Thank you to babyology who reviewed our cake design classes this week.

If you have not visited this fabulous blog, you must have a look.

With Chris and I expecting our third baby, it has become an essential source of information on baby products and design.

I am often left drooling after visiting this daily blog.

Click here to read our review.

Here are the girls from last Sunday’s class with their cakes.

We have new classes starting in September, we now offer half day classes in piping and full day classes from beginners to advanced.

Learn new skills and techniques such as quilting and setting up square and round cakes in one and two tiers.

There are spots available in next Sunday 9th August Two tier square class and the following Sunday’s beginners class

Last week Chris created some amazing sculptured cakes.

A PVC pipe being cut by a hack saw for a farewell to an employee of a PVC piping company.

Chris also created a gorgeous rocket and planet cake for Jake’s Birthday

A big thank you to the girls who attended the Beginners class yesterday, again Chris and I are amazed by the talent out there.

My favourite colour palette at the moment is white, black and yellow.

Black and White wedding cakes are really popular, but having a splash of yellow takes it to the next level.

Here are some gorgeous Black, white and yellow ideas

inventing weddings

lovinsullivan

black,white and yellow

black,white and yellow

Here is an article I wrote for The Wedding Establishment’s From The Experts page

Having a show stopping cake at your wedding does not mean you have to go over the top.
Using bold colours, unusual plants or flowers to adorn your cake or different textures and patterns can help make a bold statement.

Some of our favourite cakes are simple, modern and bold. They are designed around a theme, be it a colour, a motif, a plant or a cultural representation.

Here are some stories of our favourite cakes.
Shimmered Succulent

We created this cake for a bride who had a green theme for her wedding. She used cale, succulents and lots of foliage and greenery in the floral arrangements and bouquets.  We played with the heights of each tier to give the cake a different look and shimmered the white icing to give the colour some depth.

We also think it is important to decorate the back of the cake, it adds to the beauty but it also gives the bridal party something to look at.

Dragon and Phoenix

A Chinese fan with Dragons was the inspiration for this cake. The couple originally wanted two dragons on the cake but an Aunt from Hong Kong that Dragons were male. She told them the Phoenix was female and in Chinese tradition these two creatures together represent matrimonial harmony and happiness. Chris drew up the design of the dragon and phoenix and then painstakingly hand cut each piece of the blue icing and then attached the pattern to the cake.

Concentric Blossoms

The inspiration for this cake came from the blossom motif that was used through out this wedding. The invitations, wall hangings and vases all carried this stunning motif.
The blossom pattern was hand cut and Chris used tiny hatpins that the bride had provided to create the stamen in the blossoms. The cake had all these amazing textures, which brought it to life.

Autumn Leaves

Autumn is a beautiful time to have a wedding, the not too cold days and the warm autumn colours are very romantic.
These two cakes were both adorned with autumn leaves, one painted on and the other hand painted sugar paste Bodhi leaves.

Creating a bold, show stopping wedding cake does not mean you have to go out on a limb and create something really mind boggling. Using different techniques, textures, colours and plants will make your cake distinct from the next person, but it will also be modern and sophisticated.

We held an impromtu beginners gift box class yesterday. The students did a fabulous job and decorated the cakes really creatively. They experimented with mixing colours and creating different patterns and motifs on their cakes.

Well Done !

Here are some of our recent cakes

An article I wrote for The Wedding Establishment was published in their newletter.

I tried to provide as many tips for things to think about when planning and designing your cake.

Here is a copy of the article.

We held our first intermediate 2 tier class and were very impressed with the efforts of the girls who attended.

It was a long and hard day, but both women created fantastic cakes.

Hi Chris & Alisa,

Just wanted to thank you for the wonderful cake class on Sunday!

It was an awesome day, I truly enjoyed myself and learned a lot.   The cake was loved by all, and I’ve had so many comments on my photos - now I just have to find the time to eat it.

Thanks again,

Rgds,
Jane

We now have a permanent classes page, where you can see our scheduled classes and class descriptions.

We have only scheduled a few over spring, but if you would like to have a class with a few friends or a private lesson we are happy to organise this on a date that suits you.

Chris and I have put together some new cake design classes for spring. We have parred down the amount of classes we are running as spring is a busy time for us.

We are more than happy to run private classes on a date that suits you and if we have enough numbers to fill extra classes we will run more dates.

We only have 4 places per class, so book early to avoid disappointment.

To book into a class please email Alisa at enquiries@cakeoccasions.com.au.

CAKE DECORATING CLASSES
SPRING SESSION

SEPTEMBER 2009
Sunday 13th 10am-4pm
Beginners Level 2 - $350
Square Tiffany Box

Sunday 20th 10am – 5pm
Intermediate - $400
Quilted 2Tier Round Cake

October 2009
Sunday 25th 10 – 1 pm
Sugar Craft - $200
Piping

November 2009
Sunday 29th 10am – 5pm
Advanced 2Tier Square - $500

CLASS DESCRIPTIONS

SPRING CAKE DESIGN SESSIONS

BEGINNERS CLASS –
LEVEL 2
SQUARE GIFT BOX

The first half of the class will cover
•    basic  set up for a square cake
•    making ganache
•    creating the perfect base for decorating
•    covering the cake in icing
•    tips on how to create the perfect finish

The second half of the class participants learn
•    how to decorate or finish the cake employing different themes.

The classes will be held at :
Cake Occasions Design Studio;
Paddington
On: 13th September 2009 From: 10am – 4pm
Cost: $350 including all materials, tools, cakes,
icing, boards, chocolate and tuition

INTERMEDIATE
QUILTED 2 TIER ROUND CAKE DECORATED WITH FEATHERS AND LACE

Students will learn how to set up and decorate a two tier round cake.

The first half of the class will cover

•    basic cake set up
•    learning how to construct a two tier design
•    making ganache
•    creating the perfect base for decorating
•    covering the cake in icing
•    learning how to mix colours into icing
•    tips on how to create the perfect finish

The second half of the class participants learn

•    how to decorate or finish the cake employing different themes.
•    How to create a quilted pattern on the cake
•    How to decorate with different materials

The classes will be held at :
Cake Occasions Design Studio;
Paddington
On: September 20th 2009 From: 10am – 4pm
Cost: $400 including all materials, tools, cakes,
icing, boards, chocolate and tuition

ADVANCED
2 TIER SQUARE

Students will learn how to set up and decorate a two tier square cake.

The first half of the class will cover

•    basic cake set up
•    learning how to construct a two tier design
•    making ganache
•    creating the perfect base for decorating
•    covering the cake in icing
•    learning how to mix colours into icing
•    tips on how to create the perfect finish

The second half of the class participants learn

•    how to decorate or finish the cake employing different themes.

The classes will be held at :
Cake Occasions Design Studio;
Paddington
On: November 29th 2009 From: 10am – 5pm
Cost: $500 including all materials, tools, cakes,
icing, boards, chocolate and tuition

SUGAR CRAFT TECHNIQUES

PIPING

Students will learn piping techniques
•    how to make and colour royal icing
•    different patterns
•    the use of different tips
•    how to make piping bags

The classes will be held at :
Cake Occasions Design Studio;
Paddington
On: Sunday October 25th2009 From: 10am – 1pm
Cost: $200 including all materials and a take home piping kit valued at $80

Chris and I are always nervous when making deliveries and never feel comfortable until we see the cake safe and sound and displayed at the venue. So this week was particularly nerve wracking when we sent a beautiful and very large wedding cake to Coolangatta by plane.The cake weighed 15 kg, heavier then our 4 year old son.

When Chris constructs wedding cakes there are a series of poles and scaffolding within the cake that support all the tiers. This prevents the cakes from collapsing and makes them easier to transport. He also packed the cake securely in a stiff cardboard box.

A few weeks ago we created a christening cake for Zane whose reception was held at Doltone House. His godmother Becc organised his cake, which is the tradition in their culture.

Here are some photos of them cutting the cake.

Just a BIG thank you to both you and Chris for creating my Godson’s christening cake! It was absolutely adorable and exactly what we wanted.

Becc J
Ps I have attached a pic of us and the cake for you to get a ‘taste’ of our joy on the day!

Our Winter Sessions have been very successful and Chris is really enjoying working with and teaching all our students.

We have 1 place available in our intermediate class next week and 1 spot available in the 9th August class. The class costs $400 and you will learn how to make a two tier square cake.

The Beginners round gift box class on Sunday 26th July is now booked out. If you would like to attend a beginners class I am now opening Sunday 23rd August for enrolment. This will be the last class for 2009.

Classes wil resume in January. Chris and I are formulating some classes to build a budding cake artists skills.

Chris and I and the boys have just returned from a much needed holiday in Fiji and we have hit the ground running.

June and July are very big planning months for the coming spring wedding season - we are flat out with consultations and designing upcoming cakes. We also have a cake appearing in this month’s Instyle Magazine Wedding special. Our cake is featured in the beach wedding section and there are some great ideas in the special.

If you are planning a wedding you must get tickets to The Wedding Establishments Wedding Showcase being held on 23rd September in the Queen Victoria Tearooms. This event will be showcasing Sydney’s elite wedding providers. We look forward to seeing you there.

When Chris and I started Cake Occasions a few years ago we came up with some designs to display in our studio. One of our favourites was the Bridegroom and while many clients admired it, no one had ordered it.

That was until a few weeks ago when we created a similar cake for Peta’s wedding. The invitations for Peta’s wedding were in the style of Bridegroom and matched the cake we created for them.

Chris is often asked by clients to create all sorts of cars and he is very skilled in the construction of these cakes. The construction is tricky and the paint work can be very fiddly but it is always rewarding when the cake is finished and looks amazing.

Below is a lightning McQueen cake created for a 2nd birthday.