THE NEW PIECE O'CAKE

So this blog is LONG overdue. I thought I would fill everyone in on how things got started and how it's going now at Piece O'Cake's brand new and only location now located at 91 Prince William Street.

When we first started this Journey back in May, we looked for a location with the expectation that it may take a while to find the perfect spot for Uptown Saint John's first cupcake shop. Firstly we (My husband and I) decided we definately wanted a location uptown after asking many of you our fans where you thought we should open. 99% of you said this location would be the most visited. So after just one day of looking at spaces for lease, we were led to 91 Prince William Street, formerly Compu College. The first thing that caught my eye was the 3 awnings outside and the 2 HUGE show windows and then I prayed that inside had some potential for what we wanted to do. I have to say I was 100% sure I wanted this spot as soon as I walked through the doors. Of course it was nothing like what it looks like now but the potential was so huge I could taste and smell those cupcakes baking right then! We met with Keith Brideau our landlord now and he chose us to be his tenants as he saw great potential on Prince William with our business and what it could offer Uptown.

Now the tough part began! Make this thing come together quick. We knew we wanted the cruise ship business, so the goal was to open before the fall, as that was when most of the ships docked. I did think we would be done by August but  anyone that knows what goes into creating a new business they know that  things don't always go so smoothly or as quickly as you want it to! I have to say there is so much more involved in owning a business outside of your home. At times you feel overwhelmed and impatient, nervous and excited at the same time.

Slowly things were coming together and little by little you got a glimmer of hope we will be opening the doors soon. Our designers at Design for Space Inc. really exceeded our expectations and were very easy to work with. They handed over our design and we went from there. My father in law and my husband made that display counter that features all our cupcakes. I was pretty amazed by the talent they had to build such a beauty.

Finally everything was put together, finishing touches done and now time to set our opening date. We announced our opening date for September 23rd 2011 at 10am. We had a half an  hour delay on opening but we did it! At first myself and my husband were the only employees in the kitchen. I baked and iced and he made the icing. We had no idea how many people to expect , so the question is how many cupcakes do you make? Well I honestly lost count after being there till 1am the previous day. It was a crazy opening day and figured out within a couple of long nights and days that I really needed help. So we quickly hired two bakers for our kitchen. Jessica Ganong and Evan Smith. Two really hard working people who I have really helped us through this learning process in a brand new business. While they are taking care of the kitchen,  I do keep busy with the front of the shop, paperwork, custom and dessert cakes, taking orders and making sure everything is taken care of at the store. Always expect the unexpected and take it day by day.  

LOGO for PIECE O'CAKE CUSTOM CREATIONS

As we approach the opening of our brand new cake and cupcake shop in Saint John, there are many things to be done and a LOGO is a big part of this process, so I thought I would get all the fans involved in helping me out since they have a good feel for my work. I thought let's hold a contest for the best logo that best suits POCCC. In the coming week I will post them on my fan  page and have fans vote for their favourite logo but final say would be ours of course. The winner will recieve a custom cake worth $100 upon opening of our new storefront and 3 Runners up will recieve 1 dozen specialty cupcakes. To ENTER email with your designed Logo to Sherry_7@hotmail.com by Friday JUNE 24th. Here are some examples of logos that catch our eye :

 

Hopefully we can come up with a Brand New and Unique logo that attacts the eye and helps you to better know Piece O'Cake Custom Creations.

FENWAY PARK!!!

So my Husband's Uncle is a HUGE Boston Red Sox Fan and His Wife Gail asked if I was up for a challenge. So knowing myself, I am always up for a challenge, I jumped right on this. Yes in the back of my mind I was freaking out thinking, How in the world am I going to do Fenway park!? My husband is an engineer so I asked him to help me carve it out with a template he found and printed off. It was a LONG process and we butt heads many times along the way just because im a decorator and a perfectionist in the art of cakes, so it was tough leaving something like this in the hands of someone else. Started off with a couple slabs of cake , iced and carved using templates. A few pictures below make it look simple and then we have the finished product. The Birthday Boy was Extremely pleased and refused to cut the cake. Its sitting on his place of honour still i am guessing.

Its all the little details that made the difference and what took the most time! Im pleased with the way it turned out . The only fault I made was spelling his name wrong..OOPS! I think he was too distracted to notice! :)

Gleeks Cake

When I was approached to do this cake for Kennedy, I jumped right on it. Her Mom Lisa informed me that Kennedy has Charge Syndrome and has been through a lot , so she wanted a special cake for her 13th Birthday. Turning 13 Is a Big Deal to Kennedy  and so is Glee! So the cake I decided to do was just something I threw together as I went. The Hand was the coolest to make and I had to make this a couple days In advance in order to dry. The Name and the 13 were also predone because they needed to be airbrushed and dried with silver. I had somewhat of an idea as I knew Kennedy was in love with Music. I wanted to go with pink but the black and red just meshed really well together seeing that the school colours for Glee were red and black and I just love those colours. The Big Quench cup was also made out of cake. All of this being pound cake with Raspberry Buttercream.
At the end of it all, I guess this was the masterpiece that turned up. No Drawings, just going with the Flow. I was informed that Kennedy absolutely Loved her cake and I made her day a little more special. : )

Visit Kennedy's blog, what an amazing girl and her Family is just as amazing!

http://chargesyndrome.blogspot.com/

Bridal Show 2011

I only had 5 days to get my stuff together for my first bridal show. Not knowing where I would begin, all I knew is that I wanted to give the brides a wonderful experience. First thing is Pick Flavours. I chose to do Red Velvet , Pina Colada , Chocolate and Chocolate Raspberry and then some Yummy Chocolate Cake truffles. What's a perfect size cupcake for this kind of Event? I Decided to go with a medium size, all done in two bites. Perfect especially this time of year since everyone is watching thier weight after the holidays.
The next thing on the list was pictures. I Quickly had to create a photo album of wedding cakes for people to look through at the booth. Also I thought a laptop would be great for slideshows but then hubby came up with a monitor idea, so we connected the two and ended up being a lovely display. We have a display cake which i used in October for my bridal tasting, so that was a check! Lastly was Decoration. I did the best I could with that. Found these Adorable Polkadot Gerbera daisy Flowers at Michaels and had some things laying around to create a floral showpiece. Also chose some ribbon to go around my Cupcake stand to make it pop. Overall I think it was put together pretty well. If I had more time , I would have gotten a Banner made but I was pretty satisfied.
Doors opened at noon and it was just crazy from there. Cupcakes were flying off the shelves! Brides were taking thier Price lists and flavours and looking through wedding cake pictures. It was great! All the Vendors Booths were so amazingly decorated. I kind of wanted to plan my wedding all over again. :) After all the chaos , the bridal gown fashion show started and I bought myself a glass of Red Wine from the bar and just enjoyed it .  I met some amazing people there and had two amazing helpers. I look forward to another amazing show in the future!
Sher

What 2010 meant to me ~~ 2011 Resolution

Well 2010 has ended and all I can say is Phew, I made it. It was my first full year for this new business I created by accident. Although I do think, there are no such things as accidents and this was meant to be. I have learnt so much about myself and the art of cake decorating and baking in just a year a half. Started off with a small group on facebook and came up with the name Piece O'Cake Custom Creations, then extended to a fan page which brought on more people that I could imagine. I like to think that people are following my work everyday, it definately motivates me to do better. I have to thank so many people for what I have been able to accomplish . Firstly, My friend Di who asked me to take a basic course with her in 2009, then youtube, internet and all the books and dvd's I purchased for teaching me everything I know, Facebook , this wouldnt be possible without this brilliant social network, My hubby for letting me know I can do better, and of course All my family , Friends and  Fans who support me and encourage my success.
I have to say I Love to read the comments on my cake creations and all the likes. I love to see all the looks of people's faces when they see it for the first time and the photos taken at the party with the cake. The cake is a big part of your day whether it be birthdays, babyshowers, weddings etc.  I've definately put my heart and soul into each and every one and I can only hope it shows in looks and in taste !
Now 2010 , there have been a "Bumps in the Road" but all in all, I think you've been a pretty successful year and I can't wait to see what 2011 brings. I intend on working harder , getting better and coming up with fresh inovative ideas. I hope all of you who follow my progress keep the comments coming because that's what keeps me going. To know my creations are recieving all the appreciation and wows makes it all worthwhile for me. Thank you to Everyone for 2010, A Brilliant Cake Year!

Sher

WEDDING CAKES FOR 2010

Here are a Few of my proudest Wedding cakes with a little blurb about them.

This Cake was for an Alice In wonderland Themed Wedding and the entire setting at the reception hall was Phenomal I just have to say. They had a candy table and little tea cups at the head table..Pictures of the Story of Alice in Wonderland when you walk in. Just beautiful. This Cake was not your ordinary wedding cake but it was definately one of the most fun and interesting ones. Topsy turvy cakes are never easy and especially in the heat. The Trick is to get it to look like a cake that could potentially fall over but doesn't. Delivery was definately the most Nerve Wracking part of this whole experience.  So the bottom tier is a print inspired by the queen of Hearts, the second last tier was inspired by the cat from Alice In Wonderland  , the second from the top was inspired by Alice herself and the very top one is just an overall inspiration from the World of Alice. It was Chocolate cake and was loved by everyone.

This was for a friend and Mine you I had to deliver it about 1 1/2 hours and It was definately stressful as all my cakes give me stress when I have to deliver. Simple white with Black ribbon and Hand made Sugar Calalillies dusted with some Lavender dust. I got to cut this cake and Eat it too. I thought it was Yum and so did all of other guests! One guy came up to me in the kitchen and asked for a sugar Flower just to give his father because he loved sugar flowers.

This is one of my Proudest. I love how the sugar flowers stick up out of the cake. Gives it that Dramatic look.The Silver stand was provided by the client which I thought was just so beautiful and fitting for this kind of cake. This was picked up by the Groom to travel with to St. Andrews on the most stormy rainiest day in August. I was so nervous as I didn't deliver it . Wedding cakes and cakes for that matter are so fragile and especially a cake like this with so much at stake. But the cake made the event and the Bride loved it! She said people couldn't stop saying how delicious it was.

I just love this one, It has that elegance to it that when you walk into a reception it stands out. Thats the idea right? To have a wedding cake that stands out but not more than you of course. :) I love the topper especially as its not your traditional bride and groom topper which most people aren't opting for nowadays. The bride said the wedding cake was a big hit and tasted fantastic.

I was asked to do this cake and in the time Crunch I decided to order sugar flowers but then realized they were the wrong ones....so then....I had to make them just how the bride wanted them which was white lillies with black dots. I have to say, I liked mine better than the ones I ordered and the Bride absolutely loved her cake.

A Trocial Theme. Definately fit for a beach wedding right? The Couple got married in Mexico and decided to have their reception with all the people who couldn't be there. So the bride's sister ordered this one and said she wanted it to look tropical with some sea shells and this is what I came up with. The sea shells are sprayed with pearl sheen and everything is edible including the sugar lillies. The Bride Loved her cake!

I loved this one because it had that statue like elegance and poise.....I just love how the middle layer is taller than the rest. This cake was sprayed with a gold sheen and wrapped around with some beautiful gold and burgundy ribbon to contrast. The flavours were well enjoyed. the bottom was Pina Colada, middle Marble and top red velvet, the grooms favourite.

Now this is my favourite and it took me the longest out of all of them. It was for my sister-in Law and Brother In-Law. We all went for thier wedding in jamaica and came back , had a reception for the people that couldn't be there just to have cake! :) Well not really. Anyway, she had no idea what I was doing for her and I came up with the idea of having all the great moments of the day documented on the cake so that everyone at the party who couldn't go, could see them and eat them if they wanted to. The photos are all edible black and white and each picture was bordered by tiny little fondant flowers. Each tier was on fake Tier wrapped in Black Ribbon  to give that tall sleek elegance.  They both loved their cake and so did everyone else! I to to cut and eat this one too. Each tier was a different flavour. The Groom specifially requested Bailey's cake .

WALTER THE FARTING DOG

Based on a series of Children's books, Walter the Farting dog makes his appearance in thousands of people's homes. So when I was asked to do a farting dog, my first reaction was..To laugh of course.I have to say, Walter is more than a dog to me, he was my friend during this process!  Here is the final product. Walter's Head is made out of Rice Krispies Treats and covered in fondant. His Body is Pound cake and caramel icing in between 6 Layers. He was about 2 feet tall and weighed what I thought was  TON. Below are some pictures that my customer sent along with a rave review on how good a dog he was. They also kept his Head and froze it  for a future appearance at next years Christmas celebration.

Here is what my customer had to say about her experience with Walter.

"There were 19 of us at the party and Walter made his appearance as everyone was finishing Lunch.......He was a huge hit. Everyone wanted their picture with him!!! After the pictures were taken, Walter was analyzed to see how he should be ...eaten.......this took awhile. We also had to say a few words about him before the moment of carving.......All I have to say is that he tasted wonderful and everyone took a layer of him home. My in-laws were so impressed with the creatation they decided to freeze the top of the cake to make it`s re-appearance at next years party. Thank-you Sherry for making our idea come to life!!!!!!!!"

BRIDAL TASTING EVENT

Our Very First Bridal tasting Event on October 17th Was a Huge Hit. We had about 56 people come in and taste our selections that consisted of :
White Almond Cake with White Almond Buttercream
Vanilla Cake with Vanilla Buttercream
Chocolate Cake with Caramel and Chocolate Ganache
Lemon Cake with Raspberry buttercream
Vanilla Cake with Vanilla Buttercream and Raspberry Mousse
Marble Cake with Chocolate buttercream
and our Delcious Red velvet Cupcakes

Photography was done by Randi Gallant who displayed her beautiful work for the bride's to see and the Event was co-ordinated and decorated by Red Hot Events. The Venue was at the Red Whale who was extremely co-operative with the friendliest Staff. Thank you for Letting us use your beautiful space. During the event, Brides had to Rate the cake flavours using a score card from 1-6 and the most popular flavour turned out to be my Chocolate cake with Chocolate Ganache and Caramel. A Close second was White Almond with White Almond Buttercream. The Reviews were more than I anticipated and I look forward to doing this again.

I also created a dislay cake to match the decor which was Red, Black and White.

I absolutely loved doing this and Can't wait till the next one.

BAKING IN THE HEAT!

Today is one of the HOTTEST days in the area and the Humidity is extreme. I don't honestly feel like baking but I have no choice. The fan is running at the window so maybe I can get some breeze even though the heat of the oven takes over and the room suddenly becomes hotter than it normally is. Wishing that a sudden burst of cold maybe some Winter weather will come today. Wishful thinking. Who needs to bake the cakes in the oven when its this hot and they could probably bake out on the counter.

Sher

How I get to the final Product

So unless someone gives me a picture of exactly what they want, I usually have my own ideas in my head. I never sketch it out as in the past I have and it doesn't turn out that way. I always end up changing things as I go along because I feel some things work and some don't. I try to make a cake that pops out. Something that people will remember and see from across the room and say "WOW". That is when I know I did my job as a cake artist.  Usually people don't want to cut the cake. It gives me Great pleasure to cut a cake because to me , the inside matters just as much as the outside.

Sher

The Most Special 1st Birthday Cake!

So my son absolutely loves Dr.Seuss, Or I should say my husband does. So I decided to make this cake as it was only fitting. He absolutely loves books and so this was fun. The Cupcake on top was all his and he knew that. He was wired  by the end of the night. Poor thing had to have been sick , I know I would be.  An extra special cake for an extra special kid.

Sher

A Cake Made for me!

My hubby made this one for my 30th. I thought it was quite thoughtful. However I must admit , I didnt trust his abilities to decorate, much less bake a cake for me. He proved me wrong. I guess he watches me way more than he should be. It was delicious as well as sentimental.

Sher

The Toothbrush !

This I will never forget, one of the most memorable, most fun and HEAVIEST cakes I have done. It was 4 Feet long . ordered for a grand opening of a dental clinic. This one put me on the Front Page of the Local Paper. It was an honour. I thought it was quite ironic that a dental clinic was ordering this for an opening . Possibly looking for new cavities as a result of all this sugar?

Sher

Real or Fake?

I actually just did this one for fun thinking yeah right, its not going to look like a real turkey. I actually surprised myself with this one and the family at thanksgiving. I have another order for this for this thanksgiving. I am hoping I can pull it off again. I really can't remember how I did this (shh don't tell her) . I go into a trance when decorating and really just go with the flow until I am satisfied.

Sher

One of the First !

So this was one of the first Fondant Cakes I have ever done. I really can't find the very first one, you probably dont want to see it anyway. I would be too embarassed to show you. So I think this was pretty good for being the second. It was for my very own Baby Shower in 2009. Everyone seemed to love it. This took be a total of 5  and a half hours and Definately made me proud. It's also pretty special because It was for me and my baby boy! :)

Where I came from?

So I was born in the Beautiful Caribbean Island of Barbados. Grew up with one sister. We had a pretty great life and I always knew as a kid I wanted to get into something artistic. I would always be into designing clothes and sketching , just randomly showing every stranger my new Fashion trends. I day dreamed about being a fashion designer and I had a best friend who did the same. We even dressed the same which right now is quite embarassing, but I guess it can't be more embarassing than "How" We dressed. Short Frilly skirts with Leggings underneath, Short Bob hair cuts and bright eyeshadow. Anyway , I always knew I loved Fashion and drawing but then turned into the direction of Travelling eventually. When I was 14, my parents split which was not so terrible as we were young and moving to a different country which was very exciting at the time. Always loved to fly and airplanes really facinated me. We moved to India which is where my parents were before they got married. So my mom, sister and I got on a plane and or lives changed drastically from there. This is a totally different story all together.  Long story short, I moved back home when I was 18 and searched for something to do. I knew I loved Travelling so I sent my resume into the airport numerous times. Finally , recieved news that I had an interview and ended up being recruited as a Passenger Agent. I absolutely loved this job because It allowed me to be moving constantly and meeting new people on a daily basis
Eventually I felt like I needed something different and couldn't stay in one place. I just knew there was something bigger for me. My sister was studying in Fredericton NB Canada at the time , and So i decided to follow her. Thought I could find some sort of course here maybe in the field I was already in, only seemed fitting. So I signed up for a course at a College In the same city as her. During this time I met a guy who is now my husband and well I finished my course , got a job in the travel industry and we got married. I always knew there was still something I wasn't seeing as "my Calling". I decided to let life come to me. Soon enough we got pregnant. My hubby had to move cities for work. I took that as a sign that the job I was in wasn't for me.  Previous to this , a friend had asked me to take a course with her decorating cakes. It was a simple basic icing course. Nothing fancy but it introduced me to cakes and before this, I had NO interest in baking much less decorating. Anyway, after we moved and I was pregnant, I decided to make cakes for family and friends just to feed my new passion and maybe learn some things . I soon realized that I had a skill or Talent some may say. I loved it and I knew I wanted to do it as a business and maybe then I could stay home and be with my child instead of paying for day care which costs half of most salaries. It would be the best of both worlds. So Here I am and making it work to the best of my ability. I have been working extremely hard at learning new tricks . I feel I have been improving from the time I started making the occasional cakes for family get togethers. What gives me the most satisfaction is to hear when people say they love my cakes and also that they taste incredible. That makes my Day! Well I hope you Enjoy these blogs and visit my site to see more cakes to come. Have a sweet day!