Fake Cakes are rarely a good idea
Filed Under About Wedding Cakes, Dy's rants | 3 Comments
Somewhere out there someone must have written a really bad article in a magazine about fake cakes without researching it. Since then people have taken the concept and run with it, also without researching it. I constantly have people asking me about saving money by using a fake cake and having a “sheet cake in the back to cut.” I fail to understand the logic of how this could be cost effective in many of the cases. Here is why, using a standard 3 tier cake as an example:
- If a cake is to feed 100 people, I still have to bake cake for 100. I use the same amount of ingredients and it takes the same time whether it is one tier or three.
- I have to decorate each tier. So in the case of having all three “display tiers” fake I still have to decorate the three tiers plus fill and frost that “sheet cake in the back.” So it is actually more work because I have that sheet cake to still deal with. (This is a marginal complaint as I did not actually have to torte 3 cakes, just one, but still there is no time savings. It is actually about even.) Also, now I have to buy styrofoam blocks and add that to my cost. Add into that the fact the styrofoam is bad for the planet.
So, how is it that people think “fake cakes” are a good idea? How does this myth exist? Well, it is not totally a myth. From my understanding the concept of “fake cakes” started with the fact that bakeries place display cakes in their windows. Someone then got the idea to rent them out and sell sheet cakes on the side. In fact, you can find places on line that offer this service. So you pay like $100 to $150 to rent a cake, plus shipping. When it arrives you have to fix any damages that arose during shipping. You then buy a cake from someplace like Costco (yick!) and serve that. Then you get to pay to ship back the original cake and pay for someone to fix the damages from the return shipping process. This has to be a huge hassle for people. Now, and here is the real killer to me, keep in mind that you have to pick a cake from an existing catalogue. You cannot custom design your cake or there is another charge. At this point, you have paid the same as you would have if you contacted a cake artist and had a cake commissioned. Yes, commissioned. Many of us are artists and take great pride in our work. Oh, and you had a Costco cake for your wedding when you could have had one that was made from scratch and that people wanted to eat and did not throw out.
Now in all honestly the concept of a fake cake is not a totally bogus one. I recently worked with a very nice girl who dreamed of having a 6 tier wedding cake for her 100 guest wedding. I was more than happy to make the cake so that 100 slices were real and the rest of foam. This made sense. After all, there was no reason for her to pay for cake for 300 when she did not need it.
The bottom line is that there are times when having a display cake makes sense but they are really uncommon. I understand that people want to save money and have something special but this is not the solution to the problem. Please, do keep in mind that we are artists and what we do takes an extreme amount of time.
And if there are any cake artists out there who feel I am missing the point then please shed some light on this for me. If you agree then comment too. I can’t possibly be the only one who finds this frustrating.
Agave and Diabetic Friendly Cakes
Filed Under Special Cakes by Bewitching Elegance, diabetic friendly agave cake, health | Leave a Comment
A few years ago I decided to improve my eating habits and formed an interest in macrobiotics. Through that, I got turned on to vegan baking and became one of the very few people in the San Francisco area that will make vegan cakes. Once I started doing that I got calls from all kinds of people with dietary concerns. From there, I added gluten-free cakes to my line. However, it seems the phone never stops ringing with new requests from people with special needs, which I am always glad to try to accommodate. A big one lately has been calls from diabetics wanting to have their cake and eat it too. A reasonable request, if you ask me. But a diabetic friendly wedding cake all pretty and decorated? Is that possible? Oh yes!
I recently developed recipes for agave cake and buttercream. I just adore agave. As someone who is sensitive to sugar I can enjoy dessert and not experience the headaches and racy heart that I sometimes get with sugar. I have found that there is a big mystery surrounding agave though. Many people have never heard of it. Delicious Organics has this on their website and I think it sums it well:
“Agave Nectar, also called Agave Syrup, is a relatively new sweetener, developed in the 1990s. It is naturally “tapped” like maple syrup. It comes from the Agave cactus, native to Mexico, and best known for its use in making tequila. It is similar in consistency to honey but pours more easily. It dissolves nicely in liquid. It is 10% glucose and 90% fructose, but this is fructose in it’s natural form (unlike high fructose corn syrup). It is absorbed more slowly by the body and is therefore lower on the glycemic index, eliminating the highs and lows of regular sugar. It does have a slight but pleasant flavor to it; the lighter varieties have less than the darker varieties. It contains minerals like Iron, Calcium, Potassium and Magnesium.
Most all Agave you will find is organic, natural, unrefined, economical, raw, and kosher.
Like honey, it is sweeter than sugar so you need less of it. Use it to flavor cold drinks like lemonade and iced tea instead of sugar. You can even use it in your coffee or tea. And it’s perfect for smoothies. Use it in vinaigrettes, on cereal, or as a glaze to fish or poultry. Use it in place of sugar in your homemade ice cream. You can use it anywhere you’d use honey, replace it in equal amounts. You can also use it in places you’d use maple syrup like atop pancakes or in desserts. Use 3/4 cup to replace 1 cup of sugar in recipe. Like honey, you must also reduce the liquids in recipe by 1/3. It also helps to reduce oven temperature by 25 degrees if baking with it. Baked goods come out moist and smooth with Agave.”
Something that is not mentioned is that agave rates about a 10 or 11 on glycemic index while sugar is at about 58. Because of this, it is much better for diabetics. Although I have to warn that everyone is different and if you have diabetes you should always consult your doctor about things like this.
At any rate, I love offering agave wedding cakes to my clients, which in a busy place like San Francisco, is in high demand! If I did not tell you I was not using sugar, you would have no idea. The best part of all of this is that there are none of those nasty chemicals that you find in other “sugar alternative” products and none of that “funky taste,” so it is really better for you in a lot of ways. I highly encourage everyone to experiment with agave, for the sake of your health, and your tastebuds!
Bewitching Elegance makes world Star Wars news!!!
Filed Under Cool Wedding and Party Stuff, Special Cakes by Bewitching Elegance | 3 Comments
I just found out that the Star Destroyer cake I made was pictured twice in the latest issue of Bantha Tracks, the Newsletter of Hyperspace: The Official Star Wars Fan Club. This is viewed world wide by Star Wars fans. Here is the full story:
A Match Made at the Ranch
Many fans dream of one day going to George Lucas’ Skywalker
Ranch, but who could imagine going to the Ranch and meeting the
love of your life all in the same day?
Consettsa Parker and Garet Jones were each scheduled to be at the
Ranch on May 4th, 2005, for a press event for Revenge of the Sith.
Parker was working with the press as a publicist, and Jones was
appearing in his stormtrooper costume, a member of the 501st
Golden Gate Garrison requested to come to the event to add
atmosphere and fun for the reporters.
According to Parker, she had always hoped to meet a man who loved
Star Wars as much as she did. A veteran of many press events, it is
likely she did not expect to meet such a man at the Ranch that day,
even though her press schedule was all about the new Star Wars
movie.
“Around 8:55am I heard through my head set that there were
stormtroopers and a Chewbacca available if any TV press needed
them for background or B-roll,” recalls Parker. “I was the first to
reply. ‘I need a stormtrooper and Chewbacca on the back porch at
9am’. ” The producer for the TV press I was working with said she
didn’t need any B-roll, but I recommended they do it just in case.
“As I rearranged wires and chairs preparing for the morning interviews to begin I heard a
distinct clanking sound…the sound of armor in motion,” continues Parker. “I turned and saw
him… my stormtrooper had arrived at 9am, helmet in hand.
“Anyone who knows me, knows that when I am working nothing can pull me out of it, but
at that moment all I saw was my stormtrooper and he took my breath
away. We looked at each other and I said ‘Aren’t you a li le short for a
stormtrooper?’ He replied, ‘Actually, I’m a little tall.’”
As chance would have it, Parker and Jones were able to sit and watch the
movie together that evening during the press screening. And the rest,
as they say, is history. “My heart belonged to Garet from that day,”
says Parker.
The two were married this past May, on the Kerner sound stage, the
former location of Industrial Light & Magic. Jones in stormtrooper
armor, and Parker in Boussh bounty hunter gear, exchanged vows
in the company of a host of fans who also wore costumes, many
of them from the Bay area’s Golden Gate Garrison.
The cake, created by Diane Rinella of Bewitching Elegance,
was in the shape of a huge, hovering star destroyer. Yes, a star
destroyer. The cake creator and her husband made their
own Imperial officer costumes to wear to the wedding.
Geo Puckett of Kerner Optical provided
special effects, and while all weddings
are special, few have special
effects!
Gluten Free Wedding Cakes
Filed Under gluten free cakes | 3 Comments
Making gluten free cakes is no easy task. It is not just because of the lack of flour, but mostly because of the hidden gluten that is contained in many ingredients. Did you know some vanilla extracts contain gluten while others do not? Have you ever dipped your measuring cup into sugar after it has contained flour? These are just two of the numerous reasons why most bakers will not make gluten free items. In fact, I am the only baker I know of in the San Francisco area that will make a gluten free wedding cake.
I started making gluten free wedding cakes for similar reasons as to why I started making vegan wedding cakes, out of awareness of health issues. This does not only include actual allergies, but also stems from what we are learning about autism. Regardless of the reasons for wanting a gluten free cake, we need to look beyond flour when making them. Here are some things to keep in mind.
Always keep in mind that a gluten free diet is not generally a choice that people make. It is done for very specific health reasons. Some people are incredibly sensitive and will become very sick if they ingest any gluten. You can never be too careful.
The Beauty of Being Cruelty Free
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It surprises me that although I am pretty much in San Francisco, I get asked a lot “why I bother” with making vegan wedding cakes. There are a few reasons actually. I got started making vegan cakes because I am studying macrobiotics. In macrobiotics you avoid dairy and refined products. Thus, making vegan cake seemed like a good place to start. While experimenting with recipes I learned a lot about animal rights and reasons that people become vegan other than the health aspects. I have to say that there is a lot more to it than I originally thought. Take for example the issue with sugar. It is amazing to me that with all of the technology at our finger tips that there are still a few companies that refine sugar through horse bone char. I can’t think of a single way that this is good but I can think of a whole lot of ways it is bad. As a result, I watch who I buy my sugar from and never buy non-vegan sugar for any purpose. Doing this doesn’t hurt me at all and helps the horses, so why would I not do this?
It is amazing how there are little things like this that we can do that make no noticeable change to us but can has such a profound effect on other creatures. I am so glad that I have this knowledge now. A small change for me, a huge win for the horses!
The Force was with us!
Filed Under Special Cakes by Bewitching Elegance | 1 Comment
A few months ago I received a call from a wedding planner who was representing a couple of members of the 501st. For those of you who are not “in the know,” the 501st is a world wide organization made up of very intense Star Wars fans. These are not your ordinary fans either. Most of them have personally hand made Storm Trooper armor that pretty much exactly matches that which is found in the actual Star Wars films. The 501st are highly respected for not only their dedication, but also how they act as a family unit and ban together to support charities. When I was approached with the possibility to make a Star Destroyer cake for two members who were planning a Star Wars dream wedding at Kerner Optical (an offshoot of ILM and composed of people who created the original films) I was floored.
After hours of initial design work I was ready to meet with my prospective clients. I was very excited to hear that they loved my ideas and the cake. I think that we had an instant mutual respect and understanding when I told them I am a die hard old school Battlestar Galactica fan and showed them pictures of my highly screen accurate costumes. Yes, I came into this armed and ready to get this deal and the sci-fi geek side of me was glowing. I think the costume pictures proved I was a stickler for details, which was very important to my clients, and to me. Fast forward a few months later and I delivered a dream wedding cake to two of the sweetest people I have had the pleasure of meeting in this wonderful business.
Behold, the Bewitching Elegance Star Destroyer cake:
Click on the image to see more pictures.
My Sitcom Wedding
Filed Under Cool Wedding and Party Stuff | 1 Comment
My Sitcom Wedding
This is one of our favorite books! It is a must for anyone who is feeling the stain of planing a wedding.
Click here to find the book on Amazon.
From Amazon:
With three months to go until her blissful day of entering wedlock, Hyacynth was far more organized than any other bride she or her friends had ever known. As a creative person who had always done everything herself, plans and ideas for her Italian-Japanese fusion wedding were flowing effortlessly for her.
But things are never as easy as they should be. At T-minus 90 days, Hyacynth is about to discover that on the road to “happily ever after” she has a long way to go and that even the best laid plans can simply be a cover for chaos. She now finds herself thoroughly unprepared for others intervening in ways that she never anticipated while discovering that she must come to terms with internal demons that she did not know existed. The result is an often humorous and sometimes unnerving series of events told through words that are always brutally honest.
This is the true story of Hyacynth Arcola and her wedding. The names have been changed to protect the guilty.
Welcome!
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Welcome to the Bewitching Elegance blog!
Thank you for visiting our blog! Here we hope that you will find cool links and tips to make your once-in-a-lifetime events the best that they can be. Please visit our website www.bewitchingelegance.com to get more information about ordering a custom cake.
We are proud to say that we now offer vegan, gluten free, and agave cakes! Please contact us for more information.
Thanks for dropping by and enjoy!
~Dy