Shadow The Hedgehog

A little background information on a subject that I knew nothing about but that my boys eat, sleep and dream...video games. Specifically, the Sonic the Hedgehog series.

Shadow the Hedgehog is a character from the Sonic the Hedgehog series. Shadow is an artificially-created life form. His trademark hover shoes propel him at extreme speeds that rival those of Sonic, and with a Chaos Emerald he has the ability to distort time and space using "Chaos Control." Often referred to as being the "Ultimate Life Form," he is a black and crimson male hedgehog that debuted in Sonic Adventure 2. He resembles Sonic in many ways, such as the ability to travel at incredible speeds. He is Sonic's rival and is the antithesis of Sonic himself in all aspects of his life. He has been featured in a variety of media, including his own self-titled game. Shadow works together with either Sonic's group or Dr. Eggman, depending on what suits his own needs. (via Wikipedia)

 So when asked to create a cake for a birthday with Shadow the Hedgehog I realized there was a lot of detail in this character that had to be just right. From the boots to the spikes I had to make this one as true to the design as possible.
 

 Shadow is taking a day off from chasing Dr. Eggman or working with Sonic. He's enjoying a relaxing day at the ocean and taking in the surf. After all, every hard working hedgehog needs a little R & R.

You rented your Wedding cake?

A growing trend in these economic times is the rental wedding cake. Jane Singleton from Singleton’s Kitchen, says that at first she was "not that enthusiastic about the idea, as she took much pride in offering many combinations of fresh baked wedding cakes . But after looking into the idea, and doing a few dummy cakes, she decided to be flexible and began to offer cake rentals to her clientale."  Singleton offers these reasons in favor of rental wedding cakes:

1. It's a better fit for the bride on a tight budget; she can have the cake of her dreams at a fraction of the cost. Sheet cakes can be cut in the kitchen and served to the wedding guest in lieu of a costly tiered wedding cake.

2. The bride has a better chance of booking her wedding date because the cakes can be assembled and decorated ahead of time.

3. Delivery and costly set up fees may be saved if the bride opts to pick up the display cake and sheet cakes before the wedding.

4. If planning an outdoor wedding, a dummy cake reduces worry of invading insects, bees or other pesky critters . It is also less susceptible to damage caused by high temperatures during the summer months; thus allowing the wedding cake to be prominently displayed during the reception from the beginning to the end.

5. Sometimes reception venues add a cutting fee into the package deals and the bride might be unaware she is paying for it. If the charge is per slice, that fee could add up to a hefty amount, sometimes as much as the price of the cake itself. By renting a dummy cake, these extra charges can be avoided.

6. The bride can order her dummy cake via the Internet having it shipped to directly to her home address. UPS is able to package and ship to insure a successful delivery.

7. One may choose to rent the wedding cake with an option to purchase.

8. The designs are limitless because dummies can be made in almost any shape.

9. No special clean up needed. Just return the cake intact to the decorator.

Some people would say that it is a disservice to wedding guests to not have an actual "cake" because the wedding cake is quite often a centerpiece of the evening. I agree that there is definitely something nostalgic in displaying, cutting, and serving a real cake. But for me I go with whatever makes the bride happy. If she's happy with the service that I have provided her on one of the most important days of her life, then she will be likely to return for other important occasions, which gives me a chance to be part of the best moments in her life.

Buy for Bazoombas!

Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure^® and launched the global breast cancer movement.

Komen for the Cure is the world's largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Thanks to events like the Komen Race for the Cure^® and the 3-Day for the Cure, the organization has invested more than $1.9 billion to fulfill its promise, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world.

Torta Cakes proudly does pink to support 3-Day Walk For A Cure participants:  4 Strong Girls, in their efforts to raise donations for this event. Torta Cakes will be donating pink cupcakes to be sold at the Buy For Bazoombas event. Please join us as we back these women in the fight against breast cancer.

Rememberane Cakes for 9-11

I saw a wonderful idea for those of us who love to bake, to remember this 10th anniversary...with cake. Please join me and post a cake on the Torta Cakes facebook page in remembrance and honor of those whom we have loved and lost. The cake does not need to be one that you have created new, just one that you would like to share in honor of September 11th. www.facebook.com/TortaCakes

Take a look at my (cake) Package

So it's been a while since I've posted. Things have been busy in the baking world but with a few moments to spare I am dusting the powdered sugar off and sitting down to type.

Today I was thinking about - packaging.  The next time you order a confectionery delight, stop a moment to look at the container in which your sugary wonder arrives in. What do you notice about the packaging that your tasty treat is in? Is it white, pink or blue? Does it have an eye catching promo sticker on the top? Is it a clear container? Maybe your particular box isn't even square, maybe its round with an adorable design. In any case, as I loaded a cake today into a box that I normally don't use, I thought about this particular box and every other box that I've used to deliver my own custom cakes. Some cake boxes don't allow easy access to the goodies inside. It's like the box is hording the goodies and unwilling to share or occasionally your box may smash the side of your yummy something. It's the box taking revenge for the unjust living conditions. In addition, as I labeled my box today I reflected on the top most portion of my cake vessel. Be it sticker or pre-printed, a majority of the time when you procure your cavity in a box it will be labeled. Some boxes have large stickers others I've seen come with ribbon around it as well. I thought about the time and effort put into that little label and how often do people really stop to look at it or like me, do they just rip into the good stuff inside. 

In conclusion, I guess I just have this to say. That all boxes are created equally, just some are more equal than others.