9.17.2009

The King of Pop...

cake that I made for the opening of my close friend's new gallery show.



The cake: two layers of devil's food cake with a glaze of raspberry preserves and chocolate ganache between them. The whole lot was frosted in more ganache and decorated with a silhouette of MJ hand-painted in gold luster dust as well as a single star of gold sanding sugar.



The show is brilliant*, and will up through October at Figureworks Gallery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Alas, all of the cake is long digested.
Check out his facebook page for more info and pictures.

*and I'm not just saying that since he's a friend of mine. Even Spike Lee payed an appreciative, lengthy visit!

9.15.2009

Cake Thursday: September 8th

(which was actually a Tuesday. For assorted reasons, I had to re-schedule the first Cake Thursday following the August break to a one-time Tuesday slot.)

The invitation:




The Cake (inspired by this):





9.14.2009

Travels: Portland, Maine

Two Fat Cats Bakery



Blueberry Cream Cake and Chocolate Cream Cake



9.10.2009

Keeping it Local

This past Sunday, I was finally able to make it to Rooftop Farms. Given that I live right around the corner (!), it's positively nuts so many summer Sunday's passed me by.



Amongst rows of chili's and tomatoes, I faced The Empire State Building to the west, and, when I turned around, my apartment building literally a stones throw to the east. It was amazing and inspiring (and made me grateful for privacy curtains).



Indoors, just beneath the farm, I picked up loot you see below, chatted with others who were there to volunteer their time, buy from the farm stand, or show off locally made goods using produce pulled from Rooftop Farm soil. Gives new meaning to Greenpoint's nickname, The Garden Spot of the World.





In other Garden Spot food news, this Saturday, the 12th, is the opening of the weekly Greenpoint Food Market. I'll be there from 12-2 selling my baked goods with Sweet Tooth of the Tiger. If you're in the neighborhood, stop by and say hello!

8.25.2009

Momofuku Milk Bar Now Does Wedding Cakes

as only they can...

The Art of Cake

On Design Sponge, Wayne Thiebaud-inspired cakes by the über talented Caitlin Williams:



photo credit: charles villyard


And on The Kitchen:



A beautiful ROYGBIV cake from Whisk Kid.

8.18.2009

Update from the Home Front

Contrary to those who hunker down and curse my beloved late-winter, August is the month when I scowl at the temperatures and hibernate, turning my brain to stand-by and seeking out cool air like a thirsty man in the desert. It's the useless month where I expect little more than a sunburn and mealy peaches.

So imagine my surprise when, looking back on the past few weeks, I realized that this particular August has proved to be, well, useful.

I've seen interesting things:





Visited interesting places:



Eaten my share of summer's spoils:





and, best of all, met some wonderful, talented, and inspiring new people including Asya Palatova, Aran Goyoaga, and Karen Mordechai, Casey Solomon and Allison Grove.

All of these factors have contributed to a renewed excitement in the projects that I am currently working on as well as those that are momentarily just blueprints.

Presently, I am making plans (and buying props!) for more arts & crafts cakes, new Cake Thursday adventures, and am working on a major overhaul to this very blog. You can expect to see a new design and new content that expands upon my interest in the history, art, and culture of cake. If all goes well, the new Pictures of Cake should go live in early September...

Stay tuned!

7.29.2009

Arts and Crafts Baking...

for The Parlour Brooklyn Salon party a few weekends ago...



A Lemon Drop sheet cake decorated with sugar paste curlers, comb, and mirror, as well as a sixties hairstyle cutout mounted (front and back) on foam core. The cake was served with a tart raspberry "cake color" that could be dripped onto a piece with the accompanying hair color brush.

I also brought chocolate ice box cookies, "colored" and "highlighted."



Though I had to leave before the goods were offered up, I'm told both the look and the taste were enjoyed by all.