The Crazy Month of October...

When I started this blog for my business, I expected to blog weekly about the projects I was working on, step by step features, recipes, etc. Then I got busy...really, really busy!
In fact, October has been the busiest month by far this year! I can't complain, busy is good, and the blogging will just have to wait for me. If I can post once a month, I will be happy :)
So, here's what we did this month at Sugar Sweet Cake Company...(minus a few pictures I forgot to take! Aaah!)

Margarita, Carrot, Canadian Maple, & Irish Mocha cupcakes

Over the hill circling vulture cake :)



Harry Potter themed minis



Harry Potter & the Basilisk 5th birthday cake, to match minis

Disco themed 50th birthday cake

Ladybug 1st birthday cake



Gingerbread, Eggnog & Apple Pie cupcakes

Noah's Ark Christening cake



Ice Bird 5th birthday cake



65th birthday cake for an avid golfer



Pink Princess Castle
3rd birthday cake



Tractor birthday cake for a pumpkin patch party

Gingerbread cupcake

Pumpkin cupcakes with Chai Tea buttercream



Halloween minis for a pumpkin patch photo shoot





Egg-less Dark chocolate cupcakes in Irish Mocha & Vanilla Sprinkle


Enjoy!

Sugar Sweet Weddings

I've slacked a bit in writing my blog. I could say I'm dissapointed in myself, but honestly I've just been too busy, and that's nothing to be dissapointed about! This summer saw lots of birthdays, baby showers and a smattering of weddings. Being that I officially opened after most 2012 wedding cakes should have been booked, I was pleasantly suprised to book the three weddings that I did. Next season, look out. We are already booking 2013 :)
Here is a collection of photography of our 2012 wedding cakes.

The cake table
Cake, cupcakes & cheesecake squares provided by:
 Sugar Sweet Cake Company



Vanilla bean cake, french vanilla filling,
vanilla buttercream & fondant striping;
fresh flowers to match bouquets

Dark Chocolate & Vanilla Bean cupcakes
topped with vanilla buttercream & edible sugar flower

Two tiers dark chocolate cake
top tier gluten free cake;
both tiers filled with whipped chocolate ganache

 

Lillies and satin ribbon detailing

 

 

Handmade sugarpaste Calla lillies

3 tiers marble, vanilla and chocolate cake.
top and bottom tiers filled with chocolate buttercream;
middle tier filled with raspberry preserves and custard

 

 

Handmade sugarpaste Calla lillies

 

 

Cake topper provided by the happy couple

 

 

Thank you to all of the wonderful couples who booked cakes with me this season! We wish you a lifetime of happiness :)

From My Kitchen To Yours :)

When I started my cake and cupcake business, one of my former culinary instructors sent me a message. "Have you thought of pre-measured packets of cupcake mix?", she wrote. I hadn't. In fact, maybe it went against the grain of what I was trying to achieve. Shouldn't my goal as a business be to encourage people to buy cakes/cupcakes fully baked and decorated by me? I mulled it around for awhile, but the more I thought about it, the more I actually liked it. After all, there are a lot of moms and dads out there who want to make their child's birthday cake themselves, but don't have the time to go through the entire process of scratch baking with their busy family lives. There are also people who want the ease of a mix, but not all of the un-pronouncable ingredients, artificial flavours, and preservatives of most commercially available mixes. Mixes are convenient, plain and simple, but they could be so much better!
And, ours are...

$7 each or 2 for $12

Check out those real vanilla seeds

Sugar Sweet's cake mixes are made from real ingredients, no chemicals or preservatives...and you can see the vanilla seeds right in the mix. Just add melted butter, eggs, and water...that's it!
They are available for purchase through our facebook page, by email or phone call. We also sell them at special events around town, so if we have a table going, come by and pick one up! We'd love to see you :)

One of our biggest fans with his mixes ;)

Monkeys, and Elephants and Bears...Oh My!

It was another busy weekend at Sugar Sweet Cake Company. We had 3 birthday cakes, 4 dozen mini cupcakes, 1 dozen full size cupcakes, and participated in the Canadian Cancer Society's Relay For Life.

The first cake of the weekend was made for a little girl turning three. Her parents were taking her to Vancouver to see family, and visit the Greater Vancouver Zoo. As such, they requested a zoo themed cake to take with them to the coast. This cake was four layers of vanilla bean cake, layered with apricot preserves and vanilla buttercream. The monkeys and lions (not pictured), balloons and leaves were hand cut from fondant and laid into the buttercream. The tiny elephant and wired balloon on top of the cake were created out of gumpaste. The cake made it safely to Vancouver to be enjoyed by all, and apparently even reappeared the next morning at breakfast!!!

Recently, I created a ladybug "smash cake" for a first birthday photo shoot. This weekend I had the priveledge to again colaborate with Hailey Hamilton Photography on another "smash"! The cake was abloom with rainbow roses, accented with a pearlized #1 and whimsical pearl details. The photo shoot turned out, once again, so cute! Too see some shots, please visit www.haileyhamilton.com.

It seemed to be a weekend full of birthdays! These cute hockey minis were commissioned by the birthday boy's friend for his 30th birthday. Like any good Canadian man, he is a dedicated hockey fan, and loves his BC team. The minis were vanilla bean cake, topped with vanilla buttercream and gumpaste accents.



I was absolutely honored to be asked to join a Relay For Life team this year. It is an amazing event for the Canadian Cancer Society that honours survivors and remembers those we have lost to this horrible disease. My family was touched this past year, with my grandmother and aunt each fighting their own battle. This is a cause that effects so many, and is now very close to my heart.

In a fundraising effort we created daffodil cupcakes, and all net proceeds were donated to the Canadian Cancer Society.

For 2012, the theme of the Relay was superheroes, and so I created these Relay Heroes cupcakes to share with my team, while we stayed up all night, walking the track in shifts from 6pm until 6am the next morning.

I am happy to say this Relay raised over $80,000 in Kelowna alone! It was an amazing and touching experience and I am pleased to announce that we will be forming our very own team next year, and fundraising efforts start now! If you would like to help the fight, please see our website, www.sugarsweetcakeco.ca, for more details!



Last, but certainly not least, was a cake created for one of my closest friends. Her daughter was turning three, and she was having a teddy bears picnic! Like any good auntie, I went all out to hand pipe a furry teddy bear raiding the honey hive. I think this is probably now my favourite cake ever! Our little bear was a hit at the party, and more than one party guest was fooled into thinking it was actually a stuffed toy...not a cake!

Of course, the task of cutting and serving the cake was given to me, as no one else could "bear" the thought of cutting into this adorable little guy! I must admit, for the first time ever, even I found it difficult to do. But, as with all of my cakes, this little guy was meant to be eaten and enjoyed :)

Thanks again to all of my wonderful clients. I just love being able to create something Sugar Sweet for you :)

Enjoy!

Ladybug Smash

A few months back I was contacted by a mom looking to have a "smash cake" created. I had vaguely heard of this new trend, but many people I mentioned it to had no idea what it was. Basically, you have a professional photographer capture your baby smashing a cake or cupcakes for their first birthday. A cute concept, and don't we all have that wonderful picture of our kids messily eating a piece of cake at their first birthday party? This idea just takes it up a notch to frame worthy art!

She wanted a ladybug, to fit the theme of the birthday party, as well as some cupcakes for the guests. The cake itself would serve as a centerpiece, to be saved for the smashing photos the next day.

For the party, I created little cupcakes straight out of a strawberry patch. They were a mixture of vanilla and gluten free chocolate minis, filled with fresh strawberry buttercream and topped with vanilla buttercream and sugar blossoms with an edible pearl centre. The birthday girl got her very own special full size cupcake, also filled, but featuring multiple blossoms, leaves and her own little ladybug :)

The lovely little ladybug itself was a vanilla bean cake, filled with layers of fresh strawberries and strawberry buttercream. She was then topped with a layer of vanilla buttercream and covered in fondant. I added some cute antenae, and a pink sugar blossom to accent her pink lipstick.

The resulting smash photos turned out so cute, with the birthday girl decked out in her ladybug finest as well! To see some of the shots, please visit www.haileyhamilton.com.

Enjoy!

Birthdays, Mother's Day & Cupcakes for a Cure :)

I try to post a blog every week, but let's be honest...I've been way to busy!!! (not a bad thing). It has been two crazy weeks full of Mother's Day cupcakes, birthdays, giveaways and giving back.

It started with mini cupcakes, for a birthday packed week at a local daycare. This dedicated provider has a birthday party for each of her little friends, and that week she had two! Flower fairy mini cupcakes for a little girl, basketball minis for a little boy.

Flower fairy minis, sprinkled with
Pixie Dust (edible glitter :)

The next day, we provided three cupcake 4 packs as draw prizes for the Business Ladies league at Kelowna Springs Golf Club. It is a great weekly evening of golf, food and prizes. We are so happy to be a part of it, providing monthly prizes and taking part in their annual Think Pink event to raise money for Breast Cancer research. Three lucky ladies took home a cupcake pack to enjoy.

Draw prize pack :) Classic Vanilla, Peanut Butter Cup-cake,
Caramel Kiss & Blackberry Lemon

We were also commissioned to create birthday cupcakes for a sixteen year old boy who loves basketball, specifically the Phoenix Suns. We replicated the logo, and decorated the vanilla, chocolate and red velvet cupcakes in team colours. We also threw in the birthday boys initial, for good measure :)

Phoenix Suns minis :)

Amidst the hustle and bustle of birthday cupcakes came orders for Mother's day. Specifically, Mother's Day cupcake bouquets. So many people give their moms flowers on this special day, but flowers wilt, and enevitably end up in the trash, just a memory. Cupcake flowers, on the other hand, get eaten (a more delicious memory!) and never have time to wilt. Some gorgeous (if I do say so myself) bouquets went out our door last weekend. And, while awaiting delivery, I had the most amazing looking cooler! They were such a hit, that cupcake bouquets will become a regular on my menu of options. They make a lovely hostess gift, birthday suprise or imagine them as a wedding centerpiece! Everyone could take a cupcake home as their wedding favour as well!!!

A rose & hydrangea bouquet :)

My amazing cooler on Mother's Day weekend :)

We are very proud to be sponsoring team Up All Night for the Fight at this years Relay for Life in Kelowna (June 2nd & 3rd). I will be participating as part of the team, and providing sweets for our team as well. Gotta keep up our energy, it is a twelve hour overnight relay after all!!!
In an effort to raise money for the relay, we are baking these delicious daffodil cupcakes. All net proceeds from the sale of daffodil cupcakes will be donated to the Canadian Cancer Society. I am happy to say that so far this has been a success, but it is a big fight and we can always do more! So please, send in your orders, eat something yummy and support a great cause :) Visit www.sugarsweetcakeco.ca for more details.

Cupcakes for a Cure

As always, thanks to our wonderful customers for your orders :) Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cup-cakes :)

This weekend I decided to fulfill my own craving. For a week I had been craving peanut butter cups, a wierd craving for me since as a child I loathed the chocolate/peanut butter flavour combination! I was craving it nonetheless. A simple candy would not suffice though. I must make peanut butter cup-cakes!

Peanut Butter Cup-cake :) delicious & g-free!

These sweeties were dark chocolate cupcake, peanut butter frosting, a mini peanut butter cup & a sprinkle of chopped salted peanuts. Yum!
As an added bonus, these cupcakes were also g-free for the gluten-intolerant in my family. They were thoroughly enjoyed and dissapeared quickly :)

To order your own Peanut Butter Cup-cakes (gluten free or not) check out our website @ www.sugarsweetcakeco.ca

Bon-apetit!

Spring Has Sprung

The birds are chirping, the trees are full of buds, the sky is (mostly) blue...and the cakes all seem to scream SPRING!!!

This past weekend was Easter, and everyone had flowers, pastels and bunnies on the brain...and, apparently vanilla & berries :)

Vanilla cupcake w/ black-blueberry buttercream
& sugar daisy

On April 1st, my sons drew two names (from all of our Facebook page "likes") to win a dozen delicious cupcakes each. One of the winners chose to take hers to a baby shower, and the colour scheme was purple & white. Hence, vanilla cupcakes w/ black-blueberry buttercream & white sugar daisies and non-pareil. I hear they were a hit with all the ladies! Congrats on the win Christa!

Nana's "bunny cake"

Every Easter, for as long as I can remember, my Nana has made a cake that we have simply dubbed "bunny cake". It was traditionally a chocolate cake, covered in Swiss meringue and coconut, decorated with paper ears, green coconut "grass" and a mixture of chocolate eggs and jelly beans.
For at least 25 years, she hosted a brunch and egg hunt at her and my grandfather's home. The finale was always this cake. The last few years, since I had my sons, the torch has been passed and I have hosted the annual get-together. Nana has continued to bring her cake, but this year we switched it up! After a year of health problems (passed now, but exhausting nonetheless) I felt she needed a break. It was time for me to take up this tradition as well, but with a twist. So, bring on the bunny butt cake :) It consisted of vanilla bean cake, vanilla buttercream and the requisite coconut "fur". The ears and foot pads are gumpaste, surrounded by the traditional "grass" and eggs. It was a hit for sure, especially with my little guys!



Bunny butt cake. Vanilla cake w/ vanilla
buttercream, coconut & gumpaste details

April is a busy month in my family. Especially when Easter weekend falls like it did this year. My birthday one day, Easter Sunday the next, my grandma's birthday the day after that! It may be a bit hectic, but we celebrate them all regardless.

My mom commissioned a cake for her mother-in-law (my grandma) with the broad criteria of: "Vanilla, soft colours, maybe some flowers...whatever you think". The result was this simple, yet (I think) effective cherry blossom cake with black raspberry buttercream filling and gumpaste flowers. Cherry blossoms in all forms are one of my favourite images, and growing up my grandparents had a wonderful cherry tree that never failed to impress.



Cherry Blossoms. Vanilla cake w/
black raspberry buttercream filling,
vanilla buttercream & gumpaste details

Happy Spring everyone :)

Gluten Free Goodies...And A Little Monster

I repeatedly see recipes for "slutty" brownies, every single time I use Pinterest (which is highly addictive, I might add. If you aren't on it, I wouldn't recommend it, hahaha, jk ;) The sheer volume of "pins" for this one item piqued my interest. What is a "slutty" brownie, you ask? Well, it's a layer of chocolate chip cookie dough, and a layer of Oreo cookies, all topped with brownie batter and baked to perfection. They are crispy, gooey, sweet, delicious! I just had to make some. The thing is, some of us living in my home are gluten free. This makes the whole seemingly simple task of baking anything a little more complicated. The good news is, I just happened to have a fantastic recipe for g-free chocolate chip cookies, and gluten free Oreo-like cookies are readily available in most supermarkets these days! The only challenge might be finding a good brownie recipe, but having had some amazing flourless chocolate cakes, I figured brownies would lend themselves to the task quite readily. A quick search on my go-to recipe site yielded success on the first try. A quick trip to the grocery store for supplies, and we were off!

layering on the Glutino brand "Oreos"

The first task was making my chocolate chip cookie dough. The recipe is adapted from the winning cookie recipe on Food Network Canada's Recipe To Riches.  I have made a few changes to the recipe to suit my own tastes, but the original is pretty awesome. I doubled the recipe and had enough to make the bottom layer of a 9x13" pan, and also about 3 dozen cookies (2 tbsp. dough balls, bake for 12 minutes @ 350 F from chilled). I then layered on a package of Glutino Dream cookies, which taste nearly identical to Oreos. Next came the brownie batter, from a Canadian Living recipe, that I doubled as well, but used the full amount in one pan. Into the oven they went, to bake @ 350 F for 50-60 minutes. I tested with a bamboo skewer, and when it came out just slightly gooey, I pulled them out to cool. 



Into the oven they go

This recipe match-up yielded thick, fudgy, decadent brownies that I honestly could have cut much smaller, but why not live a little?  I think the beauty of this recipe, as a whole, is that you can use your favourite chocolate chip cookie and brownie recipes, whatever version of Oreo your prefer (regular, double stuffed, gluten free...), and they will turn out slightly different, but delicious all the same. If you can bake, then this WILL turn out. If you can't bake, you can use any number of available cookie and brownie mixes, or order them from Sugar Sweet Cake Company ;) We don't just bake cakes you know!

Gluten free "slutty" brownies

* these brownies got rave reviews from my non-celiac friends and family, who had no idea what they were eating, until I told them afterwards. This is how I like to test my g-free recipes, because if they don't taste a difference, then neither will the tasty treat deprived celiacs of the world ;)

Amazing chocolate chip cookies

** the chocolate chip cookies were awesome as well. In fact, I think they were better than the brownies, and maybe the best cookies I have ever eaten, regardless of gluten content!!! They are also available from Sugar Sweet Cake Company.

Domo Kun cupcakes

As for our little monster friend, this is Domo Kun. He is a little Japanese stop-motion character, and beloved by many, including my brother. These were his birthday cupcakes.

Happy Birthday Greg!!!