Sunday, March 14, 2010

Sunday Sweets: That Takes The Cake Part 1

Sunday, March 14, 2010

This week, we're featuring some amazing cakes from That Takes The Cake, a show that took place in Austin last month. The theme of the show was Sci-Fi and Fantasy but we'll be showing you those cakes next week. For now, I thought we'd bring you some slightly more traditional beauties. All of the pictures are from Devrah's Flickr page (thanks Devrah!) but sadly, we don't know who any of the bakers are except for the first one. Please let us know if the cake is yours and we'll give you proper credit.

Let's start with this chocolate masterpiece:

Here's a close-up
This cake was made by Tammy Luckey who obviously rocks. And the stringwork? It was done off-site and driven to the show. Crazy awesome.

And this one is just adorable:



(Update: This amazing autumn cake was made by Carley King. You rock!)

If you take a close look at this, it looks like crewel embroidery. Totally unique:


And I think this is my favorite:

I think the shape on this one is really cool:


And finally, here's a preview of next week's Sweets:

Awww Yeeahh! See you next week!

Update: Apparently, today is Pie Day or something. It's the day when the people of Finland come together to celebrate the liberation of Flurnburg by hurling pies at one another and singing traditional fish-slapping songs. "Shlip, shlap. Shlip and shlap all day..." It really is majestic.

;)
kayk said...

Crewel embroidery, not needlepoint. But fantastic nonetheless!

-lisa- said...

Again - AMAZING cakes! :)

Anonymous said...

so excited for next week's!

Gary said...

Great cakes!
Some of them even look edible!

LauraAC said...

Why do I feel like the purple and blue cake towards the top completely misused the paisley-shaped pans? I didn't realize they were paisley at first until I saw the other one in the same shape, and then I noticed that the first one looked really weird because of the shape and the fact that there is no paisley anywhere else in the design.

Anonymous said...

Not even a mention of pi day? :[

Dawn said...

I'll take the chocolate one!

Anonymous said...

Ahem, that's not a cake that looks like needlepoint - half cross stitches worked on a canvas - but it does look like crewel embroidery - embroidery stitches worked with fine wool yarn. But either way, it is gorgeous.

Anonymous said...

They ARE art!
I'm gobsmacked.
Mocking

Luvin' Ewe said...

These are gorgeous! But I can't WAIT for next week!

Tiffany in Topeka said...

AAAaaahahhhhh! Why the teaser, Jen?? Now I can't wait until next week. It's gonna be awesome!! :)

I'd have trouble picking a favorite from these, they're all great. But if I was forced to, it would probably be the chocolate.... maybe...

Have a great Sunday!!!

Jules AF said...

Wow. The detail on that chocolate cake is amaazing.

Marilyn said...

I about had a nerdgasm at the preview for next week. XD

Loooved that first pic too, btw.

john (the hubby of Jen) said...

Thanks Kayk and Anonymous,

I changed it because I have to believe you're probably right. In all fairness though, I'm a dude so you're lucky I didn't call it "real purdy stitchin."

Not to say that dudes don't enjoy a bit of crewel embroidery. In fact, I should probably learn to do it so I don't get it wrong again!

(See how I backed out of that one? Take note married guys.)

john

Anonymous said...

Gotta side with poor John on the needlework cake; I'm female and "real purty stitchin'" is about the limit of my embroidery knowledge too! A real purty piece of cakework, though, of that there's no doubt. :D

Lots of love for all of this week's Sweets, as usual. If I have just one slight downer, it's that I wish they'd've gone for a less autumnal colour-scheme on the third one. I'd sell my soul to see those top-tier flowers in pastels.

Word Verification: 'paggentu'. No idea, but it wouldn't surprise me if it were a kind of embroidery. ;)

one said...

What about pi day, 3.14

http://news.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978102451

Ostrakos said...

Holy Bejeezus, a cake with Dune AND Foundation? My two favorite sci-fi tales + cake=!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait for next Sunday.

Anna Kauz said...

I love the chocolate one!! Ymmm! And it looks amazing!

Anonymous said...

@ laura:

That's part of the freedom of being a cake artist.. Nothing's written that you HAVE to use paisley in the design just because you used a paisley-shaped cake pan. Do you always use round designs when you use a round cake pan?

I didn't think so. :)

I always appreciate thinking outside of the box, as these cake artists have done.

Melinda said...

I think the paisley cake on the bottom is too busy, while the one toward the top really lets the unique shape shine with the simple decorating. I'm pretty in love with that cake. More than any other one in this post...except for the preview for next week.

Amanda said...

Chocolate one looks the most edible. My favorite thing about having cake is the icing. The fondant trend, while beautiful, is really unappetizing. A lot of skill went into making these cakes, there is no doubting that, except they might as well have been made out of play-doh.

R2P2 said...

I agree with goblue562 on the "paisley" pans. I just loved the design on the purple/blue cake and I loved the shape - it was so different.

They're ALL gorgeous, though. A shame to cut into them!!(almost)

jackie31337 said...

I wish I still lived in Austin. I would have loved to go to that show. I would also love to get my wedding cake from the baker who made the chocolate cake.

Jessica said...

These are all so amazingly gorgeous. Beautiful!

Kirri said...

I was going to celebrate Pi day, then I thought, "why bother, it doesn't really add up...."


Please don't hurt me!

Madison D. said...

The Crewel Embroidery one is perfect! That is exactly what I would love for my wedding with just slightly different colors. It is just

Anonymous said...

Not to take away from the other cakes (all impressive), but the preview cake was awesome!


And I think John should teach Husband 101 classes. A little more insincerity would go a long way, if my husband could just figure that out! But no, no... always gotta tell the horrible truth... :D

Unknown said...

Would it be wrong to wish everybody a happy Pi day on a cake blog?

Saralukies said...

Ohmigosh, that last cake! I have all of those books in my bookcase right now. Can't wait for next week's Sweets!

purrduedvm said...

Wow. Those cakes are great!! Just shows you how cakes can and should be done! I wish I could do cakes like this...don't have the time but I'd buy em!
Thanks for sharing. Can't wait for the sci fi stuff..love it!!

IslandPearl said...

Can't believe that the last one has so many of my favorites in one cake!

Unknown said...

Extension work always impresses me because I'd have to have the Skywalker Special Surgery to be able to have a steady enough hand to do it without painnnnn.

Happy Pi day! I'm making Pi gummies to take to a pie swap, nom nom nom.

And thanks for posting about the show! We missed you!

Anonymous said...

I love all the cakes, especially the chocolate one because chocolate is definitely my favorite sweet and it's making up for the demon poo zombie from Friday. *shudder*

Anywho, it bugs me when people whine about frosting being their favorite and how much it sucks that cakes have fondant on the outside.

Fondant and gumpaste are almost always used to sculpt things and make things that you just cannot do with buttercream or chocolate. And to get a lovely smooth finish on the outside of a cake.

If you don't like fondant, don't order a cake with it. Fondant isn't supposed to be "appetizing". It's supposed to function as either a smooth outer layer or as sculpted pieces that you aren't supposed to eat. I much prefer gumpaste and fondant figures to plastic flotsam (as funny as they are).

The Sunday Sweets that use fondant are held in high regard because of the amazing workmanship and creativity shown, not because it looks really good to eat-though in some cases they do.

Melissa said...

Ooh! As a part-time embroidery fanatic, I love the crewel cake! I'd love to know how it was done. Even the stems are done in recognizable embroidery stitches.

I wonder if that chocolate cake had to be decorated on site. Can you really move something like that?

Pluto said...

jen do you have any pictures with piping that looks like cross stitching- ya know tiny x's

vluin said...

Lovely-i so look forward to the scifi next week

Unknown said...

The chocolate cake looks like JILL Sugar's work!

Tristan Elyse Jude said...

It's not posted this week but the Aliens cake that took 1st place in the "2010: A Cake Odyssey" competition was created by Earl Vallery. He's a P&B instructor at Texas Culinary Academy and one of the coolest cake guys ever.

Anonymous said...

Mellisa,

The chocolate cake was not decorated on site. It make the trip from Ft. Worth to Austin. Without any breakage.

Brooke said...

More on fondant: if you peel back the fondant there is always a yummy layer of frosting underneath. So you can have your pretty cake and eat it too.

Anonymous said...

All beautiful cakes. Favorite would have to be the Harley cake.

Anonymous said...

Ahh I best see a Buffy cake next week.

Mary Corbet said...

I have to say, the crewel embroidery one is absolutely fantastic! Nice!

Meaghan said...

I think I could excuse a headless dress cake if it employed the crewel decorating and made this dress:

http://www.vandaprints.com/lowres/39/main/1/12803.jpg

As someone who studies this stuff, I was really excited to see that cake! One day I will probably make one and I will be sure to send Jen the picture of the wreck or sweet that it becomes.


WV--Coashili: A sunny day that is still cold, especially in the fall or spring.

AE said...

They are all beautiful but my favorite is the chocolate. Usually chocolate cakes, while nummy, just look unappetizing to me but this one is beautiful. The flowers keep it from being monochromatic and the detail work is exquisite.

Amanda said...

These are amazing! I especially love the paisley.

Anonymous said...

The chocolate cake was done by Tammi Luckey.

Stefania said...

That autumn cake is absolutely awesome! When I get married I'll want a cake like that :D Although it looks like there's more gumpaste than cake, it's fabulous!

Kelley said...

Tammi Luckey is the cake artiste extraordinare responsible for the chocolate cake. It won Best in Category, Adult Advanced, and deservedly so!

Unknown said...

I am the baker of...all of these. That's right. I did 'em all. Especially the crewel embroidery one...er... because that's my favorite out of the bunch.

Hot dang, I'm talented.

Altissima said...

gorgeous! I especially love the tattoo cake. You could do a whole post on tattoo cakes some examples found on the web eg:here,
here,
here,
here,
and here.

Fanboy Wife said...

Ooh! That bottom cake is deliciously nerdy!

Anonymous said...

@laura:

I thought the purple and blue paisley cake was beautiful! The second paisley cake seemed overly decorated and a bit gaudy. No disrespect intended, just my personal tastes.

Lucia said...

the purple cake is just dreamy!

Unknown said...

I'm also surprised there was no mention of Pi Day. *sniffle* I'll admit, I came to the site expecting all sorts of Pi and nerdy goodness. =(

Anonymous said...

The crewel looking cake is abso-freakin'-loutely amazing!

regina said...

I know you've gotta make a buck, but these cakes would be so much cooler without that belly flopping up and down next to them.
R.

Giles said...

All were incredible. Looking forward to next week.

Shannon said...

I'm so looking forward to next week!

Emilie said...

you know you just can't go wrong with traditional fish schlaping songs and amazing cakes

MarieA said...

Pie day....
you crack me up

every geek in the world eating apple o cherry... or more likely.....
bumble berry.

leaving now

Danielle said...

Awesome cakes!

Today we celebrated Pi Day/Pie Day by stuffing ourselves with about 10 different kinds of pie. Bestest holiday ever!

Suzyhomemaker said...

pi day. Not pie day :)

Madeline said...

I said England. Really, the best part is the muscial theatre references after laughing at the cakes of course. (Or admiring them, on Sundays)

Unknown said...

That last cake has got to be one of my all-time favorites. I gotta remember that top portion with the old school tv and Star Trek broadcast for next year's big 4-0! Love it!

Unknown said...

I'm hoping Battlestar Gallactica is on the other side of one of the marquees. Then that last cake would be absolutely perfect. I'm still in awe at how terrifically geektastic and nerdilicious it is. Gonna watch Star Trek now since this cake put me in the mood. =D

Chick Hatchers said...

Well, there is Pi Day (pi = 3.14, today's date is 3/14):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pi_Day

and then there is Pie Day, which may vary from state to state, but this is the one in IL:
http://www.chec.us/legislative_day

mychildsview.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

OMG!!! Every one of these cakes -- the chocolate one and the embroidery one especially -- are true gems. Take note, folks, you are beholding ART here!

Vanessa Martin said...

OK, how many of you knew it was pi day without the Google banner? And even if John didn't acknowledge it, I believe that Cake Wrecks is the perfect web site to visit in honor of the mathematical measurement because so many cakes are round! (And if you eat the cakes, you become even rounder!)

Arlene said...

Ahh all of those cakes are so beautiful. I especially love that chocolate one.. I would hate to even cut it. That and the beautiful purple one since it is my favorite color. So gorgeous!

jess said...

Don't think I can wait until next week for the sci-fi cakes!

Mercy Langille said...

Love those cakes. Can't wait for the sci-fi ones.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful cakes and I'm loving the Spamalot reference. "Finland, Finland, Finland, that's the country for me!"

The Shitty Astrologer said...

Those are fantastic...

Recipe man said...

wow this is so much work! but it looks amazing

thanks

Riina said...

Oh, man... Did I miss the pie-hurling and fish-slapping songs again?! Why doesn't anyone tell me these things? But that explains what my neighbour was doing.

Wonderful cakes again!

Diana said...

Thank you for posting cakes that look like actual cakes this week. Sunday Sweets has begun to look like "gravity defying sculptures made of gumpaste" of late. But these are gorgeous, and you can actually imagine someone eating them.

I really wish you'd bring back fondant-free, too. I know all the really "impressive" "sculptural" things are made with fondant these days, but there are gorgeous all frosting cakes, too.

Amy said...

A Finnish fish schlapping song?? Oh, English... sorry. :)

Beautiful cakes. I love that blue one!

Sylph said...

Was hoping that the two "paisley" cakes were actually a yin/yang pair.

Guess not. :(

lisadh said...

Ack! I'm so bummed I was not able to make it to the show! :(

These are just fantastic! I, too, would like to know how the crewel "stitching" was done - amazing stuff!

Stoich91 said...

Ohh...what? Pie Day! Goodie! Wait... :) I missed it? Drat. I love pie. I think I'll make some today just to make up for it (BTW-ThinkGeek had Pi Day all over their site for the last 42 weeks. How could you miss it?! There are so many very intelligent readers of yours who were wishing that you'd give tribute to that wonderful mathmatical emblem, even though most of your readers don't know the numeric sequence past 2 point something ... wait. Never mind. :)) Great shamrock wrecks, all the same! Thank goodness you were there to tell us that they were, indeed, plants, not random amoeba forms.

CKing said...

OMG - I made the Autumn Cake, Carley King. I am so overwhelmed that you posted it - thank you! I had a great time making it and the show was amazing!

CW lurker said...

*lip quivers* you forgot *sniff* to post yesterday. *sob*

Anonymous said...

In high school math class we called it Pi day (3.14 is the approximation for pi) But we ate Pie in honor of it :)
Best day ever.

-Rachel-

bren yule said...

Love the Chocolate one...a real masterpiece...all of them really. I don't read all comments and all posts, (just a time issue because I lurve this site, but fyi) wanted to mention...The second one, the blue and lavender cake looks like one amatures can replicate using the new Cricut Cake. I'm a scrapbooker and have used a cricut for years. Now they are coming out with a machine that cuts sheet fondant using pre-programed images so you can decorate like a professional. No more wreckage at home. I would love to own one someday. It's so cool...
Jen and John, you two make my day. Laughter therapy is a good thing.
check it out...taking decorating to a whole new level!
http://www.cricut.com/cricutcake/

peachfish said...

Thanks for posting my pics! Hopefully more of the cake artists will see them this way and I can credit their cakes to them!
The show was AWESOME and is put on every year by Capital Confectioners Cake Club: http://www.capitalconfectioners.com/xoops/

Melissa (& Billy) said...

Stringwork just blows me away. Never seen it in person but wow. Incredible.

Love the paisley cakes! The tattoo cake is most definitely awesome, and so is the sci fi one (eee, the little TV!). I've read most of those books...

Worthy sweets, all! See, we need Sundays to remind us that there ARE indeed people who know what the heck they're doing and do it fabulously well in order to counteract all the wreckage.

Anonymous said...

hmmm...Starship Troopers? Doesn't that make it a wreck all on it's own?

blueiguana said...

Yay, Pi Day! So glad I'm not alone in my geekdom anymore. :)

Anonymous said...

I'm pretty sure that embroidered-looking one was made using a wall hanging my parents used to have...

Sofia's Corner said...

As most people around here, I totally ADORE your page! But, what cracked me up mostly today was your comment about Pie Day, and what you said about Finland.... :D
I'm Finn, but I live in Sweden, and I can assure you and the rest out there - we do NOT slap eachother with fish over here! :D
I'm pretty sure you al ready know, but Pie Day comes from the date; March 14th... or 3.14 = PI - or pronounced pie... so, 3.14=pie.