So, here's the thing: one of my friends is planning her wedding this year and she proposed asking for RSVPs by email. My first thought was to be horrified. My second thought was to be disappointed. My third thought was to be sad. What is the world coming to? A formal invitation with an electronic response? Gah!

However, with the passage of time, my thoughts tend to mellow. I'm a wee bit of a tech geek. I like doing my part for the environment. Hey, maybe it's not so bad....but no. There's still that niggling doubt in my mind telling me that it's wrong. But then I figured it out! What was really bothering me was the disconnect between the two media. A traditional paper invite deserves a traditional paper response card, extra postage and all. But an electronic invitation absolutely needs an e-response.  

Sites like http://glosite.com/ offer wed-sites as well as e-invitations that can be so creative it almost makes me want to get married all over again. [ALMOST.] The options seem endless, telling your unique love story for all your friends and family. For a wedding with a mostly younger guest list, this would be perfect. And for those few traditional hold-outs: there are corresponding paper invites. 

What do you think? Would you be offended if you received an evite to a wedding? Would it change your opinion about the couple? How do you feel about paper invites with email RSVP requests? 

It's Mardi Gras today! Or Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Pancake Tuesday.... whatever you want to call it, today's the day for a little splurge. In honour of that, I present to you my favourite cream cheese icing recipe. You'll need 250g of cream cheese, 3Tbsp unsalted butter, 650g sifted icing sugar, 1Tbsp vanilla extract. 

Step 1: Start with full fat, good quality cream cheese. "Light" or "reduced-fat" cream cheese has too much water in it. You'll end up with a gloopy mess. And yes, use the whole 250g/8oz.  You'll want it just at room temperature. I leave mine out for about an hour, but no more.

Step 2: Add about 3Tbsp of softened butter. Isn't a beautiful mess?!

Step 3: Cream the two together until well mixed. Scrape the sides of the bowl a couple times. This should take about 3-5 minutes. 

Step 4: Stop your mixer and add about 2/3 cup of sugar. Mix completely before adding in more. Add 2/3 cup at a time until completely incorporated. 

Step 5: Looking good!  Add the vanilla and mix a little more. Scrape the sides of the bowl a time or two. You may wish to use a demi-tasse spoon to taste at this point. You know, just to make sure it's good. Use a new spoon every time.

Step 6: Check your consistency. You should reach a "soft peak" stage, so when you lift the paddle, the icing keeps its shape, but the peak will not hold up completely. If it's too watery, add a little more sugar [1/4c at a time]. If it's too stiff, add a 1/2 tsp of corn syrup at a time. Mix very well. 

ENJOY!

Have a happy cake!
-Kristina

Awww...that was the song my husband and I chose for our first dance at our wedding. Every time I think about it I smile. We were such terrible dancers - thank goodness we've taken dance lessons since then. [If you're interested in who our Ballroom/Latin teacher is in Brampton, ask and I'll tell.] BUT...I digress...
These last ten days have been *C*R*A*Z*Y*. Yep. Insane. January is usually one of the slowest months of the year. Not so for 2012! I've had more orders this month than every January since I started in 2006 combined. I love it though! I've been able to make some fab new designs as well as some trusted favourites.  However, it's time for a break!

And so... I'm off on a cakespotting mission! With the family tagging along of course. We're off to Florida for a week and I'm hoping to hit some bakeries as well as cake supply shops. That means that the studio will be closed from January 31st to February 8th. Messages will be checked, but not responded to until I get back. Email will be checked daily - while I'm by the pool soaking up the sun. 

On another aside: so many people ask me what we do with all the "leftover" cake and icing. We're quite resourceful here, so there is usually never a significant amount of anything leftover, but occasionally there is a substantial chunk or two of cake and I'll do something like the pic above. A classic case of the shoemaker with no shoes. What you see there is 3 pieces of cake smooshed together in a haphazard trapezoid shape and iced with a super thin layer of pink and white buttercream. With only the tiniest bit of icing left in my bag, I added the inscription and ta-da: the sorriest excuse for a cake I've ever come up with, but the kids were enthralled (as kids are wont to be when presented with the surprise of cake - and yes, it is a rare treat, even in my house!) and begged me to put it up on the website because it was so beautiful. I think they were more excited about the certainty of travel in the close future (1 more sleep!) than in the beauty of the cake design. And so, for their benefit, I will show them that indeed, their cake is on the website. 

So on the fading notes of another song... All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go....

Have a happy cake!
-Kristina

Oooh... tastings. Delicious! 

This Sunday will see us at Rotary Glen in Brampton for an exclusive by-invitation-only menu sampling for all their 2012 wedding couples. Are you going to be there?

Dolcezza Custom Cakes provides the wedding cakes for their packages and have done so for the past few years. Brides and grooms can choose from a catalogue of our sweet cakes or bring their own design for a custom creation. 

This weekend I'll be serving up 5 different mouthwatering flavours, but I won't tell now because it's a surprise. What a great concept for couples though! If they were getting a "traditional" sampling from another hall, they would typically get to try what they would like, but usually limited to one or two main dishes. At this event, couples will get to try several dishes and compare all at once. They'll get to hear the DJ, taste several cakes, see different decor options and table arrangements. It's a win-win. Not to mention the draws where they can actually win stuff for their weddings! It's win-win-win. :)

"But wait!" you may exclaim. "Don't you provide cake samples to all your brides and grooms?"
Indeed I do, but remember: everything we do is custom. That means that when you request a sample, I bake you a fresh cake. I don't just have cakes lying around getting soggy waiting for someone to come in and sample them. Because of that, I do charge a nominal fee to cover my costs. The first sample is $10 and every flavour thereafter is $5. But the lucky brides and grooms from Rotary Glen will get to taste the most popular flavours, plus a few exotic ones without the ordering, waiting or paying. And that is truly delicious. 

Have a happy cake!

~Kristina

This is a question I get from every single bride and groom. There are a lot of differing opinions out there. For me, the answer is quite clear: it all depends on how you decide to serve your cake. I'll give you a few scenarios and what I would advise for each one:

"Our wedding cake is our main dessert. It will be cut and plated by our venue and served to each guest at their seat."
The answer is very clear here. You need at least as many servings as you expect guests. If you are expecting 75 guests, you need at least 75 servings. If you are expecting 250 guests, you need at least 250 servings. Easy peasy. 

"Our wedding cake is part of a sweet table/buffet. Guests will have the option to take a slice of cake along with other desserts, fruit and delicacies."
Here is my somewhat controversial opinion: don't get more than 2/3 the number of servings as guests. In fact, if you are having an extensive sweet table, I would even go so far as to suggest you go with half. So, if you are expecting 200 guests, go with a 100-150 serving cake. I've been to a lot of weddings. Many of them with sweet tables where the wedding cake was the centerpiece. Sadly, most people pass on the wedding cake in favour of other goodies to fill their plates. I can also say, with complete confidence, that I have never seen more than 10-20 men, at any given wedding no matter the size, accept a slice of wedding cake. Assuming that about half your guests are men, you've just eliminated a good portion of your cake-choosing guests. I have never had a client come back to me to say that they didn't have enough cake. What I usually hear is: "We should have taken your advice. Luckily your cake was so delicious we didn't mind eating it for a week."

"We would like cupcakes/mini cakes, but they will be part of our sweet table."
While still part of a sweet table, my usual advice won't apply here. There are very few people in this world who don't like cupcakes. Seriously, nearly everyone likes a cupcake. Eating things with our hands is much more appealing than eating with a fork. Plan on ordering at least 2/3 the number of servings as guests, if not equal amounts. 

"But what about....."
There are always exceptions. Only you know your guests and their preferences. Ultimately it is your decision. If it's a tradition in your family that no one can leave the dance floor until everyone has eaten their equal share of the cake, then order accordingly. If you have your heart set on a 7-tier couture cake, but you are only expecting 40 guests, you can have that too. 

Deciding on the size of your wedding cake shouldn't be rocket science. Use your own good judgement (and a little of mine) and we'll find a good fit for you and your budget. 

Have a happy cake!
-Kristina

Welcome 2012!

While this post may come 10 days after the start of the new year, I just wanted to be sure that it actually was good. And so far, so great!

I'm so happy to have the new site up and running for the start of 2012. It's been a long labour of love, but completely worth it. I adore the new look and layout. The pictures and albums are clearer and easier to navigate. AND...I've added a blog as well as a contact form and more! Exciting!

You'll be able to read the latest news, reviews, tutorials and recipes right here. If there's something specific you'd like to know about, and you think others would too, just drop me a line or leave a comment and I'll be happy to answer with a post. 

So, what do you think of the new site? I'd love to hear from you!

Have a happy cake!
-Kristina