Cake Central Magazine

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letter from jackie

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here are no rules when it comes to choosing the style and color of your wedding cake. Bold, colorful wedding cakes coordinated with matching invitations and wedding accessories have been a quickly growing trend, and after seeing some of the cakes featured in this issue, it’s not hard to see why. Whether you are the cake maker or the bride, working with an unfamiliar color combination for your wedding cake can sometimes feel like mission impossible. In this issue, we highlight two very different color palettes; lemon and green and pink and teal. The cake artists have all done an extraordinary job of showing a range of style, and they’ve demonstrated that a wedding cake, in any color combination, can be a stylish masterpiece. Sincerely,

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contributors magazine

CEO

Jackie Shaffer COO

Heath Shaffer MANAGING EDITOR

Robyn Broker DESIGN

Kit Oliynyk fiorine.tumblr.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR/ ASSISTANT CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Katie Shuy

Leanne Winslow Leanne has over 10 years of cake decorating experience, and she is the previous owner of a Seattle-based custom cake shop. Her extensive experience as a judge, decorator, business owner, and figurehead in the cake industry has given her a unique and valuable perspective on everything cake.

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Rose Thompson LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

editor@cakecentralmagazine.com SUBSCRIPTION ORDERS

cakecentralmagazine.com ADVERTISING INQUIRIES

advertise@cakecentralmagazine.com TO MAKE SUBMISSIONS:

submissions@cakecentralmagazine.com

On the cover: Kristin Erich “Different shades of teal and pink have echoed in my cake designs many times in the last year, as have roses of many shapes, colors, and sizes. They are the colors and flowers that speak to me the most. Being provided with images or objects that a client finds meaningful is quite helpful in designing a cake that is personal to them. It stirs the imagination in ways you may not have come to on your own. The inspiration pieces here were my true loves already, so designing around them was a joy. The difficulty for me was in staying tied to the inspiration images instead of being so inspired that I departed from them entirely. This design allowed me to try a few things I have not yet had opportunity to try. I rarely use molds as I prefer to pipe. Including a double barrel tier within a larger design was also new. The mosaic tiling was inspired by the geometry within the inspiration image (the bow tie) and the randomness of the coloring and spacing of the tiles by the whimsical lines within its pattern. It is a style I have wanted to try for awhile now and I enjoyed its counterpoint to the feminine flowers. This cake design and its execution has been very special to me. It comes at nearly the end of my first year of decorating cakes and was a chance to really celebrate how much I have learned and grown. This was my dream cake that this time last year I only hoped to one day create.” See more of Kristin’s cake on pages 46 and 47.

Cake Central Magazine is not responsible for errors in advertisements, articles, photographs or illustrations. While an effort is made to ensure the quality of the content and credibility of sources listed in the magazine, Cake Central Magazine provides no warranty — expressed or implied — and assumes no legal liability for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, product or process published in the magazine. Cake Central Magazine is not responsible for readers’ misinterpretation of images in the magazine in such way that might cause injury or damage. Examples of such misinterpretation might include the use of items that appear edible but are not, such as natural flowers that might be poisonous, modeled sugar flowers that contain wires, etc. The views and opinions of the authors or originators expressed in the magazine do not necessarily state or reflect those of Cake Central Magazine, its principals, executives, Board members, advisors or affiliates.

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table of contents

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Your Slice What Would You Tell a Bride?

11

Spotlight Irene Likokas

14 Feature Fashionable Cakes in the Grand Canyon State

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20 Pink and Teal Cakes 70 Lemon and Green Cakes


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110 Ever Wonder Top Tier

111 Tutorial Stained Glass Stencil

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118 Cake Central Recipe Lemon Loaf Cake

120 Recipe Special Lavender

114 Business of Cake Bridezilla

116 Web Browsing What Megan’s Making

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85 Color: A simple word that is full of limitless potential. When a bride requests a cake that has “a lot of color,” how exactly does one interpret that? There is an incredibly broad range of colors available for an artist to use, therefore just finding a starting point can be daunting. One of the missions of Cake Central Magazine is to demonstrate that there are countless ways to find inspiration for a cake design. Sometimes even the most elaborate design can come from a simple source of creative spark—and that’s just what these next sections of cakes demonstrate.

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The cake makers in these sections were presented simple, everyday objects—some wedding related, some not, that were of similar color schemes. The resulting cakes are spectacular, and we hope you enjoy these exquisite designs as much as we do.

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adore | pink and teal

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Way Beyond Cakes by Mayen Mayen Orido Bel Air, MD waybeyondcakes.com Photo By: Joey Pobre waybeyondcakes

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adore | lemon and green

Lemon and green

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All inspiration items available in Buying Guide.

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know | business of cake

Taming

BRIDEZILLA

By: Leanne Winslow

Bridezilla is a funny name for a bride experiencing a matrimonialinduced psychotic episode. The severity can range from a bride who comes across as snappy to full raging insanity. Hopefully you won’t encounter too many of these in your business, but surely you will have to manage some difficult customers or situations every so often.

have thought it through beforehand, while you’re calm, than to be faceto-face with a dissatisfied customer, making up your policies on the fly. Most likely, each situation will warrant a unique solution, just know what you’re prepared to offer in this event.

AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION = A POUND OF CURE

BE PREPARED When you envisioned being a professional cake maker, surely part of you anticipated brides with tears of joy as you unveiled their perfect wedding cake. and children screaming with happiness for their oneof-a-kind birthday cake. This is the best part of being a cake maker, of course, but there is another side as well. The goal is for everyone to get the cake of their dreams, but some customers may not like their cake and you must put some forethought into how you will handle these situations before you find yourself in them. Consider having a policy that gives you an opportunity to fix the cake. For example, once the cake has been delivered, there should be a window of time (say two hours) where the customer must inform you something isn’t right, giving you the chance to correct it. The worst case scenario is a customer requesting a refund. Better to

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This bride only wants one thing, she wants you to get it right. So give her what she wants by understanding and assuring her. Read your customer: Aare they giving you hints that you aren’t understanding what they need? Is she repeating her instructions multiple times, showing you excessive examples of what she wants, asking the same question over and over? These are signs that she doesn’t feel like you’re on the same page. Just be honest with her, tell her you really do want to understand her. Then, assure her you understand. Support her by providing all the information she wants, a sketch of her cake, a detailed description, a service agreement that lists the specific delivery instructions, etcand so on. Assuring her will go a long way toa long way to calm her down and help her feel confident that she’ll get what she wants. In a sense, you’re trying to win her over. Never be impatient with her, always respond to her calls and emails promptly. She came to you for a service!


THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT... ...except when they’re wrong. But even then, they’re still right. Don’t take this so literally, the meaning isn’t for service providers to be walked all over by customers, but understand that you should do everything in your power to serve them the way they want to be served. It can be tricky to find balance with a demanding or client, therefore compromise is the name of the game. Maybe you’ve had a moment where you were left wondering if they’re crazy, or you’re crazy. Such as when a customer complains that they ordered vanilla cake and you gave them chocolate, while the contract says chocolate and you have an email from them asking for chocolate. It’s all in how you handle it, and be polite but firm. “I’m sorry about the misunderstanding, I see in the signed agreement you ordered chocolate, which you requested in your email on March 7th. Can I offer you a discount on your next order to make up for your disappointment?” This response offers what they want, an apology, and a solution, but doesn’t make you a doormat handing out refunds to anyone who asks.

“This bride only wants one thing, she wants you to get it right.”

If a customer asks for service outside of what you normally offer, like a midnight cake delivery 300 miles away, you have options. You can politely refuse to accommodate such requests that disrupt your business or that are outside of your services, or you can charge a premium for over-the-top ordersrequests. The bottom line is, you may not be able to give everyone everything

they want, but if you agree to provide a service you must do it as best as you can with a smile on your face. Handling complaints is largely about minimizing damage to your business and reputation. There may be a time when you can do nothing but refund them in order to keep them happy. In this situation, you’ll have to weigh the damage of them sharing their bad experience and if it would just be worth the refund simply to avoid that.

AVOID THE ENTIRE SITUATION I’m not one to run away from a challenge, but some mountains are just too big to climb. In your consultation, you may get the sense this customer cannot be pleased or that you don’t sell what they want to buy. In some cases, it might be best to decline the order. Keeping in mind that you don’t want her telling stories about how rude you were to turn her away, be tactful. Tell her you cannot accommodate her request, you’re fully booked, you don’t deliver that far away, you don’t offer that flavor/style, or whatever it is. Be concise, and don’t offer any further explanations. It would be helpful to offer her names of cake makers who do make what she wants.

WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER Don't’ complain! It is tempting to vent to your friends, family, and forum buddies, but don’t. If you have to work with a difficult person, you’ll only add more stress by retelling it—and it might make you look unprofessional. Suck it up, and keep your head high.

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know | web browsing

What MEGAN'S Making

In the world of blogging, the competition is endless. It seems that in the past few years, thanks to the social media boom, blogs are popping up faster than any other resource on the Internet—particularly those of the food variety. With the pickings so ample, it can be overwhelming to find a blog that will really speak to you and your personal tastes. Now, we can only speak for ourselves, but we’re willing to bet that What Megan’s Making, a food blog authored by (surprise) the lovely Megan, is one blog that you will want to visit over...and over again. The thing about food blogs is that sometimes the recipes are enticing, sometimes they are so-so, and sometimes they are just plain obscure. However, it’s difficult to find even one recipe on What Megan’s Making that doesn’t trigger all of your “Must make now!” cooking and baking senses. The

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Michigan based, self-proclaimed cooking and baking lover (more so baking!) posts frequent recipes that are a great blend of sweet, savory, seasonal, and holiday-appropriate. The exceptional photography, along with her enjoyable anecdotes along with each recipe, make all her posts visually appealing and fun to read. Oh, and did we mention the food? Megan’s recipe collection is a combination of old favorites from her grandmother and mother’s repertoire, along with some of her own self-made creations. She isn’t afraid to admit her food flops, but they are few and far between. Just a quick scroll through her blog posts will leave you anxious to not only read more, but to get into your kitchen! Add Megan to your blog bookmarks, and prepare to be inspired by this upbeat, passionate young chef.


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Need a yummy supplement to brighten brunch on a wedding weekend (or any for that matter)? Lemon and cake come together for a delicious loaf recipe.

123 118 Flowers and sugar come together in beautiful harmony with three delectable lavender desserts in this month’s Recipe Special. Discover how one of the most relaxing scents can transform ordinary sweets into refined, unique delicacies.

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enjoy | cake central recipe

LEMON Loaf Cake

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When planning the various get-togethers and events around a wedding weekend, preparing certain meals is bound to come up. It can be tricky to create dishes for big groups of people, particularly if they’re gathered in your home! We’ve created a lovely lemon loaf cake, perfect for a wedding weekend brunch. You can easily double the recipe if need be, and you’ll wow your guests with this seasonal, delicious treat!

LEMON CAKE 3/4 cup cake flour 3/4 cup allpurpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/4 cups sugar 4 eggs 1/8 cup grated lemon zest (from about 2 lemons) 1/8 cup fresh lemon juice 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled 1/4 cup sour cream, room temperature 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

LEMON SYRUP Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine both flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat the sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice until well combined. While beating, slowly add the butter and mix well. Add the sour cream and vanilla, and mix until well incorporated. Gradually add the flour mixture, a little at a time, gently folding in after each addition.

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup sugar

In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the lemon juice and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved, stirring constantly. Cook for 3 additional minutes after sugar dissolves, remove from heat, and set aside. Once the cake has cooled (but while still warm), invert, and place on a parchment-lined pan or platter. Poke holes in the top of the cake using a toothpick.

Pour mixture into prepared loaf pan, and bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick tests clean.

Using a brush or a spoon, apply the syrup to the top and sides of the cake, applying evenly.

Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes.

Brush the top and sides of the loaf with the lemon syrup. Apply an additional time if desired. Let the cake cool completely, approximately 20 to 30 minutes.

LEMON GLAZE (OPTIONAL) 1 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted, or more if needed 4 to 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

In a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and 4 tablespoons lemon juice. If the mixture is too stiff, add up to another 2 tablespoons lemon juice and whisk again. Alternate adding sugar and lemon juice until reaching desired, pourable consistency. Pour the lemon glaze over the top of the cake and down the sides. Allow the glaze to harden before serving.

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