this was quite an interesting weekend for cakes!
first up, was a 3-tiered chocolate cake for a birthday boy that loves to hunt...i should have known that this cake delivery would give me a hard time - before i even got the deer figure for on top from the customer, it was dropped & broken into about 5 or 6 pieces...thankfully, i was able to get it back together - u couldn't even tell!
i knew that the party was being held at a cabin in the woods...what i didn't know, was that i'd be practically climbing a mountain to get there! ~lol~ the road was so steep to get up to the cabin, that on the way up, the tiers
(un-assembled...thank God!) slid in the back of my vehicle...no major damage was done
(except that i almost had a heart attack) - but the happy birthday message was smooshed when they slid into each other
in the end, the cake made it & stood beautifully...plus, the bday boy & his wife were thrilled with it...& that's really all that matters...here's a note Cara sent me later:
"
Sharon, everyone was super impressed with the gorgeous camouflage deer cake! The sliding cake was really no biggie...we ate it just the same. Today is Todd's actual birthday and when I took him his coffee and asked him what he wanted for breakfast, he said, a BIG piece of my birthday cake! So, my day was started off wonderfully with coffee and chocolate cake! Thank you SO much again, Todd told me later that evening that it was the best birthday party he had ever had. Even on Monday morning, the cake is still extremely moist and delicious!"
later on Saturday, i delivered this beautiful cake...it was a surprise anniversary/birthday cake for Blair...i made
Blair & Joey's wedding cake 3 years ago...they both just got home from Afghanistan, & were making up for lost time by celebrating their anniversary at the same time as Blair's bday that was this weekend...Joey surprised Blair with a mini replica of their wedding cake...same design AND flavors! too sweet, right?!
it was fudge chip & wedding white, filled & iced in buttercream...the drapes & pearls are fondant, & the roses are gumpaste
then at the end of the day on Saturday, i had a wedding cake to do 45 minutes away...the bride had found a design online that she liked...it called for an italian meringue - one that is not baked, but more or less cooked by pouring hot sugar into the whipped egg whites...she wanted the meringue because of the shine & shimmer it would give to the cake...she had a winter theme & wanted tall, whispy peaks coming off the top of each tier...because meringue needs to be used immediately after u make it
(or it goes flat), & because i had a 45 min drive to the venue, i made sure that the reception site had a kitchen i could use...i explained to the bride that i only needed an outlet for my Kitchenaid & a stove to cook the sugar...she assured me i'd have both
well, i'm sure u can guess what happened next...the "kitchen" at the venue did have plenty of outlets, but no stove! thankfully, they had a hot plate on hand (they used it for melting candles) - or i'm not sure what i would have done! but the hot plate would not get hot enough...& it took FOREVER to get hot at all!
even tho i got there 2 hrs before the guests were to arrive, i was hustling until the very last minute & still ran out of meringue...it took me about 4 times as long to make the meringue than at home - so instead of being able to make 2 or 3 batches, i was only able to make 1...& the meringue was not as stiff as it needed to be :0( i'd iced the cake
(first in buttercream) in meringue at home, so that was ok...but the peaks should have been taller & fuller & spilling over the edges of each tier...plus, the cake was originally 4 tiers - i ended up having to leave their top/anniversary tier off since i ran out of meringue
i snuck out just as the bride was arriving...& i admit, i was in tears...i prayed that she still thought her cake was beautiful - even tho it probably wasn't what she envisioned...it was the first time i left a wedding & was not proud of my work :0(
the one thing i know for sure...her guests had some yummy cake to eat! the bottom tier was fudge chip, filled with buttercream...the middle tier
(& their anniversary tier) was lemon chiffon cake, filled with lemon mousse & fresh strawberries & raspberries...& the top tier was carrot cake, filled with apricot preserves & cream cheese filling
Sunday went much smoother...first up was this hunting cake for a retired minister...his daughter ordered a cake with him on it, & also a deer reading a Bible
it was 2 tiers of fudge chip, iced in buttercream...i made the tree, deer & hunter from fondant
this cute cake was for another couple who i was able to make
a wedding cake for...Aarika & Leon are expecting their first child, & i was honored to get to make her baby shower cake...the nursery will have a baby bird theme & Aarika's mom provided me with a picture of a piece of art that will hang in the baby's room
she wanted something along those lines, but with a little pink bird, cracking out of its egg...here's what i came up with
it was wedding white cake, filled & iced in buttercream...i made the nest out of rice krispie treats, covered in chocolate fondant...the bird, twigs & flowers are fondant
i also made matching cupcakes to go around the cake...they had mini nests, birds & eggs
super cute theme for a baby shower!
& that's it...whew! thanks for looking!
(Thanksgiving meal at Ma's ~ 2008)
