Apologies for the Silence

Apologies for the silence. Our blog has been much quieter these last several months because our book is commanding our attention at the moment. We are still posting new cake photos as time permits on our Facebook page. We have a vibrant community there and invite you to join us! Aloha! Sasha and Rick

Phalaenopsis Orchids Wedding Cake

www.cakelava.com

 

The colors and style of Delanie and Joe's wedding cake couldn't be more different in style and color than the last cake we posted to the blog. Their cake was a modern elegant design with a very refined textural pattern on top, varied heights of the tiers, and phalaenopsis orchids on the front. The couple gave creative control to Rick to design their cake with their only input being the colors of crimson red and silver and to integrate one of the flowers from their invitation. The phalaenopsis orchids were done freehand without the use of any stencils. The shape of the cake was designed to emphasize the orchids on the front and a very tall bottom tier was used with two shorter tiers on top. The couple chose Roy's Restaurant for their wedding reception, which suited this cake with its distinct asian vibe beautifully! Congratulations to Delanie and Joe!

Wedding Cake for Julia and Mitch

www.cakelava.com

We haven't been able to blog as frequently these days because writing our book is keeping us very busy in-between fulfilling cake orders. This unusual cake was made last weekend for Julia and Mitch's wedding at the Bayer Estate. We've been working with Julia and Mitch since the beginning of the year and met the couple back in June when they flew in from their home state of Colorado to discuss their wedding cake design. The couple brought us an amazing and unique color palette to work with -- a kiwi green, a lavender thistle, and accents of brown. They were looking for a whimsical design with an organic quality to it that would incorporate one of the bride's favorite flowers, Sea Holly.  Rick designed their wedding cake in their colors and adorned it with a single large handcrafted flower that was inspired by a close-up of a Sea Holly. The petals are intricate and abundant and the center of the flower has a great amount of detail. Curly willow accents were added to the cake to further bring in the natural, organic feel that the bride was wanting. We were pleased when we arrived at the wedding site to see that Debbie Hemingway, the couple's florist used the Sea Holly flowers and curly willow in the gorgeous floral arrangements. For their destination wedding, Julia and Mitch served their guests tropical cake flavors and chose our Guava Lava and Broke da Mouth (mango). It was a beautiful wedding with top-notch vendors and a striking cake to Wow their guests! Congratulations to Julia and Mitch!

Italian Themed Wedding Cake

www.cakelava.com

 

The wedding cake was ordered 1 year in advance, giving Rick a good amount of time to discuss with our bride Kathy and plan for the design, which was inspired by Italian art and architecture. Rick was thrilled to make an Italian themed cake and Kathy shared with us her desired colors, orange, yellow, green and red, and gave Rick carte blanche to design the cake however he wanted. A lot of love was put into this cake. An estimated 20 hours was spent making the cake including all the handcrafted pieces, the sculpting of the cake, a cobblestone cake board, and the detailed handpainted artwork on the cake. It was the closest any of us would get to Italy without actually travelling there. Kathy and her (now husband) Ernie love Italy so much it was only appropriate that their wedding reception would take place at Cafe Sistina, a popular authentic Italian restaurant with incredible floor to ceiling frescoes painted by the Chef/Owner Sergio Mitrotti who is from Torino, Italy. The cake was a perfect match in that location! Not surprising also was their choice of cake flavors to serve their guests, Banana Blueberry Mascarpone and Banana Nutella, both of which have Italian ingredients. We were fortunate to have a chance to congratulate Kathy and Ernie when we delivered the cake. Their look said it all! They were touched and in awe of their cake, jaws dropped, and we started feeling emotional seeing how happy they were with their cake. Rick finished their cake on his birthday to prepare for their wedding the following day, and was thankful to have a beautiful piece of art to work on that day. A big Thank You and Congratulations to Kathy and Ernie!

Inspired by Betsey

www.cakelava.com

We apologize for our absence these past few weeks. Rick and I have been working long hours with cake orders and business as usual while simultaneously creating for and writing our book. We will be posting new cakes as time permits both on the blog and our Facebook page and hope you enjoy seeing some of our latest inspirations!

Rick designed the cake above as a surprise for a 21st birthday party. He was asked by our client to make a cake inspired by her daughter's favorite fashion designer, Betsey Johnson, known for her contrasting prints, sexy and wild clothing and accessories, and bold use of color.  The design was left up to Rick's wild imagination and he chose two animal prints in contrasting colors for the base, a checkerboard pattern for whimsy, and sexy hearts and lips. Lips are a recurring motif in many Betsey Johnson designs, including on her signature, and we both thought the lips would be a nice touch. Pulling it all together, Rick made a large handcrafted flower with gold detailing, and flirty ruffle on the bottom, giving the cake a touch of bling, and a sexy playful quality that any Betsey Johnson-adoring, 21-year old would go gaga over!

Roller Hockey Puck Cake

www.cakelava.com

Christina and Lee have been clients of ours since 2007, when Rick made their wedding cake. Since then, they have been returning to us for their special celebrations, each time with a fun and different theme. Their latest cake, a sculpted roller hockey puck with Lee's squadron patch, was ordered by Christina to honor a number of special celebrations -- Lee's return from a 9 month training on the mainland, a military rank promotion and his 28th Birthday.  When we were discussing a theme for the cake, she told us that Lee has played roller hockey for years and really wanted to get him a roller hockey puck cake. She thought it would be fun and different and perfect for someone who loved the sport so much. Rick sculpted the roller hockey puck out of our guava cake and painted Lee's squadron patch into the middle of the cake. The couple was very happy with the cake and it was a fun one for us to do. Welcome Home, Congratulations, and Happy 28th Birthday Lee!

Seahorses and Turtles Birthday Cake

www.cakelava.com

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!

Sculpted Castle Cake

www.cakelava.com

Last fall our client Laura began planning her amazing gift to present at her High School Reunion to Castle High School, in honor of their 50th Birthday in 2011. When she called us to discuss the cake design, she was very excited to hire Rick to make her a sculpted castle cake with a knight on a horse which is Castle High School's mascot. The school colors of maroon, white and gold would be included in the design as well as a "50" in honor of their milestone birthday celebration. Ever since the order was placed, we knew that Rick would have to set aside a significant amount of time to make the custom knight on a horse as well as sculpting the castle.

www.cakelava.com

Rick sculpted the castle out of cake and every part of it was edible, including the handcrafted knight on the horse. The only part wasn't edible was the structure needed for the figure.  To give an idea of scale of the cake, the custom knight on horse figure stood 15" tall. Adding the knight on the horse really added to the "WOW" factor of the design and after spending a couple of days working on the figure, it was all worth it when it was finished. The horse looked so realistic I wanted to reach out and pet it and the detail on the knight was incredible! We were extremely happy with the whole composition.  When we met Laura at the hotel where the reunion took place, she had such a strong emotional reaction to the piece that her eyes began welling up with tears. It was more than she had expected and was so proud to present her gift to her class and to her school. Seeing how happy she was made us feel even more proud of the piece and knew it went to the right home! Happy 50th Birthday to Castle High School, and thank you so much to our client Laura for her wonderful gift!

"Discover Your Inner Artist" Classes Update

We thought it was a good time to provide an update on the status of all the "Discover Your Inner Artist" classes. Yesterday the 3rd and last Melbourne, Australia class sold out! For those who have asked, we're sorry but Rick is not able to offer a 4th class in Australia. There is a wait list open and you can contact Three Sweeties directly to be placed on the wait list.

All of Rick's "Discover Your Inner Artist" classes in 2012 are Sold Out except for Allentown, Pennsylvania and London, England. Class 1 in London is sold out and Class 2 is open for enrollment.  For any of our sold out classes, you may always ask to be placed on a wait list, and in certain cases that may open up an additional class.  For our locations where there are still spots available, we have provided information below on the venue and how to register.

"Discover Your Inner Artist" - Class 2 - hibiscus/bamboo and clownfish in coral
August 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 2012  9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Location:  Exotic Fantastic Cake Decorating School, London, England, UK
Status:  OPEN, Class 1 is SOLD OUT!
Follow this link to register

"Discover Your Inner Artist" - Class 1 - hibiscus/bamboo and clownfish in coral
September 13th, 14th and 15th, 2012   9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Location:  Mother of Cakes: Sugar and Cake Academy - Allentown, PA  U.S.A.
Status:  OPEN
Follow this link to register

We would like to thank all of our students who have supported Rick's efforts in his teaching career. We have been touched by the generosity of your comments and letters expressing your excitement about the classes! Many of you are counting "the sleeps" until the classes start and it makes us even more excited to meet you, knowing how much value you have placed in his courses. Thank you all, so very much!

G'day Australia! "Discover Your Inner Artist" Class coming to Melbourne in 2012!

We are THRILLED to announce our newest location for the "Discover Your Inner Artist" class in November 2012 and it's a place we have been dreaming of going to for many years -- Australia! We received an invitation from Melbourne's own Three Sweeties for Rick to come and teach his signature hibiscus/bamboo wedding cake and sculpted clownfish cakes and he of course, jumped at the chance to bring his craft to one of the most beautiful places in the world! The dates have been set and class registration is now open! Here are all the exciting details:

Three Sweeties Presents:  "Discover Your Inner Artist", a class with Rick Reichart in Melbourne, Australia on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, November 23rd, 24th and 25th, 2012.

Rick will be teaching some of his favorite art methods including airbrushing, hand painting, cake sculpting and free form art techniques without using fancy cutters, molds or stencils. At the end of the 3-day class, students will have two amazing completed cakes and a variety of new cake skills.

To register for the class, visit Three Sweeties website, www.threesweeties.com.au, where you will find a wealth of information about the class, policies and pricing.

Spaces are going fast and we have students coming from all over Australia and New Zealand to attend. The class was just announced and is already more than half full. Do not miss this exciting opportunity to learn from Rick and to get in touch, with your inner artist!

We will be posting updates on the Melbourne class as well as the London, Pennsylvania and Canada 2012 classes on both our "Classes" page on the blog and the cakelava Facebook page.

June 2012 Canada Class Projects Announced

www.cakelava.com

All Images by Rachel Robertson Photography

Students who enrolled in Rick's sold out "Discover Your Inner Artist 2" classes at Icing Inspirations in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, recently got a special sneak peek at their two new cake projects he designed especially for them.  They have been patiently waiting to see what they would be learning since our March visit to Canada, when he was invited back to teach the second installment of his "Discover Your Inner Artist" series. The classes were announced with the projects to be determined, and we returned home to Hawaii to a hectic schedule, with a new book deal to work on in addition to cake orders.  Last month the cakes were designed and photographed and his students in the class were informed in July.  Last Sunday Icing Inspirations who is hosting Rick, held their Second Annual Cake Competion and open house and the cake projects were revealed to attendees which included a number of people currently on the wait list for a spot in either class.

Rick and I are extremely excited about these projects! As with the first "Discover Your Inner Artist" class where Rick taught students how to make his signature hibiscus and bamboo wedding cake and a sculpted clownfish cake, the second installment in the series will teach students to rely on their own creative abilities by using a variety of art techniques without using molds, fancy cutters or stencils.

"Discover Your Inner Artist 2" will focus on more advanced airbrushing and hand painting techniques  and also shaped tiers. Rick will be demonstrating to students how to make the hourglass shapes he uses on many of cakelava's designs.  Students will also be making the painted hand crafted lotus flowers on the cake, and all the sushi pieces on the platter.  At the end of the 3 days (24 hours), students will have two amazing cakes to take home.

We would like to say "Thank You" to our gracious hosts, Chrissie and Justin at Icing Inspirations, and to our students in both June classes as well as those currently on the waitlist hoping for a spot. We appreciate your patience as Rick designed the cakes and hope you are as excited about the projects as we are!  We would also like to thank our photographer Rachel Robertson who did an amazing job, once again, on the class photos!

Although both of Rick's "Discover Your Inner Artist 2" classes in June 2012 are sold out, there is a wait list in effect for both classes and you may register your interest with Icing Inspirations directly by contacting them via phone or their website. www.icinginspirations.ca  We do not currently have plans to teach these two designs elsewhere in 2012.  Hope to see you there!

Sandy and Ryan's Wedding Cake

www.cakelava.com

We met Sandy and Ryan last year when they came to Oahu to plan their wedding. They requested an elegant cake with handcrafted bright pink plumeria flowers with gold accents. Rick designed the cake as a four tier, varying the heights of the tiers for a more modern style and added gold bands of different widths on the cake and gold leaves on the plumerias. The couple used the hot pink and gold palette throughout the wedding, with the bridesmaids dresses and bouquets in the bright pink and gold chiavari chairs for the guests. The wedding was held at a beautiful private home in Kailua. Nichole Shin of Nichole Weddings & Events did a fantastic job coordinating the gorgeous wedding. We were proud to be a part of an amazing team of vendors which included Visionari, Nichole Weddings & Events and Indigo Catering. For the inside of the cake, the couple wanted to continue the tropical theme. They both love coconut and chose our Coconut Pineapple Chunk for two of the tiers and the other two tiers were coconut cake with a guava jam and guava cream combination.  This cake screamed "Hawaii" inside and out! Congratulations to Sandy and Ryan!

It Starts with a Heart and a Key ...

www.cakelava.com

Last week we posted a dramatic hibiscus wedding cake made for a couple who were married over the Fourth of July weekend. Shortly after the hibiscus cake was delivered, we headed off to another wedding that same night. The two cakes couldn't have been more different. One was a beautiful tropical floral design and the other was a very modern and stylized graphic using a heart and key swirly motif provided to us by the couple. Their wedding colors were fantastic - turquoise, black and white - which was full of contrasts and made for a striking design. It's difficult to tell in the photo but the cake tiers are also lightly textured. 

For this cake, our couple gave Rick carte blanche on the design and as long as the cake integrated their heart and key theme into it, they were completely open to whatever he wanted to make. When the couple were presented with Rick's sketch, they were absolutely thrilled and were excited to make the cake. Having not just a three and a half foot wedding cake, but also another wedding cake in addition to this one on the same night kept us busy on the holiday weekend. Seeing how happy our clients were made for an already celebratory weekend even better! 

NEW London Class Added!

London Class Update!  Rick's August 16th, 17th, 18th, 2012 "Discover Your Inner Class" at Exotic Fantastic Cake Decorating School is now sold out. However, we have a wonderful host who has invited us to extend our stay in London, UK, so Rick can offer a second class! We have had a number of students who were not able to sign up for the first class and will now have the opportunity to register for the second group.

Class 2 is now open for registration and will take place at Exotic Fantastic Cake Decorating School on August 22nd, 23rd, and 24th, 2012. Aside from the dates, everything else remains the same for the second class. Same price, same times and the same amazing cakes will be taught to the students (see photo above for class projects) in Class 2.  Registration for Class 2 is offered through Exotic Fantastic website:  www.exoticfantastic.com

A number of people have asked about other locations within Europe for the class. Exotic Fantastic Cake Decorating School is the only European location Rick will be teaching in 2012. We have students coming in from all over Europe and we are excited to meet everyone!  To learn more about Rick's "Discover Your Inner Artist" series of classes and read student testimonials and see photos, visit our Classes page on the blog. 

London Class Now Sold Out!

We woke up this morning to some amazing news! Rick's August 2012 "Discover Your Inner Artist" class at Exotic Fantastic Cake Decorating School in London, UK, is now Sold Out!

If you were hoping to take the class or tried to register only to find out that the registration is closed, please don't fret!  Exotic Fantastic Cake Decorating School has opened up a wait list and you can contact them directly to be placed on the list.  We are working closely with our host and Rick may potentially offer a second class. We will be posting updates on our Classes page as well as cakelava's Facebook page

Thank you to our students who have registered, many of whom are travelling from other European countries.  Rick and I look forward to meeting all of you!

Dramatic Hibiscus Wedding Cake

www.cakelava.com

We've noticed a trend in the past couple of weeks towards large cakes.  Two weekends ago Rick made a three and a half foot tall romantic floral and damask print wedding cake . Over the July 4th weekend, we delivered this striking modern, squared tiers hibiscus themed wedding cake, which stood almost 3 feet tall for Kim and Andrew's wedding.  This weekend we are working on another large cake and have started the custom pieces for that.  Kim and Andrew's cake was designed to work with the couple's wedding colors, orange, turquoise blue, with accents of green.  Rick designed the cake with dramatic hibiscus plants, which he did free hand without stencils.  We were very happy with the finished design and were excited to present it to our couple!  The cake was delivered to Lanikuhonua, a picturesque outdoor location on Oahu's west side, beautifully landscaped with tropical plants.  The orange, blue and white decor throughout the wedding matched the cake perfectly.  We want to congratulate Kim and Andrew and all our July 4th weekend wedding couples!

Hawaii Big Island Cake

www.cakelava.com

 Today's blog post is dedicated to my brother and his family, who are travelling to the island of Hawaii (Big Island) today for vacation. It is the first time he has been back to the Big Island since he was a child and the first time for his wife and their children to experience this incredible place! The island of Hawaii has been a favorite of Rick's and mine since moving to Oahu and we are so happy that my brother, his wife and their kids have the opportunity to stay there.  

It's been almost two weeks since Rick made the sculpted Big Island of Hawaii 30th birthday cake, a surprise for our client's boyfriend who is from the Big Island, hence the "F.B.I" sign, an inside joke amongst his friends. Rick sculpted the island out of our peanut butter cake which had this wonderful nutty aroma that kept pulling me into the kitchen.  The cake was large, well suited for a "Big Island", and on the eastern side where the town of Hilo lies we placed a custom handcrafted figure of the birthday boy. His girlfriend explained to us that he has a prominent position at the company Groupon and would love to have the company logo on his laptop.  Rick and I would like to point out that the guest of honor was not naked underneath the Groupon laptop.  He was wearing board shorts in case you were wondering...

The figure is flashing the Hawaii hand gesture for "Hang Loose" known as the "shaka".  Rick painted his tattoos on his chest and arm.  We love all the custom elements on this cake.  It was delivered to Uncle Bo's Restaurant, a hip local bar and eatery near Waikiki and had a lot of heads turning when we brought in the cake to their private party room. Thank you to our client for giving us the opportunity to make this special cake and to virtually revisit one of our favorite places!

www.cakelava.com

Romantic Floral and Damask Wedding Cake

www.cakelava.com

Last week we announced two new locations where Rick would be teaching his "Discover Your Inner Artist" class - one in London and one in Pennsylvania.  If you are looking for information on either class, please refer to our "Classes" page on the blog. Having the new classses certainly added to the excitement here, and as students started signing up, we were also heavily focused on an elaborate three and a half foot handcrafted floral and damask print wedding cake for the weekend. Throughout last week, Rick worked on the flowers, shaping the tiers, painting the damask print and planning the delivery. This cake weighed a ton and took the strength of both of us to lift it.  Every tier was made of cake, except for the vase topper and did I mention it was heavy!

The cake looked absolutely gorgeous in person!  The royal and navy blue colors were a beautiful contrast with the white accents. The feminine hourglass shapes alternated with more traditional rounds and the unadorned tiers were complimented by the tiers with the damask print and romantic roses. We were greeted by the family and the groom and they thought the cake was beautiful and were excited for the bride to see it, as were we.  Congratulations to our couple!

2012 "Discover Your Inner Artist" Classes in the United States

Thank you to everyone who has contacted us inquiring about Rick's "Discover Your Inner Artist" cake classes in their region. We would love to come and visit all of you and have Rick teach in your location, but we have a tightly booked calendar in 2012.  Between working on our book, cakes, and already scheduled classes in a number of locations, Rick will not be booking classes at other U.S. cities in 2012 besides Allentown, Pennsylvania at the Mother of Cakes: Sugar and Cake Academy on September 13th, 14th and 15th, 2012. If you are able to commute to Allentown, we would love to meet you. The class has been announced over a year in advance to accommodate those needing to travel or save for the class. 

Spaces are still available for the newly announced "Discover Your Inner Artist" class in Allentown, PA and we will be posting updates on class availability on our facebook page.  Mother of Cakes is accepting payments in 4 installments for your convenience. Information on the class and more registration information can be found at: http://www.motherofcakes.net  

We hope to see you in September 2012!

"Discover Your Inner Artist" 2012 Class at Exotic Fantastic Cake Decorating School, London, UK!

cake image courtesy of Rachel Robertson Photography

It has truly been one Fantastic week and we are chuffed to bits! On Tuesday we announced that Rick would be teaching his very popular "Discover Your Inner Artist" class in Allentown, Pennsylvania in 2012 at the brand new Mother of Cakes Sugar and Cake Academy, and within days we have another location for the class, this time crossing the pond into London, England at Exotic Fantastic Cake Decorating School!  It's coincidence that both classes were announced this week and it added much excitment to an already busy work week!

Our passports are getting a work out in 2012! First Canada in June to premiere "Discover Your Inner Artist 2" then over to London, England, right around the time of the Summer Olympics, then on to Pennsylvania.  It's thousands of miles each time and an unmeasurable number of opportunities to experience another place!

Now onto the details for the London class!  The dates will be Thursday, Friday and Saturday, August 16th, 17th and 18th, 2012 at Exotic Fantastic Cake Decorating School in North East London. Yes, 2012, not 2011.  We will be staying put this year while we work on our book and client cakes. Rick will be teaching his signature hibiscus with bamboo and sculpted clownfish cakes shown above which he premiered in Canada in March 2011 in two classes.  The first Canada class sold out in 48 hours and the second one also sold quickly. Rick was promptly booked to return next June. In his "Discover Your Inner Artist" class, students will learn Rick's highly sought after art methods including sculpting, hand painting, airbrushing and other freehand art techniques without the use of molds, cutters or stencils. By the end of the class students will have learned how to tap into their inner artist and have two beautiful completed cakes.

We welcome students from all over Europe and beyond to take the course.  Exotic Fantastic Cake Decorating School is handling all registration and any travel related questions you may have in relation to the course.  Installment payments are an option. Our host has been awesome to work with and she is very excited to sponsor Rick as her first "celebrity" cake artist from the United States and we couldn't be happier!

To register, please follow this link on the Exotic Fantastic Cake Decorating School site. The class is already starting to fill up so book your spot today!  See you in London 2012!

In case you missed our links to class reviews posted by previous "Discover Your Inner Artist" (Canada 2011) students, we have included them again for your enjoyment!  Thanks once again to our awesome students for sharing your experiences with us and others wanting to take the course!

http://www.cakes-a-nonymous.com/2011/03/my-inner-artist-with-rick-reichart-from.html

http://sweetthings-toronto.blogspot.com/2011/03/cakelava-cake-designs.html

http://thesugarcove.blogspot.com/2011/03/discovering-your-inner-artist-with-rick.html

http://www.ayomacakes.com/ayomas-blog/hibiscus-cake-fish-cake-

Pittsburgh Steelers Helmet Cake

www.cakelava.com

With Rick's newly announced "Discover Your Inner Artist" class at Mother of Cakes: Sugar and Cake Academy in Allentown in 2012, the state of Pennsylvania has been on our mind. What better time to share a reccent sculpted groom's cake Rick made for a diehard Pittsburgh Steelers fan.  We are starting to build up a nice collection of sculpted football helmet cakes in our portfolio, but this one is our first black colored helmet and also the first one of the Steelers.  The helmet is made completely from cake and the headgear and props were made by Rick. The wedding cake that sat beside this surprise groom's cake was a soft pink-ish purple color with flowers, adding a lovely, feminine quality to an otherwise masculine cake table. Congratulations to our couple!

Rick Reichart at Mother of Cakes - Sugar and Cake Academy, Allentown, PA 2012

www.cakelava.com

We have been blessed with the opportunity to come to the East Coast in September 2012, where Rick will be teaching his popular 3-day "Discover Your Inner Artist" class at the brand new "Mother of Cakes: Sugar and Cake Academy" in Allentown, Pennsylvania. We can't wait to come to the East Coast, where Rick and I both have ties, to offer the experience of learning his signature hibiscus and bamboo wedding cake and sculpted clownfish cakes to interested students.  This is the first time that Rick will be teaching his "Discover Your Inner Artist" course in the United States and we are honored to have been asked by Mother of Cakes: Sugar and Cake Academy to be one of their first featured cake instructors!

Over the course of 3 days, on the dates of September 13th, 14th, 15th, 2012, students will learn how to discover their inner artist as Rick demonstrates painting, airbrushing, sculpting and freehand art techniques all without the use of molds, stencils or cutters.  At the end of the course, students will have two beautiful completed cakes .

The class was announced less than 24 hours ago and we already have a number of students excited to take the course! The same course was offered in March 2011, when Rick made his teaching debut in Kitchener, Canada and sold out in a matter of days.  We are anticipating this class to book up quickly and bring students from the tri-state area and entire East Coast, and beyond!  Please contact Mother of Cakes: Sugar and Cake Academy directly with any questions about payment plans , travel information, or further information on the course.

Registration for the course is easy and just a click away on the Mother of Cakes website:  http://www.motherofcakes.net

Below are some blog links written by Rick's "Discover Your Inner Artist" students in Canada earlier this year.  Many thanks to our wonderful students for taking the time to share their experiences in the class!

http://www.cakes-a-nonymous.com/2011/03/my-inner-artist-with-rick-reichart-from.html

http://sweetthings-toronto.blogspot.com/2011/03/cakelava-cake-designs.html

http://thesugarcove.blogspot.com/2011/03/discovering-your-inner-artist-with-rick.html

http://www.ayomacakes.com/ayomas-blog/hibiscus-cake-fish-cake-

Hope to see you in 2012!

Cake from a Suessian Dream

www.cakelava.com

Forget about brewing that cup of espresso today.  You're not going to need it. If this cake doesn't give you a caffeinated "jolt" I don't know what will!  For Kekela's 12th birthday, Rick took color and whimsy to a super-charged level.  The cake was like a Suessian dream and the color combination worked beautifully.  We were given the color choices by the client.  "NO pink, NO pastels." Colors to include blue, purple, red, green and black.  At first I thought "Now how is Rick going to pull off this challenging combination?" but all it took was leaving him alone with his wild imagination and letting him do his thing and this was the result.  When the cake was delivered, jaws fell to the floor and even though there was only a few women around at the time of delivery, with the level of enthusiasm and excitability in their voices, it felt like the room was full of people.  They loved how crazy and fun the cake was and I have to admit I was a little sad to see this one go, but happy that it went to such an appreciative group! 

Cake Inspired by Candy Land

www.cakelava.com

One of our new favorite Candy Land themed cakes, Rick made this adorable cake for a 2 year old's birthday party last weekend. Our client flew in from Las Vegas to celebrate with her family and friends and requested a Candy Land theme with lollipops, ice cream cones, peppermint candy and the Candy Land sweets trail, and she got all that she asked for, and more! Rick made all the candy by hand, and included a large variety of goodies on the cake. Both the client and Rick felt "old school" was the way to go for the design. Not knowing in advance what her little girl's cake would look like, our client was so excited when she saw the cake and couldn't wait to show it off at the party.  She chose flavors both sweet (Hot Fudge Sundae) and tropical (Guava Lava) for the cake.  I love the addition of the happy face lollipops and that is exactly how this cake made us feel.  Happy!

A Ramen Bowl and a Couple of Mii's

www.cakelava.com

I have consumed and slurped hundreds of bowls of ramen in my life.  In fact, I'm craving a big bowl of it right now.  Going out for ramen is one of Rick's and my favorite dining experiences.  The smells of ramen are both intoxicating and soothing.  Our wedding couple Jenny and Tim, who were married last weekend, also have fond memories of enjoying a bowl of ramen together and sent us photos of a trip they took to Japan a few years ago. This became our source of inspiration for their fantastic, definitely one-of-a-kind wedding cake featuring their "Wii" Mii likenesses sitting on the bowl on a pair of chopsticks.  This cake design was a wonderful collaboration between Rick, Tim, and Jenny.  When it was decided that the couple wanted to go with a fun, unconventional design, they asked for their Mii's to be added onto the cake because their Wii console was one of their first investments together.  We loved the idea and thought it added the perfect element of whimsy to the realistic bowl of ramen.

www.cakelava.com

The bowl that the ramen is served in was also designed especially for Jenny and Tim's wedding.  The couple's wedding colors included lavender and on their wedding invitation was a wave graphic, which Rick incorporated into the bowl, as well as a hibiscus flower, which would honor their Hawaiian wedding destination.  Jenny and Tim were married at Lanikuhonua, a gorgeous property in the resort area of Ko Olina, Oahu.  They selected our yummy guava cake to serve their guests.  The wedding was exquisitely coordinated by Dianna Shitanishi of Hawaii Weddings and Events and catered by Gourmet Events Hawaii and Poke Stop Catering.  Su-V Expressions did a beautiful job on the flowers and photographer Frank Amodo captured Jenny and Tim's special day.  Thank you to Tim and Jenny for bringing us such a fun theme to work with and for their contributions to the design!  Congratulations! Now we're really hungry for a bowl of ramen!

Cake for an Endodontist

www.cakelava.com

Rick and I had a chuckle when we got the call from a local dentist, wanting to order a cake for her husband, an endondontist.  It was an unfortunate case of art imitating life, because Rick had recently had his first experience in an endodontist's office when he went to get a root canal.  I would never use the words "lucky" and "root canal" in the same sentence, but in this case, it was fortunate that Rick had the root canal because it made him more familiar with the process and gave a more realistic representation of how to make a tooth cake fit for an endodontist.  Our client (the dentist) came into our studio and brought us visuals of how the tooth was supposed to look, during a root canal, as well as the endodontic probe. Since her husband Wade was celebrating his 50th birthday, she requested for the number 50 on the probe.  As I sat at the table with Rick and our client discussing the root canal tooth cake, I was thankful that I would never have to go through that experience. Then a strange thing happened a month after we delivered the root canal cake to the endodontist. This time it wasn't a case of art imitating life but rather life imitating art, and after a trip to the dentist, I too found out I needed a root canal because of a previously impacted wisdom tooth that had pushed up against a molar.  I was absolutely terrified of the procedure and decided to hold off on showing the root canal cake until I had gone through it and didn't cringe when I looked at the cake. 

If you are facing a root canal of your own, know that it isn't nearly as bad as you may expect.  I barely felt anything and my recovery time was very quick, which was also Rick's experience.  The timing of my root canal couldn't have been more interesting -- 3 days before our book went to auction!  I was still recovering and at the same time celebrating a book deal with Rick.  Now that life has settled down more, and the root canals are behind us, we felt it was time to show the root canal cake.  I look at it differently now, where I'm not filled with terror at the mere sight of it, and oddly enough, I can laugh
at it because the timing was pretty funny and perfectly indicative of LIFE!  You just never know when you'll have to face your worst fears, and then make it out of cake.  

Flamboyant Peony Cake

www.cakelava.com

We met with Leslie and Arnold last Fall to design their wedding cake.  We knew shortly after we started talking about their wedding colors and design style that their cake was going to be flamboyant and fun!  One of their wedding colors was pewter, which is somewhat unusual, and obviously one of the bride's favorite colors because she was wearing a pewter colored shirt and carried a pewter handbag, and when we looked down, her shoes were also pewter.  We knew pewter would definitely be included in the cake!  Besides the colors midnight blue, pewter, and splashes of pink, and a romantic floral accent, the rest she left up to Rick's imagination.

For Leslie and Arnold, Rick designed a very tall bottom tier with dramatic edges and two smaller top tiers in a rounded shape. A large handcrafted pink peony with stylized curvy pewter leaves was placed on the cake, adding a romantic flair to the design, along with a floral piped pattern on the bottom tier.  Rick chose to do a wavy cake board to work with the shapes of the cake and accented the board with both fluid and sharp design accents. We love the way the cake looked and how all the different components came together -- fun, modern and romantic, all in one! Their wedding took place on the gorgeous grounds of the JW Marriott Ihilani resort in Ko Olina, in the Hokulani Ballroom, one of the prettiest on site. Many heads turned when we carried their wedding cake in and placed it on the pewter linen, amongst the pretty pink flowers and blue linen on the head table.  It looked right at home! Congratulations to Leslie and Arnold!

Book Deal!

cookbook shelf at our local Barnes and Noble. 

 

We barely had time to catch our breath upon returning from Rick's Canada classes when we jumped head-first into our next project, working on a proposal for our first book!  Over the past two and a half months, in between our cake orders, we've been quietly nurturing this exciting and complex project.  Working with our awesome agents Holly and Allan of Hollan Publishing our manuscript was pitched and highly received by publishers and went to auction, which is every first-time author's dream! We still can't believe how quickly this is all happening and suddenly we've found ourselves writing our very own cake book! This has been one amazing experience, really more like a dream that we're still waking up from.  We are thrilled to announce that we have been signed by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Crown Publishing and owned by Random House!  They are super excited about our book and we can't wait to work them!  It was absolutely a dream come true for us to be a "Potter" author.  Clarkson Potter is the largest cookbook publisher in America and Random House is, well, no introduction necessary.  Potter has some of the most well-known chefs and culinary experts including Martha Stewart, Giada de Laurentis, Ina Garten, Bobby Flay, Mario Batali, and Rachel Ray, to name a few, and we are honored to be amongst them.

For the rest of the year, in addition to our cake orders Rick and I will be working on our book, which is scheduled to be released in Spring 2013.  During this time we will do our best to accommodate cake requests but we are also on a deadline and suggest you book early if you are wanting a cake.  We can't divulge what our book's concept will be or other details but we are truly excited to write it, design the projects and work with our agents and editors.  We promise the book will be a lot of fun and we will keep everyone posted.  Thank you so much to those who have given us their support.  It means the world to us! 

Totally Groovy!

cakelava.com

Here at cakelava, we're definitely not afraid of color.  We embrace it, celebrate it and fortunately, get a good amount of requests for colorful cakes.  Rick designed this totally groovy 70's themed cake for a sweet young girl whose family are regular clients of ours.  They are one of the kindest families we know and Rick took the responsibility to make a special cake for their daughter seriously.  The cake was a celebration cake made for the girl and her friends as they kick off their summer and prepare for 6th grade.  We were asked for a fun cake in bright colors, for someone who loves pre-teen music and peace signs.  They gave Rick creative control and he really worked his magic on this one.  When I walked into our kitchen while he was working on the cake, I couldn't believe how colorful and fun this cake was, and the medley of colors really worked together.  We loved the writing for the cake "You Rocked 5th Grade!" She is one lucky girl.  What a fun kick-off to her summer, and ours!

Cute and Geeky Kids Cakes - A Winning Combination!

www.cakelava.com

If cakes had a "like" button, I would give this one a thumbs up and a LOVE! It turned out super cute and is one of my new favorite kid's cakes.  It's only the second time Rick made a Little Einsteins themed cake, and the first one was a sculpted rocket made a couple years ago and shown below. 

This cake brings together the cute and the geeky, always a winning combination!  The cute and geeky cake requests seem to run in our client's family, as their first child's birthday cake was a Super Why? theme, shown on our website.  Making kids cakes can be more time consuming than other types, but also rewarding as it allows us to grow with the family as they celebrate their birthdays.  We get to know the family over the years and look forward to our next cake together. 

When the order came in for the Little Einsteins cake, as usual, Rick didn't know exactly what he was going to do until shortly before the event.  I loved all the different textures on the cake and the sculpted rocket topper was adorable!  Everything on the cake was edible and made by Rick, and for the inside of the cake two tropical flavors were chosen, Broke da Mouth (mango) and Guava Lava.  Thank you to our clients for making us a big part, once again, of their special celebration!

www.cakelava.com

Elegant Parisian Birthday Cake

www.cakelava.com

Ahhh, Paris. If only I could experience Paris in the springtime once again!  It's one of my favorite cities in the world and it's been far too long since I had an opportunity to visit and take in its beauty, culture and amazing cuisine!  Over the weekend we delivered an elegant, Parisian themed birthday cake in soft shades of pink, white and grey, in honor of Tira's birthday.  The whole time Rick was working on the cake my mind took a stroll down memory lane as I recalled the month spent in Paris and the incredible sights and experiences I had.  As the beautiful handpainted Eiffel Tower (La Tour Eiffel) topper was placed on the cake, I recall standing at the base of the massive structure in awe as I looked up it.  For all the memories and opportunity to think about Paris, I have to thank our client Teresa.  She came to us with her vision of a stylish Parisian themed cake for her daughter, and left the design up to Rick.  Working with the soft, romantic colors of the party, Rick added a gorgeous damask print on the bottom tier of the cake, a romantic grey bow with a quilted tier on top, and pretty handcrafted pink roses.  It was lovely! 

When we arrived at the location, the cake looked perfectly at home with the rest of the decor.  In the center of the entrance to the party was a giant Eiffel Tower statue that someone had spent 4 hours assembling for the event.  There was a crepe station for guests to enjoy.  The room smelled of fragrant flowers and fruits.  We were impressed with their level of dedication to creating a fun, Parisian theme. Joyeux Anniversaire, Mademoiselle Tira!

At the time we arrived, the Eiffel Tower was still a work in progress

The cake was on a beautiful presentation table and was surrounded by flowers and fruits

Legally Blonde Cake

www.cakelava.com

When someone has committed the majority of their life for the sake of education, it's no surprise that they would also start the planning for the graduation celebration well in advance.  Our client booked her "Legally blonde" themed Law School graduation cake with us almost a year before the Big Day, which happened last Sunday.  We were excited about the theme.  We love the movie and she had all the right components for the cake -- blonde, owned a cute chihuahua, and would shortly become a law school graduate.  We adore the dog cakes! This one was such a fun theme and Rick was given a lot of leeway in the design of the cake.  He chose a pink leather purse with a chihuahua and gavel. Both the chihuahua and the purse were sculpted out of chocolate cake and the gavel was also edible.  We arrived at our clients home before her and met her family who were amazed by the cake.  Hopefully she had the same reaction when she saw it.  Wishing her a huge congratulations on her committment to education and a very successful career in law! 

Pink Tropical Graduation Cake

www.cakelava.com

 

Congratulations to all the high school and college graduates out there! You've worked hard all those years and you deserve a party and a fabulous cake!  One of our most recent cakes, shown above, was made for a woman graduating from law school and asked for a pretty tropical cake with a stylized Hawaiian floral pattern found on her invitation.  The party took place at Tiki's Grill & Bar, outside on the lanai, under the stars, and across the street from Waikiki Beach.  We love working at Tiki's and have fond memories there of many dinners, drinks and parties over the years, including our Food Network Challenge viewing party last April.  There was a live Hawaiian band playing and the temperature was in the '70's -- an absolutely perfect setting for a fun, tropical themed graduation party.  Rick selected taller tiers for this cake to give it a dramatic appearance, and the bright pink color gave it a pop that was quite striking!  Our client chose two tropical flavors for her cake, Guava Lava, which has a pretty pink color that would match the cake perfectly, and Coconut Pineapple Chunk, which is moist, delicious and coconut-y.  We were very happy with the cake and hope our client had a blast at her party!

Double the (Hello) Kitties, Double the Fun!

www.cakelava.com

When our client requested a cake with a Hello Kitty Bee and Hello Kitty Lady Bug theme, I have to admit, I had no idea what she was talking about.  Fortunately, she sent us pictures for reference and we thought they would make for a super cute cake.  This cake was very special to our client, and to us, because we had been making cakes for her whole family since shortly after we opened in 2005.  The cake was in honor of two birthdays -- a first birthday for Talia and a second birthday for Zoe.  Each child was represented by one of the Hello Kitties and had their name on the cake.  It was ordered around 7 months in advance but it wasn't until shortly before the party that Rick knew what he was going to design for the girls.  Our client left the design up to Rick, as she has in the past.  He chose sweet shades of pinks, blues, greens, yellows and white for the cake, a striped pattern and lollipops of hearts and flowers.  The cake was so adorable that I couldn't stop looking at it during the drive to Roy's Restaurant where the party took place, and thinking about how happy it would make the family and their two little girls.  Our client, her husband and three children loved the cake, which made us very happy!  These guests were in for a real treat -- an amazing dinner at Roy's followed by dessert and their choice of Guava Lava or Hawaii Five-0 flavored cake.  Happy Birthday to Talia and Zoe.  We're already looking forward to our next cake for their family!