Blue Hawaii

"For me its balmy airs are always blowing, its summer seas flashing in the sun; the pulsing of its surf is in my ear; I can see its garlanded crags, its leaping cascades, its plumy palms drowsing by the shore, its remote summits floating like islands above the cloud-rack; I can feel the spirit of its woody solitudes, I hear the plashing of the brooks; in my nostrils still lives the breath of flowers that perished twenty years ago."
- Mark Twain

I've forever been in love with Hawaii.  From the first time I caught a glimpse of it on that awesome two part episode of "The Brady Bunch" (yeah, I said it, cursed tiki necklace and all) to the last time I begrudgingly boarded the Wiki wiki bus to the departure gates to come back to my frozen home, it has never failed to amaze me. 

What better, than to marry (pun intended) the most idyllic place on earth with the most romantic day of your life?  Jena and Jason were smart enough to combine the two...even better, they were smart enough to do so in the dead of winter, giving themselves and their closest friends and family an excuse to escape the cold Colorado and Minnesota winter.

Unfortunately, the cake lady didn't make the guest list, but I did get the next best thing.  The joy of channeling all of my Hawaii love into a cake for their Minnesota reception two weeks after the wedding.

The couple wanted a cake design that would acknowledge their Island nuptials, while not going so tropical in feel as to cause a mutiny among those Minnesotans who were looking at frosting orchids and sand while shaking the snow out of their high heels and dress shoes.  So, we created one of my favorite types of cakes...the trompe l'oeil.  The cake that doesn't look like a cake...a still-life in sugar!  We would make the cakes look like a stack of suitcases that had just arrived back from their trip.  An orchid lei resting on top of the stack, and my favorite, a frosting postcard that bears the post mark and date of the actual wedding. 

We've done suitcases before, but this time, we wanted something a little sweeter, a little more airy and dreamy.  So, I researched antique pastel suitcases online, and came up with a photo of a great suitcase cake to copy.  It wasn't until after I printed it out that I realized, it wasn't a cake at all, but an actual stack of suitcases (my first clue should have been that they were sitting on top of a dog kennel).  I showed this photo to Jena and Jason, who agreed...it wasn't a cake, but it needed to become one.  So we did a little color tweaking to include their cheery orchid green into the design, and the rest is cake-history.

We set up the cake on a beautiful winter evening.  I rarely get to see my client's reactions to their cakes, but since this was a reception, no ceremony before to detain the bride and groom, they arrived early, and I got to catch a shot of Jena discovering her cake.  If her hands don't say it all, maybe the shot including the cake as a member of the bridal party does! 

P.S.  Much thanks to the bride and groom for sharing their beautiful photos with us, and thanks to Carr Photography (even though we're still holding a slight grudge, that they got to cover the Hawaiian portion of the wedding as well as the Minnesota reception (we really need to open a Hawaii branch, Gateaux II, open November through March).

I Signori Zawadski

Anyone who knows the Evil Cake Genius knows that there are few things in this world that I am as passionate about as this ridiculous job of mine. There's my husband, "Captain Leisure", my little white dog "Speck" and travel. Ohh, sweet God, travel... The four things blend perfectly. Making wedding and event cakes in Minnesota is highly seasonal. Seriously, it takes a special kind of crazy to want to get married here in the winter (Hi, Stephanie and Peter!) so I typically have time to get away from the tundra freely between January and April each year. The Captain loves to travel as much as I do, and Speck has the world's best dog-sitters (Aunt Kathy and Uncle Steve) who dote on her, and even blog for her while we are away. If you don't believe me, check it out here, and try not to judge us, we're insane pet owners (who, by the way, have a comprehensive journal of every trip we've taken for the past seven years in reading our "comments" to Speck each day of our trips. What does this have to do with our dear Anna and Nick? Patience, people, patience. When I met with Anna and Nick, they had most of their wedding plans already made. We had a great time designing up wedding cakes for them based on everything from their beautiful and unique bright green and navy blue color scheme, to the pattern in the carpet at the reception site. We sketched up a ton of different ideas, and I left it up to them to pick their final design. Then we got to chatting. One of my favorite questions is where the honeymoon will be. Partly because I'm nosy, partly because I get great ideas for my next trip from my client's honeymoons, and partly because these two were fun to meet with, and I wanted them to stay and chat some more. Anna said that she didn't, and wouldn't know where the honeymoon would be, because Nick was going to surprise her. Super cool, but that isn't going to save him from a meddling cake-lady. So, when Nick came back to pick up the samples, I grilled him on the topic. Turns out, he was considering everything from Europe to Africa, but not Hawaii, as he was waiting until he was trained for his "Iron Man" triathalon before he went there. Having been on Safari, I dove right in, and suggested the incredible place that we stayed when we were in Africa. It was truly amazing, fabulous wildlife, great food, incredible staff, and our Khaya (little house) was nicer than my own house, with his and her bathrooms, clawfoot tub, plunge pool, etc. His other top choice, Italy, is also a favorite of mine, so I began to ramble incessantly, until he asked if I could put my suggested itinerary into an email for him, which, I gladly did.

The wedding came, the cake they chose was perfect for it, and off they went on honeymoon. When Nick's sister came in to return the cake stand, I asked her where they went, and happily discovered that they were on their way to Italy. She asked if I ever did "welcome back" cakes, and while I had never done such a thing, I was intruigued by the concept, and especially excited to flex some Italy-love by way of cake decorating! So, I asked her what they were thinking, and she said "Tira Misu", and I asked her if it could look like a mound of spaghetti and meatballs. Done, and done. Funny, I've been to Italy several times, and never had spaghetti and meatballs there, nor have I had Tira Misu there, but I suppose, we're doing American-Italian now, so nothing could be more perfect. Except, a welcome banner to the new couple. So we added a welcome, in frosting to the new Signori (Mr. and Mrs.) Zawadski.

Anna and Nick had a great time in Italy (I'm pretty sure it's impossible not to) and have since been back to drop off a disc of wedding pictures. I'm hoping that I get a call from them for suggestions for a trip to Hawaii soon. I wonder what an "Iron Man" triathalon cake would look like...

Dog Person

When Shannon met Noah he wasn't a "dog person". This phenonenon is not entirely foreign to the Evil Cake Genius...my own father-in-law/master cake stand maker "Magic Phil" is also not a "dog person". It always cracked me up that in a room full of relatives, most of which had dogs of their own, my beloved Speckster would ignore all of them, in favor of climbing up onto the back of the couch to lay there licking Magic Phil's ears. Clearly, Speckster doesn't understand the concept of "not a dog person" any more than her owner.

Shannon was definitely one to have her reservations about a non-dog person as she is, in the truest form, a dog lover. Shannon has her own pup, Sadie, but she also fosters dogs until they can find proper homes. An action that only the truest of animal lovers can take...to care for a pup in their time of need, accepting all of their challenges and flaws, making them one of the family, until they are ready to move on to their forever home. When asked by one truly impressed cake lady how she can let them go to their new homes, she admitted that it is incredibly hard, but it's what's best for the dog, so you do it. I can't tell you how much I respect and admire this woman.

Now onto the fun...
Everyone who knows Shannon, knows her love for dogs. So it was a natural fit for her to be interested in our "People Treats" favours. "People Treats" are molded chocolates in the shape of dog biscuits. Shannon had a great idea. Rather than boxing them as favours, we would attach them to everyone's place card. The heading on the place card would read "Sit", so that when the guest's sat, they got a treat. I like the way this is going. Classic conditioning for wedding guests!

"Why not have the invitations say "Come"?" I joked. And by the time Shannon's appointment was over, we had designed the most charming invitations I can remember. The invitations would say "Come", the reply card "Speak", and the accommodations card "Settle".

By the time they got to the reception, a placecard commanding them to "Sit" and a menu card asking them to "Stay" for a family style meal, would complete the theme. Many of you non-dog people might find it offensive to "treat your guests like dogs" but I assure you, I would gladly trade places with Shannon's Sadie, or my Speckster for a week's vacation. Other than he obvious issues I may have with doing my business outside, I'll take the treats, the naps, the occasional tummy rubs and a nice leisurely walk each day, thank you very much.
When it came to cake design, Shannon's dress was the focus. I couldn't help myself. This dress was the quintessential party dress. Full of ruffles and fabric rosettes, I wanted to wear it, but I would settle for letting it inspire an awesome cake. We changed the rosettes to the beautiful eggplant color from the invitations, and of course, added a frosting Sadie as the topper. Knowing that the price of Sadie would be donated to the ASPCA solidified this decision for our dog-loving bride.

Flash forward to three months before the wedding. At a meeting with Shannon, she brings up a design change to the cake. Noooooo. I love her cake. No changes. Bad girl. Bad! (Sorry, getting a little into our theme here.) Turns out it was more of an addition to the cake than a change, and the story goes like this.

Shannon and Noah had been fostering a St. Bernard pup. By pup, I mean 140 pounds(he's still growing) of untrained, drooling, shedding, awesomeness. They found him a home, and placed him with a woman who adored him...for two weeks...until she discovered that she was horribly allergic to him, and it wasn't getting any better. Shannon and Noah took Winston back into their home until they could find another family for him. With a wedding coming up, two careers, and the fact that they were living, not in a house, but an apartment, they were hoping to find Winston a new family as soon as possible. It wasn't until the morning of Shannon's bridal shower that they got the call to bring Winston to his new home. Noah loaded him in the car as Shannon was getting ready for her shower, and all would be back to normal. They weren't gone for five minutes, when she heard Noah come back into the apartment. Assuming he forgot something, she came out of the bedroom, only to find him standing in the livingroom with Winston. And it was at that moment, that Noah became a dog-person.


So, their family got a little bigger, and we had to add a frosting St. Bernard to the cake. Which, I most gladly did.


On a sidenote, I must divulge that faced with a wife who wanted a dog, our very own "Magic Phil" reluctantly agreed to adopt a rescued Corgi named Cela last year. Now, he'd be the first to admit that it isn't he who is the owner, but she owns him. He walks her twice a day, and even when he stops in the shop without her (usually she's tucked under his arm) he has a pocket full of treats. Proof again, that if given the chance, we're all dog-people.


Many thanks to Camera Love Photography for these beautiful photos...and for cropping out the Evil Cake Genius's double chin.

"...to think, we almost did cupcakes."

It was only a matter of time. No, not a matter of time before the Evil Cake Genius caved, and started making wedding cupcakes. A matter of time before she blogged a raving manifesto against this plague on the American wedding scene. I could wax on for pages about my disdain for these soul-less, uncouth desserts. How the thought of formally dressed guests peeling a soggy cupcake liner off of their dessert and eating it with their bare hands makes every etiquette bone in my body shudder. How a platter of cupcakes can't tell a story, set a tone, or wow your guests. Those are all my less-than-humble opinions. Opinions not shared by the majority of my peers, but my opinion nonetheless.
I'm not entirely against cupcakes in general. In the proper setting of a Girl Scout Jamboree, a 4 year old's birthday party, even a casual baby shower, they can have their charm. But for a wedding, call me inflexible, even call me no fun, there must be a cake.
"Cupcakes are cute." I hear that all the time. So are flip-flops, but you don't see brides....Oh my God, I must be getting old! Okay, maybe if you decide to wear flip-flops to your wedding, you should have cupcakes. There, the exception that proves the rule.

Now, what on earth does this rant have to do with or dear Sarah, and her awesome Pumpkin wedding cake? Patience kiddies, patience.

Sarah was one of those rare instances of "repeat business" in the wedding industry. This was her first wedding...but her mom was now officially a repeat client. Sarah's sister, Rebecca was wed in 2004(oddly, around the same time that the Northwestern University Women's LaCrosse team shocked and dismayed me by wearing flip-flops in a formal photo with the President during a White House visit, it's all coming together) and we made a most delightful May Day wedding cake for her. Cuter than any cupcake ever to come out of an oven, this four tier cake was bright and cheery, with whimsical tulips and daffodils, and a top tier shaped like a May Basket. It was adorable, contained delicious layers of filling...and eaten with the proper utensils.
So, what would Sarah have in store for me? Typically, siblings are polar opposites when it comes to cakes. Her sister's cake was fun, a true introduction to the mood of the reception. Bright and cheery, it reflected the couple to a T. So, I was expecting a more formal, rigid, traditional style for Sarah's wedding. I couldn't have been more wrong. Turns out, the only opposite we had going for us was the time of year. Rebecca's wedding was on May 1st, Sarah's would be Mid-October, but both events would have the same feel. Beautiful venue, formal attire, but awesome party! Both sisters understood the fundamental of wedding planning, it's all about being a good host.

With that in mind, we planned a wedding cake that would, again, set the tone for the reception. A fall-themed materpiece of pumpkins, fondant leaves, chocolate acorns, frosting pinecones and pumpkin blossoms. The wedding would be held at a rustic lodge in Nisswa. The feel, fall harvest. The couple and the guests were from the Twin Cities, so this made the wedding a mini-destination wedding, forcing everyone to take a perfectly timed drive through the glorious Minnesota fall colors. To reflect the destnation aspect of the wedding, we made the bottom tier of cake shaped like a produce crate. Complete with frosting twine handles, and a shipping postmark with the wedding date, location, and return address of "Sorenson Farms". Their new homestead written in the sweetest language on earth. Frosting.

By the time we were done sketching, we all knew that this was our cake. It was a cake that told a story. A cake that told the guests that they were at the right location before they even laid eyes on the couple. That's when Sarah turned to her mother and said "..to think, we almost did cupcakes." Amen.


If clinging to certain formalities makes me old, I'm old. I'm a casual girl. For God's sake, I wear yoga pants to work, and meet with people in jeans and a chef coat. But some things need to retain their formality. When going to a wedding, I begrudgingly dress the part. Not out of vanity, but out of respect for the couple. If they can commit to a lifetime together, I can commit to wearing a pair of uncomfortable shoes and girl-clothes for an evening. And in exchange, all I ask is for a dessert that requires some thought, a little creativity, and a fork.

Surprised by Love

"Like the bumptious meadow vole, the heart in its striving course is very often surprised by the sudden arrival of the Great Horned Owl of Love" -R.N.Allen
And so it happened. At least that's how Michael described it.

In my line of work, you talk about love a lot. How'd you meet? How'd you fall in love? How'd you know they were the one?

But Michael's take on love was summed up perfectly by this painting by R.N. Allen. Turns out, he was unsuspectingly blindsided by love. "Does that make Nicole the Great Horned Owl?" I asked. Well if the shoe(talon) fits...

When I met with Michael and Nicole, I could only take one more wedding cake for the weekend of their wedding. I had two couples to meet for that one spot, but it didn't take long for me to decide that I wanted these two to fill out that weekend.

When they came in, they brought a copy of their invitation. It was illustrated (by Michael's sister) with a bear and an owl. The bear and owl captured the spirit of their relationship from the get-go. And here's how it went.

Michael and Nicole had taken a trip up to the North Shore early in their dating. They were in a gallery, looking for some pieces by a family friend, when they were both drawn to one particular artist's work. That's where Rick Allen comes in. It was his prints, The Great Horned Owl of Love, and Burntwood Black, that captured the hearts of this couple. So much so, that they bought both pieces, and they remain in their home as souvenirs of the beginning of their relationship.
Not all of us are this lucky. While we all have our love's origins, they aren't always so incredibly helpful in designing a wedding cake. If that were the case, my wedding cake may have taken the form of my 19 year old ass in a pair of jeans (no, literally, just my ass) as my dear husband first took notice of me as I was bent over my roommate's fish tank in my dorm room. See, not terribly cake-able.

But back to a significantly more classy couple...

Michael related to the calm, lumbering bear in the Burntwood Black Painting, while Nicole was clearly the cunning owl. With a few tweaks to the design, the two paintings would combine to make one spectacular cake. We expanded the tree to the silhouette of the tree on their wedding invitations, and upon Nicole's request, made the owl a bit less menacing (after all, love had already done its swooping). Michael suggested keeping the "Surprised by Love" text on the bottom tier, but also thought to add their names in the woodcut pattern on the sides as an hommage to the artist's tendency to hide his own name in his work. We couldn't help but to keep our poor unsuspecting Vol somewhere on the cake, so we stashed him on the right side of one of the tiers...he deserves to see this happpy ending.

But one problem loomed over us. What kind of cake stand would be worthy of such an awesome cake design. I immediately gravitated toward wrought iron, and while our dear Magic Phil, certainly could deliver on this, it turned out, that Nicole's dad is a welder, and was creating wrought iron candle holders for all the reception tables. I quickly volunteered him for the task of creating the cake stand. Not only would it match the candle holders, but it would make a great keepsake for the couple if it were made by the bride's father.

Armed with the prints, I recognized the need for some professional help (no, not that kind) on this job. So, I brought in my trustey TK. Honestly, a cake decorator is only as good as their friends who will work for cake. TK fits this profile, he's a good friend, with incredible graphic design skills, and a voracious appetite for all things cakey. Good thing, too, because this project would take a lot of time. He built me a tree from the ground up, and created the couple's names in wood-block, he even got rid of the owl's crazy eyes. Armed with his artistic edits, we created the cake out of a mixture of frosting screen printing, airbrushing, and Jenna's mad fondant mitering skills.
We delivered the cake on a Sunday. A cake-decorator's only day off. Typically, I take these Sunday deliveries with my butt-loving husband in order to give the Gateaux girls a day off, but this cake was so cool that Jenna couldn't help herself, and volunteered for the shift. When we arrived, the wrought iron cake stand was waiting for us. Nicole's Dad hit it out of the park! Keepsake, schmeepsake, I wanted to steal it, but who am I to piss off a Bear and a Great Horned Owl?


Michael and Nicole were gracious and dare I say ecstatic about their cake. When I asked Michael to email me some photos of the cake for the Blog, this is his explanation of the cake cutting photo. "I had a very very hard time bringing myself to cut the cake. I feel like I spent minutes agonizing over where to cut into it before finally willing myself to cut into it on the back of the bottom tier, where I would notice it the least. Once I started cutting Nicole had to press down because I was so torn. It was wonderful, and absolutely delicious, but I never thought cutting the wedding cake would be that nerve wracking." Did I mention how much I love this guy?

As I was leaving the reception, Michael called me aside and handed me an envelope. Here's what was in it.
I carry it in my wallet. Never know when you're going to get pulled over for drawing naked people.

Style

"Fashion fades, only style remains the same."
Coco Chanel

"Never trust a cake lady who can walk in heels."
Evil Cake Genius

I've never understood Fashion. Take it from the other cake girls, the Cake Lady ALWAYS loses the Project Runway pool at Gateaux. ALWAYS. I guess, when you spend your days working in long sleeve thermal t's and yoga pants, you have other priorities besides fashion.

That's why I love that quote from good old Coco. You see, even the most astute fashion minds, the icons of the industry understand that there is something inherently deeper than what is currently in vogue. Something that transcends yoga pants and bad hair days, and the Cake Lady has it (or at least she borrows it from her clients from time to time). The Cake Lady has style.

That's why, when I first spoke to Laura-Leigh's mom Christine, I knew we'd be perfect together. Turns out, Laura-Leigh, and Christine have that rare gift of possessing both fashion sense and style. And these fortunate few are the architects of some of the most chic and timeless cakes that we do.

Christine described the event decor as "Not French Country, more Paris Flea Market". I instantly conjured up visions of Belle Epoque Metropolitain Paris...black wrought iron and stone, the height of style...the kind that Coco speaks of, the kind that never fades. And Christine and Laura-Leigh delivered.

The color palette of soft champagne, black and Ivory set the stage for a timeless beauty. With the added drama of textural floral, linens, and candlelight, we had ample fuel for the cake-fire.



The definitive elements for the cake were the textures in the floral and an incredible motif from the wedding invitations. Coupled with a french lattice pattern imprinted on the cake and tiny little Fleur de Lis (Paris, after all...not Flea Market, leave off the first word of that phrase, and you have a whole different meaning). And what better to top this not-so-moveable of a feast? How about a vintage bride and groom cake topper. Bride and groom cake toppers are the epitome of that Coco Chanel quote. You see, whether or not they are currently fashionable, the truly well done ones, the vintage, bisque porcelain-beauties, are always in style. Especially when it belonged to the bride's grandmother.



A more timeless event, I can't remember. And once again, my clients made me look so much more chic than I'll ever be. So, thank you Christine and Laura-Leigh...maybe next year, you'll teach me to walk in heels!

Once again, the Fabulous Olive Juice Studios provided us with some absolutely incredible photos of this truly elegant affair.

Decorator's Notes

Laura Leigh's cake was a joy to decorate.  We really had the opportunity to play around with texture on the tiers. 

Quilted Tiers

We imprinted the quilted tiers with a quatre foil shaped cookie cutter.  I couldn't find one on the market, so I made my own using this kit http://www.kitchenkrafts.com/product/make-your-own-cookie-cutters-kit

Textured Tiers

These tiers were fun to make.  We simply dumped out our drawer of flower cutters and mixed and matched different sizes of 5 petal cutters to layer together to cover the tiers.

Baroque Patterned Tier

This baroque pattern was too intricate to replicate using a stencil, so we shot a silk screen for it.   We screen printed a thin sheet of fondant with black royal icing, and then cut out around the pattern.  We wet the back of the fondant, and attached it to the fondant-covered tier.  You can buy this exact screen on our Evil Cake Genius site HERE

Mr. B.

Okay, anyone who knows the Evil Cake Genius knows that her one weakness is the doggies. Bring me within 20 feet of a fur ball, and I turn into a babbling, cooing, cuddling mess. Hand me a baby, and I freak out. Those things are terrifying. And kids, ooh, don't get me started. They're little Petri dishes, just crawling with germs. But give me a slobbering, butt sniffing dog, and I'll roll around on the floor with it for hours. My own dog, Speck, is truly what makes me human. She brings out all the best in me, and has turned my husband and I from a "couple" into a "family".

That's why I fell in love with Melanie, Andy, and Mr. B.

When Melanie and Andy came in for their cake appointment, they were a dream to work with. The wedding reception would be held at the fabulous Graves 601 Hotel, and they really just let me run with it. We sketched up a couple of designs, but the one that I really adored, was based on this incredible lit wall that is part of the Graves' ballroom decor.


I've always wanted to imitate that wall, but not quite literally. With the couple's color scheme of metallic taupe, silver, and navy blue, I recalled a table setting that I had torn out of Grace Ormonde Wedding Style Magazine several year's earlier. The table was set with a Mosaic "runner" of polished rock tiles. I didn't expect them to get it. After all, we went from a cake, to a wall, to a tile table runner...but they got it...and loved it. We added two enormous gumpaste orchids to the design to echo the veritable "orchid forest" of centerpieces that Wisteria Design did for the reception, and we had a knockout cake!

Only, something was missing. It wasn't until they saw another cake in my album that was topped with one of our hand-made frosting doggies, that it came to them. Mr. B.! He must be represented, after all, he was the missing piece of their puzzle.

And the story goes like this.

Melanie and Andy's relationship was on a break. She offered to help his parents out with something up at their cabin one weekend, and Andy was there. They went to a mutual friend's bonfire that night, and out of the woods, walked Mr. B. He was a stray. Covered in wood ticks, and pitiful, but so sweet. The friends said that he had been trying to sleep in everyone's garages, and they were planning to take him to the pound the next day. Melanie took one look at that sweet boy, turned to Andy, and said "I will stay with you forever if you take him home" Andy replied "Get him in the car now!" and they have been a family ever since. I'll pause for you to collect yourselves now...

We contacted Andy's mom (official doggy day care provider) to get some photos of Mr. B. She informed us that mere photos wouldn't do him justice, put him in the car, and brought him in for a face-to-face. And she was right. From his one floppy ear, to his charming disposition, you really have to meet him to see just how great he is.

We took a full photo shoot, and I spent the afternoon sculpting him out of Chocolate paste. Jenna made him a frosting bow tie, and he was ready for his close up.

Melanie and Andy's wedding was beautiful. We set up the cake, a beautiful dessert display, and thankfully, Kelly Brown Weddings was there to capture the evening for us.





We're certain that Mr. B. is happy with his new family. And, as per Gateaux policy, the full price of his frosting likeness was donated to the ASPCA.