Not just another white wedding....

Tradition exists for a good reason---it connects us to the past in a positive way, and guides us when we need good advice. But there's a lot to be said for tweaking it...not abandoning it altogether, but making it our own by personalizing it.

So, here is a silver wedding cake, with hand sculpted roses and ribbons. Designed for an evening wedding, it absolutely glows under artificial lights in a way that a white cake could never do!

A Hat Trick!

I had such a great weekend! 3 events, and each client took the time afterwards to call and rave about the cakes. This cake was for a baby shower. It was very tall, and delivering it was nerve wracking, but it survived. The Mom to be was thrilled!
I modelled the cat from the illustrations out of fondant, and painted in the details.

Back in the Kitchen again!

After a long break from baking, I am once again in baking heaven. The economy is definately picking up, and people are ready to celebrate with a fabulous cake.

My re-entry is this Doctor's bag cake that was for a wedding last weekend. It's a Red velvet cake iced and filled with ganache (Is there anything in the world as delicious as ganache?) I made accessories out of gumpaste: a stethoscope, an otoscope, a thermometer, some pills, and a prescription pad that said "Take 2 kisses and call me in the morning" with the Groom's actual signature on it!

It's a good thing I am basically humble, because this cake caused a sensation! Everyone dropped what they were doing to see it, and the Chefs even came out if the kitchen! Ahh, I did well!

I care because I sign my name...

I got a phone call on a Sunday morning at 9 AM. It was a Mom who had ordered 2 dozen cupcakes from a local bakery for her daughter's birthday party at 1 PM. She had just gotten a call from them that her order had been overlooked, and there was no baker on site to do the cupcakes. Sorry, they would not be able to provide any cupcakes.

She 'd had my cake at a friend's house, so she called to get my name. I usually don't work on Sunday, but I got out my pans, baked like mad, and delivered 2 dozen cupcakes with fondant butterflies at 12:45 PM, just in time. It wasn't that hard, 12 white iced with pink putterflies, 12 pink iced with white butterflies. Still, you'd have thought I'd performed a miracle. Happy endings for all.

As I was cleaning up afterwards, I thought about how that bakery had left her high and dry. The order being overlooked could happen to anyone, humans make mistakes. It was their response that was shocking. If I had messed up like this, my first response would have been to fire up the oven immediately and knock out some cupcakes. But, their baker had gone home. Most large bakeries have only 1 or 2 bakers, no one else is qualified.

OK, so I know they have a case filled with cupcakes. Why not just grab some and decorate them?

Well, the decorator wasn't there either. Or maybe they didn't want to empty their case early in the day more then they wanted to fill this order.

So, why not go and buy cupcakes at another bakery? I would, rather than strand a customer. I would give her SOMETHING to serve, and at no charge. That seems so obviously the thing to do. Why didn't they do that?

Because the person on the phone saying the order would not be filled is anonymous, as is the baker, the decorator, and the person on the register. Their names are not on the line, and so they don't really care if the customer is happy or not. It's not their reputation, it's the bakeries. They get paid the same for doing a poor job as a good job.

I am sure if the owner had been present, they would not have left the customer hanging. Because their name is over the door.

With a boutique bakery like Enchanted Cakes, the baker/decorator/owner cares because my reputuation and name are on the line with every single item that I deliver. So it has to be perfect, fresh, and on time. I am 100% responsible for everything. I make sure I can be proud of my work.

So, I got a happy new customer, and they lost a customer. Actually, I got several new customers, as the whole story was told to lots of people. As she gave them my card!

How a cake is designed

I had a lovely meeting yesterday with a Bridal couple and her parents. The Bride's mother is a past client of mine. Nicest people you could imagine!

I usually have Sunday off, but this couple actually live in New Hampshire, so their availablity is very limited. They are both in med school at Dartmouth, which is how they met. (Two physicians, the average IQ of my house went through the roof!)

We tasted 6 cakes. Polling revealed 2 liked the Vanilla Bean best, with Sour Cream Chocolate in second place, and 2 liked the reverse. Plus 3 votes for Caramel in 3rd place. Solution? Wedding cake half Vanilla Bean, half Chocolate, and a Groom's cake of Caramel.

The Bride wanted a simple cake with Swiss Dots. No problem. I suggested that we make it more personal to them, so we brainstormed a bit. The Groom suggested the Trinity Knot motif, an Irish design that is on their wedding rings. Perfect. The Bride will be carrying some Thistle flowers in her bouquet to refer to her Scottish heritage. I suggested that the middle tier of the cake have alternating Trinity Knots in fondant Strap work, and bas relief Thistle flowers. This will photograph really beautifully.

But what about the Groom? He is from Columbia. Not a lot of cultural overlap with the bride's Celtic origins...What is Columbia famous for? Coffee! So, a coffee mug. How about a mug with a Dartmouth D on it? The Bride's mother pointed out that even when it is cut, the cake will look like coffee. Final touch, the Groom would like it sculpted to look like a diner mug, curving slightly inward. Perfect!

So, in this wedding, the cakes will refer to the Bride's heritage, her bouquet, the Groom's heritage, where they met and fell in love, and their wedding rings/future together. Plus taste really really scrumptious!

Who would think you could get so much into cake design?

Making cakes personal...

A small cake can be lovely and personal to the occasion with a bit of thought. This Floral Teapot cake is for just 6 people, but still memorable and delicious. I made this for Cynthia, a lovely lady who has a tea business. She once did a tea for the Prince of Wales! I wish the picture showed the handle better, it was quite nice.

This was ordered by Cynthia's fiance as a surprise. It's a shame more men don;t think to order a cake as gifts, much more unusual than a box of chocolates!

40th Birthday cake

Here's last night's cake. There's a pound and a half of chocolate in this, PLUS a pound of coconut filling! the icing is robin's egg blue, to make the white lily of the valley on the sides really visible.
The birthday cake is for an excellent caker, so I hope she enjoys it!