A 30th Birthday Worth Celebrating–Akimi’s Story

When I was asked to make a designer purse cake for one of my hubby’s client I never believe I would be so touched by this amazing story of courage and hope. I have know so many who have suffered some form of cancer and did not survive even after fighting for many years, however, there are those who survival just inspires you.

Here is how Camilla shared her sister, Akimi’s fight with lupus, I could not have said it any better:

My baby sister was diagnosed with lupus while in college about 5 years ago. This was shock and awe to our entire family as she was always the pillar of health. There is no one in our family with the disease, but we had to consider our grandfather. He was a hemophiliac. Hemophilia refers to a group of bleeding disorders in which it takes a long time for the blood to clot. He suffered from this disease his entire life accompanied by rheumatoid arthritis which my aunt still suffers from today.

My sister life was in danger during the first period of her diagnosis, we almost lost her. With the proper medical attention and support around the clock from our family, she recovered. Today she has her own condo and works a full time job. She has completed school using online college and recently adopted a tea cup puppy. We celebrated her 30^th birthday Feb 19^th and as you can imagine our family was over the moon.

She has managed to go from 7 medications a day, too only 1. With determination and a high will to live as normal a life as possible, she has managed to mentally deal with the pain of this disease. For as long as I can remember my sister has always been strong willed and always had a strong mind. I believe she is where she is today because of that.

After getting a biopsy a few years ago for a lump in my breast before that I never gave cancer a second thought. Later a cousin die suddenly from cancer and became more cognizant of how much it affect our lives. So I was really happy to make Akimi’s birthday cake since it’s for a celebration which is worth celebrating.

Akimi’s 30th birthday cake is a vanilla bean cake filled with vanilla Swiss Meringue buttercream, covered with chocolate ganache and fondant. The cake was sculptured from sheet cakes.

Dol-fan Cake

Have you ever heard of a “Dol-fan?” Well a Dol-fan is a diehard, win or loose, hands down, supporter of the home team, The Miami Dolphins kind-a-fan. In other words, this is the unofficial name for my nephew, Michael – he is a Dol-fan.

So it was no surprise for his birthday cake he wanted a Miami Dolphins theme cake. A few years ago I made him a Miami Dolphin cake for his birthday and ended up having to make a New York Jets cake for his older brother, Dominic, two months later. I am sure he thought I was going to make a sheet cake and put the Dolphin logo in buttercream on the cake. I surprised him with this cake gift: 

Michael was turning 11, so I placed it above the Dolphin on the helmet. He plays Impact football and his number is five, so the five yards line fell right in place. The Dolphin I drew on sugar paper and coloured with gel food colour. He wanted a chocolate cake, so I made a cake filled with whipped chocolate cream filling and covered with chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream then covered with fondant.  The biggest challenge was stacking and carving the cake; plus making the grill out of gum paste. The grill broke and I had to patch it (forgot to make an extra one) in a number of places – oops!

My sister told me that he said, if his NFL career does not take off he would like to become a baker. Sweet! We have another baker in the family.

Walk good and happy caking!

Jeannie

The Turntable

How many of you remember what a turntable looks like? Or even know what is call an LP or a 45? When April emailed me a picture of a turntable cake and asked if I could make one as a surprise for her husband’s birthday, I was up to the challenge. As usual, she wanted the now famous, Almond Cream Cheese Pound cake to make this special surprise.

Well, the cake was made and the birthday party was on. Last week I got a call from one of the family member who was at the birthday party telling me how lovely the cake was, only wish she could taste it. I ask why she could not taste it? She said Aubrey did not let anyone cut his cake. He took it home to have it shellac!

I am reminded of the Saturn TV ad regarding the new look of the Saturn. The two Saturn employees told the very surprised and baffled, prospective customer when he was not sure if he was really in a Saturn dealership, that ‘they get that all the time’. Yes, I hear it all the time too, especially when I do sculptured cakes: ”Jeannie the cake was so pretty, no one wants to cut the cake!”

Happy caking and walk good ‘till next time.

Jeannie

Baking With Katie

When you need a birthday cake that's a fruit cake...you ask Mommy (Ena); any other cake, that Jeannie.

Well, in January my brother-in-law and my niece celebrated birthdays. I would get the usual phone call saying, "Auntie Jeannie, I would like a Barbie cake for my birthday with..." and so on. Now this January 2007, I felt like an actress waiting for my agent to call me with a part in a big movie, because I never got the call! I am always happy to bake and decorate my niece and nephews birthday cakes. It's a wonderful way to practice my cake decorating skills. I though maybe Katie forgot to call Auntie Jeannie. Oh well! Life goes on...

I therefore asked my sister what's my niece plan for her cake, she did not know either until I had an occasion to be at my sister's home (Jacquie) along with my mom and other sister, Carolyn, and the subject of birthday cake came up. I shall try to dialog the conversation I had with Katie as best as I possibly can because I have never felt soooo...I don't know, but here it is:

I asked, "Katherine, what kind of cake do you want me to make you for your birthday?"

She replied, "Didn't my mom told you I got an Easy Bake oven for Christmas?"

"No." I said while in the back of my mind I was wondering 'what is an Easy Bake oven?!?'. I guess my this time you know I was not born in the USA, because most girls my age, at that time, would have wanted an Easy Bake oven when they were popular.

Katherine further said with such pride in a voice and I was totally not prepared for what came next, "Didn't my mom told you I bake my daddy's birthday cake and he loved it?"

"Noooo." I replied feeling a tad hurt because I thought I was the only real baker in the family. How dare her! I thought. My little six year old niece trying to take good business from me. Now she hit me with the bomb when she said,

"Oh Auntie Jeannie, you don't have to bake my birthday cake this year. I will make my own cake in my Easy Bake oven. Do you want to order a cake from me? The Oreo cake I know you will love it is $2.75!"

Even before I could catch the word leaking out of my mouth like invisible drool, with excitement an Easy Bake catalog was placed in my hand and a little girl, whose finger was pointing to the 'Oreo Cake' asked me, "Can you take me to the store to get supplies?"

"Huh?!?", was my reply. What else could I say? Her brother Michael shouted from the living room, "Auntie Jeannie you can buy cookies from me too...seven cookies for $12!!"