Bring on any Challenge :)

 

Seriously- I cannot believe that it is going to be April in Friday! Where has this year gone??

Before I get to the cake that inspired the tittle- I have a little housekeeping.

I never mean to miss cakes- but when I get bad images, combined with choosing both from my phone and regular camera, and taking a gazillion shots of each cake- sometimes when scanning through I miss out on watermarking some.

So I thought I would catch you all up on a few that I had not included recently.

First of all was a Lego Cake for my Cousin.

He was up with my Aunt and Uncle and his Brother- in January- and his Birthday fell whilst he was up here.

We had a small family BBQ at my place to celebrate the occasion- complete with his favourite toy- Lego!

Being a last minute wonder the finish is not that of my regular standard- so please excuse the lack of attention to detail- but all in all- it was certainly cute :) 

  

I had also sent some Cupcakes up for a wedding at Northlakes- which the Bride and Groom collected- and I only had this quick shot of a select few together!

A variation of the Divine Blue Cupcake tower 

With immense gratitude I would like to thank the fabulous Ben Clark of Ben Clark Photography for Kindly providing a copy of the cake from Jacqui and Dylan's wedding day!

You can see more fabulous images from Jacqui and Dylan's wedding on Ben's Blog!

I have only had the pleasure of meeting Ben a few times in person- however he is so very lovely and down to earth- and ever so genuine and generous.......... but more on that in a blog to come ;-)

I had the pleasure of Making Deb and Josh's Wedding cake in Early February.

Deb was so gorgeous- inside and out! I know I always say how lovely my clients are- but really- they are!

Deb wanted something Cheeky and Fun- so she chose a variation of the Bride in Waiting design.

Matched in with her purple colour scheme- it looked pretty cute indeed!  

I love playing with the little details in this cake- like the one bare foot- and a Little cut wedding cake down the back.

Not only did I receive a stunning selection of images form Deb and Josh's day I also received this gorgeous Thank you from the Newlyweds!

"Hi Sarah-Jane
I have been meaning to email you for ages.
We just wanted to thank you so much for your amazing cake.
Not only was it delicious but we had so many compliments - such as the best cake people had ever seen. Everyone absolutely loved it and couldn't stop talking about it. 
Thanks again and all the best.
Deb and Josh"

The last cake I needed to catch up on was a Bright spark for sure.

Designed to match the couples invitations - this cake was Tangerine at the base- with a pearl ivory top with black invitation paper piping over the tier.

 To be honest- I was a bit worried I had made this cake too orange- yes it did match the invites perfectly- but it still had me concerned that the Bride would turn up and decide it was too much colour- but nothing could be further from the truth! She loved it! Phew!

The Third week in February had me tripping from Bribie Island to Sirromet- Seriously!

After a few morning consultations- I was off to Bribie Island to deliver this pretty Cherry Blossom Design.

This design was inspired by an image sent to me by the bride- I am uncertain who the original artist was - but now it has a Cake That! twist on it.  

I really like the soft green banding at the base- and the piped icing pearls- it adds a soft feminine texture to the finish.

After returning home from Bribie - it was time to pack up the car and set off to Sirromet.

My very great friend Natalie was celebrating her birthday in Lurleens that Lunch time- and due to my cake tripping- I didn't quite make it to the actual lunch- but did get a hour or so down time before having to set up the newest "Big Bertha"! of cakes.

This cake needed to be set up insitu. There was no moving his baby once it was together :)

With a reception set for over 170 guests - this couple had organised a dream wedding for sure.

The Restaurant was being filled with gorgeous flowers by Julie Vine.

Stunning arrangements everywhere the eye could see!

A fabulous band- with the most amazing singers rehearsed as we set up.

Personalised Fortune cookies and a Drool worthy Sweet table were being set and ready to go............ all the while my right hand man- Steve- and I set up the tallest cake I have done yet!

The cake itself was 4 double height tiers- set onto 14cm pillars- and filled with fresh Antique pale pink and cream roses between the layers and on top.

Whilst Steve can be the best of helpers- he is also still a man- questioning his own Brides abilities to create such a cake- pfft! Seriously sometimes boys should just learn to trust the designer- and not cast doubt!

Having created countless Fresh flower stacked cakes- this cake was just like any other in my mind (construction wise)- Having a level and sturdy base and great support will deliver a quality- jaw dropping end product! Guaranteed every time!

I always order extra blooms- just so I can pick through and choose which ones I want to use- this time was no different.

               

 Forming the Base Structure of the cake.

In this design was over 170 fresh roses- enough for one for each guest ;-P

This is the sort of cake that your guests won't miss (or forget) in a hurry.

Standing over 2m Tall once complete! I even got my 197cm Tall Husband to stand next to it for Size comparison :) (mmm and I now notice that he isn't wearing his Cake that! shirt either......)

And for the regular height 163cm peeps out there- here is a shot captured that makes me seem a little taller than I actually am! (the key is to stand back a bit)

Finished in all her Glory!

I loved hearing the whispers of the Sirromet staff........" I am not touching that cake"............"How on earth are we going to move that???"   LOL!  The cake itself wasn't going anywhere- but I can certainly empathise with the staff having to dismantle the monster gracefully.

 And before I end this blog- I have a few other images of the Cake set up- with some of the gorgeous room setting in the background.......... If only I could have captured the sounds of the band to.........

 

Whilst I absolutely adore this grand beauty- I can only imagine how stunning it would have looked with those sensational blue/green Hydrangeas in between the layers- delicious!

So a mammoth Thank you to Andrea and Anthony- Thank you for choosing me to create your Giant wedding cake!

I have made it most of the way through February now........... slowly but surely catching up.

Thanks for reading

SJ

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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

May Day May Day!

Each week my aim is to get a shot (I sometimes even fluke a great shot) of each and every cake I make for the week. This first week in May was one of those weeks where I managed to miss a few of my cakes- albeit because I didn't either  A: set the cake up at home and take a shot before delivery  or B: I did get a shot but it is so blurry that you could barely recognise what it is meant to be.

But the good news is that although I won't be able to show you each and every cake from this particular weekend- what I do have is pretty special indeed ;)

I will start with what looks to be a stylish simple design- that oozes elegance. This three tier cake is banded with a sugar black ribbon- and finished with fresh Antique roses ( Karen @Bliss Floral) 

 

This wedding cake was set up in Fix Restaurant- where my sister in law is soon to hold her wedding reception (oh excitement!!!!!) A stunning refurbishment has turned this restaurant into a warm romantic venue- A sleek contemporary transformation indeed!

What I love about this cake is its timelessness- when this happy couple look back in 20 years time on their wedding images- this sophisticated cake should still be vogue.

I had two cakes at Hillstone on the Saturday- this first one was a pretty cupcake tower for the rosewood room.

The second was my "Invitation print" design for the Grandview room.

This cake design has become really popular. Originally designed to match in with Amity invites invitations I have even had couples buy the invitations to match the cake.

I seemed to be delivering to my most favourite venues on this particular weekend... my next stop Customs House.

This Four tier cake had the tiers set in a slight spiral- with a band of cream icing with damask overlay- and a gun metal grey ribbon and diamante buckle- just like the invitations the bride and groom sent out.

A cute couple sat on top of this big cake.

The reception was held in the Long Room at Customs house- and this room- in my opinion- needs a big cake. A gorgeous domed roof and an architecturally divine space needs a large cake to make a presence.

I also had a cake over at Boulevarde Gardens on Sunday- where I was delighted to run into Linda from The Party Girls- she had set up the room for the same wedding I was delivering too.

  This three tier cake was banded with eucalyptus green ribbon and ivory pearls. Sugar tulips on top.

Last but not least was a cake that was sent out to Peppers Hiddenvale/Clovelly Estate Grandchester.

This cake was all about vintage. Gorgeous Champagne coloured icing overlaid with a delicate white royal icing stencil- pearls and Ivory sugar roses- and tiny crystals- so pretty!

Tiny Swarovski Bicone crystals and sugar pearls were in amongst the Ivory sugar roses.

  

Seeing that I am only up  to the first week in May I had better get a move on.. I cannot believe how behind in blogging I am LOL!!

Thanks for Reading

SJ

It's a Hard Pick.....

..... to choose a favourite this week.

Each cake I did on this weekend (ending 10th October) was different from the next.
My week of weddings started early with a Thursday wedding.
The cake had a cut blossom and leaf overlay- with tiny touches of the wedding colours baby blue and chocolate mixed in.

The overlaid design was inspired by the invitation pattern- which had layers of all different sized flowers in "waves" across the paper.

Friday was also a big Wedding day- with Two Weddings.
The first cake delivered I never got a picture of- as the room was not ready to set up the cake and the florist had not arrived yet- hopefully I will get to see what the final product looked like- as the couple had chosen a three tier Square butter iced cake- that they were having a single large spray of flowers across the front- quite a contemporary style for sure.
The next cake I delivered was up to Clear Mountain for a Commitment ceremony.
This was my first commitment ceremony cake and I was excited! Paula and Michelle were nothing but lovely- and chose a bright coloured design to match in with their room set up.

It had been a while since I was last up at Clear Mountain personally- and I was blown away by their beautiful renovations. The was they have opened up the hotel takes full advantage of the Lake and gorgeous views- stunning. Definitely worth a look if you are looking for a venue that is close to Brisbane but feels like you are miles away in beautiful Mountains and Valleys.

I sent two cakes that weekend to Mt Tambourine too!
The first was what could be labeled as my most popular design. While each time it is a little different- the base design elements remain the same.


Three tiers with piped icing pearls around the base rising up the sides like bubbles. This one was having fresh roses like my "Fresh Bride" design- which were added at the venue.
The next cake I sent to Mt Tambourine was wholly organised via phone and email.
A Version of my "Simply Pretty" cake - pink in every aspect.


The sugar frangipanis and pink butterflies- with pale pink icing and piping detail- what more could a pink lover want??


I had a chance to use my new patchwork butterfly cutters again- which make the cutest tiny imprinted butterflies- I love it!

By the time Saturday came around I only had a few deliveries to go.

Starting at the Marriott with this hand painted " Invitation Print" Design. The first time I did this design I was shaking like crazy painting black onto the cake- there was no room for error- but this time i had a bit more confidence- and I think that the cake turned out just beautiful!
The original design (created back in 2008) was inspired by a butterfly reed invitation by Amity invites.
The sleek contemporary look of this design appeals to allot of my clients- and this time the design was altered to match this couples grass invitations.
The reception was in the Long room at Customs house- and for those of you who know this beautiful venue- it is a big room to fill- the high ceilings with the beautiful domes can often over power even the grandest of designs.
So delivering a cake that had no fuss but was elegantly decorated with a hand painted reed design had me a little nervous that it would be swallowed up by the grandeur of the room.

But as I entered the room and saw that the table numbers- the menus and the Seating plan all featured the same reed design- the cake fit like a glove! I received a beautiful message form the Bride the next day telling me how much she loved the cake and her guests loved how it fitted so wonderfully with the rest of the wedding decor.

I was then off to the Stamford to deliver this next - and possibly- my favourite cake for the week.
Taken in inspiration from a cake in the Wedding Star catalogue- this cake was iced in a lime/apple green with a white cut overlay- and while the overlay took a really long time to do- I enjoyed it so much- and the finished product was so worth it!

This cake had extended tiers- and the entire cake was covered in the cut vine/flower/leaf detail. Without sounding cheesy- this pattern sort of reminded me of a pair of board shorts- I think because of the bright under colour and the white overlay- but it looked great- if I do say so myself.
I also had a cake out at Woodlands of Marburg. A bright cupcake tower- but in my haste to leave the house I forgot my camera- and only got a mobile phone image- which is not even worthy of uploading seeing as though the lens on my phone camera is sugar crusted- I am sure (CarlZiess) when he designed the lens never imagined a nice crusty build up of all things sugar over it LOL!!!

Well that was another week gone. I cannot believe that we are now in November- how time flies- another year almost over.
I am too flat out to be able to celebrate Melbourne cup this week- but for those of you who are lunching have a blast! I am promising myself that next year for sure I will make time to take the whole day off!
Go horse number 17- whoever you are- this is the number I always like to choose!

Thanks for reading!
SJ