Deer Head Cake

for Steven Casparie Cake: Vanilla! Chocolate icing! Details: The head, ears and antlers are made of rice krispy treats covered in milk chocolate. The chest hari is shredded coconut. The eyes are gumballs. Black & white piping icing for small details. Ashley's dad loves to hunt defenseless animals and keep their parts in the basement fridge so he can enjoy the fruits off his occasional murder spree all year long. I made him this cake for his birthday!

He normally has absolutely no whimsy (especially for Sam Branman) but I forced it upon him with this little guy.

Camera & Iced Coffee Cake

Cake: Banana nut bread cake with cheesecake filling...so good.

Details: White fondant, black piping icing, gold airbrush paint. The film strips are made of black fondant and edible gold spray.

Camera: (with very special help from Anastasia Tortora!) chocolate cake, one chocolate cupcake, chocolate icing, black fondant, edible gold spray, various licorice candies, Smarties candies, black piping icing.

Iced Coffee: Jungle Nut coffee flavored gelatin molded with coconut milk gelatin "ice cubes" inside. Chocolate hazelnut cookie "straw"

Pokki used to work at the cafe that I am not employed by wayyyy before I ever worked there. I know her because she comes in said cafe almost every day to get her iced coffee fix before high-tailing it to work, internship, a museum, school, etc. etc. busy busy busy girl!

And now she has graduated from The College of Staten Island with a degree in photography. She asked me to make a cake that included her two favorite things in the world: her camera and an iced coffee!

Good luck with everything Pokki! We all expect great things from you!

Gay Pride Cake

Cake: Rainbow (duh) Vanilla buttercream frosting

Details: Skittles, Candy paper (letters) & rainbow sour belts

Staten Island was having it's 7th Annual Gay Pride Parade & Festival right down the street from my house in downtown Staten Island. A good friend of mine, Arthur Larsen was helping produce this lovely event and asked me to donate a cake! Of course!

The event was sponsored by the Staten Island LGBT Community Center, they had all sorts of entertainment! Including food vendors, games, crafts and numerous musical acts (including Mal Blum, a very adorable Purchase College alumni [represent!] http://www.malblum.com/)

Check out their website to become more involved or find out information for future fun events!

http://manhattan.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=manhattan&cdn=citiestowns&tm=199&f=10&su=p284.9.336.ip_&tt=2&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.silgbtcenter.org/

Spumoni Cake

For Dan Regelski

Cake: Hershey's chocolate cake. One layer of pistachio icing with crushed pistachios. One layer of Cremolata buttercream with almonds. And iced with a chocolate buttercream frosting.

Details: Pink piping icing, crushed pistachio, whole pistachios.

In Staten Island, there's a pretty famous location for purchasing ices in the summertime called "Ralphs Ices." People go nuts for these ices in the summertime. The line goes on and on. And the Italian people wait and wait.

The most Italian of those ices would be the Spumoni: a blend of chocolate ice, cremolata ice and pistachio ice.

And the biggest Italian supporter of this flavor? My best friend Dan. He was turned on to ices by me years ago and to this day, now living together in Staten Island, we enjoy spumoni on the regular.

So for his birthday I decided experimenting with making a Spumoni flavored cake!

Glass Bandits Cake

Cake: Rainbow (multi-colored white cake) Buttercream frosting.

Details: White fondant, black fondant, black piping icing.

I attended Purchase College and as a Dramatic Writing major (I know) I shared pleasantries with many members of the acting conservatory. Now we're all grown up! And many of them have gotten together a created a theater company! Check them out sometime, they put on some pretty amazing shows. And they're all very attractive.

This cake was for the opening of one of their productions: Wolves in Abasement -Adapted from August Strindberg's Playing with Fire, Written and Directed by Carl Holder.

Here's a little about them:

Glass Bandits Theater Company is a Brooklyn based collaborative gang of lovable misfits interested in making thrilling, accessible, unmannered theatrical events that bridge the gap between audience and performers. Our goal? To get young and non-traditional patrons excited about going to the theater! Can’t seeing a play be as exciting as watching a band play at the neighborhood dive? Everyone’s a Bandit! See a show, get some free glasses and let’s definitely grab a drink after.

Here's their website:

http://www.gbtheater.com/gbtc/Glass_Bandits_Theater_Company.html

Jason Anderson Cupcakes

Jason Anderson (http://jasonandersonswebsite.com/) is one sweet musician throwing some of the most energetic, intimate acoustic shows right at you-- aiming for the heart -- and the dude never misses. I saw him for the first time years ago when I attended Purchase College and I had the fine opportunity to see him a lot more since then, sing along with him, hang with him a bit and last month, make cupcakes for him!

He had a one-month long residency at Pete's Candy Store (http://www.petescandystore.com/home2.html), a wonderful venue in Brooklyn, where he would play a set every Thursday at 9pm. Hopefully, there will be more of those in the future!

Jason's vegan, hence I had a challenge: I set out to make treats for every show that were 100% vegan and organic.

Show #1: March 3, 2011

VEGAN Pineapple Brown Sugar Cupcakes

Vanilla cupcake with brown sugar soaked pineapple inside topped with brown sugar frosting. Melted Dum-Dum mosaic shards on top!

Show #2: March 10th, 2011

VEGAN Chocolate Banana Cupcakes
Vanilla banana cupcakes with chocolate chips and chocolate icing. Banana chip on top!

Show #3: March 17, 2011

This one I regrettably was not able to attend because I went to SXSW. But I hear it was amazing. Woe. Is. Me.

Show #4: March 24th, 2011

VEGAN "Hostess" Cupcakes

Chocolate cupcake with vanilla cream filling and chocolate fudge topping. Vanilla icing swirl on top!

Show #5: March 31, 2011

VEGAN Cheesecake with Tart Cherry Topping

Mini vegan cheesecakes with graham cracker crust with a homemade tart cherry topping.

Yeah, I didn't understand the possibility of this one either, but I figured it out. E-mail me if anyone wants the recipe!

Girl Scout Cookie Cupcakes!

For Church @ Legion Bar

Every last Sunday of every month, my friends Tom Berlangero & Mike Luciano hold an open mic at Legion Bar in Brooklyn. I try to make it there each time and bake something for the crowd.

For more info:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Church-At-Legion-Bar/173132729392124

S'moas Cupcakes!

Vanilla cake with a caramel & toasted coconut center and chocolate fudge swirl & caramel buttercream icing.

Thin Mint Cupcakes!

Chocolate cake with chocolate mint icing.