Haute Cakes: Behind the Buttercream

Last Blogger Post

2010-02-06T15:52:00.001-06:00

I couldn't ever settle on a layout that I enjoyed, so I have switched over to a custom wordpress theme.

Here is the link: http://austinweddingcakes.net/blog/

See you there!

Highball Fashion Shoot

2010-01-29T01:02:00.003-06:00

Last week I was approached by Austin wedding photographer, Jessica Monnich, to make a retro wedding cake for a photo shoot at The Highball bowling alley.

If you haven't been there yet, you need to check out. It's a throwback to the good old days in the Fifties and Sixties; Not that I REALLY know since I wasn't born yet, but I believe it.

Photos of that shoot are coming soon, but look at this behind-the-scenes video footage from Wild Orchid Studios.

HighBall Fashion Shoot from Wild Orchid Studios on Vimeo.

Green before Green was Good

2010-01-24T20:38:00.006-06:00

Did you know that we are a green company? These are some of the ways in which we help the environment by reducing our carbon footprint.

We limit the use of paper products by putting all of our 95% of our information online.
At cake tastings, we use filtered water, instead of bottled water.
We buy almost all of our ingredients locally from central Texas area suppliers.
We schedule deliveries around the same time to avoid trips back and forth.
Our web host runs on a hydroelectric facility.
We plan cakes based on a certain percentage of your guest count, so you don't have leftovers, eliminating the need for cake boxes which end up in the trash. (We know! leftover cake is good..but the trash will last long after your wedding is over. That's not good.)
We conduct most of our meetings via sunlight, reducing the use of electricity, and our bill!

As a small business, we are committed to helping the environment, as well as making great cakes! Hopefully in 2010 you can find some ways to help the environment as well!

What Do You Value the Most?

2010-01-22T18:45:00.006-06:00

Everyone knows that if you're going to plan a full wedding and reception, you have to be prepared to spend money.

I've also discussed pricing and what to expect when you get a cake. However, many people STILL feel like a cake should be the cheapest thing. I assure you, that you get what you pay for...so if your cake quote is super low...you SHOULD be very worried.

However....this post isn't really about the price...but instead, what is it THAT you are really looking for in your cake.

After sitting down with hundreds of brides over the past few years, and talking about their weddings, these are the most common items that brides value, and have found to be more important than the price.

Pretty, breathtaking cake
Elegant and tall... A cake that looks like a wedding cake
Premium ingredients like real sweet cream butter, chocolate, and vanilla
Icing, that is applied in a smooth manner with crisp edges and detailed decorations,
Moist and fluffy, yet firm ..not dry or crumbly
Cake that gets eaten by guests
A beautifully decorated cake table that highlights the cake.
Cake flavors that everyone will enjoy
Chocolate
Beautiful photographs of their cake/ lasting memories of their cake
To eat the cake at their wedding

ALL of these items are what brides have placed as a priority over price. If you could put one word on this list it is QUALITY. Quality will always come before price and that is the one thing that EVERY bride wants at her wedding.

2010 Brides Choice Awards Winner!!

2010-01-22T17:50:00.009-06:00

Austin, Texas– Jan. 22, 2010 - WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced Haute Cakes Couture Desserts has been selected to receive the WeddingWire 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™ for Austin Wedding Cakes! The annual Bride’s Choice Awards recognizes and celebrates excellence in quality and service within the wedding industry, as determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 500,000 newlyweds. Haute Cakes Couture Desserts is among the top five percent of all vendors in the WeddingWire community, which includes over 100,000 wedding professionals across the US and Canada. Awards were given to winners across 19 different service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers. “We are excited to recognize and honor the success of the top wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “The annual Bride’s Choice Awards program has given us the unique opportunity to highlight the best wedding professionals in each region as reviewed by brides and grooms who have utilized their services in the past year.” We are happy to announce that Haute Cakes Couture Desserts is among the very best wedding cake provider within the WeddingWire Network, which includes WeddingWire and Martha Stewart Weddings. We would like to thank our past newlyweds for nominating us for the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards. For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today. About WeddingWire, Inc. WeddingWire is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding vendors. WeddingWire enables engaged couples to search, compare and book over 100,000 reviewed wedding vendors nationwide, from wedding photographers to wedding cakes. WeddingWire also offers an online community and a suite of cutting-edge planning tools, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. For wedding vendors, WeddingWire provides free online management tools creating the only market opportunity that gives businesses control over their clients, reviews, leads and performance. In addition, WeddingWire has partnered with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. (NYSE: MSO) to provide its network of local vendors and online wedding-planning tools in the Weddings section of www.MarthaStewartWeddings.com. For additional information, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.

New Year, New Beginnings, New Cakes

2010-01-22T17:50:00.007-06:00

Our New Year has been one of travel, (as I right this I'm sitting in a condo in the beautiful mountain resort of Aspen, Colorado), making new connections, and preparing for a successful 2010 cake year.

We are also busy preparing for our upcoming Spring weddings, which are just around the corner.

"Congratulations on Your Wedding" and "Thank You" to the brides that have already secured our services!

While we enjoyed each and every cake project in 2009, we are excited about the new projects awaiting us this year!

We have added a line of Simply Elegant Wedding Cakes for brides that want an affordable cake, that is not too fancy, less than $500, and super delicious.

We also contracted the services of Cindy Black with Hello Kitchen to design us a super awesome commercial kitchen so we have a permanent home to bake from. Look for more developments on that in the future. Thanks to Eight O' Clock Coffee for helping us with that!

Finally, to stay current with industry trends and network with local professionals, we have committed to serving as a board member for the Nuptial Essentials Association of Wedding Professionals, as well as joined as a member of the National Association of Catering Professionals.

All of that and it is only January 22! I hope the start to your new year has been as exciting as ours!

You Get What You Pay For

2009-11-21T22:49:00.013-06:00

Everyone is trying to save a dollar here and there, but sacrificing quality for money is not a good idea, and can often have negative consequences.

A photographer friend of mine was telling me about a wedding that they had photographed recently and there was a terrible cake wreck.

Essentially, the wedding cake was supposedly "damaged in transport", and was in such bad shape that it couldn't be used at all. To make matters worse, the person that made the cake was nowhere to be found to try and fix the cake.

I don't know the facts as to what happened, just third-party knowledge, but I do know that cake was doomed from the beginning (the time the bride wrote that check to be exact), and the damage happened LONG before it was en route to the wedding.

It turns out that the client paid $200 for the wedding cake.

Really? Wow. The bride paid $200 and had NO CAKE AT HER WEDDING!

It is no wonder that the cake ended in disaster. A quote that low for a custom-designed, made-to-order wedding cake should raise a lot of RED FLAGS such as:

1) Why is the price so low when the average custom cake from reputable places is in the $600-800 range? Sometimes more than that.
2)How much experience does the baker have? How many weddings have they done?
3)What does their portfolio look like? Is this their first wedding? Even if someone has never done a wedding, their previous work should tell you if they are capable of executing a wedding cake.
4)This price sounds too good to be true!
5)No one has ever heard of them. Ever.

I could go on.

A lot of time, money, and work go into planning a wedding, so when something happens, that could have been easily prevented...it's a karmic shame.

Not to mention, even a mass produced wedding cake from a grocery store will cost more than $200. Yes, you will be getting a cake that is not made fresh, contains icing with a lot of preservatives, and has a generic design, and you have to set it up yourself, but it will be done correctly. However, aside from the color, it will not be a fresh, made from scratch, custom cake.

Just like any other product (wedding dress, floral arrangements, catering, etc.), a cake that is done correctly takes a lot of time effort and SKILL to create. Skill cannot be emphasized enough! A beautiful and cake and great tasting recipes don't just "happen".

When you hire me, you are not paying for the cake per se, but my expertise, investment in learning a craft, skill in baking, decorating, construction, delivery, AND fixing the cake in case something happens.

A lot of people get sticker shock when they see the price of my cakes, but honestly, as the story above illustrates, you really do get what you pay for. I won't take $200 for the amount of time and effort that goes into a high quality, designer wedding cake. I won't even turn on my oven.

You can SEE the difference, as well as TASTE the difference in my work.

It is not JUST cake.

It's a cake creation, that takes days to finish, handmade for YOU only, in your favorite flavors, and designed to match your wedding theme and colors.

THAT is what you pay for.

Haute Holiday Desserts

2009-10-27T02:22:00.003-05:00

It’s time to start making your holiday dessert preparations!

From now until November 20, Haute Cakes is having a holiday dessert sale.
These are our family favorites and we know you will enjoy them with yours!

Chocolate Caramel Dipped Apples - $12
Crisp, jumbo apples hand-dipped in caramel, white chocolate, and chocolate, sprinkled with toffee bits.

Butter Pecan Pie - $20
Rich, and golden pecan pie with a flaky butter crust. Serves 4-8.

Sweet Potato Pie - $20
Creamy, spiced sweet potato pie with a flaky butter crust. Serves 4-8.

Cream Cheese Pecan Carrot Cake - $35
Four layer, six inch cake, classic carrot cake. Serves 8-12.

How To Order

Let us handle your dinner sweets this holiday season!

1) Email us at HauteCakes@CoutureDesserts.com with the desserts of your choice and the quantity.
2) We will send you an online invoice to confirm the order.
3) Pay securely online with any major credit card.
4) We will contact you when the order is ready to coordinate a pick up time on
Tuesday, November 24.

**Due to the custom nature and short shelf life, all sales are final.

My mom has jokes :: Austin Party Cakes

2009-10-09T13:36:00.002-05:00

She sent me an email with a bunch of cool cake photos. She said this cake looks like my teeth!

I know I have a big smile but still...It's not THAT big =)

Photo credit: Don't know. Let me know if it's yours.

Wedding Industry Conference Oct. 27

2009-10-06T10:43:00.004-05:00

Rare Magazine Wedding Spread -

2009-10-06T01:33:00.004-05:00

I'm updating my online presence so it all looks similar, regardless of where you find the information. Let me tell you, this is a full-time job! Here is a fun wedding spread that was published in Rare Magazine last Fall.

We Were Written Up in the Austin Business Journal!

2009-10-04T17:27:00.004-05:00

Kitchen campaign - Austin Business Journal:

Written by Austin Business Journal - Christopher Calnan ABJ Staff

An Austin resident used creative marketing to attract funding for a fledgling business.

Ebby Thomas won the $10,000 Eight O’Clock Coffee “Discover the Difference” contest to help build a commercial kitchen for her sister’s cake business, Haute Cakes Couture Desserts.

After Thomas’ idea to pay for the cake business kitchen was selected as one of the eight finalists from more than 50,000 registrants, she and her sister, Falana Thomas, pulled out all the stops to gather enough online votes to win.

Ebby Thomas used social networking Web sites such as Facebook, Twitter and blogs to get out the vote for her sister — and ultimately, a new kitchen. She also solicited votes through emails and in person.

“I even went as far as creating small ‘Vote for me’ cards to hand out to people as I shopped at stores,” she said. “I felt as though I was campaigning!”

The Thomas sisters have been operating the cake business out of a rental kitchen for about a year and recently made a down payment on a permanent home. The contest winnings are funding equipment and a remodeling of the shop.

**********
Note: I added the photo, it was not a part of the article. Amber Snow Photography

Fall Weddings are here; so is Football Season :: Austin Wedding Cakes

2009-09-23T20:29:00.007-05:00

I was going to wait and post these photos, but they were soooo AWESOME...I couldn't wait to share them. Also, A special thank you goes out to Dustin Meyer Photography and his team for the great shots. This was a wedding was held at the beautiful Lakeway Resort & Spa.

First of all....This wedding cake was HEAVY due to all of the detail work on it. Not to mention the layers of cream cheese buttercream and fresh strawberries. The other tiers were Italian Cream, which is one of my favorites. It's a coconut rich flavor, and coconut is one of those that you either LOVE, or you HATE.

Now for the groom's cake. I think this one might have stole the show at this wedding! It was football helmet! Yes, I realize that the Longhorn's don't actually have stripes on their helmets, but I got in the "creative" zone, and didn't realize my mistake until the game was already on TV, which was about 3 hours after delivery. =)

This was a rich chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream filling. I wish I had taken photos of the process because the cake was NOT round at all! There are no special cake pans, this cake was hand-carved.

I'm sure the couple was super excited that the Horn's beat Texas Tech that night as well!

Who Lives in a Pineapple Under the Sea? ::Austin Birthday Cakes

2009-09-17T23:11:00.003-05:00

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS!!!

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS!!!

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS!!!

This was Cousin Eli's birthday cake from last Saturday. He turned 4 years old and wanted a Spongebob cake and that's what he got.

This is a two-dimensional cake, that was a rich chocolate cake with cream cheese buttercream.

I'm a Finalist...Again

2009-09-11T15:38:00.004-05:00

I entered a different essay contest sponored by Transitions Lenses, and was selected as a weekly winner.

Now it's time to get votes to try and go for the grand prize; $10,000 for a charity, and $10,000 to a charity.

Please vote every day until Sept. 30; and tell your friends!

Vote here.

PS. I wrote about how I am "Living My Vision" of opening a custom cake shop, trying to be financially independent, and provided several new job opportunities.

Longhorn Country :: Austin Party Cakes

2009-09-05T00:29:00.002-05:00

Here is a quick and easy, yet, custom party cake for you! See....we do appeal to all budgets and party sizes. I'm trying to save you from a frozen, mass produced cake with chemical frosting! A fresh, custom cake with real butter in the icing is ALWAYS tastes better.
Hook 'Em Horns!

Happy Birthday Pauline :: Austin Birthday Cakes

2009-09-03T21:19:00.007-05:00

One of my friends, JB, asked me to create a special cake for her mother in honor of her 60th birthday, which was celebrated at the Hyatt Regency. JB and I brainstormed a few ideas, then she sent me the final design; a black and white mod cake.

There's no need in posting the inspiration photo, because the version that I created - which was a vanilla cake with caramel toffee crunch center- came out way better! Yes it did. I love the way the colors "pop", especially the red and the the different colors on the gift bags!

Photo Courtesy of JB & Roosevelt

My Favorite Color is Red:: Austin Wedding Cakes

2009-09-03T00:27:00.006-05:00

So here is a pretty red cake for you to look at.

This tiered cake is a "Classic" Design. It's very simple, but easy to customize to any type of wedding.

Little Boys Love Locomotives :: Austin Birthday Cakes

2009-08-23T17:01:00.006-05:00

One of the little boys in my nanny network turned two years old on Saturday, and his Mom planned him the coolest Thomas the Train/Pool Party! I sent her a photo of Nanny Baby's cake, to give her an idea and she loved it.

I always look at a photo and/or sketch for inspiration, but whenever I do a "recreation" cake, it still never comes out the same. That's just part of the territory when it comes to custom work. Every cake is always better that the last one, because my skills grow and develop. However, each cake always gets my 100% best efforts...that is also why I enjoy it so much!

With this cake, my primary goal was to make it come to life. When it was finished, I felt the cake needed something else, so my sister came up with the neat idea to add an (edible) orange tree in the back!

Here you can see the inside of the cake! A rare photo since I do not usually stay at events long enough for the cake to be served. EVERY cake is made with FOUR layers of cake and THREE layers of filling.

This cake was dark chocolate cake with cream cheese buttercream, and butter vanilla cake with cream cheese buttercream. All wrapped in a thin layer of fondant which melts into the buttercream and makes a yummy and gooey icing. It also keeps the entire cake from melting in this triple-digit heat!

...And look at that tree! It's so cute!

Cake Wrecks Author Coming to Austin Oct 4

2009-08-15T23:57:00.002-05:00

The coolest blog about terrible and ugly cakes (with a sprinkle of awesome ones) is making a stop in Austin.

CAKE WREEEECCCKSS!!
"
Jen is promoting her new book titled "Cake Wrecks:

When professional cakes go horribly, hilariously wrong".

RSVP HERE

This takes "anniversary cake" to a whole new level

2009-07-24T23:44:00.003-05:00

From CNN.com

Story Highlights
Retiring Army Col. Henry Moak treats himself to pound cake saved from 1973
Moak says he always liked the cake and "would eat it any chance I could get"
He saved the C ration goodie to have alongside traditional retirement cake

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/24/army.aged.cake/index.html

Ice cream cakes -

2009-07-24T21:37:00.006-05:00

OK, I like cake, duh! However, I'm not sure if this is a good marketing strategy for Baskin Robins. Is this a good way to lure in clients to buy more ice cream cake? It's a bit annoying. Thoughts?

PS - I realize that just by blogging about this I am contributing to their brand recognition, although I am still not rushing out to buy one of their ice cream cakes.

Zen Rose Mini Cake :: Austin Wedding Cakes

2009-07-19T20:17:00.009-05:00

This mini wedding cake was a last minute order; five days before the wedding to be exact. When they are mini cakes, about a foot tall, I love it because I can create it from start to finish in about a day. They are easy breezy.

The only downside to last minute orders is that I have to adjust my weekend plans....but it's worth it because every order is helping me to become more established in the Austin area. I'm still fairly new at this...so every little bit helps.

Anyhow.

This client wanted a very "Zen" feel to her cake since it was a theme in her life. It also fit well with the venue which was Imperia Austin - they serve Sushi and Asian-inspired cuisine.

The client also loved , loved, loved chocolate and requested a rich chocolate cake with a chocolate ganache filling, iced in chocolate, and then covered in Satin Ice chocolate fondant. Wooo Weeee!

The photo of this cake is one I took before delivery. I didn't have the clients flowers with me, so I used some silk roses and berries and then played photo stylist. The lighting was a bit off though and the rose got washed out, and editing did not help much. Overall, I love how the final product came out.

Photo copyright: Falana Thomas/Haute Cakes Couture Desserts.

I'm a Finalist!!

2009-07-15T01:26:00.005-05:00

I'm outing myself as a blogger. I feel this is a very good reason to do so.

My sister entered me to win a contest and her entry was chosen as one of the eight finalists. She had to write a 100-word essay as to why she should win for the "Eight O'Clock Coffee - Discover the Difference Contest".

She also submitted this photo of me.

Now our goal is to try and win the grand prize of $10,000 so we can finish building our dream kitchen. (I say finish, but it hasn't even been started yet. We work from a temporary location.)

To see her entry, and to get all of the details on how to vote, please visit my campaign site at HelpFalanaWin.com

Thanks!

And the "I'm a Fan" Giveaway Winner Is....

2009-07-11T11:34:00.002-05:00

My3Sons!

Congratulations, You have won Debbie Browns Book, "50 Easy Party Cakes".

Thank you to everyone that entered. Please check back often, and on Facebook as well, because there will be more giveaways in the near future.

Random Post # 1 - Rapper's Delight

2009-07-08T20:07:00.007-05:00

This post has absolutely nothing to do with cake. However, next to cake, my favorite thing is babies. Next to that, hip hop and dancing. I also love rollerskating, too. So almost all of my favorite things combined equals my new favorite You Tube video. All they need is a cupcake on all of their onesies and it would be the perfect video.

Martha's Making a Mix

2009-07-08T01:30:00.007-05:00

Home living pioneer, Martha Stewart, is adding cake mix to her list of brands. MSLO is doing a survey to find out which package design looks better: the one with Martha's photo, or the one without?

This will add fuel to the fire of the "which is better?" debate: baking from scratch or using a mix? To me, this proves that one is not better than the other, if it is done right. It's like comparing a frozen pizza to delivery. Exactly. Those Digiornio's give Papa John's and Domino's a run for their money.

Yum-o!

Back to the topic. Martha has highlighted cake recipes in her magazines and shows for years; both from scratch and with mixes, so it was only a matter of time for a product like this to hit the shelves. Will I use it? Not unless it is less than 88 cents. =) I know how to hook up a box mix, as well as a scratch recipe, so a gourmet mix like this doesn't really appeal to me. Neither do the one's from Barefoot Contessa.

Anyhow, if you're interested in voicing your opinion, take the survey here.

PS- That cupcake does look good though, doesn't it? ...And I like the one without her photo.

100 Followers Today!!!

2009-07-06T16:43:00.001-05:00

Tweet Tweet =)

A Special Cake :: Austin Wedding Cakes

2009-07-05T01:28:00.009-05:00

This cake is special because it signified a turning point for me. This was the very first cake that I entered into a cake and sugar art competition. Now, compared to the cakes that are entered these days, it is a very simple design and probably wouldn't win any kind of award.

However, back then, in 2006, it placed SECOND as one of the best wedding cakes for the beginner category. Beginner. At this point I had never really even considered actually doing cakes as a business because I was very involved with event/wedding planning . This was also only the second wedding cake that I had EVER created, so I wasn't even sure that I could do it as a job.

After I won my award for this cake, I really started to seriously think about doing cakes. This is when I started to formulate a business plan and get the ball rolling on my new business venture!

PS: One of the judges of this competition was Bronwen Weber of Food Network fame. I still have the notes she wrote from the judges comments and a photo we took together, standing next to my cake; I have to find it though as I have thousands of digital photos, and can't remember where I saved it. =-/

"I'm a Fan" Giveaway!!! (Closed)

2009-07-03T15:49:00.015-05:00

To "Officially Launch" my blog and Facebook page I'm going to have a giveaway. So spread the word and make sure you enter.

Prize: 50 Easy Party Cakes by Debbie Brown

Rules:

1. Become our Facebook Fan here: http://tinyurl.com/ly3lb5
2. Then, come back to the official "Behind the Buttercream" site and post in the comments "I'm a facebook fan!" You may use your initials if you prefer some anonymity. Just send a message on Facebook to tell us your entry number or a way for us to contact you if your win.
3.You must do this entry, and post back on "Behind the Buttercream" to be eligible to win!
4.This is one per person. If you are already a Facebook fan, just do step number 2.
5. Only comments on the official blog site of BHB will be counted.

You must enter by midnight July 10, CST. US residents only. We will use random.org to generate a winner on July 11. We will notify the winner via email or facebook message, and post on the blog. One entry per person. We want real people to be our fans =)

Before I forget, Please visit our sponsors as that is how the cool prizes are paid for!

I love this Photo :: Austin Wedding Cakes

2009-06-30T20:04:00.003-05:00

You will see this pic a lot as I update my online presence. It's so simple, yet so elegant. No wonder this design is one of my top sellers.

Cake Myth Busted #1

2009-06-17T20:37:00.007-05:00

Somewhere, sometime, someplace, I don't know the exact details, someone published in a bridal magazine that a way to save money on a wedding cake was to have styrofoam (faux) tiers of cake.

The reasoning is that because it is styrofoam, and cheap, that you will ultimately save money and still have a large, beautiful wedding cake. This really, really, REALLY bad advice lingers on in blogs, message boards, magazines, etc.

I'm going to explain exactly why this piece of advice is terrible, and not a good idea.

First of all, when it comes to weddings, anything beyond the couple, marriage license, and officiant is a want and/or luxury, not a need. You don't need the fancy dress, the limo, the flowers, the music, the invitations, and you don't need the cake. Yes I said it. And we all know this.

Now that that is out of the way...

I'm going to explain exactly why styrofoam (faux) cake tiers are a bad idea for saving money and BUST THIS CAKE MYTH once and for all!!

1. The styrofoam is cheap, but so are the ingredients for a cake. The cost is nominal, only a small percentage of the cake, you are paying for the time it takes to prepare the ingredients, bake it correctly, ice and decorate. If you have seen any of the Food Network cake shows, you know that it takes more than just eggs, flour, and water to create a really amazing cake.

2. You will end up spending MORE money buy purchasing a fake cake and then adding extra cakes to be plated in the back. Since you are paying for the time, effort and skill of a good decorator, you will still have to pay that same amount to get the dummy cakes decorated like the real cake. Then you STILL have to pay for the extra cakes to b served in the back. Those cakes may not be decorated, but they still have to have the ingredients prepared, then baked correctly, then iced.

In the end, you will actually pay at least DOUBLE the cost of a real cake because you have to pay for the fancy fake cake PLUS the actual cake to be served. The ONLY time a fake cake is advised if if you want a cake to look larger than it needs to be. The fake tiers will then be incorporated with the real tiers. Real cakes can be made to easily accommodate 400 people without the use of dummy tiers, so only a few clients would be eligible for this option anyway.

Throwing good money after bad definitely applies in this situation. Pay for real cake, not the fake cake.

What's Going On Over Here?

2009-06-02T20:21:00.006-05:00

We are gearing up for the pre-launch of Haute Cakes and starting to roll out our marketing. I took some time off because I was finishing up school, but glad to say that I have officially earned my master's degree! Please refer to me as the Austin Wedding Cake Master =)

This cake venture started as a hobby not long before I entered school, and I had no idea that it was going to turn into a business. Thanks to everyone who has supported this endeavor!!

To celebrate our opening, we will be holding a series of giveaways and promotions on our blog. bookmark our site and check back often!

PS

2009-03-31T00:02:00.000-05:00

I forgot....all of the paperwork for my new facility is complete which means even more exciting updates to come.

Sneak Preview

2009-03-30T23:52:00.002-05:00

Major changes are going on right now. I'm almost done with school and 6 weeks away from graduation. When I started graduate school...I was very new in the cake field (but not the wedding field), and wasn't sure it was going to work out...so I forged ahead.

Thankfully, after lot of late hours and slowly taking on cake orders, I have gotten to the point to where I'm pretty sure this will be my career for at least the next five years.

So...since a new leaf is finally turning, that means change, change, change.

The second major change is my new website! I'm so excited about the layout and design. It matches my business cards and the storefront.

Here is the new address: http://www.austinweddingcakes.net

The couturedesserts.com is still active, and will soon be a mirror site since that is the address that I printed on all 2000 of my business cards. The new one is much easier to remember though.

So take a look at the site and tell me what you think. There are still some glitches that I am trying to work out...and most of the content is missing, but for the most part, this is the final look.

"A cake, Franck, is made of flour and water."

2009-03-16T00:21:00.006-05:00

I was out with some friends, when someone asked me about cakes. Then they asked about the price of an average cake for Austin wedding - which could range from $500-$700 (for something basic...not too fancy), BTW. Well the person looked at me like I was crazy and said "Why? It's just flour and water?"

That comment makes every cake decorator cringe. Yes, a cake consists of flour, sugar, eggs, butter, and milk for the most part...but when you mix them together, a beautiful tiered cake does not magically appear. If that's what happens when you make a cake...then I must have been doing it wrong!

That statement is like saying why is a house so expensive? it's just wood and bricks! Or even better...why is a premium coffee $4 -$7 dollars. Coffee costs a few cents people!

You see where I am going? Just like a house, a tiered wedding cake is created in steps with a lot of attention to detail. Every time you create a tiered cake, steps have to be followed in order, each time, to get to the final product.

However, that is only half of it....the other part is skill. It takes a considerable amount of skill and technique to ice a cake so it is smooth, not oozing out a strawberry cream filling, or just falling apart!

If you think creating a decent cake is easy...just take a look at Cake Wrecks and see the hundreds of PROFESSIONAL cakes that have turned into disasters!

Anyway, the price of a (wedding) cake is high because of the time and skill involved, not the ingredients. Although premium ingredients will cost more, it is a negligible amount because it all depends on the size and final design of the cake.

Bottom line, when you purchase a wedding cake, or any custom cake that is not found in a grocery store or discount store, you are paying for the skill, craftsmanship, detail, time, and the gourmet flavors.

Out with the Old, In with the New...

2009-03-11T20:06:00.003-05:00

The Haute Cakes staff (That is Me) has been working on a major project that could change things for the better!

I have been searching and searching and searching for a new temporary commercial kitchen so I can make more cakes for more special events. The current set up is a bit complicated and it no longer working for me anymore. It is such a hassle to meet with clients and then actually make their cake. I want to do my best from the moment I meet then client until the moment I deliver their cake...Right now I feel that I cannot do that.

Thankfully, I have found a new location and I am in the process of getting the paperwork complete so I can start working in the new location. (The storefront space will stay the same.)

What does this mean? It means that I will be able to grow the business and have more opportunities and possibly hire some interns in later 2009! (I already receive a lot of inquiries....but this is a one-person show at present.)

I will let you know as soon as everything is confirmed.

Something Baby Blue :: Austin Wedding Cakes

2009-02-11T21:29:00.008-06:00

I love this cake! It's extremely simple yet beautiful. This style is what I call one of my "Classic Cakes". It's like the Ralph Lauren of wedding cake....no matter when you get married, this cake will always look in style.

The "classic cake" consist of a plain cake (any flavor), iced in either buttercream or fondant with little to no decoration, lined with a ribbon, and finished with fresh flowers.

For this wedding, the bide wanted a very light ice blue cake with a dainty silver ribbon. For the flavors she chose the wedding classic, Italian cream, and a devil's food with chocolate buttercream.

As you can see, the final product is a sweet and precious cake. You can't tell from the photo....but this cake is only about one foot tall! It is sitting on a fireplace mantle at Jeffrey's restaurant.

Whimsical Garden :: Austin Birthday Cakes

2009-02-04T21:05:00.008-06:00

This two-tiered birthday cake was sort of an experiment in designing a cake without really having a plan. The client said they liked pastel colors and butterflies.

You would think that it is probably not too hard, but the challenge is creating something that doesn't always look exactly the same. The best I could come up with was polka dots...Not really straying from the norm there! Haha!

Looking back at this cake I see many flaws and other areas I should have done differently. Overall the theme still comes across nicely..so I was satisfied but not 100% pleased with the final product. It was not necessarily my favorite cake, but it is still cute. If I had to make it again I would definitely make several improvements on it.

This cake was a french vanilla cake with a strawberry preserve filling; one of my most popular flavor combinations.

The Last Dessert :: Austin Party Cakes

2009-01-29T10:42:00.007-06:00

This cake was made for an old friend that was leaving the state. (I know what you are thinking....who is crazy enough to actually want to leave Texas? Especially Austin!)

The going away party was held at Thistle Cafe downtown and had a black and white theme. The challenge for this cake was to make it theme-specific cake without it being too feminine since it was for a guy.

The party was also around the same time as Forth of July so stars and stripes became the main focus of this cake. In the end it worked out and met all of the objectives and my friend loved the cake!

The flavor was a rich German chocolate with creamy coconut pecan filling.

Florals and Bows :: Austin Wedding Cakes

2009-01-21T20:07:00.009-06:00

This custom creation was for a client on the East Coast who was getting married at the Omni Downtown. For whatever reason she forgot to book her wedding cake and hired me four days, yes, four days, before her event! Not to mention it was the weekend of New Year's Eve. (This was a couple of years ago.)

She sent me a photo of what she liked, told me the flavors she wanted, delivery time, and that was that. The easiest order ever.

The cake is white fondant with a Swiss dot pattern and handmade bows, each dusted with a pearl luster dust to create subtle shimmer.

It is the ultimate romantic, traditional, girly wedding cake. It is definitely one of my "Top 5" favorite cakes.

Pretty in Pink :: Austin Wedding Cakes

2009-01-16T23:09:00.005-06:00

This is one of the very first wedding cakes that I made. It is a dummy cake, made out of Styrofoam and decorated with fondant. The purpose of a dummy cake is to practice new skills and techniques and to use them as models.

Dummy cakes are great for displays because you can easily change the details, such as the flower or ribbon to create a completely different look.

In the wedding industry, many people throw around the idea of using a dummy cake to save money. However, this is a really bad idea for several reasons.

1. Dummy's take the same amount of time to decorate as they do a real cake. The average wedding cake takes me approximately 2-3 to bake. The decorating time adds another 10-20 hours depending on the complexity of the design. That is why "wedding cake" cost is higher than a traditional cake.

2. Once you purchase the dummy cake, you still have pay for the supplemental cakes or desserts. Essentially you are paying twice for the same thing.

3. Dummy cakes are not environmentally friendly. Weddings produce a lot of waste and everything gets thrown out when it's over. Since the cake is Styrofoam, it gets tossed in a landfill and sits there, ruining our environment. You wouldn't want to be responsible for knowingly ruining our environment even more?

There are other reasons as well, but the main point is that dummy cakes are used as models only, not for actual use at an event.

P.S. All of the cakes featured in magazines are dummy cakes. I don't mean the cakes from actual weddings, but ones created for photo shoots and editorial type of content.

It's a Birthday Train :: Austin Birthday Cakes

2009-01-12T00:09:00.010-06:00

So my full time job is as a nanny for the sweetest, funniest, wildest little boy, Nanny Baby.

I have been with Nanny Baby since he was an 8-week old, squishy, fuzzy, baby-powder-scented newborn. He's like my own kid.

A couple of days after Christmas he turned 2 years old, so we had a birthday party for him at Extreme Fun. I think I had more fun at his party than he did...but whatever.

For his party theme, his dad chose Thomas the Train, since he gave him a big train track for Christmas. Of course Nanny Baby's cake had to follow suit.

I designed Nanny Baby his very own "Choo Choo Train" cake with different cars and a scenery of trees and bushes. Since I also had a wedding that same weekend, my sister helped out and actually did the execution of this cake. It took her about 24-hours since she has little to no experience with fondant...but she did a great job.

Nanny Baby loved it and started eating it as fast as he could!

Bright and Beautiful :: Austin Wedding Cakes

2009-01-11T16:10:00.006-06:00

A lot of clients come to me because the don't want a traditional "white" wedding cake for their special day. While I enjoy creating traditional cake(actually just cakes period), creating a cake with color is a lot of fun because that is where the color matching and coordinating skills come in hand.

This was a spring wedding with the color palette bright pinks, oranges and greens. The cake perfectly summarizes this wedding. The bridesmaids had bright pink and oranges dresses, the bride had a traditional white dress with a pop of color as her bouquet, which looked exactly like the cake flowers.

This event was a couple of years ago, so I forget the flavors she chose, but I know she (and her groom) loved everything about it. The bride sent me a lovely thank you note about a month after her event.

It's those little tokens of appreciation that make me want to keep making cakes!

Modern Wedding Cake :: Austin Wedding Cakes

2009-01-08T04:40:00.004-06:00

This cake was from this past weekend at Chapel Dulcinea, a free wedding chapel just southwest of Austin.

It came out better than I had imagined and the colors were very bright an vivid. The red flowers really made everything "pop".

This cake was the award-winning champagne cake with fresh strawberries(top and bottom tier) with rich German chocolate in the center.

Bite-Sized Beauties :: Austin Wedding Cakes

2009-01-05T17:07:00.007-06:00

Petits Fours are small squares of cake that are very dainty, delicate and easy to eat. However, they do take several hours to complete. Due to the several steps and detail involved (each one is hand made and decorated by me), they are priced higher than a traditional cake or even cupcakes.

For this wedding our client wanted three different flavors of petit fours in place of a traditional wedding cake. To make it still look "wedding" like we provided a mini tower and a silver cake plateau to complete the look.

Normally we stay and complete our event setup, but the weather was still over 100 degrees outside at the time of this particular delivery. Even though fondant acts as a protective layer on the cake, having the the petit fours sitting out for 2 hours until the cake was served was not a good idea and would have led to melting (a layer of buttercream is underneath the fondant) and spoilage.

Thankfully the staff at Umlauf Sculpture Garden was very helpful and kept the petits fours inside and then set them up for me and the clients about 20 minutes before they were to be served.

In the beginning :: Austin Birthday Cakes

2009-01-04T16:30:00.006-06:00

In the beginning I never wanted to be a cake baker. I enjoyed weddings, I enjoyed cake....but not together. I would make cakes for friends, or just because, and that was about it. I was actually working at IBM at the time. That seems so long ago now.

This photo is one of my very first cakes. It's not very good in terms of design....or the writing...gaaaahhhhhh!!! However, it was the beginning of "something" although I did not know it at the time.

I *think* this photo was taken in 2004. So here we are five years later.

Bring on the Blog

2008-12-31T04:04:00.004-06:00

I'm very late on the blogging trend only because I'm so involved in the technology and writing as my formal education (more about that later) that I just didn't have the time to devote to maintaining a blog as well as writing and creating numerous websites and documents. Now that things are coming to an end, I will document the work that goes into all of the cakes that I get to create for clients. With that being said, this blog will contain cakes from events at least 3 years ago, to the present. I'm doing this because all of the cakes have interesting stories and concepts, and I want to respect what (little) internet privacy that people have left.

I hope you enjoy reading the stories behind Haute Cakes.

High Fashion is SO Delicious! (tm) :: Austin Wedding Cakes

2008-11-09T20:53:00.008-06:00

Haute Cakes Couture Desserts specializes in custom-made party and wedding cakes in Austin and Central Texas. Each creation is designed based on elements such as event theme, colors, flowers, or even a beautiful silk fabric.

We take great pride in creating a beautiful cake, but it is really all about what is inside। We have classic flavors for those that want the traditional, but our specialty are extravagant flavors that surprise and pleases the palate.

We will work with you and use various sources of inspiration when creating your cake, but no two designs are ever exactly alike....That is what makes your cake a couture dessert.

Photo credit: Tracy Hunter