Times are a Changin'

Looking back through images from this year so far- I am constantly delighted seeing the fabulous cakes my clients have chosen for me to make.

It is like seeing them finished for the first time all over again.

It has been a big year of changes here at Cake That!- After a long break over the end of last year and the beginning of this year- I slowly moved back into caking. Making some fantastic cakes for some truly wonderful people.

All the while readjusting this business to what it was born to be- a job that was here to keep me creatively excited- not one to make me a millionaire- but one to let me have a life and a lifestyle that I was proud of. Taking on a more relaxed tone- and having more fun, letting go of stress and just being me :D

I recently launched the new updated website- which features the style of cakes that inspire me. Hopefully you love the new sections as much as I do. Choosing which cakes to include was a very hard task- getting the right balance of my all time favourites, along with those that catch the ever savvy clients eye didn't happen overnight..........well it happened over around 100 nights- lets be honest hahhaha- it was a project that I wished could have been completed faster- but got there in the end (still getting there- Fingers crossed the Real weddings/Testimonials section will be completed by the end of the month)

The Facebook page is nearing 5000 "likers" which in itself blows my mind. Whilst this may be small numbers to some other well known companies- to me this is enormous- close to 5000 people have taken the time to click "like" on my page- so a HUGE Thank you to them. Not only does it seem that you like the page- I am also getting some great feedback through there too. Don't be shy in leaving a comment - or leaving a message- I appreciate it all.

So if you have been patient enough to sit through this blog intro- I had better not disappoint you with the cakes I am about to feature- Right?
So here we go :

After my long break The first cab off the rank was filled with fun!
In the Cake That! colours too! This three tier Mad Hatter for Emily and Jake was the confidence I needed to prove I could still do it (cake making that is) - I hadn't forgotten what to do- my Cake Brain still functioned- Yippee!

 This Hot Pink and Black Themed cake had "Helter Skelter" stripes on the top tier- which looked even more wicked on real life- Heart print over the middle and Varied stripes on the base. Instead of leaving the silver paper covered board- I iced it silver- to give it a clean finish.
A cake this bold definitely a talking point.

It was not long after the cake above- that I was contacted by an old (not in age but more of a Cherished way) client- who wanted a surprise birthday cake for her husband.
Now this couple are one that I will NEVER forget- they definitely hold a little piece of my Cake That! heart. The most genuine and appreciative couple- they ventured well outside the lines of tradition with thier "Super Mario" wedding cake. They trusted me way back then to make a cake  Uniquely them.

This time around it was another cake that held special meaning.

Athene wanted to surprise Wade with a Companion Cube- What is a Companion Cube you ask?? Actually I have virtually no idea- I know it is from a computer game- and it looks like fun- but I am sure those in "the know" will know and appreciate what it is/does- along with the suitably quirky message that was on the board.

From all reports it was very well received- mission accomplished :D

It seems that Hot pink and Black were in this year.
The next cupcake tower kept it simple and classy.

Black papers- alternating tiers of Hot pink and Black Hearts, all topped off with a cute couple.

 Making the little sugar dresses and cool hairdo's really are a big highlight to me once finished.

Obviously I was on a lean the day the next lot of shots were taken- geeeez!

Some New Display cakes were in order for the Studio (actually more new ones are on the agenda at the moment)- so I sat down and drew some out- then put them together.

I like to have a bit of fun with the displays- and it has certainly seemed to inspire clients- who get to see both the size and the decoration close up.

While most couples who opt for custom toppers have them sitting or standing nicely together- I felt this whimsical extended height three tier cake needed a bit of a twist. I put the spotlight on the bride here- having her sit daintily on the top edge- looking most bridal- all the while her groom is lying behind her- giving the "Thumbs up" and a wave! I also gave him red hair too- Cheeky monkey groom lol

 And whilst it may be hard to recognise- the "dots" on the cake are Ivory on a white cake. I did this not only to add a little depth- but also to be able to demonstrate to subtly between the two shades of fondant. Yes eh Ivory will seem a tad darker en mass- but essentially it is just offwhite.

Fluffyness is very "IN" at the moment. It seems I was ahead of my time with the Mummy cake from 2005 hahahhah- anywho- I had drawn up a Pale pink Ombre ruffle design- and as great minds think alike- even though we hadn't spoken at all about displays- my great friend and colleague Amanda from Deliberately Delicious- posted a picture of a brand new Purple Ombre Ruffle cake just as I was about to begin my original Pink one. Not one to cut someone else's grass- I mad a quick change to this pretty all white fluffy flower design instead.

 The simple drop scallop piping and pearl detail along the top edge adds to this delicate and lovely design.

The next cake is a twost on one that I do adore.

The Ivory version of this cake was my Facebook Profile pic for a while (It is now replaced)- but with teh ever growing trend in Pearl finishes and dusty hues- I chose to make a dusty pink pearl finish cake with Ivory lace overlay.
Bold Vintage is what I will call it.

It kind of looks brownish in this pic - but it is like a dark tea rose in real life.

Inspiration for display cakes is constantly popping into my head- if only I could just play making cakes all day- I would need a new studio to display them all.

Well that is all for now- if you haven't already done so- head on over to the new website and have a look! I hope you love it- and it is mobile too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No more only being able to view it on a PC YAY!

Thanks for reading

SJ xx

www.cakethat.com.au

Organised Chaos!

Mother Nature certainly knew how to unleash her fury upon Queensland this year. With Mammoth rainfall over Christmas and the early weeks of January- localised flooding was already apparent.  Emerald and Rockhampton were flooded out, and the state was banding together to help those who had lost everything rebuild.

Then on one dark Monday a freak flash flood hit much closer to home, through  Toowoomba and the Downs district- leaving a path of destruction and taking many lives.

What we saw on the news footage was like a scene from a Movie- but unfortunately it was very real.

I had a Bride who was getting Married out in Roma- and had contacted her prior to the Toowoomba floods to see if she needed to cancel or suspend her order- as many roads out her way meant that Roma itself was potentially cut off.

The bride persevered and managed to have her Dream wedding- Flying in many guests to be there on the Special day.

A three tier Chocolate creation- with whimsical purple marbling through the chocolate was sent out by air (with the town Pharmacist)- to the wedding in Roma. 

 

A big cake on a Dash-8 made the journey relatively unscathed.

I was delighted to be able to send the cake out amidst all the upheaval.

Back in Brisbane- we ourselves were bracing for our city to flood.

Within a day of the Darling Downs devastation- Ipswich and Brisbane were also consumed by the rising waters. It all seemed so very surreal to me. I felt very guilty that although living less than 6km CBD-  we had no visual evidence of the chaos and destruction that was happening only minutes down the road.

With people loosing their homes and everything inside of them, entire suburbs flattened by the destruction- businesses ruined and livelihoods lost- what came of this tragedy was spirituous and inspiring.

As the flooding was happening- I was madly contacting my couples for that weekend to see how they were fairing and checking to see what they needed in regards to suspending or cancelling their orders.

A few weddings were placed on hold as their venues went under water. Some were lucky enough to be able to be moved to alternate venues. Such huge feats given the circumstances.

Once such couple were meant to hold their wedding reception at the Marriott- in Brisbane. With Water Damage to the basement, and no power throughout the CBD- the couple were lucky to secure the Gold Coast Marriott withing 2 days of their Wedding.

Their Stunning 3 extended tier cake with Sugar Phalaenopsis orchids trailing over the design was completed and taken down the Coast to the new reception venue.

 

The base two tiers were pale pink with damask icing stencilling over the tiers.

The next cake had me worried- as many flower farms had been destroyed and interstate trucks were not able to get through- but my flower wholesaler came through with some gorgeous blooms to complete this cake.

To put a cake like this together takes around 1.5hours at the venue. I was under the pump with the Groom and his family already waiting at the venue when I arrived to set up. Having someone watch me work is a little unnerving- despite my usual extroverted personality- having someone- or allot of people- watching over your shoulder is not as easy as working in your own bubble ;-P   

The base tier was topped with a full layer of flowers in pinks and purples- the middle tier with greens and then the top with reds and deep pinks. A cute cartoon topper family- complete with the couples Shitzu dog sat on top.  I had to take the picture shooting into the light (hahah- that sentence made me sound like I had some professional Photog lingo going on) so unfortunately my little pentax couldn't quite capture the cake in its true glory.

With fabulous Anne Campbell performing the ceremony - a glorious day and a gorgeous cake- Lisa and Ben were off to a cracking start to their marriage!

It seemed that one week flowed into the next in January. Our city was amidst of a natural disaster. Many of my suppliers had been impacted- not to mention friends and colleagues effected by the waters too.

A bright light during the floods was my Husbands Birthday!

I was flat chat running around organising new suppliers and reshuffling cake deliveries for those clients of mine who had to suddenly move venues.

Making my gorgeous husbands cake was certainly not a priority at that stage. My sister Kate took on the task with both hands- and with less than 3 hours from wo to go- she had created nothing short of a masterpiece!

To Bring a little bit of background into this story- My husband has a liking for powered model "toys"- currently he is liking Helicopters. Kate's quick wit had her brain and cake designing abilities working overtime. A google image search had inspired the cake design:  

Kate could see all the components of the cake in the simplistic shapes of the stock image......

So she set off to Coles (whilst imagination and design may be her forte- baking unfortunately is not).

She loaded up her basket with all the essentials- cakes- biscuits- wafers- Betty Crocker frosting- food colouring.......and passion!

What eventuated was certainly MAGIC!

Kate's ingenuity had her cover a platter in foil- creating a lovely silver background, she even hand cut out the wafer propeller blades!

Awesome MUCH!!!!!!!!

Kate is proudly telling whoever will listen how great she is at round cakes- that she is! A magnificent job indeed- proving if you have the will and determination anyone can be fabulous at this cake decorating game!

Our four year old niece Scarlett was in awe of Kate's Talents- all she wanted was a piece of the tail with the Jaffa! I LOVE how much kids enjoy cakes- such an exciting time for them.

 

Kate and Scarlett pose proudly with the Helicopter Masterpiece.

It was time then for the candles to be lit and the cake to be revealed to the birthday boy!

I don't think we have seen a smile this big on his face since his 8th Birthday! Congratulations Steve!

To say he was mighty impressed is an understatement.Thanks to Kate for taking on the cake duty and exceeding everyone's expectations! You rock!

The weekend following Steve's birthday I had a very cool cake indeed!

The cake was for a couples joint birthday- an 18" replica of a shipping container- complete with  logos representing meaningful places and interests of the couple.

Cool hey! This cake was far too big for my photo tent- so no pretty picture to show sorry.

I had a lovely local Alderley couples wedding that weekend too.

Held at Brett's Wharf- which was unscathed in the flood disaster- a funky little bridal couple sat tall on top of a simple- yet fun- wedding cake.

This cake had a slight design change- due to one of my suppliers not being able to supply edible image for the cake- but in the end the cake looked cute as!

The Red and purple roses together looked fantastic! So bold and awesome up against the black and white.

The next GIANT cake was originally scheduled for The Stamford Plaza- my old work- which is STILL unfortunately out of action.

A quick move to the Hyatt Sanctuary Cove- saw this grand beauty set up in style!

Three tier double height design- this cake had a wide top tier- which added to the cakes size look in real life.

 

I was able to use one of my gorgeous new stencils on this cake and finish the stencelling with some piped icing pearls- so pretty!

Roses and lissianthus fulled between the tiers- bold and soft colours blended together- just gorgeous!

This cake was for such a beautiful bride- I am so glad that in the end all worked out for her. In the midst of all the flood tragedy- she was calm and confident - and knew that all that mattered was that she and her husband were to be married, and no matter how big or small the celebration- what mattered was their love. Months of planning every last detail were shadowed by honest reality of what the meaning of a wedding is all about.

So very lovely- I wish Cleonie and Bruce a magnificent life together.

The last shining star of January was a Birthday cake for  a long time family friend.

A pink themed 60th Birthday party cupcake tower.

Varied Pink icings- with a Happy birthday message discs - and a personalised topper- of course!

Happy Birthday Helen!

I hope that you had a great one.

Well that was January's wrap!

I did miss a couple of fabulous cakes- but I don't have some images. When I manage to get some I will certainly share them with you all!

I hope you had a comfy seat!

Thanks for reading

SJ

P.S.- A Very Special mention to My friends Deb and Lanson in Esk- they have been hit so many times in this recent month- and still managed to help others in need too.
My sister Kate and her friends- who also help clear homes and businesses in around their inner city homes- as well as kindly passing out cakes and biscuits as I was too shy to do so.... My sympathies to Julie Whitehead- of Julie Whitehead cakes - who had her own home devastated by the floods- but still managed to create her magnificent creations with a smile!
And to the Mud army- who dropped whatever they had going on to selflessly lend a hand to all those in need. The human spirit is amazing- it certainly makes you proud to be a Queenslander in these trying times.

To donate to the QLD Premiers Flood appeal Click Here!

Hello Beautiful ;)

Helloooooooooooooooooooooo! Happy New Year and all that Jazz! No I haven't fallen off the planet- Just been flat out- and with only a very short break over the Xmas New Year period- unfortunately keeping up with the blog had fallen by the wayside- whoops!

I am VERY EXCITED to share the cakes from the first week in November with you all though.

I am sure you have listened to me babble on about how much I love the cakes my clients choose- but when you are well and truly in the thick of "Wedding season" all the gorgeous designs is what keeps you going.

It was a cracker weekend- the very first cake- whilst it was really a blank canvas on my end- the absolutely stunning Flowers by the brides florist turned what was something simple ( but ultimately divine tasting) into a stunning romantic cake.  

I was also really impressed with the Florists preparation of the blooms.

So often - although I stipulate specific terms with fresh flowers- I arrive at venues to find unprepared flowers- which make placement onto the cake more than difficult.

These blooms were wired and taped gorgeously!

The next cake is the epitome of what I class as the ultimate classic timeless- so gorgeous you want to hug it- wedding cake!

 Three Extended height tiers of rich Fruit cake (YUM!!) iced in Ivory fondant- with white fondant lace over the tiers- all topped off with  Handmade large open sugar roses on top. 

 With all the fruit cake inside- this cake weighed a tonne- but well worth it for the beauty.

The passed out husband- or "Bride in Waiting" cake once again was a popular choice this week.

 I only wished that I had have shot it on a white background so that you could see the gorgeous black bedhead. 

It is very rarely that I get the opportunity to make Christening cakes. But this sweet baby's cake was a twist on a couple of past cakes I had made before.

I was also excited as I got to use a new Embosser on the baby's blanket too.

I certainly had allot of Big cakes this week- and the next Butter cream design was simply stunning!

White and cream roses and Singapore Orchids- trailing whimsically over the cake.

 A single base- double mid tier and Single top tier- all iced with vertical palette markings- elongating the design even further.

So pretty I have it as my phone screen saver :-O

Nuts about Chocolate????

This next chocolate creation- with White chocolate chards inlaid with Dark chocolate swirls - and a heap of shavings in the channels....

Could a chocoholic ask for more???

I had some gorgeous cupcakes for the Powerhouse too!

I love this venue- and not because it is where my BIL and his wife got married a few years back- but because it is eclectic and still romantic.

 

As well as being commissioned to create the above cakes- I also was blessed to once again be part of the Brothers and Sisters Oncology Day- where I spent the afternoon watching the kids have a blast icing and decorating close to 200 cupcakes.

I have learned over the last few years that children are not professional decorators- and perfect butter cream swirls and complimentary colours don't mean squat when it is all about fun!

So now I am honored to supply a huge array of decorations and simply let them "go for it"

This year I had Pirates and Fairies- as well as Christmas decorations, a bucket load of sprinkles and lollies- and with 14 or so kids decorating cakes for themselves- the patients and hospital staff......

Here's what they came up with!!!

The Lovely Amanda from the RBCH

There wasn't much left at the end either...........

A Huge THANK YOU to the Turner and Banksia Wards for once again inviting me to be apart of your special day!

Looking forward to next time

Thanks for Reading and Happy 2011

SJ

Far and Away

The first week in December had me sending cakes all over SEQ and to FIJI!

I had two cakes go to Mt Tambourine on this particular weekend.

The first was a chocolate creation that was filled with summer berries and finished with dark chocolate chards!

The second cake was a cupcake tower- and although it was collected I managed o get a shot of the top tier- which was an enlarged cupcake itself!

Pale pink and white themed- the cupcakes that went with the tower featured chocolate monogram initials and pale pink and vanilla butter cream icing.

I also had a wicked chocolate creation for a 21st Birthday- A cake that I have done multiple times, but each time just that little bit different.

This time the cake was a tower cake design- the super long dark chocolate cards really gave a tall sleek look- then the chocolate lollipops popping out the top were just a whole lot of fun! This time I also incorporated some chocolate butterflies too!

If you have read my previous post you would have seen that I thanked my wonderful family for all their help and support that they give me throughout the year... but did I mention the favours I also get to do for them ;))

Being the resident cake maker my family can be assured of being able to supply their closest friends with some unreal cakes on my behalf.

My sister Kate's friend Sara was holding her 40th Birthday- In Fiji!!! and what better way to celebrate than to have your own personalised cake flown over??  Kate is always keen to come up with design ideas- most of which are pretty damn cool- this cake was no exception! A girls week in Fiji was what inspired this cocktail drink design- complete with a sugar lae! A collaboration between Kate and Myself to have this design come together and basically look AWESOME!

Kate carried the cake with her to Fiji- and just like I told her- there is no hassles in taking a cake on a plane- you get so many oooh's and aah's form the airline staff- and once the cake has been xray scanned you are free to place it in the overhead locker for a smooth journey to your destination.

Kate was pretty proud of her design- and so she should be.

Sara LOVED the cake- the design itself was a surprise until their arrival in Fiji- even eating the sugar off the board LOL! Keeping with the cocktail theme the cake inside was a coconut frangellico white chocolate mud!

Happy Birthday Sara!

Well I am slowly getting through the final weeks of  2009 on my blog- not far to go now!

Thanks for reading

SJ

Welcome 2009!!

I hope you all had a fabulous Xmas and a Spectacular New Years!
I am now back into the swing of cakes for 2009.

My first cake for the year was for a repeat client. To be honest- I was going to have another week off- but seeing as this cake came through- I decided to come back a week early. This family is super organised. Booking the birthday cake in more than 6 months ago.
The cake was themed around the birthday boys love of Shrek.

A sculptured Shrek face on a "Wood" look board was on order.
To make the wood board I iced the board and then marked the wood grain in and left it to dry for a few days. Once dry I ( well actually my mum- Thanks Mum!) painted the board with food dye to make the wood effect!


It looked awesome ( if I do say so myself!) - but onto the cake. Carved from an 11" round cake- I sculptured the face and then coated it in ganache before icing.

I had both a printed picture and a "shrek" doll to look at whilst working. The Shrek doll spoke- and scared the bejeezers out of both me and my mum when he suddenly let out a phrase without being touched!

Matching up the colouring to a "Shrek" green came down to compromise- as the doll and the image ( and the DVD) were all different shades of green. As the doll was more on the yellow side- I went with a colour closest to the image.

The cake was then Iced in the green and molded to the face. "Shrek" lettering for the birthday message- and it was complete.
I delivered the cake yesterday morning- and got to see Jai's excited expression when he saw Shrek! I hope he had a great 2nd Birthday!

It seems that the "Mummy" cake is still a favourite design for my wedding couples. I started the New year with a version of this design.


Lemon/yellow sugar rose petals across the design- instead of fresh rose petals made a pretty change.

I also had a stunning Ivory and Black design this weekend. Decorated with rows of hat elastic and a quilted mid tier- with piped black pearls at each cross point.

The bride is taller than the groom- so instead of having the toppers standing on the top- they sat on the edge of the top tier.
Very Cute indeed.

I have been inundated with requests for consultations and have only limited spaces available both this coming week and next.
I still have openings in January for the week ending the 25th and the 31st- so if you are after a cake for then please inquire.
Remember that I do take bookings up to 11months in advance so if your wedding in in that time frame don't be afraid to come and see me- it is never to early!