Smurf House Cake

I made this cake today for my daughter, for her 10th Birthday.

It's totally edible and serves 15!

I suppose it could be called a fairy house, or a gnome house, but here at my place - it's a "Smurf House".

I was going to post a tutorial on how to make it, but we are in the middle of moving right now! So, I'll probably include it in my upcoming Cake School.

This will be my last post from my current house. No worries though, my new house is just a few miles away!

Hope you are well!!

Chic Sheet Cake!

I've got to admit, I'm not a big fan of the 'sheet cake'. Of course, why would I be when you could have a pirate ship cake (or something like that) instead?

Well....there is this thing called 'practicality'. And true, as well, is the fact that a sheet cake can really be special, if one takes the time to make it so.


Here's a sheet cake I made today for the University of North Carolina Wilmington (Camp Lejeune Extension).

It is, quite possibly, the classiest sheet cake...ever.

It's a creamy white cake filled with chocolate cheesecake filling, and iced with Italian Meringue Buttercream. If you've never had Italian Meringue Buttercream (and I'm guessing you haven't), then you are in for a biiiggg surprise. It's light, fluffy, buttery, not-to-sweet and wonderfully creamy. In short; it's what you always thought icing should taste like.


I piped the UNCW logo free hand with tiny little stars. It took a long time, but I believe it was worth the effort.

Sorry about the blurry pic. Unfortunately, my photographer doesn't live in my broom closet (he can't just pop out at any ol' time) - so I had to do these myself. Ahheeemm.....the point here..is that I wanted to show you the twisted-rope piping I did around the edge. I really like making a bold bottom piping around the cake because I think it frames the cake well.

Here's some of the detailing of the logo. Again, I did this free-hand. I was also very happy with the hues of the colors. I mix all my icing colors myself. A little of this, a little of that...keep mixing.. until it's the color that it should be.

And, that's what I did today.

Hope you all are well!!

Art In Cake, Part I

Here are some of the photos from my recent photoshoot at the Bellamy Mansion, Wilmington, North Carolina.
I have so much to tell you about this whole experience, it's hard to know where to start.
First of all, from a culinary perspective - this is the ultimate! I tested and retested recipes, and in the end, developed my own. All of my travels and tasting and reading culminated in these twelve cakes. One week prior to this photoshoot, all I had were stacks of raw ingredients, and a bunch of ideas. More on that later.

What I'd like to talk about today is the artistic aspect of this recent project.

My goal was to create a dozen cakes that would stand alone as individual works of art, modeled after various genres of architecture, art, sculpture and music - but would, in the end, sit together and represent a culmination of these genres as a single work of art. For this culmination, I wanted flow, movement, and balance of color, shape and form.

This is the Italian Cream Cake, my classical piece.

German Chocolate Cake. Neo Classical.

The Ultimate Chocolate Cake. Baroque, but more streamlined. Call it Baroque meets modern.

Double Chocolate Mocha Espresso Cake. Asian inspired, clean, but with movement.

Lemon Cake. Summery, Edwardian. Jane Austen in linen.

White Chocolate Peach Schnaaps Cake. Art Deco. Miami Architecture - in white.

It is said that an art is not what you do, but how you see. I believe this to be true. These dozen cakes, for me, are a diary of my travels and experiences. The museums, cathedrals, and old streets I've lost myself in - the subtle nuances of every curve and angle.

So true, as well - is that life is really how you see it.

More later!

Have a really great day!

The Backpacking Cakester's Going On Vacation

Or something like that.

I'm going to spend the next six months working on building a super fun, super comprehensive Cake School, so that we can have a good ol' time. Also, I'll be churning out about 30 or so wedding cakes - but that's another story.

I love all of you wonderful, fun and encouraging readers so, so, much.

"Cause you are the wind beneath my-hy wiiinnngggsss..."

and

"You llliiiggt uuup my-ha-ha-ha-ha.....liiiffeee"

Take care,
be well,
...and for Heaven's sake -
DON'T EAT ANY GROCERY STORE CAKES!!!

This is the Backpacking Cakester, signing out.

Peace - out, y'all.

Big News At The Cake School!

THE CAKE SCHOOL IS MOVING......

TO A NEW LOCATION!!

CLICK HERE!

Why I Love Making Cakes

I can't tell you how exciting it is to find something you love doing so much, that you know you will do it joyfully for the rest of your life. Very comforting indeed.

I love making cakes for a lot of reasons. There is a lot of science in making a cake. There is a lot of art in making a cake. There is a lot of pleasure to the senses in making a cake - the way it smells, tastes and feels.

But the thing I love most about making cakes is that it is a way to say to someone - "I think you are nice, and special, and I love you".

The below cakes have been made for four very special ladies in my life. You know who you are. I think you are nice. I think you are special. I love you.

God Bless.

Three birds. See?

The Making Of Designer Bird Cakes!!