Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Spotlight on my assistant

So, you know a little something about me -- that I love creating cake concepts (especially when cocktails are involved), that I'm the voice behind this blog, and that I'm imaginary. Well, what about the assistant I'm always referring to? Her identity has been a mystery for over a year and a half now -- maybe it's time to share a piece of the limelight. I am a figment of her imagination, after all. So here goes:
Flash back: My assistant -- let's call her T (oh, you didn't think I'd give everything away all at once, now did you?) -- took notice at an early age when her mom would bake the same rum bundt cake for social gatherings and potlucks. Rave reviews poured in time after time, and when T finally had a taste of this "grown up" cake, she understood why. Melt-in-your-mouth moist and distinctively rummy -- no one could have guessed that this potluck rockstar had humble roots in a Duncan Hines box.
Fast forward. T becomes known throughout middle and high school as the "bundt cake girl" and college as the "cupcake girl" -- consistently arriving to potlucks and birthday parties with cake in hand. Pillsbury is her best friend, Duncan Hines is a close second, and Betty Crocker a jealous, neglected third.
Fast forward. T moves to San Francisco for work and falls head over heels in love with the city and greater Bay Area. Occasionally homesick, she bakes to remind herself of home in L.A. Inspired by some incredible baking blogs, she decides to start her own. As she ponders the waning popularity of the homely, old-fashioned bundt cake and rise of the cute little cupcake, I, Carrie Cakeaway, am born!
Fast forward. T discovers the beauty of baking from scratch and refuses to turn back (save once in a long while for the rum cake that started it all). She bids farewell to cake mix and welcomes fresh, locally produced ingredients into her kitchen. I dream up an assortment of cake creations, while T executes -- baking, decorating, and delivering layer cakes and cupcakes -- learning every step of the way.
Fast forward. T's friend surprises her with a gift certificate for a baking course of her choice at baking arts in SOMA. She's thrilled, as she's done most of her learning on the job, through the internet, and never in a kitchen classroom with a live instructor. She picks a beautiful June weekend to take the "Pretty Cupcakes" class (naturally), which is where she decorates the garden-themed cupcakes you see here.
Thanks for your continued support in our cake endeavors and kitchen adventures! Stay tuned, as I continue to work and innovate with my dear assistant, T. Who knows? I might share a bigger slice of the Carrie Cakeaway limelight before the next year-and-a-half mark ;)

2 comments:

jac-in-the-books said...

Holy cow! These are mini works of art! I love them - you're so incredibly talented!

Anonymous said...

these look too pretty to eat. *O*