Fondant covered chocolate cake.

Blue and white hand piped design.

Yellow sugar roses.

Need I say more?

The bride and groom came to me with their specifications. Their unique spin on a traditional tiered wedding cake produced a square tower of sweetness.

I love my job!! Congratulations Amy & Sean! Best wishes in your new life together.

She lost her husband early this year.

She had major back surgery.

This frail little lady had borne such hardship in just a few months and now it was her 80th birthday.

Perhaps she hoped everyone would forget.

The smiling eyes and quiet voice had lost their spark.

She had wondered often in recent weeks as to what her purpose was. What good could there be left in life and why celebrate when there had been so much lost.

2009 had cost her greatly and though she, in true proper grace, was forging on, it wasn't easy to share a smile or keep her little chin up.

Somewhere a few miles away, a phone call was made to Frosted. Friends gathered for a surprise birthday party. I made a chocolate cake with vanilla pastry cream filling. I was only told that she liked birds. I chose two, since they had asked that I write "Faithful Friend" on the cake. As I was placing them on, one fell slightly. I grabbed my spatula to right him when I saw that he was leaning on the other bird. I smiled and let him be.

Sometimes, we all need to have a friend to lean on.

A couple of weeks later, her own son and daughter in law called to order another cake for her actual birthday. I was so blessed to make both of her birthday cakes. The second one was vanilla with chocolate cream filling. Since I know this sweet woman personally, I sent a birthday card with the cake. I explained the meaning behind each of the edible sugar decorations I had made for it.

The bow was to symbolize her life. Each life is a gift and a blessing.

The brooch to show that she has a rich legacy to leave behind.

The hankerchief for the hard times she has experienced and lived through.

but the rose to show that she is still blooming. She has more living to do and more to give.

As an oldest child I have always had a bit of a 'rescuer' in me.

I like to be the solution to a problem. Or at least appear to have the answer. :)

I've been humbled time and time again, but every once in a while I get to 'come to the rescue'.

I received a call just days before a wedding from the father of the bride. The cake baker had a heart attack and wasn't able to make the cake. I happened to be free that weekend and took the challenge.

Even with the late night hours, a harrowing drive to the reception and a last minute set up, I was pleased with the end result.

When I met her she seemed like any other bride. She was pretty and pleasant and there was nothing about her that seemed out of the ordinary.

Then I was asked if I could create a cruise ship wedding cake.

!!!!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE brides who think outside the box! Although I am a traditional girl myself, I thoroughly enjoy challenging myself with the cakes I make and trying new things.

This bride definitely wanted something different and was looking for a custom wedding cake to suit her pre-cruise getaway. After a little more discussion we nixed the cruise ship and designed a sea shell cake for her summer wedding.I had never tried sea shells before and really enjoyed working with the molds and creating the shells out of white chocolate. I painted each shell with edible dusts and coloring to attempt a more 'life like' appearance. I added tropical lilies made from gum paste.

Lena, the bride, had chosen red velvet for her cake flavor and a generous layer of cream cheese frosting as a filling for the cake.

The moments we make aren't near as important as the memories we keep.

May this moment as you begin your life together, be held in your hearts for always.

Blessings! Frosted.

This summer was a busy one for cakes. I found myself evaluating along the way. Am I sick of this? Do I really want to do this? But each time, I came back to the pleasure I feel in my core... I love what I do. I was born to create.

I love the chemistry of flour and leaveners. I love hearing eggs beat in a rhythm to a tune in my head. I never tire of it. I do tire, however. But I wake up the next morning with a recipe idea or a thought of how I could decorate or display a cake differently. What flavor combination might I try?

As much as I love the baking process, if I had to choose one element that is my favorite it would be the frosting or decorating of a cake. I love working with different cake mediums. I enjoy buttercream and piping with royal frosting. Fondant work is daunting but ridiculously clean and beautiful. Lately, I have tried my hand at sugar art. Rolled fondant and gum paste can seem overwhelming at first. It takes so much more time than I first imagined.

Each petal must be created by hand. Every vein is thoughtfully placed, each overlap or curl of a petal or leaf. ...Where it dries, it stays.

I had the pleasure of making a cake for a 90th birthday party. This beautiful lady had mentioned to her daughter that she had memories of her mother placing white flowers called 'mock orange' on her birthday cakes when she was a girl.

I had never heard of that flower, but I researched it and decided I wanted to bring back a piece of her past on this, a celebration of her 90th year of life.

Cakes are temporary. They are a momentary commemorative display of edible art. Not something you can keep forever, and hang on a wall or put in a cabinet. They are just placed on a plate or cake stand and cut and served to be eaten. Some might argue "why bother?" Why would I put in hours and hours to painstakingly create petals for flowers that will be eaten in 10 minutes?

I believe that anything worth doing is worth doing with excellence. And no matter how brief its existence, a beautiful cake is remembered not only for the sweet ending of an event, but for the feeling it gives.

Cakes have the opportunity to thrill the senses and touch the heart. They can be a description of a person and as individual as we all are. I hope each cake ordered from Frosted is a memorable one and that memory not only tastes good on your tongue, but reaches the heart.

Thank you for hiring me and allowing me to be a part of your story in this way.

- Julie, Frosted

I love weddings!

I loved my own, and I've loved being a witness to the weddings of my family and friends over the years.

Now, as a cake baker, I get the privilege of being a part of a bride and groom's wedding day by creating the cake to celebrate their union. I love choosing the design with the bride and groom. The cake is a centerpiece at their reception that showcases who they are as a couple. Creating something that is unique to them is a privilege and a passion I enjoy.

Abby and Chuck came to me to discuss their cake. Right away I was enchanted by their great sense of style and fun loving spirit. I loved watching them together and the joy that surrounded them.

I wanted their cake to depict that.

The bride choose a design that although, traditional in its structure had the pop of color and a unique design quality that intrigued me.

To Abby and Chuck, an amazing, beautiful and fun couple;

Congratulations and Thank You for having me create your cake!

May you have a lifetime of happiness!

When I met Sarah, she was a teenager. Years later, I was introduced to her fiance and excitedly agreed to design a wedding cake for the first day of their life as Mr. & Mrs.

Sarah was a classic bride; elegant, full of laughter and beauty. Her taste was classy and romantic. She and Daniel are a fun couple who embraced tradition in their wedding but wanted every detail to be personal.

I designed a vanilla butter cake with raspberry preserves and lemon pound cake with lemon curd. The cake was frosted in a rich buttercream and each layer had a different piped design on it. Fondant flowers decorated the top.

Do Garden Vegetables in Cake Make it Healthier?

I vote YES! Even though loaded with all other calorie laden ingredients (best butter I could find, whole milk, white flour, brown sugar etc.) I did hand grate a TON of carrots to get the BEST carrot cake EVER. Something that takes that much work MUST be good for you, right? ;)

After many tries I discovered this deliciously moist, suprizing blend of texture and flavor and yummy, comforting goodness in one recipe. mmmm... time to whip up another batch!

When life gives you lemons...

In the middle of the cold winter (that threatened to never leave) I decided to make lemon meringue cupcakes! I had never tried this before and wanted to do something different. This presented well and tasted light and fluffy. The lemon curd filling was the perfect blend of tart and sweetness. I had some difficulty figuring out the meringue topping but it all worked out in the end!







I have the urge to name these: "Sunny Day Cupcakes" but is that too corny?
hmmm... on a cold and cloudy day it is just right!

In the World of Cakes...

there is one illusive and beautiful classic that is a must have on any baker's menu.

The Red Velvet

She is distinct and mysterious. Her exact origin is unknown. Although commonly attributed to the southern states, it is the historic Waldorf Astoria in New York City that served the Red Velvet to guests in 1930 that caused it to first rise to fame. The recipe varies from source to source but everyone seems to agree that a rich red color is a must. I like the mysterious hint of cocoa in my recipe and a moist dense crumb that feels like velvet on the tongue!

I am perhaps my own worst critic.
Sometimes, I get a recipe to meet my standards on the first or second try. But that is rare. I actually went through four versions of the lady in red and each one was unique in its own way.
For now, I've settled on version #4.
I gave her cream cheese frosting and a sprinkle of crumbs to distinguish her and reveal the scarlet interior that was waiting beneeth her swirls of creamy topping.

She may seem unnassuming at first, but after unwrapping her, I'm sure you will find her infectious and delightful at first bite!

tomorrow is a new day. :)

Maraschino Cherry Cake, Anyone?

It comes in a moment. A suggested recipe, a picture in a magazine, a tempting list of ingredients and instructions in a cookbook. But when it comes, it doesn't leave me alone until I have it just right. Thats how I began my week. A friend mentioned that she liked her mom's maraschino cherry cake. (How have I not tried this before?) I obtained the recipe and went to work.
Frosted's test kitchen was full of cherries, walnuts, and the world was pink and fluffy and sweet for days on end...

My first version was made as the recipe called for. I lathered thick buttercream on top. I thought it tasted great, but wanted a more tender texture.
I ended up with FOUR versions of this cake! I altered ingredients and mixing methods. I tried powdered sugar on top of one version:








I made one version as a round 10" layer cake frosted with home made white chocolate whipped cream. (yumm!)

But in the end, it was this version that won out:
A tender and moist but fluffy bundt cake with lots of cherries and walnuts. An almond glaze topped it off and it went great with a frothy mug of my favorite chai tea.

Welcome to Frosted's test kitchen...

I've been having fun lately trying out many new recipes and inventing some of my own concoctions.
I think I've made over a dozen cakes in the past four weeks!
(and I'm just gettin' started!!)

I have flavors floating around in my head at night.
Chai Spice Cake with Cinnamon Butter Cream anyone?

When I began baking as a child I had no idea what it would become. I was just enjoying creating something. It amazed me how a few simple ingredients when mixed properly together and baked could produce such delicious and wonderful desserts!

Decades later, I have found an outlet for my creativity, a challenge that keeps me pushing myself and striving for excellence, and a business that pays me for pursuing my passion!

Someone once said "To be truly successful, discover what you are most passionate about and then figure out a way to get paid for doing it."

My first wedding cake was for my brother's wedding, just over 8 years ago. The wedding was small but I was happy to help out. On top of baking the wedding cake I was also coordinating the wedding, decorating and in the wedding as a bridesmaid. I remember asking my younger sister to help me place the royal icing roses on the cake layers for me so that I could get dressed for the ceremony last minute!

I have learned a lot about time management since those days! I do not have a picture of that cake to show you as proof of my beginnings in the wedding business.

But here are a few weddings I've done since then...

More to come soon!...

It all had to start somewhere.



I suppose for me, it began in my parent's kitchen where I began baking up my now famous (to my family anyway) coffee cake and banana bread.



Those pages in my mothers old Bettter Homes and Gardens cookbook were so splattered and worn...



Never that good at cooking, for some reason baking just came easier. Perhaps it was my sweet tooth...



I do not have pictures of my first decorated cake. I'm sure it was for one of my siblings' birthdays.



This cake was from years ago. I think it was for a nephews birthday.









I had to start somewhere!