Recently our cakes were featured in multiple photo shoots at “The Del,” while they were showcasing some of their cool reception rooms. We wanted to highlight some of our team’s creative designs through the gorgeous photos taken by Pam Scott Photography.

*The beach wedding set up with Pacific ocean blues & natural driftwood (decor by Dawn Stone of Embellishmint Floral & Event Design),  made Kristin’s white on white 3-D flower mini cake shine like a gorgeous addition to the sea scape. This cake design was chosen by Dawn Stone especially for this setting she created with the sea fans, shells, and wood pieces…very cool.

Embellishmint Floral & Event Design

Pam Scott Photography

*Bejeweled as its namesake Crown Room, our handmade sugar jewels sparkled around the shoulders of the 3rd tier with help from pink & blue uplighting. I had this vision of the jewels “hugging the shoulders” of this single tier to enhance the design and focus it all in one spot. Sogoal & Jessica made of those sugar gems in the kitchen during a crazy week of client appointments, and they just mastered them for my design. The Crown Room is the true GEM of the Del’s venue sights, although not the only beautiful location by far.

Crown Room Jewels

Sweet Cheeks handmade sugar jewels

*Given a second layout in the Crown Room to work with Natasha from Classic Creations and her lush array of all white hyacinth, we captured an all white approach to nature with the butterfly wedding cake design. Sogoal had also hand painted monarch butterflies for this cake design, but the setting in the room begged for an all-white look for these photos…more with the fully detailed monarchs can be seen under Wedding Cakes on our website gallery.

Sweet Cheeks Handmade Sugar Butterflies

*Rippling water lights in the Empress Room enhanced both the oceanic beauty and movement of underwater sea kelp, hand painted in gold & copper over royal icing piped on aqua fondant. This is my own favorite design, having a love for all things NATURE in design. It is a toss up between feathers and kelp, hand painted in copper and gold on pale aqua fondant. The moving lights that streamed through the room during the shoot gave it a fascinating feeling of underwater movement, truly one of the COOLEST designs in lighting I’ve seen for a wedding reception.  Stunning flowers like these phaleanopsis orchids in the room were provided by LaVonne of Adorations Botanical Artistry.

Hand-painted feather kelp

*Finally, an all-white, delicate setting of lace overlays and dusty rose pink in the Carousel Room provided the perfect stage for a resplendent, contemporary shaped white wedding cake.  Jessica’s pink, hand made flower on an extra tall middle tier and the striped effect on the top gave this cake a very modern yet classic feel. She added softness to the contemporary design with the mini white florets on the bottom tier, which coupled beautifully with the lace overlays. (decor by Dawn Stone of Embellishmint Floral & Event Design)

Custom crafted gumpaste flower

Carousel Room at Hotel Del

Brian Worley of Your Bash in Los Angeles designed the basis of the photo shoots, such a beautiful eye for the elegant.  Appropriately fabulous linens were provided by both Wildflower Linens and La Tavola Linens.  All in all, a REALLY EXTRAORIDNARY SETTING with beautiful “models” and a gifted photographer. Thank you, Hotel Del Catering Team and Pam Scott Photography for supplying these great pics for us to share!

Rosebud cupcake display

Fortunate enough to be asked by Nancy & Kyung to create the cupcake tower of their dreams, we feel so privileged to have been a part of their special day at the Ocean Beach Villas.  RA Creations Video made a beautiful wedding video for them, and they featured the cupcakes more than once…NOW we feel special!  Thanks Ruben!

DeShai Roberson of Oh So Chic Events coordinated the day beautifully, as you can tell by the level of calm on the bride & groom’s faces.  Nancy’s dress is magnificent lace, and the detailing in the floral pattern is mimicked in the top tier cake that they cut for the ceremony.  That’s the way to make cupcakes look delicious and beautiful without spending a fortune!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Special thanks to our families, friends, and especially our husbands, Michael Ardizzone & Nick Cellere for making our lives better, our business busier, and our butter cream tastier!  CHEERS to all of you for all that you do for us!

Celebrating 5 years of baking, decorating, entertaining, enlightening, sharing, playing, meeting, greeting, and of course EATING, Sweet Cheeks Baking Co. rallied over 150 friends and family (including the often-missed Nick Cellere!) to gather at the beautiful grounds of Sycuan Golf Resort for a party not to be forgotten!

Led by the amazingly organized Liz of Liz Beck Events and motivated with the help of Merrylin & Bob Brichmann of Artistic Productions, the party antics jumped into high gear with no holds barred.  Heather Elise Photography, creating history with her moments on film, captured some of the finest images we’ve seen to date
of industry friends!

The 35’ inflatable Slip n’ Slide (complete with spritzing palm trees and finishing pool) rented from Bounce Time Jumps was ICING ON THE CAKE beyond all expectations. The Italian Butter Cream “option” was a dream of
Master Sugar Shaker Krista Lautenbach, Sweet Cheeks’ first ever employee 4 years ago.  Well done, Krista, in
inspiring the joy for all of us!  First to don his sliding suit and rally the troops, DJ Bob!  Not to let a comrade slide alone, one of our fearless leaders, Elaine Ardizzone, joined him in what spring-boarded an
amazing array of costumed partiers…donning costumes and minimal gear to soak up the fun:  ketchup bottles, inflated (if a bit water-logged) ostrich riders, snakes, sharks, pirates, SCUBA men, and of course…the PINK GORILLA!  Sweet Cheeks Yoga Pants were garment of the hour, many of which had a serious rinsing after that day!

Kids, parents, coordinators, photographers, and others grabbed the sticks to beat up the 2 Pinatas, spilling out candy (and a surprise of 10x sugar spray!) for gobbling up.

Tim Altbaum (of Tim Altbaum Productions) beat out Michael Ardizzone in a very tight race to the finish in Round 1 of the Cupcake Wars!  Hands were tied behind backs, full size cupcakes WITH PAPER were ready for eating, and the war was on…  Round 2 of Cupcake Wars found the graceful Kecia Kelly of L’Auberge Del Mar killing off the competition (even our newest cake decorator Rebecca) in a fabulous feeding frenzy.

Throughout the day, guests enjoyed a fabulous outdoor BBQ spread prepared by Chef Augie Saucedo & his Sycuan Golf Resort cooking team and sipped Guava Martinis and iced tea when they weren’t relishing in the ever-delicious Joes on the Nose Coffee.  Barista James truly outdid himself with the crema!

Never to be outdone by anyone else’s goodies, the Sweet Cheeks Baking Team created not only a gorgeous, memory-laden sculpted #5 cake (Vanilla Bean Cake with Pear Butter Cream) in honor of Elaine & Donna’s crazy experiences but also endless goodies like NEW MINI POP TARTS, classic oatmeal raisin cookies, and Smashing Pumpkin Gluten Free Cupcakes!  Display was, as so often is our fortunate case, provided by friends Valerie & Joe at Enticing Tables.

Woohoo! Heather Elise Photography

The Groom’s cake is a tradition that dates as far back as the 17th century. Legend has it that a small piece of the cake was sent home with all unmarried females. It promised that if she slept with the cake under her pillow, she would dream of the man she was to marry. And although there are remnants of this old tradition that still exist, over the past few years the Groom’s Cake has been rediscovered and reinvented. No longer bound to a certain style or flavor, it is yet another opportunity to express your creativity.

The modern day Groom’s cake is often given to the groom as a surprise gift from his bride. Most requests these days are for SCULPTED CAKE DESIGNS, which offer endless options. They can vary in colors, fillings, frostings, flavors and style. The Groom’s Cake flavors should reflect those that the groom enjoys most and it’s style should represent his interests or hobbies. As always, we encourage you to be creative and to choose something that closely reflects his likes and interests. After all, you know your man BEST!

This idea of ingenuity and originality has inspired some of the most creative sessions in the Sweet Cheeks kitchen. From football helmets, to Patrón bottles and even a can of Spam, our photo gallery contains one of the most eclectic collections of Groom’s Cakes around.

We encourage clients to show off the groom’s style by presenting the Groom’s Cake on REHEARSAL DINNER night, when the focus can be on him, since Wedding Day is so often the full planning & taste of the bride.

Here are a few of our favorites!

(Please our Website Gallery for more ideas.)

Accolades:

First Photo Board:

Couple: Kelly Rindell and Chris Hall

Venue: The Lodge at Torrey Pines

Coordinators: Susanne Duffy and Keli Christenson from Monarch Weddings/Crown Weddings

Photography: Joshua Aull Photography

Second Photo Board:

Photography: Laura Christin Photography

Third Photo Board:

Photography: Louis Palos Photography

Fourth Photo Board:

Photography: True Photography

Note: All of our Cheesecakes listed below have a New York base and are “Naked” or made with no crust, as we like them to remain gluten-free

{Espresso Cheesecake}

fused with the decadent flavor of espresso

{Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake}

 blended with swirls of real peanut butter and chocolate chunks, sprinkled with chopped peanuts

{Pomegranate-Blueberry Cheesecake}

fused with pomegranate and blueberry purée, topped with fresh blueberries

{Oreo Cheesecake}

loaded with crumbles of “America’s favorite cookie” and white chocolate chunks

{Banana Peanut Butter Sammies}

peanut butter mousse between our fresh banana cake

{Apple Walnut Bread}

A perfect way to start your day!

walnuts and fresh green apples, peeled sliced and chopped, and finished with just a touch of cinnamon

]]> http://sweetcheeksbaking.com/2012/01/19/this-seasons-featured-flavors/feed/ 0 http://sweetcheeksbaking.com/2012/01/04/inspiration-is-everywhere-a-look-at-our-not-so-traditional-wedding-cakes/ http://sweetcheeksbaking.com/2012/01/04/inspiration-is-everywhere-a-look-at-our-not-so-traditional-wedding-cakes/#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2012 21:02:15 +0000 Elaine & Donna http://sweetcheeksbaking.com/?p=1643 A Look at our not-so-traditional wedding “cakes”!

Non-traditional weddings have never been more chic. Short dresses, vintage décor, and of course the modern wedding cake, or lack thereof, have quickly become the standard for brides everywhere. Whether you have a fascination with buttons, a love for outlandish design or a favorite childhood character, the Sweet Cheeks design team can bring your ideas to life. We absolutely adore the creativity and individuality that all of our couples bring to us.

The gals at Sweet Cheeks Baking Co. have devised, designed and created some of the most elaborate cakes in SoCal, but it doesn’t stop there. Many couples have decided to ditch the cake completely. Cupcakes and mini-dessert bars have become the preferred alternative, allowing our couples to be innovative with not only elements such as design and décor but also with how they showcase their fabulous desserts. Companies like Enticing Tables, specialize in enhancing your dessert display with cupcake towers, dessert towers, and much, much more.

Inspiration is everywhere! We challange you to look all around to find what truely inspires YOU! Whether it’s vintage, blue, borrowed or brand new… we can help bring it to life for your next special event!

Many thanks to the wonderful and talented people who that make these beautiful weddings possible!

(From top to bottom)

Photographs: Elaine Ardizzone

Venue: Rancho Valencia

~

Photographs: ABM Wedding Photography

Venue: Estancia

Florist: Kathy Wright

~

Photographs: True Photography

Venue: Mission Beach Women’s Club

Join the gals from Sweet Cheeks, December 16 – 18th for the inaugural year of “A Christmas Tabernacle” at the NTC Liberty Station. We will be celebrating the Christmas season all weekend long with live performances, interactive workshops, play areas, a live nativity set and much, MUCH more! Running from 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. daily, the Tabernacle offers activities to entertain the entire family.

Sogoal and Jess showing off the final product! 

Team Cheeks will be in attendance, alongside over 100 specialty vendors. We will be featuring our Bikini Gingerbread Women and Boardshort Gingerbread Men!  Come play in our DIY Decorating Station or take home some gingerbread men decorating kits… super cute and easy fun for the kids or for your friends to share.

One-day passes start at $12 for children (ages 4 – 12), $18 for Adults and $15 for Senior Citizens (ages 65+)

Three-day passes start at $24 for children, $36 for Adults and $30 for Senior Citizens

Please check out the website for a full list of activities, vendors, directions and more!

http://www.christmastabernacle.com/

The 8^th annual San Diego Bay Wine and Food Festival drew in nearly 9,000 people this year. Showcasing 170 wine and spirit purveyors, 70 of San Diego’s Top Chef’s, 30 gourmet food companies and over 800 wines, this star-studded extravaganza has been recognized as the largest wine and food festival on the West Coast.

Produced by the World of Wine Events, the festival is not just about indulging in the best of the best. Through it’s wine and food tastings, seminars, silent auction, dinners, live entertainment, and of course the Grand Tasting, nearly $180,000 was raised to go towards scholarships for the American Institute of Wine and Food.

Competing for the 5^th year in a row, Sweet Cheeks Baking Company is no stranger to this event.  Once again, “Team Cheeks” walked away with the award of “Best Dessert” for our Lemon Lavender Blueberry cakes-in-cups. Can you believe that lemon is a REAL cake??

Also, we are proud to announce that our very own Donna Cellere was named in the Top 15 in the  “Chef of the Fest” competition!!  Make sure you check out the cool video at the top of the page, created and produced by Savor San Diego and FortyOneTwenty***

Congratulations to Donna, Elaine and the rest of “Team Cheeks” for another successful year!

Julie & Mick Scrivener celebrated their 10-year Wedding Anniversary with a VOW RENEWAL to “CHOOSE LIFE,” as the all-pink 80′s tees read, at the Culy Warehouse in Downtown San Diego. What a blast!
As owners of the famed Elite British DJ and coordinating company The Best Wedding For You, these two have built a great following in both clients & friends to last a lifetime of photos, but here are a few to enjoy from this special night.

We danced the night away with many pink-laden friends, most of whom were carefully hidden from photographic view by sheer luck…(wink-wink-nudge-nudge, Liz and Kevin….)

Mick’s surprise “Cat in the Toilet Bowl” cake to Julie was a red velvet hit at the party! Apparently a nod to their loveable kitties at home who believe that water bowls are a thing of the past. So glad we could add some humor to their already joyous occasion.  Welcome the white chocolate PORTMAN, the PINK KITTY.

Hope the African safari is treating you well, Newly-reweds!
Thanks for sharing such a fabulously fun party!
Photos by Eddie & Kellye Bojorquez at Studio 512.
Set up & party help by Melissa McClure and Regina O’Calahan of Aquilone Events.
Cake by Sweet Cheeks Baking Co…uh, duh.