Ringing in the New Year with Charmaine Jones, Cake Diva!!

The NYC Cake Decorators will be ringing in the New Year with the fabulous Charmaine Jones, Cake Diva, at the Wedding Cafe & Bridal Lounge, in midtown Manhattan!

The Cake Diva is the cake decorator to the stars and her prestigious client list includes, but is not limited to, Beyonce, Michael Jordan, Jay Leno, Giraldo Rivera, Susan Sarandon, Erykah Badu, Fat Joe, and MTV. The Cake Diva will network with members and demo sugarcraft techniques.

For more info about Cake Diva and The Wedding Cafe, visit http://www.cakediva.com/ and http://www.weddingcafeny.com/.

Want to learn more about the NYC Cake Decorators? Visit http://cakedecorating.meetup.com/123

The beautiful wedding cake shown on this page is the creation of member Julie. This cake consists of several tiers covered with quilted sugarpaste and decorated with sugar flowers. You can see more of Julie's work at http://www.bake350nyc.com/

Friends of the NYC Cake Decorators & Members' Businesses

Bas Relief cake created by Dina, Organizer, NYC Cake Decorators Meetup

This is my kissing cake which I made some time ago. It won second place in a local competition. I thought it would be nice to post this Valentine cake along with the links to our Meetup friends and members' websites.

Here are the links. Check them out when you get a chance!!! You'll see some awesome cakes....I promise!

Dina
Organizer


Our Friends
Creation Metals. Fabulous custom metal cake toppers
Cake Diva
Perry Street Cakes
Scott Clark Woolley
Sugar Couture
Diane Shavkin

Our Member Businesses
Ana: Just Cakes by Anna
Brian:Sweet Karma Desserts
Chrissy: Chrissy's Cakes
Helen: Helen's Cakes
Isabel: Isa's Cakes
Irene: The Painted Eye
Julie: Bake @350
Kimmy: Kimmys Kakes
Natalie: World of Cakes
Pam: Pam's Kakes
Terry: Something New Bakery
Sherralla: Exotic Sweet Treats
Brenda: Brenda's Dream Cakes


Our Wilton Method Instructors
Ana
Isabel
Melinda
Monique
Sherralla
Sonia

Network & Cake Tasting with The Cake Atelier, NYC

We're looking forward to our Meetup with Chef Ruth Drennan, Co-Owner of the Cake Atelier in January 2008. Networking with the Chef and sampling her delicious cakes is sure to be a memorable experience for everyone!

The stunning cake featured displays the Chef's signature sugar flowers. This photo is copyright protected and is posted with her permission. http://www.thecakeatelier.com/

Chef Drennan completed her Grand Diplome in Pastry Arts from the French Culinary Institute, Cornell University. She interned with Ron Ben Israel where she received experience creating gumpaste flowers, and upon graduating went to work for Gail Watson Custom Cakes, where she served as production manager until opening The Cake Atelier on 6th Avenue in the flower district. She has since supplemented her studies with Nicholas Lodge, Betty Van Nostrand, and Scott Clark Woolley.

The Cake Atelier had their cakes featured in the Spring/Summer Issue of "The Knot" ,"Grace Ormonde Wedding Style" and two episodes of "Who's Wedding is it Anyway". They have an ever growing list of prestigious clients, and are scheduled to be featured in a reality show about wedding cake designers to be aired on the Women's Channel!

Stay tuned for photos of this Meetup with the Chef scheduled this January!

Burrrrr!!! Members' Winter Cakes

Dina made this cake after taking a Wilton Class at the Chocolate Gallery (now Cake & Baking Supply Company). Royal icing wired flowers and berries surround a hand painted gumpaste plaque.

Painting on gumpaste was really fun! Don't worry, the wires never pierced the cake itself.
















Gingerbread structures are definitely in this winter.
Member Ismelda, Pastry Chef, created the sweet gingerbread house.



This beautifully decorated sweet snowman
is the creation of member Kimmy.
http://www.kimmyskakes.com

Wouldn't this little fellow look great as a dinner table centerpiece or wrapped up real snug in colorful food wrap and presented as a gift? Sure to make everyone smile.

Kimmy's cakes are great! Her lollipop cake is featured on the title page of this blog and on our Meetup "About Us" page.

Gumpaste & Fondant Mini-Clinic

One of the display cakes decorated at the mini-clinic.

Cake Decorating Mini-Clinics

The Intro to Cake Decorating mini-clinic was lots of fun!!!! Newbie decorators gathered together, piping bags in hand and had a great time practicing basic buttercream flowers, borders, and flowers with their instructors close at hand.
One member had never held a pastry bag before attending the mini-clinic but by the end of the class, she was producing buttercream borders and stars with the confidence of a pro.














Swapping cake stories and piping buttercream with cake buddies--hey, what more can you ask for?

Practice does make perfect and the newbie decorators' piping skills are getting better by leaps and bounds! Besides the basic piping, we also piped icing swirls on cupcakes for two members who are cupcake fanatics. It was great!

Buttercream roses were piped at our Ode to the Rose Mini-Clinic. We tried the zero trans fat solid white shortening in our class buttercream recipe with no real problems. Whew! that was a relief!

Jacob Javits Cake Show Entries

Laura S., Assistant Organizer, took plenty of photos of the event. Here are three of our favorites. How sweet they are!!

November Cake Show at Jacob Javits

We had a sweet time networking and viewing the cakes entered into the cake show competition at Jacob Javits.

There were some jaw-dropping entries and breathtaking sugar and chocolate work! Irene Likokas' stunning pale blue tiered cake with fantasy figures won "Best of Show".

Irene is scheduled to conduct a demo at our upcoming Day of Sharing.

We took time to speak with some of the chefs, culinary instructors and entrants, and afterwards had lunch at a nearby diner.

Interview with Perry Street Cakes Owner, Deborah Edell

Deborah Edell is the owner of Perry Street Cakes, an upscale custom wedding cake business in NYC.

Deborah was the guest cake artist at a business lunch hosted by the NYC Cake Decorators on October 20th. She graciously shared tips and hints how to start and grow a custom cake business. We wish the very best for Perry Street Cakes!

Photo of Deborah's stunning cherry blossom cake is posted with her permission.

Q-When did you start your business?

A-About five years ago, eventually moving into a shared commercial space.

Q-How did you grow your business?

A-Word of mouth.

Q-What is your favorite kind of bride?

A- The bride who isn't sure of what she wants but who trusts me to create an amazing cake.

Q-What was your most unusual wedding cake design?

A- A bride insisted that I incorporate the Pittsburgh Steelers' logo on the wedding cake.

Q- What in your opinion is the current trend in wedding cake flavors?

A- Red velvet cake bar none.

Q-What is the current trend in wedding cake design?

A- My brides are into more traditional shapes, the topsy-turvy wedding cake is rarely requested.

Q- What is your most memorable cake?

A- There is a lot of interest in my cherry blossom cake.

Q- What is one tip you would like to give our readers?

A- New Yorkers have a sophisticated appreciation of wedding cake design. However, in order to be successful in this business, the cake must taste as good or better than it looks. If it doesn't, your brides will let you know.

• www.perrystreetcakes.com/index.htm

• Video: Perry Street Cakes was featured in the video clip below:
  inside the studios of top cake designers NYC studio specializing in wedding cakes
  http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid285076654/bctid29497781