Silver and Gold, Good Enough To Win & Eat

Who doesn’t love the beautiful sparkle of gold and silver?  Though they are just metals, they are rather precious ones and make all things beautiful.

They are also no strangers to the world of food either.  Did you know, when pressed thin enough gold leaf, can be eaten too!  Well, for years silver and gold leaf have been used to decorate confectionery.  Now gold and silver leaf are applied to wedding cakes!  The effect is stunning and worth gracing any wedding table, in my opinion.

It’s been a while since any specials have run on the New York Cake Co. facebook page. So read below for your FREE giveaway!

For one fortunate couple I will create either or silver or gold leaf 6″ cake to share with your friends.  Just share your story of how you got engaged, when you got engaged and how the proposal went down.  The stories will be shared on the facebook page and the story with the most likes and comments wins!  Please email you stories and one photograph to newyorkcakeco@gmail.com.

Looking forward to hearing and sharing your story.  🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rhett & Michelle’s Wedding

On a hot November day (yes, it’s hot here in November!) Rhett, Michelle and I met at Juliette’s to talk wedding cake. I was really excited that Rhett came because I think it’s so important that the husband-to-be is a part of all the wedding day decisions.   From having my cupcakes months ago Rhett was certain one of the cake flavors would be Red Velvet.  He also added that he’s been to many weddings where the cake was beautiful but not tasty at all.  He wanted a real wedding cake with buttercream and not fondant.  WOW!  Thank goodness that the husband-to-be came along and gave such important input.  Michelle, being so on top of things did her “homework” and came ready with multiple images.  One design in particular was her favorite which inspired the final cake.

As for Michelle… what can I say?!  She’s so organized, so talented, so crafty, so full of business ideas and a budding entrepreneur!  Of course there’s more I could add but the list will be too long.  She told me the theme was Garden and showed me these amazing guest invitations that took me to an old English garden with birds and butterflies fluttering around.   They were printed on beautiful translucent vellum paper, which of course she made!  Immediately I said “Ok, so there will be a small bird cage on the top nestled in flowers and the cake must be on an elegant pedestal”.   She looked at me like I was crazy but I felt confident this would would suit her theme.

This was the most amazing Do It Yourself (DIY) wedding that turned out to be just beautiful.  DIY can be tricky as it can look tacky and very obviously done by non-professionals. But not in this case, Michelle is so talented that when it comes to being crafty she is up there with #1.  She used Glorious Occasions to style and decorate the very popular wedding destination Jupiter’s Pavillion.  Every part of the wedding decor kept with the same garden design and she made almost everything herself.  From the Guest Book to the table menus; from the table placement board to the place settings Michelle made them all.  Then she completed the tables with rose pattern bunting!  Even the cake involved the family.  Her mom made the Blackberry jam that I used as a filling for the chocolate cake.  Her mother also made the Lemon Curd that I used as a filling for the vanilla cake.  Annette, the florist, did a great job on the flowers.  I was especially happy for the gorgeous floral pieces she put together for my cake.  I think I’ve already told you all how much I enjoy working with fresh flowers.  I think you’ll agree when you see how this cake can ‘wow’ a crowd with a few fresh flowers.

It was such a beautiful event and I was really happy to be a part of it.   I should add, this cake marked my FIRST AUSTRALIAN WEDDING CAKE, which really excites me!  It was great working with everyone and many years of wedding bliss to Rhett and Michelle!

About the Cake: Bottom tier: Chocolate layered with Blackberry jam.  Middle tier:  Red Velvet with Buttercream.  Top tier: Vanilla layered with Lemon Curd

The little bird that was on all the invitations and wedding programs. I just had to cut it out and put it in the cage too!!

The invitations that inspired everything

Thanks to Annette for the beautiful flowers

The #1 Table

New York Cake Co. meets Scotland – Part II

The Idea

When my friend Kristhessa asked me to do her wedding cupcakes and be a bridesmaid for her Scottish wedding I couldn’t resist.  I didn’t know how it was going to get done, but I just said “Yes”.  I had so many questions “Do I ship the ingredients there?”  “How can I work outside of my kitchen, where everything is just where it should be.”  “Will they taste the same using Scottish ingredients” – were just a few.  Well after talking with Kristhessa and thinking it all over.  The best decision was to buy the ingredients there when I arrived and then bake.  I have confidence all will be fine.

Connecting and planning

The Groom’s sister, Debbie,  contacted me while I was still in NY and she asked for me an ingredients list with quantities – that was a good beginning.  I arrived on Saturday and the wedding was Tuesday… How it this going to get done with all the other 1 million things to do?  On Sunday after the rehearsal I went the grocery store with the groom’s other sister, Gail, and there we purchased quite a £’s worth of ingredients.

Now I have 1 day to get it all done.  After having a grand time meeting friends on Sunday I came back to the house where I was staying and began preparing batters.  I was up with the groom’s mother and another friend from New York to 5:30AM.  I felt great as I saw things were moving along.

 

Wedding cupcakes in Scotland

 

 

the fun has truly begun

 

 

faking to be seriously concentrating 🙂

 

Getting the Job done.

It’s Monday morning, the wedding is tomorrow and I have all the baking, decorating and one more flavor of frosting to make.  Well I began baking and all went well.  Then took a little break and then decorated.  That also went well but the hardest part was keeping folk away using the very original excuse of “that one doesn’t look good, I’ll eat it”… yeah yeah I’ve heard that a million times.  Probably baked about 170 cupcakes total.  Some Red Velvet and some Chocolate.  Then the challenge of transporting them was an interesting task.  Thank goodness I had great gents that helped figure it all out and finally how we could transport them in large crates.  I was fortunate that one of the friends coming over worked in the food industry and had all these crates I could use.  They are all packaged up in the car ready to be taken to the venue.

The top cake… CRASH!

Last step… I was finishing the 8″ cake that would be a fruit cake covered and filled with Cream Cheese frosting which would be the topper for the cupcake stand.  This topper would be the crowning beauty with fresh orchids coming down the side.  Two friends and I were driving with a local bringing the top cake and some other things to the venue where the ceremony would be help.  The main bulk of the 160 cupcakes were in another vehicle.  Well on our way there we got into a car accident (we are all fine) and that pretty topper cake was destroyed.  😦  So someone quickly bought a cake and we went with that instead.

 

the "topper" cake still on the side of the road 2 days later 🙂 You just have to laugh! 🙂

 

Finally DONE!!  🙂

All that being said the 154 cupcakes that were in the other car, weren’t destroyed and were a complete hit at the wedding.  Some Scots haven’t even heard of Red Velvet.  If asked again, I would do it all over again (everything but the car crash) What gave me the most joy was that the Bride and Groom were completely pleased and they are the ones who must be pleased. 🙂

 

the bride makes her choice

 

 

Her and an ecstatic best man

 

 

cudos to the Maid of Honor who did a great job decorating the stand

Mr. & Mrs. Ross

 

Wedding Cake #2

Aday after the first wedding cake, Wedding Cake #2 was delivered!!  Keeping on the move!

This was a little more simple than the first.  I love the clean and neat design she chose.

Creation of Wedding Cake #1

Photos: 16″ vanilla, the other 3 – 12″, 10″, 8″, 10 pounds of fondant ready for tinting cream, Abraham ready to deliver!

So… this is the first wedding cake I’ve created.  In April I made one small cake with 90 cupcakes for a wedding but this is different as it is a tiered wedding cake.

Ok… on to the planning and creating!  Being this was my first time I did a few tiered cakes as practice to ensure proper structure and support – didn’t want the cakes to topple after spending so much time making them. I ordered all my supplies and thought and thought and thought  –  after all my thinking I thought I had everything that I would need. I was so blessed to find some supplies that I thought I didn’t have – less that I had to order.

There were said to be 150 guests and I was determined that they wouldn’t run out of cake so I did a 16″, 12″ 10″ and 8″.  I have never done a 16 or 12″ before and just looking at the pans I was SCARED, they just seemed enormous.  How was I going to handle them and not drop the cakes?!  As we all know.. when you face the mountain or a giant situation in life head-on it shrinks. This is what happened after I baked that mega 16″ cake – the size was no longer intimidating and it seemed to shrink – I was no longer scared.

Flavors: this bride was so easy; I was really blessed.  The 16″ and 10″ were vanilla with vanilla buttercream and the 12″ and 8″ were Chocolate with a chocolate/coffee buttercream. Colors: Cream and clover green Decor: hydrangeas.

Everything was finished last night.  Had my tool box of accessories packed up by the door – I was ready!

This morning I got up with zeal – the weather was 74 degrees and absolutely beautiful.  I packed up Abraham (my Cooper clubman) and headed into NYC.  Got to the restaurant, Terrazza Toscana on 50th & 9th Avenue at 9:15 and it was locked.  Ohhhhh nooooo!   Found the door to the kitchen and gave it a knock… someone came and let me in to set up…. Phew…  By 10:00 I was done!!  WOW, a mission accomplished!!  Thanks to GOD!