake on a Black iced board really lifted the design and made the tiers stand out.

Inside the cake was another surprise- one layer was a gluten free red velvet cake! The Bright red cake was a fabulous way to distinguish the gluten free tier for the guests.

I also had my sister Alex's boyfriends birthday cake to make. It is Joe's birthday just one day after mine- and in exchange for an uber cool cake from me Alex made my Birthday cake!

What else would a 20 something year old want but a Transformers cake???? I made this wicked design from the Transformers logo- simple yet effective.

With a blood red glossy board- and hand painted silver "face" detail- this cake certainly turned heads at the restaurant where the birthday was held. It was a hard ask to actually get Joe to cut and share the cake- but all good things must come to and end- so carve away!!

My Last Wedding cake for 2009 was simply STUNNING!!! I loved it to pieces.

The Bride had organised the entire cake via email- as they lived overseas- and I put together what she ordered.

In the Stamford Plaza River room I layered 4 tiers of chocolate chard covered cakes- and placed some gorgeous roses ( supplied by the couple) in between the tiers. The soft coloured Ivory and white roses with the stunning Buckles(also supplied by the clients) just looked so elegant- a real "Wedding" cake.

 

What read as a "simple" cake on paper really came together as a stunning way to finish 2009- A certain favourite for the year!I must email the Bride to ask where she bought the buckles from- they were gorgeous!

With all the "client cakes" done and dusted for 2009- I was on Holidays from cake making for a month- taking time out to sort paperwork, get ready for the New Year inquiry Rush, and generally take a break from all things sugar for a while. My family received the last cakes of the year- a Christmas cake for both my family and My husbands family.

Just to add a bit of fun to the Xmas table!

With 2010 now in full swing- it is February already  : o !!

Catching up on Blogging is a slow and steady process- but I am getting there!

Thanks for reading

SJ