Monday, September 28, 2009

'Twas a Sweet & Starry Night in the Jet City

Monday, September 28, 2009

I've been looking forward to posting this since Saturday. [rubbing hands together gleefully] So let's get to it!

The setup: What do you think would happen if two bakeries received the exact same phone order, but interpreted in two very different ways? That was the inspiration Paul of Jet City Cakes had when he and Matt from Starry Nights Catering got together to provide the cakey goodness for our signing at Third Place Books in Seattle.

First, here's Matt's order form:

And his gorgeous cake:

(It tasted heavenly, too. Raspberry cream - yum!)

Next, here's Paul's order form. Do you see the tiny difference?

No? Well, maybe you will when you see his creation:

Wait for it, waaaiit for it...

(Four "tears", purple iris, and fancy piping: Check, check, and check!)


Here Matt and Paul ponder their order forms:



And then size up each other's creations:

(I love this photo.)

The fabulous thing about this collaboration is that it allowed Paul and Matt to work to their strengths. As you can see, Starry Nights does more elegant, traditional work, whereas Jet City really shines with the crazy, sculpted designs.

By the way, both of these guys are up for The Best of Western Washington awards in the Evening Magazine. Click here to vote for Jet City, which is up for best cake shop, and click here to vote for Starry Nights, which is up for best caterer (login required).

[announcer voice] But wait, there's MORE!! How about some cupcake Wreckplicas?

Our grand prize winner:

(Her lap, her lap, her lap is on FI-YUR!)

And our other top two "winners":

(It's a Dalek. Obviously.)
Plus a few more of my favs:


You can view all of the entries on the CW Facebook page here.

Thanks to all of you who came out, the Third Place Books staff, our fantastic driver William, and of course Paul and Matt! John and I had a fantastic time in Seattle thanks to all of you!


Anonymous said...

That is hilarious. Please tell me that was intentional, that "tier" was given to one bakery, and "tear" to the other... and that it wasn't someone taking an order over the phone that misspelled the order.

Pretty creative stuff!

WV: sineromp: Math teachers on vacation.

Rebecca Knight said...

Those pictures are AWESOME! :D Ahahahah.

Actually, I love the purple iris and fancy piping on cake #2 the most of all.

MPdaCNA said...

Like the first commenter, I want to know if they were given the exact same verbal instructions and made the mistake in interpretations, or if they were given two different sets of instructions.

Fantastic creations!

S said...

Wow. I love the tear cake. Probably my favorite cake seen here so far. Definitely the most bizarre.

Anonymous said...

They are both neat cakes!!!

john (the hubby of Jen) said...

Hey guys,

It was just a made-up scenario. They were both going to bring cake anyway and Paul had the idea to try to make it interesting. His inspiration would be if two bakeries got identical phone orders but interpreted them in different ways. It was absolutely fantastic.

john

FerretGirl said...

I was there! I showed up late since I didn't get off work until 7 pm, but I still got to try a little of each cake, but didn't even know about the joke! =P That's great! =) And they did wonderful jobs on both cakes! Very delicious!

ellie said...

Ah! You liked my cupcake! I am so honord to be in your blog! Two MORE thumbs up to you! =]

Geek Knitter said...

I'm going to send you the invoice for a new keyboard to replace the one I just splurted water all over.

Full of WIN!

Unknown said...

WOW! That first cake is just amazing. Wish we'd had them do our wedding--the cake wasn't wreck tastic but it sure wasn't edible either (pretty but tasted like cardboard). That's just stunning in a classical way.

Haiku Joy said...

To tier or to tear?
Stack 'em high! Mud in your eye!
Hooray, hot cross puns!

Hyena Overlord said...

Love them both!

rae said...

The Dalek is AWESOME!!!!

Carrietastic said...

Man, you guys are having a great time. It pains me that I can't make it to your Skokie stop, but I have other obligations. And, I'm currently doing Weight Watchers. AND, I'm diabetic! So, there is my trifecta of reasons why I will need to enjoy from afar only.

Mags @ the Other Side of 50 said...

Fancy piping on the second cake made me LOLOL!

MamaLemma said...

Brilliant! I am in love with the clever Jet City cake (and the other is truly lovely!)

Ream O Rama said...

I haven't laughed that hard in along time! The tear cake was awesome!

Denestria (can't login again) said...

That is a sweet eyeball cake.

I can't believe I just said that. :P

Linds said...

I think that second iris cake is AWESOME!

Johännah said...

Thanks for coming Jen and John. I had a fun time meeting you. and so far i am cracking up with laughter as i read the book.

one idea that could be fun, have category awards for the cupcake entries. like "most detailed", "most identical to original", "most wrecktastic"...etc.

the guest bakers did a great job. i tried the mint chip and pistachio honey flavors and they were delicious.

Kristie Walker said...

Jen and John, we hope you come back to visit sometime when you're not trying to see so many cities in such a short time. (If it's Tuesday, this must be Belgium?)

Kenna said...

Ooh, a Dalek?! EXTERMICAKE.

The purple cakes are fabulous. Though I'm pretty much in love with the second one. It's a bizarre cake in a good way.

Anonymous said...

The cakes were fabulous and it was so awesome to meet J&J!

Gretchen said...

Both cakes are beautiful, love the concept, and both men are decidedly hot (though Paul is more to my taste).

Muddlin' Mother said...

Yay Seattle! Wish I was there,.. sigh,.. please come to sunny California!

Angie said...

They both did an awesome job! Did anyone else notice the suggestively placed candle on the doll wreckplica?

Anonymous said...

What a fun idea! Beautiful execution on both cakes! Bravo!

And props to the person who made Lap on Fire Barbie. Definitely a classic.

-kate

nikki said...

I want to know what the 4 tear one tasted like. We know the 4 tier one was raspberry cream, but what about the other? I love them both!

Our Beautiful Life said...

NOOOOOOOO! I missed you!!! Those cakes were fantastic!

Deray said...

The interpretation of the same order was brilliant! jajajaajajajajaaja

Rick said...

Starry Nights also had a chocolate cake with chocolate mousse filling... It was *amazing*. I'm trying to come up with an excuse to have an event so that I can order one.

It was a great event, and I'm glad I braved the 10 minute drive... :-)

John Sperry said...

I absolutely love what happened with the two purple cakes. My favorite was when I realized what the second cake artist interpreted "fancy piping" to mean. Classic. This actually has to be one of my favorite posts!

Designs by Victoria said...

Hah! Brilliant! Both cakes are artistic triumphs, in totally completely different ways.

Denise said...

I LOVE that purple eye cake! I got a good hard laugh from that one too.

And the one thing I thought about the tears, and the "piping" is..

Here comes the waterworks!

Unknown said...

Not only did Paul do a fantastic job of making the cake order fun, he and Matt were absolutely brilliant in its execution! Love both of them for completely different reasons!

I'm still amazed by the "wreckplicas!" America's definitely got talent!

DMackendrick said...

As I type, I'm trying to come up with an occasion for a "four teared" cake with fancy piping. Maybe for the first day of a house remodel? Love it!

Jessy said...

Yea! My turdaphant was one of your fav's!!!

He didn't fare well traveling 90 miles in the saddlebags, but it was worth the ride and I was cracking up in the parking lot when I took him out! =}

Thanks so much for every giggle and snort you've created in our house! Now, go die in a car fire! =P

Twolls said...

That little kid one, I saw it and went, "That's a dalek." It was very obvious and cute.

Cookie said...

Both the cakes are great, and the cupcake wrecks are hilarious. Thanks for a chuckle every morning.

TheBorman5 Plus1 said...

That was great. Way to go Paul and Matt!!!!!!

Alina said...

Haha, Teirs, Tears great I love it.

CookieMonster said...

How perfect is that?! Genius!

Anonymous said...

That's just so creative and FUN!!! When Jen and John do "Cake Wrecks," every post is a masterpiece. I love both cakes, but the fancy piping on #2 is genius! (I love the quirky.)

Sandy said...

I have to ask...what did those fab cakes cost? I mean, my wedding cake was three tiers, and cost 800 bucks! (it was wonderful, by the way...) Who paid for these beauties?

Ana said...

ABSOLUTELY LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE THOSE CAKES! The first is totally elegant, beautifully chic! But the second with the eye and the tears and the piping is my FAVORITE! I'd love to have it for my next birthday!

Lady Anne said...

My husband laughed until he cried over the "purple iris" cake. He finally asked me not to show him "that cake" again, because every time he glanced at the screen, he started all over.

thecatsmeow said...

LOL!! That was positively hilarious! Obviously both guys did an awesome job based upon their interpretations of what was written on the order... that fancy "piping" with the giant purple eye has to be the most interesting cake I've seen on this site. The other, of course, is more standard looking but also nicely executed. (Loving all the purple, which happens to be my favorite color.) Props to both of them!

chicken lips said...

I love the interpretation of the order form, very clever!

Maria said...

today was shaping up to be a pretty craptastic day... until i saw today's entry. absolutely brilliant. BRILLIANT! i'm pretty sure some of the folks at work think i'm certifiable after my sudden (rather loud) outburst of laughter after being surly all morning.

Stephanie said...

Oh my word... the "4 teared, fancy piping" cake is hilarious! Brilliant, actually.
Love the Wreckplicas too!

Etiquette Bitch said...

The best!!! I love the photos of the 2 bakers. FUNNY! thanks for my giggle.

Etiquette Bitch said...

ps-can't wait to see what the wreckerators create (or wreckerate) in chicago!

Alisa @ A stitch in between said...

That was fantastic!!! I laughed really hard at this post and enjoyed it very much :) I am so sad, however, that you decided to come to Seattle when I no longer live there. Are you giving a tour in Taiwan by any chance? I would love to host you guys here :D (totally serious by the way, come on over)

Becky said...

I love the two purple cakes - very well executed! The fancy piping on the second really is quite fantastic. :)

Anonymous said...

I want that purple eye cake reeeeeal bad. I'm trying to make up a holiday as an excuse to order one. Everything about it is perfect.

S said...

This is priceless!!! I would love to have the eyeball cake with the fancy piping! I've always wanted purple irises.

VeggieT said...

You know I'm afraid that, due to the popularity of CW, bakeries will add options to their order forms like "I'd like a wrecked version" and "Please interpret instructions creatively [X]"

Anonymous said...

Vote for Paul!!! You Ace of Cakes fans out there BETTER recognize Paul... he used to work with Duff and moved out to Seattle and opened up Jet City Cakes! I'm so glad to see he's doing so well!!

cr said...

Just wanted to say we visited Matt from Starry Night when shopping for wedding cakes. We wanted something a little crazier than what he does but his was by faaaaaaaar the best tasting cake we've ever had. Glad to see him show up on my favorite blog!

SherriZ said...

I love the creativity of both cakes!!! They are awesome!!

heather (errantdreams) said...

Gotta say Paul's idea was FANTASTIC. What a creative way to get into the spirit of the whole thing! Those two bakers sure gave you their all, while simultaneously showing off exactly what they can do. Everybody wins!

Melissa (& Billy) said...

LOL the two purple iris/fancy piping cakes are AWESOME! I like them both equally well.

I love all the wreckplica cupcakes too, but dear sweet Lily is even more adorable (pitiful?) in miniature. XD

Danielle said...

1st cupcake: Gives a whole new meaning to the term "firecrotch".

Word Verification: snonte. Looks wayyy too much like snot. And it's written in green.

Unknown said...

Marvelous! Love the eye on the one cake. Creative minds.
~Amy B

Little Lovables said...

Wow, I love how the one little letter can change the entire meaning of the cake order, wonderful! They are both awesome!

afterthoughtcomposer said...

oh my gosh :) hahah that's awesome!! Did you do that on purpose, because that's great. I can think of no better party for a "mixup" of this kind :)

Zina said...

Awwww, the burning eye of Sauron never looked so pretty.

David B said...

At least the eye cake didn't have purple sunglasses, i.e. shades of purple.

One second thought, that would have been really awesome.

Anonymous said...

Those purple cakes are sheer genius!! I love them both. The second one had me howling with laughter, and I love the photos of the two bakers scratching their heads. What clever guys, and so funny.

Anonymous said...

For posters who seem confused, the "two interpretations of a phone order" is obviously an intentional joke. And a very funny one, at that. Love the other wreckplicas, too.

WV: emobbed: what the book signings have deservedly been!

Dianne said...

oh, to have the skill of mr. jet city!!! apparently i already have the sense of humor - when i read the first order i saw the second cake :-) only with an array of fancy pipes (puff-puff) somehow included there! i'm a fan who had to miss your appearance for a wedding shower whose cake i could post as a wreck but i love the bride-to-be too much ~ you'll have to trust me! best wishes on your book sales - can't wait to get mine!

Jenn said...

That is fabulous!

CrankyOtter said...

mad, mad props to both bakery cakes. Wow. Elegance and AeonFlux-ance.

Wish I coulda made a NorCal signing but it was not to be. Did get my books from B&N, though.

Anonymous said...

I LOVE the tear cake. WOW. xD

Angel said...

We had a great time...so glad you did the tour! The cake was scrumptious (especially that chocolate) and you were very funny...we laughed all weekend over the book. Thank you!

Angel, Eric and our "best" baby Emmeline

{sarah} said...

Oh that was an awesome setup =) They both look very cool =)

Monique S said...

I really wish I could have been there! I live hardly fifteen minutes from Third Place Books :( My friend and I are both huge fans and we would have gone if shopping for a dress for her for our upcoming Homecoming dance hadn't taken a little too long for us to get there. I hope you come again, and I won't miss this time!! :)

Anonymous said...

WOW! Fabulous tier/tear cakes! By themselves, wonderful. Together through collaboration, MARVELOUS! I love the creativity. The cupcakes are also great. Once again, cake wrecks has inspired artistry and humor to brighten the day. Many thanks to you and all of the bakers.
-WM

Anonymous said...

To answer Sandy's question, the cakes were donated by the bakeries. These each would have been hundreds of dollars worth of cake if they had been made for a paying client.

Anonymous said...

ROFLOL! I loved the two phone order cakes. EXCELLENT WORK!!!

Kenzie said...

Since you aren't coming anywhere close to Gillette, Wyoming (Denver is closest at 6 hours away), my uncle went to the Seattle event in my place. I was thrilled when I got a pic on my phone of him and Jen together. Can't wait for him to send me the autographed book!! He's awesome and I'm jealous I missed it!

Anonymous said...

I see you, Glee reference!

Colleen said...

I absolutely LOVE the pictures of the tier/tear cakes. Well done, I was laughing out loud at the pictures. Oh you cake folk are a keen crew, that is for certain!

Vanessa said...

I need that tear cake in my life.

gojirama said...

Mum of the Dalek cake maker here...we had such a blast, and my son is still riding the self esteem high from getting into the runners up. The cakes were all amazing.

Alice Q. Foodie said...

A Dalek!? Not only are you cool as hell, but nerds too? Sweet! ;-)

So glad you have recovered - wish you were coming to San Diego, but it's the story of our lives - always skipped in favor of LA or OC.

Ellie said...

oh god, I love the Dalek. Made me laugh out loud :)


tears/tiers ftw, too.

Anonymous said...

i freakin LOVE the dalek!!!
i really didn't know what it was until you enlightened me, thank you. the Doctor Who reference just made my day. =]

oiwio said...

I think how the JetCity cakes made it was more awesome XD Fabulous imagination, i say! I'll order there for random happiness from now on! XD

stephanie j. said...

LOVE the dueling purple cakes. Great job, guys.

Twilight Lover said...

Love the "Dalek" HUGE fan of Dr. Who and this site!

Unknown said...

Is anyone else feeling a technodrome allusion here?

See example here:
http://www.nesplayer.com/tmnt/toys.htm

Cupcakes Lady said...

I love the tear cake. Definitely the most bizarre. xx