Shabby Chic Cake

Please note - I no longer accept cake orders, focusing instead on custom decorated sugar cookies.

Ali is a giver.  I sensed that the minute I met her last year at our planning meeting for her mother's 50th birthday/Mickey Mouse themed party last year.  A detail-oriented organizer, she threw her mother a terrific party, complete with a pretty nice Mickey cake.  (http://www.sweethandmade.blogspot.ca/2011/05/mickey-mouse-cake.html)  She is also a new aunt to twins and is very involved in their lives, despite the fact that these little boys live hours away.  She tends to do for everyone before she does something for herself, but hopefully she knows how important she is to her family and how much they all love her!  Her mom wanted a special cake for her birthday this year, in their favourite flavours - brown sugar marble for the cake and red velvet for the cupcakes.  She loves shabby chic style, so I used that as design style.  Happy birthday Ali!

I love the look of these large flowers and the pearl accents.

Fairy Cake and Cookies

A few months ago I received an email from a mom in Whitby. She had found a picture of my fairy cupcake tower online and was smitten http://www.sweethandmade.blogspot.ca/2011/03/fairy-cupcake-topper.html. She had already ordered a birthday cake from a local baker but was hoping I would be willing to make the fairies to place on her daughter's cake. After a few emails we finally talked by phone and during that conversation she decided to forego her deposit to the original baker and asked me to make the entire cake. Now, Whitby is about 120 kilometers from my bakery and usually way, way out of my delivery area, but we really connected and I was very excited to make this darling cake for her.

Also included in the order was matching sugar cookies. To match the blue butterflies on the fairies, the white and yellow flowers on the cake and the toadstools, I created these deliciously sweet cookies.

Valentine Milk Chocolate Mousse Cake

Sure to leave your sweetheart smitten!  This cake starts with three layers of Chocolate Génoise Cake.  I cover the layers with Bittersweet Ganache and top each layer with thick Milk Chocolate Mousse into which I mix bits of buttery cashew brittle.  The entire cake is topped with Whipped Bittersweet Ganache and decorated with cashew brittle hearts!  Everything about this cake is just spectacular!

This cake serves 12 and costs $90.  Place your order early!  Pickup days are Saturday, February 11th until Tuesday, February 14th.

Halloween Cupcake Kit

Blog repost - An activity that is always a big hit at my girls' birthday parties is decorating cupcakes or cookies.  Every child I have ever met loves the messy, sweet fun of smearing on the icing, tasting the sweet goodness and eating the end results!  This Halloween make the celebrating easy for your kids by getting one of my Halloween cupcake kits.  6 delicious cupcakes (chocolate, vanilla or both), 3 bags of Swiss Meringue Buttercream in Halloween colours and a generous selection of eyeballs and creepy, cavity-filled teeth.  Be sure to sneak a decorated cupcake for yourself!!  Contact me by Thursday, October 27th to place your order - $15.

Ghoulish Ghost Cake

Blog repost - Inspired by a Martha Stewart design comes this super-sweet Ghoulish Ghost Cake.  Frosted in Swiss Meringue Buttercream and adorned in marshmallow ghosts, this cake is perfect for a halloween birthday or for your halloween bash!  Choose your favourite flavour of cake and contact me for pricing info.



Tractor Cake and Cookies

For Susan's husband's 53rd birthday we decided on a John Deere riding mower/tractor design for a cake and matching cookies. The mower is Mark's newest "toy" and Susan thought the cake would be delicious in lemon poppyseed poundcake with a lemon curd filling and Swiss meringue buttercream frosting.

 
It was a devine flavour that everyone who tasted loved! Happy birthday Mark!

Farmers' Market

A few years ago I read "The 100-Mile Diet - A Year of Local Eating" by Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon.  It was a great read and left me with a desire to try harder to eat local food.  I had already made many changes and modifications to the way we ate as a family, including only buying some foods in organic form, avoiding processed food, etc. (More of that is and will be explored in my other blog http://www.theotherkitchen.blogspot.com/)  Truthfully, eating locally was a new idea for me, even though I had been doing it somewhat for many years because I had been shopping at Farmers' Markets.

As a child living in Amsterdam, my mother would take us to the Albert Cuyp Markt, a daily outdoor market.  In addition to produce, fish, meat and baked goods, this market sold just about everything, clothing, dishes, curtains and material!

The Albert Cuyp Markt in Amsterdam


In London, Ontario, we shopped at the Covent Garden market, a large indoor market in the heart of downtown.  It wasn't until I moved to Kitchener that I really started loving markets - and who could resist with the famous Kitchener Market and the St. Jacob's Markets on my doorstep!  When the girls were little, I would quietly slip out of bed on Saturday mornings, and leaving my family still sleeping I would head out to the market.  Before the busiest crowds arrived, I could stock up on locally grown and produced meats, cheeses, breads, baked goods and of course, fresh-from-the-farm produce.  The German and Mennonite influences made these markets unique and oh, so wonderful!  When we moved to Bradford, the closest market was in Newmarket and I started going there.

The St. Jacob's Market

As my girls started getting older and I was trying to decide what to do with the rest of my life, I tossed around the idea of going back to the world of computer programming.  I decided against that and enrolled in some university courses with the thought of going to teacher's college.  It wasn't easy to concentrate on studying because my mind was filled with the daydream of being a market vendor selling cupcakes and cookies.  When I finally revealed this dream to my husband he encouraged me to pursue my dream and those were the earliest days of Sweet Handmade.  As my business grew, I sort of forgot about my idea to be in the market, but when my kitchen got Health Board Certified earlier this year, Shawn reminded me of my earliest dreams and I decided to go for it.


Look for me with the colourful display!  I have lots of delicious goodies for you!


Lucky for all of us in Bradford, we now have our very own Farmers' Market.  Every Saturday morning from 8 until 1 at the Community Center on Simcoe Road, I am there along with some very hard working local farmers and artisans, including Dingo's Farms Ltd. who sell non GMO, no antibiotic and no hormone beef, lamb, pork, chicken and duck products, Pioneer Brand honey from Schomburg, fresh beautiful flowers from Mid Valley Gardens, Lakeview Gardens greenhouse and garden center, Carron Farms and their produce right from the Holland Marsh, Stephanie's Pies and more! 

Samples of my triple chocolate cupcakes and my chocolate crackle cookies.  Delish!

I am humbled and honoured to be sharing my Saturday mornings (in a parking lot!) with these hard-working people who grow and create the food that sustains us.  Every Saturday morning I have a variety of my most popular and delicious cookies and squares and I have a different cupcake flavour every week, as well as decorated sugar cookies that I switch up each week.  This week I will have cookies suitable for golf loving dads!  I offer samples of my cupcake flavour and at least one of my cookies or squares as well.  I hope this post inspires you to check out your local farmers' market and to support your local community.  If you live close to me, I hope you stop by!

Sequined Wedding Cake

Just as fashion styles change over the years, so do wedding cake styles - do you remember the style of your wedding cake?  Since the fall, fashion-inspired cakes have become all the rage.  With this in mind, I designed and created this simple, yet beautiful wedding cake.  With a sleek colour palate and the added sparkle of the silver and white sequins, this cake embodies this year's hottest wedding cake style!

Bunny Cake

Easter weekend is just over two weeks away.  Always a special time when there are young ones in the house, this cake design is so sweet, your children will be delighted!  And when you cut into it, you will be delighted, as the delicious carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is just awesome!  This bunny is based on a Martha Stewart design and is made completely cute with a marshmallow covered body, cotton candy ears and tail, chocolate-covered coffee bean eyes, a jelly bean nose and tiny strips of yellow licorice to finish it off!  This cutie feeds 8 to 10.

Contact me to discuss pricing and delivery options.  If carrot cake doesn't tickle your fancy, we can switch to the flavour of your choice, of course!

My kitchen....

It all started in my home kitchen.  My cakes and treats got progressively more difficult and detailed and my family became less and less interested in eating everything I baked.  Luckily, friends were happy to receive any of my baking and I used every opportunity to give treats away.  Eventually, I had to consider how I was going to continue to finance the cost of the ingredients, the supplies and the courses.  I let it be known that I was taking orders and that's when I needed to think about becoming a legitimate cake design business.  We were lucky in that we suddenly had come into some extra space in our home, as my mother moved out of our basement and into a nursing home.  We set about converting our basement office into my Sweet Handmade kitchen.  There were lots of hurdles, but to make a long story short... today is the day!  Insured, properly zoned and health board approved, let me give you a tour of my kitchen!

Both a handwashing sink and double sinks for dishes help make this a proper place to work.  Above the long stretch of counter is one of my favourite features, the hanging area for my recipes and measuring spoons; handy and at my fingertips.  My indispensible Kitchenaid is at the ready and the area to the right of my stove keeps my most often used dry ingredients within easy reach.

Here is the island.  This is where I put the finishing touches on the cakes and cookies; make the buttercream super smooth; roll out the fondant; drape the fondant on the cake; craft the gum paste flowers; pipe the icing and sculpt the characters to make any cake more personalized and complete.

Here is shot of the rolling rack and also the storage unit for my cookie cutter collection - I have over 100! 

We installed cork floors and used both new and reclaimed Ikea cupboards.  While this space is in the basement, it has lots of natural light and is an absolute joy to work in.  With cupboards dedicated to baking pans and cooling racks and drawers just for gum paste cutters and molders, rolling pins, mixing bowls, offset spatulas and candy thermometers; with mason jars full of chocolate, sugars and coloured sprinkles; a fridge full of butter and eggs, cream and milk, this is every baker's dream kitchen!!  And now, what can I create for you?

Cinderella Barbie Cake

When almost three year old Jo Jo and her mom were looking at all the delicious cakes on my blog, she asked her mom why there was no Barbie cake!  With this entry for her third birthday, I have remedied that problem!  As requested, a Cinderella Barbie cake.  Jo Jo loved her!  It was a delicious chocolate butter cake, with a yummy chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream.  Happy birthday Jo Jo, and "live your fairytale"!

Max and Ruby Cake

Max and Ruby is an adorable Canadian television show based on the books of Rosemary Wells.  It was the inspiration for the theme of little Eli's second birthday.  His mother and I consulted about what she was looking for and I designed this sweet cake just for Eli's special day.  Look closely at the tree for the special carving that shows Krista and Dwayne's love for their special boy!  Happy birthday Eli!

Holly Berry Cupcakes

Not wanting to arrive empty handed to my in-laws home for Christmas dinner, I whipped these cupcakes up after breakfast on Christmas morning.  I fashioned holly berries and leaves out of marzipan, which I brushed with luster dust. Placed on top of these yellow cupcakes piped with vanilla bean Swiss meringue buttercream, these were a delicious and festive treat.  I hope your holidays were just as sweet!  Merry Christmas!

Festive Snowflake Cookies

These delectable 5-inch Snowflake Cookies are available in chocolate or gingerbread, and are decorated with royal icing, sanding sugar and sometimes silver dragees. 

They come individually wrapped in a simple celophane bag and are finished with a seasonal closure which can be customized to your demands.

These cookies, made with the finest butters, spices and/or chocolate, make a great teacher's gift, gift for neighbour or grandparent, as well as a terrific stocking stuffer. Each cookie is unique and tastes terrific! Special shout-out to my hand model, Josie, for helping out by holding the cookie!

80th Birthday Cake with Gum Paste Flowers

When Patricia contacted me to make her mother's 80th birthday cake, I was thrilled for the honour.  It wasn't a large gathering, so a simple one tiered cake was requested, cream coloured with coral flowers.  It was a joy to design and create these flowers, leaves and berries; all crafted from gum paste and brushed with petal dusts.  I placed them atop the smooth Swiss Meringue Buttercream cake and was thrilled with the final outcome.

Happy Birthday Sophie - and may you have many more happy and healthy years!

Halloween Cupcake Kit

An activity that is always a big hit at my girls' birthday parties is decorating cupcakes or cookies.  Every child I have ever met loves the messy, sweet fun of smearing on the icing, tasting the sweet goodness and eating the end results!  This Halloween make the celebrating easy for your kids by getting one of my Halloween cupcake kits.  6 delicious cupcakes (chocolate, vanilla or both), 3 bags of Swiss Meringue Buttercream in Halloween colours and a generous selection of eyeballs and creepy, cavity-filled teeth.  Be sure to sneak a decorated cupcake for yourself!!  Contact me for pricing.

Riding Helmet Horse Cake

Horse themed cake week continues.  Unlike the passing fancy of a doll or a favourite tv show, a child's love of horses can continue for a lifetime.  What might have originally started out as a love of ponies could eventually lead to a more serious dedication to show jumping, dressage and competition.  In that frame of mind, here is a cake for the more serious rider or for someone who aspires to be.

This cake can be any flavour you choose.  The cake is filled, stacked and then carved into a helmet shape.  It can be covered in fondant of any colour and comes complete with a fondant riding crop.  This is one "sweet" cake.  For your rider's next birthday, consider a party at Foxwood Farm, a wonderful riding facility just north of Bradford (http://www.foxwood.ca/).  Their beautiful rural location is home to more than a dozen horses and a brand new indoor arena and tack room that is perfect for parties!

Flavours - Double Almond Cake

One of the best memories of living in the Netherlands as a little girl might just be coffee time.  On the day my parents were expecting company or on a special day like a birthday, one of them would hop on their bicycle and ride to the local bakery where they would pick up a variety of "gebakjes".  These small, individual pastries would range from Dutch Napoleons made with puff pastry, whipped and pastry creams, to fresh fruit pastries, to various slices of cake, including mocha, chocolate and whipped cream and fruit.  Soon, there would be hot, strong coffee, lots of loud and excited voices, happy feelings and the sweet tastes of the delicious Dutch pastries.

I live in Canada now, and now I make sophisticated cakes and desserts in the North American style.  The recipe for my next cake came from a Julia Child cooking show which aired in the mid-1990s.  A relatively unknown Martha Stewart was a guest and she demonstrated this cake.  I searched high and low for the recipes, and when I had them I put them all together.  Then I tasted the cake,... this taste I had experienced before - on one of those long ago mornings with my parents and brothers and cousins.  This was on the menu at those Dutch pastry shops!  Happy, happy memories and awesome taste!

This one starts with three layers of Dense Almond Cake.  Each layer is brushed with Apricot Preserves and topped with an Almond Dacquoise, which is essentially an almond meringue.  The dacquoise is topped with and the entire cake is frosted in a Rum-flavoured Swiss Meringue Buttercream.  The result has a slight boozy taste, there is a bit of crunch from the dacquoise and a hint of sweet from the apricot.  The cake is moist and delicious and this will be my birthday cake from this point forward.  I'll brew some strong coffee and add the love of my family and friends and it will take me back in time!

Flavours - Banana Cake

Chocolate chip banana bread is a family favourite and I knew I needed a similar flavour on my cake menu.  This is the cake I came up with and it surpasses all expectations!  It starts with four moist and fragrant layers of Banana Cake studded with pecans, and it is filled with rich bittersweet Chocolate Ganache and frosted in Raspberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream.

Flavours - Carrot Cake

A classic!  This beautiful dessert features three layers of moist and delicious carrot cake, flavoured with vanilla beans and buttermilk and spiced with a hint of cinnamon and ginger and cloves.  The layers are then filled and topped with sinfully delicious cream cheese frosting.