Archive for July, 2009
Fun In The Sun
I have worked a great deal since I arrived in Miami almost two weeks ago. I have also enjoyed a few of the things I missed most from this ever-changing city. First and foremost, an afternoon at the beach. I love going in the late afternoon when the sun has quieted down and the water is warm. The noise of the crowds has died down and the sand is clear of endless beach towels.
To me, a visit to Miami is not complete without sampling some local Cuban food. I took my family to visit a small restaurant that has had the same cook for over 30 years. Even the decor remains the same way it was 27 years ago when I first dined there. I like the fact that this one little place remains unchanged, and in this case, it’s for the best. My favorite part of the meal was the dessert, a delicious flan, perfectly prepared – cold, creamy, and sitting in sugary sweet caramel. Years ago, a Cuban friend of mine who was a fantastic cook, taught me the secret to making an incredible flan. Just add a little cream cheese. That’s what makes it creamy and dense.
I was amazed at how many specialty cake shops I found in the most unlikely places. Given the competition, fondant cake prices are a great deal lower here. In Miami, cake decorating supplies shops are just about everywhere, offering imported items not found elsewhere. You just have to know where to look. I am in decorating cake heaven, to say the least!
I must also comment on the delicious cakes I tasted at We Take The Cake in Fort Lauderdale. I have to say it was absolutely divine!! This bakery has made cakes for many well known celebrities including Oprah. Moist and delicious on the inside AND beautifully decorated on the outside. Just the way I like it.
By far the best cake I’ve had in South Florida
Tina’s Original Cakes
Tina’s Original Cakes – Window Cake
Cake & Crepe Emporium by Isabel
Mr. Bee’s Cakes
A lazy, hazy afternoon on Miami Beach
Coarse sand.
Cuban steak served with a mound of mini fries (Bistec con papitas), Malta, toasted Cuban bread, salad and fresh lime. It is impossible to make a dent in this huge meal. One serving is enough for a family of four. $11.75 at Rio Crystal Restaurant.
Cuban style flan. My favorite!!!
No commentsNortheast Corridor Train Ride
Yay! It’s finally time to get away. I’m on the Amtrak Auto train headed to Miami for a much anticipated two and a half week long semi-vacation! I plan on living it up with family and all my friends because upon my return, I am booked solid with cake orders until mid October. I used to visit Miami often, but as my business grew, the trips became less frequent. I am excited about being in my old stomping grounds and savoring all the magnificent Cuban food I can possibly consume. Join me on my Auto Train adventure!
Tweeting on the train
An hour out of Lorton, VA
When on the Auto Train, you do as the Amtrakians do – screw cap and all.
Just twenty feet from the tracks.
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July 4th Favorite
Congratulations to Brittney and Cory on their wedding this past weekend. As always, I was so focused on delivering the cake, that I forgot my camera. I really liked the color combination and overall design of this cake. It was perfect for a summer wedding. Luckily for me, Liz Hough Photography was on hand to capture this beautiful image. I spoke with Brittney’s mom yesterday who told me ‘the cake was the hit of the party’. I am really glad everyone enjoyed it, but most of all, I am happy for the couple and their new journey through life together as man and wife.
www.houghphotography.com/blog/
No commentsSCARY Head Cakes
Head cakes scare me. I don’t know what it is exactly that bothers me about them. Some are very well made and quite realistic. Most are just downright frightening to look at, the stuff nightmares are made of, or maybe just MY nightmares. I’ve never made one, nor will I ever. They are in my ‘will-not-make-no-matter-what’ category along with life size babies and pet dogs. The idea of cutting into one of these cakes is bothersome to me. I am constantly coming across images of ‘head cakes’ on the internet, each unique and scary in it’s own right. Of course, I am compelled to share these with you. Get ready to hide under the covers.
Edible images should come with warnings. This sad, (but still scary) head cake looks like a prisoner behind bars.
This cake was made for Jermaine Dupree of So So Def Records. I wonder if he sued.
This was a Jesus head. Saint Peter is at the gate taking notes on this one.
This is meant to be scary, and very well done, I might add. The saw is a nice touch.
Austin Powers’ chest rug is not as scary as this head cake.
I love you Oprah, but your head cake scares the beegeezus out of me.
Transformer Cakes
All around the country, Transformer fans are flooding theaters to see the new sequel, Revenge of the Fallen. I remember my little brother playing with Transformer toys back in the early 80’s when he was a little boy. My son plays with the same Transformer toys my husband played with as a child. The older toys are so much better made than the new, cheaper plastic ones. My home has been invaded by every possible Transformer toy made since 1984. I find them everywhere, on the couch, in my son’s bed, on the dining room table, or under my desk. I must admit, I am a fan as well. On any given day, depending on his mood, I am assigned the acting role of either an Autobot or a Decpticon by my 3 year old.
Last week, like thousands of others, I got my Transformers fix, too. I enjoyed the movie but I must say that I didn’t like seeing Optimus Prime being dropped from an aircraft like a heap of useless junk metal! As I was exiting the theater, I couldn’t help but wonder if I would ever have enough free time to make a 3-D Autobot cake. I was thinking of creating a 3D Optimus Prime (can you tell he’s my favorite?), completely made of sugar. Of course, this is but one more cake project to add to the already long list of projects I plan on completing one day when I have some free time. Yeah right.
Until that time, here are some Transformer cakes made by other decorators for you to admire in the meantime.
Made by one extraordinary cake designer: www.debbiedoescakes.net
You won’t believe what this cake designer can do: www.debbiedoescakes.net
Planet Cake Book, Mad Hatters and Le Creuset
I have always been fascinated with anything related to cooking and baking, hence my endless collection of kitchen gadets, every piece of Le Creuset cookware ever made, and more china sets than I could use in five lifetimes. Since I started my cake business, my interests have shifted a bit. While I have been collecting cookbooks since I was very young, in recent years, I have become an avid collector of cake decorating books. I will go to just about any lengths to get a book I am interested in. It’s not easy or cheap to be this obsessive.
Earlier this year, I read about Planet Cake’s new book by the same name. Even though it is intended for beginners, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. It was not yet available in the U.S., and of course, that made me want it even more. A friend tried to find it in London a few months back but it was not yet available there. With the help of a very kind Aussie cake decorator, I was FINALLY able to get my hands on a copy! I’ve been saving a place on my shelf for it for months.
Planet Cake has two locations in Australia and is known not only for their beautiful wedding cakes, but for the extensive list of cake decorating classes they routinely offer. They are best known for their ‘mad hatter’ cake designs (we know them as topsy turvy cakes) with amazingly sharp edges. Unfortunately, the mad hatter cake style is missing in the book as are any wedding cake designs. This was a bit disappointing, I must admit. With that said, I really enjoyed the colorful photos and cake designs. Chock full of cupcake and single tiered cakes, the author did a very nice job of providing adequate instructions and drawings. There are detailed pictures of decorating tools and equipment, something many books lack, as well as a few recipes for dense cakes that are perfect for carving.
I’m hoping Planet Cake will publish another book in the near future that includes some of their gorgeous wedding cake designs as well as their mad hatter cakes. I would still recommend this book to die hard collectors like myself. I consider it a must have, but then again, this is coming from a woman who built a second pantry in her kitchen just to store her ‘must have or die’ collection of All Clad cookware.
If you were wondering what a mad hatter cake looks like, here are some examples. These cakes were made by some of my favorite cake decorators. The sharp, crisp edges are Planet Cake’s signature trademark. These are achieved by icing the cake in chocolate ganache rather than the standard buttercream. Icing a cake in ganache is quite tricky, and once you’ve gotten the hang of it, you have to tackle covering those sharp edges with a thin layer of delicate fondant. Just when you think you’ve finished the worst of it, you have to stack those slanted tiers on top of one another!
Speaking of Le Creuset, I recently saw this photo on one of my favorite baking blogs, Bakerella.com, and my heart skipped a beat. Unless they are simmering something delicious over a low flame, this is the way Le Creusets are meant to be displayed! No, this is not my kitchen. It is the beautiful kitchen in ThePioneerWoman’s magnificent lodge. Check out her site for many interesting topics including recipes, her ranch, and life in general…oh, and more of that fabulous kitchen! I love the Wolf 12 burner range (with double ovens, of course), the stone fireplace and the open space flooded with natural light. It’s all on her site. Be prepared to drool.
