The 2011 Shave To Save campaign raised an outstanding $200,000 . Since it first started in October 2000, nearly $4 million were raised for the cause through this event. Click here for more details.

Andrea has been a cake decorator since November 2007 and has used her natural talents to create amazing cakes, cupcakes and sculpted masterpieces.

As Andrea says, “it’s not just a cake – it’s a memory”
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Class is filling up fast – only few places left!
WANT TO LEARN HOW TO MAKE CAKES?
Andrea Sullivan will be coming to teach.

Open gift box – $175
Saturday, May 19th Lorraine (Laval) Quebec 9-4, lunch included
http://www.flickr.com/photos/25863947@N05/6549083917/in/set-72157623679922086/

Stacked pillows for Princess Hailey - 175 $
Sunday , May 20 (Pointe Claire) Québec, 9-4, lunch included
http://www.flickr.com/photos/25863947@N05/4725457609/in/set-72157604669406393

Spaces limited email paige@simply-sweet.ca to reserve.

Are you tired of planning the same type of birthday party, with a large, rectangular sheet cake at home in the backyard? Looking for a unique way to create a memorable experience? How about throwing a cupcake party at a unique venue, like a boat!

Food for Thought
When choosing the type of boat to host the party on, there are a few items to consider. How old the birthday person is, how many people will be attending, and how much you plan to spend to rent it. This will give you a better idea of the size and type of boat you’ll want to rent. It is also important to make sure that if you hire from a private service that the boat’s captain has a valid boat licence to operate the watercraft.

When planning a birthday party on a boat, there are some special aspects to consider. Chairs, tables, and any decorations need to be secured against the constant movement of the boat and potential wind. Balloons, especially latex balloons, would not be recommended. Instead, consider using streamers that are securely attached to the boat.

Cupcakes: A Sweet Idea!
Cupcakes will be replacing traditional flat, rectangular sheet cake at this party. It is like having lots of miniature individual cakes for the guests to choose from! Cupcakes can come in many different flavours, sizes and frostings, each decorated with a variety of toppings to fit the desired theme.

The next item to think about is the overall theme of the party.

If the boat is traveling to a restaurant, such as a seafood place located on the water, then fish and marine animals (such as lobsters or crabs) can provide decorative accents. These can be specially created as cupcake toppers made in either chocolate or fondant. Colors in shades of blue and green will add to the overall ocean theme.

Below is an example of vegan blogger, Maida’s Under the Sea cupcakes via her blog MissionVegan.com.

If the boat is traveling to an island, then a beach or luau theme may be more appropriate. Edible seashells or flowers can be made from chocolate and used along with a beige, aqua and bright pink color scheme.

This photo below is from Dressmycupcake.com, which can serve as inspiration.

Tip: Crumbled graham crackers or toasted coconut flakes dyed green make a great edible sand and grassy backdrop to the cupcakes.

If the boat is going to be cruising on the water, sightseeing, draw some ideas from that too. Lighthouses, seagulls, whales, and sunsets are a few examples of potential sights. Cupcake toppers can be crafted to anything desired. With cupcakes, the possibilities are endless!

The details are still being finalized so be sure to join our mailing list to stay informed on all the latest news.

For more information on all the events, activities and classes offered please visit http://www.cakeshow.ca. You can also join the official Facebook page of the show at http://www.facebook.com/cakeshowmtl

Image Source: Uhmhistory

Local Regulations
Before planning your garage cupcake sale, take a few moments to call City Hall and make sure you are allowed to have one. Some cities may require you to get a special license for the occasion, and you may be required to let the health department inspect your home prior to the sale. It’s better to cover yourself legally ahead of time than it is to get hit with fines and legal complications.

Clean
People will wander a messy garage looking for treasures, but the same can’t be said of cupcakes. Take the time to clean your garage before the sale. Get things organized and put out tables for your cupcakes. Cover the tables with fresh tablecloths to maintain the clean feeling that will entice people into purchasing your incredible cupcakes.

Flavors
You could sell just yellow or chocolate cupcakes, but people will want to know what flavors you have. In addition to the standard taste sensations, you might want to consider offering some unique flavors, as well. Make up a batch of strawberry and another batch of marble cake. Round out the selection with some pure white cupcakes and maybe even a few that are butter flavored.

Decorations
It’s all about presentation. People need to feel like they are getting something special and wonderful. Put out boring cupcakes with no icing and your customers will leave wondering if you’re sane. Take the time to decorate them. The decorations don’t have to be time consuming in order to look fantastic.

• Use a large star tip to quickly ice the cupcakes with a cool, spiraling pattern. Finish off the cakes with some fun sprinkles for effect.

Image Source: Giverslog

• Use a grass tip to make the cupcakes look like grass. Then top them with candy bugs like ants and spiders. You’ll want to charge a little more for these, because candy decorations can be a little expensive.

Image Source: Etsy

• Practice your flower making skills. Use an icing knife to put a smooth layer of icing on the cupcakes, top them with a few flowers and complete the look with twining leaves and branches.

Image Source: Crazy Beautiful Cakes

• Use a decorative tip to quickly ice the cupcakes. Dip the iced top into a plate of colored sugar for an even sprinkling of the confection.

• Top the cupcakes with small candies like M&Ms, Skittles or even jelly beans.

Advertising
You will want to advertise your sale. There are several ways to do this. You can take an ad in the local paper, or put a free ad out on Craigslist.org. Put signs up around your neighborhood, just like you would for a garage sale. Be sure to post the time of your sale, the flavors you will have and your location. If the sale is for charity or a fund-raiser, be sure to include that information, as well.

Packaging
Do not forget the boxes and bags. The goal of your sale is not to move sell a single cupcake to each customer. You will be striving to sell several cupcakes to each customer. Have boxes and bags ready so your customers will feel comfortable buying a full collection of your cupcakes. Suggest your different flavors to them and point out the different decorations that are available.

With a little prior planning, you can host a successful garage cupcake sale. Follow these steps so that you can call the sale a huge hit when you close the garage doors at the end of the day. Your customers will enjoy the cupcakes, and you will have a great time making and selling them.

There are so many talented and creative people in the cake world it’s mind-boggling. As much as I am amazed at their skills I am even more curious as to what makes them tick… where do they find their inspiration… and do they have any tricks to share! So Sweet Bytes was born to share their insights with you!

To kick off 2012 we are starting the Sweet Bytes series with Chateauguay’s own Mark Desgroseilliers of Morsels by Mark. After taking a basic course at the Parson School of Culinary Arts, Mark went on to study with the Food Network’s Sweet Genius, Ron Ben Israel, the rocking Jennifer Dontz, acclaimed sugar artist Alan Dunn, and Food Network Challenge multiple winner -  James Roselle!

As well as his own blog (Morsels by Mark) he regularly posts blog tutorials on cake sites like Decorate the cake to share his adventures in experimenting with new techniques, including his own instructional DVD’s and teaches cake instruction and sugar flower classes locally here in Montreal!

If all that wasn’t enough, Mark is also the administrator for the Montreal South Shore chapter of the Canadian Cake Decorator’s Guild and a member of ICES.

Here is a bit of sugar from Mark!

Q: What drew you to caking?

A: Occasionally I would help my aunt decorate cakes using the Wilton method as a kid, but about 6 years ago after watching Food Network Cake Challenge I started researching online, and decided this was what I wanted to do!  My first fondant covered cake was for my wife’s birthday and I used a homemade fondant recipe that was horrible, but it was a start.  I kept at it, doing more research and experimenting, and here we are today!

Q: Tell us something about you & caking that others might not know.

A: That’s a tough one!  Seeing as I have my own blog and am active on a lot of the cake forums, I am pretty much an open book!  A lot of people don’t yet know that I am in the process of trying out for TLC’s Next Great Baker.  Something else would be that I am a closet dust fanatic!  I don’t care if it’s petal, shimmer, disco….if it is one I don’t have yet, I have to get it

Q: Where do you find the greatest inspiration for your creations?

A: I’ve been lucky to have many customers who are creative and let me run with ideas.  I pull inspiration from everywhere!  Much of it comes from nature, fabric, magazines.  My wife just came back from a business trip in India.  She took some amazing pictures of the buildings so we could see the architecture, but all that came to mind was how I could incorporate it into cake!

Q: You have studied with some of the greats in the cake world – what is your fondest memory? (advice, lessons, surprising techniques, funny story)

A: I am very fortunate to have studied under such talented people as Alan Dunn, Jennifer Dontz, James Rosselle, and the maestro himself – Ron Ben Israel!  I could tell you some stories (like how Jen D went for a butt grab), but then I’d have to kill you (or ban you from publishing) -us cakers are crazy people!  Probably the best experience was getting to spend quality time outside of class with my BCF (best cake friend) Chrissie from Icing Inspirations and James Rosselle when she hosted his class in Kitchener.  We would go out to dinner after class and just talk – I learned alot about the competition side of the industry and also developed a deeper respect for them as artists!

Q: What is your favourite sweet treat? (cake flavour, type of dessert or perhaps something you haven’t tried yet but would like to?)

A: I actually have 3: Deep Fried Cheesecake from Crabby Joe’s in Kitchener, my co-worker John’s chocolate chip cookies, and my Nana’s Nanaimo Bars (she has long passed, but I use her recipe, so it’s almost as good as I remember)

Q: Who would you like to create something sweet for?

A: Don’t laugh… but Britney Spears.  My wife and I are huge fans, and I really think her personal style and fun demeanour that we see in videos and on her tour would translate so well into cake!

Q: What is your favourite thing about caking?

A: Aside from teaching the craft, I would have to say the fact that I get to express myself artistically through sugar!

Q: With the internet, youtube, instructional DVD’s & classes there are so many techniques & styles for caking to use, is there any techniques/styles you prefer? Wish you got to use more? Were challenging? Are too overdone?

A: Until recently, decent classes in English in Montreal were hard to come by (and still are to an extent), so the net helped me learn ALOT!  My preferred technique is fondant work – I love the way it gives a polished look to the cake.  I also love sugar flowers – something I have become quite good at.  I wish I could airbrush more, but am not good enough at it yet to feel comfortable enough (that’ll be fixed in June 2012, when I study under Rick Reichart of Cakelava)

Q: We’ve all been there when our sweet creations have not turned out as we would like – what do you do in those situations? Can you give us an example of a learning experience, what happened, and what you took away from it?

A: Honestly, I freak out (very temporarily) when things don’t go my way, but then I just breathe and re-group and attack the problem logically.  Most recently, I had an issue with a competition cake when adding some finishing details; I broke 1 flower, then 4 more as I tried to fix it.  I had been well prepared and had extra petals, but they were all breaking as I was dusting them!  It turned out that the new flower paste I was using didn’t react well to humidity when it dried, becoming brittle.  I ended up scrapping the design since the cake had to be shipped and I redesigned my entire entry.  What I learned from this was to not try new things under tight deadlines. I should have tested the recipe before making 100 flowers without knowing the product!

Q: What is the one thing in your kitchen you cannot live without for caking?

A: My Kitchen-Aid mixer.  It makes my life so much easier!  Mixing batter, making and rolling out flower paste, whipping buttercream – it’s all faster with my KA!  Now if only I can get it to do the dishes…….

Q: Where do you see yourself in six months? a year? 2 years?

A: Great question!  In 6 months, I will likely still be working my day job while climbing the cake ladder with more classes (teaching & taking), as well as working on another DVD (my winter flowers DVD shoots in 2 weeks, and will be available for sale mid-October, but I already have the next 2 DVDs in the pre-production stage).  In 1 year, I hope on travelling more to teach, maybe do some televised competitions.  2 years from now, I am hoping to have my own Cake shop and school up and running!

Q: Any advice for up & coming cakers?

A: It sounds hokey, I know, but believe in yourself & don’t give up!  The art takes time.  Take as many classes as you can, learn from DVDs (especially my classes and DVDs – I know, I know – shameless self-promotion =D ).  Above all else, ask questions – it’s the best way to learn!

To find out more about Mark’s classes in the Montreal area visit his site here.

If you would like to order Mark’s Peony dvd or pre-order his winter flower dvd click here.

We were so happy to design a romantic elegant cake for local Montreal sweet table designer Kreavie‘s,  amazing sweet table designs.

It was such a nice cake and we loved making the sugar cherry blossom flowers.

This bright and summery cake was also fun, especially the handmade sugar dots and flowers.

To all future Simply Sweet brides – congratulations and we look forward to making you an equally unique and elegant cake for your special day!

Check out the directory and find all local cake business contact info you want.

This is a cake for one of my favorite clients who was hosting a wedding for her good friends.  All she said was something simply elegant and modern… and I have to say I was really happy with how it turned out.

So when looking for inspiration, what more could I find that the sheek black and white cake of Kim Kardashian which seems to be popping up everywhere these days. And I just couldn’t help but trying out my new super cool bling I got from Laurie at Montreal’s new cake store Eighty Ate Cakes (www.eightatecakes.com).

This has to be one of my favorite cakes so far. The client was great and really just wanted something elegant and not too ‘wedding-ish’!

She was a great client who worked hard to create an amazing party and I hope I get to work with her again!