Giving Thanks ~ Thanks Giving

What a special day!!! Thanksgiving! I love Thanksgiving. I love the word, I love the deed, I love the opportunity. I am so very thankful for my dear family and friends. For all the many bessings God showers on us all. And to be living in America and have the opportunities that we do.

Thank you so much for allowing us to be a part of some of your special life celebrations. I hope you and your loved ones enjoy your time together, around the table or in your heart. May THANKS GIVING be something we share all year.

The little fruit cake

A short time ago I got a call from a dear friend in California. He said his daughter was getting married and wanted me to make her wedding cake. My friend, Peter is from Australia and their traditional wedding cake is fruit cake with a marzipan covering. Peter's mom, the brides grandmother, had recently passed away and this was a way to honor her. Peter shared with me that his brother was driving from Naples to LA the next week and could bring the cake out with him. I was in the middle of hosting a large Mother/Daughter tea when I got the call so I told Peter I would see what I could do. I started my research and the more I found the more I realized this was a long process and we would not be able to send the cake by car the next week.



After cutting and dredging all the fruit and making my "lacing sauce" I put the cakes in the oven with high hopes. They smelled incredible and I hoped that the process would lead to one perfect wedding cake for Emily. Every 4 or 5 days I would brush the lacing sauce on the cake and carefully wrap it up. After the 3rd week I carefully unwrapped my new friends, they felt like part of the family by now! I covered them in marzipan and sealed all the edges with royal icing. I wanted to make sure that there was no way for any of the yummy goodness to leak out onto the decorations. They next day I draped the cake and decorated it, complete with handmade sugar orchids.



I took a few pictures and e-mailed them to Emily...the response was immediate. A phone call confirmed her delight! Now, I just had to get the cake to California in perfect condition. A few more phone calls and coordinating schedules and the cake was ready for a long trip!



It first traveled by car to Naples, FL then four days later it headed for the airport. I put the top tier in one carrier and the bottom tier in another. Peter's brother Colin and wife Sherri started their cross country journey in the security line with their special carry ons. Each time the cakes were placed on the belt to be examined the story was told of how they had to get the cake to LA for their nieces wedding. The trip was amazing! Each security personnel, flight attendant and even the pilots all were extremely attentive. I waited anxiously for the phone call...would the cake make it and would they be able to put the cake together, were my instructions clear enough? Finally the call came in. "The cake arrived absolutely perfect and it was the talk of the wedding!" Yeah!!!! What a relief, what a thrill to be part of something so special.

The Ultimate Baby Gator Shower/Tailgating Party

What do you get when you combine a Couples Baby Shower and a tailgating party for Gator fans?

Give up?

You get Donna Shively as hostess, KB's Kake Kreations providing an awesome Baby Gator cake complete with gourmet baby gator onesie cookies and a whole lot of fun, not to mention incredible pictures taken by Caroline Johnson and custom made invitations created by who else but, Unique Designs.

This Kreation was inspired by invitations created by Unique Designs. I think we captured the dream if I say so myself.

Donna was so much fun to work with. We here at KB's Kake Kreations love it when our clients give us full authority to go crazy with details. So, let me break this down for you:

This kake was kreated for little Rykar. Isn't that such a cool name?

With the theme of baby gators and colors of pastel but shiny blue and orange:

We started with the pastel baby blue, complete with baby footprints for the outside of the cake and even orange little footballs for the border.

In the middle on a U.F. baby blanket played a number of "baby gators" each hand crafted. Some were playing, some had pacifiers and even bottles.

We continued this theme around the bottom of the cake as well and topped it off with a big Baby Gator and yes, the whole cake was shiny to match the invitations.

Here is the best part that the pictures do not show, the inside was an orange dreamsicle.

We carried this theme and color scheme throughout the entire cake.

Congratulations Tami and David on your upcoming arrival of Baby Gator "Rykar Houston"! It was an honor to be a part of this joyous celebration.

Introducing Gilbert and Gracie - Gator Wedding Cake Toppers!

Let me first start out by saying; I am spoiled (In a good way, though). I have always had a themed birthday cake created by my mom every year, and now my children do too. I have never had to go to a salon to get my hair done, and the layette for both my children's rooms were specially made by hand. And photo albums: hand designed. Oh, and don't let me forget, growing up my sister and I even had matching dresses, not from a store...

So, with that being said, it should be to no surprise that my mom, Kathy, is a creative and crafty artisitic genius. She has many talents and I am so lucky to have her as my mom.



Now, being in the cake business and living in the Gator Nation, what is every bride looking for? You got it Albert and Alberta Wedding Topper. Guess what, they don't exist. Does my mom let that stop her? No! So, without further ado, introducing Gilbert and Gracie Gator custom made by Kathy at KB's Kake Kreations. Aren't they cute? And of course hand crafted. Like I said, so talented. You can now have your Gator Bride and Groom Topper courtesy of KB's.

So, the next time you think about a Gator themed wedding, think KB's Kake Kreations.

Of course, even if your not a gator fan, we can make anything your heart desires. At KB's we are proud to personally design your Kake Kreation for your special day. We want to kreate your sweet ending to your dream wedding!

My mom will probably shoot me when she sees this post, but I love her so much and want everyone to realize how talented she is, it's just in her blood! No wonder she was "Best Pick of the knot weddings 2008".

Photos are Courtesy of T.J. Morrissey (Thank You!)

Long Distance Planning

"The cake was beautiful. The filling was delicious. We really liked the little honeymoon cake to take with us. What a nice touch. I barely remember tasting it at the actual wedding so it was nice to have some later. I didn’t plan it this way but check out how the cake is similar to my dress in this picture:"

Vicki Richardson


For those of you who may feel it is impossible to plan your wedding cake over the phone or via e-mail...it can be done, and done well! When I first heard from Vicki she knew what she wanted. She told me what she was visualizing and we created.

Now, keep in mind, we had never seen pictures of her dress or had a color swatch to go on.

When I saw the pictures taken by Amy Oxner I was thrilled. Not only did the color palette match but the dress looks like it was the inspiration for the cake.

So, remember if you are unable to meet with us in person we can still create your sweet ending to your dream wedding. It is rare to never meet with a couple prior to their wedding, but it can be done! We are now offering our appointments using web cam technology. So whether you are out of town, or just extremely busy and have scheduling issues...we can still talk face to face via web cam.

Vicki, you were a joy to work with, truly a breath of fresh air. I am thrilled that you were happy with your cake. I hope to one day meet you and Ken, but for now Congratulations on a Long and Happy Marriage from KB's Kake Kreations!

Venue: Hilton at the University of Florida

Cake: KB's Kake Kreations

Florist: Dan with Unforgettable Events

Photographer:

Cake+Truffles= KB's Kake Truffles

Thanks to Melissa over at Masterpiece for blogging about our newest kreations now available at Dorn's and also by custom order. Two new additions are chocolate peanut butter and german chocolate, yum yum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Make sure you get some, give us a call or head over to Dorn's.

KB's Newest Kake Kreation Continued...

Check out Unique Design, they designed our very chic labels for our gourmet kake truffles; and the truffles are still available at Dorn's Wine Warehouse. Make sure you get yourself some. They are sure to satisfy your tastebuds!

KB's is on Solution Bridal's Blog

Check out Solution's Bridal's blog today, they have a picture of our Baby Gator Topper! from the Ultimate Baby Gator Shower. We will be blogging about the Baby Gator Shower soon, keep your eyes peeled.

BIRTHDAY CAKE

This is what it's all about!!!!

That face says it all! Last Monday was our granddaughter's 7th birthday! Layla is my "angel girl". Layla has always had an interest in the cake business...She says she is my "junior assistant" and will take over the business when I "get old". She makes some pretty impressive play dough roses!!!

She has certainly challenged me with her cake designs through the years...we have done Owl's tree house with Winnie the Pooh and friends, Cinderella's carriage and a Hawaiian Island complete with a volcano. This year she is all about horses!

So I gave her a variety. Stacia the Mustang, Cross the big Warm Blood, Nevada the Quarter Horse, Cory the Palomino, River the Paint, and Sheik the Arabian.

It was a great party and the adults as well as the kids had a blast!!! Thank you Layla for all the joy you continue to give me. I hope this year is filled with wonder, joy and great surprises!!! I am so blessed to be your grandmommy!!!!!!!!!!!!

KB's Newest Kake Kreation

KB's is proud to announce our latest creation, little Kake Kreations that is. Introducing decadent morsels of moist cake confections, that melt in your mouth, wrapped in luscious imported gourmet chocolates. You can now have your kake and truffle too!

Our little Kake Kreations will be making their debut at Dorn's Wine Warehouse starting tomorrow Friday, October 17th. They are located at 4140 NW 16th Blvd. Our gourmet kake truffles will be available in their truffle display.

Make sure you check them out! Let us know what you think and if you have a favorite. We can also do special orders and numerous flavors are available, the sky is the limit!

Now, of course we are not going to introduce a product without the opinion of some of our respected vendor friends. So here is what some of them had to say:

"Awesome! The flavors were so rich and decadent. The texture inside was a great surprise, it was so moist and O.M.G. I want more!!" Giovanni Lugo of Unique Designs

"Absolutely orgasmic! ...heaven in my mouth" Melissa Margarita DiStephano of Masterpiece Weddings

"They were fantastic!" Susan and Stewart Powers of Powers Photography

"They are absolutely decadent and I can't wait to offer them to my brides." Denise Bohler of U.F. Hilton of Gainesville

"We absolutely loved them. They are mini masterpieces that melt in your mouth" Christen and the girls of Crevasse Regency Florist

"They are fabulous and I can't wait to have them here tomorrow!" Kristen of Dorn's in Gainesville

"Cake is great, but when you spice things up with KB's amazingly tasty gourmet kake truffles your world will turn upside down. They are heaven on a plate! The only thing missing is the milk. They never cease to amaze me. mmmmmmmm....." Caroline of Caroline Johnson Photography

Thanks to Unique Designs for the design for these new babies(see above)

Can't wait to see what you all think!

Mr. and Mrs. Rau's Wedding

As promised we are showcasing another of our happy couple's kreation.

It is not always possible to work with brides in person and on this occasion most of the planning was done via e-mail. Yes it can be done! Jennifer and Nick got married in June and it was such an honor to be a part of their special day.

Everyone has been asking us about this kake so here you go... This gorgeous creation was designed for Nick and Jennifer Rau's wedding, and Kara Pennington took this awesome photograph. Isn't it cool?

"Our cake was nothing short of AMAZING! We are from Virginia and had to do most of the wedding planning from afar. Kathy and Erika were so wonderful to work with and so helpful with all of our questions. Kathy sat down with the two of us and really let us design our dream cake. The end result was better than we ever imagined! My grandmother, mother-in-law, and I are all quilters and Kathy was able to create a quilted tier. We were impressed. The best part was the cake tasted wonderful! Most weddings we had been to the cake was nothing to note but we had so many complements from our guests on the cake; it was amazing. We offered guests to take extra pieces home and nothing was left at the end of the night. Thank you so much for adding a spectacular looking and tasting cake to our wedding!"
Jennifer & Nick Rau

Venue: Private Home

Cake: KB's Kake Kreations

Photographer: Kara Pennington

Florist: Prange's

8-8-08 Wedding Elizabeth and Jimi

This year there were many couples saying "I Do" on 8-08-08. We had the privilege of creating a Wedding cake design for a special couple on this day. Jimi and Elizabeth were one of many couples getting married on 8-08-08. They were a delight to work with.

Elizabeth wanted to incorporate butterflies and Jimi wanted to make sure that there was an infinity symbol on the cake as well.

We love taking couples ideas and thoughts and creating their cake unique to their personality and styles.

With this cake we had beautiful drapery work, sugar flowers and butterflies, and we incorporated the infinity symbol on each tier and even added little jewels to the centers of the stephanotis flowers. The flavors were our signature wedding white with a filling of a luscious blend of guava and butter cream(yes you can do that!). Even though there were many other colors throughout the reception, Elizabeth told me she wanted the cake to match them and be the centerpiece of the reception, and we aim to please.

"I have to tell you that the cake was awesome. My family couldn't believe it was wedding cake. They said it was too good! I had men tell me it was the best cake they ever tasted. On top of it all the art was beautiful. Thank you again for listening and making such a beautiful piece of art I will always remember!"
~Jimi & Elizabeth

It just goes to show that you can have your gorgeous cake and eat it too! It was such a pleasure to create this work of art for Elizabeth and Jimi.

We wish you a long and happy marriage!

Venue:Sweetwater Branch Inn
Florist: Unforgettable Events
Photographer: Amy Oxner
Cake: KB's Kake Kreations

Wedding Show September 14

It's almost that time! Don't forget the Wedding Expo put on by Jay's Bridal is coming up this weekend, Sunday, September 14th at the Phillips Center for Performing Arts Center. Doors will open at Noon and the show will go until 5:00pm. Tickets are $10.00 for adults and children ages 2-12 are $5.00. There will be a Full Runway Show in the Theater at 2:00pm and a prize drawing at 3:30pm.

photo by Kara Pennington

MAKE SURE YOU COME SEE US DOWN IN THE BLACK BOX!!

We will have yummy samples for you to taste and gorgeous new works of art for you to see. Every year we look forward to seeing you all there. So make sure you bring your friends and anybody you know that is getting married and needs a "SWEET ENDING TO THEIR DREAM WEDDING."

We can't wait to see you there! So if you want to see and taste KB'S KAKE, make sure you come down to the BLACK BOX at the Performing Arts Center this SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14TH from NOON TO 5PM.
We are so excited about our booth! We are debuting our new Logo and are so blessed to have Power's Photography create our new incredible banners for us this year! They do such a fantastic job. Look for them they'll be there too.

So to recap:

WHEN: Sunday September 14, noon-5pm

WHERE: The Phillips Center of Performing Arts...DOWN IN THE BLACK BOX

WHO: KB's KAKE KREATIONS

DON'T MISS IT!! We look forward to seeing you there!!!

The Dress!

We created this kake to look like the back of the bride's dress, I wish I had a photo of her dress to show you. But, even so, the kake is just gorgeous, don't you think?

Upcoming Semi-Annual Wedding Show

WOW!  You're engaged and the thought of planning a wedding is overwhelming.  It doesn't have to be.  You can come to one show and have all the resources at your fingertips and walk away relieved.  If you have not planned your wedding yet or have some loose ends to tie up to make your day perfect, this is not only the time but the place for you!

Once again, we have the honor and privilege to be in Gainesville's Biggest and Best Semi-Annual Wedding Show put on by Paul over at Jay's Bridal.   

We have both been honored in the   Knot Best of Weddings magazine as a Pick for 2008   That's huge!

For all of you who are in wait of KB's mouth watering kake, KB's Kake Kreations will be down in the Black Box at the U.F. Performing Arts Center on September 14th from 12:00-5:00pm. We will definitely have samples to satisfy your taste buds as well as gorgeous photos of cakes to peruse. We have had the privilege of serving the North Central Florida area for the past 5+ years including events with "Billy Donovan and Urban Meyer ."Over the years KB's has grown and we want to thank all of the happy couples (including some of the ladies over at Jay's Bridal) that we have had the honor of creating their sweet ending to their dream wedding.  Without you we would not be here. The Wedding Expo this year is bigger than it has ever been in the past. So make sure you tell your friends and families and anybody you know getting married to make sure they come see us and get a taste of what they could have.  Make sure you let them know that we only do one wedding a weekend and want it to be theirs!  We can't wait to see you there.  Even if you're not getting married, please stop by have some kake and say hi. See You There!

Where would we be without beautiful images?

As I stare at the blank screen, begging me to blog, I find my ideas are as blank as the screen. I have a number of things that I want to blog about but I have no new pictures to share.


It got me thinking about how vital photographers are to ALL the wedding industry, not just the Bride and Groom!



No matter how hard I might try to discribe how beautiful a cake might be , It could never begin to compare to viewing a masterfully produced image from a skilled photographer.




The photographer brings the story to life. Makes our webpages pop, makes our blogs interesting. If we had no images where would we be. I am so grateful for all the help a few photographers continue to give me.





Susan and Stewart, I am humbled and grateful for all you have done and continue to do for me.




Caroline, girl, the ideas you shared and the images you send me have helped me so much.




Jeff and Sabrina, when no one had a clue who I was you were there to help in any way you could.





I am in awe of the process photographers must go through to bring us such beautiful images! After they work hard taking all the pictures they have to view all gazillion of them, pick just the right ones, go through the editing process and then begin the journey to get the images to the people desiring them. So...I gladly wait and realize how very, very, important they are to me. You help us all look good!