"Emily"

At the Utah Bridal Expo this year I gave away a free wedding cake.  The winner was named Emily.  Basically she won a four-tier cake with a credit of a said amount to decorate those four-tiers.

Emily was a very sweet girl.  She kept saying "thank you" even though she won the cake through a drawing.  She was very appreciative and even paid for a tasting.  She would call and state she couldn't wait to see her cake and never gave off that she was anything more than grateful.  She was so thankful she won a free cake and so was her family.  It was nice to have a bride that was thankful and not acting as though she deserved the works.

For this cake I would normally charge $375.00 and no that doesn't include flowers.

The cake was four tiers.  The top and third tier being one inch shorter (called off-set sizes...it's a new fad).  Her wedding theme was very elegant.  So we elected to do white fondant with a simple ribbon border, then white vine piping on the second and bottom tiers.  The flowers were provided by Heritage Gardens (her reception site...which by the way...I love this place).  I arranged them on the cake and table. 

Cake Flavors

Bottom Tier: Lemon Cake with Raspberry Buttercream

Third Tier: Chocolate/Vanilla Marble with Chocolate Buttercream

Second and Top Tiers: Coconut Cake with Coconut Buttercream

The Bride arrived and herself and the groom constantly said thank you.  Guests were coming up and saying the cake was gorgeous and when they found out she won the cake they were even more in awe.  I set business cards behind the cake and was told by the Hostess at Heritage Gardens that they were gone within an hour.

I received a call the Monday after the wedding from the brides father.  He stated that the cake was absolutely gorgeous and he and everyone were in awe that it was a free cake.  He stated that people came up to them int he line and discussed how gorgeous it was.  That it tasted amazing.  He also wanted my address to mail me a a bonus because they were so appreciative.  I told him it was ok because she won the cake, but he insisted.  He also said that when their next daughter gets married there will be no doubt they are coming to me for a wedding cake.

See...it's so nice when people appreciate your work.  Seriously, this family and the bride really were so great.  They were so appreciative and more so understood the hard work in a cake.

Just goes to show that not everyone out there in this world are ungrateful or do not understand the hard work that goes into a wedding cake.  I must say that this family was by far my favorite family to deal with.

Bridezillas: Why a large, town-eating, growling monster would be more pleasing to deal with...

...Afterall, at least the monster just eats you and calls it good.

Ever seen that episode of "Cake Boss" on TLC where the bride comes into Buddy's bakery and destroys the wedding cake he made because it was "too elegant"?  That's never happened to me, but scary enough...it actually does happen outside of the reality TV realm.  Brides are really like that.  I have heard of brides knocking their cake off the table because they didn't like it.  Throwing out food in front of a caterer because it wasn't what they wanted.  Ripping pictures done by a photographer for whatever reason.  It's insane.  Some of these brides calm down a few hours later and are just embarrassed, others just keep with the behavior.  Though it sucks to deal with them, I usually pity the poor groom in that situation.  Good luck Chuck.

Bridezillas will never be satisfied.  They will pick and find just about any little thing they hate about your cake, service, work, etc.  These are the worst clients to have, but in the wedding business you are going to encounter HUNDREDS of these.  Yup, sorry, it's true.  All I can say is invest in Excedrin and tough skin.  Now this blog is not out there to offend anyone, however if you were a Bridezilla and you are offended...well, it sucks when your pointed out.  I'm not apologizing for it. 

My Theory on Them:

I honestly think (and this is just in my experience) Bridezillas primarily exist for two reasons:  One, they are raised spoiled (no offense) and two, they are usually planning a wedding on an EXTREMELY tight schedule.  In Utah I would say 98% of the brides I meet are planning a wedding only three months out.  THREE MONTHS!?  That is 90 days to meet, plan, purchase, finalize flowers, invitations, reception halls, food, cakes, dresses, licenses, churches, linens, nail appointments, whatever....that's pure insanity.  No wonder these chicks are freaking out.  I started to sweat just typing about a 1/4 of the duties they have to do just now.  Half the time they meet with EVERYONE of those companies in the same month.  These brides not only tend to forget what the heck they ordered (it all blends), but then are usually the ones freaking out at the wedding.  Majority of them apologize after the wedding realizing that is what they ordered.  Damage already done though.  They freaked out, bitched at the wedding, slandered your company that you "ruined" their wedding when all along...they got what they ordered.  Do they go back and say "Hey everyone, I was wrong!".  Hell no.  Thus, why everyone in the business dreads, avoids, and kicks themselves in the @$$ for ever dealing with Bridezillas.

How Do You Deal?

Well I wasn't kidding about tough skin and Excedrin.  Majority of these Bridezillas DO apologize, however a larger majority dont.  Not because they felt they were in the right for freaking out on you...its because they are embarrassed about how they behaved.  I have had Mothers of the Bride and Fathers of the Bride call me the next day apologizing for their daughters behavior and state that the cake was great and that it was what THEY PAID FOR and that their daughter was having a "bad day"...no kidding.  You just have to smile through these people.  If you know you delivered the cake that the bride ordered, that's the bottom line.  Yes it sucks if they bash you and you lose business, but that's the biz.  You can't fight it.  You just know that you did it right and leave it at that. If they call, you speak calmly to them.  Explain where they were wrong (as kindly as possible), and even show them contracts, orders, etc to show them where THEY WERE WRONG. 

In the wedding business, ALWAYS keep detailed notes.  Dates/times you spoke, orders placed, sketches and examples, swatches, etc (this helps because as I said, brides forget what they ordered).  If someone says "go with your own direction", make them sign a contract stating THEY AGREE WITH THAT.  So if they hate what you delivered, you legally know you did what they asked.  You can't do anything to stop them from telling everyone they hated it.  People will usually bitch more to the public when they know they are wrong just to make themselves feel better (read my post on Bad Press).   That's just basic psychology.  The average person will never admit their wrong to the general public.  It's easier to play the victim/blame another then stand up and say they were wrong.  We all know we've done it.

Conclusion

Bridezillas are everywhere.  Whether it be on their very own TV show (TLC), in your business, a friend of yours, your own child, or just some bride at a wedding you are attending.  Some people you can peg as Bridezillas from just your consultation meeting, others seem so far from one that you are ten times more shocked when they turn out to be one at the reception.  That's why I say plan on EVERY bride being one, and be thankful they turn out to be chill in the end. 

Don't let them get you down either.  They tend to yell at every vendor there, not just you.  They will not always apologize either.  If you know you did it right, just pat yourself on the back and walk away pitying the poor groom stuck with that chick for the rest of their lives.

Bad Press and the Negative Nancy

When you are in the wedding cake business, you deal with a lot of different characters.  Unfortunately, you randomly come across the people that dont understand how business works.

I received a few comments on a free review site about my business recently.  Reading bad reviews about your business will always bring you down, however, you need to realize one thing.  Majority of people who enjoy your business do not go and seek you out online to write a review.  However, those who did not like it or had a bad experience WILL.  I would say 90% of people are vindictive when they are upset.  It's sad really.  These are usually the people that do not realize how business is, how hard it is, and feel that slandering you (usually when they are in the wrong anyway) will get back at you and make them feel better.  These people are just (usually) unhappy with themselves and want to bring anyone else down with them. 

Example #1:  Now about these bad comments.  Funny thing is, one of them I knew who it was.  I had this Mother of a Bride who had a cupcake stand of mine she rented from me.  In my contract it CLEARLY STATES you must return the rented equipment the Tuesday FOLLOWING the reception to get your deposit back.  I'm usually pretty laid back about this.  Email me, call me, whatever and let me know if you are going to be late.  Sometimes I dont need them right away.  Well she would pick a date to return it, then change it last minute (literally...she'd call me an hour before she was supposed to show up and say she couldn't).  This wedding was May 5th.  So finally June 28th I told her I needed that stand by the 2nd of July for another wedding.  She said she'd bring it that evening.  Again, an hour before she was supposed to show up she called and cancelled.  I couldn't reach her after that.  I had to create a new stand for the wedding.  Then July 7th she calls and said she wanted to return it.  I told her I was sorry but I could not take the stand back.  I had to replace it because I told her I needed it by a date for a wedding and that it had already been over two months of her not returning it.  That exact same day I received a comment on that free site that her "wedding cupcakes" were dry and horrible and smashed together.  I knew it was her because of the username (it was the exact same as her email...smart), but worse is the entire time she kept stating how "wonderful" and "appreciative" they were of their cupcakes via email (I saved those emails just in case).  I even got two referrals from that wedding.  Yeah...they must have really sucked.  See?  She's pissed I finally said no to the stand after all her crap, so she turns around and writes that.  She knew she couldn't fight legally over the stand, she signed a CONTRACT that she violated and I was more than lenient with her.  People like this are out there.  You will deal with them A LOT in the wedding business.  It's ridiculous.

Example #2: Another comment I got was from someone stating they were a "former co-worker and friend/'.  Side note: If you are a friend of someones, why would you slander their business without perhaps saying something to them first?  First they claimed they knew of someone who ordered bridal shower cupcakes from me that were not filled and that this person contacted me several times for a refund and never heard from me.  I'm going to stop you right there...I have NEVER done bridal shower cupcakes.  Ever.  I honestly cannot remember the last time I have, unless it was over a year and a half ago.  I have detailed order slips.  Not a one is listed for a bridal shower.  Birthdays, baby showers, movie night, just because...yup no BRIDAL SHOWER.  Second, I would have recalled someone calling to complain.  I do, call people back and especially in regards to complaints.  Then this person went to state that they were at a wedding where people said to not eat the cake (yet then this person ate it anyway...which is interesting), but that it was "dry and flavorless" and that the cake was leaning completely to one side.  Again, I'm going to stop you right there.  I have been in this business A LONG TIME.  One, if your cake is leaning, someone will call the cake decorator.  Either right there or the day after...OR the photographer who emails me the photos would have mentioned it (because we are all in this business).  I have NEVER had a cake leaning on me, ever.  I call the day after my weddings and follow up with the clients about their order.  No one ever said their cake was leaning or that it was "dry and flavorless".  Furthermore, in my contract it states to contact me if there are ANY issues so that I can come out and see them.  In the case of a leaning cake, I can fix that.  Wedding cakes weigh up to 150LBS (sometimes more)...they may/can lean.  It's an EASY ten minute fix.  I kid you not.  However, I knew this review was complete BS because no one ever called me about a leaning cake and I have not done any cakes for anyone I even personally know since February of 2010, before that was March of 2009 and this post was July 20th, 2010.  So ummm yeah.  Bottom line...a bride or someone would have told me their cake was that awful.  Trust me on this.  You dont pay $300.00 for something  and then blow it off if its dry, leaning, whatever.  Which further led me to believe this was probably either that same lady, a person who confused companies (attention, there is another decorator out there going by Kali Cakes in Utah...yeah...bummer for me), or just someone who wanted to be a complete jerk.  If that person wanted to be serious they could call me about this issue.  They dont.  Which just tells me they really have nothing but the desire to bitch about something they really shouldn't be.  Simple as that.

Bottom line, you'll get bad press.  On these stupid online sites, you will get a lot more bad press than good.  Ever looked up your favorite restaurant on Citysearch.com?  Notice how many BAD reviews there are?  How minimal good reviews there are?  That's because people love to bitch and complain, but usually these are people that are bitching over something that could be easily fixed or they are just vindictive (insert cupcake stand lady).  So dont let it get you down.  If you see bad reviews on a restaurant or company, dont believe them.  Honestly, word of mouth is the best, but remember that some people lie or say whatever they can to justify their own actions and usually they were in the wrong.  I promise you the Cupcake Stand Lady (as she shall be referred) will slander my company, but never mention that she kept fooling around returning a rented item for TWO MONTHS.

These people can be very draining.  Trust me, I know.  You just have to push through and appreciate those people that call you personally to state they loved their cake.  People who called just to say that while standing in the line they got nothing but comments about their cake and just had to tell me.  Or people who call asking if you can do another cake for their other son/daughter getting married. Appreciate those, ignore those who are negative.  Some people hate everything (Bridezillas especially, but that's for another blog).  Some people dont realize that instead of bitching on some free site they should call the company and let them know.  Usually they dont call because they know that they ARE FULL OF IT.  Hence why you only hear about this "bad experience" on a website.

Stay strong if you are in the wedding business.  It's ugly.  People are never going to be 100% satisfied.  Any company tells you that all customers are from them...they are lying.  Not everyone has the same tastes, etc.  That's just simple statistics.

"Danni"

At the Utah Bridal Expo at South Towne this year I had the "Ashley" cake on display.  It's one of my favorite pieces.  It's five tiers and is just the craziest design.  I got a lot of requests for the cake from the Expo and today was the first day I did one of those cakes.  I will be doing another next week. 

These are by far my favorite types of cakes.  They are called "topsy turvy".  They are extremely difficult and not many cake decorators in Utah can successfully pull them off.  I love them.  They are like art work.  They are difficult, defy gravity, and edible to boot!

"Danni" is three-tiers of 12", 10" and 8" squares.  It serves about 154 (when cut to the traditional 1"x2" pieces).  The bottom and middle tier are chocolate cake with caramel swirl filling and cookies n' creme buttercream.  The top tier is red velvet with mint/chocolate filling and cookies n' creme buttercream.  The cake is filled with white and purple daisies, carnations and some green filler.  There is a light pink ribbon border and green vine piping detail.  You cannot see the detail at its fullest, but when I get the photos from the photographer I'll update it.

I never actually met the bride or the groom for this cake.  Just the Aunt who was ordering it.  She was a really sweet lady.  The cake making went really smooth with this one.  The only speed bump was that the Bride and Groom changed the reception time by a half hour on us and didn't tell me.  So at 5:30pm, when I'm getting ready to leave, I get a call asking where I was.  Haha.  I told them I was scheduled for a 6:00pm delivery.  So I had to rush to put this cake together, which is never good with these types of cakes.  The Aunt, however, apologized when I arrived saying that they changed the date and she realized they never told me.  So all was good.

"Danni"
July 31, 2010

I tried to get a better photo, but there were too many guests and the photographer in my way.  I will get the professional photos soon and update then.

The guests absolutely loved it.  Hopefully I can get more referrals and orders off this cake.  They had about 100 people there when I left.

Fondant! Wait...what is fondant?

If there is one question I tend to get a lot from Brides, it's "What is fondant exactly?" Funny thing is, this question comes after they state they do not want fondant, it's gross, and refuse to have it on their cake. Hmmm....that makes sense. Anyway, lets put the fondant questions and concerns to rest, shall we?

Fondant leaves cakes smooth enough for any decorations.  Including stencil work.

Though there are several kinds of fondant, the one in regards to cake decorating (majority of the time) is ROLLED FONDANT. Rolled fondant is NOT the same as poured fondant. Different ingredients, different method, and most certainly a different blog entry. Rolled fondant includes gelatin, glycerin, corn syrup, flavoring, and powdered sugar. It's a pliable sugar dough that is rolled out to cover cakes and also can be used for decorations. It can be dyed just about any color or just left white.

Fondant, unlike buttercream, gives you a smooth and satiny finish to any cake. It can be steamed to make it shiny, airbrushed for texture, and more importantly it is much more stable than buttercream. Fondant can withstand the heat and bumpy car rides. Buttercream tends to become mushy and move around 70F and melt at 80F.

Buying vs. Making Fondant and the Perils of the Home-Maker-Cake-Baker Fondants

Here is where a true cake decorator tends to get annoyed. NO, you do not have to buy fondant. Yes, Cake Boss and several other big-time cake decorators buy fondant (in particular the Satin Ice brand). I can say that for six years I too bought it. It's easier, but certainly not cheaper. For about the 1/3 of a cost of a bucket of fondant you can make the same amount at home or in your cake shop. So why not just make it? Well to be quite honest...it's a pain in the...well you know. You have to mix, you have to measure, and you have to knead a bunch of fondant by hand. Benefits? You control the consistency, texture, and most importantly...FLAVOR!

If you are just too scared to make your own fondant, buy it. There is no shame. A LOT of bakeries just buy their fondant. You will notice, however, they all tend to buy the same brand...SATIN ICE. It's smooth, it's pliable, it tastes like vanilla candy. I can say this is my favorite brand as well. Let's cap on some others out on the market.

Wilton Brand - Buy this and kiss your clients goodbye. It's chunky, stiff, chalky, dry, and overall the worst fondant on the market. WORST! It's over-priced to boot.

Pettinice - Great brand, but pricey. For 15lbs the cheapest I can find is $65.00. It compares to the quality of Satin Ice, but is not flavored with vanilla.

Choco-Pan - I have had students in my cake decorating class ask if they can use this. Yes, but ITS NOT FONDANT. This is modeling chocolate. Two VERY different products. Modeling chocolate can be rolled thinner and cover more surface area that fondant and also is much more pliable. However, it also tends to tear and not do well on wedding cakes in heat (ummm...hello, it's chocolate). So I tend to avoid modeling chocolate unless it's for figurines.

Gumpaste - Again, this is not fondant. I have had students that used this thinking it was. This is for sugar flowers and other decorations that you want to dry to a rock-hard consistency.

Duffs Buttercream Fondant - Though it's technically fondant, I hate this stuff.  It has WAY too many artificial flavors added and their "white" is actually a very dark IVORY color.  Which royally sucks.  Furthermore, dying this stuff is worse than bleaching black hair blonde.  It doesn't take.  It's very stiff.  The only good I have found in this stuff is that it covers about a 1/3 more than normal fondant, but who cares when you have to work it to death.

If there are other brands I missed, it's because they are inconsequential to my point and probably products I will never use.

Making Fondant

If you are using "marshmallow fondant" please for the love that is all cake decorating and holy...STOP IT NOW. It's flat, it's unpredictable, it has horrible coverage, and tastes like a chalky marshmallow and honestly...not true fondant. There, I said it.  Those making this "fondant" are the ones ruining fondant for the rest of us.  Majority of the clients I get that say they hate fondant, say its because they ate it on a homemade cake that "Sally Sue" made with her homemade marshmallow recipe.  

Here is a recipe that I have found to be the most accurate for making true fondant that you can put on cakes.  It can by dyed, though I recommend dying in the process of making, and covers just about any type of cake.  The only drawback to this recipe (and basically any homemade fondant recipe I have found) is that it just doesn't harden like factory fondant.  Why?  Well look at the ingredient list on your bucket of purchased fondant.  Yeah...see all that?  That's why.  Either way, this is good.

Kali's Fondant Recipe

2 lbs. of Sifted Powdered Sugar (Use a nice quality brand, such as C&H)

1/4 Cold Water

1 T. Unflavored Gelatin

1/2 C. White Corn Syrup

1 1/2 T. Glycerine

1/2 T. Clear Vanilla Extract (if you dont use clear, fondant will be yellow)

1/2 T. Clear Almond Extract

In a large (not metal) bowl, sift half the powdered sugar.  Make a well in the center and set aside.  In a medium pot, place cold water in the pan.  Sprinkle lightly with gelatin and wait about five minutes for gelatin to dissolve.  You want the granules gone.  Turn on medium heat and heat until gelatin begins to melt and become clear.  Add corn syrup and glycerine.  Remove from heat and stir to combine.  Add flavorings.  Pour mixture into the well of your powdered sugar.  Using a wooden spoon mix slowly by adding powdered sugar from the sides of your well until a sticky/stringy mess has formed.  Add the rest of the powdered sugar until you can no longer mix with a spoon.  Move to a non-stick surface (I use a vinyl mat) sprinkled with powdered sugar and knead until strong and pliable.  This may require more powdered sugar or not.  Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rest AT LEAST eight hours before use.  

Viola and congrats.  You just made REAL FONDANT.

...and now, you know what fondant is.  

The Topsy Turvy vs. Mad Hatter

I get a lot of clients/prospective clients that call for a "topsy turvy cake". I start to quote them, only for them to follow up with a phrase such as "You know, like from Alice in Wonderland?"...okay...hold on people. It's time for the ultimate clarification! I think Food Network Challenges (though I love em) have started to confuse the American people on whats what when it comes to cake terminology. So let me break it down for ya:

Topsy Turvy!

"Ashley"
March 2010

A Little About Em

This cake in fact is nothing like a mad hatter cake. Each tier is separated by foam blocks, boards, flowers, etc and lifted at an angle. Yes, cake is literally LIFTED to angles. This is one of the most difficult cake designs out there. Not many decorators can pull it off, nor have the stones to try. Why? Because even if you are an 1/8 of an inch off in measurements your cake can come tumbling down like an old brick building in those action movies (ya know...where the tiny puny car runs through the walls like it's not big deal?). These cakes require countless measurements, stable cake structure, a good buttercream recipe, heck of a lot of fondant skills, and a lot of knowledge of physics. They are, however, some of the coolest cakes to ever be made. I have made several of these in the past. My most famous is the "Ashley" cake. It's been at the Davis County Bridal Showcase and the Utah Bridal Expo at South Towne. It's five tiers and filled with flowers. Today, as a matter of fact, I'm doing a three-tier rendition of the same cake. Next week, doing it again.

How Much Do They Cost?

Depending on the size of the tiers, height, etc the pricing is hard to say.  Mine start at $250.00 and the famous  "Ashley" cake is $750.00.  Most people think thats an outrageous amount.  However if you knew the skill, time, etc that went into these (and the sheer matter of fact that you yourself couldn't make it...no offense, just pointing out that no Average Joe can pull it off), you would be more than willing to pay for this work of art.  That's what they are.  They defy gravity, showcase unbelievable skill, and are edible.  Hell, who would want to pay less than $1,000 for it?!  Imagine having that at your wedding!?  Trust me, it will be noted and you will have the cake everyone talks about.

Are They Stable?

Iffy question here.  Yes and no.  Have I had them fall over?...YES.  Why?  Because the photographer felt he should move the table with a cake such as that on it.  They are not built to be moved after assembly.  Yes, on Food Network Challenge they move them a whopping three feet to a table.  Bravo...that's TV, not reality.  They are assembled on-site and most definitely NOT MOVED afterwards.  I do not make my cakes impossible for the guest to take apart and cut.  The ones on Food Network are practically a pain in the @$$ to pull apart, let alone cut up.  Reality folks.

The Mad Hatter Cake!

Mad Hatter Cake

Here is where we think of "Alice in Wonderland".  The mad hatter is a tiered cake, stacked right on top of one another, and carved in funky shapes.  They can be round, square, a mixture of both.  Each tier is angled on the sides and top in a "mad" design.  They are typically covered in fondant with designs that range anywhere from flowers, to pinstripes, to dots, etc.  It's endless with these cakes.  They are supposed to look "mad".

How much do these cost?

Not as much as topsy turvy, but they still are not cheap.  These still require a lot of skill.  They are hard to carve and the Average Susie Homemaker Baker tends to experience what we in the business refer to as "sinkage" when they attempt these.  They require supports, stable cake recipe, and good fondant skills.  These types of cakes, i'm sorry to say, CANNOT and SHOULD NOT be made with any cake mix.  No cake should really, but these especially.  You need a sturdy cake (such as pound cake) that will still taste great, but not fall over.  My average cost for a two-tier mad hatter starts at about $85.00.  These aren't easy. Unfortunately, everyone loves these types of cakes, but are not willing to pay for them.  Of course after they attempt to do it themselves, they realize just WHY people charge this much to make them.  They take TONS of time and effort and honestly, creativity.

...and there ya have it.  The difference.  I will post photos of the Topsy Turvy cake I'm doing later today.  It is named "Danny", after the bride (as all of my wedding cakes are).  This one is bright and very summery.  Perfect for the season.

Now, go forth with the cake knowledge you have been given today.  Order away that Mad Hatter or Topsy Turvy cake, shock the baker/cake maker with your terminology.

Hit the brakes...I'm headed north!

Originally I had started this blog to talk about cakes, pastries, recipes, guidelines, etc. Though this is all very exciting, I think it leaves out one of the largest facts about cake decorating/private chef work...THE CUSTOMERS. Some are crazy, some are fun, some are the absolute definition of "Bride-Zilla" and some are the easiest and most laid back people to the "T". Names will be changed (because no one likes a lawsuit), but I will discuss just how this business really is. The "inside scoop" as you will. It's not pretty. Cake decorating and the wedding business is honestly one of the ugliest businesses in the prettiest of events.

Sometimes it all goes smoothly, others not so much. Have I ever had some crazy bride throw my cake? No, but I had one call me to say she tossed it in the trash. Funny thing is, she was actually lying to just get her money back. We'll save this for another time. This is just a prelude tease.

...and so, it begins. Cakes, brides, a little history, a few recipes, a little know how, and you have the ever-so-miraculous-art of CAKE DECORATING. There are tears, there is blood, and sometimes, there is cake.