Bling in the New Year!

Photo courtesy of member Jenny Ma, owner Jenny Cakes NYC

Why not ring in the New Year with a bling cupcake? Delish bling cupcakes are just one of the treats at Jenny Cakes NYC. Jennifer Ma was trained at the  Culinary Institute of America  and has done work for Nickelodeon.

Happy NewYear!

This festive tired cake was made by Megumi Suzuki, one of our international members in Japan. Check out her awesome cakes at her website Yonoji + Cakes, Custom Cake Designs. I would just love a slice of this cake.

FREE CLASS GIVEAWAY & Icing Smiles Fundraiser at Pink Cake Box!

Those of you who know me well, know that I am committed to support any worthy organization that helps children in need.

Chef Anne Heap, Pink Cake Box, is partnering with Icing Smiles again and hosting a Fundraiser. Go to Pink Cake Box's website, vote for your favorite cake posted for  chance at winning a free class. For every vote they receive, Pink Cake Box will donate $1 dollar to Icing Smiles with a maximum of $1,000 dollars! Volunteer to bake for Icing Smiles, donate some of your cake cash, or VOTE for free by clicking this link.

Extreme Sugar Art Workshops with Kaysie Lackey!

Kaysie Lackey is the queen of  gravity defying cakes. Having won numerous cake challenges and being renowned for her artistry and originality. The talented cake artist is teaching her techniques in structure, painting and modeling chocolate.

 

January 14 - 15, 2012: "The Butler" workshop is an excellent way for you to learn how to use modeling chocolate to make vivid, exciting characters and combine them with armature design to create jaw dropping works of art. You will learn methods for carving cake into unusual shapes, sculpting features into characters and micro-painting.

Kaysie Lackey winner of Food Network Challenges: Extreme Villain Cakes Paranomal Cakes and Smurf Cakes in 2011.

January 17-19, 2012- Learn how to construct gravity defying cakes. You will use fondant, gumpaste and marzipan for this cake design. You will paint on your fondant creation and walk away with a completed cake after 3 days. You will be able to re-use the internal structure and will also have the necessary skill set to make your own gravity defying cake structure again.

If you've seen it on television and wanted to learn the do's and don'ts then Kaysie is probably the best person to teach you. With her expertise in gravity defying cakes and structures you'll be able to learn the A-Z of Cake construction.


The Kaysie Lackey Workshops will take place at Mother of Cakes Sugar and Cake Academy in PA. Host/Owner Tanveer Walli can be contacted at Mother of Cakes or Facebook [Cake Mechanic] for further information.

Season's Greetings!

Photo courtesy of Rafael 

This adorable snowman with presents cake was designed and decorated by member Rafael.  This talented teen is so passionate about cake decorating that he started his own custom cake business in PA!

Ho Ho Ho! SugarVeil's Gingerbread Recipe and Templates!

I received a really cool gingerbread recipe and templates from SugarVeil and thought I would pass it along to my readers.

Julie Bashore visited NYC Cake Decorators and gave a spectacular workshop on SugarVeil (R).  If you haven't tried sugarveil, you don't know what you're missing! Let me know if you tried the gingerbread recipe or either of the projects.  Happy Holidays!

Spicy SugarVeil(R) Gingerbread People
(Makes a Family of About 20 - 8" People)

Download the pattern for the Gingerbread People and the 3-D Trees here.
Mix spices & sugars: 

• 1 Tbl. ginger
• 1 Tbl. mace
• 1 Tbl. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. white pepper
• 1 tsp. anise
• 1 tsp. cloves
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup dk. brown sugar, packed

Cream: 

• 1 cup softened butter with the above on medium speed until fluffy

Add: 

• 2 tsp. baking soda, dissolved into 2 Tbl. water
• 1 cup light molasses

Beat until smooth. Mix in gradually: 

• 4 1/2 cups flour

Divide dough into thirds. Placing a sheet of wax paper over dough, roll dough 1/8" thick directly onto parchment sheets. Place pattern onto dough and cut along outside of pattern with sharp, narrow knife tip, taking care not to cut thru parchment sheet. Move pattern and repeat until entire dough sheet is cut. "Weed" scraps of dough around shapes.

Continue rolling dough/scraps as above until all the dough is used. Allow cut shapes to rest (room temperature is fine) overnight.

The next day, place parchment sheet with cut shapes onto baking tray. Bake 8 minutes at 350 degrees. Allow to cool on tray.

Cupcake Ornament Class at NY Cake!

NY Cake Academy will hold a 2 hr. cupcake ornament class at NY Cake on December 10th and December 24th. The cupcakes, fondant, and gumpaste will be provided in the class. Students will make 6 different cupcake ornaments in class!  NY Cake is located at 56 W. 22nd Street [between 5th and 6th Avenues], New York NY 10021, 212-675-2253.

Sweet Fashion: Clothes Made from Chocolate and Royal Icing

You heard about the annual Chocolate Show in Manhattan but have your heard about pastry Chef Christos Vergados' Sweet Fashion Show? The exhibition took place in Greece earlier this year. The edible clothes and accessories are made of chocolate, candy, sugar, bread, and royal icing.