A Piece O' Cake

Happy 2nd Birthday Zachary!

2011-10-19T16:25:00.002-04:00

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Zachary, happy birthday to you!

I cannot believe another year has gone by, and how much Zac has changed! He's certainly turning into a toddler boy. Full of energy and fun!

He makes the best monkey noise, so we thought a monkey cake would be a great cake for his second birthday. And fun to destroy after we've sung to him!

Just hangin' with his birthday monkey cake...

Make a wish! Great picture of Zachary blowing out his candles with help from his Mommy and Daddy!

Happy Birthday Zac! XOXO And Happy Birthday Stephanie! Zac shares his birthday with his Mommy, how neat is that?

Family Photos with Telltale Photography

2011-10-19T15:43:00.001-04:00

I’ve been super lucky to have met some incredibly gifted people thanks to my business. When I started this adventure nearly four years ago I had no idea I would meet people that would become my closest friends. I met Melissa Keeley of Telltale Photography at a bridal show during my second year. Over the years we’ve become closer and closer and I am blessed to call her my friend. Not only is Melissa a super cool gal, but she is also an amazing photographer. And as a lover of dogs, too, she was not shocked when I asked her for this special request.

My family has four crazy dogs. Growing up we always had two dogs, and two was plenty. Until one day my sister, Chelsea, stumbled upon a Wire Fox Terrier at the Capital Area Humane Society, where she worked as a volunteer. As a family dedicated to Fox Terriers, she knew he had to come home to live with us. That was seven years ago. Riley came into our lives and it’s never been the same since. Seriously. Never.

As a rescued dog, we’ve never known Riley’s true age. Ask my Dad and he’ll tell you Riley is one; just a pup! By the way, Riley is Dad’s pride and joy.

Riley has been battling a disease that paralyzes his spine, starting at his tail and working its way forward until he can no longer walk. He struggles to walk and unfortunately one day we’ll suddenly need to say goodbye to our best friend. Before that happens, we asked Melissa to capture the unique relationship between Dad and Riley.

She shot a few photos of the other crazy doggies, Oliver, Penny and Charlie. Oliver is my sweet boy!

Thank you Melissa. These photos are so special and they will always be treasured. You’ve made my Dad so happy.

If you or someone you know is interested in rescuing a Fox Terrier, please contact Wire Fox Terrier Rescue Great Lakes. It is a wonderful organization. Both Riley and Penny were rescued from there and we think very highly of Lynda, who dedicates her life to saving innocent animals. Thank you!

It's a Boy! It's a Girl!

2011-10-19T15:35:00.000-04:00

We are always making cakes for happy occasions, and I cannot think of a more suspenseful occasion than finding out the gender of your baby!

For those of you who cannot wait to find out if you are expecting a baby boy or a baby girl, this is the perfect way to find out! Not only will your cake reveal the gender of your baby, but you get to share this excitement with your family and friends, and you get to indulge in yummy cake!

Jonathan and Kyre brought me an envelope following their ultrasound and inside was the gender of their baby. They did not know the gender, so it was quite the honor for us to know before the parents!

We whipped up some baby blue buttercream, filled the bottom tier of their two-tiered cake and then decorated the cake for both a boy and a girl. When they cut into their cake at their party the color of the buttercream would reveal the gender. How fun is that?

We also posted a photo on Facebook for a little baby contest. Jonathan and Kyre participated and made the announcement themselves! Congratulations again! What an exciting time for you!

I'm Back!

2011-10-19T15:30:00.000-04:00

It has been over a year since I've posted on this blog. My apologies! However, I have been blogging, just not posting here. You can read my blog posts here or on my website, www.apieceocake.com

Enjoy, and welcome back!

Kathleen & Trevor-Mackinac Island Wedding

2010-08-16T23:32:00.000-04:00

Kathleen and Trevor were married July 30, 2010 on Mackinac Island. For those of you not familiar with the island, it is in Northern Michigan. There are no cars on the island, only horses and bicycles! It is a popular vacation destination and a place that every Michigander has visited at least once. It is a great escape from reality. You arrive to the island by ferry from the mainland and suddenly you are in another world! A trip to Mackinac is not complete without the purchase of fudge and a bicycle trip around the island. If you have the chance to visit you really should, it is a truly unique place!

Kathleen and I grew up across the street from each other. It was so special for us to be able to make the cupcakes for her wedding, as well as be there to see her marry Trevor. Their wedding was one of the most beautiful I've ever seen. Thank you Kathleen and Trevor for including us in your wedding!

We expected the delivery of over 100 cupcakes to be a challenge, and actually, it was a piece o' cake! :-) Here are the pictures to prove it! We had a wonderful time at their wedding and enjoying the island.

Saint Anne's Catholic Church. A view of the church where Kathleen and Trevor were married from the water.

Our flag and our beautiful lake!

The ferry. Our mode of transportation to the island.

Mom and Dad with the precious cargo! Cupcakes!

My date for the weekend and best guy friend, Pat. Coincidentally he was also my prom date senior year of high school! Always a good date, and good friend!

Taking the cupcakes to The Inn at Stonecliffe via horse and buggy.

Mom and Dad with the cupcakes again. They didn't trust Pat and me!

The Inn at Stonecliffe. So beautiful.

A beautiful view of the bridge from the reception. Michigan is truly such an incredible state!

Inside the tent for the reception.

Bright flowers. The candles were made by the bride as favors to her guests.

The cupcakes made it!

With my awesome Mom!

My awesome friend and date! Or as he called himself, my knight in shining armor!

My wonderful parents.

With the bride and groom and their cupcakes!

Daddy-Daughter Dance.

Kathleen and Trevor listening to her father's toast.

First dance.

Kathleen, her Mom and me.

Kathleen's brother Kevin and his baby girl Stella. Kevin and his wife own a great boutique in Santa Barbara, K. Frank.

With Laura, a friend from middle and high school.

Dad wanted a photo with Kathleen. For years Dad drove the neighborhood carpool. :-)

Emma enjoying her chocolate raspberry cupcake!

And finally, everyone has to have a tambourine at a wedding! :-) Thankfully Kathleen's Aunt brought hers along!

CONGRATULATIONS KATHLEEN & TREVOR!

Brian & Jolene's Wedding

2010-08-12T22:35:00.000-04:00

Brian and Jolene are a sweet couple! I first met them last August and I just knew their wedding was going to be something so special. I love when couples are as enthusiastic about their cake as I am! I'm delighted to share the process of designing and creating their gorgeous wedding cake. But first, their rehearsal dinner golf themed cake and cupcakes! Golf balls, divots, tees and flags.

A blank canvas.

Beginning the sugar paste draping.

Piping triple swiss dots onto ivory fondant.

Sugar paste orchids.

Sugar paste roses and hydrangeas.

Sugar paste flowers and draping.

Voila!

Some photos of their beautiful decor by Events to Rent.

I especially love the roses at each place setting.

Congratulations Brian and Jolene! Thank you so very much for including me in your wedding. Everything was absolutely stunning!

Pretty Cake, Pretty Flowers.

2010-07-09T08:35:00.000-04:00

Fresh flowers can truly take a simple cake to the next level. Last weekend we worked with B/A Florist in East Lansing and they provided us with some stunning orchids for our wedding cake. After nearly three years of being in the wedding industry I have met some really nice people and the owner of B/A, Laurie, has always been incredibly nice. It was great to catch-up with her last weekend. She and I share something in common, we both work with our mothers!

Stephanie & Jake's Wedding Cake

Up-close shot of the wedding cake and flowers.

Bouquets from B/A Florist. I loved the colors and the large roses.

Congratulations Stephanie and Jake! I hope your wedding was just wonderful! Best wishes to you!

A Stunning Wedding

2010-06-27T22:27:00.001-04:00

This wedding was simply remarkable. We worked with fantastic vendors to make this wedding truly one of a kind. I hope you enjoy these photos!

The Cake.

A bit of bling!

With my Mom!

We were very proud of this cake.

Lush orchids and hydrangeas. By Petal & Forrest.

Gold painted branches decorated with orchids and crystals. Stunning. By Petal & Forrest.

With the women of Petal & Forrest.

Macarons from Le Bon Macaron. Perfect gifts for the wedding guests.

Beautiful gold chiavari chairs from A Moment Forever.

Great job everyone! This wedding was truly stunning and it was a pleasure working with all of you!

The American

2010-06-09T09:43:00.000-04:00

When I met Leora I knew her wedding was going to be unique and a reflection of her and her future husband. I love when brides and grooms incorporate things that are special to them rather than choose something generic. Leora met her husband in high school and they were in orchestra together. I could tell that music was very important to her and I was very happy when she asked to have music on her cake. I did not know what Leora had planned, but I knew it would be a memorable cake. Leora chose The American by Dvorak. She brought us the music and we carefully piped it onto strips of fondant which we later attached the each tier of her wedding cake. It was beyond stunning. We knew that it would be a challenge, but once we got the first strip of fondant onto the cake, covered in music, it took our breath away and we could not wait to finish it! For a pop of color we added sugar paste butterflies in shades of reds, blues, purples, yellows and oranges. They were each hand-painted with luster dust and attached to the cake in a cascade pattern.

Fondant strips waiting for their music notes!

Carefully piping notes by coping the sheet music.

The American.

Voila!

Thank you Leora for giving us such a rewarding challenge. It meant a lot to me to make a cake that I knew was so special and important to you. I believe that each cake should truly reflect the personality of the couple and you certainly surpassed that! It was a pleasure working with you and your mother. Congratulations!

Wedding Cakes

2010-06-07T16:38:00.000-04:00

Wedding season is in full swing and we've been busy! Here are some of our favorites and a few little stories!

Molly & Jason

Molly and Jason are one of my favorite couples! I met Molly a year ago and since we met she sent me numerous e-mails with ideas for her cake. She knew what she wanted but could not commit to a certain design. When we met again this past April I showed her a cake that I thought would be perfect for her. She loved it! I mean, LOVED it! It made me so happy to see her so happy! It made my Mom happy to hear her squealing over the cake! I'll never forget Molly saying that the cake is just like her: pink, glitter and ruffles! The groom's cake was just like Jason: a bacon cheeseburger! I was so excited to show Molly and Jason their wedding cake when they stopped by the bakery on the Friday before their wedding. Nothing makes me happier than making my brides happy!

Before

After

Michelle & Nick

I remember meeting Michelle and being very excited about her wedding cake. I live vicariously through my brides! She wanted ruffles, like Molly's cake, details like her elegant black and white invitation and lots of feathers. It was going to be a fun one! Again, it's not likely that I see the reaction of my brides to their cake, but I got to see Michelle when we delivered the cake. She LOVED it and I even made her cry! Tears of joy, of course! Seeing her reaction reminds me why I love my job!

Kelly & Peter

I recently found out that Kelly's Aunt was one of my teachers in high school. Small world! It was fun working with Kelly and Peter, as they chose a cake that I adored, too! Again, living vicariously! Their cake posed a small challenge, as it called for sugar paste ranunculus, which I had not made before. They are my new favorite sugar paste flower! The lines on the cake ended up being a very modern spin on the idea of draping the cake with sugar paste. We will have to do this more often!

Kelly and Peter's Wedding Cake

Up-close image of the ranunculus.

Centerpieces by Petal & Forrest.

Kelly surprised Peter with a groom's cake at their rehearsal dinner. The cake was made to look like their black lab!

Black Lab cake complete with MSU bandana.

Shannon & James

Shannon and James had a clear vision for what they wanted for their May wedding. The brought me one of their favorite Van Gogh paintings and asked that the cake be inspired by it. It was a fun cake to make! The painting was hanging at the reception and branches decorated each table.

Congratulations to all of our brides and grooms! We wish you the best!

My Best Friend's Wedding: Destination Wedding Cake

2010-05-31T22:05:00.000-04:00

May 8, 2010 my best friend married her high school sweetheart in Jacksonville, Florida. When we met, four years ago, I never would have dreamed that I would make her wedding cake. It is a joy making cakes for people I love. We knew making her cake in Florida would be a challenge, as it turns out, it was anything but challenging. It was easy. Very easy! It could not have gone any better!

The Story in Pictures!

My mother baked the cakes at A Piece O' Cake and then carefully packaged them. They were put into a duffle bag and my boyfriend carried the cakes from Detroit Metro to Jacksonville! It was a flawless delivery! All other supplies, frosting, etc. were packed and stowed under the plane.

Tightly packaged cakes arrived in perfect condition!

Plenty of buttercream, raspberry buttercream and chocolate buttercream! Yum!

Max's parents purchased a large sheet cake from a local bakery so I could decorate it for the rehearsal dinner. This was very nice of them as it made my job easier! Emily is a UNC graduate while Max graduated from NC State.

These were brought down from Michigan, too.

The completed rehearsal dinner cake.

Then the wedding cake fun began! Frosting, stacking and decorating Max and Emily's cake! All work was done at Emily's parents home.

Frosting!

Stacking!

Marking the placement of swiss dots.

She needs some decorating!

Piping swiss dots on the bottom tier.

Pearl dusting each petal.

Adding sugar paste gardenias to the top three tiers.

My cheerleader throughout the entire process and the one responsible for carrying the cake to the reception area!

Emily and me. She loved it!

Delivering the cake with the help of Emily's friends and her neighbor who drove us in his SUV. THANK YOU!

Chilling in our hotel room until the wedding. When you opened the door to the room there was an overwhelming scent of sugar!

The cake at Casa Marina.

Max and Emily about to cut their wedding cake!

Deconstructing the cake! I've never seen this done before, they were incredibly efficient! When they were done only cake crumbs were left on the table.

Some darling pictures of Max and Emily on their wedding day:

Congratulations Max and Emily! I am very happy for you!

P.S.-Thank you to my Mom for planning and orchestrating the cake packing and delivery and making sure I had everything that I needed in Florida. You are the best!

Largest Cake in Our History.

2010-05-02T08:54:00.000-04:00

Last week we had the honor and challenge of making the largest cake in our short two and a half year history. This cake was a joy to make! The cake was made for a Quinceañera and it served 250 guests. The two bottom tiers were made of styrofoam. Everything on the cake

was edible and made by hand.

Building the Cake:

The two bottom tiers are styrofoam covered in fondant, the top pink tier is the first tier of cake.

It's getting bigger!

And bigger! Yes, I needed a step-stool to work on the cake! We had several visitors stop by to see the cake in progress and I often had to say, "Just wait, it's going to be even taller!"

Attaching lavender stripes to the pink tier.

Working away...

It's Finished!

On its way! It just BARELY fit into the van!

It is complete! Congratulations!

Claire Visits A Piece O' Cake!

2010-04-25T15:27:00.000-04:00

Some of you may or may not know that my best friend from high school, Emily, spent quite a bit of time working at the bakery during her pregnancy. Emily broke her leg and came home to East Lansing from Boston during that time. She was, of course, not very mobile. Emily was getting bored so we put her to work! It was wonderful spending so much time with her. She is my first close friend to have a baby, so spending time with her during her pregnancy was a lot of fun for me!

The cake that Emily worked on while she spent time with us at the bakery!

Emily's own turkey cupcake design!

Emily moved back to Boston and Claire was born on February 10, 2010. One day in March Emily and Claire paid me a surprise visit! I was so happy to see Claire and hold her! And of course I was happy to see Emily, too! We all think that Claire recognized the smells and sounds of the bakery! After-all, she did spend quite a bit of time here! :-)

Sweet Baby!

My Mom holding Claire. Claire is using the blanket that we bought her from one of our favorite stores, October Moon.

Emily, Claire and me.

I cannot wait to see how Claire has changed when she comes for another visit at the end of May!

GRunveiled-A Unique Bridal Event

2010-03-23T16:51:00.000-04:00

Bridal show season has ended. For now. :-) The last show that we participated in was in Grand Rapids, cleverly called GRunveiled. The founders of GRunveiled had the same idea that we had when we created The Little Black Book. We all felt that today's bridal shows need a make-over. This show was for the non-traditional bride. The vendors were not traditional vendors you'd see at the typical bridal show and the venue and time were not typical either.

The event was held on Thursday, March 11th from 6PM-10PM at St. Cecilia Music Center in downtown Grand Rapids. The venue is absolutely beautiful! Each room was filled with unique vendors. For a complete list of vendors visit GRunveiled. Please enjoy these photos from Nicole Haley Photography! Well, two are mine, you'll probably be able to tell which ones! :-)

A Piece O' Cake's designs for the event.

Orange poppies.

White bows.

White blossoms and butterflies.

Chatting with a potential client. Looks like she was enjoying a chocolate macaron!

Faces you might recognize from The Little Black Book!

Melissa from Telltale Photography.

Andy from Owen Video.

Michelle from Lucy Grey.

New vendors that I met and adore!

The guys from Palazzolo Gelato. I come from a gelato connoisseur family so trust me when I say this was to die for!

I'm sure he is saying what he said to me, "Are you ready for a life changing experience?"

Try the mango, it's amazing!

Patty and her husband from Patricia's Chocolate. And again, absolutely to die for! The best chocolate I've ever had!

Aletha from Pearls Events creative 1950s set-up!

My friend Melissa from Telltale Photography, myself and the talented Natalie from Stems.

It was a fantastic event and everyone had a great time. Many thanks to Aletha and Joy'l for all of their hardwork! It was a pleasure to be part of such a wonderful event!

50th Birthday Party Tailgate at the Spartan Club

2010-03-23T10:54:00.000-04:00

Happy 50th Birthday Scott! Scott is my brother's godfather and good friend of our family. His wife, Lynne, is my godmother and my Mom's closest high school friend. As I've said a million times before, I love making cakes for people we are close with. Scott is the ultimate Spartan, so deciding to have the party at the Spartan Club was easy for Lynne. Oh yes, the party was a surprise! I wanted to make something unique for this party. The typical stadium cake didn't seem to fit the bill. It was my Dad's idea to make tailgate food. Great idea, Dad!

"Potato Chips" waiting to be dusted with yellow and brown luster dust.

Making pasta for the pasta salad.

Black and green olives.

The finished display.

Hamburger cake with olives and pickles in the background.

Pasta salad.

Bowl of potato chips.

Sub and pasta salad.

Green and white birthday cake.

View of the field from the Spartan Club.

Beautiful decorations by Petal & Forrest.

Sparty!

GO STATE!

Spring flowers are coming....

2010-02-24T13:36:00.000-05:00

One of the reasons I love my job is the opportunity to have fun. Some of my favorite clients are those that tell me to just be creative and have a blast! That is exactly what happened with these cakes. Here is the story. This was the client's mother's 80th birthday party. Her mother is an avid gardener, so naturally a flower themed party was the choice. The client is from New Mexico so we worked only via the telephone. She had her own florist in New Mexico that she was working with and brought her to East Lansing to put the finishing touches on the event. I loved the combination of flowers and photos of her mother's life. It definitely had a very personal touch and I'm sure her mother was beyond moved by her daughter's thoughtfulness. Here are her six unique cakes with their coordinating table decor.

Lily of the Valley

Red Gerbera Daisies

Pink Hydrangeas

Orange Roses

Yellow Tulips

Purple Delphinium

Thank you so much for inviting us to be a part of this special celebration! It truly was our pleasure!

The Little Black Book Bridal Event

2010-01-18T14:47:00.000-05:00

Planning a wedding can be quite overwhelming. The best thing brides and grooms can do is choose vendors that will take care of them. Several years ago I had a family take a trip to Italy a month before the wedding. The mother of the bride said that some thought they were crazy. I thought it was genius! She and I talked about it and because they chose such reliable, trusted vendors they were able to enjoy the months leading up to the big day without stress or worry.

This is also a time where you want to feel special. You are, after all, planning one of the most important days of your life! Most bridal shows are overwhelming, not only by the number of vendors, but also the amount of "stuff" that distracts the bride and groom from what they are really looking for.

Keeping these concerns in mind, a group of local wedding vendors teamed up to create The Little Black Book Bridal Event. We invited vendors that we personally know and trust. The event will be set-up like a wedding. We chose a color palette of purples, lavender and fuchsia. Champagne and hors d'oeuvres will be served throughout the event. Who wouldn't want to sip champagne while strolling around the Country Club of Lansing planning a beautiful wedding?

This is not your traditional bridal show, and I assure you, you will not want to miss this event!

The Little Black Book Members are as follows:

The Country Club of Lansing

Paper Memories

More information about The Little Black Book Bridal Event can be found at www.littleblackbooklansing.com

We hope to see you on February 6th!

2010 Bridal Shows

2010-01-13T21:15:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to all newly engaged couples! The holidays are a popular time of year to get engaged, thus January is a popular time for wedding shows. Many people get married in late spring, summer and fall, so this is a great time for engaged couples to visit local vendors and begin planning their wedding.

Last Sunday, January 3rd, we participated in the Eagle Eye bridal show. It is always a nice show. Thank you to all of the brides who came to meet us!

January 17th we will be at the Kellogg Center from 11AM-4PM for the Lansing Bridal Party Show.

February 6th we will be at the Little Black Book Bridal Event. www.littleblackbooklansing.com I am very excited about this event.

New display cakes at the Eagle Eye show.

With my cakes!

I hope that you will come see us at the shows! Or set-up a consultation and come see us at our location on Northwind Drive behind Hobby Lobby on Grand River.

Happy 4th Birthday Anna!

2009-12-29T23:07:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe Anna is four years old! Time really flies by! Anna is my favorite four year old friend. Anna lives across the street from my family with her parents and her five year old brother, Garrett. They are like family to us. In fact, I spent the night with Garrett (he was 1 1/2 at the time) the night Anna was born. She came home on Christmas day.

It's so much fun making her birthday cakes. Every year she has the hardest time deciding which cake to do. We finally settled on a princess cake. However, which princess was a different story! I had to settle on one for her! Belle was her first choice (well, first choice that day) so Belle it was!

Happy Birthday Anna! XOXO

Anna and Belle.

We were singing to her...so bashful!

Make a wish!

Garrett enjoying the kahlua fudge cake and ice cream!

Haha caught you!

Very silly boy!

Happy, Happy Birthday Anna! We love you! What will we make next year? :-)

Here's to You!

2009-12-21T08:46:00.000-05:00

Evan's 1st Birthday

First Birthday cakes are very popular. We make a lot of them. I love first birthdays. It's always neat to make a first birthday cake, and then turn around and make a 100th birthday cake. Wow. Every once in awhile we have the chance to make a cake for a real milestone. Happy Birthday to those of you who have truly lead very full lives! It sure is a blessing to have lived to see, 90, 94 and even 100 years! Thank you for including us in your celebration! Here's to many more birthdays---Cheers!

Milestone Cakes

Around the world in 90 years...

This cake was for our client's father's 90th birthday party. 90 years--very special. He enjoyed traveling and was fortunate enough to know how to fly himself to many of his destinations! We thought a suitcase with the world on top suited him perfectly!

And 94 years...

This was for a client's mother's 94th birthday. She is still in awesome shape, although her eyesight is not what it used to be. Her mother loves roses, so we made a beautiful, lush cascade of roses, carnations and hydrangeas.

Here's to 100 years!
This cake was for a gentleman turning 100. His dream was to go to Paris and the family did discuss taking him there for his birthday, but due to his age he decided he'd prefer to stay home with his family. So, they brought Paris to him! Joyeux Anniversaire Monsieur!

Happy Birthday to You! And many more!

Josh's 4th Birthday Party!

2009-12-09T21:47:00.000-05:00

Josh's birthday cake.

The week of Thanksgiving A Piece O' Cake hosted a 4th birthday party. This was the first time we had hosted such a party and we are so happy that we did. We had a great time!

The party was purchased at the March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction in October. The highest bidder won a birthday party for her child and eight of his friends. The theme for the party was the solar system. The children went to the planetarium and then joined us at the bakery where they ate pizza, opened gifts, indulged in Kahlua fudge birthday cake and finally decorated their own personal cake to take home.

The young sugar artists at work!

The birthday boy working on his masterpiece.

Concentrating on his piping skills.

Jackie showing off her cake with her Mom and Grandma.

Having too much fun!

It's looking great!

Carefully placing fondant pieces on his cake.

Cutting out shapes from fondant.

Brushing water on the fondant so it will stick to the cake.

Making the solar system!

Happy Birthday Josh! Hope you all enjoyed your cakes!

Christmas Croquenbouche at Le Chat Gourmet

2009-12-06T13:35:00.000-05:00

Three years ago I contacted Denene Vincent, executive chef and owner of Le Chat Gourmet, because I was looking for an internship. Little did I know that I would gain much more than a plethora of culinary experience, but I was blessed to have made a wonderful friend, too. Denene is incredibly talented and I always look forward to taking classes at LCG. She and her husband, Michael, are two of the nicest people I know and I'm very fortunate to be able to call them friends.

Denene & me in the LCG kitchen.

I often find myself perusing the LCG website for new classes, making my "wish list" of classes to take in the near future. The class that was on the top of my list this time was the Christmas Croquenbouche. It was something that was always a bit of a mystery to me. Every time I search for French wedding cakes I stumble upon the Croquenbouche. The Croquenbouche is the "piece de resistance" at weddings in France, and other important celebrations and holidays. It goes without saying that the Croquenbouche is absolutely stunning. What could be prettier than a tower of cream puffs dripping in caramel, then wrapped in spun sugar?

I did a bit more research about the Croquenbouche and learned that its meaning is very literal in the French language. Broken down it means "crunch in the mouth." Croque meaning crunch, and bouche meaning mouth. This made me laugh since this is exactly what it does! A combination of soft, airy cream puffs and crunchy homemade caramel is divine!

If you have not been to Le Chat Gourmet I urge you to go. Whether you are a gourmet chef at home, someone looking to further your cooking skills, or even if you've never touched a knife, you will feel right at home in Denene's kitchen. I promise, you will not be disappointed.

Photos from the Christmas Croquenbouche class at Le Chat Gourmet:

We all took turns mixing the pate choux.

What the pate choux looks like once it is all mixed. It's a very sticky dough. Piping the cream puffs with a piping bag is ideal.

Waiting to go into the oven!

Cooked eclairs and cream puffs.

Assembling the Croquenbouche:

Dipping the cream puff into hot caramel, using it as a "glue" to build the tower.

Sticking them together.

Drizzling hot caramel over the tower.

Beautiful caramel color.

The caramel is now ready to be spun. Can you see the threads?

Voila le Croquenbouche!

As an added bonus we also made eclairs!

Denene piping the eclairs.

Denene filling the eclairs with vanilla custard.

After being dipped in chocolate they are dusted with cocoa powder.

Is your mouth watering yet? I'll be making a Croquenbouche for Christmas this year! Bon Appetit!

Turkeys for Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T22:33:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

I feel very blessed. I love what I do and I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to do it. I'm especially grateful to be able to do this with my parents. I am incredibly lucky to have them by my side helping, supporting and encouraging me. For this I am forever grateful.

This week we've been very busy (another blessing!) and I'm happy to share with your our Thanksgiving creations. We are so happy that our desserts were a part of so many Thanksgiving celebrations, hopefully making many tummies happy!

Turkey Cupcakes

Process of the Turkey Cakes

Turkey body & platter.

Feathers after being dusted, before being glittered.

Turkey with feathers on the platter.

Turkey Cake #1

Turkey Cake #2

I wish you a wonderful Holiday season and hope that you had a great Thanksgiving! If you are shopping tomorrow, best of luck to you! Next up in the Holiday cake department, Christmas cakes!

James Bond Auction Fundraiser

2009-11-16T14:15:00.000-05:00

I attended Catholic school (Lansing Catholic HS & IHM St. Casimir) from Kindergarten to 12th grade, so Catholic schools have a special place in my heart. When one of my favorite customers asked me to make a donation to St. Martha's fundraiser I was more than happy to be a part of their evening. Rather than donate a small cake, I thought dessert might be fun!

My favorite part: The olives!

The Suitcase

2009-11-16T14:05:00.000-05:00

This was just a fun cake celebrating a 50th Birthday. When designing a cake with a client I often ask if that person has a special hobby or something really important in his or her life. In this case, the recipient loves to travel, and in fact just returned from a trip abroad. Having never tackled a suitcase cake before, I jumped at the chance! I absolutely love designing something for the first time!

First we had to start with our cake. You cannot bake a suitcase, you need to carve it. It started as two 7" square cakes with buttercream filling in the middle.

After covering the cake with chocolate fondant and adorning it will a few details, such as the handle and buckles, we ended up with a petite suitcase!

Art Deco for the Christman Company

2009-11-09T21:42:00.000-05:00

Although this cake was made in February 2008 (wow, I cannot believe it was that long ago!) it is still one of our most memorable cakes. This cake was ordered by the Christman Company in Lansing. It was made for the grand opening of their new headquarters in downtown Lansing. It is a beautiful building! We were so honored to be a part of their celebration!

We knew this cake was going to be fun, so we took the time to take several photos of the process, since it's always a bit of an adventure! I have been looking forward to sharing them with you! I hope that you enjoy!

Phase One: Stacking the Cake

This is our blank canvas.

Phase Two: Decorate!

Piece by piece...actually now that I think of it, that's the name of a song from a CD that we listened to on repeat while we made the cake!

Attaching the strips of fondant with water using a paintbrush.

Carefully attaching each glitter dot with piping gel. A bit tedious, but I was still having a ball!

It's coming together...

Final touches Tuesday morning. You know it's a Tuesday because you can see the GF bread baking in the oven!

Ta da! It's finished!

Edible Gift Box

2009-11-09T21:02:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday! This cake was created for my college roommate's ( and good friend) mother last week in celebration of her birthday. I absolutely love making cakes for special people in my life. It brings me great pleasure to be a part of the celebration.

Britt and I were roommate's our freshman year at Albion College. Britt and I are very opposite in some ways. I am bright colors and pastels, she is rich jewel tones. Our mothers are the same way, thus where we get our style! So when she asked me to make her mother's birthday cake her only request was no pastels! :-) In college it was as though a line of color separated our spaces. My side was hot pink and lemon yellow and her side was rich burgundy, gold and amber. It was a fun room! There was certainly no lack of color!

I will be making Britt's wedding cake next September and I cannot wait! She told me to "just make something!" This will be fun. I think my only guideline is "no pastels." :-)

Unfortunately, photos never do a cake justice. The texture on her mother's cake was achieved through the use of colored dusting powder. It had the look of velvet on top of deep purple fondant. It was so pretty.

Britt's family loves buttercream, but we couldn't make the box look real unless we used fondant. So to make up for it I split all of the layers of the kahlua fudge cake (for all flavors click here) and alternated buttercream and chocolate ganache in between each layer. It looked (and hopefully tasted) divine! I'm sure with all of that buttercream and ganache they did not mind the fondant one bit!

Happy Birthday, again!

My First Dinner Party

2009-10-31T16:55:00.000-04:00

I love cooking. Since I've moved into my house I've been itching to have a dinner party. When I was in Florida at the beginning of October I picked-up some adorable orange napkins with the words "Happy Fall Y'All!" I knew I had to finally have the dinner party I'd been dying to have, just so I could use these napkins!

I was very blessed to have had so much help from my friend Dennis. He is a true "gourmand." He taught me how to make homemade mozzarella! It was delicious! We also made gnocchi together and Dennis dressed it with homemade pesto. He also whipped up homemade Italian bread. Yum!

I made a crab and gouda cheese dip. The recipe was from a class at Le Chat Gourmet. My Mom's famous bacon bites were also a hit at the party! We also "recycled" the balsamic caramelized onion and goat cheese bruschetta that Le Chat Gourmet gave me after the March of Dimes auction! Crunchy meatballs with a pineapple sauce were also on the menu which comes from the kitchen of my good friend Traci. Dennis also made a salmon dip. It was extra tasty since the salmon came from his friend in Alaska! How lucky were we?

For dessert I made a pear tart with vanilla pastry cream and mocha espresso mousse, another recipe from Le Chat Gourmet.

We cannot forget the tasty caramel apple martini's that Brittany and Patrick made for us! Yum! Or the sweet frosted chocolate chip cookie from Brynn!

With my good friends Brittany, Ashley and Brynn in the kitchen.

Farkas trying to steal a bit of homemade mozzarella. I think he knows the difference. :-)

The Colonial Bar & Grille

2009-10-31T10:56:00.000-04:00

The Colonial Bar belongs to my family. It is on the corner of Martin Luther King Blvd. and Holmes Rd. in Lansing. I was there last Wednesday night with my Mom and I happened to have my camera with me. Wednesday night is the night for Dart League. My Dad likes us to go watch him! :-) I like to go and have dinner with my parents and enjoy a margarita ($2.50 on Wednesdays!) after a long day at the bakery! It is always an entertaining evening!

Taco Salad and Margarita.

The Colonial Bar was founded by my Grandpa in 1965. If you stop by at lunchtime you'll certainly see my grandparents sitting in their favorite booth facing the mural of our dogs!

On the far left, Abby (she has passed away) is on the left, Riley is next to her on the right. Oliver is next to them with the pointy ears. Paulie is the poodle on the chair and Leo, Grandma and Grandpa's dog who passed away, is the schnauzer on the right. Fortunately their new dog, Schnapps, is also a schnauzer, so they don't get confused! We don't know the "bully" in the middle! :-)

Dart League just ended this past week, so now is the perfect time to join the next one. If you (or someone you know) have interest in joining just give them a call. 517-882-6132. You need three people for a team. Trust me, you'll have fun!

3425 South Martin Luther King Blvd. Lansing, MI 48910

517-882-6132

john@colonialbarandgrille.com www.colonialbarandgrille.com

Monday-Friday 9:00am-2:00am, Saturday 10:00am-2:00am & Sunday 12:00pm-2:00am

March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction

2009-10-29T23:44:00.000-04:00

On October 20th A Piece O' Cake participated in the March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction. We had a wonderful time! I love food, so being in a room filled with great food to sample was simply amazing! Unfortunately, I was behind our booth 99% of the time, so I did not get to wander and sample all of the yummy dishes. But, I was lucky enough to have my Dad and friend bring my mom and me back plates of food!

I was so happy to be placed next to my good friend Denene Vincent, owner and executive chef of Le Chat Gourmet.

I was also lucky to meet up with the owner of Sweetie-licious Pie Pantry in DeWitt, Linda Hundt. She is super sweet! And she makes the best pie!

We will definitely be participating again next year. Our auction package was a birthday party at the bakery. Below is the description of our prize, maybe next year you will win!

"A Piece O’Cake invites the birthday boy/girl and eight friends to a special birthday party where they will be cake decorators for an afternoon. Your child will have the opportunity to design his or her cake of their dreams and have it ready to enjoy at the party. Each guest will also be given their own individual cake and allowed to create their own masterpieces. Supplies and Lunch will be provided. All you need is to be ready to celebrate and make a piece o’ art."

Destination Wedding Cake-Jacksonville, Florida

2009-10-18T19:05:00.000-04:00

Two weeks ago I visited one of my best friends in Jacksonville, Florida. Emily and I met over three years ago while we were studying in Paris. Emily is marrying Max on May 8, 2010 and they have asked me to make their wedding cake. Very exciting! I cannot wait to write about this experience. It is going to be a wonderful challenge. :-)

First things first: taste the cake! Surprisingly enough, you can take cupcakes on airplanes! Lucky for me! I made Emily and Max a dozen cupcakes: kahlua fudge, sour cream chocolate, wedding white, lemon and raspberry swirl. They were all decorated with either a sugar paste champagne glass, a wedding dress, heart or gift. They were adorable! I'd highly recommend them for a bridal shower or wedding.

The three of us had a lot of fun tasting the cake and deciding on their wedding cake flavors. We settled on raspberry swirl with raspberry buttercream filling and sour cream chocolate with chocolate buttercream filling.

As for the design, the cake will be four tiers, frosted in buttercream and covered in white, sugar paste gardenias with petals placed sporadically around the tiers. The bottom tier will be wrapped with a white sugar paste ribbon and bow. I cannot wait! It is such a privilege to make my best friend's wedding cake. It is a privilege to be included in anyone's wedding, but it is even more special when it is someone you are so close with. I've done several cakes these past two years for friends that I grew up with. Who would have thought? Life sure is surprising! :-)

Casa Marina, the reception site.

Congratulations again, Emily and Max! XOXO

Soup Spoon Cafe

2009-10-12T10:17:00.000-04:00

Have you been to the Soup Spoon Cafe in Lansing, yet? If not, you should! I heard about it from a client, as they were catering a party for her. She said that they highly recommended A Piece O' Cake for the cake for her party and I thought, I need to check this place out! I am always so honored when someone gives us such praise, and being a foodie myself, I couldn't wait to try their food!

My mom and I rarely go to lunch. But on one of the first days of what really felt like Fall we decided to give it a try. Plus, it was our day off. :-) So we headed over to the restaurant and boy were we surprised. I knew it would be good, but I didn't know it would be this good! I had the pumpkin soup. It was absolutely delicious. It was topped with a bit of whipped cream, which made it even better. We also had sandwiches, which were amazing, too. I believe mine was the Chicken Salad Melt. Yum! We liked it so much that Mom made the trip from the bakery to the Soup Spoon Cafe during work to bring us all back soup for lunch! It made our day. I'm thinking that another trip is in order...maybe you'll see me there at lunchtime today!

Location & Information:
1419 E. Michigan Ave. Lansing, MI 48912
Just past Sparrow Hospital, if you are headed East on Michigan Ave. on the left hand side.
517-316-2377
www.soupspooncafe.com

Lucy Grey Handbag Cake

2009-10-08T22:33:00.000-04:00

I am blessed to have many wonderful people in my life. One inspirational person is my friend Michelle Thelen. She has recently launched a fun and fashionable handbag company called Lucy Grey. A week or so ago there was a pre-launch party for Michelle and we were able to see (and touch!) these fabulous bags. Trust me, they are beautiful.

It was a pleasure making this cake for Michelle. What I think is so great about her bags is that they have the option of an accessory, such as a bloom or a brooch, thus the ivory sugar paste peony on her cake. Another great thing about this company is that the handbags are made in Michigan. I think that is just wonderful.

To learn more about Lucy Grey click here.

I could not be more excited for her and this new adventure! Bonne Chance, Michelle!

The cake process:

We began with three 9x13 Kahlua Fudge cakes filled with buttercream frosting.

Next came the carving...

Then the fondant...piece by piece...

The ivory sugar paste peony.

The handles drying overnight.

Bloem Box Cake

2009-09-27T19:03:00.000-04:00

I have to promote a business that I just heard about. Bloem Box was made known to me when a favorite customer of mine brought me this cute, petite box that housed seeds to plant and grow your own flowers. She was using them as favors for a bridal shower this past weekend. What a fun idea! I absolutely love when you are presented with something non-cake related and you can say, "Let's make this into a cake!"

So this is it...ta da!

Visit Bloem Box's website by clicking here. I hope you enjoy it and get inspired! There are many other boxes to choose from, I'm sure they would all make stunning cakes!

At the end of the day.

2009-09-23T22:14:00.000-04:00

rolled roses for wedding cupcakes.

Wednesday is a great day to get a head start on our decorating. If we can make pieces ahead of time, we do it! For instance, sugar paste flowers, confetti and animals can all be made ahead of time, and in many cases, should be make ahead of time.

-fondant bride & groom to be added to a two-tier wedding cake.

-centers that will be used for sugar paste flowers that will make a small bouquet as a cake topper.

At ten minutes to five Becky, an employee at the bakery, turned to me and said, "The counter always looks so good at the end of the day!" I could not agree more. Nothing is more satisfying than seeing the fruits of your labor scattered across the counter! After eight (or more!) hours of crossing things off of your to-do list you see light at the end of the tunnel! It is a good feeling.

-fondant puppy named Dolly.

-plaques that will decorate birthday cupcakes.

-tag for a gift box & cards for a 21st birthday cake.

Next up, frosting the cakes and cupcakes!

bows that will decorate wedding cupcakes.

The beauty of fondant.

2009-09-20T23:23:00.000-04:00

Fondant is wonderful. It has a bad reputation, and it does not deserve it. Without fondant, we would not have this beautiful cake. Trust me, fondant is not scary. It's not nasty, it actually tastes just like sugar. I like to liken it to a marshmallow. Give it a try sometime! :-)

This cake was made for a wedding this past weekend on September 19th. It was a joy to make! My favorite part was adding the touches of glitter to the edges of each ruffle. Unfortunately, the glitter is a bit difficult to see in the photos, but trust me, it was there, and it was the perfect touch. I can just imagine how stunning it must have looked with the right lighting!

Each ruffle was cut by hand, pearl dusted and ruffled, then attached to the ivory fondant covered cake with a bit of water. I brushed water across the tops of alternating ruffles and then rubbed a pinch of glitter across the top which really made the ruffles glisten.

The navy bow and ribbon were dusted with a navy luster dust that took the matte navy color to a new level!

The brooch was provided by the bride.

Women Working Wonders 5k/0k

2009-09-13T23:27:00.000-04:00

Who wouldn't like to start their day with a brisk run for a good cause, followed up with a massage and a manicure? You don't run? Neither do I. Fortunately, you can walk, too!

I spent my morning with my Mom educating participants on our gluten-free products. We talked about cakes, too! The need for gluten-free is growing and growing as doctors and patients alike become more aware of celiac disease. It was fun to see so many people (not gluten-free) enjoy our GF cupcakes and cookies. It can be such a struggle for celiac's to find something tasty that will not make them sick. That is where we come in!

GF goodies can be ordered on our website or you can call us at the bakery, 517-333-6881.

It was a great morning and I'm certain that everyone enjoyed themselves! We met some very nice people and I am so happy that we were invited to participate this year! Most of all, it felt great to be a part of such a worthy cause!

To learn more about the event visit their website.

Pasta Cake

2009-09-08T23:23:00.000-04:00

This cake was made for a groom who loves pasta. He eats it every morning for breakfast! Could this not be more perfect for him?

The cake was first covered in ivory fondant. Then, the entire cake was covered in fondant spaghetti which had been made ahead of time. The other types of pasta, such as the ravioli, were made by hand from ivory and chocolate fondant and they were also dried ahead of time, too. The fun part was assembling the cake! It certainly took a lot of time to make, but the end result was so worth it! I hope you enjoy looking at it.

Bienvenue, encore!

2009-09-02T19:04:00.000-04:00

My first post was in July, a bit ambitious for someone in the midst of "wedding season." Fortunately, no one has found the blog yet to see that I've been absent for almost two months!

Another reason I've been reluctant to start this literary adventure is that I have a lot of things that I want to share with you, but would like to do so in an organized manner. The blog started out as a way to show you a behind the scenes look at A Piece O' Cake. But, I also bake at home and want to share that with you, and I love to travel and find new restaurants. Does that mean I need a separate blog for my personal life? I've decided, forget order! I'm just going to share with you anything that inspires me and the things I'm passionate about, with the hope that you enjoy this blog as an extension of my bakery and our website, and also gain some fun tidbits of information along the way. I'm excited to see where this goes and I hope that you enjoy following along!

Bienvenue!

2009-07-07T19:04:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the A Piece O' Cake Blog!

Our website http://www.apieceocake.com is used to show you, the client and fans, the finished cake. But, you never get to see how the cake design process evolves. I plan to use this space to welcome you into my kitchen. I hope that you will enjoy watching how exciting it is to start with a blank canvas and through use of sugar paste, buttercream, fondant, luster dust, glitter, etc. create a piece of art.

It is such a joy to do what I love and I am so looking forward to sharing my passion with you!

Bon Appetit!