Season 1 "Ridiculous Cakes": a Stork, a Weimaraner and a Fashionista Walk into a bar...

As we start seeing our second season of Ridiculous Cakes air on the Food Network over the next several weeks I wanted to take a minute to look back on season one.
Our first season was such a whirlwind experience! It was very exciting to have a film crew right in our space with us...(the sweetest people-- really so kind, giving us tons of space to do what we do).  
But even with all that space, it was shocking how quickly cake-building time flew by. It took us a couple of shoots before we figured it out, how to get the cake done the way we wanted it to be and get all of the filming pieces done at the same time. Sometimes compromises (flinch) were made and elements cut for time sake, but the challenge was worth it!
*Watch with us this coming Monday night July 23rd for new back to back Cake Power season 2 episodes.
 

top to bottom: Wegman Cake. Fashion Cake, Stork Cake

We started with a story-book stork cake for a very special baby shower. We really focused on every detail, which meant running slightly into the time we had for the next shoot for the Fashion cake.  It all worked out, but not without a little bit of compromise, panic and improvisation.  The Wegman Dog as Marie Antoinette cake shoot was a few weeks later and by that time, we could plan everything out so that there were no compromises, no regrets!
Meet the Team:
Clockwise from top left: Sara Porter, Cynthia Hsu, Sarah Schlessenger and me, Kate Sullivan.  This is the core group of amazing women that I've been working with on all of our Food Network Ridiculous Cakes and Cooking Channel Cake Hunters adventures over the last year and a half, as well as years of other cake projects.  

They each have their own cake design businesses with their own over-the-top beautiful designs and you can click on their names to visit their websites:

Sara Porter, Sara Victoria Cake Design 
Sara can do anything in cake!  She specializes in some of the most beautiful wedding cakes, both modern and romantic at the same time, with flowers that are so realistic you would never know they weren’t picked from a garden.

Cynthia Hsu, Taste Couture 
Cynthia is a master of details, and gorgeous cakes, trained as a pastry chef in Tiawan and an artist in her own right. I've been lucky enough to have worked with Cynthia on dozens of cakes for over seven years. She finds inspiration in art galleries, designer fashion and museums.  Look for her article in the current issue of Cake Masters Magazine.

Sarah Schlesinger, Sarah and Simon Cake Design
Sarah specializes in in these absolutely magical non-traditional, earthy and fine-art related designs.  A classically trained artist, Sarah started in cakes as the lead artist and creative director for Sylvia Weinstock Cakes.  I love watching her work, turning simple lumps of modeling chocolate and fondant into delightful creatures.  

Thank you also to Parisa Khan who came to us form the The International Culinary Center and was a super tireless and talented assistant on each of these cakes!!

Ridiculous Cakes
Fashion Cake: Season 1 Episode 2   Cake Couture
Stork cake: Season 1 Episode 7  Gold Medal Cake
Dog Cake: Season 1 Episode 9  Doggonest Cake Ever Made  
*if you missed the show the first time around, you can also watch most episodes on Amazon.  

home-made teasers for some of the episodes: