So You Need to Order a Specialty Cake....

This is one of favorite
new designs for our
foxy bakery!

      I thought I would talk about little bit about the process of designing and creating a cake for a special occasion. There are many factors to consider when it comes to the final product but here I'll break down some of the main ones that you and your cake decorator should consider when meeting. Now, this may vary from decorator to decorator and I can only speak to my own experience and process when designing a cake. This should still work as a general guideline for planning your party cake.
 

Examples of cake serving size suggestions.

   One of the first things to consider when planning your cake are some of the basic logistics of your event. I'll need to know when your party is, how many people you want to serve with the cake and if there are any dietary concerns. You also may want to start thinking about what flavors you want to select for each tier. These basic logistics will help me guide you towards an appropriately sized cake for your event and it will also help me to recommend the right exterior icing. Sometimes fondant can be a great choice if it will be a hot day or if the size and shape of the cake will need some extra support. I also want to make sure you have realistic expectations regarding the size of your cake. While we're at it, I will usually be able to give you a price estimate so that you know what to expect before we sort out all of the details.

Some of my design doodles for some
display cakes.

   
   Now that the logistics are out of the way, we can get to the fun part, the design! I usually recommend that my clients take a look through our photo albums and our website to start getting ideas. From there, you can delve deeper into the world of online searching via google or pinterest or any other search engine you enjoy. One caveat, sometimes there can be almost too much out there and it can be hard to make decisions. Try to narrow it down to a few designs, and remember, you can always change things or pick and choose design elements from different cakes!

I made this cake for an "Up"
themed baby shower for a
friend of mine.

   
    When you come in, usually I'll look through your pictures with you and we will start to build your cake design. We'll hone in on design elements that you want, like borders, colors, piping, fondant details and overall look.  A different approach is to bring in any decorations you are using for your party. Invitations, plates and napkins can be a wonderful jumping off point for a design. They can give me ideas about color, motifs and characters. I'll make some recommendations if I foresee any concerns, but it really is a joint process.  My goal is to exceed your expectations and make sure that the design will flow beautifully and also fit into your overall event scheme.
 

I made this gumpaste Peony several days before bringing
it all the way to Cuba for my brother-in-law's wedding.

     Once the order is placed, I generally start making any decorations that will need to sit and set up. I'll start a few days before the cake is going to be picked up making things like fondant bows, gumpaste flowers, sugar veil lacework or anything else that will get sculpted and will need to set for several days before being added to the cake.  Then the cake will be baked, crumb-coated, iced and most of the decorations will be added. Sometimes, I will hold off on adding the final details until just before the cake goes out if there is the possibility that the decorations will be adversely affected by being in a humid refrigerator.
     Any given cake usually has several hours of work put into it. From the time spent designing the cake with the customer, to the hours put into baking it, not to mention the time spent actually making and applying the decorations. Each cake is a labor of love and we work really hard to make sure that our customers will love their cake.