Ahh, the power of cake....

Halloo out there!!
Yeah, I had another hiatus, sue me! I don't think that exactly makes me a criminal, and I came back so that's all that's important! Anyhoo, I come back to you all a little bit older, and a little bit more seasoned as your dear Caker Maker. And I'm gonna tell you something I don't often tell people;
Making Cakes is a stress inducing, labor intensive, white knuckle thrill ride!!
I speak the truth here! I want to clear up any inkling of an impression that you all have that my profession is in ANY way, easy, relaxing, or meditative! My job is NOT for the faint of heart.
A while back, as I was surfing the web, I came across an article someone wrote that gave me one of the biggest laughs ever. It was an article that gave a list of something like the 'Top Ten least stressful jobs in America"...........
And guess what was number 4?
Yeah.
That's right.
I believe anyone is entitled to their own opinion, and I have no right to judge someone else's life experience and influence my own experience on it, but if we were going off of MY experience, Cake Decorating wouldn't be anywhere near the top ten.
I want you all to be clear on one thing I've learned in my years making cake; NEVER doubt the power of cake! There truly is something mystical about it, and it never ceases to amaze me on the effects it can have on people. I've seen people laugh with joy, scream in anger, render themselves flabbergasted, moan orgasmically, and even get down on the knees and pray over it.
So, I ask all of you, with something THAT powerful, do you think handling it on a daily basis would be relaxing????
I think not.
Anyway, my career certainly has been a roller coaster of an education. And my learning in this art will probably never end, but I do look at myself now and can only marvel at how far I have come. My bakery is rapidly approaching wedding cake season, and this year, I seem to have become the one leading the charge in that area. If you would have told me that two years ago, I would be in the position I am now, I would have ran for the hills.
But there's a moment not only I, but any cake decorator out there lives for. A small moment mind you, but a big one nonetheless. It's that moment when they see it. That customer who came to you with a dream of something beautiful and delicious, and usually no comprehension of what goes into making that dream a reality, sees it in front of them, after all your toiling away on the cake turntable, mixing icing, piping flowers, airbrushing, stacking tiers, etc. And they react in any of those ways I described earlier..... It makes ALL of that stress worth it!
I have no idea what this year is going to bring for me in my cake making adventures, but I'm going forward with as much confidence as I can muster, because let's face it, it certainly wont be dull. And besides, I'm hopelessly addicted to this silly profession!
So fasten your seatbelts kids! It's gonna be a bumpy ride!
Sincerely,
Your Caker Maker

A Perfect Shade of Red Velvet

I have a confession to make.....
I hate Red Velvet Cake!!! And I'm gonna tell you why.....
Somewhere along the course of human history, the human populous had a seed planted in their minds that told them what it is that is considered 'delicious'. And somehow pop culture defined that as Red Velvet Cake.
"Oh my dear friend...", it would say, "Haven't you heard what the hip people are eating these days?? When you order a cake, you order RED VELVET! It is everything you want and more!"
And this is where I begin to get to my point.
Sometimes, in the case of bakery customers, people have no idea what they want. They THINK that they do, but the truth is, they're just going off of what the world tells them that they want. And this is especially true with cakes. And don't get me wrong, everything about Red Velvet Cake sounds appealing. Even the name; "RED VELVET" just sounds so decadent and high class. And anything edible with the word velvet in it just makes your mouth water...
Well I'm here to burst your bubble folks.....
Red Velvet Cake is overrated! EVERY bakery in this country is making butt-loads of cash off of all of you with what is basically chocolate cake with red food coloring! And most of the time (not always, mind you), the cake is returned or refunded due to disappointment.
Now I'm sure there are some of you out there that will swear to the high heavens that I'm crazy, or jaded, OR....lemme guess......I haven't tried your mother/grandma/great aunt/ etc.'s 'World Famous' Red Velvet Cake.... Which you're most likely right! But that leads me to ANOTHER point!
High expectations are endless in the bakery industry! I can't tell you how many times I've experienced in my culinary career someone returning a cake because it didn't taste like the way they remember it. It's a sad fact of these crazy times we live in, but no matter where you go in this country, food is never gong to taste the same.
After years of trading recipes, and minor tweaks to old favorites, odds are that anything from a Lemon Meringue Pie to (in this case) a Red Velvet Cake are going to taste different in let's say Seattle and Tallahassee. It's not good or bad, it just is...
So there you have it folks. My first rant on this blog....take it or leave it, but the next time you go to your local bakery and decide to take a walk on this wild side and order a Red Velvet Cake.....Don't say I didn't warn you! ;)
Sincerely,
The Caker Maker

"A Marble Cake with Bluejays and Venus Flytraps....."

Today at work, my nephew came in with my sister (his mom), to order his 9th birthday cake....
As with any wide-eyed kid with an imagination, and lofty goals for a birthday bash, he already knew EXACTLY what he wanted. See, my nephew's current obsession has been marbles. He has already accumulated quite the collection which, at the drop of a hat, will show you with great enthusiasm and pride. Although, sometimes in the presence of his house, you will come to discover them on your own whilst walking about and finding your foot stumbling on them by happen-chance.
Anyway, to get to the point, the theme of his birthday is marbles, of all shapes and sizes. I quickly made note in my attentive 'be-the-best-uncle-possible' mind. Usually the theme of the birthday is a giant hint telling you what he wants to get. Past hints including an Army birthday, Pokemon Birthday, Magic (trading card game) etc...
I suggested to him a marble cake would be a perfect fit with the theme of the party which he quickly agreed with, only to backtrack within seconds to ask what that would taste like. He liked the sound of it (of course), and went on to describe his vision of the cake to be covered in marbles, bluejays, and venus flytraps.... My sister and I looked at each other in confusion.
"That sounds great dude, but what do those have to do with marbles"
To which I received my first "oh-my-gosh-you-are-so-old-and-uncool" eye roll.
"*sigh*....Those are kinds of marbles..."
"Oh of course they are! heheh..."
The point of this post is not only document my first experience of being an un-hip dorky uncle, but also to confess that I had a moment today where I actually asked myself, "Where has the time flown??" I still to this day remember vividly the day my nephew came into this world, and here today I had him schooling me in the ways of what the cool kids are doin' these days...
And believe me, I know how lucky I am.... how many uncles get to say they've documented their nephew's birthdays EVERY year with specially made cakes? It was just something that hit me blindside, the fact that he was 9!!
"Are you coming to the waterslides with me and my friends tomorrow??"
"Awwe, I would like nothing more bud. But I gotta work tomorrow. But you'll have fun without me, and I'll get to see you on your ACTUAL birthday!"
"Darn..... well I guess that's okay.. Thanks for making my cake!"
"Anytime dude, have a blast tomorrow!"
......Now I need to figure out exactly what a 'bluejay' and 'venus flytrap' look like......

~The Caker Maker

Hiatus-ness

9 months later......
Haha! I'm back to commitment! I guess you could say I get distracted easily, but regardless, here I am again!
I must say, my life today is very different than it was when I first created this blog.
I suppose the two biggest happenings since I last posted was that I am now living in a house with three roommates which has been surprisingly a smooth transition. Being who I am, I tend to freak myself out with anything that might 'rock the boat' in my life. I have always strived to lead a low-key, stress free lifestyle, so the idea of living in a house with three other twenty-something year olds would normally send me running in the opposite direction. But it has been good!
And the second big happening has been me coming out of the closet! Something I truly thought I would never have been able to do! Back at the beginning of the year, I attended a personal development school in Vegas on the suggestion of my older sister. It pushed me in ways I needed to be pushed, and eventually lead to me confronting something I've feared to share with the world for most of my life. Thanks to that, I feel much more comfortable to be present in my life so to speak. I feel like the people I love and care for in my life now know the real me, I no longer have to restrain myself or be afraid of the truth. It's been very freeing. :)
And there you have it, a true update in the life of a Caker Maker. Writing always gives me a level of de-stressing and fufillment, so I'm going to do everything I can to stay on the bandwagon this time around! So stay tuned!

Sincerely,
The Caker Maker

"Slap a bumblebee on it and call it good!"

Well here I am!
An official blog to 'journalize' my life as I professional baker. I suppose this is some way to further leave something behind in my life that says "I WAS HERE". As cliche as that sounds, it probably is what this site is designed to do!
See, as a baker you spend your whole life making delicious creations and desserts that definitely leave an impression on people, but the moment is fleeting, as your creation is swiftly and soundly devoured in sweet ecstasy. Not exactly a way to leave a lasting mark in the world for generations to track you, so maybe the stories I write here will find some soul who appreciates them. :)
I promise to try and fill this blog with fun stories from my bakery. If anyone out there has ever worked in a bakery or kitchen or restaurant for that matter knows EXACTLY what I'm talking about! Everyday is a new adventure with crazy characters and hilariousness. Lord knows my job is not boring! So I hope it brings you as many laughs as it has me.
So here I go, sending my blog out into the endless ocean of the internet.... Hope someone takes a bite!