New Name, New Site

I am very egg-cited to announce the evolution of Top Tier Cake Designs has been complete. Because I offer so much more than wedding cakes, I have decided to change to a look and feel that is a little more encompassing, a little more lighthearted, and a little more whimsical...The Speckled Egg. So be sure to visit my new site and follow new sugar adventures. Peace and Buttercream! -Robin, Apron Adventuress

www.thespeckledegg.net

Summer Fun

It's finally looking like summer here in New England! Cathy ordered these cupcakes for her sister-in-law's birthday. Every summer the family makes a trip to Maine and stays in cottages on the shore so these little cakes were designed to reflect the tradition. The Ocean Fun design was my famous espresso caramel and the Sun Worshiper design was vanilla bean with a lime curd filling and vanilla lime buttercream.

Happy Summer to all...don't forget the sunscreen!

Knit Mine Vanilla Cream

This was a special birthday cake for a knitting enthusiast, not to be mistaken for crochet. I was specifically told that the needles MUST be knitting needles, and not crochet! So, to avoid the risk of offending the birthday girl, I enlisted the help of my friend Jen Leatherwood, who also knits. She provided me with creative consultation and some great company! thanks Jen

Father's Day Fly Fishing

This brown trout cake was a Father's Day creation for an avid fly fisherman and a great dad. It was also my first attempt at a fish (which, anyone who knows me will tell you, are animals I despise). The creation was chocolate fudge with a chunky chocolate filling and the cattails and reed grass were sugar. Coaxing the cake fish out of the water, the fly was one of Jim's own (hand tied) and fixed to the bottom of the cake board with a wire.

Happy Father's Day, Jim!

Barry is the Man!

This graduation cake was for Barry. His parents threw him a rockin' party and wanted a special cake for the celebration. His school mascot was the Tiger so I decided to add the stripes in black and orange and top it off with a cake graduation cap. If you look closely, the candy in front of the cake had custom lables that read "Barry is the Man '09"...and he is!

Congrats Barry!

Cakes for a Cause

For Don's 50th birthday he and his wife, Debbie, hosted a party at the Sky Lounge in Fall River. This was not the typical birthday party. It was actually a fundraiser for the Dana Farber Foundation and to celebrate both of their recent accomplishments...he ran the Boston Marathon and she rode the entire Pan Mass Challenge! What a giving couple! To honor this grand event, I designed a cake in the likeness of the Dana Farber logo and included the logos of each of their events as well as some words of thanks along the bottom edge. For Don, a small cake was topped with sugar sneakers. This cake was presented to him by a Marilyn Monroe look-a-like who sang the famous version of Happy Birthday. I wish I could have been there to see that!

Congrats Don and Debbie and thank you for your heartfelt gift to us all!

Baby Blocks

This baby shower cake was inspired by the toy blocks that were displayed on the table with it. Chocolate, vanilla, and carrot cakes were covered with bright colored icing and set atop a matching sugar blanket.

A Gal's Best Friend

Shoes can perk up any outfit and any bad mood...shopping therapy anyone?!

Katie is known for her fabulous shoes. So much so, the theme chosen to celebrate her bridal shower was shoes, heels to be exact. Bright colored stacked shoe boxes in lemon cream and espresso caramel cake were topped with a solid chocolate high heel adorned in sugar polka-dots. The favors were almond sugar cookies in the shape of, you guessed it, high heels. Lastly, I placed small chocolate heels on the tables to finish off the bright pink Gerbera Daisy vases. The table shoes were provided by Sweet Twist of Rhode Island (thanks Kristen).

Congratulations Katie...don't forget the lucky sixpence!

It's The Climb

Lindsey didn't like High School...at all. In honor of her graduation, I designed a cake to reflect the past, present, and future...all in caramel-butter cake. This was presented to her at the traditional "burning of the skirt" (it was a Catholic school) which is depicted at the corner of the cake.

Congratulations Lindsey! Best Wishes at Stonehill!

21 and Buckets of Fun

You only turn 21 once (unless you're me...then it's every year) so what better way to mark the occassion than chocolate fudge cake disguised as a bottle of Bacardi rum on ice. I heard from the party's hostess that the crowd started chanting "Cake! Cake! Cake!" as they cut it. There is no greater compliment!

Happy 21st Julia (oh, and ditto for next year)!

Heather's Daisy

This flower pot cake was created in honor of Heather's bachelorette party. The cake, filling, and cookie 'dirt' was low sugar chocolate and the Gerber Daisies, leaves, and personalized care pick were created from sugar. The festivities took place at the Sky Lounge in Fall River, MA. I hear that the girls didn't cut the cake...they all grabbed a spoon and dug in (pun intended)!

Congrats Heather!

Gibson in Sugar

I received an email from Andrea, who was throwing a party in honor of her boyfriend Alex. She wanted a cake that would be personalized just for him. Well, Alex is a music producer in the Boston area and happened to have a favorite guitar, so she sent me a picture. And because of Alex's heritage, we thought that only the Greek colors would do. So here it is, a Gibson in sugar...sweet music to your mouth!

Happy Birthday Alex and Congratulations on the success of Old Folks Home Recording!

Cupcakes in the Sky

There is a great new lounge that opened in Fall River in January. It is on the fourth floor of a historic building, right across from the Government Center. Because of it's vertical presence the owners, Josh and Scott, decided to call it Sky Lounge. It boasts great views of the city and the sunset over the Taunton River is just amazing. This is the new hot spot! So when Josh contacted me to make some gourmet cupcakes for a private function I was honored. I, once again, turned to Jeremy Leatherwood for help with the display. He has, to my delight, decided to create metal work as an extension of his current business and already had a stand in the works, twisted metal vines and copper leaves. It showcased my mini cake creations nicely. The flavor combos were dark chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream and 60% cacao chocolate chunks, creme caramel cake with caramel buttercream and an espresso caramel drizzle, and Italian cream cake with lemon buttercream topped with crystallized lemon zest, vanilla bean sugar, and fresh blueberries.

Shaken or Stirred?

I'm told that when Doug orders a martini it's extra dirty...filthy even. So in honor of his 50th birthday, we decided that only a custom Vodka bottle would do. This cake was accompanied by a dirty martini glass, which was handpainted with curse words cleverly censored by olives. Faketini's (sparkling water in mini glasses) were served with the cream cake bottle and round chocolate cake...topped with a fondant olive, of course.

Happy Birthday, Doug! You don't look a day over 49!

Melissa and Anthony

Music is such a big part of Melissa and Anthony's lives so it was evident that it must be incorporated into the theme of their wedding cake. A gumpaste bow was painted with notes and the cascading ribbon showcases the melody of When You Wish Upon A Star, Disney's version of a love song (see Disney Romance below). Red roses and black satin ribbon finished off the design.

Best wishes Melissa and Anthony! Congratulations on your happily ever after!

Disney Romance

When one thinks of timeless romance certain couples may stand out in your mind...Romeo and Juliet, Elvis and Priscilla, Mickey and Minnie.

Knowing that Melissa and Anthony were engaged at Disney, I thought the latter would best suit their rehersal dinner festivities. Modeled after the popular mouse-eared hats, I adorned the cakes in a sugarpaste veil and bow and a top hat. The rose is also sugarpaste painted with a ruby red shimmer. Stay tuned for their wedding cake!

Deal or No Deal

SpanTech commissioned this cake in celebration of their 20th year in business. Why a Deal or No Deal suitcase, you ask? Some of the higher-ups decided to play the game at the party so they wanted the cake to reflect the event. What do you think...Deal or No Deal?