A Birthday Surprise!

A cake can celebrate so many fun occasions.  It can also be used to announce a wonderful surprise like a baby on the way or something fun like this cake...

It was a 2-tier cake to celebrate a 29th birthday...

 Oh wait.... the top tier opens up and there is something inside....

And she said "Yes!"  Here's a note that I received from the newly engaged gentlemen:

"Everything went very well lastnight and couldn't be any better.  She had absolutely no clue when she saw the cake. I presented the cake to her along with a birthday card and she thought that was it. 
After a while, she was looking at the cake, admiring how beautiful and cute the cake is and she sort of shifted the lid over and realized that it is openable.
That is when I took out the male figure as she was opening the lid. So at that point, she saw the male figure and saw the ring box in the cake and realized that I was proposing to her.  She started crying and it was a very touching moment."

Baby Shower Cake

I was asked to create a baby shower cake with only 1 request, that it would have a pair of sugar running shoes on it.  Otherwise, I had all the design freedom.  I love cakes like these and I loved how the cute running shoes turned out.

I designed the cake based on a little wagon, inspired by my nephew who loves to pile things high and pull it around the house.  I can't wait to do a similar design this weekend.

Here is a view from the top of the cake.

And another photo of the running shoes.  I don't use a template - I just search for cute shoes on the internet and try to copy them.  I'm so happy how they turned out.

Toronto Life Cupcakes (and a cake....)

I was invited to be a part of a Toronto Life online article called The City's Most Beautiful Cupcakes.  And you know how I love creating Toronto-themed cupcakes....

We were asked to submit a sampling of our cupcakes, whatever flavors we wanted and whatever design that best represents our cupcakes.  A Toronto Life magazine is the perfect inspiration for cupcakes - so I made a magazine cake and then cupcakes with handmade sugarpaste toppers to match the different sections.

From top left and clockwise:  Food,  Drink, Cupcakes (of course), Shopping, Pizza and Weddings.

 

For more photos, there is a flickr page from the writer.

Interview over at A Cake to Remember

One of things I love about blogging and twitter is all the the wonderful people that I have met.  They share their thoughts, ideas, rants and cake designs.  It is always funny and comforting to see tweets from cake decorators late on a Friday night when I am doing the same.

I visit my favorite bloggers and twitter friends often to see what they are up to.  One of those bloggers is Kara from A Cake to Remember in Richmond, VA.  She has been making beautiful custom cakes for over 15 years.  She recently interviewed me and here is the blog post if you want to learn a little more about me.

This interview made me think back to my first wedding cake project in 2006.  I dug up this photo from a class I took at George Brown College.  I remember the teacher saying that she was very happy because I went "outside the box" and designed my own cake, instead of copying one.  That was an affirming moment for me.

Bar Mitzvah: Hockey Cake

Who is lucky enough to get 10 cakes for their birthday?  This birthday boy who celebrated his Bar Mitzvah at EZone which is indoor sports and entertainment complex.

I was able to blend in his love for hockey, Pittsburgh Penguins and personalize everything it for his special day.

I loved how it all turned out and everything was completely edible.  I would say the hardest part was making 2 matching skates.

When I made carved cakes, I always bake extra cake, just in case.  So, I added in these mini-cake pucks.  Wouldn't this be a great idea for a boys birthday and everyone gets their own puck!

1st Birthday Cake: Green & Pink

I'd like to thank whoever designs kids' party invitations.  Aside from being utterly cute, they provide the perfect inspiration for cake designs.

Here's a strawberry vanilla 1st birthday cake for a little girl named Sophie.  The inspiration came from the invitation and sticker shown below.

 

And some additional orange dream cupcakes made it the cutest cupcake tower.