Stacey's Sweet Shop - Truly Custom Cakery, LLC

Valentine's Day Cupcake Special

2012-01-25T15:49:00.000-05:00

Truly Custom Cakery, LLC is offering a Cupcake Special for Valentine's Day this year!

Design as Shown in Photo.
$2.75 each for Standard Flavor
$3.00 each for Premium Flavor
Add. $.25 for filling
Minimum order 24 cupcakes
Two dozen standard flavor cupcakes decorated as shown $66.00!
Order must be received by Tuesday, February 7th, 2012.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Current Specials at Truly Custom Cakery, LLC

2012-01-24T10:06:00.003-05:00

As you know from recent posts, it's been an exciting two years since we opened for business and our future success is contingent on our ability to continue growing and getting the word out to the Bucks County, Montgomery County, and Philadelphia areas. Our goal is to reach the entire Philadelphia area with our Delicious and Award Winning Custom Designed Cakes.

So, every now and again I like to offer a special or two in an effort to spread the word about Truly Custom Cakery, LLC.

We currently have three specials available!!

To view these specials in detail, VISIT OUR WEBSITE.

We have 3 fixed price cake options for when you want a special occasion cake that stands out from the crowd, tastes AMAZING, but you don't want to pay custom cake prices.
We have a $25.00 coupon for your custom cake order of $200.00 or more.
AND most exciting, for a limited time we have reduced our minimum order to $150.00!

To view these specials in detail, VISIT OUR WEBSITE.

The Highlight Reel

2012-01-18T10:42:00.000-05:00

When I started Truly Custom Cakery, I did it out of necessity. I was starting to get a LOT of requests from people to make custom cakes for them. But, without being licensed, I had to turn them away. So, we decided that instead of watching money walk away, it was time to take the next step. It was an easy decision because the laws of our area allow me to work right out of my home kitchen. For a very small financial investment, I was able to get my inspection, license, insurance, and file all the necessary legal paperwork.

Over time, I started getting too many requests for what my kitchen would allow me to handle. I decided that it was time to raise my minimum order amount so that I could work smarter, rather than harder. I've done that 3 times since Truly Custom Cakery, LLC opened in November of 2009. Then a year ago, we renovated the kitchen so I could have 2 ovens, move counter space, and more storage in my small 10' x 12' kitchen. Raising my minimums increased the quality of the orders I was receiving from a financial standpoint, but as a result, I've had to turn away a LOT of business. It was a decision made out of necessity. I just can't do it all. And if you could choose between a $75 cake or a $350 cake, which order would you rather have??? No brainer...

BUT... What if I could take those smaller orders too? What about all the people that were my customer when I started and can't afford me anymore? What about the people that taste my cakes and like it so much, call to order, and then walk away when they hear my price? Is it good business to turn them away? Or should I have been growing instead of shrinking my customer base? And how do I combat the feast/famine scenario? It happens all the time. You have a week with more orders than you can handle and you turn away several more. Then, the very next week, NOTHING! Not even a phone call! I'd probably have cakes those weeks too if I hadn't raised that minimum... But, like I said, I can't do it all. I'm just one person.

And therein lies the next question. Should I remain just one person? When is the right time to expand? How do you know when you should take that leap of faith and change your circumstances so that you CAN take all the orders that come your way. When do I say "YES" to all the Pastry Arts students that ask to intern with me?

And of course, if I do move forward.... HOW? I mean, the economy is pretty lousy! Do I get a business loan and take a chance at a brick and mortar shop? Isn't that a bit risky in this economy? And then I'm not a stay at home mom anymore. Which I really would miss! Do I build a garage out back for my husband and convert my existing garage into a shop? I could have displays, a workroom, a place to meet with clients, and a place for staff/interns to work! But all that takes money and a loan... When is the right time to move in that direction?

And of course, all my insecurities... Am I good enough, am I ready, would I get all the business back that I turned away, would I be able to pay the loan back, would it be worth it? WILL I FAIL?

And it is always worse when you look around. I should know better. In the last few years, Cake Shows have made the custom baking/decorating business EXPLODE! People are flying out of the woodwork to try their hand at it and succeeding! And not only that, but they have blogs, facebook and twitter accounts, pinterest, flickr, and a whole bunch of other stuff I know nothing about. And they have followers. LOTS OF THEM, thousands of them! And it's no wonder. Some of the work these people put out is phenomenal! It's breathtaking, astounding, and downright intimidating!

When I look at some of their work and see that they charged $12.00 for ONE CUPCAKE and the order included about 100 of them plus a super fancy cake and they have only been in business for 1 year, I start to doubt myself. SERIOUSLY! OH, and they do it out of their home kitchen... And they have about 10,000 followers on facebook...

And here come more doubts... am I doing things right? Why don't I have 10,000 followers? Do I engage my fans properly? Do I come across as a snot? Am I not thanking my customers and fans enough for their loyalty? Etc.. etc.... etc....

It doesn't take long to make yourself feel like you are doing everything wrong. I was chatting with a friend of mine this morning and she reminded me of something. That "when you compare yourself to others, all you are seeing is their highlight reel too".

I needed that! People look at my work and see what I've accomplished. They don't see my insecurities, fears, doubts, and struggles. They just see the final product. And when we compare ourselves to others, we are ONLY seeing their highlight reel. We don't know what they went through, their fears, challenges, finances, or insecurities. We see the best of the best. What they want us to see. As if they'd walk around town in their underwear. There's always more going on than what you can see. And often, that more, is layers deep.

I know that the Bible tells us in II Corinthians 5:7 "that we walk by faith and not by sight". AND I do have faith in my Savior and I know my eternity. What I do not have faith in, is myself and the economy. So if you are a praying person, I covet your prayers. Somethings gonna have to give and I just don't know what or how.

And a BIG thank you Kristie, for reminding me not to compare myself to someone else's highlight reel. I love you Chickie!

Holiday Baking Projects!

2012-01-15T19:26:00.000-05:00

The holiday's are always crazy busy at Truly Custom Cakery, LLC. Not just because of the cakes, shopping, and parties, but because of Truly Custom Crunch. It's a good busy and I certainly can't complain. I'd much rather be running in circles with too much work than to not have enough. In this economy, each and every order is a blessing from above.

Each holiday season that goes by, I say things like, "If next year is busier than this year, I don't know what I'm gonna do." And each year, I'm amazed at the volume of orders and the incredible help I receive from my staff, friends, and family. I'd be nothing without them.

This year, I made 39 batches of Truly Custom Crunch. It might not sound like much to you, but when each batch has 2lbs of brown sugar, 1lb of butter, 2 cups of popcorn, and 3 cups of nuts and 3lbs of chocolate, you KNOW that things were crazy around here!

I was amazed that I went through about 125lbs of dark chocolate! My husband liked to joke with me and tell me I needed to join a support group. ha ha I'd agree if I'd have eaten it all!

Anyway, here are some photos of what left my kitchen this holiday season. I have to admit, I was REALLY glad when it ended. BUT despite being busier than I'd ever been, things never went more smoothly!

5oz package of Truly Custom Crunch.

Truly Custom Crunch comes in 5 sizes and I also offer custom packaging. The little bear is holding the 5oz bag. The packages below are 2.5lbs with a custom label and a special box of dark chocolate snowflake cookies for this custom order. In less than 48 hours I was able to roll, cut, bake, ice, and package more than 800 snowflake cookies. Toward the end I was so batty I was dancing around like a crazy person. It was tedious work!

Icing 800+ cookies in my mini cookie marathon.

This is a custom order of corporate gifts for a local pharmaceutical company.


66 custom packages ready for delivery. My truck never looked so pretty!

While all that Crunch making was going on, I was also filling cake orders. I was a little worried about having to shift gears but in the end, it worked out really well. The change of pace from mass production to focusing on details and "pretty" work, was good for me. Otherwise, I think I might have gone batty. Generally, I worked on Truly Custom Crunch from Sunday through Wednesday/Thursday. And then the other days, I focused on baking, filling, and decorating.

This little Snowbabies 1st Birthday Cake won 2nd place in Cake Central's Hoilday Cake Contest.

I think this little Santa is my favorite sculpted figure from the Holiday's. I don't even particularly like Santa stuff but I just LOVE how he turned out.

Baby Shower Cake in a "Nesting" theme.

There were 50 individually wrapped cupcakes for this order. Each cake got its own little box to be used as favors for the shower guests.

Candle Cakes always re-appear during the holiday's. I love this one with the "Snowballs for Sale" theme.

And a more "mature" candle cake for the adult crowd.

My Delorean Cake. I LOVE how well this car turned out. I have to admit I was a little nervous about the doors "shutting" on their own. But they held up to delivery amazingly well

And aside from the cakes and the crunch, I did a few other projects. Call me crazy....

Christmas Cookies

More Christmas Cookies

Every year for Christmas I give out special "treats". This year I made plain pound cakes and blueberry pound cakes in little ceramic loaf pans. Each gift bag included both flavors of pound cake and the Truly Custom Crunch.

Of course I HAD to make melted snowman cookies. I mean... it's tradition at this point! This year I made them on dark chocolate chip cookies.

Homemade Marshmallows! My first time making them and they turned out pretty good! I made 3 flavors. Plain, Rum, and Kahlua. The Kahlua are particularly yummy in hot chocolate!

Cranberry Apple Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes. These were sooooo yummy. I made them for our Christmas Eve Brunch. So glad the holiday's only come around once a year!

Playing with Sugar...

2011-11-28T20:28:00.001-05:00

There is so much excitement and mystery in trying new techniques. Especially when you like to learn as you go. One of the things I have found that I really enjoy, is playing with sugar. HOT sugar.

And yes, I've gotten LOTS of burns. But I keep going back to it and trying new things.

My most recent project was for a 21st Birthday. It's a hand painted, poured sugar, champagne bottle surrounded by gift boxes. It's VERY feminine. And it was a lot of fun to deliver.

Here are some other cakes that included poured sugar work.

The beer bottle and shot glass are poured sugar on this cake

The ice is sugar too!

A close up of the Beer bottles and melting ice.

If you haven't tried working with poured sugar or Isomalt, but you want to try. I recommend starting with edible gems.

They are a great place to start without being too overwhelming. You can see how HERE.

Cranberry, Apple, Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes

2011-11-28T10:12:00.001-05:00

I recently saw a recipe by Paula Dean for Apple Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes. They looked soooo good. BUT, lately, my palate has matured to a point where I like a LOT going when I bite into something. I don't want to be overwhelmed by a single flavor.

So I decided to mix it up a bit and make Cranberry, Apple, Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes! And MY OH MY! I made 3 dozen and in 4 days my husband, the boys, and I ate them ALL!!! They were delicious!

I used Paula's Recipe for the Bread/Roll. Then I mixed it up a bit. The recipe seems like it has a lot going on, but bear with me. It's not that bad. While your dough is rising, you can work on preparing your filling. And then while the cupcakes are baking, you can prepare the icing. We'll be having these for Christmas Eve Brunch this year!

Ingredients for Roll:

2 cups 2% milk
1 tablespoon (.5oz) active dry yeast
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 eggs
1/4 cup butter (room temperature)

Ingredients for the Filling:

1 cup (2 sticks) of room temperature butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 tsp of AllSpice
1/4 tsp salt
3 cups finely cut chopped Granny Smith (or other tart apples)
1 cup of chopped cranberries

Ingredients for the Icing:

4 oz Cream Cheese (1/2 of an 8oz block)
1/4 cup of softened butter
1 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon of salt

Directions for the Roll:

In a small saucepan or a microwave oven, warm milk to about 110 F.
In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in the milk.
Add salt and two cups of flour and beat for two minutes.
Beat in eggs and butter.
Stir in the remaining flour a half cup at a time, beating well after each addition.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (about five minutes).
Place the dough in a large bowl and cover it with a towel. Set in a warm place and allow to rise for 40 minutes or until approximately doubled in volume.

Directions for the Filling:

Mix together the brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, salt, and allspice in a mixing bowl until smooth and combined.
Using a spoon or spatula, fold in the apples and cranberries.

Assembly:

Divide the dough into two parts. Using 1/2 of the dough, roll it out into a large rectangle.
Smooth the filling over the dough. Avoid the outer edge or you will have a mess.
Roll the dough up to encase the filling and create a large log.
Then take a very sharp knife and cut the dough into 3/4" rolls.
Place them in paper lined cupcake tins.
Repeat with the remaining 1/2 of the dough.

Bake:

350 degree oven for 15 - 20 minutes or until tops are golden brown.

NOTE: this is a messy and juicy process. It creates a sticky mess while assembling and while baking. During baking, the apples and cranberries create quite a bit of juice. It is best to place your cupcake tins on a cookie sheet for the baking process to catch any juices. I DO NOT recommend using colored foil papers for this process as the liquid will remove the color from the foil and create a technicolor mess.

Directions for the Icing:

While the Cinnamon Rolls are baking, beat together the cream cheese, butter, confectioners sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth and creamy.
Drizzle or slather the tops of your cinnamon rolls in the cream cheese icing after they have cooled a bit but are still warm.

REMOVE your cinnamon rolls from the cupcake tins before they cool completely to ensure that the cooled sugar does not glue the cupcake wrappers to your baking pans.

And ENJOY!!!

Homemade Marshmallows!

2011-11-28T09:04:00.001-05:00

If you are anything like me, you've purchased marshmallows at the store your entire life and never gave much thought to "how" they were made. If they ever crossed your mind, the thought was fleeting.

Standard Homemade Marshmallows

So when I saw a post a few weeks back about homemade marshmallows, I decided I HAD to try making them. I mean really, if that blogger could do it, I certainly could. Right!

So I set out to find the recipe I wanted to use and settled on Alton Brown's Marshmallow Recipe. I like his for several reasons. First, he has a video posted with the recipe so you can actually WATCH him make them first. (This eliminates the "duh" moments) And secondly, he's very scientific and I know I can trust his recipes.

So here is the recipe I used. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/homemade-marshmallows-recipe/index.html. I do recommend you watch the video he has posted.

Marshmallows are STICKY. In fact, so sticky, that I believe you will lose about 1/5 of your mix to the mixing bowl and spatula because you won't be able to get it off. Thank goodness for hot water! With that in mind, imagine how hard your mixer will be working. I DO NOT recommend you make homemade marshmallows with a hand mixer. The mixer will burn up and leave you with a sore hand and a sticky, soupy, mess! I also have to say that if you have a smaller KitchenAid stand mixer (about 4.5 qt), that you keep a close eye on it! I used my 6 quart and it got HOT and you could hear the strain the motor was under.

Now, if you want to get fancy, you can take those yummy marshmallows and using chocolate and other treats, you can fancy up your marshmallows to use them as gifts for the Holiday's.

Dark Chocolate and Toffee Marshmallows

Peppermint Crunch Marshmallows


Dark Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows. In the mug are Kahlua and Coffee Marshmallows!

Okay... so I know the next question... Kahlua and Coffee?!? Yep, and I'll share that variation shortly. Just think about some yummy grown-up Hot Chocolate with those little babies on top. mmmmmm Yummy!

Also coming shortly, how to make those cute Melted Snowman S'Mores.

They are AMAZINGLY good! I mean... I'll likely give them as gifts this Christmas good because they are better tasting than ANY S'More I've ever had in my life! I've even given several out as taste tests. It's so much fun watching the faces and hearing the noises that come from people as they enjoy!

Happy Baking!

Melted Snowman S'Mores... Mmmmmm

2011-11-17T10:44:00.001-05:00

Last night I tried making Marshmallows for the first time. I'll share photos of the actual "marshmallow's" later. But in keeping with tradition, I had to try making snowmen out of marshmallows BUT I wanted them to be REALLY tasty.

So I took some graham crackers, split them in 1/2, and cut off the sharp corners. Then I dipped them in milk chocolate. After they cooled, I made homemade marshmallows, and piped the marshmallow onto the prepared graham cracker. Once they set up for a bit, I got my royal icing together and decorated them. And of course, I'm a fan of glitter, so I made them sparkle with a little rainbow disco dust. (totally optional, but for me, it's a sickness! lol).

I'll put together a tutorial later. And let me tell you, I'll NEVER be able to stomach a standard s'more ever again. My husband LOVES these and my 6 year old ate one for breakfast! ha ha ha (Shhhh... don't tell)

Happy Baking, Caking, and Decorating!

The long road to inspiration...

2011-11-13T21:21:00.013-05:00

I'm often asked where I get the ideas for my cakes. And sometimes I can give you a very specific answer. Like, the client was very clear, they told me what to do, I followed instructions, and there you have it. Other times, the route to inspiration is anything but direct.

This past spring one of my display cakes was being transported to a show, when the box that held it was picked up by a very disagreeable gust of wind, carried several feet, and thrown to the ground, where it was smashed into an unrecognizable mess. This was a very stressful moment for the caterer that was transporting my displays. (No worries, I didn't yell at him.)

The display cake before the wind took it on a wild ride.

It is moments like these that have a way of forcing your hand. There were no plans for an additional display cake. Over the past 2 months, I'd made six! As far as I was concerned, I was all set. But... ummm... yea, things happen. The smashed cake was the biggest display cake I had. It showed a variety of techniques and well... I figured if I had to remake it, I might as well take it a step further. The whole idea of a display cake is to show potential clients what is possible. For me, it's not about creating a cake that I can copy in the future. I just want them to see what their options are. And with very little time until the next show, I was a little stressed.

And I was quickly reminded that I often do my best work when I'm under the gun. I don't know why. It makes no rational sense... And yet, I was so pleased with the resulting cake, that I was happy the original cake was smashed. In fact, I decided that I no longer liked the original cake. Go figure!

Isn't it pretty!?! I really love it. It's so very romantic and soft looking.

A little later... I had the opportunity to make a baby shower cake for a client's daughter to match the theme of the baby's bedroom.

Isn't it cute!

Fast Forward to this fall... The same client saw that pretty display cake that I had to make under the gun this past spring. Seeing how they love all things super girlie and feminine and of course PINK, she wanted that cake used as the inspiration for the Christening Cake.

So, I was able to adjust the design down a bit to make the perfect Christening Cake for Janel's precious baby girl. I added a little more pink into the mix than the original cake had and we removed a few of the more mature elements. And Voila!

Isn't it interesting how cakes are born? Inspiration comes from all around, and you never know what will inspire you to create something new. Sometimes, even a disaster can result in something amazing.

Happy Baking, Caking, and Decorating!

Popular Prints for a Trendy Cake!

2011-11-10T09:00:00.008-05:00

Animal print cakes are all the rage right now and Zebra Stripes are probably THE MOST popular of all the prints chosen. There is something striking, crisp, and bold about those stripes. No matter what color background they appear on, they always seem to look good! And I've certainly done my share of zebra stripes.

This weekend it was a Sweet 16 in Teal, Black, & White. The Birthday Girl is a Soccer Fanatic so we also worked in a custom topper that coordinated amazingly well (black and white).

I thought this would be a good time to show you how many different looks can be achieved with zebra stripes. These are some of the cakes I've done! Enjoy!

Manly Cakes....

2011-11-09T11:00:00.000-05:00

So what kind of cake do you get for your man? Well, you could do just about anything. The sky's the limit. And sometimes, I think you should reach for the sky. Because those cakes can be so very cool!

This was one of my favorites. Not because I'm a huge fan of the subject matter, but because it was challenging, fun, and required the use of several different cake decorating mediums.

I hope you enjoy. EVERYTHING on this cake is edible. The bottles are poured sugar, the ice is poured sugar, the pretzels, peanuts, bottle caps, and can opener are all sugar paste, and the bucket itself is White Almond Sour Cream Cake with Lemon Curd Filling.

And here are some other "manly" cakes for you to enjoy!

Feeling like a kid again...

2011-11-09T08:50:00.003-05:00

Sometimes when working on a cake, I have so much fun it's like being a kid again. Which isn't a real far stretch because my husband says I never really grew up. he he I really LOVE letting it all hang out and having fun with my kids. So this cake was a very enjoyable project. The two little guys in the back seat are twin boys, the cakes recipients that were celebrating their 1st Birthday. Of course you can guess the theme of the party! And what child (big or little) doesn't love all those amazing books written by Dr. Seuss.

This was a moist vanilla cake with buttercream filling.

Cakes, Cakes, and more.... ummm.... Cakes...

2011-10-27T08:50:00.006-04:00

Apologies are in order once again. I just don't know how some of you find the time to keep up with all this social media. I really do need a clone... and my clone will do nothing but paperwork, customer service, and social media! HA! I've also heard another word for clone is "intern".... but I digress... he he he

Have a cake shop can be a LOT of fun. It's artistically stimulating, a great outlet for creativity, and offers occasional ego boosts which are essential to female happiness. So, I won't complain about how busy I've been. I'll just play catch up once again and beg your forgiveness if you've come to visit several times over the past few weeks and thought to yourself, "the pretzels still?!!!!".

Cake 1:

This is a Birthday Cake for a gardener. Apparently his efforts are continually undermined by a little brown critter (aka groundhog). His chosen method for dealing with the little offender seems to be a planned attack with a broom in hand. Not sure what he intends to do if he gets close enough. But either way, it makes a cute diorama.

Cake 2:

A five tier buttercream wedding cake delivered to the Four Season's Hotel in Philadelphia. This was 5 tiers of blueberry pound cake with lemon curd filling. Can you say HEAVY??? It was a monster. But a very pretty one! The florist provided lots of fresh flowers for us to add on site. It took almost an hour to get all the flowers trimmed and arranged "just so", but I'm really pleased with the end result. And so was the bride! In fact, I was thrilled to hear that several of the guests requested a 2nd slice of cake. That in and of itself is a wonderful compliment that I was very happy to receive. Congratulations to Meg & Frank!

Cake 3:

My oldest and dearest friend requested this cake for her Mother-in-law's 60th Birthday. Faye is a huge fan of yellow roses so, Kathy requested yellow roses with a white background. I really enjoyed making these roses. Some have a little hint of pink on them, some are more peach and yellow, and some were just plain yellow. I added a little border around the bottom of each tier to pull the yellow down. But I have to say, my favorite part of this cake is the rose topper. I really do like it.

This was pound cake with buttercream filling and blueberry pound with lemon curd filling. Kathy's husband would much rather eat a steak than cake any day. So when he said he really liked the blueberry pound, I almost fell over! Finally! ha ha

Cake 4:

Another buttercream wedding cake. Only this time we mixed it up a bit by changing the color and the texture of the icing on 2 of the tiers. It adds an element of interest and really makes the cake "pop". The flowers were added on site. The toppers were made custom for the bride and groom. This cake was 3 different flavors to give the guests a variety as it was more of a buffet style reception. Congratulations Ashely & Matt!

Happy Baking, Caking, and Decorating!

Pretzel Day!!!!

2011-09-30T08:30:00.000-04:00

How rare that the kids have a day off from school and I haven't got any cakes scheduled. But what a blessing it has been! My house is much cleaner than it's been in ages AND the boys were able to have a friend over.

Since I wasn't in the kitchen for work, I decided this would be a good opportunity to be in the kitchen, with the kids, for FUN and try out a pretzel recipe I've been drooling over. You can find the recipe HERE. It's a Bavarian Soft Pretzel recipe with rave reviews. (my favorite kind of recipe)

Here's a photo journal of our Pretzel Day Project.

First I assembled all the ingredients.

Then made the slurry of flour, sugar, yeast, and water. Once those little bubbles started appearing, I knew we were good to go.

So I added the salt and the rest of the flour.

Then threw it in my Kitchen Aid and let it go to town for several minutes. If it got too sticky, I'd just add a little flour.

Then I pulled it out of the mixer and formed a ball of sorts so I could divide the dough.

After I let it rest a few minutes, I started diving the dough out in equal portions. I sliced it lengthwise down the center and then got about 6 pieces from each strip.

Because I doubled my recipe, we were able to get 13 balls of dough. Which worked out great because the kids kept dropping pieces so I had that extra ball to divide up and pass around. We each got 3 balls of dough to use as we pleased.

The three little goobers hard at work.

Don't they look happy?

After we finished shaping all the pretzels, it was time to put them in a Baking Soda Bath. This is the step that gives pretzels their golden brown color. Skip it and the finish on your pretzels will resemble a loaf of bread.

After boiling the pretzels, we sprinkled them with a little sea salt.

Three very proud looking boys. Well except for my youngest. I'm not sure what expression that is, but it gave me a stitch in my side from laughing so hard. He's gonna kill me when he see's this. OOPS!

Here's the pretzel staff. They are very pleased with the outcome. Took me a few tries to get a good picture. They kept eating holes in the pretzel display.

And here's a close up of one of the braided pretzels we made. I'm a big fan of the knot of the pretzel. It's always been my favorite part of a soft pretzel. So the braids are perfect for me because they are pretty much a giant knot. As if I needed the carbs...

If you've ever had pretzels stuffed with cream cheese, cheddar cheese, or other goodies, you know how YUMMY they can be. I decided I wanted to try a version that had a quirky family favorite inside; Cream Cheese and Green Olives. (don't knock it till you've tried it!) YUMMY!!!! It turned out DELICIOUS. Will most definitely do that again!

Made a top and a bottom, spooned a little mix on the bottom piece, then inched down the edges. After I pinched the edges down, I used the cookie cutter again to reclaim the pumpkin shape.

Oh yes!!! Warm cream cheesy goodness with just the right amount of saltiness. MORE PLEASE!

And the inside of the stuffed pretzel. I know... you don't even like olives, but it looks good doesn't it!

I've never been accused of being neat while I bake or decorate. This is what my cooktop looked like after 20 minutes of dipping pretzels in a baking soda bath. Thankfully, baking soda is a great cleaner, so now it sparkles. ha ha

Happy Baking!

Pink Mitzvah

2011-09-29T14:30:00.001-04:00

WOW! WOW! WOW! When I walked into the Banquet Room at Hamilton Farms to delivery this cake, I was speechless! Not sure who the event planners were, but they did a stellar job! The overall feel was elegant, pink, fun, and girlie! And the perfect backdrop for this Bat Mitzvah Cake.

And I do so very much love this cake. I made lots of anemone flowers for it, including custom candle holders around the base of the bottom tier. And made a rhinestone plaque for the top tier with Daryn's name on it.

Each tier is a different flavor and filling combination to allow plenty of variety for the guests.

For the love of cake

2011-09-29T09:00:00.000-04:00

One of the biggest compliments I get as a baker is a referral. But even more than that, when my customers come back time and again, it means they are happy. And that makes me very happy.

So when I did a wedding cake for the Byrd couple last year, I was thrilled to get a great review. But even more thrilled when Dana's mom called to order a replica of her wedding cupcakes for a Christmas gift because Dana liked them so much! And then, recently, I got a call from Dana that their First Anniversary was approaching and they didn't save the top tier of their wedding cake to celebrate with. She said it was so good, they couldn't help but eat it! Can I tell you how much I loved hearing that? Ehhh... everyone enjoys a little ego boost.

Anyway, I worked with Dana and created a replica of the top tier of her wedding cake so that she and her husband could celebrate their first Anniversary.

This cake was a very moist and delicious pound cake with homemade raspberry filling. Mmmmmm YUMMY!

Simply Fall

2011-09-28T15:30:00.000-04:00

Homestyle iced wedding cakes are getting pretty popular and I have to say, I can see why. They have a look to them that says, simple, elegant, and EAT ME! Some cakes, you just don't want to cut. But a homestyle iced cake is just begging for someone to dig in and start eating. And as a baker/decorator, I really appreciate the ease of these cakes. They are a breeze to decorate and assemble. It doesn't get much better than that!

This was a lemon cake with homemade strawberry filling. Fresh and delicious and the perfect compliment to the buttercream icing.

A cake fit for a Princess

2011-09-28T11:57:00.004-04:00

Sometimes my work puts a smile on my face that stays with me ALL DAY LONG! This was one of those days! When Devon/Mama Cheaps and Lily came to pick up Lily's Birthday cake, the smile that kiddo had on her face had me smiling on the inside for the rest of the day. It added a spring to my step and gave me a burst of energy. It's one of the things that make my job so enjoyable.

Cake makes people happy... You can't deny it. But when someone goes out of their way to give you a cake that represents you and reflects your passions... well... the smiles from that are all the encouragement I need to keep on cakin'!

I mean really, look at the smile on this kids face!

Lily Bean's cake was double chocolate with whipped chocolate ganache filling. It was 2 layers of cake and various accessories to dress it up like the pretty princess castle she wanted.

There's something about bright colors on a cake...

2011-09-20T08:55:00.005-04:00

Whether you are assembling a cake with very little detail and a small pop of color or the entire cake is decorated in bright and bold colors, there's something about it that catches your eye and makes you happy.

Soft colors are delicate and pretty. Bright colors are stunning and bold. And they definitely catch your eye!

This first cake/cupcake combination was for a 1st Birthday. It's a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse cake that was designed after a cake I did a while back. The bold colors are perfect for young children and the figurines can be kept and played with for years to come.

This is the cake that I did a while back that served as inspiration for the smaller version.

Gotta love those bright, bold colors!

Super Hero's drive the BEST cars!

2011-09-20T08:40:00.005-04:00

This was one of the most challenging and the most rewarding cakes I've done in a while. It frustrated and confounded me, and at the same time, it went so amazingly smooth that I was waiting for something to go wrong the whole time. Thankfully, it never did!

I baked 3 half sheet cakes for this monster, then I cut up the 3rd one and pieced it together with the first two to make a nice LONG car. I should have taken more photos of the process. But, not surprisingly, I got so involved in what I was doing that I never stopped to grab the camera.

The front of the car, top and some of the back, I carved on my own. Then the back end of this car started to confuse me with all the bumps and lines. So I called my husband over to help me finish the carving and WOWZA, he did a stellar job! So here it is, the Batmobile!!! This is the 1989 version that Michael Keaton drove.

Can I tell you how much I love that car!? It was pretty big and measured almost 2 foot long! And the best part, I got a phone call from the mother of the groom (this was a groom's cake), when she arrived at the venue. She was calling to tell me that she just saw the cake and that it was AMAZING! Yeah!!! Happy Clients make me smile!

Happy Baking!

Playing Catch Up! A small gallery of recent cake photos for you to enjoy.

2011-09-13T08:26:00.017-04:00

EEEEEK!!!! I'm so behind over here. It's like a ghost town and there's no one to blame but me! The problem with social media is that there's so much of it! Despite my utter failure to keep the blog up to date, my facebook page is ALWAYS up to date. So I'm not falling behind EVERYWHERE. Just with twitter (which I still don't get, so I must need lessons, because I haven't a clue what a hatch tag is, but I'm told I need to use them), and the blog, and trying to figure out what the fuss is with pinterest (which would be easier if I knew what it was, but I haven't a clue), and I'm a loser with flickr too (don't laugh cause I really can't be the only one!) All in all, despite being a Social Media Mom, it seems I'm an utter failure at social media. How ironic! lol

So with summer coming to a close, rain almost every day, school starting, cake orders, and laundry piling up, the social media has taken not only a hit, but a BIG one! For those of you who loyally check every week for the latest cake photos, I'm very sorry. So here's my attempt at playing catch up.

These are my most recent cakes. In no particular order. Thanks for stopping by and being so forgiving. *wink*

Gerbera Daisy Wedding Cupcake Tree

Fall is almost here and with fall, we welcome wedding cakes that are topped with oranges, pinks, yellows, browns, and greens! Fall colors are being ushered in by the start of school and the cooler temperatures. And I LOVE it! Fall is one of my favorite times of year. I love the smell of the leaves, the crunching of them under y feet, as I walk along and take a deep breath of cool, crisp, fall air. I also adore the mums, pansies, and of course gerbera daisies that start popping up all over! Especially on a cake!

First Birthday Cake

An animal themed first Birthday cake. It's designed to coordinate with the Birthday Boy's bedroom and his party decorations.

My favorite part, the monkey's face on the smash cake. Seems he KNOWS what's about to happen to him!

Race Car

A grooms cake replica of the groom's race car. His fiancee wanted to make sure he knew that throughout the wedding planning process, he was not forgotten. And what a lucky guy to have a gal that cares so much.

It's a Girl Thing...

For a little girl's 6th Birthday. She's a girlie girl. Loves sparkle, ruffles, gems, feathers, and anything that screams FASHION! So this cake was about all things girl! BUT WAIT... there's more! She got 2 cakes.

The photos in the frame around the cake are based on a lamp that Alexis has in her bedroom. It's a Barbie lamp. With a little fancy footwork in PhotoShop, I was able to remove Barbie's face and replace it with the Birthday girls. It was a seamless transition and a big deal for the Birthday girl!

Man's Best Friend...

Another Grooms Cake. It's always nice when there's something "manly" at the wedding festivities for the guys. Generally, weddings are all pomp, circumstance, bling, frill, flowers, ruffles, and bows. So when the bride, parents, or friends take some time to make sure there's something for the groom that has nothing to do with frill, well, that means a lot. Because it's not something they HAVE to do. It's something special. To make HIM feel special. And that should say a lot about how much he's loved on this momentous occasion.

A Precious Welcome...

Cupcake Trees are a great way to have a stunning centerpiece for your special event without having to worry about cutting and serving cake. The inspiration for this particular piece was a combination of the invitation and the diaper cakes that the soon to be Grandma made as a centerpiece for each table. Each diaper cake had a different stuffed animal on top of it. So we pulled the animal theme into the Shower Cake. To cut costs, we scattered the animals throughout on some of the cupcakes and put pearls on the others. The Precious Moments topper on the cake was provided by the client.

Hibiscus Coookie Favors

2011-08-26T10:17:00.009-04:00

It's not often that I get a request for decorated cookies but on occasion, it does happen. When it does, I look forward to the change of pace and the ability to NOT have to stack and transport a cake. (If you've done it, you know how stressful it can be.)

Aside from the slew of bottles of different colored icing, in different consistencies, with different tips, AND finding royal icing in the most bizarre places for a week, it's a very enjoyable creative outlet.

These cookies were created for a Sweet Sixteen as the party favors for my client's daughter. She was celebrating with a Tropical Luau Themed Event. With that in mind, they asked for hibiscus cookies.

Since I don't have a Hibiscus Cutter, I took a star cutter and my pliers and made my own. Metal cookie cutters are a real blessing for that reason. They are inexpensive and easy to tweak.

My client called and e-mailed me to let me know how happy she and her daughter were with their cookies and sent a few photos of the Birthday Girl. I love happy endings...

A fun way to share the news...

2011-08-23T19:54:00.004-04:00

When my husband and I got pregnant we tried to come up with a clever way to let our parents know that they were going to be grandparents. It added to the excitement of the experience to try and surprise everyone around us with the news instead of just making phone calls and playing whisper down the lane.

With our 2nd child, it wasn't so much about being pregnant as it was about clever ways to let our friends and family know what we were having. You see, in this information age, news travels so very fast. If you want to be the one to tell people something, you kind of have to tell everyone all at once or between twitter, facebook, e-mail, text messaging, etc., someone is likely to steal your thunder. You tell 2 people and then when you go to tell the 3rd, they "already heard". Talk about anti-climactic.

The clients that ordered this cake definitely understand the value of a BIG REVEAL! They wanted to be the ones to let their friends and family know what the gender of their twins will be. So when I got the call for this order, I was given specific instructions that the shower coordinator would be providing the information on design and filling flavor. BUT the flavor of the cake would be the White Almond and the COLOR of the cake would be determined by a secret phone call from the mom after her Ultra Sound.

Mom was completely unaware of the design of the cake. All she knew, was whether or not the color of the cake would be pink, blue, or both. Even the closest family members and those planning the shower were unaware of the gender of the babies.

Each tier of cake represented one of the twins. So when they cut into the cake, the big secrets were revealed. Clever, Sneaky, and Fun!

And at the reveal.... two pink cakes! Congratulations on your twin baby girls Linda & Dan!

A Lion, a Monkey, & Bear... OH MY!

2011-08-23T19:34:00.006-04:00

If you've hung around my blog for any length of time, you know I'm drawn to "cute" stuff. So this cake was right up my alley. The relatively simple although time consuming design was perfect compliment to the cute little critters that graced the top of the cake. The inspiration came from the party decorations and the little man's bedroom. The actual design of the animals was a combination of my imagination and some pictures I found online.

Please tell me I'm not the only one that finds these little critters adorable. Especially since I'm the one that sculpted them. I just love how precious they are and how sweet the little giraffe looks.

This is the smash cake (cake specifically for the 1 year old to "smash" as is tradition in most of the US) with a 1 and a little monkey on top. I'm particularly drawn to the expression on the monkey's face. It's almost as if he knows what the little hand coming toward him is about to do.

The bottom border of the cakes have these vertical stripes that were cut into 1" strips. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, although it was somewhat time consuming. I cut up the leftover strips of fondant to use as confetti.

In the end, I was able to deliver the cakes to a very happy mother who gave me a hug and said she would see me for Birthday #2. Success!

In the final hours...

2011-08-12T10:23:00.004-04:00

It's the final hours of the Philly Hot List, Best Of Cakes competition and Truly Custom Cakery, LLC is vying for 1st place with another local caker. It's neck in neck and we need your vote to come out on top!

It takes just 30 seconds to cast your vote and we'd be honored if you would. Tell the Philadelphia area who your favorite cake shop is! Vote HERE!

Thanks in Advance and stay tuned for more cake photos! Also, don't forget, we've got tutorials and recipes posted on our website just for you! Including our Award Winning Chocolate Buttercream Recipe! See Recipes HERE.