Candice's nonpareils-coated 21st birthday cake

So time really does fly! 

It wasn't so long ago (well, it feels that way) when we made Candice's 18th birthday cake:

a Pollock-inspired funky little number - a cake we truly had fun doing!

This year she has asked us to make another cake, she's 21! 

We must say, it's one of our most favourite cakes so far - It's beautiful! 

Just like the cake three years ago, this one still spells "vivacious, strong-willed, fun, and full of passion for life" - a few of the many traits Candice is known for... only this time this also says, "oh, wait, I'm a grown-up now."

  here's the plan:

Twenty one ombré butterflies and hundreds of nonpareils later - here is the outcome:

...and here's the birthday girl with her cake:

A very belated happy 21st, dear Candy!

Thank you for joining us in this sugary-sweet journey!

A cake made with so much love, because of love, for Love

So here we are... after 6 months of blogging silence. Sorry! Life happened, as it usually does. Beautiful life. Crazy... but beautiful! Sprinkled with the most gorgeous cakes in between! :)

This post is dedicated to one of the most beautiful women we know, Christia, and her gorgeous family, Russ & their three boys. Christia is our Brisbane-based cake BFF. She's awesome! Check out her page here.

No. We did not make a cake for them. They made a cake for us: our wedding cake! (Jane's & Arvee's) 

We had our wedding at the beginning of this year. Yes, yes, I know. Why so late a post? It took me this long to start organising all our wedding things. In fact, all the wedding decors are still in boxes (unsorted!) in the garage (Joy & Kenneth's garage. Sorry!) For someone who loves to organise, this is a first for me! I wonder if that's normal?!

Anyway, back to the cake. Months before our wedding, we asked Christia if she could make our wedding cake. We didn't want to put our hopes up, firstly, because they were based in Brisbane. But after a few days, she got back to us to say yes and not only that - the whole family is coming! I cried.

So fast forward to the week before our wedding... this was truly a crazy time! In true DIY-fashion, I wanted to do everything! haha! It got a little bit crazy there - thankfully, with the help of lovely family and friends, everything got done just in time. But because I left so many things to the last minute, we didn't get to finish our part in the cake-making process: creating the edible roses and peonies. And, this is where I want to take a moment to thank Ricky & Daisy (family friends), and Minette & Makkyla (my youngest sister and my cousin, both bridesmaids) for saving me! Thank you for pulling an all-nighter with me to make the flowers!

and, here's a photo of Minette & Mykee hard at work:

On the day of the wedding, Christia, Russ, and Joy set-up the cake at the venue. I, unfortunately, don't have a photo of them setting up the cake but click here to see our wedding video... if you watch through to the end, you'll see them working hard at it. :)

Here's a few more photos of the cake:

The cake: Being a self-proclaimed "Plain-Jane", I wanted the cake to be simple. Classic. Vintage. Elegant. Pearlescent. Hydrangeas. Roses. Peonies. Gold-leaf. This was one YUMMY cake, too. Fruit cake, red velvet, white choc mud, milk choc mud... through and through! Baked by the one and only, Christia, of course!

Here's a photo of Arvee & me, with Christia and Joy:

 Us, cutting the cake:

 Cake - cut! 

Dear Christia and Russ (and the boys!), words can't express how thankful we are, and we can never thank you enough. The cake was perfect! It was as I have imagined it to be. Thank you so much! We can only hope that we could someday return the favour. We love you!

ps. Christia, thank you for dancing with us ladies and for emcee'ing, too! One of my most memorable moments on the day: when you, Joy, and I were crying, at the very end of the reception. I will never forget that. I love you... way more than cake! (",)

Thank you for journeying with us... it was sugary-sweet!

with so much love,
Jane

Elegant Rose Cascade Floral Wedding Cake

Hello again! 

We're trying to keep up with all the blog entries we have to make, so excuse the blog-arrhoea.

This next cake was for a wedding last January, barely days after Jane's wedding. 

The venue was at the beautiful Markovina Vineyard Estate in Kumeu,

and the newly married Jane & Arvee did the delivery & set-up at venue.

The cake toppers were custom designed and resemble some of the bride & groom's

prominent features. We try our hardest to achieve this, sometimes with a light humour to it.

Some details of the handmade figurine toppers:

 The groom asked for their initials to be placed on his cap:

And now for the Sylvia Weinstock/Peggy Porschen - inspired sugar floral details 

(peony-type roses and white hydrangeas):

And for a last boast:

Thank you, Romit & Bandhana for joining us in this sugary-sweet journey!

Giane's Birdcage 11th Birthday Cake

Our little cousin isn't so little anymore... She's 11! 

Giane is Nathan's (Winnie the Pooh Cake-scape) big sister. 

Her parents asked for a small and simple cake,

and that was the plan, until...

an idea struck! Then we couldn't help it.

Here are our 3 fave shots of the birdcage-themed red velvet creation:

Thank you, G, for joining us again in this sugary-sweet journey!

Kate & Jay's Ombré Ruffle Wedding Cake

 Because we are bespoke cake stylists, most of our work are original designs. 

However, it is a common practice of most aspiring cake decorators 

and hobbyists to 'take inspiration' (aka copy ideas) 

from much more experienced and innovative masters of the craft. 

We are also only learning, but our point of difference is that when we do borrow an idea,

we give credit where it's due. 

For this next number, the bride - Kate was really enamored by the simplicity 

of this Bobbette & Belle wedding cake design:

 

Kate is our Janey's old friend all the way from High School.

We are honoured to help create their dream day!

Here is our humble take on the brooch & ruffles ensemble:

The bottom tier was red vlevet cake in white chocolate ganache frosting.

The middle tier was lemon-vanilla pound cake with white choc ganache.

Th top tier was white choc mud cake with creamy milk choc ganache.

Such yummy colours!!! 

We must have stared at it for hours after assembling it, it was mesmerizing!

 

The night of the wedding, Kate texted Jane...

she said it was 'delish'! Now, to make a pretty cake - that's one thing.

To make a delicious cake - that's yet another!!!

 Happy.

Thank you for joining us in this sugary-sweet journey!

Kloé-cake's Cake Smash Photoshoot

We are soooo super happy that our princess was born 

in the spring time - Sakura-season! 

Here are photos by our talented friend from Available Light Ltd

of our 1 year old photo-shoot at Cornwall Park:

The egg-free, dairy-free vanilla pound cake... was covered in butter cream (LOL)!

 

The sakura on the cake is made of rice wafer:

Our princess and her smash cake:

 Oooops!

 

Thank you for joining Kloé-cake in this sugary-sweet journey!

Kloé Abigail's First Birthday Party Part 3 - The Cake

The one cake Joy has looked forward to making since the princess was born:

Original design and concept by Mommy Joy. 

The sugar flowers were hand-crafted with much love by Aunty Jane.

 

Our princess with her cake in the background:

Cutting the cake!

 

(Photos by: Available Light Ltd.)

Thank you for joining us in this sugary-sweet journey!

Buttercream-Only 79th Birthday Cake

Hello! We received an overseas phone call for a 

short-notice request (2days!) from one of our very first 'clients' 

when we got started, and so we couldn't say no. 

It was for her dear mum's birthday...

 

 When looking for inspiration, we stumbled upon a 

beautiful modern buttecream-only cake by a US bakery. 

So, on a whim, we decided this was

our chance to dabble into the world of piped flower icings.

 

This is our first official attempt in making

a buttercream-only creation.

The cake is a vanilla yoghurt pound cake, 

layered and frosted with lemon-vanilla buttercream.

 

 It is a 6"x7" round barrel cake (double height, 

including the flowers) and is good for a party of 20-25. 

We're rather pleased with how the colour scheme came together. 

The problem with most of the traditional-style buttercream cakes 

is that they are often dull in appearance and lacking

in liveliness, crispness and contrast.

 

Thank God for the world wide web and YouTube University

for the crash course on basic piping techniques!

Oh, and credits to Bona Ceri Floral Cakes for our inspiration.

 

And just when we were about to go to sleep, 

we decided that the flowers alone were not enough star-factor, 

so we got out of bed again to hand-mould 

the number 79 out of modeling chocolate... just because.

 

 There you go - our very first buttercream-only cake!

We look forward to many more buttercream-only creations...

we think we're rather hooked. :)

Thank you for joining us in this sugary-sweet journey!