[S]ound [O]ff [S]ummer

The nights are getting cooler, the days are a bit shorter and I find myself reaching for a hoodie before I walk out the door each morning.. Fall is quickly approaching and I couldn’t be happier. It’s my favorite season filled with my favorite scents, flavors and activities!

As I wrap up a sizzling summer of endless cake popping and cake decorating, I can’t help but feel unbelievably thankful for the love and support I’ve received this summer, from all my family and friends who gave me such exciting projects to work on! I literally have not stopped, and I will finish strong this coming weekend with my first ever complete dessert display table for a wedding.  I think I would be naturally freaking out over 300 cake pops, a wedding cake and cupcakes, but after everything I mastered this summer, the thought of this wedding makes me ecstatic, and I can’t wait to pull it all together.

But first, I shall share two little projects I did in the last two weeks for a friend from college.  Kyla and her family have been following my pastry journey for a long time now, and recently they placed two orders with me.  One was for some birthday pops in a Hawaiian theme!

Now I’ve done these before but this time I decided to add in little hula skirts!

The second, larger order is for the investment firm in Boston that Kyla works for.  We went with a sailing theme, as the name is Anchor Capital and the owners are huge sailing enthusiasts.

Little sugar sailboats, buoys and anchors!

I had a lot of fun making these, as usual and they were a great way to get some new themes under my belt!

Now on to this wedding display table!!!!!!

-Elena

Love Anchors All

A month or so ago, I posted the beach themed wedding sampler for Kathy and Paul, two people I have known for a very long time.  It was an exciting event and I was insanely flattered that they asked me to contribute cake pops to their special day in place of a traditional wedding cake. After careful planning and color coordination, yesterday was the day, and I spent all week prepping for this one.  It meant a lot to me to do these, and I think they are my most favorite so far!

To be successful in this display, I needed to create something "beachy" but classy, keeping in mind the very elegant venue which was the Branford House on UConn's Avery Point campus.  The colors needed to be eye catching but muted, and the designs had to be intricate but not gaudy.

I wanted them to stand on their own without any distraction from ribbons or "cake topper" focal points. I wanted it to be 100% edible, because it's to easy to get beach themed stuff at the craft store to put on the top. I needed sugar starfish...just HAD to have them.

This display required a lot of detailed fondant work.  The bride told me she was incorporating anchors into her centerpieces so I wanted to add them to my display as well.  They were gorgeous with a pretty gold rope.  The anchor is such a beautiful symbol of love and marriage, and I love how it was used in the decor. The fondant work was tedious but totally worth it!

Now my favorite design ended up being the ones I decided to create on a total whim.  As I molded the flip flops, I couldn't help but think sticking them on would be cute but not enough, I needed something more.  I once had seen cookies that looked like a wave washing onto shore with sand and flip flops, so I decided to create this on a cake pop not knowing what I was getting myself into! These were tough!! But I think they came out beautiful!

The pictures of the Branford House do not do it justice. I was literally floored when I walked in and saw the fireplace.  The detail in the woodwork was exquisite and the ceilings were so beautiful.  

I could not have been happier with the finished product!

The woodwork was the perfect backdrop for these bright cakes.  I took a million pictures, completely obsessed with the dark designs against the white plates.

Such a beautiful venue for a beautiful wedding. Could not be happier for the couple and they had a perfect day for the occasion!  I absolutely love catering weddings.

Romantic Saccharine

Any man reading this post right now – grab a pen and take notes.

When you want to impress a woman, you don’t need to buy her fancy, expensive gifts.

You don’t need to plan an extravagant weekend getaway to be spontaneous.

You don’t need to spend $500 on a dinner to prove your love for her. 

I mean yes, those things are NICE. And we won’t say no. Noooo we definitely won’t say no.. but thoughtfulness goes further.

A LOT further.

Here is some advice.. We love chocolate. We love cake. We love flowers and roses. We love gifts that are thoughtful. We love unique things made ONLY for us. A single creation. A single copy.  Only one made in the whole world, made with only one person in mind.

So to all you gentlemen out there who are looking for a way into that special lady’s heart, get there the way my coworker recently did, with a custom, romantic cake.

I swear, I wouldn't lead you in the wrong direction.  I am not sure of a single woman in this world who would hate this gift of luscious chocolate cake iced in French vanilla butter cream roses.

So just show up after work, with this pale pink cake a pretty little box, and let it speak for itself.  Maybe include a card too..

It’s a win. This one certainly was. It’s guaranteed. I promise :)

-Elena 

Anything is Possible for Restaurant Impossible!

"You're off to great places,

today is your day,

your mountain is waiting,

so get on your way" - Dr. Seuss

Well, this has been one hell of a week to say the least and it's only Wednesday!

For about two years now, I have been working for a catering company in Springfield on a need basis.  Their kitchen is too small to produce desserts, but often their customers want them at their event so they give me a call and I make it happen! 

On Friday the owner called me and told me she was hired to prepare food for the cast and crew of Food Network's hit show Restaurant Impossible while they shoot a show at a restaurant outside of Springfield, in Wilbraham MA. She said Food Network was demanding cupcakes, and needed me to do them!

Naturally, I freaked out a little. I am a Food Network junkie, love every show, loveee Robert Irvine.. just WOW!  But she wasn't sure of what she needed and I did not hear from her until Monday at 4pm when she pulled the trigger on the thing.  She wanted cupcakes and we decided to throw in cake pops as a break from the norm, and it was all going to be Dr. Seuss themed since she was trying to fit a theme of Springfield... and Dr. Seuss was from Springfield!

Now anyone who knows me and Lou knows, Dr. Seuss holds a special place in our relationship. Oh how I love the Doctor. 

So after working til midnight on day one, and with the help of my lovely mother, working until 9pm on day 2, they were complete! 

Now this order wasn't huge or overly complicated, I just had nothing planned! Not one cake baked.. No buttercream made.. nothing.  Usually I plan my orders far in advance and get cakes baked and frozen and so on so I am not scrambling every night to finish, since I do have a full time job.  So this was a challenge.  

I think they came out great! Very fun, whimsical and very Dr. Seuss. 

Green eggs anyone? 

 The Cat's Hats.

 So my mom came with me to deliver the pops to the restaurant in Wilbraham, MA.. It was a tight spot for the catering crew up we made it work (even being on a giant hill, I thought the cakes were gonna slide right off the trays!) 

I even found a Dr. Seuss font generator for my taste cards ;)

 So after I left, I received a text from the owner of the catering company who told me every cake was gone, the Food Network crew ate them all and absolutely raved over them.  It made me so happy to hear! So So So So happy!!!!

A huge thanks to my mom for helping me out with the tedious fondant work, for doing the dishes, for delivering them with me! To my friend Becky for giving me instant inspiration when I found out the theme! To Louis for dealing with a very messy apartment for two days (or well, all the time!) To my brother Nick for being my social media marketer and sharing my page all over Facebook! And to my Dad for bringing my Mom and I dinner yesterday after working insanely hard! 

Most of all, thank you to everyone who posted support on my social media outlets.. Can't believe the overwhelming responses to my posts, wishing me luck. I am especially lucky for such great people in my life! 

Each day I spend doing this stuff, the more I love it and the more serious I get in trying to find a place to get this thing off the ground. This opportunity was VERY amazing and I am just feeling so ambitious and so lucky and especially THANKFUL.  Going to keep chasing my dreams.. and you should too!

Isn't Dr. Seuss just the best? :)

-Elena