The Ninjas Did It

I had my fun this week as I was asked to make a Lego cake by my BFF for her son's 7th birthday.  My husband and I grew up playing Legos and our son too, starts playing Lego.  After I had no reason whatsoever kept on having this Honda commercial song in my head ("I"m a Ninja"), of course, I had to include the ninjas into the cake.  My husband was my biggest critique, he made me re-do some of the "blocks" just because the size was off.  Oh hubbly bubbly (got the nickname from my darling friend at Bluebay Desserts)....

I didn't come up with the original design though (I think it was Duff's Charm City Cakes who came out with the peek-a-boo legos), it's more like my interpretation of the ones that are out there.  The ninjas not only they were fun to make, but they seem to have characters of their own.  I didn't think the green ninja liked the sword that I "forged" for him.  It broke after I tried to attached it to him... tsk tsk tsk...
Then I had to part with them... *SIGH*  It was so hard to part with the these ninjas.. even my son was literally begging me so that he can take a picture with the cake.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ETHAN!

Rainy Days and Mondays

I think those two things that I don't really like, you're grounded because it's yucky outside and your start of the week is always hectic: emails to reply, things to do, and thinking of activities for the kids to do at home.  But this Monday was different!  I was too excited as it was the day to register to CakeLove 2012.  If you're wondering what it is, it's a cake conference.  Yes, CAKE conference.  There's consumer electronic one (CEDIA) that my husband usually attend, there's the COMIC-con that we would like to attend someday, and finally the cakers have their own CAKE conference.  I had to miss last year's conference, but this year I am going!  YAY!
The minute the registration opened, I think the site crashed for a few minutes, almost feel like you're trying to get a hot seat for say, a COLDPLAY concert.  I was almost in tears when I found the class that I wanted was full and I opted for a different class with the same instructor (the fabulous Jacqueline Butler from Petalsweet Cakes).  But thank God, I double checked again a couple after that and found out that the class space for the one that I am DYING to take is still available!  I managed to switch and got enrolled in the one that I wanted! Double YAY!
The conference coordinators worked tirelessly to make this happened and I really appreciate their hard works.  They patiently replied to the posts and emails within reasonable response time.  Kudos to them!
If you're cake fans and you like to watch Food Network and TLC, you'd be so excited to be able to see these fabulous line up of instructors, as many of them have been on the competitions on TV, like: Norm Davis and Zane Beg, Peggy Tucker, James Rosselle, to name a few.

While I am dreaming about this cake conference until October, I will leave you with the cake that I made over the weekend for my husband's colleague who celebrated her 30 years in business of interior designs.

Congratulations, Patricia!

Golden Year

Congratulations to Sam and Judy who just celebrated their 50th anniversary this past weekend.  I had the privilege to make the cake for them as requested by their daughter who went to high school with my hubby.  At first we thought of just golf theme cake, but SR, their daughter, had the brilliant idea of putting the bride and groom as the cake topper and still continue on with the golf theme as they both love to play golf.  Quite a challenging cake as you have to incorporate two of the ideas and making it work.  I played around with the gold theme (gold represents their anniversary year) and I kept it very modern and clean. 
The challenge for me was just getting it all together, as I was without my Mom-in-law's help this month and my hubby just happened to be very busy with his client this week. But by the grace of God, I did it.  Praise the Lord.  


This morning, their daughter replied to me in the email:


They loved it. It was a hit!!! I had it on a pedestal displayed throughout the eve and then took it from table to table after the candles were. Blown out so all 40 saw it. Lots of ooos and awwws. It really was amazing, thank you!!!!!

Nothing can make you happier than that!

  
  

"Island in the Stream"

This weekend, I had the privilege to make the cake for a beautiful girl who's turning 9. Her Mom emailed me that she will be having a Hawaiian party theme... Then immediately I thought of those white sandy beaches, colorful leis, seashells, and beach sandals! But, the birthday girl had something set in mind already! All she wanted was a cake with blue icings, a palm tree, and an orange hibiscus! Simple, right? No....... I decided that I have to up my game with my sugar flower techniques, wiring. So I wired every single of the palm leaves. It was not easy, I have to say. And requires A LOT of patience, which I don't have these days.. After wiring was successful, I had to WAIT..... yes, wait, for a good few hours before I can work on them again. Not too long either because they can just break, thennnnn... you have to do it all over again. Same goes with my simplified hibiscus. 

I delivered the cake to her house and just looking at the expression on her face, I knew that she loved it! That's my reward. My fatique and tiredness were all gone..., paid off by the smile on her face!

Happy 9th Birthday, Sophia!

Now cue that song again, "Islands in the stream, That is what we are, No one in-between, How can we be wrong, Sail away with me to another world, And we rely on each other, ah-ah......"

Learning Curve

The day my art teacher told us to do portrait, I was doomed. I can't draw people. I can draw building, still life, and cute creatures, but not human. The same thing goes with cake decorating, forever I have been avoiding making sugar people. I was just simply mortified of picturing the end result will be. Seriously, I don't want to ruin the birthday party because I made an awful, awful sugar people. Even until I successfully fulfilled the challenge that my dear friend, WP asked me to do (see this post), I still feed inadequate in making them. It's still a learning curve and I am getting more and more comfortable in making them.  

This cake that I made for Ariana for her baptism is on the pastel pink tones. I kept everything dainty and sweet, just like Ariana! Her Mom sent me her picture and I can't help but falling in love with her... she has these beautiful eyes and she is such an adorable little one. I was happy that the sun came out to celebrate her baptism!


Congratulations on your baptism, Ariana! 

Under the Sea

I had lots of fun making this my version of this mermaid cake for Bianca! It reminds me how beautiful the coral reef and how vibrant the under water habitat is. The beautiful blue turquoise blue water, the colorful fish and corals... I loveeee making what I always refer as "nemo" rather than the clown fish. I love painting every single one of them :) I am stil obsessed with dusting colors on my flowers, and Ruth Rickey recently just opened my eyes of layering colors would bring things to "life." What difference it made. I dusted the mermaid's "fish" part with several layers of color, and with colors that I would never think I would use and I am thrilled with the end product! Lastly, thank you to my cake buddies, Siana and Annie for keeping me company during decorating. Love you both!

Happy Birthday, Bianca!

May Flower

It has been a whirlwind of a month!  I was knee-deep in cocoa powder and flour, breathing fondant, and covered in shortening  almost on daily basis.  BUT, it was all worth it!

I love everything about this wedding cake.  The bride designed this romantic, yet modern cake for her wedding for me to make.  The challenge for me was to get the color right and making the sugar roses.  I have been so obsessed with sugar flowers.  I am so obsessed of trying to get them to be "botanically correct."  I can't believe how much work that are put into making them, from making the bud, wiring the bud, thinning the petals, and ruffling them so that they'll come "alive."  I am lucky that with this day and age, I can learn from the best through the internet.  I have to give credits to Jacqueline Butler from Petalsweet Cakes who opened my eyes and showing me proper techniques of making sugar flower.  The other one goes to Alan Dunn for showing me how exactly to place the petals in his book, and lastly to the roses that I massacred just because I want to get it right.
The cake itself presented a challenge in order to get the color exactly right.  I killed about 2 lbs of fondant just because I was not happy with the color, it didn't turn out the way I wanted to be.  But praise the Lord, all was paid off when the bride said that "the color is perfect."  Nothing can make you happier, period.
This beautiful photo was taken by the talented Julin Lee at Athalia's Photography.  I literally nagged her to show me the picture of cake as I was dying with excitement.  We did a themed-photoshoot together back in August (remember the "Enchanted Forest"?).
My dear husband and my Mom-in-law has been so amazing in helping me making this cake.  She took care of my two rambunctious boys for a couple of days while I was intensely baking the cakes.  My dear hubby who helped me loaded the kids and the cakes up in the car during delivery in the pouring rain.  And my dear friend, DH, who made sure that the cake and I were not soaking wet once I reached the site.  God Bless you all!

Congratulations to David and Olivia!