Whoops, I can’t believe I didn’t share this! Earlier this year I had the pleasure of making this simple two tiered wedding cake for Tawny and Irv. It was confetti cake with strawberry preserves and vanilla buttercream. Their wedding was featured on Green Wedding Shoes and marks my first credit on a wedding blog (woo hoo!). Even more exciting was watching the cake cutting ceremony in their wedding video. This is one of my favorite parts of making cakes but am rarely there for it (obviously), so it really put a smile on my face! Thank you again, Tawny and Irv, for letting me be a part of your big day. You can see more of their photos here.
Tawny & Irv from JP on Vimeo.
Tagged as:
cake,
wedding cake
I’ve been doing pretty well avoiding refined sugar…until this cake. Let’s just say I “tasted” a little more than usual. My friend Keiko requested a cake for her mother’s birthday and this is what we came up with! She grew up in Hawaii so Keiko wanted to incorporate something tropical. Normally I will only use fruit if I can purchase them fresh and locally grown. I used to use freeze dried berries but I’ve done away with that as well. Thankfully mangoes are currently in season and these were grown in Mexico.
Here is a breakdown of the cake: chiffon cake soaked with coconut milk, mango mousse, chiffon cake with coconut milk, mango mousse, topped off with whipped heavy cream and coconut cream, swirled with some mango puree.
This is a slight departure from my usual multi-layered butter cakes with buttercream. In fact, there’s no butter in this cake at all! While I won’t be giving up butter any time soon (meringue buttercreams are one of the greatest things on earth), it was a fun and exciting change to step out of my comfort zone.
Also, if you haven’t already checked it out, Keiko recently launched her new web shop that’s filled with her beautiful artwork!
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cake,
coconut,
mango,
tres leches
Whoa, so much health talk lately! Rest assured I still love baking cakes and believe they are well deserved for special occasions. Just make sure they’re worth the calories, alright?!
Here’s a custom cake I made recently for a baby shower. A buttery vanilla cake filled with layers of lemon cream (the flavor of lemon curd but much smoother with more body!), coated with my favorite cream cheese swiss meringue buttercream. If you love cream cheese but aren’t a fan of how thick, dense, and sugary it can get, this frosting is for you! Everything was then coated with fine shavings of white chocolate.
Because it was a baby shower for a girl, my client ordered cute glittery lace crowns off of etsy in two sizes we and tiered them on top of the cake. Such a princess-y cake! As you can see in the background, everything came together wonderfully. I just wish I got better photos than from my iphone!
Tagged as:
cake,
lemon cream,
white chocolate
In contrast to the White Velvet is the new Hot Chocolate cake. Inspired by Mexican hot chocolate, a rich chocolate cake is lightly seasoned with a touch of cinnamon and chili powder. Layered in between is chili caramel sauce, infused with three types of chilies for a spicy flavor and hint of smokiness. It is then finished off a slathering of silky whipped ganache buttercream and garnished with caramelized sugar shards sprinkled with red pepper flakes. Not for the faint of heart, as this a decadent semisweet chocolate flavor with a noticeable hint of spice.
As a Valentine’s treat, the Hot Chocolate cake is available in a petite 4 inches. To order, please visit our website.
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cake,
caramel,
chili,
chocolate,
spicy,
valentines day
Just in time for Valentine’s day is our new white velvet cake. Rich Madagascar vanilla bean is deeply infused into a tender and fine crumbed white cake. It is then filled and frosted with our signature Swiss meringue buttercream, hinted with aromatic rosewater. To top it off, the cake is then dusted with a fine coating of high quality white chocolate that melts instantly on contact with your tongue. The blend of vanilla bean, rosewater, and white chocolate make for a sumptuous yet light dessert perfect for celebrating with a loved one, best friend, or simply by yourself.
As a Valentine’s treat, the white velvet is available in a petite 4 inches, perfect for two or indulgent for one. To order, please visit our website.
Tagged as:
cake,
rose,
rosewater,
white chocolate
Today I want to share one of the cakes I offer for order, Matchbox Kitchen‘s Chocolate Hazelnut Cake. It quickly became a favorite this past holiday season! Four layers of moist chocolate cake is filled with layers of hazelnut swiss meringue buttercream and a combination of chocolate crumbs, vanilla crumbs, and hazelnut crunch. See those bits on the top? The cake is filled with ‘em! They are one of my favorite parts of my cakes because they add such a nice texture. The outside is frosted with the same smooth, creamy hazelnut buttercream.
As always, Matchbox Kitchen cakes (and cookies!) are only made with the highest quality and organic ingredients. For cake inquiries please email me at sara@matchboxkitchen.com.
Tagged as:
cake,
chocolate,
hazelnut
Some custom cakes I’ve made recently:
Left: My friend Keiko of Small Adventure requested something with pistachios, apricots, and honey and here’s what we came up with. Pistachio cake with filled with layers of apricot preserves and crushed pistachios, covered in honey swiss meringue buttercream.
Right: I had the pleasure of baking a birthday cake for a customer that is borderline diabetic. While I am no doctor/nutritionist/health expert, I knew the general rule was that white sugar and white flour had to be avoided. I was informed that they were find with agave nectar and loved chocolate, so this was the final outcome! Gluten free and refined sugar free chocolate cake with whipped chocolate ganache filling, with toasted cake crumbs and agave caramel drizzled on top.
This was a fun one! Vanilla confetti cake filled with layers of peach jam and lemon cream, then covered cream cheese swiss meringue buttercream. Topped off with some raspberry milk crumbs and some extra sprinkles for good measure.
Tagged as:
cake
A quick photo of yesterday’s lunch. Delicious baguette sandwiches and a chocolate/raspberry cake. Note to self: find a set of matte gold flatware.
Tagged as:
cake
In an effort to try something new, I skipped my usual swiss meringue buttercream and made a butter roux frosting. Though I love how much less sugar and butter it uses, the slightly grainy texture doesn’t hold a candle to SMBC. I’m trying to branch out but I just can’t give it up!
While making this cake I had no vision/plan in mind so it isn’t executed as nicely as I’d like. Not a complete loss though, as the chocolate cake portion was a newly improved recipe that I’ll be using from now on. A perfectly light, soft, fine crumb. Not too rich but full of smooth chocolately flavor. I’m sold! I can’t wait to pair this cake with espresso swiss buttercream.
Tagged as:
cake,
chocolate
Last week I had a customer request a cake for her boyfriend’s birthday. Some of his favorite flavors include coconut, coffee, peanut butter, and pistachios. I don’t think I’ve ever incorporated these flavors in a cake before, let alone a combination of them! It was a fun challenge and in the end we were able to use three of the 4. This six inch cake had 4 layers of vanilla cake brushed with coconut milk, filled with 3 layers of peanut butter Swiss meringue buttercream, then covered with mocha Swiss meringue buttercream (made with blue bottle coffee) and finished off with a light layer of toasted coconut. Phew!
Do you need a cake for a special occasion, or maybe no occasion at all? All Matchbox Kitchen cakes are made with organic flour, sugar, eggs, and milk. Customer favorites include carrot cake with cream cheese swiss meringue buttercream, fresh strawberries and cream, and triple chocolate cake. Our cakes are never too sweet and only use the highest quality ingredients. For more information, email me at sara AT matchboxkitchen.com (Delivery available within Los Angeles area.)
Tagged as:
cake,
coconut,
mocha,
peanut butter,
swiss meringue buttercream
