Feeling the Blues

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It wasn't long ago that I read a tweet by a popular wedding site announcing that blue wedding cakes are trending.  It was a timely announcement because we had made 2 blue wedding cakes that week. I had noticed we've been making more blue colored cakes both for weddings and birthdays in 2014 so I figured it must be a trend, and now I had validation from the wedding powers that be, we will probably be seeing more of them! The cakes posted here were made this year.

For the cake decorators out there, are you also getting requests for blue colored cakes? What other color trends have you been noticing in 2014?

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Scuba Diver Looking into a Cave Birthday Cake

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The colorful scuba diver looking into a cave birthday cake is one of our favorite recent projects! The week Rick made the cake was hectic because his other cakes were also artistically demanding, making the week as challenging as those that have more cakes with less complexity. The cake was made as a 21st birthday gift from his aunt to Joey, a Marine Biology major at the University who enjoys scuba diving.

Rick started making the decorations for the cake early in the week, allowing extra time to sculpt the cave and scuba diver. Sculpting the cave was very difficult. It was important to make it look as realistic and organic looking as possible. Rick estimates it took him 4 to 5 hours to make just the cave and diver. A cake with this big a wow needs to be tasty on the inside and the client chose our "Broke da Mouth" flavor, a delicious mango cake with a mango curd and cream filling with Li Hing Mui. Li hing mui is a sweet and salty dried plum sold in the islands and a popular ingredient with local chefs.  In Hawaii, "Broke da Mouth" is a pidgin English term that literally means the flavor is so good, it will break your mouth - an explosion of flavor! My mouth is practically breaking just thinking about our "Broke da Mouth" cake!

I always have to smile when I see Rick making cakes with a coral scene. He has used some version of a coral scene on many under the sea cakes. We spent a good part of 2012 touring around the world with his "Discover Your Inner Artist" clownfish class, where he taught students how to make the realistic looking coral. The coral pieces have been incredibly versatile over the years, being used on both sculpted and non-sculpted ocean themed cakes. Although I have watched Rick and his students make hundreds of the colorful decorations, it never gets old and it always brings the already lifelike cakes to another level!

Seahorses and Turtles Birthday Cake

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Ever since we moved to Hawaii, we've had a steady stream of ocean inspired and under the sea cake design requests, and I have to say that I never tire of seeing them.  We got the order for this latest ocean themed cake from a woman who was overseas at the time and returning to Hawaii to celebrate her and her husband's birthday.  Rick made all the pieces of the realistic ocean scene and limited the color palette to mostly shades of blue, cream, and white.  The coral pieces were made using a technique that Rick teaches in his class. They are versatile to work with and allow for many design possibilities. Happy Birthday to Rose and Brent!

Fresh Cake! - So Fresh, these Fish Should be Slapped

I don't recall exactly when it was that the television networks started called their "New" episodes "Fresh." Suddenly we were hearing "A fresh episode of" this and "a fresh episode of" that. I wonder what their non-new episodes are called? Stale? Tired? Old? Today we decided to share with you one of our freshest cakes. It would only be fresher if we could show you the cakes were currently working on, but sorry we can't, you'll have to wait. This is about as fresh as it's going to get.

So how fresh is this cake? All the colorful fish and marine life on this cake are so fresh, they should be slapped. Is a wedding last night fresh enough? This beautiful ocean cake with colorful marine life was designed with our bride and groom (with the JS initials) and their puppy dog "Sprout" in mind. Rick handcrafted all the pieces on the cake, including Sprout and the coral "JS" monogram. The reception took place at lovely Kahala Resort's "Tokyo Tokyo" restaurant, which serves some of the freshest raw fish around. Keeping with the colorful cake, the couple chose our signature Rainbowlicious flavor and Strawberries Chantilly. As all ingredients in our cakes are fresh, no preservatives are used, this cake was one fresh and refreshing bite after another.

Congratulations to S & J. It was a pleasure working with you both!

Come back next week to see some of our freshest cake designs. In the meantime, enjoy our portfolio at cakelava.com, or join us on twitter.

Aloha, til next time!

Pam's Turtle Birthday Cake

Pam's honu (Hawaiian sea turtle) birthday cake was extra special to us. Our client Susan who ordered it for her had explained how this trip to Hawaii had great meaning to Pam due to personal circumstances and she wanted Pam to have a very special birthday cake representing what Pam loves doing most -- being in the ocean, scuba diving. She explained to us her fondness for sea turtles and asked us to include a turtle or two in there. Rick decided to surprise Susan by placing a large sculpted turtle made to look like it was swimming on top of the cake. Here in Hawaii we're lucky to get to swim with the turtles, and because they are protected we see them on a regular basis around the island. They are beautiful creatures and it's a magical experience being in the water with them. Susan selected our Hot Fudge Sundae flavor for Pam's birthday cake. We want to wish Pam the happiest of birthdays and are touched she shared her special day with us!

Aloha, 'til next time!

check out cakelava.com for more turtle and ocean themed cakes.