The cake is one of the center pieces of your wedding reception.  One of the first things guests want to do upon arriving is see the cake!  As a couple, you want something fitting with your overall design vision, a cake that is visually impressive, and a dessert that tastes excellent! But most wow factor cakes come at a premium price...adding all the fondant embellishments and crazy designs.  That might not fit your budget, or maybe you still want a cake that pops, but all the bells and whistles on your cake isn't your style.  Here are 4 simple ways to create a cake that screams WOW:

• Choose a taller and slender cake. The more tiers the more impressive the cake.  There are so many sizes when it comes to creating a custom cake.  If you prefer a more casual looking cake choose less tiers with a wider base (like a 6x10x14). If you want your cake to pop opt for a slender 4 tier cake (like a 6x8x10x14). There are only 8 slices difference between the two cakes, so go for the look you want!

• Add a cake stand. The more height the more a cake will pop.  Choosing a beautiful cake stand is a simple way to add that extra bit of elegance and pop to your cake.  Make sure your stand is at least 4 inches larger than the bottom tier of your cake.
• Use fresh flowers. With all the fun and gorgeous new cake trends nothing screams wow and beauty more than fresh flowers adorned on your cake!  Flowers thoughtfully adorned in just the right places is an inexpensive way to create a natural beauty to your cake.
• Create a setting for your cake.  Choose a table that is larger than your cake, but not so large your cake gets lost. Have your cake be the main product on your table, meaning the only other items on the table are there to compliment the cake.  Choose a gorgeous table cloth. Decorate the table with your wine goblets, a pretty cake server, and maybe some flower pedals or other minor decorations.

Considering these details when designing your cake will guarantee a cake that your guests will be raving about long after your wedding day has passed. 

Things have definitely taken an unexpected turn in the last few days when it comes to weddings and events in our area. For many of y'all, the government has mandated that you postpone your celebration due to the size of your guest count. So, what do you do now?  First, don't panic!  Remember, you are working with some of the best professionals and we are going to work along side you and help you. Most wedding professionals are not charging a transfer fee to move your date and most, myself included, will allow you to transfer your retainer to a new date. Here are a few tips on how to navigate moving your wedding that is merely weeks away:

1. Choose an off season time for your new wedding day.  When you planned your wedding you chose your larger purchase wedding pro's first and then slowly moved down the line.  Now you have your favorites but need to find a date that will work for all of them.  Choose your new day during slow season for weddings (June through August) or on a non wedding priority day (Sunday - Friday). Those times are more likely to be open allowing you to keep most if not all of your wedding professionals.
2. Try not to postpone too long. Everything is still fresh for you and your guests are all excited and ready for your celebration.  Choose your wedding celebration to take place in the next 3 to 4 months if possible.  This will not only help you remain excited that your wedding is still close by, but it will stay fresh on your guests minds too.
3. Book sooner rather than later.  The year is booking up quickly and now many brides are being forced to postpone their weddings.  This means there is even more demand for late 2020 weddings and not as much availability.  Reach out to your venue immediately and get a few date options that are available.  Then reach out to your wedding professionals with those options and see which one is the most available.  Try to book your new wedding day and notify all your wedding professionals within a week of postponing your wedding.  Yes, that's fast, but you'll be thankful you didn't wait!
4. Don't stress.  I know.  Easier said then done.  But, we are all in this together and we are going to do everything we can to help you make sure your wedding is wonderful!

I completely understand times are a little uncertain and scary right now.  You have been planning the wedding of your dreams for months and now this!  Let me just say, you are getting married in the city with the BEST wedding professionals in the world!  Hands down! Austin area wedding professionals have been talking at great length, creating seminars and webinars, sharing data and information, and working together to make sure your wedding day is fabulous and your guests are safe. It is times like this where I am reminded how much I love the people I get to work with in this industry.

What steps am I personally making to ensure your cake is safe? 

• Let's start in the kitchen - I have a pretty strict cleanliness policy when working with your cakes, but I have stepped it up a notch.  Double hand washing before touching any ingredients to your cake and anytime I step away from your cake...pick up the phone, check and email, look at your invoice...the hands get double washed again.  Every counter, tool, utensil is also double washed to ensure no contamination. 
• Delivering your cake - First, I have implemented a no touching policy for myself and staff.  It's a little awkward to see another professional you work with and have to give them a friendly wave rather than a warm hug, but we all understand.  Likewise, please don't be offended if you see me and I don't offer a handshake.  It's just to ensure no germs are shared. Each one of my staff also have hand sanitizer in their bag.  After we have unloaded your cake, but before we begin assembling we will be sanitizing our hands, as well as during assembly if we touch any non cake products.
• What if I am quarantined - One great thing about my boutique business is knowing who personally is creating your cake.  But, that means it's all on me right. What if I am exposed and have to be self quarantined for 2 weeks?  Thankfully, we have prepared for this.  If something happens and it would be unsafe for me to make your cake I have 2 different professional bakers in the area I can call on to take over my weddings during that time and ensure you still get a gorgeous wedding cake. To further extend that the wedding professionals in this area are here for each other.  We help each other and work together and I know if I needed too I could call on any baker in this area and they would jump in and help out, just like I would for them.

What steps can your take to keep your guests safe at your wedding?

• Offer hand sanitizer stations throughout your venue, especially near food or items that others will touch (like a photo booth).
• Ask your catering staff if you can switch from a buffet style meal to a plated meal. 
• Space out your guests.  Add an extra table or two and space the chairs out so your guests aren't sitting as close to each other.
• Utilize this beautiful weather and take it outdoors. Most venues in the Texas Hill Country have inside and outside options. Use as much outdoor space as possible and have as much of your wedding in the great outdoors as you can...please keep the cake inside...buttercream and the warm sun are not friends.
  
• Come up with a fun wave or hand movement to welcome your guests rather than a handshake or a hug.  Everyone loves a couples cocktail during a wedding...lets make lemonade out of lemons and have a couples hand wave too!  Make a fun name for it and everyone can do it to say hello. Who knows, it may become the new trend in your circle.  

I know this has been long, but thanks for sticking with me this far.  And rest assured, the wedding professionals you have entrusted with your wedding day are taking every step possible to make sure you have a fantastic, safe, and corona free wedding! 

Engagement season is here...congratulations to all the newly engaged!  What an exciting time.  If you are starting to make plans for your big day you don't want to miss a fun event coming up.  Clear your calendars for January 11th or 12th (or both) and join us at the Austin Bridal Extravaganza!  

If you are just starting your planning the extravaganza is a great way to get big picture information.  You can taste various food items, smell the flowers, and see beautiful dresses in their fashion show.  Get ideas to start your vision for your wedding.  Collect wedding professionals information so as your planning progresses you already have a list of people you would like to contact.

Maybe you are a little further along and only need a few more wedding professionals, still come!  You can visit the booths of your needed service and talk in detail with those professionals.  If you fall in love with one of them you can even book them onsite and mark one more thing off your to do list.

As always, we will be there with cakes for you to get ideas as well as our delicious French Vanilla and Chocolate cake with raspberry filling and buttercream icing!  Come hungry and enjoy all the show has to offer.  

January 11 - 12 from noon to 5:00 pm at the Palmer Event Center

I get asked all the time if I make gluten free cakes.  The short answer is no.  The long answer...well...we just don't have the capacity to offer truly gluten free cakes.

Even though I don't offer gluten free cakes, I want to help guide you to make sure you are ordering the right cake for you and your guests.

In order for a cake to be truly gluten free there has to be certainty that there is no cross contamination.  Since the powders of flour and other gluten products can easily blow around a room or stick to a surface if not thoroughly washed, it's best to bake a gluten free cake in a kitchen that does not have other gluten products in them. Baking gluten products in a kitchen that also bakes gluten free products pretty much guarantees there will be cross contamination and a little bit of gluten will mix into your gluten free cake.

How big of an issue is that?  Well, for people who are wanting to avoid gluten for health reasons it's not a big deal.  A little gluten here and there won't hurt much.  But, for those with health issues, like celiac's disease a little gluten can be very serious.

Even if you are wanting a gluten free cake because you are simply trying to be health conscious, make sure it's from a truly gluten free kitchen and not just a bakery that also offers gluten free cakes.  The last thing you want is EMS at your wedding because a guest became ill due to cross contamination. 

The clouds are starting to part.  The sun is starting to shine.  And the temperature is starting to warm up.  The days of our cool to downright cold winter are fading away.  While I personally love to shed all the layers of jackets and feel the warm sun against my face...my cakes...well...they do not. 

I know the photos look gorgeous of a beautiful cake proudly displayed with a gorgeous grassy background is one we all dream of.  But, for those of us wanting to enjoy a wedding during warmer months it's better we place the cakes inside.

I really recommend if the temperature is higher than 75 degrees, it needs to be placed inside. I also never recommend that the cake is placed in direct sunlight, regardless of temperature.  Why?  Well, buttercream melts.  Even if the cake doesn't completely fall apart it will begin to soften and look droopy, maybe even lean a little.  Fondant cakes don't fair well either with the warm outside temperatures.  For one, they crack in humidity.  But also, underneath that smooth fondant texture is buttercream...which will be leaking out the bottom of your gorgeous cake if left in unfriendly cake temperatures. 

For those of us who have both inside and outside cake placement options, let's start thinking about the perfect indoor place to showcase your delicious dessert! 

One great thing that I love about owning a custom bake shop is learning about my couples.  What do y'all like?  What do y'all not like? Personalities? Etc. I always love to gather feedback from my couples.  One thing that I did hear about was our tastings during consultations. In the past we have offered a chef's choice tasting. For most couples this was great!  But, for some they want to select their flavors they sample.  Since we offer so many varieties of flavors and fillings and bake everything fresh from scratch, this isn't an easy thing to accommodate.  

But, after working out the logistics we are now offering custom samples at our consultations!  This means you can select up to 3 flavors and 3 fillings of your choice to taste when we meet to design your cake!  How did we do this?  We made two small changes.  We now offer deconstructed tastings.  This means that you will get little pieces of cake samples and little containers of your filling.  This will allow you to mix and match the different flavor combinations and try different things.  In order to offset the cost of creating custom samples we are now charging a $25 consultation and tasting fee.  However, when you fall in love with our cakes...which you will...and decide to book that fee will be applied to your cake balance...making your tasting free! 

So...what will you taste at your consultation!  Check out our flavors and then email me so we can get you on the calendar!

The short answer: A custom tasting is an opportunity for you to sample 3 flavors and 3 fillings of your choice!

The long answer: We are a custom cake shop.  This means that I make every cake fresh and made to order and I only bake certain flavors each week (The flavors ordered that week).  So that couples have the opportunity to sample a fresh cake I offer those flavors for couples to enjoy during our consultation.  Another great thing about a custom cake shop is that we don't pre-select your flavors and fillings for you.  You can mix and match any flavor with any filling.  That gives you 288 choices for your cake flavor!!!  It would be impossible to bake 288 flavor combinations each week...and it would be gross to keep them on hand frozen too.  Most couples are happy with the flavors at their consultation and do not desire to taste anymore.  However, some couples would like to taste the cake they have selected or are maybe considering a few various flavors.  So to give them the opportunity to taste we created our Custom Tasting Event!  

This is an evening I basically open up my kitchen!  I allow you to choose any 3 flavors and any 3 fillings to taste and I will bake them fresh for you!  This is a public event, so there are many couples here enjoying various flavor combinations.  The Custom Tasting is also a deconstructed tasting.  This means that I do not combine the cake and the filling.  I keep them separate.  This allows the couple to try various combinations of flavors and fillings so they can decide which combination is perfect for their wedding! 

So come!  RSVP on our website with your flavor choices!  Make it a date night and have fun playing with cake flavors!  Got a question or not sure what flavors and fillings might pair well?  No worries.  Send me an email and I'll answer any questions for you! 

Continuing with our 10 year anniversary celebration this month, I thought I would share with you my 10 favorite bride (and grooms) cakes we have made over the years! 

This is probably my most favorite cake of all time!  But, there is a little bias to it as well.  A few years ago my husband and I renewed our wedding vows and this was our cake!  I love vintage!  And I love all things French!  Since our theme had a vintage flair to it I wanted to design a cake that would fit right into our decorations.  Since my dress had lace as well as little elements in the centerpieces, I chose to have sugar lace on the top and bottom tier.  To tie in my love for France I had 1 Corinthians 13 (the chapter on unconditional love) written in french on the middle tier.  Since Banana Foster is my favorite cake, there was no other choice but to have that be the cake flavor as well! 

I had a lot of fun with this guy!  Everything was edible on this cake.  The "ice" is made out of isomalt, which is one of the main ingredients they make hard candies out of.  It does get very hot and if you burn yourself with it watch out...you will feel it for weeks!  Speaking from experience here! The grandfather of the groom even came up trying to grab a beer because he did not realize this was a cake!  

I love new ideas and fun twists that we can put on a cake.  Last year metallic drip cakes were all the rage!  And I had so much fun with it!  The bride requested a little pop of lavendar to tie it into her wedding so she chose a simple watercolor band as well as some texture on the bottom tier for a little extra pizzazz!  Dress it up with a thin classic flower cascade and you have a gorgeous (and tasty) dessert!  

Grooms can be very creative!  I had a groom who loved R2D2 and wanted him somehow tied into the wedding.  And the grooms cake is the best way to do that.  Since this wedding was a formal affair, he needed to be dressed appropriately for the occasion! 

Oh my Corset Cake! There is just something about a classic wedding cake!  This beauty is smooth and elegant.  We added some ribbon (a super easy way to incorporate your wedding color into your cake) in a cris-cross pattern, along with some pearls.  In the center are some lovely broaches to give a pop of bling!  It's elegant and sexy at the same time!   

I love a groom with a sense of humor...and a bride too!  This book worm wanted to bring his future wife into his cake...with a little comedy too.  Apparently he is not a newby when it comes to "For Dummy" books! 

Soft and Elegant are two great words to describe a watercolor cake.  This design is so customizable, yet unique and ornate too.  Using a combination of colors for your wedding, you can lightly dust them onto a fondant canvas. For this cake we chose a light pink, orange, and lavender for contrast. Then we added a silver decorative border to give some dimension. This gives your cake a little pop of color in a way that does not distract the other elements of the wedding! 

I'll be honest...I have never seen an episode of Call of Duty.  But, I did have a lot of fun making this cake!  Using a combination of black and white watercolor we gave the cake a camo effect.  The red drip is the perfect look for blood...gross, I know! Then we added some grenades and dog tags...what more could a guy want!  Maybe some chocolate...oh yeah...we have that too! 

Sprinkles!  Who doesn't love sprinkles?  And some brides really love sprinkles...so much that they want sprinkles on their wedding cake!  Given the right theme to your wedding, it can fit in perfectly.  This cake is so much fun to make.   Messy, but fun!  I was finding sprinkles in my kitchen and in my clothing for quite some time.  On the most exciting day of your life, why not have a cake to match!

In our spare time my family and I love to travel and experience new places and people!  So when I had a groom want a suitcase cake I was so excited to take on the task!  The suitcase itself was a lot of fun to make!  But, what I loved the most were all the "stickers."  Rarely do we place stickers on our luggage anymore of all the places we have been, but for the purpose of this cake we went back in time.  Exploring all these places to find the right stickers for this cake also added to my list of places to visit too!