Thursday, December 23, 2010

Fashion Shopaholics Cake


I created this three tier cake for a shopaholic themed birthday party in New Brunswick NJ.

A pink stripe Victoria's Secret hat box and a black Chanel shoe box are topped by a Tiffany bag with white fondant wrapping paper. While a silver pearl necklace, NARS blush, lip gloss and a BMW key chain add personal touches. Inside was the ever popular chocolate fudge cake with Madagascar vanilla bean filling.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Quilted Ivory Wedding Cake with Calla Lilies


Our bride chose a round three tier chocolate almond cake with amaretto moccha buttercream as the filling. The cake is covered in ivory fondant with a quilted pattern and small groups of sugar calla lilies.

The bride and groom also selected a ceramic ring shaped cake topper with two hands clasping a heart, and a large silver stand to display this classic wedding cake, which we delivered to the Navesink Country Club near Red Bank NJ.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Slot Machine Cake for Sixtieth Birthday


We made this slot machine cake to celebrate a 60th birthday, for a casino fan. Inside are yellow vanilla cake with dulce de leche cream, and lemon cake with white chocolate cream filling.

The fondant is sprayed with a silver food coloring. Gold chocolate coins are pouring out of the machine. This is a popular design, I made two of them this week! Everyone's a winner!

Monday, December 20, 2010

Quilted Ivory and Black Wedding Cake with Monogram


A four tier quilted diamond ivory wedding cake with black fondant ribbons. Swiss dots are piped at the apex of each quilt and hand painted in edible silver food coloring. The cake has a fondant silver monogram topper.

The bride and groom chose combinations of chocolate genoise with orange chocolate filling, pure white cake with Dulce de Leche cream and red velvet cake with white chocolate ganache.

We delivered the cake to the Grand Summit hotel here in New Jersey.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Gingerbread Manor House


I have wanted to make a gingerbread house for ages. The Orange Lawn Tennis Club in South Orange NJ asked me to create this gingerbread manor, based on the main building, for an Open House they were holding. We had lots of fun decorating the design with candy canes, gum drops, gingerbread man and woman, plus a snowman and all covered in coconut snowflakes.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Elmo Bursting from Drum Second Birthday Cake


I recreated this popular Sesame Street themed cake for a second birthday party at the YMCA in East Orange NJ.

Both tiers are vanilla cake with banana cream filling and sliced strawberries. The second tier is a blue and yellow fondant drum with Elmo bursting out of the top.

Elmo's favorite things decorate the bottom tier: musical notes, goldfish and his crayons too! That's Elmo's cake world!

Monday, December 6, 2010

Playful Animals and Seal Baby Shower Cake


A vanilla cake with dulce de leche buttercream in the top tier and a red velvet cake with cream cheese filling on the bottom. White fondant is covered in multicolored stripes and decorated with jungle animals (my perennial favorites: the lion, elephant and giraffe) modeled out of gumpaste. A seal is demonstrating its juggling skills with a red fondant ball covered in white polka dots. We delivered the cake to a Baby Shower in Jersey City near the waterfront.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Moet & Chandon Champagne Bucket Birthday Cake


One of my favorites, a rum cake with orange buttercream, also perfumed with orange blossom extract and shaped as a Moet Chandon Champagne Bucket. The bubbles are small pieces of rolled fondant plus piped royal icing. This Birthday Cake was delivered to a birthday party at the Essex House in West Orange NJ.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Sleeping baby and building blocks baptism cake


A two tier round vanilla cake with dulce de leche cream filling. The cake is covered in pink fondant stripes and polka dots with a sculpted gumpaste baby sleeping under a pink blanket. Each of the small building blocks is piped with a letter forming the name of the child being baptised in Queens NY.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Gold Leaf Fourtieth Birthday Cake


A delicious two tier white vanilla cake and chocolate genoise with alternating layers, and with Cannoli cream filling. I like the way these cakes look when you cut them with their multi-colored layers.

Light pink fondant covers the cake, which I then decorated with hand painted gold leaves and flowers, gold fondant beads circling each tier, plus a monogram I piped on top. The cake was delivered to a 40th birthday party in Warren NJ.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Wonder Woman Birthday Cake with Invisible Plane


Wonder Woman (Diana Prince) is my all time favorite super heroine. So I was delighted to bake this star shaped vanilla cake with chocolate cream filling for a 5th birthday party at the YMCA in Chinatown NY, as the birthday girl is also Wonder Woman fan.


I sculpted the figurine out of fondant and also built an invisible plane for her using isomalt! The finished cake included her Lasso of Truth, not shown in the photo.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Cake Decorating Class - Handbags

Earlier in the summer we held a cake decorating class to demonstrate how to make a handbag cake. It was a fun group and we had a great time.

We learned how to carve the cake into a handbag shape and then crumb coat the cake. Once the cake was slightly chilled we added a final coat of buttercream and then covered it with a piece of rolled fondant.

Finally each of the students chose whatever decoration they wanted to complete the bag design: fondant bows, cutouts, stripes, polka dots etc..

Special thanks to Lisa, Nancy and Cora for organizing the class.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Pink Bow Baby Shower Cake and Cupcake Tree


A red velvet cake with cream cheese filling, covered in ivory fondant and with a pink bow. Fondant cutouts of baby bottles and rattles decorate the cake. The cake sits on top of an acrylic display stand, where we placed matching cupcakes, topped with a baby bottle, rattle or pacifier fondant cutout.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Birthday Presents and Jungle Animals Cake


I made this two tier orange and blue cake for a birthday party at the Turtleback Zoo in West Orange NJ. Red velvet cake with cream cheese filling on the bottom tier, and yellow vanilla cake with dulce de leche cream filling on the top. The cake is covered in matching color fondant stripes, polka dots, with jungle animals (giraffe, lion and elephant) and gifts.

I also baked two dozen animal cookies as favors for the guests.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Beach Theme Retirement Cake for Police Captain


A Police Captain celebrating his retirement asked us to create a beach theme cake for his party. His Police vehicle is driven into the ocean, all his gear is discarded on the beach and he is relaxing in a hammock strung between two palm trees.

The beach is rum cake with orange chocolate cream and the sea is red velvet cake with Madagascar Vanilla bean filling. Delivered to Matawan NJ.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Red Maple Leaf Wedding Cake


A four tier round ivory colored wedding cake with red velvet cake and cream cheese filling. A chocolate ribbon and red fondant pearls surround each tier. Four branches with red and orange sugar maple leaves cascade down the side of the cake. The cake was delivered to a Fall wedding reception at the Orange Lawn Tennis Club in South Orange NJ.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

New Yankee Stadium Bar Mitzvah Cake


We delivered this New Yankee Stadium cake as a surprise. It has layers of vanilla and chocolate fudge cake with Oreo cream filling. The electronic screen shows Derek Jeter hitting a homer. For a diehard Yankees fan celebrating his Bar Mitzvah at the Illusions club in the Sheraton Crossroads hotel in Mahwah NJ.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Cymbidium Orchids Purple Wedding Cake


A square three tier wedding cake for a reception at the Orange Lawn Tennis Club in South Orange NJ. The bride selected multiple flavor combinations: a lemon coconut cake with passion fruit cream filling, red velvet cake with cream cheese filling, and a straight coconut cake with key lime buttercream. The cake is covered in a purple fondant, decorated with brushed embroidery flowers and additionally with sugar Cymbidium orchids.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Seton Hall Blue Wedding Mini-Cakes


We made 265 two tier mini-cakes for a wedding at the Westin Governor Hotel in Morristown NJ. Each one is pure white vanilla cake and chocolate fudge cake with orange chocolate cream filling. They are covered in a dark blue fondant and swiss dots to match the colors of the Bride and Groom's college: Seton Hall University. On top of the display stand we placed a matching two tier cake decorated with a bouquet of white sugar hydrangeas and fondant bows.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

How I prepare fondant and decorate a cake - video link

I thought some of you might enjoy reading this article by Monica Puri Bangia that was recently posted on South Orange Patch, a great place to keep up with news and events in our local community.

Being Her Own Cake Boss at Cake Fiction - South Orange, NJ Patch

Monica visited me for a demonstration on how I make fondant and prepare it for covering a cake. She filmed me in the cake decorating process. My daughters have been asking for my autograph, but I'm not that famous yet!

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Oscar de la Renta Shoe Bridal Shower Cake


A round two tier cake with alternate vanilla-chocolate-vanilla layers and cannoli filling, and covered in ivory colored fondant with a chocolate brown fondant ribbon. A white Oscar de la Renta shoe with sugar flowers sits on top of the cake, also a bridal bouquet of Calla Lillies with sugar pearls decorate the front. We delivered the cake to a Bridal Shower at Luce Restaurant in Caldwell NJ.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Fall Wedding Cake with Dahlias and Chrysanthemums


A three tier white wedding cake delivered to the Olde Mill Inn at Basking Ridge NJ. The bottom tier has alternate layers of vanilla and chocolate cake with amaretto moccha cream filling, and the top two tiers are chocolate fudge cake with Madagascar Vanilla bean filling.

The white fondant is decorated with fall foliage such as maple and oak leaves, embossed with a lace pattern. An eggplant color ribbon surrounds each tier. Bunches of sugar dahlias and chrysanthemums with hypercurium berries adorn the cake.

The cakes sits on a custom made board, covered in white fondant and with white ceramic feet.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

MAC bag cake with Jimmy Choo shoebox


A 30th birthday cake for a shopping fanatic. Inside is a pink vanilla cake with chocolate ganache and Cannolli cream filling. The bottom tier is a pink hat box with grey fondant lid, then a zebra print Jimmy Choo shoebox. On top is a classic black MAC shopping bag with a compact, lipsticks and eyeshadow.

Green Buddha and Candy Birthday Cake


A square three tier cake for a big first birthday celebration at the Manor in West Orange NJ. The bottom tier is vanilla cake with chocolate cream filling, while the top tiers are red velvet cake with cream cheese filling.

The cake is covered in fondant colored to match the Colombian flag colors, and a Green buddha, sculpted from gum paste, tops the cake to match the parents' joint heritage. We added an assortment of lollipops for the candy theme at the party.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

1971 Model Chevy Chevelle Car Cake


We had fun building this groom's cake modeled on a dark green 1971 Chevy Chevelle SS muscle car! I tried to pay special attention to all the chrome detail.

Inside is a classic white vanilla cake, chocolate ganache filling with a layer of raspberry jam. Delivered to The Rosewood in Edison NJ.


Sunday, September 26, 2010

Blue Christening Cake with Piped Scrolls


A three tier Baptism cake made of Chocolate Fudge with Oreo Cream and Lemon Cake with Lemon Cream and Raspberry Jam. The cake is covered in a Navy Blue fondant decorated with a scrolls pattern piped in royal icing to match the invitation cards, and topped with a white cross embossed in a floral design. Delivered to a Christening celebration at Bella Italia restaurant.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Chrysler Building Cake


I was asked to make a skyscraper cake in the form of the Chrysler building for a joint birthday party in New York City. Two lights are on in the building with the cleaning ladies inside tidying up!

Our customers are also fans of their Audi cars, so we incorporated those modeled from sugar paste, along with two dancing 2D figurines. The cake is constructed with mixed tiers of yellow vanilla cake and Madagascar vanilla bean filling, as well as almond pound cake with passion fruit cream filling.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Cake


We made this cake in the shape of a book, for a fan of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The book title and image of the kid were piped on to a fondant template with royal icing. I was pleased with the way the tape on each corner matched the original book cover. It is red velvet cake with Madagascar vanilla bean cream filling, covered in blue fondant for a birthday party in West Orange NJ.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Ivory Wedding Cake with Calla Lillies


An elegant four tier wedding cake in ivory fondant, surrounded by a ring of soft pink Calla Lillies on the middle tier, and topped with three soft pink sugar roses. Fondant pearls surround the base of each tier. The cake was pure white vanilla with Madagascar vanilla bean cream filling.

This cake was delivered, along with the King and Queen of Hearts Groom's cake from my previous post, to the Stone House at Stirling Ridge in Warren NJ.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

King and Queen of Hearts Groom's Cake


A Groom's cake with a Mardi Gras theme, the bride requested two playing cards with the King and Queen of Hearts. One cake was chocolate fudge with Madagascar vanilla bean filling, the other was red velvet and cream cheese filling.

We also made a pink and gold Mardi Gras mask, assorted beads in gold, bronze, silver and pink, plus gold coins scattered on the cake board.



Delivered to the Stone House at Stirling Ridge in Warren NJ.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Pinstripes Wedding Cake with Hydrangeas


A three tier Meyer lemon cake with Madagascar vanilla bean filling. The white fondant is covered in piped royal icing pinstripes, surrounded by small fondant pearls and decorated with a bouquet of white and lavender colored hydrangea sugar flowers. We delivered this cake to a garden wedding in Maplewood NJ.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Jungle Animals Palm Tree Cake


A two tier chocolate almond cake with Madagascar Vanilla bean filling on the bottom tier, then red velvet and cream cheese filling on top. The cake is covered in yellow fondant with stripes, surrounded by jungle animals and topped off with a monkey sitting under palm trees. Around the cake are a lion, giraffe, elephant and zebra modeled from sugar paste. Delivered to a birthday party at the Turtleback Zoo in West Orange NJ.

Monday, September 6, 2010

XBox 360 Groom's Cake


A specialty vanilla and chocolate fudge cake with peanut butter cream filling.
Covered in white fondant with gray trims, panels and cables, plus a controller. The bride and groom figurines are modelled from sugarpaste and both wear a pair of gaming headphones.

The cake was delivered to the Grand Colonial in Hampton NJ as a wedding surprise for the Groom, who is a fan of the Xbox 360 game console.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Dora the Explorer Birthday Cake





A 3D Dora the Explorer surprise birthday cake, with chocolate fudge cake and Madagascar Vanilla bean filling. "We did it!"

We constructed a frame for Dora using PVC pipe and joints, with several wood platforms for the body and head.

The PVC pipe is not easy to work with, as it is difficult to make the Rice Krispies and fondant stick. That was until I tried my secret weapon from Argentina - homemade Dulce de Leche.

Various photos in this post show how we built her up, added the cake and crumb coat, then working up the body adding her multi-colored outfit and backpack. Her hair is made up from Rice Krispie treats, covered in brunette color chocolate fondant.

Apart from getting her facial expression right, the cake proved quite a challenge to deliver, since Dora is very top heavy, but we made it!

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Yo Gabba Gabba! Boombox Birthday Cake


A yellow vanilla cake with passion fruit cream filling and sliced fresh strawberries, yummy! The cake is shaped like the boombox from Yo Gabba Gabba! it is covered in silver colored fondant (a base gray color airbrushed with a sheen of silver) and surrounded by the all characters from this popular kids show, plus DJ Lance's furry hat. We delivered the cake to a birthday party in Bayonne NJ.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Little Train Baby Shower Cake


We designed this yellow three tier round cake for a Baby Shower at the Publick House Tavern in Chester NJ. The bottom tier is chocolate fudge cake with Madagascar vanilla bean filling, sliced fresh strawberries and cream, while the upper tiers are red velvet cake with cream cheese and white chocolate filling. Fondant stripes, polka dots and bows decorate the cake, which is topped by a train and wagons carrying small gift boxes.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Pregnant Belly Baby Shower Cake


A New Jersey mom-to-be wanted to celebrate at her baby shower with a pregnant belly cake. The vanilla cake has Madagascar vanilla bean filling and is covered in blue fondant, and a personalized necklace.