The Sweet Genius

There is a reason why the call Ron-Ben Israel the "Sweet Genius" . 'Nuff said.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezthnEpRo5Q

Meet me at the Cupcake Cafe' !

Come and meet Issy Randall, proud owner of The Cupcake Cafe. Issy Randall can bake. No, more than that - Issy can create stunning, mouth-wateringly divine cakes. After a childhood spent in her beloved Grampa Joe's bakery, she has undoubtedly inherited his talent. When she's made redundant from her safe but dull City job, Issy decides to seize the moment. Armed with recipes from Grampa, and with her best friends and local bank manager fighting her corner, The Cupcake Cafe opens its doors. But Issy has absolutely no idea what she's let herself in for. It will take all her courage - and confectionery - to avert disaster...

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If u're a baker.. or have an oven and are scared it might attack you if you go within 5 feet of it... this book is for you. Apart from the heart-warming story-line, its packed with scrumptious tried and tested recipes! From drop scones to an ugly but delicious lemon cake.. this book has it all. A few of the measurements are in wonky units.. but you have google. Use it.

The only negative point is that it makes u so pathetically HUNGRY! Make sure you have a few cupcakes by your side when you open this book. U'll need them. This beautifully crafted story had a massive impact on me.. like the protagonist, i want to open my own little shop. Unfortunately.. unlike the protagonist i am a few million shy of the amount needed. But one can dream, and this book does just that.. it coaxes you to dream and tells you everything is within your grasp. I would read this again someday.. probably/hopefully when im running my own little cupcake cafe'.

Au Revoir!

Tutorial! - Sugar Impatiens

So! This is my first ever tutorial. These flowers can pass off as impatiens, wild roses, and sometimes even apple/cherry blossoms,, with a little tweaking here n there. hope this helps someone. It's pretty simple n mostly for beginners like me. So all you seasoned professionals out there. Please don't scoff. :)

Im not typing out any instructions. The pictures are pretty descriptive. But just to let you know. i used fondant with some tylose powder to make it a little stiffer. All the tools i used were from the big wilton flower kit. The yellow petal dust was 'sunflower yellow'; the pink was 'carnation' and was mixed with super pearl dust for a lighter shinier pink.

See you later!

Back with Bling

I had given up on this blog. Like i give up on anything n everything that has to do with writing/recording my experiences/ideas... i can never for the life of me be consistent in writing a journal... let alone follow up on a blog. But i came across something.. something i couldn't keep to myself. Something that the world needed to see.

Dosent it just take your breath away!? This is by far the most beautiful cake i have ever laid eyes on. Everything about it is perfect! Look at her face! I bet the real Marie-Antoinette didn't look as pretty as her  sugar counterpart does. This cake, well.. takes the cake. Pardon the pun. And the credit goes to .... well thats the thing. I cant seem to find a single line written in english on the website or Facebook page, so i don't know his/her name! But I'm posting the links here. Everyone needs to see how talented this person is.

Website:  http://www.verjaardagstaartenbestellen.nl/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Verjaardagstaartenbestellennl/129721393793452

Check them out and revel in the beauty this wonderful artist has brought to life.

Ciao for now.. ill see you soon. Hopefully.

The Cake-Queen & Uhh.. King.

This beautiful piece of work titled 'Flora & Flour' is the pure genius of NYC cake artist Sylvia Weinstock. If any of you haven't heard of her, she recently guest starred in a gossip girl episode as the baker Blair Waldorf hires to make her Royal Wedding Cake! This being a tiny drop in the ocean of designs that is her portfolio, this cake artist never ceases to dazzle with her picture perfect creations.
Her sugar flowers make me wanna curl up and cry like a little baby. They're breathtakingly gorgeous.

Now that we're on the topic of sugar flowers, I'm surprised i haven't mentioned the legendary Ron Ben-Israel. I should have dedicated this entire blog to him. He's ... well i have absolutely no words to describe that wonderful man. At the risk of sounding like a lovesick teenager, I have the biggest cake crush one him.. *blush* . More about him later... Its gonna take more than one blog post to say all that i want to about him.

X

A Kitchen-Aid of beauty is a joy forever !

After months of waiting.. my pretty piece of kitchen equip is here!! Used it yesterday to make carrot, cinnamon, walnut n raisin cupcakes! It's a dream machine.. literally. I hope we're friends for a long time to come.. considering my crappy history with electronic appliances .. :|

*Big Grin and a Loony Wave*

Hi!
Having never written a blog or so much as a journal, im not sure how to begin, Or end for that matter.. but here goes.

Im an artist. In my case that word encompasses a huge avenue of creative expression. Sugar craft, applied art or even just hot glueing anything i can get my hands on. Art makes me happy. It gives me an identity.
But for now, i'm going to be blogging mostly about..... SUGAR! And all that comes with it. Trust me, there's a lot. A LOT.

2 years ago i stumbled upon a you tube tutorial video on how to make sugar roses. Having worked with clay before, it didn't seem all that difficult. So i scrounged up all the ingredients i could find to make this 'edible clay' called fondant. The end result, of course was disastrous. Without the right ingredients and equipment, i gave up and bought readymade fondant instead. That was the day my life changed. Not being cheesy. But fiercely honest.

Then there was no looking back. I googled, you tubed, wiki how-d every single video/article/tutorial there was on sugar craft and got to work. Its amazing how many people have taken out time to share their very own trade secrets for the benefit of beginners like me. If any of you are reading this, here's a HUGE Thank You. I would still be making cost sheets and planning other people's vacations to exotic destinations if it wasn't for you guys. Seriously, Thank You.

One thing led to another, and now im the proud owner of a little label i call "Firefly". It's by far the best thing that's ever happened to me, and probably ever will.

Here's the website.. stop by when you have a chance:   http://fireflyindia.co.in/

I'm going to posting a lot of pictures of not only my cakes, but of the ones i aspire to make someday. Trust me, you want to see these. They're works of art.


Arrivederci for now!
:)