The Christmas Edition

So, cool fact. If you google Randalicious Cakes, my blog is the first thing to come up! Who knew!? I know, not that exciting but just humour me okay?? And yes, my American friends, I that is how we spell humour in Canada.

Moving on. So, this weekend we had a ward Christmas Party. (No, I'm not in a psych ward or anything, that's just what they call congregations in my church.) Somehow the Christmas party and the talent show got combined. So, I changed my cake making plans from making Van Gogh's Starry Night into making an ugly sweater. It's classier anyways. Haha!

I got the idea from Colette Peters, my new cake idol. She did a Father's Day cake that ended up on Pinterest so my roommate obviously found it. I was planning out the cake and brainstorming when it hit me. Nope, I'm not just going to do any old sweater, I'm going to make a cake that is the exact replica of the sweater I will be wearing!!!! I'm a genius and not even the slightest bit humble about it. Sorry... But not really.

So, that's exactly what I did. I pulled out one of my nasty Ecuador wool sweaters that I bought at the crazy market up there and I made a cake to match.

And now I shall show you pictures of it. Before that though, without further adieu, I need to give Jeff Bennett a shout out for making such a big deal about it. It made me feel quite loved :)

Pizza Party!!! -izzle

Anyone who has played Quelf should love and adore this title. Anyone who has not played Quelf should play it so they can love and adore that game and also love and adore that title.

Anyways... Now that that sidetrack is over let's talk about cake!!

So, my church every year has this big formal Sadie Hawkins dance where the girls have their chance to ask any boy they want to out on a date. Kinda a big deal for a lot of girls. It is this big operation where you usually put together some crazy puzzle thing and then you drop it off on their doorstep and hope they figure out it is actually you asking them to the dance ad you wait for a response. Such excitement! Basically it can be a little ridiculous but it is simultaneously super fun.

So, this year there was a boy I have kinda had my eye on for awhile and I was trying to figure out what I should do to ask him when it hit me. I should make a ridiculously awesome cake (that is also simple and cheap cuz I was broke and running out of time)! So, that's what I did. My kid sister and I spent a good hour of work/school time writing a fantastic limerick (because limericks are amazing) and I made the cake and I even got a pizza box to put it in! I was ready to go!

And then... as I was getting the cake all ready to go so I could drop it off...... I found out someone had already asked the boy. I know!!! Lame right!!

It's all good. Because in the end, the cake looked awesome and the boy saw it and complimented it. So, I win anyways right?!

So, here's my pizza cake (and the limerick) for your enjoyment.

Hats off to Downton

Well boys and girls in the blog world, here it is, my fabulous hat cake. I know, I am horrible at this blogging thing but hopefully I can make up for it with really cool cakes.

I seriously had doubts the ENTIRE time I was making this. On the Thursday night I rolled out the gum paste used to make the brim of the cake and proceeded to try and set it up somehow to make the shape I wanted once it had dried. It was probably the most ridiculous thing ever. I had plates stacked up and the perfectly shaped lid of my garbage can (which I cleaned thoroughly) leaned up against those and balled up newspaper and Saran Wrap and tea towels and cardboard and all this ridiculous stuff all carefully placed to make the perfect shape. It looked ridiculous and then some. But miracle of all miracles, it somehow worked! And I am quite proud of it.

Oh, one final thing. To complete the awesomeness of the cake, the cake on both the top of the hat and at the bottom of the stand was a delicious red velvet cake. Not only was it delicious but it was just so classy! Thank you red velvet for your classiness and for completing the awesomeness of my beautiful Downton Abbey themed cake.

Downton Abbey - the cake version

I have a great love for television. It probably isn't the best thing to love but let's face it, I love my tv boyfriends. One of my latest loves has been Downton Abbey. Downton is my new fantastic soap opera type show but don't you dare judge me and this is why you cannot judge me. Downton is set in the early 1900's so it's okay that that plot is so ridiculous because A) they talk in English accents and B) it has a faint relation to and/or feeling of Jane Austen and Jane Austen books are classics, therefore there is nothing wrong with watching Downton Abbey. Justification - check! Haha! (Welcome to the ridiculous mind of Randi.) 

Anyways, what does this have to do with cakes you wonder. Well, let me tell you. I have decided to challenge myself this weekend. I've had a stressful week and it is time to destress by making another wonderful cake creation. So, this weekend I have decided to make a cake based on the ladies hats from Downton Abbey. Probably something along the lines of this: 

Yah.... It is going to be epic. Or a complete failure. But, now it is out in the blogosphere so it better be a success or I will be slightly embarrassed. Cross your fingers for me! 

Inspiration

I've had many people ask me how I get inspiration for my cakes and my answer is often pretty lame... Google. Haha! (Isn't that where all ideas come from now a days?) Anyways, it is pretty simple with me. When people ask me to make a cake they usually have some sort of idea or picture in mind. I do a bit of research (Google Images and CakeCentral.com), build a concept based on ideas or pictures of cakes I find, and then add my own flare to the thing. My flare usually involves a lot of small detail that takes painstaking hours to complete but truthfully, that is hands down my favorite part.

I have one cake that is kind of my pride and joy when thinking about how it was inspired. I love it so much for the following reasons:

1) It is just plain awesome.
2) I came up with the idea completely on my own... mostly because I was hungry and really wanted Fruit Loops but the point is it is my idea and I love it.
3) I made it on a pleasant Sunday afternoon with my roommate, Alexis, and we had a complete blast doing it.

Sometimes with my cakes I start to feel like I am pushing the boundaries of "borrowing ideas" from other cake designers which I really don't like. To be truthfully honest, sometimes I duplicate other people's designs. For example, Aimee brought me a picture of a Martha Stewart cake for her wedding and said, "I want this." I guess I like my Fruit Loop cake so much because my worrywart self doesn't worry about that aspect at all. Granted, I guess I did get my inspiration from the old school Cheerio commercials with the strawberry falling gracefully in slow motion into the bowl of cereal. Maybe I just need to accept that you can find inspiration everywhere and that really I need to look for inspiration in my day to day life. Wow... this cake blog post is getting much too philosophical. Let's just post the pictures and ooh and ahh because let's face it, that's why cake blogs exist.

Yay cake!!

Oh, and here are some pictures of Aimee and JB's wedding. Please note, the design is Martha Stewart's, not my own. Haha! 

How it all began...

Hello Cake Loving World!

My name is Randi. I am a little crazy and all over the place and my talents and hobbies are no different. I have a Bachelor of Commerce, I have built houses, I have traveled the world, and I love, love, love making cakes. Not your usual combination, I know.

I started making cakes partially as a stress reliever and partially as a personal challenge. I was on Facebook one day stalking people's pictures (Everyone does it! Don't judge me!) when I came across a picture of a cake a friend of mine had made. Okay, you can judge me for this next part if you want. I looked at the picture and thought, "I can do better than that." I know, I know. Mean and horrible and many other things but its the truth. I don't want to start this blog by lying to you!

So, one day when I was extra stressed with business school and all the joys that come with it I decided to give it a go. My crazy sisters and I buckled down and made a cake and a new passion was born. I never stopped making cakes really. One day, someone even wanted to pay me for a cake! Gasp! I was shocked but gladly took their money.

For your enjoyment, I have included my two firsts. My first cake ever and the my first cake I was ever paid for.

Now wipe the drool off your face and go do something productive!