Upcoming events

I am so excited! I have another wedding coming up for the first week in November so I have another opportunity to share in a wonderful occasion. The holidays are approaching so that also gives me more opportunities to make good cakes for other people to share with their friends and family. I have had a few requests already so it looks like this holiday season is going to be busy! I do have one update for the completion of a cake concept, I did finish the PB&J cake but I am going to adjust the way I do the icing. I did not like the jelly icing so I am going to try the cake again and just drizzle the jelly over the top; this is really a cake for kids so "neat" icing is really not necessary. Once I have that down I will post pictures of the finished cake!

I love baking

I was able to make some cookies yesterday and take some of them to work for my team and fellow managers. They loved the sweet treats and as always this brought a smile to my face; I think I smile a lot so maybe I should say I just had a bigger smile on my face. I noticed today that a really do spend a lot of time thinking about what new cake ideas I can come up with and how many every day things inspire me to create something new. I am still working on the P B & J cake but I think I am close to perfecting it! I have added a website for Tasty Goodness Cakes which is an extension of the business to those who want to request cakes for events, holidays or for no reason at all. The more cakes I make the more I love baking so hopefully people will start asking for more!!

Who bakes for the baker?

It's my birthday and as usual I am loving it! When this day comes around I find myself in a bit of a dilemma when it comes to getting a cake for myself. Most people do not want to make a cake for me because they feel I would critique it or that it may not be good enough so I do not end up with much birthday cake. I love cake (which is probably why I need to spend more time at the gym) but I just do not get to eat much homemade cake from someone else's kitchen except my mom's, she knows she is an awesome cook/baker so my opinion doesn't really matter. What kid is going to critique her mom's food anyway? Whether I get any birthday cake or not this year I am so excited to be 32 (that's right 32 and I make that number look good) for many reasons but one of the main reasons is that I am in a place to pursue my dream of baking for a living. It is slow going right now but I know Tasty Goodness Cakes will continue to grow, I am blessed so this business has no choice but to succeed! The other two reasons are in this pic, the loves of my life inspire me and make me appreciate every year I have been blessed with. I will let everyone know if someone makes a cake for me!

I really love creating new cakes and bringing new ideas to life. I have a few projects I am working on with new cake and filling flavors as well as experimenting with decorating techniques. Baking really allows me to show my creative side which used to come out in my writing but I have let that slide a bit; I have a childrens' book sitting in my computer waiting to be completed. I am going to make progress on some of these projects this week while I am not working at my "day job".

I have been trying to create a great PB&J cake for my daughter and have experienced a few challenges with it as far as cake texture is concerned. Most cakes I have seen using these flavors have the peanut butter in the cake but I want to incorporate the jelly in the cake instead with a nice peanut butter mousse for filling. Once I am done with it I will add the picture here for all to see; hopefully I will have a breakthrough on it this week!

For the love of cake

I have always found joy in the little things with relationship to food. Using fresh ingredients or making cakes from scratch may seem insignificant but these are the little things that make a huge difference in baking. The smell of fresh fruits, real vanilla bean steeping in heavy cream or freshly grated nutmeg brings a smile to my face; when I am baking for other people I just cannot skimp on the ingredients. When you are allowed to share in someones special event they should remember bold flavors and beautiful decorations that come from time and effort. Even though the recipient may not know how long it took to create their cake or dessert or have no idea what it took to find that one special element for the cake I have to be proud of what I am creating. All of that effort is for the love of cake!

I really love baking for all occaisions but weddings are my favorite right now. I really love to see the look on a bride's or groom's face when they see their cake for the first time. There is a lot of hard work that goes into bringing a couple's vision to reality but when I have the chance to stand back and look at the finished creation all the work is worth it.

What my craft means to me

Baking cakes allows you the honor of sharing in the most exciting and life changing moments in the lives of others while forever adding you to their most precious memories. Every bride remembers her wedding cake and every new mother remembers her baby shower, as a baker I have the awesome privilege and responsibility to make those moments unforgettable. I help families celebrate birthdays and holidays by giving them the best I have to give, my creations are shared while friends laugh and love together; there is nothing I love doing more and not many things make me feel more accomplished.