A Nashville Wedding ~ Lindsey and Brandon

Happy Sunday, dear readers!  I have been absent from the blog for quite some time, but I’m back now!  Spring is just around the corner and with it comes wedding season!  I have had the opportunity to meet with many amazing couples who are so much in love...I can’t wait for all the cakes, cupcakes, and more I get to create for each one's special day!

This week’s real wedding features Lindsey and Brandon’s beautiful reception at the recently renovated Cannery Ballroom.  This was my first time delivering there and it was stunning!  The ballroom had a great view of downtown too.  The fabulous folks from A Dream Come True Events and Catering did a great job on the tablescapes as well!

I first met with Lindsey and her mom back in the fall and they have been so much fun to work with!  Lindsey’s wedding cake was frosted in vanilla buttercream and featured a winding cascade of whimsical sugar roses.  

I was quite excited when I arrived at the Cannery Ballroom and saw the monogram lit up on the wall above where the cake would be displayed.

Lindsey mom ordered a special little gluten-free lady bug cake just for Lindsey to cut since she couldn't eat the regular cake.  The blue color matches the bridesmaids' dresses as well as the tables linens from the guest tables.

Behind the cake you barely see a framed verse.  Each guest table featured one as well.  This one was a beautiful testament to Lindsey’s love… 

“I’ve felt for the first time in my life, the joyful consciousness that I am truly loved by a truly good man, one that with all my heart I can love and honor – one who loves me for myself alone and with an unselfish, patient, gentle affection such as I have never thought to awaken in a human heart.” 

- Anna Bronson Alcott 

(who I found out is the oldest sister of Little Women author, Louisa May Alcott)

Brandon's groom’s cake was a surprise for him...I love being in on surprises, haha!  Apparently, he and his buddies are big fantasy football fans and each year the winner of their fantasy football league is awarded this belt as a trophy.

You can see the groom holding it up in the picture on the groom's cake table...he's the reigning champion.

I didn't get to see the real thing, just pictures, but it features a bottle opener (on the right), bottle holder (on the left), and name plates with each year’s winner inscribed on it.  These guys are hard core, so I made sure to capture every detail on the cake!

I think Lindsey and Brandon had the best wedding favors: muslin bags filled with ground coffee.  “A nice warm brew from the Young’s to you!”  Love it!  How great would pumpkin spice coffee be for a fall wedding…  Yum…

Congratulations to Lindsey and Brandon, and thanks for letting me a part of your wedding day!  I wish you every blessing!

Jenn & Jermaine : Nashville Wedding

Happy Tuesday!  I usually blog on Sundays, but I just got the pics for Jenn and Jermaine's wedding from Five by Five Photography and I couldn't wait to share their event!

Jenn and Jermaine are an amazing couple and I feel so blessed to have been part of their special day!  Their wedding was simple, rustic, and romantic.

The wedding and reception were set at Camp Marymount, about 45 minutes outside of Nashville.  The location was wooded but elegant, and the unusually warm December day made it even more perfect.

The bride created all of the decorations for the ceremony and reception.  Her attention to detail was incredible...

Instead of traditional tiered wedding cake, Jenn choose a family recipe for her cake.  I am always honored to make a family's special recipe, but it makes me a little nervous too!  Nothing like baking a cake for the bride's grandmother who created the recipe!

Photo courtesy of Five by Five Photography

 The recipe was a traditional Viennese torte.  It was layers of orange sponge cake filled with  a chocolate maple frosting.  The flavors melded together perfectly into a rich but delicate dessert.  I actually used the sponge cake (minus the orange) for my yule log cake last week.

Jenn and Jermaine both have a passion for music so they choose a fun musical-themed groom's cake.  I absolutely LOVED the green hard shell suitcase Jenn picked for the "cake stand."

Photo courtesy of Five by Five Photography

The cake was Dutch chocolate cake with milk chocolate ganache filling and chocolate buttercream....mmmmm...chocolate....

The piano keys were also made out of a chocolate (imagaine that!).  I used semi-sweet modeling chocolate for the black keys and a combination of white modeling chocolate and semisweet modeling chocolate for the "white" keys.  The snoopy face is cut out of white modeling chocolate and painted with dark brown food coloring.

The catering was provided by Kitchen by House Blend.  I actually met Jeremy and Holly at a recent bridal show and got to taste a few of their dishes (two words: butternut squash bruschetta.  Okay so that was three words, but it was delish!)  Their food is flavorful, fresh, and unique...not your typical catered meal.

Photo courtesy of Five by Five Photography

Laura Stewert with Top Shelf Bartending and Staffing provided all the beverage service for the evening and she was awesome!

Flashtastic Photo Booth provided the ever-popular photo booth...it was hoppin' all night long. All of the guests (including me) had a great time!

All the rentals were provided by Southern Events Party Rentals.

Many blessings to Jenn and Jermaine on their new life together!

Bulldog Cake - Nashville Birthday Cake

Happy Sunday!  And happy holidays to all my readers!

I got to make my first yule log cake this week!  The kitchen looked so festive as I was decorating it.  I got a little crazy with the edible glitter, so it looked like it had snowed all over the floor too......oops. 

The yule log was made with a delicate vanilla sponge cake, filled with a fresh raspberry mousse, and frosted with dark chocolate ganache.  I had to...ahem..."taste test" one of the ends I cut off and it was delicious!  The berries, holly leaves, and pine boughs were handmade out of white modeling chocolate, and the white buttercream was dusted with edible glitter so it sparkled like real snow!

"What does all that have to do with a bulldog cake?" you are probably asking yourself...well nothing really.  I just love the Christmas holiday and wanted to share a little of my Christmas joy with you!!

So, now back to the regularly scheduled programming.  As the blog title would suggest, this week's actual featured cake is not the yule log, but a sports cake featuring an awesome bulldog!

One of my favorite parts of creating cakes is working with the client to design the cakes....and this cake was no different.  Debbie wanted a football themed cake that was a real guy's cake.....a growling bulldog, a football and helmet, and sports logos from all the teams for which "Mr. All-American" had played.  

The football, helmet, and bulldog started out as blobs (very technical terms here) of rice crispie treats which I carved into the basic shapes, and then covered with a thin layer of white modeling chocolate to make them smooth.  I covered them with a second layer of colored modeling chocolate and then added all the details.....so each piece is 100% edible!  

The football and helmet were fairly straightforward, but the bulldog took hours to get right.  I keep tweaking a little bit here and there, adding some here, carving away some there, but finally he looked just the way I wanted: mean and fierce.  The teeth and spiked collar were the finishing touches!

The field is the actual cake part, frosted with green buttercream to look like grass.  The "grass tip" is one of my favorite cake decorating tools.  It is very versatile and adds a great texture.

On the sides of the cake were logos from several local and professional teams.

Happy Birthday to "Mr. All-American"!  I hope it was great!

I also delivered my last wedding cake of the year yesterday.  Creative Crumbs has grown so much in the last year, I can't wait to see what more 2013 will hold!  I'll be putting the finishing touches on my new kitchen space over the next few weeks and then the grand opening will be in January!

What's new at Creative Crumbs!

Happy Sunday! 

It has been an amazing...but incredibly busy...few weeks at Creative Crumbs!  I'm looking forward taking a day off this week for Thanksgiving and some time with family.

Instead of my typical "cake feature today, I thought I'd share several exciting things all at once!

New Location!

Drum roll please.......I am so excited to announce that Creative Crumbs will soon have a permanent home in historic East Nashville!  I finally found a kitchen/retail space that will accommodate my growing number of orders!  Be on the lookout for the GRAND OPENING announcement coming in January!  The new space will feature a small cake showroom and tasting area, as well as my baking and decorating kitchen.

Bridal Show

I had to the opportunity to participate in my first ever bridal show a couple of weeks ago.  The Here Comes the Brides Bridal Show hit the Factory at Franklin with about 50 vendors and over 200 brides and their friends/sisters/moms/grooms.  The event was so much fun! This show features "bridal wars" as well as a chance to meet and talk with lots of amazing vendors, so it was very entertaining.  I'm so looking forward to meeting with several of these brides in the coming weeks and designing some beautiful wedding and groom's cakes.

Small Business Saturday

This coming Saturday, November 24th is Small Business Saturday, a day to celebrate and support the local small businesses that boost the economy and invigorate neighborhoods across the country.  I'm looking forward to taking part in Small Business Saturday, and am encouraging everyone to "Shop Small" all around town.  Plus, I'm having a special Small Business Saturday offer! Since the shop isn't officially open yet, you'll have to call or email your orders, but place an order on Saturday and receive 10% off!

Holiday Orders

I can't believe Thanksgiving is this week...then Christmas is just around the corner!  Make your holiday season less stressful by getting some sweet treats from Creative Crumbs this year.  Whether you need cookies for a cookie swap, cupcakes to take to an office Christmas potluck, or a cake for a family get together, I can provide delicious baked goods for whatever you need.

Whew, I've got a full week coming up with lots of fun designs....here's a sneak peak of what you'll see on the blog the next few weeks!

Happy Thanksgiving!
~Abby