Why aren't you a member of the BBB?

We are aware of our rating with the Better Business Bureau. There are a total of 3 complaints filed against us that we have, in fact, responded to and worked diligently to resolve both with the clients privately and with the help of the BBB. When initially working with the BBB, we learned that in order to maintain an "A" rating with them, our company would have to join and become members and pay an annual fee of $600+. We serve well over 700 clients per year. An F rating based on three complaints is both unfounded and unfair, and we refuse to "buy" our ratings. ABC News actually did an investigation on the BBB. Here is an excerpt: "The Better Business Bureau, one of the country's best known consumer watchdog groups, is being accused by business owners of running a "pay for play" scheme in which A plus ratings are awarded to those who pay membership fees, and F ratings used to punish those who don't. To prove the point, a group of Los Angeles business owners paid $425 to the Better Business Bureau and were able to obtain an A minus grade for a non-existent company called Hamas, named after the Middle Eastern terror group. "Right now, this rating system is really unworthy of consumer trust or confidence," said Connecticut attorney general Richard Blumenthal in an interview to be broadcast as part of an ABC News investigation airing tonight on 20/20." Read the full article here: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/business-bureau-best-ratings-money-buy/story?id=12123843 If you have any questions or concerns, always feel free to contact us directly. We're happy to speak with you, as well as offer you reference lists of past clients and other vendors in the industry. And yes, so it is clear, we do close our doors each year for a few weeks to relax and regroup. We use this time to relax and rejuvenate in order to continue to serve our clients with the utmost attention and skill. We see nothing wrong with this practice and will continue to do so.

Why does my cake cost so much? It's just cake after all.

Well, yes and no. "Just" cake is something you get from you local chain grocery story. If you could even call that cake. It is a prepackaged box mix, mass produced, flash frozen, and decorated with an "icing" full of preservatives in about 5-10 minutes. Once it hits the shelves, that "cake" is already about 3-6month old. Sounds yummy, doesn't it? So, why does a custom cake cost so much? Here's an awesome blog from a good friend over at Sugar Mama NYC who says it much more eloquently than I ever could.

"As more time goes by, the more we are saturated with cake shows giving a false reality of what it takes to make a complex and well constructed cake. Leading more people to demand Dom Perignon cakes at Pabst Blue Ribbon prices and it's more true now than it was 2 years ago when I wrote this: Here's a re-enactment of a conversation I've had many times and I'm sure many other cake designers have too. Me: Sugar Mama NYC. How can I help you? Client: Hi, I'd like to order a cake in the shape of a (insert a extremely complex and detailed object). Me: Sure, we can do that. How many people would you like to feed with this cake? Client: Ummm, about 150. How much is that? Me: Ok. (clickety clack of the calculator) That will be $ (what I think is very reasonable considering the time, material & labor involved.) Client: What?! For a cake?! Does it cut and serve itself? That's way out of my budget! Me: Ok. Maybe we can come up with an alternative design. What's your budget? Client: About $ (pretty much what you'd pay for a cake for 150 people at your local Costco or BJ's) This is pretty much where the conversation usually ends. I apologize and explain that I won't be able to accommodate their budget and offer more cost effective alternatives, usually cupcakes or another bakery. So, I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to explain how cakes, especially novelty & 3D cakes are priced and show that there's actually a method to what to some seems like madness. Cake prices, whether they are regular bakery cakes, novelty (3D) or wedding cakes are basically determined by three factors: The Amount of Servings, Complexity of Design/Construction & The Baker/Designer.

The Amount of Servings is a major factor in the price of a cake because it determines how much cake will actually have to be baked. This translates into ingredients to buy, time spent decorating, what type of internal structure will have to be built and etc. Cakes are deceptively heavy, so carrying and transporting a cake for 100 may take a little more planning than a cake for 50. I should add that some bakeries charge by the pound or by the size (quarter sheet, half sheet, etc.)

Complexity of Design and Construction provide a great variable because this is solely dependent on techniques, materials and time involved to create the desired look; for most designers it's different for every cake. Does the cake require free hand sculpting vs. simple round or square design. Is it covered in fondant or buttercream? Will it require hand painted designs or airbrushed stencils? Sugar flowers or Fresh flowers? For each of these questions the former will set you back a lot more than the latter. And finally, the biggest variable is the baker/designer themselves. The amount of "dough" a baker charges for a cake is usually based on their experience, talent & the demand for their services. There are some designers that have been baking and designing spectacular cakes for years and a booked for events 6 months to a year in advance. These cakes tend to cost more than bakers who are just starting out. When I first started I sold my first cake for $ 30.00. Now I charge a minimum of $ 200.00. In the coming years as I build up my skills, experience and clientele, who knows?

Now, before I get a slew of angry emails from designers, I should clarify that a higher price tag from a more experienced designers is not simply the result of an inflated ego. As the great Stan Lee wrote, "with great power, comes great responsibility." The greatest cake designers are often supported by a great staff; a team of sugar artists, bakers, office staff, lawyers, accountants, publicists, delivery people, web designers & more. All of these people need to be paid. Don't forget retail space leases, insurance, equipment, supplies, surprise repairs & more stuff that you don't even think of until it happens. All of this is factored into the price of their goods. Even awesome cake designers who don't have an entourage (like me) need to price their cakes to be able to do what they love and pay their bills. I once spent 10 hours decorating a wedding cake, after I baked, filled, covered it with fondant & stacked it. Believe it or not, that's not unusual. Imagine how long it took Sylvia Weinstock and her team to make Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas' 10-tiered, six foot tall wedding cake covered with literally thousands of hand made sugar flowers. Was it worth over $10,000? Ummm...yeah! Hopefully, this has given you some insight into why some cakes are more expensive than others. Whenever you endeavor to purchase a specialty cake it's great to have a clear budget and stick to it; but it's also important to understand what you are getting for your money. Sure, there are a few diamond in the rough bakers who do amazing work for unbelievable prices, but they are few and far between. Cheaper almost never means better and cakes are no exception. Check out this gem from Cake Wrecks:

One depicts what the bride wanted. One shows what she actually got. I'll let you guess which one is which. There is so much more where that came from. Check out more of these so sad, it's hilarious train wrecks at CakeWrecks : Wedding Cakes Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss anything and be sure to refer to it when considering choosing your cousin's best friend's sister, who just finished taking a cake decorating class and wants to try a "real" one, to make your daughter's sweet 16 cake.

Waffles...Texas Style

And what do waffles have to do with cakes? Not a whole lot really. But my kids and I found this uber cool waffle iron at Bed, Bath, and Beyond that makes waffles in the shape of Texas. So, for obvious reasons, it ended up in our basket and has made a nice new home on our kitchen counter. I'd also like to point out that waffles, just like pancakes, are just as good (if not better) at dinner as they are at breakfast. So tonight, as we use our newly acquired appliance, we'll see just exactly what this baby can do.

To begin, we've gotta make some batter. Waffle batter is pretty simple; the important thing to look for is consistency. Too thin and it oozes everywhere, too thick, and you end up with a thick doughy roll instead of a yummy crisp waffle. This is a basic recipe I use, with substitutions here and there depending on my mood. Today I subbed 1 cup milk for 1 cup Bailey's Irish Cream and added a teaspoon or so of Mexican vanilla.... Throw it all into a bowl and whisk until smooth, sticky, and fluffy.
4 eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups milk
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoon white sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Next, lightly spray the waffle iron with vegetable oil spray. I know, I know, the instructions on the waffle iron say not to. Don't listen to it. It needs to be sprayed. Now go ahead and drop in between 1/2 c. and 3/4c. batter, but no more. It'll spread out as it cooks. Close the lid on the waffle iron, and let the waffle cooking commence. While the batter is cooking, let's revisit a memorable quote from one of my favorite movies, The Notebook.
"Frank: Say, how would you like some breakfast? Would you like some breakfast?
Allie: Breakfast?
Frank: Yeah!
Noah: Dad, it's ten o'clock.
Frank: Well, what's that got to do with it, you can have pancakes any damn time of night you want!"
Okay, back to the waffles. Has the batter stopped steaming yet? If it has, go ahead and gently lift the lid, and... voila! A Texas Waffle!!!



Now go ahead and repeat the process until you've run out of batter. And YES!!!! Lightly spray the iron each time...just lightly. This recipe should yield approximately 8 good sized waffles, depending on how much better you use each time. I like to place the fresh waffles on a paper towel to absorb the excess moisture and prevent sogginess.

Now the best part: the TOPPINGS!!!!! I used fresh raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries, with butter and pure maple syrup. Also, try honey in place of the syrup. Check out local businessThe Buzzbee Honey Company for honey grown close by in Fabens, TX. Enjoy!!!! I know we will!!!

About a year ago I did a Tiffany's inspired/jewled/old hollywood glam themed photo shoot with Belle The Magazine and David Quintanilla from David Quintanilla's Haus of Photography. It may have been a year ago, but it's still one of my favorite shoots, one of my favorite themes, with some of my favorite people in the industry. So, today, it's worth a revisit. Here's the link to this wonderful issue, and a few pics to go along: Belle The Magazine: Breakfast at Tiffany's Wedding Inspiration.

Ashley and Chris

I had the privilege of working with Ashely and Chris back in May for their spectacular wedding at Grace Gardens. When I first met with them, Ashley had her heart on one thing for her wedding cake: flowers. But not the standard, traditional version of flowers on a cake. The end result:traditional white meets contemporary feminine. Enjoy! Photography by Ivan Cuevas of Photo Express. Check him out at photoexpress915.com

It's a pink breakfast at Tiffany's!!

Back in June I had the joy and privilege of making Kathrine and Cody's wedding cake. They wanted something unique and, most importantly, non-traditional. Their wedding inspiration revolved around pink,Tiffany's boxes, and girly glam --what a perfect combination! What resulted was a 5 tier topsy-turvy cake of hatboxes, presents, and a Tiffany's box to top it all off. Photography by the amazing Stephane Lemaire.

Welcome!

...and thank you for bearing with us while we get everything set up. Check back often!