Ciao, Ciao 2011!

It's been one wild ride this year! 

2011 brought so many wonderful things into my life. But there were definitely some ups and downs. In a lot of ways I feel like 2011 was a "prep" year. Making never ending lists, running around, going and going and going! (and if I'm being honest, I am a wee bit tired - a vacation would be nice)

I feel like I've been working like crazy, laying the ground work for what's to come. Some of it I already know about, and seriously can't wait to share! The rest I can't wait to watch unfold :)

Wishing you all a very happy, healthy & prosperous new year!

Oh, Faux No.

Every professional has something that irks them. Florists may have strong feelings about certain flowers, DJ's about certain songs, stationers about a certain font - and so on and so on.

For cake people, or this cake person, it's fake cake. 

Recently a very well known wedding publication published the advice to have a fake presentation cake with real cake in the back to serve to your guests. It's a suggestion I've seen in other publications in the past, but seeing it in this one...it really stung. 

Would you:

- Present a fake side of beef and serve your guests steak-ums? 

- Get married in front of a green screen and have the photographer photo-shop you into exotic locations?

- Have large cardboard cut-outs of your family & friends on either side of you, instead of the expense of a bridal party? (ok, this I might do)

I could go on with the ridiculous examples, but at the heart of this is a real dilemma. What do I do if I have champagne cake tastes and a little debbie budget? I know that everyone wants their wedding to be beautiful and perfect. The goal should be to figure out how to achieve the best look for your budget & guest total, without trying to pull a fast one on your guests.

A few tasty, and very real, suggestions:

- If you've fallen in love with a pricey per-serving cake design, but can't stomach the bottom line, talk to your cake designer about the elements of the cake you can't live without. Start with the most important item and work backwards. Often times a good designer can steer you in a direction you haven't thought of, just because you were so focused on that original design. Many times a cake can look even more modern & chic if you pair down a design to it's most fabulous element.

A simple cluster of sugar blooms makes a statement, while not carrying the same price tag as a full cascade down the front of your cake. 

- Think about having a small 2-3 tier couple's cake and cupcakes or cookies, or a combo of both, for your guests. The petit cake serves it's purpose for the cake cutting ceremony and can then be served to just the families or the wedding party. Or you box it up to take home and enjoy some cupcakes & cookies with your guests.

Talk with your cake designer about finish as well. This rustic butter cream finish is very popular, and also very budget friendly compared to more elaborate piped or fondant designs.

- Consider a cake buffet of single tier and 2 tier cakes. In my opinion, this presents the best option for couples working on a budget who want to make an impact. Many bakery's single tier cakes are priced well below what the same cake would cost with another one stacked on top of it. Stacked cakes take more skill and time to complete, which equals higher cost. A series of 6", 8" and 10" rounds on different stands and platters would both fill up a dessert table quite nicely, as well as give you the ability to have multiple cake flavors at your wedding.

Bottom line, be honest with your cake designer and yourself about your budget.

A good designer will help you create the best dessert for your event, or steer you in the direction of someone who can. Cutting into your wedding cake is the first sweet task you take on as newly-weds. So shouldn't you have a cake that's as real, and fabulous, as you are?

For The 12th Sweet Til' Christmas...

The Christmas Tree Cake!

Thank you to everyone who's been following this blog series! It's been a fun way to introduce people to the kind of custom work that we do. Plus it's always great to spread a little Christmas cheer!

Blogging will definitely become more of a regular thing, so stay tuned for shop updates, info on our latest cakes, class schedules & more.

From our family to yours, we wish you a very happy, healthy & Merry Christmas!

For The 11th Sweet Til' Christmas...

A birch buche de noel!

Complete with happy little birds, holly leaves & berries...

and a cheeky little gnome peeking out to say hello!

For The 10th Sweet Til' Christmas...

A sweet wintery snow globe

Filled with glistening sugary snow covered trees on an 8" round layered cake

Today is the last day to order for pick up on Saturday, so give a call or email today!

For The 9th Sweet Til' Christmas...

Vintage Gold Poinsettia

Sugar flowers are a passion of mine. This time of year though, I don't get many requests for them. Summers are spent making lots and lots of rose, orchids, peonies & more. And once the fall dahlias & mums are done I usually end up putting away my gum paste tools for a while. 

One of the things I love about making sugar flowers is that it forces you to see the flower in a new way. Find little details that you may not have noticed before. The poinsettia might be the  kind of flower you walk past, a "super market" flower. But if you look closer, and appreciate the details, you see their unique beauty. 

Part of my sugar flower research involves learning more about flowers than you might want to know! So here are a few poinsettia fun facts:

- The botanical name "euphorbia pulcherrima" means "very beautiful"

- Poinsettias are native to southern Mexico and Guatemala, where they are a perennial shrub that can grow as large as 10 feet tall.

- Montezuma, the last of the Aztec kinds, would have poinsettias brought into what is now Mexico City by caravans because they could not be grown in higher altitudes.

- Most people think the showy colored leaves of the poinsettia are the flowers, but are actually colored bracts. The flowers or cyathia of the poinsettia are in the center of the colorful bracts.

- Poinsettias are the best selling potted plant in the United States.

So there you have it, my little tribute to the "super market" flower :)

For The 8th Sweet Til' Christmas...

Gift box mini cakes!

Cute little cakelets wrapped up with a bow. Great as a hostess gift or on a dessert table. Maybe surprise the big jolly guy with something other than cookies??

For the 7th Sweet Til' Christmas...

Christmas by the sea

This cake brings together so many things that I love - ruffles, pearls, lace & the sea! After days and days of red & green, I thought it was time to change it up a bit. Plus I love coming up with untraditional designs & something unexpected. 

Also, friendly reminder about our cake & cupcake classes! Space is limited, so if you're interested in a class, sign up today. The full schedule is found on the sidebar as a downloadable PDF. Any questions, just call or email!

For The 6th Sweet Til' Christmas...

Candy Swirl Mini Cakes!

I started making this design 3 years ago when I opened the shop, and from day 1 they flew out the door! The cellophane wrapper really transforms the presentation of this cake. I've heard from so many clients over the years, that this was the hit of the party they brought it to!

This is a 2 layer cake and can be customized with your choice of colors & flavors. 

Available sizes include:

6", serves 6-8 $28

8", serves 10-12 $36

Mini Cake $5.95

Don't forget to place your orders by 12/22 for pick up on Christmas Eve!!

For The 5th Sweet Til' Christmas...

Something sweet to light up your holiday night!

Can you just imagine a row of these down the center of a holiday table? Such a pretty and festive way to light up your dessert buffet! 

The small version serves 6-8 people for $45 and the large serves 12-16 for $65. If you need even more servings, the candle cake looks fantastic stacked on a simple round or square cake. 

For The 4th Sweet Til' Christmas...

Gingerbread Ladies & Gentlemen

I'm a cake person, obviously. 

But, these little cookies are near and dear to my heart. I started making these years ago when I was the Pastry Chef at Locke Ober in Boston. If you're not familiar with the restaurant, it's a very old, very beautiful and very fancy pants kind of place. So for the holiday cocktail parties, no ordinary gingerbread men would do. Bow ties and pearls for this crowd.

Large (about 3") $15 per dozen
Mini (about 1") $9 per dozen

Choose as many ladies or gentlemen as you like. We can even personalize them with the names of your guests or family. They make a great party favor or place setting name tag. Perfect for Christmas or even New Year's Eve!

For The 3rd Sweet Til' Christmas....

A cake that's cute as a button!

Inspired by a crafty Christmas, this cute little cake is topped with fondant poinsettias and buttons. The sides and ribbons are textured just like a sweater. 

Sew cute? Right? 

Sorry, I had to :)

While you're checking out this little cutie, don't forget to take a look at our winter class schedule! There's a downloadable PDF of the schedule right on the side bar. Class sizes are very limited, so reserve your space sooner than later!

For the 2nd Sweet Til' Christmas...

A snowman cupcake stack!

Not all of our sweet treats have to be giant designed cakes. Sometimes you just need a cute little something for one!

Cupcake stacks are 1 giant, 1 classic and 1 mini cupcake stacked like a mini tiered cake. They're a cute birthday cake alternative for small gatherings, or a super fun "smash" cake for a little one. The snow man cupcake stacks would also look adorable as part of a holiday dessert buffet!

Check out our Snow Man Cupcake Stack recently featured on the popular blog - Cupcakes Take The Cake

For The 1st Sweet Til' Christmas...

Wild Orchid gave to me......Cardinals on a birch tree!

Even though we send out a holiday menu each year, we still take on lots of custom cake requests for our customers! In fact, that is our favorite thing to do :) Birch tree cakes have been popular for weddings over the years, but make total sense this time of year as well!

Think of the ways you could customize this cake for yourself. Maybe add a bird for each member of your family, stack a few birch tree cakes for a larger party, or add a banner with a holiday greeting!

Winter Class Schedule!!

Ho, Ho, Ho!!!

It's that time of year again! Time for our Christmas & Holiday Menu 2011! Details are below, along with a few pictures. Check out this year's new designs including a candle cake that really lights up as well as a beautiful snow globe cake. Each is worthy of their own post, so you'll see pics of them later this week!

Candy Swirl & Sparkly Snow Mini Cakes
(Photo by Mark Davidson)

Menus are also available in our menu box in front of the shop. Contact us for specific pricing. Orders can conveniently be placed over the phone or email!

Santa's Toy Bag
Giant red toy bag, tied with a gold rope, filled with petit four presents & candy.
- Serves 35+

Igloo 
A snowy igloo scene, complete with a playful penguin family.
- 6", serves 6-8                
- 8", serves 10-12

Illuminated Candle
Cake in the shape of a beautiful candle that really lights up! (pic to come this week)
- Small, serves 6-8
- Large, serves 12-16

Gift Box Cake
Square cakes decorated like wrapped presents tied with a bow
- 6", serves 8-12
- 10", serves 25-30
- Stacked, serves 40+

Candy Swirl Cake
2 layer round cake finished like a swirl candy, complete with a glassine wrapper & ribbons
- 6", serves 6-8
- 8", serves 10-12

Snow Globe
Personalized cake topped with a festive holiday snow globe scene
- Serves 10-12

Sparkly Snow
Round cake covered in sparkly sugar snow, topped with a bow and snowflakes
- Serves 10-12

Bouche de Noel (Yule Log)
The classic yule log decorated with sugar mushrooms & holly
- Serves 12-15

Christmas Tree
Personalized with details from your own tree!
- Serves 25

Mini Cakes
A single serving of holiday cheer, layers of vanilla & black velvet cake
- Gift Box
- Candy Swirl
- Sparkly Snow

Cupcakes
$35 per dozen, packaged in our signature gift box and topped with fun holiday sprinkles!
- Eggnog
- Peppermint Crunch
- Gingerbread
- Cranberry Cabernet
- Spiked Hot Chocolate
- Or your own favorite combo from our regular menu!

Menus are also available in our menu box in front of the shop. Contact us for specific pricing. Orders can conveniently be placed over the phone or email!

Email: info (at) wildorchidbaking (dot) com

Phone: (603)964-2253

I <3 my customers.

I love that with each order I'm challenged to do something a little better, a little differently, a little more outside the box. So when one of those fantastic customers came to me asking for a purse cake * you can carry * I said, why not?

This is the picture we started with. The blingy top and ostrich feather sides could be considered a big enough challenge on any day. 

(Wish I could find a bigger picture. Here's the link to the
website so you can zoom in on all of this fabulousness, click here)

Here's the finished beauty........

 

which with the help of my trusted assistant (and hand model)........

 

is ready to go for a night on the town! 

Midnight snack anyone?

Now I am one of those people who will take on a project like this, complete it, and then spend the rest of the day lamenting what I should have done different/better. But today, I am just going to sit back and enjoy this little moment of cake magic :)

For the cake geeks: It's entirely edible with the exception of the chain. The blinged-out top is dragees, isomalt jewels & gum paste shapes. The "feathers" are made of shredded rice paper, airbrushed with silver shimmer.

This post also marks my return to blogging! I make no promises about the frequency with which this will occur, but will do my best to share what's going on at this little cake shop of mine!