Wedding Cake Adventures!

Cake Pops Cake Pops Everywhere!

Ah yes.  The craze has finally reached me.  Since Bakerella released her cake pops book, I fear such an insane mania has swept the nation.   People from all over (even Starbucks!) have fallen victim to this cute bite-sized cake on a stick.  How is it different from a cake ball, you may ask?  Nothing.  Except it’s on a stick.  Simple.. and yet it seems to add a whole new dimension of cuteness and consumer demand.

I have had one experience making cake balls.  I came out of that experience with a couple of thoughts, but one main thought was… this is a lot of work for something so small.  haha.  But it’s interesting how it seems to blow the minds of those who don’t bake…I’ve gotten plenty of questions from people on how to make this little suckers.  Pretty funny ideas too.  🙂

But the main point of this post was to share about my (insane) experience to make 300 cake pops as wedding favors for Carrie, my old roommate.  I foolishly thought that I would make 2 cake pops per person.  But after hearing that the guest list was about 300 people… I quickly scratched that idea, because making 600 cake pops would make anybody go crazy.  Especially me…. and possibly even a little bit angry.  So, I decided to just go with one per guest, alternating between green and pink (which were her wedding colors).  🙂

To put it simply… I may did go a liiiiitle bit crazy, but I was so happy that everything came out wonderfully.  The packaging of the cake pops took me a VERY long time, but they came out so cute!  I guess it made all the long hours of work worth it.  haha.  🙂  And besides, they made Carrie happy.. so it’s win win for everyone!  yay!

I made chocolate and red velvet cake pops!  And as you can see…I had many casualties along the way.  Sad.  They could not be saved.  😦

Isn’t the packaging super cute?  🙂

I also made special cake pops for the wedding party!

So pretty right?  But Bakerella’s are still prettier.  Sigh.

Anywho, the wedding was wonderful and beautiful and fun!  And lots of people actually really liked the cake pops… so that made me very very happy!  🙂

Congrats again to Carrie & Mike Saechang!  😀

A Sweet Heart Cake for Sweethearts!

Remember this beautiful cake?  🙂

Well, I am proud to say that I have now made TWO of them!  One for a bridal shower and one for a wedding!  🙂

The second cake I made with a strawberry cake filling (with real strawberries!)  It was definitely super cute with a pink heart.  🙂  It didn’t take me as long as the first time to make this cake, but there were still moments of tension and suspense!  Especially when I was stacking the layers and transporting the cake.  Then I was greatly perplexed as to why the cake seemed WAY bigger than the last one… but I thought maybe I was just seeing things (due to lack of sleep). hahaha.

Doesn’t the cake filling look like brains?!  hahaha.  Sorry.  It did kinda look gross when I crumbled up the strawberry cake and mixed it with frosting.  Oh, speaking of which.  The frosting was seriously to die for.  I loved how white and smooth it is!  I even bought clear vanilla extract to make sure the frosting was a perfect white!  And it wasn’t too sweet with a nice hint of almond to finish it off.  🙂

So those of you who were wondering how to make this cake… here is a quick explanation.  I made 4 separate white cakes and then stacked 2 of them together to make 2 separate 2 layer cakes (are you following?).   Then I made strawberry cake and then crumbled it and mixed it with frosting (kinda like how you would make a cake ball).  Next, I carved out the 2 white cakes to create the 3D shape of a heart (see pictures below).  After I froze the cakes, I stuffed them full with the strawberry cake (see below picture) and then froze them so more!

Last, I smooshed the 2 cakes together to make one giant 4 layer (with strawberry cake inside) cake!  Oh, and I frosted the whole cake two more times (you mustn’t forget the crumb layer) to make it just right!

 

 

Oh yes… the reason for the kettle and pot on top.. was because I felt like the cake was too tall.  I guess my sleep deprivation made me think that the kettle would squish the cake and make it smaller… or something like that…. hahaha.  But now that I think about it, I was just being a tad bit silly.  🙂

 

 

 

Whew.  Lots of work indeed.  🙂

But take a look at the final product!

Isn’t it sooooo cute?!  🙂  I definitely enjoy making this week.  It is a bit nervewracking when I’m carving out the cake.. and nervewracking when I stack all 4 layers together… and nervewracking transporting/delivering the cake.  But to see people’s look of surprise and delight makes it alllllll worth it!

I definitely want to make this one of my specialties.  For weddings or bridal showers or anniversaries.  🙂

It’s such a sweet cake.  Perfect for sweethearts!  hehe.

Do I Hear Wedding Bells?!

Yes indeedy!  And no.  Not mine.  hahaha.

I was asked to bake for my dear friend Liz Lee’s bridal shower.  🙂  So I decided to utilize the wedding cake and wedding dress cookie cutters I bought a few months ago.  I almost forgot about them.. but was super excited to finally have a reason to use them!  I also decided to make a very special cake, which I also happened to bake for a friend of a friend’s wedding (of which I will post about later).  🙂

These cookies were pretty labor intensive… I must admit.  But the finished products… were so cute.. that it was almost worth the sleepless night.  🙂

And NOW  for the amazing cake!  I think I want to make this a specialty of mine… 🙂

Pretty… right?  🙂  Wait until you take a look INSIDE!

Isn’t it wonderful?!   YES.  THAT IS A HEART!  The cake that I made for my friend of a friend’s wedding (which, I will post in greater detail at a later time) had a strawberry cake heart.  This one was red velvet cake and I actually liked this recipe (unlike the other cake I made before).

This cake took me well over 10 hours for all the baking and frosting and chilling and assembling and frosting.  It also cost me a whole night of sleep.  😦  But when you open it and you hear the crowd gasp… well… it’s all worth it.  🙂

Wedding Cake Adventures: SUCCESS!

I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S OVER.

For the past couple days, I’ve breathed and dreamed and thought and lived for this wedding cake… and now that it’s over.. I feel aimless and purpose-less.

haha jk.

But what an amazing adventure it has been! 🙂

My roommate and I were able to safely make it to the reception location and unload the cakes.  Fortunately, there was little traffic/me getting lost and the cakes made it all in one piece!

The ceremony was beautiful and so touching.  AH.  I love love! 🙂

Right after the ceremony, Liz and I rushed back to the reception location to work on the cake.  We pinned purple and silver ribbons around each of the tiers.  Then Liz decorated each tier with swirls and hearts and music notes by piping vanilla buttercream.  Since we had a little bit of time, we chilled the cakes until it was almost the time of the reception.

Just before it was 5pm, we took the cakes out and stacked them on the cake table.  I have to admit.. I had not taken the forethought of checking that the cakes would stack correctly… needless to say we were able to make the best of that situation and finished it all off with some flowers provided by the florist.

I would say I was about 75% satisfied with the cake.  I realize that it was my first wedding cake and I am a harsh critic.  Luckily, Tritia and Eric loved the cake and that is all that really matters!  I am so honored that they trusted and believed in me to make their wedding cake! Yay yay!

Hurray hurray!  I can’t believe it’s over.  😦  I’ve been thinking/planning/preparing for this day since last fall!  Can you believe it?!  Nothing has occupied me for such a long time ever!  But I know I need to write down notes and ideas for next time (ANY TAKERS?!) and how to more efficiently and better create a wondrous wedding cake!  Gotta learn from my mistakes!  And thank goodness for a roommate like Liz who is artistic and made the wedding cake look AMAZING.  It was all her.  MAN! 🙂

But most importantly… I can’t believe that Tritia and Eric are FINALLY married!  I am so excited and sad too.  My apartment-mate is gone FOREVERRRRRR.  haha.  No more random disney movies or silly conversations or singing of ridiculous songs.  😦  But I wish her the BEST and pray that God will bless their marriage abundantly and graciously. 🙂

Ready for the pictures of the cake?!  I’ll post pictures of the wedding after I’m more rested. haha.

HURRAY! 😀  I seriously happy that I’m not baked-out or anything.  But a couple days of rest and not baking would be nice. 🙂  Hurray for an awesome experience! 🙂  I can’t wait for next time!

Wedding Cake Adventures: THE BIG DAY!

OMG.

Last post before the wedding!  Cake is sitting safely in my car (all in one piece so far from the drive down from Northridge) and we have all the decorations and tools packed too!

We shall be heading down in a few minutes.  I am so excited! AHH.

Pray that we make it down safely… no cake mishaps PLEASE!

AND HURRAY AND CONGRATS TO TRITIA LIN AND ERIC LAU! 😀

FINAL POST TO COME EITHER TONIGHT OR TOMORROW! 😀

Wedding Cake Adventures: Day #2 pt. 2

OMG.  I am running SUPER DUPER LATE. Gah.  I’m still in my apartment, but I am loaded and ready to go!

Everything is ready and prepped.  The chocolate mousse is ready (thanks to Kimmie for helping me with that!).  The chocolate buttercream frosting is deliciously waiting to be spread.  Everything is packed in my car and ready for the treacherous drive to Northridge!

Since I don’t have internet access at church, this will be my last post until tonight.  Sad.  I know. 😦  But I shall leave you with some pictures and hopefully when I post.. it’ll be about my fondanted and filled cake tiers.  The cake itself won’t be complete until the wedding.. so you’ll have to wait to see that on Sunday! 😀

ALMOST THERE.  Final 28 hours!

HERE WE GO! 😀

Wedding Cake Adventures: Day #2

Oh my… I overslept by quite a bit.  Though… expecting my body to only nap for a couple hours when it’s already tired was a bit of unrealistic thinking.  This reminds me of studying for finals/writing papers when I’d tell myself I’d only nap for 1 hour and then… I wake up 5 hours later.  Yeah…

But it’s okay!  I’m awake and since my butter has been sitting out for awhile… this buttercream frosting business shouldn’t take me too long.  Hopefully.  🙂

This chocolate buttercream better be amazing.  Yes.  I admit it.   I haven’t made this before.. right now. 🙂  But you know how I KNOW it’ll be amazing?  Besides the fact it’s Joy the Baker’s favorite recipe, it has HEAVY CREAM and OVALTINE in it.  Oh yes.  That definitely means DELICIOUSLY RICH chocolate buttercream.

Hehe.  Ovaltine makes me think of those commercials… “More Ovaltine, please!”  I remember thinking this as a kid.  This and Nesquik.  Man.  No wonder I still crave chocolate milk today…

OH SNAP. I just tasted the buttercream. SO GOOD.  GAH.  I must resist licking my fingers… 🙂

Okay now I just have to make… like 5 more batches of this.  And then chocolate mousse.. but I may need to wait on making the chocolate mousse until I get to church.  I’m going to use the church kitchen because there is much more table space there than in my puny apartment.  This is going to be interesting… transporting 6 cakes and a huge tupperware of frosting and chocolate mousse plus decorating tools and what not.  I really hope I don’t crash or drive too crazy. 😦

All right.  I’m behind schedule.  Must get to work and bust out move frosting.

—

Yum.  Since I’ve started this post, I’ve made 4 batches.  Perhaps two more just to be safe?  Ugh.  I don’t have enough tupperware. haha.  Must switch to ghetto mode… 🙂

Wedding Cake Adventures: Day #1 pt. 3

Well… it’s technically the second day, but since I haven’t slept yet.. it’s just going to be Day #1 still.

I am baking the last cake in the oven now.  I took a 4 hour break to hang out with some friends and eat dinner and catch the end of the Lakers game.  Twas fun.  A nice break from the quietness of my kitchen. 🙂

Now that the last cake is in the oven and the other 5 are cooled/in the process of cooling, I think I should do a quick update!

Everything is going well!  I’ve so far managed to not burn any cakes (knock on wood for the last one) nor dropped any on the floor or burned myself!  Woot!  I am going to start making the chocolate buttercream and possibly the chocolate mousse if I have time.  🙂

I’m also doing well on supplies.  I admit.  I kinda went shopping with just a rough estimate of all the materials I’d need and so far so good.  I did have to do some frantic math in my head a couple times to figure out how much I needed for some ingredients.  I almost bought a 50lb bag of powdered sugar.  INSANE RIGHT?!   But I calculated it not necessary.. this time.  🙂

So far I’ve used up 18 eggs, 2 quarts of buttermilk, countless cups of flour and sugar (18 cups of each, to be exact), numerous teaspoons and tablespoons of vanilla extract, baking soda and baking powder, and salt (okay, more like 9tsps of vanilla and baking powder and 9 tbs of baking soda, as well as 9 cups of cocoa powder and 4.5 cups of veggie oil.  What else?  Oh yes, 9 cups of hot water too.

Yikes.  I think I have this recipe memorized for the rest of my life. haha.  Which is a good thing I suppose…I can whip up a pretty tasty chocolate cake whenever I want. 🙂

Oh wow.  I got super tired all a sudden.  Perhaps a nap is in order?  Hmm…

Oh!  The last cake is done!  Woot! 🙂

Must press on! 🙂

Wedding Cake Adventures: Day #1 pt.2

The first cake is out and chilling! 🙂  I’m currently mixing the second batch but man!  Stand mixers are dangerous.  So far I’ve been breathing in fine cocoa powder and narrowly missed being splashed by hot cake batter (it’s hot because I have to add hot water).  So far so good!  The first cake is pretty much perfect! 😀  The second cake is cooling; it’s a tad too fat, so I’ll have to trim.  And the third cake is in the oven as we speak!  So far so goooood!

Pictures?

Lining pans with parchment paper makes life so much easier.

One can never have too many measuring cups/spoons. Nope.

Trader Joe’s Cocoa Powder = amazing.  Except when you breathe it in…

Because it’s so fine that it’s flying all over the place. haha.

Smelled so good. 🙂

Liquid-y chocolate-y goodness.

Yummy. 😀

Only 3 more layers to go.  I just realized that these suckers won’t fit in my teeny tiny fridge.  Oh well. I shall foil them extra tight tonight.

Perhaps I was a bit too ambitious for what to finish by tonight. :/

Making buttercream, slicing strawberries, and making chocolate mousse all in one night (not including baking 6 cakes)… is a bit intense.  Well, I suppose me sleeping late wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.  I’ve had a horrible sleeping schedule for the past month or so.  Just need to get through a couple more days…

Would anyone like to go on a coffee run for me?  THANKS!  Oh and do my laundry too?  Sigh.   I don’t suppose you could also run a few miles for me or cook me dinner? 😦

But morale and energy levels are still high!  Things are going very smoothly, so I think this endeavor may not be as stressful as I had imagined! 🙂

Thanks for reading! 🙂