Baking- It's What I Do

I've been so inundated with orders for cakes and desserts lately, the rest of my life has kind of come to a pause. Not that I'm complaining, but it's probably a bad thing when you're so exhausted you fall asleep decorating sugar cookies and your face falls into your royal icing. Sleep has become a delicacy, but I'm loving every minute of it. 

Starting your own baking business is comparable to having a newborn baby in the house. You're getting no sleep, your hair gets combed enough to put it in a pony tail and get it out of your face, there are chronic bags under your eyes, you're up all hours of the night, and there isn't a spot on your clothing that's not covered in some sort of mystery substance. 

I'm happiest in my kitchen, looking the way I described above, with music blaring and my KitchenAid mixer going. Strangely, I just discovered today how eclectic my music taste is. How does one person go from listening to Broadway show tunes, to old country, to Metallica in a matter of 30 minutes? I don't know, but this chick does. 

Today, I want to share with you all my latest creations and what makes me happiest. These are just a few things I've worked on lately:

These are various decorated sugar cookies I did for Valentine's Day orders. Afterwards, I got a call from our local newspaper and they ordered 15 dozen from me!

My first western themed baby shower cake. I was so proud of my design! My parents-to-be unfortunately didn't get to enjoy it. They're very large boxer snuck into the dining room and devoured it while no one was looking!

I had a customer ask me for sugar-free Valentine treats. Of course sugar-free is blasphemy in my house, but I was happy to oblige! ;) These are sugar-free red velvet cupcakes with whipped milk chocolate icing. They were a hit! I'm now expanding my sugar-free line and adding some some vegan and gluten-free treats also.

One of my favorite cakes I've done! This was for a cupcake themed 1st birthday and it was so much fun. I mean, who doesn't love giant cupcakes?

Last, but not least, my husband took this photo of me before he left for work that morning. I had been up all night decorating the 15 dozen cookies for the newspaper. As you can see, I'm exhausted but still smiling!

Sweets For Your Sweets

Forget flowers and boxes of chocolate, give your sweetheart handmade goodies for Valentine's Day this year! I'm taking orders for Valentine themed cupcakes, decorated sugar cookies, and chocolate covered strawberries. Need wrapping or delivery? We can do that too!

Cupcakes: $15.00 per dozen
Sugar Cookies: $12.00 per dozen
Chocolate Covered Strawberries: $18.00 per dozen

Gift wrapping: $3.00
Delivery: $5.00

Call 903-353-7076 or email thesouthernfriedmama@gmail.com to place your order!

Cake Happens.

Well it finally happened! I had my first cake disaster this weekend. Now that I'm finally composed enough to talk about it, I will confess my sin against cake. I went to pull the Gender Reveal cake I did Friday out of the fridge so I could put it in the cake box and I slipped in some sugar I had spilled on the floor and I dropped the entire two tiered cake. Some landed in the floor, but the majority landed in a big crumbled pile on my prep table. After crying hysterically and washing the cake and icing off of my hands and arms, I had to do the most difficult thing I've done since I began doing cakes. I had to call my customer and tell her that her creation that she needed tonight, was all over my kitchen floor. 

She could tell I was completely distraught and she asked if there was any way of saving at least enough where they could still have something for the party. I quickly thought of cake pops. I took the cake that was still edible and mixed it with some of the remaining cream cheese icing I had made and formed the cake into cupcakes. I froze them for a few minutes and then iced them with the remaining cream cheese icing and pearl dust. Disaster averted! 

My customer's mother picked them up and they enjoyed a dinner before they learned the news that they were having a baby girl by unwrapping the cupcakes. 

It still pains me to talk about this, but I also want everyone to know at the same time that kitchen disasters happen to everyone. The best chefs in the world have had their own kitchen mess-ups. You have to just pick yourself up, take a deep breath, and begin again. 

To redeem myself, and because I'm so excited about their new baby girl, I'll be making something special for their new addition. I'll post pictures as soon as I'm done!