ALEXIS & BROCK'S ORCHID WEDDING CAKE

 I love the flowers on this cake!!  So many beautiful colors and all different kinds of orchids.
The cake was all chocolate with three different fillings, chocolate ganache, vanilla buttercream, and a coffee mocha buttercream. 
The bride and groom are the nicest couple and it was a real pleasure making this cake for them.

This is a cute picture of them after tasting the cake.  I think Alexis is over the top in love with the taste of the cake.  Well maybe!!

And here is a note from her mom Linda:

"Not only was the cake beautiful and perfect, it tasted fabulous!"

MOTHER'S DAY COOKIES

These are the cookies I am making this year for Mother's Day.  Sugar cookies frosted with royal icing, embellished with fondant roses.

"bebe" COOKIES

"bebe" is a local woman's clothing store on El Paseo in Palm Desert California.  El Paseo is the Rodeo Dr. of the desert. 

I made these cookies for them.  The colors requested were pink and black and I decided to put a black rose in the corner of the cookie and added two little green leaves.  I wrapped each cookie individually and tied the celo bag with either a black or pink ribbon. 

BUTTERFLY SUGAR COOKIES

These are my latest creation.  Sugar cookies in the shape of a butterfly and decorated with royal icing.  Fun to make and the client loved them.

BEE & HAPPY FACE CUPCAKES

Don't Worry "Bee" Happy

Don't Worry "Bee" Happy was the theme for the ladies golf tournament at the Citrus Country Club.  I came up with this design for their dessert which was also part of the centerpiece at each table.  Half of the cupcakes were Lemon with lemon curd filling and the other half of the cupcakes were Chocolate with chocolate ganache filling.  I made the Bee's by hand using fondant and put them on an uncooked piece of linguine to keep the entire cupcake edible.

TRILOGY COUNTRY CLUB CAKE

This cake was done for Trilogy Country Club for the ladies 9'rs group. I also made individual cupcakes for each lady at their end of the season luncheon.  The flavor of the cake and cupcakes were lemon with lemon curd filling.

The stick figure on top of the cake is their logo for the group.  Cute!!

Just received this note from the event organizer:

Just a quick note...First of all the ladies REALLY loved the cupcakes,
and Nancy REALLY loved her cake.  Everything was a big hit!  Thank you
so much.

SPRINGTIME COOKIES

Happy Spring. 

GETTING READY FOR EASTER

Bunny Cookies

 Here are some of my offerings for Easter this year.  The cookies are a traditional sugar cookie.  Everyone loves this cookie and it stays fresh for a very long time after it has been decorated with the royal icing.

The peanut brittle is so good.  If you haven't tried mine yet you must order some.  But beware, it is addicting!!

Happy Easter everyone!!!



Peanut Brittle

LEMON TART

I made these for a client for her dinner party.  Lemon is one of my favorite flavors for a dessert.  Here is my recipe for Lemon Curd.  I use a combination of regular lemons and Meyer lemons.  This gives your curd a little sweeter less acidic flavor.

LEMON CURD
12 Large Eggs
12 Large Egg Yolks
2 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Meyer Lemon Juice (fresh)
1 Cup Lemon Juice (fresh)
1/2 Cup Lemon Zest (fresh)
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
8 Ounces Unsalted Butter (prefer Plugra)

1.  Whisk the eggs and yolks together in a saucepan. 
2.  Zest the lemons before you squeeze the juice from them.  Rub the zest into the sugar.
3.  Add the zest, sugar, lemon juices, and salt to the saucepan with the egg mixture.
4.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 180 degrees.  Remove from heat and strain through a fine mesh strainer.
5.  Let the mixture cool to 130 degrees then add the butter in pieces while mixing with an immersion blender.
6.  Cover with plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming.  Refrigerate overnight.
Note:  3 re hydrated gelatin sheets can be added to the curd while it is still warm.  Stir them in well.  This is useful in the event you want to use the curd in a larger tart that will be cut into slices and served on buffet etc.

Place the curd into a pre-baked tart shell and smooth the surface. Place 4 raspberries in the middle and whipped cream around the edge.  Garnish with a white chocolate chard.

PEANUT BUTTER CREAM COOKIES

These cookies are addicting and a little more work than a scoop and bake cookie but well worth the time.

Peanut Butter Filling
1 1/2 Cups Smooth Peanut Butter such as Skippy or Jiff
1 Cup Sifted Powdered Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla

Mix the peanut butter and powdered sugar together.  If the powdered sugar does not completely dissolve into the peanut butter to make a smooth paste put it in the microwave for 15 seconds and stir.  Add the vanilla and stir it in.  Set aside.

Use your favorite shortbread cookie recipe and cut out cookies using a 1 1/2" biscuit cutter.  Before baking make a small indentation in the center of the cookie with your thumb.

Once the cookies are baked dip the bottoms in tempered milk chocolate or milk coating chocolate.  Let dry.

Using a #100 truffle scoop, place a ball of peanut butter filling in the center of each cookie.  Flatten slightly so the filling comes about 1/4" from the edge of the cookie.

Put the cookies on a glazing rack and pour tempered milk chocolate or milk chocolate coating over them to cover the filling and cookie completely. 

Sprinkle some chopped salted peanuts in the center of each cookie.

Best eaten at room temperature and can be stored in the refrigerator.

COLE'S BIRTHDAY CAKE

This cake was for a special little boy turning 10 and it was made to reflect all of his interests, i.e. X-box video game, baseball, football, army guns etc.  When I delivered the cake he was on his way home from a baseball game and was running late so I didn't get to see his reaction. 

It was a fun cake to make.  My favorite element is the baseball and football border I made for the second tier. 
The flavors were chocolate cake, hazelnut crunch and chocolate mousse.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY



Decorated Heart Cookies & a Fudgey Brownie

 I'm a day late posting these cookies for Valentines Day.  I do have a good reason!!  I was spending the day with my husband who is my number one Valentine.  He had the day off so we decided to spend as much of it together as possible.  We went to a very late lunch, did a little shopping, and went to see the movie The Vow.  I think it is important to set aside at least one day a week to re-connect with him and our day this week just happened to be on Valentine's Day.

All Bagged Up & Ready To Go

PASTRY CHEF IN TRAINING

My friend Velvet brought her granddaughter over to meet me. She really wants to become a pastry chef so I thought I would show her how to do a few things. She is a very quick study and what a personality!! I loved her and believe she will be able to do whatever she wants in life including becoming a pastry chef. We will probably see her someday on the food network, and oh by the way her name is Julia. What a natural!!

CASSIDY'S 10TH BIRTHDAY CAKE

Another fun topsy turvy cake for an adorable 10 year old.  Her favorite colors are purple, yellow, and pink and she loves polka dots.  Her mom surprised her with this cake and her eyes almost popped out when I brought the cake into her party.  That's why I do what I do.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY 2011

I made these fun 4th of July cookies.  My husband said they looked like fireworks!!

BABY SHOWER CAKE FOR FAITH

Cake

Art Piece

 

This cake was for a baby shower.  They gave me a piece of art that would be put on the wall in the baby's room and asked me to re-create it on the cake.  And here it is!! with the addition of the baby's name on the cake.  It was not an easy task to make the cake look like the art!  Lots of cutting and pasting with fondant.

The flavors of the cake were chocolate cake with raspberry mousse and fresh raspberries.  Chocolate ganache around the edges to resemble the frame.

13TH BIRTHDAY CAKE

This cake was for a darling 13 year old with many interests.  Soccer, i-pod, mac makeup, so I made all of them out of gumpaste.  She was so excited when I delivered the cake and had a great birthday party with all of her friends.
The flavors of this cake were chocolate cake with chocolate mousse and a layer of hazelnut crunch.

COCONUT CAKE

This is the yummiest cake!!  Coconut cake with Coconut Pastry Cream filling, Buttercream frosting and pure white coconut pressed into the buttercream.  A coconut lovers dream.The Happy Birthday plaque is made out of gum paste, left to dry then stenciled.  I love that technique!!

The flower holding up the plaque is rice paper dusted with luster dust, cut out and put on a Popsicle stick.

This cake would be a great Easter cake too!!

TOOL BOX CAKE

The theme of this birthday party was Tool Time, so I made this "tool box" and some tools.  It needed to feed 50 people so I made two cakes and stacked them on top of each other then covered all of it with the fondant.  I used Ace of Cakes fondant and did not like it at all.  I prefer Satin Ice but did not have enough red so I bought Duff's fondant and sorry Duff but I really don't like your fondant.  I do like your food colors though.
Anyway, the flavors of this cake were chocolate and hazelnut.  I received a text from one of the party goers that I am doing a cake for in two weeks and she said she wants these same flavors in her cake.  It really was delicious.
 

HOLLYWOOD CAKE

This cake was a referral from a very good pastry chef friend of mine named Yasmin.  She works with Danny who wanted a Hollywood theme cake for a birthday party.  This is what I came up with.  When I got to Danny's home to deliver the cake his house had been transformed to Hollywood 1936.  He had the red carpet leading into the house with bar tables, candles, and a photographer to take pictures of the guests arriving on the red carpet.  The backyard had a white piano set up, tables with black and white musical motif tablecloths, a screening room for showing a movie and a huge Hollywood sign on the hill.  Everyone was dressed in Tuxes, needless to say he had thought of everything.  The caterer was Scott from NewLeaf Catering and it was great to see him again.
This was an opera cake inside the fondant and decorations.  Love opera cake!!!

Update:
I just received this from Danny: 
Oh PAM!!!

That cake was SOOO FABUOUIS!!!
I was shocked when you told me the top layer WAS a cake!
These are the kind of cakes i want from now on!

June 2...my Birthday!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH PAM! So happy to have you in my circle of friends!!!

XX OO XX

CUPCAKES & A CAKE FOR A BABY SHOWER

This cake and cupcakes were made for a couples cocktail baby shower.  They did not want traditional baby shower fare.  Their colors were dark blue, light blue, dark grey, light grey and lime.  I had a great time making the cupcakes and if you look close you will notice that each one is different.  It was time consuming to make them but enjoyable just the same.  The flavor of the cake was  chocolate mocha crunch and some of the cupcakes were lemon with lemon curd and some were chocolate  with a crunchy center.  Both had vanilla buttercream icing covered with fondant.

ALLISON & JASON'S WEDDING CAKE

 chcI love this cake!! I just delivered it a couple of hours ago and it will be enjoyed soon.  The flavors are: bottom tier, red velvet with cream cheese frosting. 2nd and 4th tier, chocolate hazelnut crunch, and the 1st and 3rd tier, white cake with vanilla buttercream. 

The flowers were supplied by Joey from artisanevents.net

He is the best!!

I also loved doing the stenciled monogram.  It is such a classy look, and perfect for this cake.

LILY'S 1ST BIRTHDAY CAKE

This cake was for Lily the daughter of the Chef owner of Cooking With Class where I teach a class or two a month.  She is adorable and I created this cake just for her.  She was amazed by it and stared at it for the longest time.  The top tier was her "smash" cake and I heard she had a great time eating and playing with her very own cake.
The flavors were:  white cake with lemon buttercream filling and raspberry buttercream filling.  I put a lemon simple syrup on the cake layers to enhance the lemon flavor.  The cake was yummy.

Testimonial from Lily's Mom:  Andie wrote:
"Pam - the cake was absolutely fabulous, everyone was so blown away by it!! I will hopefully get pics online tomorrow. It was EXACTLY what I was hoping for - Thank you so much for everything=)"

GOLF BALL CAKE

I live in an area where there are a lot of golf courses so when I was asked to do a huge golf ball I knew it would be a best seller.  The flavors of this cake were chocolate cake with hazelnut buttercream.  I baked two cakes in stainless steel bowls to get the rounded shape.  I still had to do a little carving to get the perfect round.  The golfer that ordered this was thrilled and said it looked exactly like she envisioned. 

TRISH & JOHNY'S WEDDING CAKE

This is a simple and elegant wedding cake that I did this past weekend.  The colors of the wedding were pink and black and the cake blended in perfect with the room and table linens.
The flavors of this cake were white cake with vanilla bean pastry cream and fresh strawberries.  I also put a very thin coat of strawberry jam on each cake layer.
I always like to take a picture of the cake at the venue after I set it up.  I went to do it this time and my camera said "no card".  Yikes, I had to run all the way back (about a half hour round trip) and retrieve the card out of the computer.  I will be sure and check the camera from now on.!!

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE

This cake was for a 90th birthday.  I delivered the cake to Ruth Chris Steakhouse in Palm Desert.  It was a chocolate cake with chocolate mousse and raspberries.  I even snuck in some of those crunchy pearls I like. 
I received a call from the woman who ordered the cake and she was thrilled with the look and taste of the cake.  I just love it when someone calls after the party is over to tell me how the cake was received and that the guest of honor loooooved it.

POST VALENTINE

This plated dessert was done for the Valentine dinner at Cooking With Class.  It was a Hazelnut Crunch Heart Shaped Cake, Chocolate Ganache Truffles and Fortune Cookies.  All handmade by Sugar Chef.




These are Red Velvet Cake Pops that I did for
Valentine day too.  I also demonstrated how to make them at the Palm Desert Library for the Chef's at the Library series.

POLKADOT BABY SHOWER CAKE

Another Baby Shower Cake!!  This one was carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.  I made the baby booties and block out of gumpaste.  It turned out really sweet just like the new baby boy.

CUPCAKES

SPARKLY CUPCAKES

Soon I will be teaching at Cooking With Class and this order was for one of their clients.  It was a special order of red velvet cupcakes and vanilla cupcakes.  The request was for "sparkly, girly, pink cupcakes".  I made the bows out of gumpaste and found some silver heart shaped edible glitter, pink and white edible glitter plus those adorable scalloped cupcake liners.

Update:  The client was thrilled and here is her comment:

"They were PERFECT!!!! Thank you so much! Everyone LOVED them, especially the birthday girl!"

WEDDING CAKE TASTING

When you come to Sugar Chef for a wedding cake tasting this is what I do.  In this picture is Red Velvet cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting, Hazelnut Crunch Cake, Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Cake, and White Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream.  The couple I did this tasting for loved it all and picked a different cake for each tier of their wedding cake.

ME & THE "ACE OF CAKES"

I just returned from the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco and while I was there I had a chance to visit with Duff from the television show The Ace of Cakes.  He was super nice and had a beautiful display of all of his new products.  A couple of his assistants were working on cakes for demonstration purposes.  The work they do is truly amazing!!

GIRLY CAKE

Another pretty little cake by Sugar Chef.  It makes me happy to look at this cake.  So sweet and girly.
The flowers are made out of gumpaste and I added the ribbons just to make it a little more feminine.
The panels are embossed fondant and painted with pearl dust.
Those are Pink dragees placed next to the fondant pearls on top.

PANSY CAKE

The Pansy's and Johny Jump Ups on this cake are from my garden.  I grow them every year free of pesticides so I can put them on my cakes and desserts.  It has been very cold recently at night and I have worried that my precious flowers may freeze.  As you can see they are doing quite well thanks to the sun that comes out during the day in the beautiful southern California desert.

The flavor of this cake was lemon, with lemon curd, lemon buttercream and lemon mousse.  One of my favorites.