MUST SEE, Anna W. cakes, their wonderful!

[ziggy]

excuse me for stumbling in here...just lurking aroudn the baking forums....


WOW!!!!! Those are absolutely incredible! Really really beautiful!!

[momoreg]

I have to talk to my computor advisor (my spouse) about why I can't get into that part of the site. Most curious...

[W.DeBord]

Poor Momoreg of all the people who would be most interested...........hope your hubby fixes your computor soon! I'd like to read ...and compare how you'd (and Dana, where'd she go?) support your flowers on the sides of your cakes. I've always done similar to Anna (I don't know of a better way) but I have to say I've walked away with worry on my mind, worrying that they could all tumble if someone knocked the table wrong.

(P.S. Yes, I'm always the worrier)

I really appreciate your sharing nature Anna. It made me smile when you said how you figured out the angles with a manila folder.....neccesity IS the mother of invention, I LOVE IT!

I do remember you mentioning before how you were making tons of roses...it must have been for that cake. Was that an order or did you do that for your own portfolio?

Also I noticed something I'm curious about in your photos (no draping behind some, just a blue screen look). I don't know how you get that blank background without using a photoshop editing program. I'd like to one day be able to do that. Would you explain how, please?

[Anna W.]

Thanks for the compliments everyone. I appreciate them all. I try my best.


Wendy-

The chocolate one won a local pastry competition in 2000. As far as making roses goes, it seems as if they are the flower I make the most (that particular cake had about 90-100) and I could have been making them for almost any cake.

As I told you before, I am so computer illiterate it isn't even funny. The photos with a plain background were photos that I cut out with scissors because I didn't like the background ! Nothing high tech. The blue is construction paper. My friend was trying to blow up some of my pics using her computer and that is when she decided to post them on that other board. Wish I could help you but I am clueless. Whenever I need some real work done (like picture postcards or an ad) I call my computer professional friend and he takes care of it.

[W.DeBord]

Oh man....those high tech scissors did it, too funny really.

Well now I know....I've seen similar at some rather nice sites and wondered how in the world (here I am playing with photoshop, illustrator, publisher and such)...HA, it's actually too funny cause I'd never guessed it was that basic! See, another reason why I should have had kids. SCISSORS, HAAAAAAAAAAA!

[momoreg]

My husband fixed the problem. I have a pop-up blocker installed, which does not allow me to see that Sugarcraft site at all. But he closed the program, so I got to see the cakes. Very nice work, Anna. I can see you like what you do.

[Anna W.]

Wow, memoreg- that was a lot of work just to look at a couple of pics! Thanks for the compliment and, YES!, I do love what I do!

[panini]

got to that site. No pictures!
Can someone send me one of those donuts you sit on!
Growing up in NY, I never new what they were talking about when the refered to the chicken coup

[Suzanne]

Panini -- try the link in Risa's post from 03-05-2002 at 9:08AM. Not the same cakes as the original link, but still really gorgeous! I am SOOOOOOOOOOo impressed. I can't do cakes for S***! (guess I'm just a cook )

[Anna W.]

Panini-

Was that you over on the other board??? LOL!

I never even read that thread until I read something else over there. You sure stirred them up. They certainly wanted your head on a platter- do you think it will make code? LOL!

I learn a lot of good tips over there but have learned to stay away from anything controversial. It just isn't worth your time. Sorry it was so bad for you.

[panini]

Anna,
Great work! Are there more pictures? I promised my wife I would not return to that site. I can just imagine how many of them downloaded those pics for their use. I assuming the chocolate rose cake would cost as much for the deco as the cake.
Are you using chocolate plastique? chocolate? fondant? We are using 10 petals and I can't get the crew to produce more than 12-14 an hr. They are included on all our cakes. Any hints for speed?
Also looking for rugala dough recipe. Had a great one from Bryton Beach 20 yr ago. lost it. can remember all the method and retarding but can't remember spices. I think there was cardamon?
GTG just reading here.

[W.DeBord]

Hey Jeff start a new post about Rughala, Breadster should have a masters on it, maybe you can find some real tips from her (if she comes around here). It's a big part of her product line....and she does volume!

[Anna W.]

Thanks Panini- the roses are made of choco-pan with gum trag added. That particular cake wasn't for a customer but for a pastry competition (won 2nd place- most artistic). If I did it for a customer it would be about $8-$9/slice.

As far as speed on my flowers, I do them assembly line style(centers, first row, second row, third row) and am not certain how many I could do in an hour start to finish. My largest roses have 15 petals but I do them in various stages from buds on up. How many people are on your crew? I am the crew so they are all made by me. I do find that the more I make at one time the faster it goes over all because you get in a grove.

Sorry can't help with the rugelach.

P.S. Saw your site, too- nice work- don't have many big bakeries around here offering such good stuff.

[Athenaeus]

Thank God Wendy posted this link because I was having the nerve to think to post some pics of my work.

This chocolate rose cake is a piece of art. It's so perfect. I have seen a cake like this in a painting of Caravaggio , I will find the picture and i will post it , I promise.
I mean Cravaggio painted that, you created it.

Congradulations, your work is formidable and I hope you are very very expensive.

PS
I promised to Greg to make him a chocolate birthday cake. I hope he is not following this thread

[panini]

Anna,
Misspoke, we're not big. by crew I mean a couple of people. I assume the choco-pan is like plastique. We do the assembly thing, I think the fondant is slowing us down. I might switch. I use the fondant for easier coloring, and we can achieve pastels.
Do you use an edible shellac at all. I use to use an aerosol like mogan-glanz? something like that. I can't find anything out there.
Sorry about the picture crack,misspoke, quickly read something about stealing pictures over there. I hope they don't associate you with me. You wouldn't believe what the've done. Hope its over.
take care