Caking the Best of It!

Monday again.  Oh, the joy!
Actually, I am pleased to report that I don't dread Monday half as much as some folks I know.  I actually enjoy my job as a GIS Technician for an energy company.  The people are nice, the work is interesting, I feel appreciated, and they pay me!  What more could I ask for?

In my spare time, I do a little cake making...  For a while, I was doing the cake thing as a small business.  It was fun, but, in the end, it didn't quite cover the bills!  So, back to the office job I went...

I still do cakes, but mostly as a hobby.  It turns out, once people realize you are a cake artist, you will have an endless supply of cake orders should you choose to accept them.  I have learned the power of the word "no".  While I enjoy the process of decorating cakes and trying out new techniques, I don't feel inclined to give up sleep so every 3 year old in the greater Anchorage area can have a custom crafted, 3 tier, fondant-covered birthday cake. 

That being said, I do make the monthly birthday cake for my office.  And, I make special cakes for our family and close friends. 

Working the full time day job, makes my home time precious.  So, I don't commit to making more cakes than I can handle in a few hours per week.  I realize that cake requesters often have no idea how much time actually goes into making a custom cake.  Some of this cake myth is propogated by numerous tv shows which allow the general public to believe a giant, detailed, 6-tier wedding cake can be whipped up in 8 hours.  This isn't the case, of course.  And, even if it were, I don't have a team of cake artists I can conjure from my back pocket to assist with the detail work.  It's usually just me!

For cakes I make for our friends' kids, I often have either the mom or the birthday child assist with the cake construction.  This past weekend, I put together a fun Winter Wonderland cake for one of Alicia's friends' snow tubing party.  The birthday girl, her sisters, and Alicia made all of the penguins and polar bears from fondant.  It turned out great!  And I think those cakes are loved even more because the recipient played a role in creating it...

For a closer look at my little cake business' Facebook page, please follow this link:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Baked-Alaska/109573749062660.  There are numerous cake albums to peruse there.