Golf Anyone? A week of theme cakes dominated by golf fans!

It's very rare to have a week where the bulk of the themes are the same unless of course it's Holiday Season. However, this past week was filled with golf! In fact, out of 4 cakes, 3 of them included a golf theme. One was a wedding cake, one a grooms cake, and another a Birthday Cake. And they were all for different clients.

The first I'm going to show you is a grooms cake. I'm showing it first because it's a sports themed grooms cake that includes golf. And of course, with the Phillies doing so well this year, it was even sweeter. They won the night I worked on the cake (which must have been because of me. *wink*) No, I didn't watch the game. I am a rare breed. I live in a home that does not follow sports. My husband is into working with his hands, cars, motorcycles, fishing... but not sports. I consider myself a very lucky woman!


STATS: Pound Cake with Homemade Raspberry filling. Iced in Buttercream and covered in fondant. The ball cap is carved out of pound cake. The brim is cardboard covered in fondant. The details are gum paste, royal icing, and edible images.

This next cake is a wedding cake. The topper was purchased by the couple from a Polymer Clay Artist. This was the first time I put figures on a cake that were sculpted but NOT by me. It worked out well as this was a last minute order and the figures had already been made by the time I was brought into the picture.

The couple got married at Ringing Rocks Park in Upper Black Eddy. There is a field of rock as well as waterfalls which makes it a really fascinating destination. If you are local and haven't made a trip there, you should go! And don't forget to bring your hammers! The high iron content in some of the rocks actually makes them ring like bells when hit with a hammer. The kids have a blast. I recommend NOT getting hammers from the dollar store as we lost several hammer heads down in the rocks when they fell off.

They asked that the location of the wedding be tied in with the golf theme. Of course having the topper provided also added inspiration. I decided to use the color pallet of the topper to tie everything together and am really pleased with the outcome.


STATS: Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Ganach for the bottom tier, Vanilla Cake and Raspberry Filling for middle tier, and Chocolate Chip Pound cake with Chocolate Ganache for the top tier. Iced in buttercream and covered in fondant. The waterfall is piping gel, the rocks are fondant, grass is royal icing, and roses are fondant.

This next cake is a Birthday Cake. My client wanted to get a cake for her golf fanatic husband. But instead of just putting him on the cake golfing, wanted to include their two boys. The oldest child enjoys golfing with Daddy and the baby will be out there with them shortly so he got to go along in the golf cart. This was my 2nd golf cart. I often don't like doing cakes a 2nd time because they never turn out the same, but you definitely get better at some things with repetition and this cart turned out so much cleaner and more streamlined than the first. Gotta love that!

STATS: Double Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Mint Buttercream. Iced in Buttercream and covered with fondant. The figures are a mix of fondant and gum paste. The golf cart is also a mix.

The final cake is a Laptop Birthday Cake. The Birthday girl is a fan of iCarly so her mom provided a picture of her wearing an iCarly shirt to be the screen of the laptop. Isn't it such a pretty and very girlie laptop!?

STATS: Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Ganache filling. Iced in Buttercream and covered in fondant. The screen of the laptop is non-edible. The decor on the laptop is piped buttercream.

Happy Caking!

Win a $50.00 gift certificate to Truly Custom Cakery, LLC or a 2.5lb tub of Truly Custom Crunch!

Mama Cheaps and I met a while back at a mutual friends baby shower. I was too funny because I had recently taken up blogging to chronicle my cake journey and she and her sister were discussing of all things "blogging". We got to talking, exchanged cards, and the rest is History! I've gotten some FANTASTIC deals through Mama Cheaps research. And quite frankly with the economy, budget living, and my penny pinching, her site is right up my alley! YOU MUST check out her website, sign up for the newsletter, and take advantage of all the fantastic deals and offers that are available to you. Besides, if you save money on the necessities, you have more money for the fun stuff, like CAKE!!!

The following post comes directly from Mama Cheaps Website.



Sometimes you just fall into some good. Very good.

I was first introduced to Stacey, owner of Truly Custom Cakery, several years ago. She was a good friend of a friend. I remember talking to her about a business that she had recently started- her own cake shop. She gave me her business card and I came home and pulled up her shop's blog on my computer. To put it plainly: I was blown away. One of my guilty pleasures is to watch those cake design/decorating shows on TLC, mostly Ace of Cakes. The cakes that I saw on Stacey's site were easily on par with some of the neatest cakes that I have seen on TV. They are that beautiful and creative.

Then in April my sister ordered a mini cake for her daughter's first birthday. She wanted her daughter on top along with their 2 dogs. The cake was over-the-top cute- attention to detail and skill were obvious.

But how many times do you encounter a beautifully designed cake that ALSO tastes delicious? In my experience, it's pretty rare. Not with Truly Custom Cakery. Ava's 1st Birthday mini cake was double chocolate with buttercream icing. My sister was nice enough to send us home with leftovers. SO UNBELIEVABLY GOOD! Tasty and moist- perfection.

So this year when we decided to throw a triple birthday party for myself, Biker Bob AND Lily Bean (all of our birthdays are in September!) it was a no-brainer that we needed a Truly Custom Cakery cake at our party. I called Stacey and we decided on a size and flavor. After that I told her that I just wanted something super fun. I mentioned that we were calling the party "Weaverpalooza"- so she could take that theme and run with it. Run she did! Check out this cake!!





Tasted GREAT, looked AMAZING, totally impressed our guests. We couldn't have been happier!

Truly Custom Cakery is also the genius behind a succulent concoction called Truly Custom Crunch. Truly Custom Crunch is an "irresistible combination of pecans, almonds, and popcorn, coated with caramel toffee and drizzled with rich dark chocolate."

Need I say more?



It should come as no surprise to you that Truly Custom Cakery was recently named the #1 Philadelphia Cake Shop beating out 21 other competitors on Philly's Hot List. They've always been my #1 pick and I am so excited that the word is getting out about how amazing their cakes and crunch are.

Their prices also surprised me. Don't expect to take a 2nd mortgage out just to afford one of these creations. These cakes are a total triple threat- they look great, they taste even better and the price tag won't break the bank.

To celebrate their Philly Hot List victory, Truly Custom Cakery wants to give 1 lucky Mama Cheaps reader a 2.5 lb package of Truly Custom Crunch shipped to their door. If a local reader wins, they may choose between the Truly Custom Crunch or a $50 gift certificate towards a cake purchase!

How to enter:

:: MANDATORY: Go check out Truly Custom Cakery's Cake Portfolio. Tell me which cake it your very favorite! Leave a comment HERE with that info.

Earn bonus entries:

:: "Like" Truly Custom Cakery on Facebook. Head over to Truly Custom Cakery's page on Facebook and click "LIKE." Leave a comment HERE telling me you did so.

:: “Like” Mama Cheaps on Facebook. Head over to our page on Facebook and click “LIKE.” Leave a comment HERE telling me you did so.

This giveaway is open to anyone from the United States who is 18 years or older. It will run from today, 10/1/10, until Friday, 10/8/10 at 8 PM EST. One winner will be chosen via random number generator on random.org.


All opinions are 100% ours. The cakes mentioned above were purchased by us from Truly Custom Cakery. Truly Custom Cakery provided us with a free sample of Truly Custom Crunch. Truly Custom Cakery is responsible for providing the winner’s prize.

Gum Paste Daisy Tutorial

Here is the promised tutorial on how I made my gum paste daisies for the Gerbera Daisy wedding cake.

The first thing you need to do is prep a spot to dry your daisies and assemble your tools. I take a sheet of foil and press down into a cupcake tin to make little wells in the foil. As seen in the photo. Then you can just set the foil on a cookie sheet.

You need to color your gum paste into your desired color and roll it very thin.

This is the cutter I use. You can purchase it HERE. It's by PME. I like this one because you can layer sizes to make two toned or even 3 toned gerbera daisies.

You want to press down on the BASE of the cutter to cut out your daisy. Once it is cut out, then press down firmly on the plunger to add the detail to the petals.

If you dust your gum paste with a little corn starch, then your daisy won't stick too firmly and when you pop the plunger, your daisy will pop right off and land on your mat. If it sticks, just go around with your finger and gently loosen each petal until you can gently peel the daisy off without damaging or stretching the petals.

Place the daisy on your veining mat and grab your tool of choice to add depth to the petals. I start at the outside edge, press and pull toward the center of the flower. This allows the petals to pull up a bit and gain a more realistic look.

After you've done this to both layers of your daisy, use a little gum glue (tylose powdered mixed with water) or piping gel to glue your layers together. Place a little glue in the center only. Then press down with your ball tool to firmly attach the layers.

At this point you just keep going until you have the desired number of daisies.

After they dry you can go back and add the centers. I just roll a small ball of gum paste in a complimentary color and then flatten it like a button. Then using your glue you can press it gently into the center of the flower. These make fantastic cupcake toppers!

A Huge Thank You to YOU...

View Reviews and other winners HERE.
We owe our customers, friends, fans, and suppliers a HUGE Thank You!!! It was November 1st 2009 when Truly Custom Cakery, LLC opened for business. And less than one year later, we were voted #1 Best Cakes in Philadelphia! The winner was chosen by the people. So the only thing this can mean is that Truly Custom Cakery, LLC has THE BEST customers and circle of support there can be!

Stay Tuned for a contest being announced later this week to help celebrate!

A VERY Busy but VERY Successful Week in Cake!

This is gonna be one big post! I'm whooped! My week started with making a few toppers for a local wedding. The couple's wedding cake was provided through the venue that was hosting their reception. Since they couldn't get their cake from TCC, they decided to order their custom toppers so they could still have the feel of a custom cake. Good compromise when you want a custom cake but your options are limited by your reception hall.

The first is a replica of the grooms airplane. This is for the grooms cake.
The second is a sugar iceberg with custom sculpted penguins. This is the topper for the wedding cake.


Gerbera Daisy Wedding Cupcake Tree



Wedding Cake Stats:
Top Cake is pound cake with raspberry filling, iced in buttercream, covered in ivory fondant, trimmed with brown ribbon. Piped with ivory buttercream. Top edge is done using a fondant crimper.
Cupcakes are pound cake and chocolate chip pound cake with vanilla buttercream and my own chocolate buttercream recipe. YUMMY!!!!
All the daisies are made using gum paste. This Cake was delivered to The Joseph Ambler Inn in North Wales.Stay tuned for a little tutorial!


Fairytale Theme Baby Shower Cupcake Tree. My client specifically asked that I have a friendly Puff the Magic Dragon on the top of the cake. What better for a baby shower than a baby Puff???



Cake Stats:
Top cake is White Almond Sour Cream with Raspberry Filling. Iced in buttercream and covered in fondant. The color was airbrushed on because the invitations had a sort of water color look to them and I wanted to match the theme. The dragon is sculpted from a fondant/gum paste mix.
The cupcakes are White Almond Sour Cream, Double Chocolate, and Lemon. All with buttercream filling. Airbrushed in yellow, green, and blue and then topper with little gum paste toppers.



Soprano's/Gangster Theme Cake.
This is for a Surprise 60th Birthday. The recipient is a big fan of the Soprano's and Gangster type movies. This one was pretty fun because they sent me a photo of the recipient and I was able to PhotoShop his face onto the $100.00 bill and get edible images printed. I LOVE the personal detail that added to this cake. The cake was delivered to Bella Cena on Spruce Street in Philadelphia.




Cake Stats:
Base Cake is Vanilla with Buttercream, Middle tier is Marble with Chocolate Ganache, and the Top Cake is Pound with buttercream. The whole cake is iced in buttercream and covered with fondant. The money is gum pate with edible images. The pin stripes on the bottom tier are painted on freehand with silver highlighter dust mixed with a little rum.

Beyond all that, I also had a tasting and 3 dozen cupcakes. This week... I'm taking a break!

Happy Caking!!!

Asian Dogwood Blossom Bridal Shower Cake

Whether you are a hobbyist decorator or a professional decorator, you know that sometimes you have instructions for a design where the gap between the instructions you receive and the actual design allows for an endless number of artistic possibilities. This was one of those cakes. I was given the invitation to the shower and told to go with Asian Dogwood Blossoms in a light burgundy, green leaves, and a white background.

So this was the perfect opportunity to try a design I've been wanting to try for a long time. The pleated effect! I iced the cake and then chilled it. While it was chilling I rolled out the white fondant, took a ruler and cut strips about 1" wide. I then placed them in an overlapping fashion all the way around the cake. I really love how this effect looks. In fact, I loved it before I even got to put any details on the cake. It's so clean and yet not at all boring.

The Asian Dogwood Blossoms were made using the Asian Dogwood Cutter and Vainer from Sunflower Sugar Art. Here's the LINK. I went ahead and colored the gum paste before I cut it but I couldn't get the color dark enough. So I also used some dust and then airbrushed some more burgundy when they were finished. The centers are piped with royal icing and then I added a little sage dust.

Stats: Marble Cake with Chocolate Ganache Filling. Iced in buttercream and covered in fondant strips. Decorated with gum paste flowers. Tiers are trimmed with burgundy ribbon.

A Heavenly Baptism Cake for a Tiny Little Man

Stats: Chocolate Chip Pound Cake with Chocolate Ganache Filling. Iced in buttercream and covered with Fondant. Royal icing piping. The bear is sculpted from a mix of fondant/gum paste. The wings are gum paste. I used an impression mat to give them some detail and then brushed them with pearl dust. He is sitting on a cloud of royal icing. The whole cake is sprayed with pearl airbrush spray and there is a little rainbow disco dust sprinkled over the cake.

Pretty Pillows for a Princess

Never before have I attempted a pillow cake. But most of my cakes are that way. I've been caking for 2 years and five months now. So it's not unusual at all that I get a request for something challenging that I've never attempted. Sometimes, I'm honestly a little intimidated by the requests, sometimes excited, but always confidant that one way or another, the request will be filled.

I will say that there have been times when it included tears, frustration, and extra baking. And sometimes, I've even had to learn a couple of things that hard way. But thankfully, I've learned a lot and my clients have been happy.

So this weekends challenge was a three tier pillow cake. The thing that amazes me the most about these cakes is that the corners of the pillow don't just collapse! I mean.. It's cake! And yet, somehow... these cakes work. Thankfully Cake Central (one of my favorite cake resources)had a tutorial on pillow cakes. Of which I took full advantage!


I learned a lot. Will definitely do a few things differently next time. But overall, I'm THRILLED with my first attempt. And the client too was thrilled. I love happy endings!

Cake Stats: Three tiers of vanilla cake. Top and bottom tier contain chocolate ganache filling. Middle tier has chocolate chip filling. The cake is iced in buttercream and covered in fondant.


I hand painted the pattern on the bottom tier and the stripe around the top cake. Then airbrushed the pillows. The tiara is made from gum paste, silver highlighter dust, and Swarovski crystals. The shoes on the cake board were purchased and provided by the client.

A Choo Choo for Riley...

I was completely baffled when the client asked for a train theme cake in blue. I'm not sure why... Maybe because it's all Thomas these days... I just kept thinking in circles and not getting anywhere. UNTIL I went online in search of inspiration. By the time I was done I had my plan and knew exactly what I wanted to do. Thankfully my Blue Thomas the Train Mental Block had been vanquished!





I prepped most of the cake ahead. And was almost finished with assembly when my husband walked by. He said... Oh... wouldn't it be cool if you had a skywriter airplane write the little boys name in the clouds? ABSOLUTELY!!! YES it would be very cool... but I'm almost done... Thanks hun! Now I have more work to do!



This is normal... Between my husband, my kids, the internet, television, and magazines, I find myself inundated with amazing ideas and adding to a cake when really... it wasn't necessary. But it is soooo cute! So, Riley got a skywriter. Such a clever husband I have! In all honesty, it's my favorite part of the train cake... Oh well! It's always the details that make a cake pop.

Happy Birthday Little Man!

Cake Stats: Bottom tier is vanilla with chocolate chip filling. Middle tier is chocolate with peanut butter cup filling, and top tier is red velvet (no filling). Iced in buttercream and covered in fondant.

The train cars are made of a mix of fondant and gum paste. The 2 on the top of the cake is gum paste. The clouds are buttercream.