Red Velvet Cake Debate

Ah the ever so popular red velvet.  Is it odd to eat something that is so unnaturally red?  Is butter based or oil based recipes better?  Can it only be made well in the South?  Did you know there is vinegar in most red velvet recipes?  Does it only taste good when paired with cream cheese frosting?  Should I use beet juice or red food coloring?  Is it just a hybrid of vanilla and chocolate cake?

If you've ever pondered Red Velvet cake in this way then " The Red Velvet Cake Debate" is where you want to be tonight.  From 6:30-9pm, Nichelle Stephens of Cupcakes Take The Cake will be hosting an event surrounding this discussion with a guest panel and of course tastings in the form of cake pops, cupcakes and cake.  Check it out.

Also...last year at Target I found none other than...Red Velvet Chocolate Milk!! What??  So I baked a small red velvet cake, took it to a friends house and had everyone try the pairing. :) The milk itself just tasted like extra sweet chocolate milk, but it was fun to experience it.

Brides Magazine Pop Up Shop

It's back....the Brides Magazine White Hot Style Shop!  Open tomorrow on 477 Broome Street in SoHo, the Style Shop is a free pop-up shop were you can meet Brides editors, view the latest bridal fashions, get free hair/makeup trials, sip on cocktails and most importantly... taste cake!  We will be handing out mini cupcakes at the shop on Sunday Oct. 16th @ 2pm so be sure to stop by and say hello!  We also designed a special cake for the gallery so check that out too. 

Thursday Oct. 13-Sunday Oct.16 

Check out their website for the daily schedule of events. 

NYC Wine and Food Festival 2011

Last Friday I had the opportunity to assist the talented Elisa Strauss of Confetti Cakes at the 2011 Food Network NYC Wine and Food Festival.  It was such a fun experience filled with lots of tasty desserts and it was great to work with Elisa again!  Here are some photos from the night.  

We made over 600 of these adorable cake push pops.  How cute!

Confetti Cakes table.

With Bobby Flay

Candace Nelson of Sprinkles Cupcakes

Ron Ben Israel aka Sweet Genius

Chef Anne Burrell

Dorie Greenspan, she's so cute :)

Overall it was such a fabulous and fun event to be a part of.  Proceeds supported two wonderful causes, Food Bank for NYC and Share our Strength.  Check their websites out for more information.  Also check out the Confetti Cake blog for more photos!

I (heart) you.

A small, simple cake can truly remind someone that they are loved.

I made this cake for a friend to give to her husband on his birthday.  It was their first time celebrating his birthday together as a married couple.  Even if it isn't for a birthday, this would be a cute cake to give to a special person in your life any day of the year.  Share your love for someone with a small cake this week :)

A Lot, A Little :: The Knot Fall 2011

In the current color issue of the Knot, we made two cakes to show how you can incorporate a lot or a little bit of color into your wedding cake.  I thought it was a such great concept for a cake story and here's how it turned out.  Check out the other "a lot/a little" cakes in the Fall 2011 issue.

America's Most Beautiful Cakes :: Brides September 2011

Back in January, hundreds of bakers across the country were invited to participate in the Brides Magazine annual search for America's Most Beautiful Cakes.  It started with a couple sketches and finally the September issue with the top 24 cakes has hit stands.  We are so honored to be selected among the winners.  If you have a chance, definately take a look at all the other cakes on Brides.com or buy a copy of the issue, because they are truly beautiful and innovative.  Additionally, if you have the Brides Mag iPad app there is an excellent behind the scenes video by wedding style director, Maria McBride, that documents the entire process of the contest.

"A white dress with a black floral overlay gave Liz Shim food for thought. The result? A stylized showpiece featuring flowers painted with lustrous black dust."

(Above photos by Anna Williams for Brides Magazine)

Here are some behind the scenes photos upon delivery at the photo studio. 

We originally sent in 3 sample tiles of our design in orange, green, and black.  Then we were asked to create the actual cake in both green and black.  Finally, the editors narrowed it down to the black one!

For more behind-the-scenes info, check out Aisle Say, which is the blog from the editors of Brides. 

Eiffel Tower Cake

Bonjour!  This Eiffel Tower cake was sculpted for a young lady that was celebrating her 16th birthday.  Although the cake was served here in NY beforehand, I was told that on the actual day of her birthday she would have the delight of eating a meal at the restaurant inside the Eiffel Tower in France.  How fancy and awesome is that?

Here's a view from the top!

The Knot: Summer 2011 Cake Feature

When I was asked to create a fun cake for the Summer 2011 issue of The Knot, I jumped at the chance to use a pattern that I've been eyeing.  I was browsing online for clutches one day and I came across this yellow pattern that I loved and knew had to be on a cake.  For this seemingly simple pattern I ended up spending a lot of time trying to figure out the best way to go about getting a sharp look.   Stenciling, hand painting, using cutters, making a stamp, etc.... In the end I was reminded of the morsel of truth I was taught while working at Confetti Cakes.  Elisa would always say, "the more difficult and time consuming way was usually the right way"...which in this case meant I had to free-hand cut all the light and dark pink pieces with my x-acto.  This is how it came out:

Keith Haring

Ever come across Keith Haring's art work?  Maybe on a poster, maybe on a t-shirt, maybe on a mouse pad, but how about on a cake?  Unique outlines of people dancing and celebrating were a perfect fit for this couple who wanted to express themselves through the design of their wedding cake.  

This Keith Haring inspired cake was covered in black fondant, the dancing figures were piped on with royal, then hand painted gold with edible dust.  The J & J logo, created by the couple themselves, was a perfect design for the center.  Topping it all off were two dancing dogs, which is another iconic image of Keith Haring.

NYC skyline

If you love NYC + shopping, this is the cake for you!  Well, it was actually for a bride who flew in from Ireland to have her wedding in NYC.   Regardless, it definitely will please any urban fashionista. 

This is another cake we created with an evening version of the NYC skyline, but for a 40th birthday.  

I think of all the skylines I've ever seen, NYC is the most beautiful!