Nakita and Matthew's Wedding Cake

Nakita and Matthew were married on May 15th at the Loulu Palms Estate on the North Shore. Their colors were ivory and a dark tropical green, with chic hawaiian prints used throughout the wedding. Nakita fell in love with some of Rick's Hawaiian inspired designs on our website, in particular, with the Hawaiian leaf print on the cake. She wanted a similar look but unique enough to call her own. Using inspiration from items in the wedding, he designed a cake that had a modern style with a lot of texture and a distinct tropical feel.

Their wedding took place on the busiest weekend of the month for us. It was our fourth cake of the day and it had to be delivered all the way out on the North Shore. On our hour and a half drive out to the North Shore, it started to drizzle, then rain, then rain harder and we thought "uh oh. outdoor wedding" and we felt badly for our bride. We always want our brides to have the best weather conditions for their wedding but every now and then you encounter rain or some brutal humidity, and at that point you pray the bride won't let the weather spoil their day. I knew when we arrived that I would be holding an umbrella over the cake as we walked out to the area where their tent was. As the lawn is expansive and their reception was taking place close to the ocean, we would need to get their wedding cake to them with minimal if any rain damage. There is a bit of a height difference between Rick and I and we walked slowly but purposefully in the rain with a giant umbrella over the cake. Since the cake was delivered shortly after the reception started due to a previous event, the reception was already under way which meant we would be delivering this cake in the rain, under an umbrella, while the bride and groom and all their guests greeted us. In our 5 years of working on Oahu, there have been very few times we've had to deliver a cake in the rain, but it is to be expected on a day where we had been on the go for the past 4 hours. Life chooses interesting times to challenge you.

As we walked up, the photographer's camera started snapping photos of us carrying the cake, and guests were cheering and clapping because their cake was safe and dry. We were definitely not (dry, that is). The couple asked to take some photographs with us and were so pleased with their cake. They both had huge smiles on their faces. It made the long drive and the trek through the pouring rain totally worth it! Nakita and Matthew and their guests handled the rain as if it were a mere inconvenience. . What a classy couple those two are, and we were glad that the rain never dampened their spirits or damaged their cake. Congratulations to Nakita and Matthew!

Aloha, 'til next time!

Valerie and John's Wedding Cake

All images courtesy of Bianca Photography

Valerie and John's sunflower themed wedding cake had been on our radar for nearly a year. It was a cake Rick had been looking forward to and we knew their cake was going to be gorgeous! Closer to the date of their wedding, which was on Sunday, April 4th, we found out our airdate for Rick's Food Network Challenge: SpongeBob Birthday Cakes, was the very same day as their wedding. Since we had booked Valerie and John long before we knew the airdate, we knew the possibility existed that we may need to record, not watch in real time, our show. As luck would have it, two factors came into play that allowed us to both drive out to the North Shore which is an almost 3-hour roundtrip delivery from Kailua. The first factor working in our favor was the starting time of Valerie and John's reception at Turtle Bay, which started at 7:00pm. Challenge airs at 8pm Eastern time, which was 2pm Hawaii time, which would allow us to have our viewing party and see the show then rush off to our studio for their wedding cake and head out to the North Shore. We weren't the only ones who had a similarly crazy day. Floral designers Yvonne and Alex of Yvonne Design, bless their hearts, drove out to Turtle Bay, back to Waikiki to attend our viewing party, then raced back to Turtle Bay to finish the florals, lighting and set up for the wedding. A couple other vendors from the wedding who we work with regularly weren't able to make it to the party because the timing was too difficult.

When we arrived at Valerie and John's wedding, we were warmly greeted by their wedding coordinator Michelle Garibay of Blue Sky Productions, and plenty of bright and cheerful yellow flowers. Yvonne Design as always did an amazing job with the florals and lighting, and Les Saison's custom linens really added to the decor. The cake drew a lot of attention and we were delighted to deliver it to such a sweet and kind couple! I remember before the wedding, Valerie mentioned how excited she was about her wedding and the cake, and also how much she wanted to watch Rick's Challenge. She wondered if the hotel would have Food Network as part of their cable package so she could watch it. I jokingly told her that it will re-run throughout the week and she could watch it if she got bored on their honeymoon.

We want to thank Bianca and Grant Gomes of Bianca Photography for providing the stunning images of their wedding!

If you missed this previously and want to see images from earlier in the day at our Food Network Challenge viewing party, in parts 1 & 2, we have them posted on the blog.

Congratulations to Valerie and John!






Aloha, 'til next time!

Under the Sea with Octopus Wedding Cake

Sarah and Daniel were married in Lanikai, a beach suburb of Kailua, at the beautiful Mid-Pacific Country Club on May 15th. This couple knew what they wanted for their wedding cake from the time they booked us. A four tier under the sea wedding cake with a realistic octopus, sea horses, honus (Hawaiian sea turtles), jellyfish and coral. They didn't want any fish on the cake -- an unusual request for an ocean themed cake -- and Rick honored their request by putting the focus on their favorite marine life animals. Each dimensional piece was crafted and painted by hand. The beautiful red octopus was a prominent figure on the cake and looked amazingly lifelike. The groom has a tattoo of an octopus on his back and both the bride and groom love the ocean. This cake was perfect for them! Congratulations to Sarah and Daniel!

Aloha, 'til next time

SpongeBob Birthday Cake

Last week our clients Muriel and Tony got married and had a family birthday celebration while they were vacationing in Hawaii. Rick designed an elegant cake for their wedding and for their nephew's birthday several days later, Muriel asked for a SpongeBob Squarepants themed birthday cake. Rick was happy to unite once again with his cake buddy SpongeBob Squarepants. After making a standing Spongebob out of cake in a timed Food Network Challenge, he was looking forward to making him again in a less stressful, more celebratory environment. Muriel left the design up to Rick. She said "as long as it has SpongeBob" he could have creative control. For Aiden's birthday cake, Rick handcrafted a figure of SpongeBob and put him on top of a bikini bottom themed cake. It was full of color and life and made us happy to see SpongeBob again. Muriel recently sent us photos from the party of her nephew along with a Thank You. Too cute!


Rick & Sasha,

Thank you both so much both cakes we purchased from you were absolutely amazing as well as delicious!! You have been a pleasure to work with, and I thank you both very much.

I attached a few photos of my nephew with his cake, and he loved it.

Thanks again.

Muriel



Aloha, 'til next time!

Starfish, Seashells and Feathers

All images courtesy of Dave Miyamoto & Company

As far as we're concerned, this wedding had all the right components: A dream bride and groom to work with, a fun color palette and unusual textures mixed into the theme, a beautiful outdoor location and a savvy wedding coordinator to pull it all together with finesse. I remember vividly the weekend we made this cake. It was last month, during our busiest weekend, a day before we delivered the standing Incredible Hulk groom's and accompanying pink blinged out wedding cake, (which has yet to be revealed). It was a weekend of rushing around, from one event to another, with barely a moment to breathe. We drove up to the Bayer Estate in Aina Haina, and was immediately greeted with a smile by Laura Lewis of Parasol Events, the couple's wedding coordinator. We walked around to the ocean side of the home and it was as if our whole body exhaled. We were surrounded by bright, cheerful blues both in the wedding and the sparkling ocean in the background, vivid pinks and whites. There were flowers, and starfish, and feathers and shells. Lounges with pillows, tenting and a live fireshow demonstration for the guests. Then there was the couple. Our bride Heather was one of those easygoing dream brides every vendor wants to work with. She was enthusiastic, loved Rick's design and was excited about her three flavor choices: Strawberries Chantilly, Coconut Pineapple Chunk and Totally Turtle. Her beautiful seashell and starfish wedding cake was a bright blue with white and looked perfect with the matching decor!

Congratulations to our couple, and a big thanks to photographer Dave Miyamoto for providing us with these gorgeous images!

Blue Marlin Cake

One of our newest cakes, is also one of the longest cakes we've ever made. Just shy of 4 feet long, this sculpted Blue Marlin cake was ordered for a 70th birthday party which took place over the weekend. The cake was a surprise from his son and daughter-in-law for a man who loves to fish. Rick worked his magic to make the cake look as realistic as possible. The couple was very pleased with their cake and no matter what their father's fishing abilities happen to be, this is one fish that would not get away!

Aloha, 'til next time!

Colorful Safari Birthday Cake

When we're given a theme as popular as the safari, Rick always looks for new, creative ways to provide our clients with their own unique design, so it's not just "a safari cake" but rather, their safari cake. This colorful cake with whimsical animal print patterns and handcrafted lollipop style animals is different from other safari cakes we've made in the past. Rick's inspiration came from the cartoony looking animals, which he then made into lollipops that would playfully stick out of the cake. Rather than put them into a realistic environment with palm trees and a jungle scene, he chose to design the cake with whimsical animal prints that you might see in a cartoon and abandon realistic colors altogether. Knowing how fun and adventurous our client was, it seemed like the perfect cake for her son and she was absolutely thrilled with his safari cake when she saw it. Going wild never looked so cute!

Aloha, 'til next time!

Inga and Dylan's Wedding Cake

In the past we called the month of May "May-hem" and this year is no different. If we're not working on a cake, we're heading to deliver one, or two or three of them. It's constant, a bit chaotic at times, but we're getting used to it and everything has gone smoothly all month. With all the events, we're quickly accumulating a ton of photos of new cakes to share, and now we just need to carve out a little time to post them.

Inga and Dylan were married the weekend before last at the Waikiki Marriott Resort & Spa. Their colors were a dark chocolate brown, champagne and a tropical green. They had a stylized orchid motif used throughout the wedding, which we also incorporated into their wedding cake. Using the orchid as a dominant feature, Rick designed Inga and Dylan a cake in their wedding colors that had the dramatic, unique element they were looking for. It was a labor intensive design with the cymbidium orchids carved into the icing, all done freehand without stencils. Time consuming for sure and breathtaking once completed! Their cake looked right at home amongst the tall orchid centerpieces and motif used throughout the room. For the inside of their cake, they went with fruity, rather than chocolate flavors and selected our Guava Lava and Strawberries Chantilly to serve their guests. Congratulations to Inga and Dylan!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Book

Call it Volume 2 of our Harry Potter Cakes. First there was the "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" groom's cake, and our latest version is "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" sculpted book cake recently made for a girl's 18th birthday party. Both cakes had the magic wand accessory as part of the composition, but the colors were completely different on the covers and the style of the book's binding. Rick handpainted the covers of both books, which is always a labor intensive, but artistically rewarding process. The books looked incredible in person and smelled delicious!

Aloha, 'til next time!

Laura and Oliver's Wedding Cake

It is not common practice for us to post the previous night's cake on the blog, but when you have one as strikingly bold, funky, hip and over-the-top like Laura and Oliver's wedding cake, we thought it should be shared as soon as possible. We had a lot of fun with Laura and Oliver over the months as we worked with them to find a source of inspiration for their wedding cake. During the design process they mentioned having a funky floral pattern being used in their wedding and one look at it and we said "Bingo!" Rick and I were ecstatic when we saw what the couple had presented it to us. They confidently told Rick to design as he saw fit and the result is above. Laura and Oliver were as smitten with the cake as we were. Their reaction when they saw the sketch:

Hi Rick,

Oh my god we are in LOVE with the design. It is hands down the most beautiful/funky/cool design that we've ever seen. You are amazing!

Rick pulled out all the stops on this one -- a funky custom textured cake topper, bold black and white handpainted print with dark orange accents, and unusual, dare I say, voluptuous shapes that gave a gorgeous movement to the design. We fell head-over-heels, madly in love with this cake and were excited to share it with Laura and Oliver! We can't wait to see photographer Frank Amodo's images of the cake, as we know they will be artful and amazing! The decor on site was absolutely beautiful, and Yvonne Design's team wowed us once again, and the grounds at Lanikuhonua make the perfect backdrop for any event. Congratulations, Laura and Oliver!

Aloha, 'til next time!

Recreational Activities

It felt like the natural thing to do, pairing together a sculpted Sony Playstation 3 gaming console (Slim Edition) cake and the King of Beers (Light version). The cakes were made by Rick for different clients honoring the birthdays of boys spanning the age of under 10 up to 40. The Playstation 3 model requested was a newer, slimmer version of the classic, with the stylized and less obtrusive "PS3" logo rather than the bulkier "PLAYSTATION 3" across the top of the console. The Bud Light can was our first "light" beer out of cake. Normally people opt for the more caloric alcoholic beverages. Could this be a trend of what's to come? Though both these clients opted to go for a lighter, slimmer version of the classic, they certainly didn't watch their calories when it came to the inside of the cake. They went for rich, gooey, full fat flavor. Our Peanut Butter Fudgey for the PS3 and Totally Turtle for the Bud Light can. Happy Birthday Alfred and Isaiah!

Aloha, 'til next time!

Kellie and Peter's Wedding Cake

Kellie and Peter's beautiful taupe and ivory wedding cake was delivered on the same night as the "50 Goes Fabulous" cake on yesterday's blog. The two cakes couldn't be more different. One was flamboyant and whimsical and the wedding cake was chic and streamlined with an understated elegance. We love the look of both cakes and appreciate the uniqueness of each. Kellie and Peter's wedding took place at Lanikuhonua, a gorgeous oceanfront site in the resort town of Ko Olina. Coordinated by Sandra Williams of Finishing Touch and her team, who always do a such a beautiful job pulling together the details of the event. For Kellie and Peter's wedding, we were in great company, with Yvonne Design, photographer Jose Villa who flew in to shoot the wedding, Poke Stop Catering, Troy Michael DJ, and many others.

Rick designed for Kellie and Peter a 4-tier taupe colored wedding cake with ivory bands and a single handcrafted flower modelled after a custom flower Kellie was planning to wear in her bridal headpiece. It was gorgeous and Kellie looked very happy when we delivered the cake. Congratulations Kellie and Peter!

Aloha, 'til next time!

50 Goes Fabulous

This bold and playful 50th Birthday cake was ordered by our client as a surprise for his wife. Other than a few small requests -- fun shapes, purple and yellow colors and possibly orchids integrated into the design -- he gave Rick carte blanche on his wife's surprise cake. Rick gave our client everything he asked for and more. He wanted her cake to be fabulous and a bold expression of celebration for this significant year. When we delivered her cake we got to meet his wife and she loved her cake. She seemed truly touched by the gesture and we had a great time making it for her!

Hi Rick and Sasha,

Thanks again for making such a wonderful AND delicious cake. My wife loved
it and all were impressed by it's color and design. Mahalo nui for
helping make a memorable evening.

Aloha,

Pat



Aloha 'til next time ...

TLC's Best Food Ever - Bodacious Bakeries

All photos courtesy of TLC

Last monday TLC premiered a new 6-episode series called "Best Food Ever", a culinary tour of the nation's best eateries narrated by John Goodman. For a couple of foodies like us, this is our idea of quality television at its finest and thankfully we can watch it in High Definition! I'm a sucker for anything that involves a countdown, especially when it concerns food and not just any food but the best food in a given catergory. Top 10 of anything, sign me up, I'm there, but if it's about food the eats better be good! The series kicked off with "Sensational Sandwiches" which was the most hunger-inducing virtual tour I've taken in a long time. I was completely ruined for the rest of the night and all I could think about was the Cuban pork sandwich at Paseo and when was the next time I could get to Seattle to consume one.

Having already set the DVR to record the next episode "Bodacious Bakeries" which airs on TLC next Monday, May 10th at 9pm EST (3PM Hawaii time) on HD, we were so excited when we were invited by TLC to have an exclusive opportunity to preview the show in advance. As a member of the TLC Cake Crew, watching exclusive sneak peeks is just one of the many perks we've been enjoying. After viewing "Bodacious Bakeries", I must admit, you are in for a real sweet treat with this one! Whether you make cakes, cupcakes, artisan breads or cookies, this is an episode every baker will enjoy, and if you prefer to consume your sweets rather than make them, "Bodacious Bakeries" will have you jumping in your car and heading for the nearest bakery on the list.

By now you must be wondering who is on the list. Isn't that the purpose of watching a countdown, to find out who made the list? I'm not going to ruin it by listing all the names of the bakeries who made the cut and what their position on the countdown is. For that you will have to tune in. I can share a few of the bakeries that will be featured. One of my favorite bakeries Macrina Bakery in Seattle made the cut. Their artisan breads and Lemon tart is to die for!


For the cupcake lovers out there, Galaxy Cupcakes in Georgetown, Texas made the list. Famous for their "cuptails" cocktail flavored cupcakes, at this swanky cuptail lounge you can order a Cosmopolitan, Margarita or Strawberry Daquiri cupcake.


From the whirring sounds of industrial mixers to the rolling of the pastry dough, whether you bake professionally or not, this show is a feast for the senses. With each bakery you are transported into their world and invited to experience the culinary specialties at each location. For those of you who like a good dose of food porn, as we do, it doesn't get any better than a "Better than Sex" brownie, "The Creamy Seduction" cookie and one of my personal faves, a yummy, gooey Peanut Butter French toast on made from scratch Challah bread. Topped with caramelized brown sugar bananas, I could barely contain myself it looked sooo good! Wish I had a photo to share. For those of you desiring something a little more G-rated, there's the "Companies Coming" cake from Brown Betty Dessert Boutique, a delightful bakery in Philadelphia who names their desserts after family members.

The quotes by the customers throughout the show are priceless. Some of my favorites, "We like things big just like Kelly's hair" and "Zesty and creamy, it's just an amazingly alive bursting with flavor experience!" After viewing the Best Food Ever "Bodacious Bakeries" episode, I headed into our kitchen ravenous for sweets. Luckily Rick took mercy on me and fed me a piece of cake. Tonight I will dream of giant bodacious piles of hand-dipped Torrone.


"Best Food Ever: Bodacious Bakeries" airs Monday, May 10th at 9PM EST. For more information on TLC's "Best Food Ever" series including future airdates and upcoming episodes, visit tlc.discovery.com.

Aloha, 'til next time!

Poker Table Cake

Today's blog is dedicated to our pal Eric, one of the best, most dedicated poker players we know.

All the pieces were perfectly in place for Evan's Poker themed 40th Birthday party. A private dining room at a popular restaurant was rented out. Alcohol was flowing freely and the poker tables were ready for action, along with a room full of eager guests ready to start playing. All that was missing was the perfect cake suitable for a poker loving gentleman about to turn forty, and thanks to his wife who planned this whole surprise, he would have a cake so realistic, he wouldn't know whether to bet his chips or eat them.

Rick sculpted the poker table out of our super yummy Hot Fudge Sundae cake, a rich and decadent flavor that was sure to please everyone. Every piece on the cake was crafted by hand and edible. When we arrived and placed the cake on the table, some guests immediately came to admire it, and Evan was so thrilled and surprised when he saw his cake. He was now ready to go All in!

Aloha, 'til next time!

50 Fun Cake

We're loving that people are requesting bright fun cakes with wild themes for 50th birthdays. We'd like to think that 50 is the new 30, but perhaps that is because it's only a decade or so away for us. You know how when you're 20, anyone over the age of 30 may as well have one foot in the grave? Then you turn 40 and think 50 can be one of your best years yet! Frankly, we're glad that our client opted to go with a fab 5-0 cake than something more depressing like a tombstone. She gave Rick complete creative control and told him to make something fun and impressive for her close friend's 50th birthday. They didn't need a huge cake, but one with a BIG impact. For his design, Rick went wild and colorful, with fun balls and swirlies popping out of the cake and a big 5-0 right on top! Happy Birthday Debbie!

Aloha 'til next time!