Tuesday, October 27, 2009

HAWAIIAN VOLCANO CAKE

We created this amazing Volcano Cake for a 5-year-old Birthday Party. Chloe, the birthday girl, loves to watch Ace of Cakes... don't we all! So for her Hawaiian Themed party she suggested a Volcano Cake... so fun! The top tier is a functioning volcano complete with dry ice. Check out some of the amazing detail Joe included in the design......

A sun umbrella, flip flops and surfboard are set in the sandy beach. It's really just brown sugar, but it looks so real!

The treasure map inspired sign we made to wish Chloe a very Happy 5th Birthday!

The back side of the cake showing more of the spectacular details Joe included.


The active volcano about to erupt with the help of some dry ice!

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Saturday, October 24, 2009

MAIDEN MINNESOTA


We'll be participating in Maiden Minnesota again this year! Last year was so much fun we jumped at the opportunity to do it again this year. The evening will be filled with gorgeous products from Minnesota-based Women-owned companies and we feel honored to be included. Find out more information on their website: Maiden Minnesota

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Sunday, October 18, 2009

MY LITTLE BUDDY CAKE TOPPER

We created this My Little Buddy to sit on top of a recent cake. The Birthday Boy was turning the big 3-0! His wife told us all about his childhood and how he never went anywhere without his My Little Buddy doll (he still has it!) She brought us a picture and we recreated an edible version.

Joe went all out on the detail for this little guy. Complete with his striped shirt, overalls and freckles.

My favorite is the hair.... amazing!

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Wednesday, October 14, 2009

BURGUNDY WEDDING

We delivered this gorgeously rich burgundy colored cupcake tower to the Carlson Towers. I love the simplicity of our new square tower. And such a perfect color for a fall wedding! Cupcake flavors are Vanilla Bean with Vanilla Bean Buttercream and Valrhona Chocolate with Chocolate Buttercream..... so classic.


Here is a close up of the fresh flower topper that sat atop the 6" cake. Pazzobello Flowers gets the credit for these beauties! And check out the floral arrangements for the guest tables..... fabulous!



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Tuesday, October 13, 2009

TAPE MEASURE CAKE

We've done it again.... we made another tape measure cake! You might remember our post about our first tape measure cake from last year. The one I made for my Dad's birthday. Well a couple of months ago we had an awesome family in for a wedding cake tasting. While looking through our photo albums, they came across the tape measure and just loved it. So, when dear dad John's birthday came around they contacted us to create a replica for him. This one is a bit bigger than the first, but just as adorable in its bright yellow fondant!

Happy Birthday John!

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Friday, October 9, 2009

COWBOY THEMED KIDS BIRTHDAY CAKE

Kid's cakes are so fun and creative. Often times parents come to us with a specific party theme that they would like to see carried through in the cake. And we're happy to oblige! Below are pictures from a recent Cowboy themed birthday cake.


A detailed shot of the horse on the side of the cake.


Happy Birthday James! We hope this party was giddy-up good time!


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Wednesday, October 7, 2009

HOT PINK & ORANGE WEDDING CAKE

What an amazingly bright color palette for a fall wedding! Look at how vivid these orange and pink Gerbera daisies are. With such a wonderful choice of colors, we were excited to put together an amazing wedding dessert spread. Here is the table as the guests saw it upon entering the reception site:

Two of our custom cupcake towers on either side of a coordinating custom cake.


The cake was beautifully dressed in black polka dots and finished with bright Gerbera daisies.


The perfect combination of cake and cupcakes!

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Sunday, October 4, 2009

COCOA & FIG IN THE STAR TRIBUNE

Photo by Tom Wallace

I've been keeping a little secret for a few weeks now. But now that it's been published for all to see I think it's safe to share it with all of you! About a month ago Rick Nelson from the Star Tribune called and asked if I would like to share a cake recipe for the Taste Section 40th Anniversary edition. Luckily he left this message on our voice mail after hours or I may have screeched in his ear! Or course we would like to share a cake recipe with the wonderful people of the Twin Cities. And so I quickly rifled through all our cake recipes and decided on one that I made with my Grandmother growing up. It's a depression-era cake called Crazy Cake. I tinkered with the recipe when I returned from culinary school and created a moist, delicious cake. Slather it with Mocha Buttercream Icing and you're all set!

" With this special birthday cake recipe for coffee, you'll want to have your cake and eat it, too.

A 40th birthday party needs a suitably extravagant cake.

Which is why we turned to pastry chef Laurie Pyle of Cocoa & Fig in Shakopee. Whether she's concentrating on her catering clientele or selling to farmers market shoppers, Pyle focuses on baked flights of fancy: stunning custom cakes for every occasion, a rainbow's array of delicate macaroons, tarts bulging with ripe fruit, clever cupcakes on a stick, beautiful brioche and sneakily addictive cork-shaped brownies, to name just a few temptations in her well-stocked creative arsenal.

"Splurging on something that you can't make at home is our business," said Joe Lin, Pyle's partner.

We asked Pyle to step outside her business plan of impossible-to-replicate-at-home treats and create a birthday cake that Taste readers can prepare in their kitchens. She did not disappoint. Pyle devised an easy-to-make recipe that reflects her indulgent side (wait until you get a taste of its intense chocolate and coffee flavors, super-moist cake and ultra-creamy icing) while remaining within the uncomplicated layer-cake genre. It's going to be our go-to birthday cake for a long, long time.

One detail you'll notice right away is that this is a tall cake. "Home cooks usually make two layers, but we always do three," said Pyle. "Isn't a three-layer cake so much more fabulous?" Absolutely.

Pyle likes to prepare the cake a day in advance ("To let the flavors marry," she said. "It's like grilling meat, and letting it rest before you cut it.") and then stores it in the refrigerator; to serve, bring the cake to room temperature. She prefers to use Valrhona cocoa powder (which she purchases at www.chocolatesource.com), but also recommends the more widely available Ghirardelli cocoa powder. "Buy the best you can afford, because the end product will only be as good as what you put into it," she said.

Next up: The couple -- Pyle and Lin are partners at work and at home -- are eyeballing locations for their first retail outlet ("'Where is your shop?' is the No. 2 question we get, second only to 'How do you stay so thin?' " said Lin with a laugh). In the meantime, look for them on Thursdays at the Nicollet Mall Farmers Market, Saturdays at the Prior Lake Farmers Market, Sundays at the Minneapolis Farmers Market and online at www.cocoaandfig.com.

Now get baking, and celebrating. "

RICK NELSON
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