It’s been a while since I last posted. No excuse, just a promise to try to do better

The ovens and mixers have been very busy the past few weeks. We have celebrated several weddings and birthdays. Last weekend, Ashley and Chris were married at the beautiful Lily Pond Farm in Adairsville. Ashley decided on cupcakes for their special day and picked six different flavor combinations. Three designs topped the bridal cupcakes, while baseballs, bats and jerseys topped the groom’s. The jerseys were made to look like HIS baseball jersey Of course, “someone” forgot to take a camera, so we will have to wait on pics from the photographer.

Sarah’s mom surprised her with a replica in cake of a Michael Kors purse. From what I’ve been told, she LOVED it! Russell enjoyed six flavors of cupcakes with “buttercream piled sky high” for his special day. Mrs. Marilyn treated Mr. Terry to a 3D pumpkin cake for his Halloween treat. And some Atlanta Falcons cupcakes made their way to Rome to celebrate a 12th birthday with classmates.

Congratulations to Ashley L. and Anthony O. on their upcoming wedding in April 2013! We had a fun-filled tasting at the Cakery this morning, and oh, the flavors they have picked! I just love watching couples mix and match cake and filling flavors

The holidays are just around the corner! Can you believe it?! It’s time to start placing holiday orders. In the gift line, The Village Cakery will again offer Holiday Treat Boxes. Each box will contain 6 cookies of your choice and spiced pecans and walnuts. New this year is Cake-In-A-Jar These jars contain layers of cake bites and icing. Yum! The jars are available in half pint and pint sizes. Call the Cakery for pricing and ordering! The boxes and jars make great teacher/client/friend gifts!

I have been having so much fun over the past few weeks! Check out the new pictures in the Children category of my Portfolio. You’ll find a silly cat that has never been great on skates, as well as some not-so-happy birds   There are some rubber duckies getting soapy and clean so they can welcome a baby girl into the world in Showers and Receptions. Other new pictures can be found in the various categories, so take a look around! I was honored to be asked to make a cake to celebrate Calhoun’s Dancing with the Stars. DWTS benefited the United Way and the historic Gem Theater. If I understood  correctly, this was the largest single fund-raising event for Calhoun and raised over $100K! Thank you, Andy Baxter and LaRae Dean Pennel, for allowing me to participate in this celebration!

What do you think about all of the BEAUTIFUL weather we have been having?! With everything sprouting and blooming, I’m thinking about flowers… of the sugar variety… hmm…  

I do want to say a quick word about all of the cake pictures found on my website. It has, unfortunately, become commonplace for many cake designers to use pictures of cakes that were created by someone else. I want to take this opportunity to assure you that you will only find cakes created at The Village Cakery on this site. :)

You have been planning this event for months. The tables have been arranged, the centerpieces look amazing, the food smells oh so delightful, and the cake… Oh, the cake! It is exactly what you had ordered, covered in yummy buttercream with beautiful fresh flowers that match the centerpieces perfectly! Hydrangeas, calla lilies, foxgloves… Perfect! …Right?

Actually, no. If the stems of those beautiful flowers are stuck into the cake, or if the cut stems and/or blooms are even touching the cake, you could be heading for problems. Why? Because these popular celebration flowers are toxic. Yes, that’s right. Toxic! Oh no!! Now what?!

Let’s back up in time a bit to the cake planning stage. When planning to adorn your cake with fresh flowers, be sure to discuss this with your cake designer AND your florist. Both of these people can guide you in choosing the proper flowers. It is important that the flowers are non-toxic and have not been exposed to any pesticides. This means that the florist will need to see that the flowers are not placed on a work surface that has been in contact with other pesticide-treated plants. I always insist on speaking with the florist myself. It’s good to know that everyone is on the same page and, hopefully, this will prevent any last minute oopsies. Preferably, fresh flowers should be arranged in a small cup that can be placed on top of the cake, rather than sticking the cut stems directly into it. If flowers must be plunged into the cake, the stems will need to be wrapped thoroughly in plastic wrap.

So your party flowers are hydrangeas and nothing but hydrangeas? You heart is set on having them on your cake? Well… It is NOT the best thing to do, but with proper care it can be done. The flowers must not come in contact with the cake. Therefore, all cake surfaces that might possibly be touched by the flowers MUST be completely covered.

Now a word about who gets the honor of placing the flowers on the cake. This may sound like a control freak, but here is my opinion. Because it is my name going on the cake, I insist on handling the flowers. Should someone inappropriately place fresh flowers on the cake, or if it just downright doesn’t look pretty, it is my reputation as a cake designer on the line. Am I a florist? No. But am I responsible for the finished look of my product? Yes.

While some flowers are not safe for food, there are many that are non-toxic and stunning when placed on a cake. Here are a few non-toxic fresh flowers to consider: Apple Blossom, Baby’s Breath, Bougainvillea, Cornflower, Dahlia, Daisy (English), Forsythia, Freesia, Gardenia, Geranium, Hibiscus, Lavender, Rose, Tulip, and Violet.

For a more thorough listing of toxic and non-toxic flowers and plants, please visit http://www.blueirissanctuary.fatcow.com/id181.htm