Most baby showers I go to (or make cakes for) have baby cute themes in pastel colours. The request for this cake was slightly different since it was for a more fancy-fashion type of event.
I loved that the client’s first words when she saw the cake were: Wow, that’s classy!
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If you are one of those people who loves to bake for special occasions but doesn’t have the time to do so, Berliosca can help.
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Our Halloween sugar cookies come in 5 spooky-cute designs and are $3.95 each.
I learn a lot when researching the cakes I make. For example, I’ve learned about everything from juvenile arthritis to 3-D animation techniques because of cake requests. I have also dissected a tiger lily in the name of cake-science. This summer, thanks to an 11-year-old Titanic aficionado, I learned that contrary to our image of fluorescent-orange life vests, the actual vests worn by Titanic passengers were a light salmon hue. I imagine that 11-year-old Evan and I were the only ones who cared about this detail on the Titanic cake, but these are the things that keep me up at night.
Who knew that cakes could be so educational?
Katie, my fellow straw-stealer (don’t ask), recently commissioned a cake for her 21st birthday. She has been working this summer at the store where I share kitchen space, so we often spend hours chatting and laughing while I do my designing and sculpting. She keeps me from talking to inanimate gumpaste figurines, so I probably owe her what’s left of my sanity.
When we were discussing the concept for her cake she said that she didn’t care about any details except that the filling had to be white chocolate ganache. A fine choice. She later picked out the colours and design, so I suppose she did care about the cake after all.
When her cake was ready, I realized I had forgotten my camera. I hate when this happens because I really want to build up my gallery, but Katie happily promised to take pictures and send them to me. Today I got the most perfect pictures of what I think is one of my cutest cakes.
I decided to call this design Bubbles, and I think it is going to be a popular one. I’m going to try all sorts of colour combinations for Bubbles. Suggestions are always welcome.
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The people behind Cassie and Friends promote awareness of juvenile arthritis and raise funds for research, pediatric rheumatology programs, services, equipment, and events. Their team raised money at the Scotiabank Half-Marathon and 5K run, where I got to meet 4-year-old Cassie herself. (It’s always fun to hobnob with celebrities.)
After delivering Cassie’s cake to the Stanley Park finish line, I stayed to help serve it to the runners and guests at the Cassie and Friends tent. Unfortunately, nobody (including me) thought to bring plates, forks, napkins, or even a knife to cut cake with. Oops. Usually my cakes attend parties in homes or event venues that have kitchen facilities, so this situation has never come up before. This event, however, was in a public park.
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We ended up using a Swiss Army knife to cut the first few slices before some good soul found us a regular kitchen knife. I felt strange serving cake from my hands (yes they were clean—I licked them myself) into the waiting hands of eager cake-eaters, but nobody seemed to mind. When people started coming back for seconds it became clear that napkins were unnecessary. We should have bragged about being environmentally friendly or something.
Photos by Maria Leticia Photography
It’s always nice to make a cake for a celebration, but getting involved with special projects can be extra special. This extra special feeling was evident with a recent cake for the CISV Vancouver Chapter Picnic.
CISV is a wonderful organization that promotes world peace by connecting kids from different countries and cultures through camps and other events. I really like this statement on their website: We are founded on our belief that peace is possible through friendship – and that the real difference can be made by starting with children.
The cake concept was suggested by Patricia, one of CISV’s most enthusiastic volunteers and a personal friend of mine.
The gentleman who commissioned this bikini cake, as well as the birthday boy, really appreciated the intricate details and, shall we say, textures of the buxom torso. Some customers are easier to please than others…
While we’re on the subject, clicking the pink button on this site gets you karma points in promoting breast cancer awareness.
Huzzbelito (that’s my nickname for the man of my life) hasn’t seen much of me recently, as the Berliosca Cake Boutique takes its first baby steps in July. He has been pretty good about washing the dishes and feeding himself, but I hope he doesn’t forget what I look like.
Actually, if he fails to recognize me it will probably be due to my weight-loss from a schedule of two-and-a-half jobs and a diet of energy drinks.
Taste to Savour is an established catering company with a brand new retail store on Oak Street in Vancouver. For their opening party I made the little cake with Tracy the chef plus 2 kinds of mini-cupcakes (coconut and chocolate) to go along.
We had some fun with the buttercream topping for the cupcakes as Tracy thought a nice green on top of the chocolate brown would match her company’s colours. We kept experimenting with food colouring, trying to get the buttercream to match the walls in the kitchen. Every time we’d get a different hue, I’d hold it up to the wall and we’d shake our heads and try again.
After 20 minutes of getting it wrong, Tracy’s partner Geoff walked by and casually said, “More yellow.” Voila. The perfect green.
Who would have thought that mini-cupcakes could be part of a company’s branding strategy? We may have to explore this concept further.
If you are interested in having gourmet food at home without the hassle of cooking it yourself, I highly recommend a visit to Taste to Savour. They’re located at 8265 Oak Street (Oak & 67th). Their selection of fresh and frozen fine foods to-go is available Tuesday through Saturday from 11am to 7pm.
Apparently the birthday lady wrote the words “no presents” right on the invitation, so my client creatively circumvented this rule by bringing Disco Cake to the theme party.
I wonder if this guy was invited…
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