Every girl's first cupcake should be this grand...

I had so much fun creating this little cutie, it was a real joy to design this cake for one of my favorite families (between mom and daughter #1 they've become welcomed regulars). The cake for Audrey's first birthday was based on a handful of photos that were sent to me and a copy of the invite - with a cupcake on it of course. We needed to pump up the colors just a tiny bit, and make the cupcake the focal point. I love that Audrey's mom let me sort of do my own thing with the cake within the idea range she sent me. They loved it!

Birthday girl was napping at delivery time so I'll have to wait to see her reaction in photos; I especially hope to see her with her very own little coordinating "smash cake" sitting to the side of the cake. I make those for every first birthday cake I do as my little gift - hey...gotta get 'em hooked young! ;-)

The bottom cake is a 4 layer 10" round Caramel Apple cake (one of my signature flavors) and the cupcake was made using a couple 6" layers, a 7", and half of a ball pan. No giant cupcake pan here, just a little carving and voila! Add some delicious butter cream, made from scratch fondant and a chocolate #1 and there you have it - a first birthday cupcake fit for a princess!

After delivering the cake, I took my own little cupcakes out for a great day of some very last minute back to school shopping. It was a terrific day all around!

Meet and Greet Arts in the Valley 7/13/08

You know what they say...well some folks anyway; sometimes you find the best stuff in the most out of the way places. Then again maybe I just made that up, but it's true.

This weekend, in my tiny little home town of South Otselic about an hour south of Syracuse, our local artists will be taking part in a "meet and greet" day in the town park. From acrylic paintings to woven textiles, quite a bit should be represented here. The Otselic Valley is home to so many talented people that have been undiscovered or unseen before. We also have a few accomplished artists as well. Sunday should prove to be a day of discovery and good family fun. Lots of info, plenty of eye candy and even some activities for the kids.

She Takes The Cake will be just one small part of this look into our talented community. I'm baking up some fresh cookie blanks that will be used as mini canvas for your own edible masterpieces. Even some cupcakes too! With edible paints, icings, and decor on hand, I'll show you or your little Van Gogh some ideas for fun and tasty artwork. You might not want to eat it, but go ahead...my cookies are yummy! We'll also have some of our cakes on display and the portfolio too.

Lori Wood, an incredibly talented muralist, will be "Creating Young Artists", music will be in the air, food will be available, and some artists' items will be available for purchase.

More information about Arts in the Valley can be found here; this is a new organization that already has contributed greatly to community involvement and activity in South Otselic. We're happy to be a small part of it!

Not familiar with how to get here? If you want to check out the map I made up for directions on how to get to my shop, the park is just down the street! Of course, you can also contact Arts in the Valley for more precise info on how to get here and what to expect this Sunday from 1-6pm. Hope to see you there! The event is free, but bring some cash for an inspired purchase or two.

Congrats Grads!

Whew! This weekend is over!!! Didn't get photos of everything; like the annual trio of cakes for our local high school served to friends and families at commencement yesterday. Other orders focused on the grads' love of sports they've participated in during their high school careers. Basketball, soccer, baseball, and golf among the favs. We even had a cake airbrushed with a rainbow trout in there.

This one - my favorite - was part of a very special order. A three tier fondant cake featuring a basketball and soccer ball with cap and tassel on top! Surrounded by golf ball cupcakes it was a great tribute to this grad's love of sports, with a little pink nod to his mom.






we miss you "R", hope the cake's to your liking - sorry we didn't get a chance to design it together.

Wearin' my baker's pride...

Hey check this out!
Recently I purchased and now am the proud owner of several concerned looks of passersby when they see me at first glance in my new tshirt from bakelove. It's comfy and wicked cute! And I just love it, but I guess I'll reserve wearing it for baking or other cake related events, since the moms at the park didn't quite share the love. LOL

I also recently had a tshirt or two of my own made up to display my affection for a certain well known baker...or rather the persona that millions of fans have grown to love. (And shhhh, don't tell anyone but quite a few cake artists have grown to love to hate. Okay, that's a strong word...we've grown tired of hearing "oooh, your cakes are like that guy on tv...you must watch the show!" ugh.) Yep. You know who I mean. Love him, love the show, love-love-love his staff; I am a fan, but come on, for every Food Network Ace, I could name hundreds just as talented but undiscovered artists. Frankly, I'd love my own Mary Alice...but that ain't gonna happen. LOL
So with much admiration and hilarity I debut for you my own little tshirt that I secretly wear under my hot pink hoodie on deliveries. And hey if I run into an irate fan...well I can just say I'm a bad golfer or lost a distant relative to a bad coal mining incident. (hey look it up, I did).

And then there's a tshirt next on my wish list; a tasteful word play on the milkshake line from that song LOL. When discussing this shirt recently, my 9 year old overheard the conversation and said I should go ahead and get it. Under my breath I muttered that I'd rather not have to explain the meaning of the phrase till she piped up with "but it's true Mommy and you should get it!" She's right, my cupcakes do bring all the boys to my yard...at least it brings the two little twins from down the street to my studio door on a weekly basis asking for scraps. I swear those two are like stray cats outside the fish monger's place! Add the twins (the boys...) to the other neighborhood kids and I'd have some serious truth in advertising with that shirt! So, maybe I will have to enlarge my tshirt collection. I see a habit forming, if I buy more, I'll blog it - you know, just to keep you abreast of the situation. This lovely shirt came from sugadeaux, you can get yours there.

That stand is the Boss, man!

So I finally did it...bought an awesome cupcake stand instead of making them all the time. Because let's face it, at some point one really just needs to eliminate unnecessary work and make things just a tiny bit easier. Picture me, planning and baking, baking and creating; wondering just how in the heck am I going to get that stand made for a last minute order when I am already neck high in sugar and butter?

Boss Manufacturing to the rescue!! I'd had them in the back of my mind for some time, but just put off buying anything in the past. I am so totally at the point where saving a buck does NOT always overrule my own time and effort. And really, sometimes it's ok to just buy it elsewhere...not to mention one tiny little detail...this stand is AWESOME!

I looked them up online at www.bossmanufacturing.com, I gave them a call very early in the morning expecting a machine to answer and low and behold I got a live person and Julie helped me place my order for this stand in silver powdercoat. I was done in less than 10 minutes and because I needed the stand right away we went with 3 day shipping...can I just tell you I got it in 2 days!

For the cupcake tree pictured above, I removed one of the plates, so they are slightly versatile in that way. The event planners that ordered the cupcakes loved the display and the stand itself. it's easy enough to dress it up just a bit if you like that sort of thing, but really it can totally stand on it's own.

So thanks Boss...your customer service and your stands rock!

This stand is now in my arsenal of items you can use with your cake orders or rent when it's available.

The evolution of a cake bite...

We've all seen them now; this once obscure little taste of ultimate cake and chocolaty goodness. We've even seen them take many a form.

From the fancy schmancy truffes de gateaux to the too cute for words cupcake pops from bakerella.

How about a butterfly? Why? Because I can silly! And so can you.

Make your favorite recipe of cake bite dough, but instead of rolling it in a ball use your rolling pin to make sheets of the dough about 3/8" thick (or more if your mouth is on the side of large). Then just use your favorite little butterfly cutter and cut your sheet of cake bite dough, chill, then dip. But...ahhh, the finishing touch...cut up some of your favorite chocolate transfer sheets to fit and lay your bite to set on the transfer. This lovely baroque sheet from Fancy Flours was perfect - couldn't you already see the butterfly in there? I did.

Have fun!

~ then have a bite or two!

My favorite cake bites are made with blackberry infused ganache and my chocolate chambord cake, but you can make them however you like.

Eat Art in Syracuse?!

Hey, check it out! We're headed to The Delavan Gallery to install the grid work for my interactive cupcake mural! Yep...cupcakes...hanging in a grid...on the wall...interactive (as in you get to eat it!!) How cool is that?!

The installation along with a cookie mosaic (pictured above) also being installed are part of the kick off for monthly drawings at The Syracuse Th3 Coalition events across Syracuse. Not familiar with Th3? Th3 is a citywide art open in Syracuse, New York, that takes place on the third Thursday of each month from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. This ambitious project, initiated by the Everson Museum of Art and the Delavan Art Gallery, is joined by the most distinctive venues in the city in a grand event to bring the artistic experience to the public. Th3 establishes Syracuse as a city for the arts in this initiative to reach out its local and regional communities. (taken from Th3 website)

For more info you can go to their website of course, and for sure head over to the Th3 blog for a run down of tomorrow's events!

There will be a second cupcake mural at one of the other locations...I guess you'll just have to check 'em all out if you want to find it. And don't forget to enter the drawing for this month's raffle. It's a She Takes The Cake cake of course! Inspired by the sunflower paintings of Van Gogh, Monet, O'Keeffe, and Caillebotte; I've done a small sunflower rendition of my own. You'll be able to see it at each location and then I'll recreate it in delicious cake for the winner! Art never tasted so good!

Hope to see you there!

Once you've had a peek at the cookie mosaic and cupcake murals you're gonna want one...you know where to find me!