Game Face On

Wow.  So I'm still reeling in the idea that I'm going to compete LIVE at The Mall of America in less than one month (October 14th).  Here are some of the deets:

Round 1:  Halloween Birthday Cake
- One carved cake plus 24 coordinating cupcakes
- Must be completed in 1.5 hours
- One-person teams
- $500 for 1st place

Round 2:  Wedding Cake
- Must be at least five tiers
- Must be completed in 3 hours and moved to display table intact
- Two-person teams (Yay Rheanna!!!)
- Design must be based on the imaginary couple profile provided:  A fall, outdoor wedding with vintage and Scrabble elements, orange and taupe color scheme
- $1000 for the first place team

The competition is hosted and judged by The Upper Midwest Bakery Association.  There is no refrigeration available, but we can have microwaves and mixers.  Cakes and icing are made ahead of time.  Neither round is judged on taste, nor will the cake be served to the audience, since we aren't working out of certified kitchens.  That's right, we get a 6 ft. buffet table in the middle of the MALL.  A four story mall, visited by millions of people each year, no less.

I have observed this particular competition for the past two years and waffled between "Do I do it?" and "This is absolute suicide."  Let's face it:  The conditions aren't great.  BUT, it's a fantastic challenge, and I finally came to the conclusion I would regret it more if I didn't try.  So here I go, competing in not one round but two, and live for the first time. 

Rheanna will be my team member for the wedding round.  We have worked together since February when I started my new job at The Queen of Cakes.  She's a foot taller than me {who isn't}, quick to laugh, and full of energy.  I'm so excited for her, as this is her first competition ever.  She's only been decorating for about a year and half, and she impresses the heck out of me.  I think we will make an awesome team!

Our co-worker, Angie, is also competing in the birthday round.  Angie has a meticulous eye for detail and endless creativity.  She will be big competition for me!  But as long as Queen of Cakes is winning, I'm happy!  I couldn't ask for a more supportive group of gals to work with.  This will be an experience we never forget.

My strategy thus far is to go against the mold a little.  Expect the unexpected! 

xoxo,
Rachel

Mallory's Wedding

Yes, it has been a month since Mallory and Nate tied the not, but there is no rest for the weary pastry chef.  That being said, it feels like just yesterday I was home in Oregon, indulging in the cool shade of oak trees, freshly picked raspberries, and the company of family and friends.  The wedding cake went off without a hitch.  The wedding itself was a BLAST.  Mallory was a gorgeous and gracious bride, beyond my expectations. 

Again, thank God for Mom/Dawn taking behind the scenes photos and acting as sous chef and dishwasher.  Even the kitten, Cinder, got in on the action, licking up dabs of buttercream and powdered sugar off the floor.  I will fight for a bakery cat one day!!! 

Come with me, on a journey through space and time...

Cinder tempts the neighbor's dog, Buster, to come inside where sweet treats are made!

6 pounds of cream cheese went into the cake and 1 pound when into Bob Wille.

Doing my best impression of Giada DeLaurentis.  We decided at the last minute to add fresh raspberries from my parent's garden to the cream cheese filling in the cake.  Each tier was four layers of Red Velvet cake with three layers of cream cheese icing and fresh raspberries.  Delish!  Here I am brushing simple syrup onto the cake to keep it super moist.

Assembled and chilled base tier, ready to ice. 

I made some separate cupcakes for wedding guests with a gluten intolerance and vegan diets.  This is the gluten free, with buttercream icing.

The vegan cupcakes with fondant circles.  The scalloped fondant ovals are to go on the large cake later.

Rolling chocolate fondant for the surprise groom's cake!  In a dress, no less!

This was one of my favorite parts and something I had not done before.  I used a styrofoam ball to hold the gum paste flowers (which I ordered online to save time, via cakedeco.com).  I love the fullness and proportional interest it gives the cake.

Almost done!  Dawnie rolled all of these balls for me, with the help of a fondant bead maker.  I then cut them in half to apply to the cake.  I wish I could remember what was playing on my i-Pod...maybe Gaga?

All done!  Time to relax!

Groom's Cake: Nate's favorite beer, Red Chair from Deschutes Brewery, with hops vines.

Myself and Mr. Scott!

Mr. and Mrs. Witherspoon!

The life of the party right here.  Recognize Ashley and Chris?  I did their wedding cake last year!

I thought this apron fit perfectly with the Mexican fiesta dinner we shared that night.  

 

Then we danced the night away....

 

And I caught the bouquet!!!

So much fun!  The next day my stomach hurt from laughing, my feet killed from dancing, and my brain was pounding from champagne and margaritas, but I would do it all over again in an instant!  

All my love,
Rachel

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Styling: Black Bridesmaids Dress

Mallory's wedding is approaching quickly!  I'll be in Oregon in three weeks!  I hit the old Pinterest for some inspiration on how to style my black, strapless bridesmaids dress and the required graduated pearl necklace.  

This sleek little 'do is a glammed up version of what I wear on a daily basis.  Work a firm hold gel through damp hair, comb into place, and gently blow dry.  You can achieve major shine, too, with the help of Bumble and Bumble's Shine spray, one of my favorite hair products.  Love the makeup also!

Overstock.com

Betsy Johnson

Amazon.com

I'm having a hard time deciding between something like these adorable cluster earrings and the edgy, deco-style drops.  I find gold really flatters my skin tone in the summer.

Tally Weijl

Source unknown

I own similar strappy heels.  A wedge is great for outdoor weddings to keep from sinking into soft terrain.  They also keep you comfy enough for dancing late into the night!

Chloe's Nails

This cool manicure ties everything together and I can do it myself at the last minute (meaning: after the cake is done!).

xoxo,

Rach

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Mallory's Wedding Cake Inspiration

My best friend from since middle school is getting married in July.  God, just saying that makes me feel old.  This is the girl I spent every weekend with as a teenager.  She's known me through my best and worst times, supporting me through breakups, cheering me on as I pursue my dreams, and making me laugh every moment in between.  We've come a long way since the days of barking like dogs out the windows of my parents' minivan and coloring our hair over the kitchen sink (her's blonde, mine blackish brown).  I still have a {locked} box of notes we passed in class, my favorite being the drawings of which outfits we would wear to the Britney Spears concert (What the hell was I thinking with those zebra shorts??).

After high school I moved to Colorado to attend pastry school, but Mallory and I kept in touch.  She set the standard of what I look for in a friend (sense of humor, big hands), yet could never be replaced.  Lucky for me, she's stayed close to the Rogue Valley, so we were always able to visit when I went home.

Needless to say, Mallory holds a special piece of my heart.  Mal deserves every happiness life brings her way, and her fiance Nate has been nothing less than a blessing.  There wasn't really a question as to whether or not I would do her wedding cake - I couldn't imagine it any way else.  I used to bake for Mal quite a bit (shortbread and cheesecake are her favorites), and she had a huge impact on my decision to go into the pastry field.  Thinking about it now, there was never a time since we've known each other that I wasn't obsessed with food and opening a bakery.

Making cakes for people you know is as nerve-wracking as it is fulfilling, and you know I will be stressing over every detail until July 7th!  She has just a few simple requests:  Red Velvet cake with an all black and white exterior.  How cool is that going to look when they cut into it?!  Oh, and Nate prefers square tiers.  The wedding is being held at the River House in Shady Cove, Oregon, and needs to be able to hold up outside.  Other than that, I have free rein.  I've been scouting out inspiration on Pinterest based on the other details she's shared with me regarding her dress, invites, and flowers:

Invites similar to Mallory's, via Etsy.com

Close-up of a flower from her wedding dress (which is a frothy, dreamy confection in itself!)

Rose and carnation bouquet inspiration from conroysflowersdowney.com

These are some cakes I'm pulling inspiration from.  Mallory sent a few of them to me, others I found on Pinterest.  I want to create drama for her evening wedding, but without getting to formal or stiff.  Being the fun couple Mal and Nate are, it needs to have some playful elements.  I'm seeing black lace/damask details, asymmetrical draping strands of black pearls, a chic monogram, topped with gum paste white roses and carnations....perhaps in a vessel of some sort?  I would love to play with the proportions of the tiers as well. 

Follow me on Pinterest for more cake and floral inspiration, fashion picks, hair musings, recipes, and some Hello Kitty too :)  There is a entire board dedicated to Mallory's wedding!

I'm still working on sketches, then I will submit them to Mallory for approval.  I think the final pick should be a surprise, don't you?

xoxo,
Rachel

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October Weddings - Part 2

Remember this sketch I shared a while back?  I finally had the pleasure of making it come to life two weeks ago!  Once again, the pictures don't do it justice, and the couple opted out of a professional photographer.  I really need to find a photography buddy at some point!  My camera doesn't pick up the shimmer of the black and white glitter.

The topper is from Etsy.  So fun!

Someone from the family made the sequin-lined stand for the cake. 

This last photo shows the imprinting best.  I'm pumped about how all the little details came together so that there was a lot going on without it becoming "busy."  Bride Cassandra was very pleased and wrote me this sweet review on Weddingwire.com:

"Rachel Wille is AMAZING! I wanted a wedding cake no one would ever forget and that is exactly what I got! I simply gave her an idea of what I wanted and her creativity exceeded my expectations. The cake impressed by appearance and taste equally! Delicious, elegant, unique and memorable, thanks Fresh Fields and Rachel!"  


I couldn't ask for more :)  The inside was all chocolate cake with Bailey's mousse and ganache (always a winner!).


This next cake was so much fun to work on, I almost felt guilty about it.  Shweta and Naman knew from the start they wanted a sculpted topper of the two in their tradional Indian ceremonial dress.  Their reception was small, so there was no need for a large cake.  After emailing me photos of themselves in their wedding attire, I got to work creating their gum paste likeness as closely as I could.

Mr. Scott and I decided they look like either Play Mobile toys or old-school claymation characters.  I think they are so freaking cute.  Sculpting people definitely takes a lot of practice, and I know I will improve over time.  Each of these had a skewer down the center to keep them straight and also for stability, poking down into the cake.  The gum paste we use dries very quickly, which can work for and against you at times.  In total, I probably spent about three hours sculpting and adding piped and painted detail this couple. 


Working on a Halloween post next!  I gotta get it up before Thanksgiving!

Love,
Rachel


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