Giddyup, Cowboy!

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We don't get many requests for cowboy/Western theme cakes here, which is probably no surprise given our island location. As I was talking to the client about the order, I felt excited by the theme and knew Rick would enjoy it as well. When we found out that the client would be using red and blue bandannas at the party, Rick thought it would look great to bring in those colors rather than do the usual shades of brown, especially since it was for a child. Both the cowboy hat with the Sheriff's star and the boot were made of cake, and the lasso was edible too. The three pieces together made for a striking composition, and the delicious filled chocolate cake served its purpose as well! Happy Birthday Royce!

Celebrating the Big 3-0!

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We often notice that our cake orders follow certain trends, and last weekend we had three brightly colored, wonky, and slightly over-the-top cakes to make. We posted one of the three cakes on our Facebook page, a crazy Dr. Seuss themed birthday cake, which you may have seen. The next night we delivered this 30th Birthday cake to Mercedes, who was having a pajama party that was just for the girls. Mercedes gave Rick free reign to design her special birthday cake. She wanted something fun, brightly colored and topsy turvy, and requested for any or all of her favorite colors to be included in the cake: Magenta, teal, blue, green, yellow, purple and dark pink. We knew she desired patterns on the cake and plenty of color. Rick didn't know what he was going to do until shortly before he was working on the cake, but decided to use all of her requested colors!

Mercedes and her guests practically squealed when they saw the cake. It made our night to see her so happy and everyone appreciating all the hard work put into the cake. Happy Birthday to Mercedes!

A Pretty Kitty in Aloha Attire

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It's great to be back in the swing of things once again! Now that the hard part of the book writing is behind us, we are able to focus more of our time towards making cakes. In the past couple of months we've had an opportunity to make some amazing cakes, some of which have been posted on our Facebook page. Thank you to everyone who has left us comments and sent us emails of appreciation, and apologies to anyone we had to turn away due to other commitments.

It's been a while since Rick made a sculpted Hello Kitty cake and we've been looking forward to this super cute version wearing a Hawaiian print sundress for months. The cake was made for the baby daughter of a couple whose wedding cake Rick made a few years ago. It's always a treat when a couple returns to us for their children's cakes. To be able to do one of our favorite characters in a new way makes it even better! The couple selected our yummy Guava cake for the inside of their sculpted cake. Pretty in Pink inside and out! Thank you to Delphine and Ray for including us in your sweet girl's special day!

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!

Sculpted Castle Cake

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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.

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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!

Cake from a Suessian Dream

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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

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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!

Cute and Geeky Kids Cakes - A Winning Combination!

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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!

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Double the (Hello) Kitties, Double the Fun!

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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!

A Birthday Cake for a Special Mom

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Today's blog is dedicated to that very special group of women who are mothers, including our own mothers, Linda and Joan.   This pretty pink topsy turvy birthday cake with hearts was ordered by a client for her mother's 60th birthday.  She requested pink and gold for the colors and told us that her mother has a "heart of gold" and would like to play that up on the cake.  She wanted the cake to be fun, but not too crazy, elegant and sophisticated but not conservative.  Rick kept the design simple and really emphasized the gold hearts and the shape of the cake.  Our client loved the cake and her mother was touched by the gesture.  Happy Mother's Day, everyone!

Paintball Cake!

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Paintball.  The theme was too perfect for Rick.  It was colorful, edgy and doesn't take itself too seriously.  The request came from a woman wanting to surprise her husband at his paintball themed birthday party and we loved the idea!  Rick was given carte blanche on the design and took the cake to a level far beyond what the client expected.  She looked pretty amazed when she came to pick up her cake and was excited about surprising her husband with his Bananarama flavored cake.  It was an awesome theme to make in cake and a sweet, sweet ending to a fun day of playing paintball! 

Sweet!!

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We're taking a brief hiatus on the blog while we make the trek to Ontario, Canada where Rick will be teaching a couple classes.  We are so excited to meet his students and our fabulous hosts, Chrissie and Justin! 

We couldn't leave on this wonderful journey without sharing at least one new cake, and we chose a sweets themed birthday cake that perfectly suits the celebratory spirit and happiness we are feeling.  Taylor-Marie's birthday party had a candy and sweets theme and design was left up to Rick.  Our client wanted a WOW design and something really fun and colorful.  Rick made a combination stacked and sculpted design whose colors and vibe matched the party invitation.  The cake flavors were Guava Lava and Kona Toffee Crunch.  When we brought the cake into the room, the adults eyes lit up and the children's hands started reaching out to touch the cake.  The giant cupcake on top was super cute and looked great with the rest of the design.  Happy Birthday to Taylor-Marie! 

Snoopy in a Race Car Birthday Cake

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Today's blog is dedicated to Snoopy's biggest fans!

Shortly before we left on our trip, Rick made this sculpted Snoopy as the Red Baron in a race car birthday cake for Tanner.  When we received the order, the client told us the cake was for her son Tanner's first birthday.  She likes Snoopy and her husband loves old school race cars and could we possibly combine the two.  We thought it would be a beautiful collaboration and Rick knew it had to be sculpted and he would do it entirely out of cake.  Chocolate cake, in case you were wondering...

The party was held at Indigo Restaurant in downtown Honolulu.  The client flew in from New York for the occasion and was very pleased with her son's Snoopy in a race car cake.  We arrived before her and didn't have a chance to see her and the family on the day of the party, but she sent us a sweet thank you note:

I wanted to drop you a note to thank you so much for our cake! It was definitely the talk of Tanner's birthday and enjoyed by all his guests. Thank you again for doing a fantastic job and making Tanner's birthday extra special!

This cake was so much fun and of course it brought back nostalgic feelings for both Rick and I!  Thank you to our clients for giving us the opportunity to make it!

Happy New Year! Now back to the cakes!

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Happy New Year everyone!  It feels like ages since I last wrote on the blog.  We've been consumed with the holidays and making cakes and are now beginning to get into the groove of 2011. It's looking like an amazing year with some unbelievable cake designs on order and lots of exciting things in the works!  We can't wait to travel to Ontario, Canada in March, where Rick will be teaching at Icing Inspirations with two 3-day classes.  Being able to meet Chrissie, our host, and all the students who we've gotten to know over a distance is sure to be one of our highlights of 2011.  Here's to an incredible, fun-filled, unforgettable year for all of us!

To kick off this exciting year, we're sharing a cake that just makes us feel good when we see it.  It's cute, colorful and full of life!  This pretty cake was made for Ava's first birthday in December.

And the Winner Is .... and a Monkeys Cake!

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Our CSN Stores Giveaway has officially closed and a winner was selected by random on Wednesday.  Our winner did take advantage of the second entry by tweeting about the giveaway, but it was her first entry that was selected as the winning number.  (drumroll please) And the Winner of our CSN Stores Giveway is ...

Kim ~ Kay Kay 

Congratulations to Kim for her winning entry!  When asked what she would purchase using her $45 CSN Stores Gift Certificate, Kim wrote: "Oh my... lots to choose from!  My first choice would be a Le Creuset Dutch oven. I've been wanting one for a very long time.  I also browsed the Bedding for my daughter, she is getting a new bed soon and they have a ton to choose from.  Love the styles!  Thanks for introducing me to the site.  Did not know about them.  Fun stuff!"

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway.  We wish we could give a prize to each of you!!

If you have been reading the blog recently you know Rick recreated several of his designs in the past few weeks with only slight modifications including a customer favorite, his "Monkeys" cake.   The monkeys cake above was made for a first birthday party for twin boys on November 6th.  Like his original monkeys cake, the background was the same and each monkey handcrafted and placed in playful positions on the cake.  At the top of the cake were two monkeys in honor of the birthday twins Branden and Brenden.  The monkeys were holding signs of their names while the others were frolicking and hanging upside down on the cake.  The monkey cake matched the decor beautifully.  Monkey and banana themed items were everywhere, they did a great job on the setup!

The next morning we received a thank you note from the childrens' grandmother who purchased the cake:

Good Morning!!

Just wanted to thank the both of you for the awesome cake.
Not only was it beautiful but sooo delicious!!!

When it was time to cut the cake the children were so excited. Everyone wanted
to have a piece of the monkey.

Again a  big mahalo,
Bernie

Birthday Cake for Chef Alan Wong

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 The cake was a last minute request ordered as a surprise gift for Chef Alan Wong of Alan Wong's Restaurant and The Pineapple Room by Alan Wong. The woman had called in a panic, "I know this is last minute ..." -- she was so sweet, I would have moved mountains for her if I could, but try and squeeze a cake into Rick's schedule when he is already booked, and my hands are tied, there is absolutely nothing I can do.  Even if the cake is for Alan Wong.  It pained me to say no to our client, she was so excited about surprising him with a cake and I dearly wanted to be able to help her.  She was hopeful and asked when our next availability was.  I told her that we could probably do it for Friday the 12th and she said that would be okay, it would be a belated birthday gift for him.  She called over to his project manager just to make sure he would be in town and it was a Go! 

I went into the kitchen to talk to Rick.  "Okay, now this is for Alan Wong..." and he knew immediately what that meant.  It meant, it better be AWESOME! Chef Alan Wong has long been one of my culinary heroes and consistently wins awards as one of Hawaii's top Chefs.  Alan Wong's Restaurant is considered by many to be the best restaurant in Hawaii and his New Wave Luau Cookbook is absolutely gorgeous!  He's made countless local and national appearances and his food is sublime! As someone who spent 8 years of her life slaving over a hot stove in my previous career, and who had one of her best meals in Hawaii at Alan Wong's Restaurant, it was a huge honor to have my husband make his birthday cake!

Our client wanted a FUN, whimsical wonky cake for Alan that included some of his favorite colors and would really WOW him!  She asked for pineapples (since he owns The Pineapple Room) to be included in the design and possibly a mushroom or two.  On the plaque she asked for the writing "Exceptional Things are worth waiting for.  Happy Late Birthday, Love, (their names)."  After some discussion we selected our Banana Blueberry Mascarpone flavor for Alan.  It's one of our favorite flavors and we thought he would love it.   When we met Alan to present the cake to him, he had a huge smile on his face.  He has a warm disposition and treated us like we were guests in his home. He seemed fascinated by the cake, I don't think he's had a cake like this before and were so honored to make it for him.  He chose the front of the bar area in the restaurant to display the cake during the dinner service.  His pastry team was brought out to see the cake and meet Rick and we took some photos with Alan.  It was a special night that we will never forget!  We want to thank our client for giving us the opportunity, and wish Alan a Happy Belated Birthday! 

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Our CSN Stores sponsored giveaway is still running on the blog through Wednesday.  Thank you to those who have entered.  You can earn an additional entry by posting the link to the giveaway on twitter. 

Jungle Love

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I adore the jungle/safari theme cakes!  Put a bunch of cute, playful animals together on one cake and you've got yourself a party!  Rick spent several hours making all the animals and they looked magnificent up close!  I instantly fell in love with the little zebra placed in the front of the cake who appears to be rolling around in complete ecstasy, having the time of his life.  It was a super cute, unexpected touch that made the cake even more endearing!

Isabella's Pool Party

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Happy Friday Everyone!  We went through our portfolio of recent work and pulled one of the cutest, happiest cakes we could find to share.  The theme was "Chobits Land" and the occasion was Isabella's 9th birthday pool party.  If you are asking "What is Chobits Land?" that was our reaction as well.  Chobits Land has cute characters similar in appearance to the Sanrio animals with large adorable features.  We heard that Isabella's favorite animals were the panda and brown bear and Rick gave them a prominent position on top and in front of the cake. Throughout the party area Chobits Land was everywhere -- hanging above the tables, on top of the tables, and sticking out of the grass. It was adorable!

Almost immediately a crowd of children and adults gathered around the cake.  It took an immense amount of willpower for the children to hold back from touching it. We gave our birthday girl a big hug and she told us how much she loved her cake.  She was grinning from ear to ear, as were all the children and shortly after, so were we! 

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Beautiful Things Come in Small Packages

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I practically gasped when I saw this cake, a reaction that is not reserved for cakes of a larger stature.  The level of detail really blew me away!  Someone recently commented on our blog, "Rick, what goes on in that brain of yours?" and I can tell you when his thoughts aren't in the gutter they reside in an unfathomable realm of imagination.  How he gets from point A (cake) to point B (finished product) is anybody's guess.  I've stopped guessing. It's better when you let creativity unfold and just enjoy.

I certainly didn't know when the order came in and the only direction given by our client was "vibrant colors" that Rick would design this gorgeous multi-layered, super detailed, adorable cake.  The party for the birthday girl involved a small amount of people, but we wanted the WOW factor to be big.  Bigger is not always better and beautiful things absolutely do come in small packages!

Happy Garden Cake

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Garden themed cakes are a common request and our challenge is to then take the theme and make a unique and special design for each client.  The cake above was made for a little girl named Chloe and was inspired by one of of Rick's previous garden cakes with happy faces on the flowers.  Using the colors requested by the client, Rick made a gorgeous 3-tier Strawberries Chantilly and Chocolate Dream flavored birthday cake with smiley flowers playfully placed on the tiers.  The cake was so cute in person and made little Chloe and her entire family smile when we delivered it.  Happy Birthday Chloe!