Cakes, Cakes, and More Cakes

The month of June has been insane for cakes. I made seven cakes in the last two weeks and I have three more orders to fill this week. Whoa! Here are a couple of the cakes I worked on this month...

The staff at my school decided to get together to have a little potluck celebration for our City Year team. They were having their last day at our school and we had to celebrate just how awesome they had been. Naturally, I made a cake for the potluck.

Trying to match that font was really tricky. My hand just isn't that steady when I'm cutting out fondant.

One of the other cakes I made was for the last staff breakfast of the year. I had been working on making fondant daisies for another cake and I had a large one that just didn't seem to be right. So I stuck it on the staff cake to spruce it up a bit. Then, I wasn't sure what message to write on the cake. "Deuces!" seemed a little too short. 

Have a Great Summer did the trick.

This past weekend, my friend's parents were celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary. My friend and her brother were throwing their parents  a surprise party. She sent me a picture from their wedding and asked if I could use the daisies in her mom's bouquet (& the fact that the bridesmaid dresses had been sky blue) for inspiration. I had some trouble getting my daisies to hold up well and having pointy ends that didn't match the bouquet. So, I started over and cut long, rounded petals that I could overlap. It was a long process, but they were really cute. These are the flowers I ended up with:

My kitchen has been very busy and it looks as though that trend is going to continue for at least the next two weeks. Keep those orders coming, folks!

**Don't forget that if you're in the Boston area and need some cake you can:

1.) send me an email (thecakebeast@gmail.com) 

or 

2.) use the contact form on the right sidebar to tell me what you need!

By the way, did you remember to stop by and "like" my Facebook page?

And don't forget to follow me on Twitter!

Fourth of July

We held our annual 4th of July cookout this year. I decided to make two cakes. I went with the patriotic rose cake (although, mine doesn't look nearly as nice as the one at iambaker) and my coconut cream cake.

The rose cake was fun because I colored the layers inside, too. The only problem was that I made it the night before and couldn't wait until the next day to cut into it and take a picture. So, I cut a slice and carefully put it back when I was done. I figured my guests wouldn't really mind that much.

My attempt at the Patriotic Rose cake

Red, white, & blue layers for the occasion

The last day of school, I made a coconut cream cake for my assistant principal, Zaida. It was a recipe I had never tried and I was a little worried about how it might taste. I always get nervous giving someone a cake that I haven't tried myself. She texted me later that evening to tell me the cake was "SUPER" and that she wanted it named after her. I figured with praise like that, my guests might like it at my cookout, too. Luckily, it was a big hit! This time around, I made stabilized whipped cream frosting because I was worried about it falling apart in the heat we had. It held up great!

Coconut Cream Cake a.k.a. Zaida's Cake

The cakes were a hit for the Fourth of July and I had fun trying a few new things. I've got a few orders coming up, but I'd love to add some recipes and techniques to my repertoire. If you've got ideas or orders for me, send them along!

**Don't forget that if you're in the Boston area and need some cake you can:

1.) send me an email (thecakebeast@gmail.com) 

or 

2.) use the contact form on the right sidebar to tell me what you need!

By the way, did you remember to stop by and "like" my Facebook page?

And don't forget to follow me on Twitter!

The Rose Cake

Last summer, I was looking for cake inspiration for my sister-in-law's bridal shower cake. The other bridesmaids were decorating with hydrangeas, so I thought I should find something to match. While searching for images of hydrangea cakes, I came across the tutorial from 'i am baker'. I followed along, using the colors from my sister-in-law's theme and came up with my own version of hydrangea cakes.

Every year, my friend, Erika, orders a cake for her trip to Martha's Vineyard. Last year, I made her a Lilly Pulitzer cake because her favorite colors are pink and green. This year, I thought I'd try something new. I'm lucky because Erika loves my cake. I figured that even if I screwed it up, she'd still eat it.

I was looking for something different and stumbled upon the Rose Cake tutorial from 'i am baker'. She is really my new cake hero. (If you get the chance, check out her Patriotic Rose Cake on YouTube - she's awesome and the cake looks like so much fun.)

So, I decided to make Erika a pink and green rose cake for her annual trip to Martha's Vineyard. It's fun, summery, and in her favorite colors. I only made one large layer, but this cake technique is really versatile and easy. I can't wait to try it on a multi-layer cake and play with the colors.

Here's the finished product:

Rose Cake

What do you think?

I'm ready to try it again, so feel free to place an order!

**Don't forget that if you're in the Boston area and need some cake you can:

1.) send me an email (thecakebeast@gmail.com) 

or 

2.) use the contact form on the right sidebar to tell me what you need!

By the way, did you remember to stop by and "like" my Facebook page?

And don't forget to follow me on Twitter!

The Three Cake Weekend

Last weekend was a 3 cake weekend. Friday, I volunteered to make a cake for the kids' end of the year potluck at school. Saturday, I was booked for a christening. And Sunday, I made a birthday cake.

Unfortunately, I got so wrapped up in those cakes, that I didn't think to make one for Father's Day. (I owe you one, dad. With extra frosting!)

Needless to say, my counters had lots of bowls going all weekend long. Chocolate batter, strawberry batter, and many colors of frosting. My apron got a real workout. 

This was the cake for the kids' potluck. The school logo got a little wobbly, but I figured kids will eat anything and decided not to fix it.

A friend at work was having her daughter, Grace's, christening. 

Somebody else ordered an Abby Cadabby cake for their daughter's birthday. They also wanted strawberry cake so that it would be pink inside. The whole kitchen smelled like strawberry while it baked!

And this is what the counter looks like when I start coloring all of the buttercream frosting. Abby Cadabby was a colorful character!

Other than the four dozen cupcakes I made for my son's class party (at 4am), I don't have any other cakes booked this weekend. So, if you're hungry for homemade cake, you know who to contact!

**Don't forget that if you're in the Boston area and need some cake you can send me an email (thecakebeast@gmail.com) or use the contact form on the right sidebar to tell me what you need!

By the way, did you remember to stop by and "like" my Facebook page?

Let's Make This Happen...

I never post much on this blog. Today, I'm making an announcement.

This cake baking thing has been a really fun little hobby for me. It started with me making cakes for the kids. Then, the occasional person would hire me to make a cake for them.

Now, I'd like to get serious. Summer vacation is fast-approaching and I realized that I am going to have a lot more time on my hands. What better to do with that extra time than to make more cakes? 

So come on, people. It's time to place some orders. Send me an email: thecakebeast@gmail.com or use the handy contact form on the blog's right sidebar. I'd like to start expanding my repertoire and I know you'd like some homemade cake, wouldn't you? 

If you're looking for a cake, or you know someone who is, feel free to send me an email and spread the word. I'm ready to do some serious baking!

Inspired by Lilly Pulitzer

Pirate cupcakes for a party on the Pirate Cruise

The (hand cramp-inducing) hydrangea cake

The "funky girl" birthday cake that Lucy requested

**In or around the Boston area and want to order? Contact me at thecakebeast@gmail.com (or use that handy contact form on the blog's sidebar)!

While you're at it, why don't you stop over and "like" my Facebook page? Thanks!

The Hydrangea Cake

This past weekend, my sister-in-law had her bridal shower. Over the last few weeks, the other bridesmaids and I had been making plans for how to decorate the shower. One of the girls made centerpieces of hydrangeas and I figured I could make some kind of cake to complement them.

So I turned to Google, just as I always do when I'm working on a new cake. I Googled "hydrangea cake" and came across a blog called I Am Baker. This blogger just happened to have a picture tutorial of a hydrangea cake that she had made. How perfect!

So - crossing my fingers that I wouldn't screw it up (& be forced to buy a grocery store sheet cake en route to the shower) - I set about making three hydrangea cakes. Each flower had four petals and each cake was covered with roughly 85 million flowers (I might be exaggerating slightly). In other words, it was painstaking work. My left hand was cramped in a really attractive claw when I was all done.

But, it was so worth it! The bride loved the cakes and the decorations the other bridesmaids put together coordinated perfectly!

The cake table

A close-up

A slice of cake

**In the Boston area and want to order? Contact me at thecakebeast@gmail.com. 

The July 4th Lilly Pulitzer Cake

I've already talked about making cakes for Erika. She's definitely my best (sometimes only) customer. Last year, she wanted a cake to take to Martha's Vineyard for the Fourth of July. So I made her this:

Happy 4th of July!

I thought that pretty much fit the bill for Independence Day.

Last month, Erika and I were discussing what she wanted for this year's Martha's Vineyard trip. Every time I showed her a picture of a cake or suggested some red, white, & blue theme, she turned it down. Knowing Erika like I do, I realized that, even though July 4th has its own color scheme, it really isn't her taste.

Jokingly, I said, "What do you want, some Lilly Pulitzer pink and green cake?" That's when her eyes lit up.

So, for the Fourth of July, Erika and her family will celebrate with a pink and green Lilly Pulitzer-inspired cake. Anyone who knows Erika knows it fits her to a T!

Happy 4th of July - Lilly Pulitzer style!

**In the Boston area and want to order? Contact me at thecakebeast@gmail.com

Erika's Cakes - Updated

I have a good friend at work who likes cake. I mean it - she really likes cake. She is single-handedly keeping me in the cake making business. There are some weeks when I find myself making two or three cakes for Erika. Here are just some of the orders she's placed in the last year:

This was her daughter's Minnie Mouse cake. This one started it all!

Erika's husband has a side job as a bartender. I made him a martini shaker and glass.

This baby rattle was for a friend's shower.

This was for Erika's Scrabble-enthusiast mom. I had a tough time with the board & peeled it all off to start over again. Note to self: don't try something new for someone else's cake.

This was for the Fourth of July. I used a napkin as inspiration. It was a ton of piping, but I loved how it came out.

This cake was for Erika's sister. It was actually pink, but my camera is crazy.

A friend needed a Superman cake for her son. Erika ordered it from me.

Anyone who knows Erika knows that she loves Hello Kitty. This was her birthday cake.

She also talked her daughter into having a Hello Kitty party this year!

...with cupcakes to match.

A little Easter cake

A birthday cake for Aunt Charlotte

Thanks to Erika, I'm always busy with cakes. I can count on her for at least one order a month. It's helping me to hone my skills!

**Updated: I added two more of Erika's recent cake orders. I'm sure there'll be more to come!

In the Boston area and want to order? Contact me at thecakebeast@gmail.com. 

Not Your Average Cake Request

People order cakes from my quite often. Usually, the cakes are for a child's birthday party or even a holiday dinner. Occasionally, though, the customer wants a very specific cake. Here are a few that I've made that aren't the most common request:

My boss was using these decorations for her brother's birthday...

...which became my first disco cake!

This one was for someone's older aunt who loves Heineken. I hope, someday, someone makes me a Harpoon IPA cake.

I think it's safe to say that my niece is the only person who will ever make a special request for a "unicorn farting a rainbow." She also requested a topless Abraham Lincoln riding the unicorn, but I know my limitations.

I got an order from a mom who was having a joint party for her young son and older daughter. She told me he likes Transformers and she likes girly stuff. This was my first Transformers/Make-up cake.

 

About a year and a half ago, a good friend of mine was diagnosed with a brain tumor. During the time of the diagnosis and treatment that led to surgery, she decided to name her tumor. Dawn decided that, since she didn't feel you could be intimidated by someone named Stan (sorry to anyone named Stan who's reading this), that was an appropriate name for the tumor. We all joined in and became members of Team KSA (kick Stan's...). Stan was successfully removed and one year later, Dawn threw herself a Staniversary Party. The party was brain-themed. This was for sure my first (and hopefully last) brain cake.

It's disgusting, but it still tasted good!

That's 3-D cake brain, right there.

So there are a few of my more original cake requests. It's always fun when customers keep me on my toes! 

In the Boston area and want to order? Contact me at thecakebeast@gmail.com. 

Sports Cakes

When I started this post, I envisioned there being more. Apparently, I haven't been asked to make too many sports cakes. But here are the few sports-themed cakes I've made:

A Bruins cake for a hockey party

A golf cake for my stepdad

A basketball cake for my son & his friend's joint party

If you'd like to expand my repertoire, order a sports-themed cake: thecakebeast@gmail.com.

Princess Cakes

Here are some of the princess cakes I've done over the years. I find them a little tricky because of their faces. One minute you're piping on lips, the next minute you've made Angelina Jolie. And don't even get me started on the noses (Princess Barbara Streisand)... No, your eyes aren't playing tricks on you. I have made that Ariel cake too so many times!

This was the first of many Ariel cakes. Lucy took it to school. Her poor teacher got stuck cutting and serving it to a bunch of preschoolers. (Sorry, Corkum!)

This was for Lucy's family party. It's also the one I accidentally broiled in the oven briefly. Which is why it looks a little "melty" (& tan).

This was the first cake I ever made for hire.

Then the Ariel orders just kept coming...

This one even had little fishy friends...

We won't mention that I dropped these cupcakes on my way to delivering them.

This was the Ariel I decorated in a hotel room (can't you tell by the soft lighting?). We were doing construction and living in a hotel. I baked at home and brought all of my bowls and frosting ingredients to the hotel. Apparently, I haven't learned to say no.

Finally, Cinderella for a change!

A little Tinkerbell action

Of course, who doesn't love Belle?

These are the princess cakes. I'd love to expand my princess repertoire beyond Ariel... care to order someone new? Contact me at thecakebeast@gmail.com