Dia de los Muertos

Recently in the last few months some people may have noticed that we no longer have our Cake studio on Valley Blvd. We have been receiving emails asking us where we have moved too-no fear I am currently in search of a new bigger building. We apparently out grew our first location and decided to make the move. It isn't as easy as it looks finding that perfect spot.

Any hoot, the lack of space and not having a space to work out of was driving Mendy crazy-she needs to make cakes. Mendy decided to expedite one of her career goals and has begun teaching cake decorating classes on a limited bases at The Le Cordon Blue in Pasadena. 

Her position has allowed her to keep her passion alive as well as pass on her knowledge to the next generation of cake decorators. 

Fear not brides to be or special event coordinators, Mendy is still taking on a limited amount of orders. 

We are still searching for our building and seem to have a few possible prospects but until then Mendy will continue teaching what she does best as well as pumping out AWESOME cakes such as this one she did with her fellow instructors Chef Missy Chapman, and Chef Fausz for Zona Rosa Caffe at the Pasadena Play House 

 Mendy spent quite a bit of hours carving out the coffin as well as the skull for the show piece. The coffin and the skull was then covered with fondant, yes all the decorations are edible. After they were covered the best part began-decorating the skull. She hand painted some pretty cool designs on the skull... then fondant patterns to give the skull texture. 

They finished off the skull decoration with some roses and butterflies made by her fellow Chef Missy Chapman, my contribution? I painted the teeth gold and painted the roses with edible gold-yes I stayed in between the lines.

Now for the coffin...I think it was the coolest thing when Mendy started to paint on a wood grain texture-If I would have known how cool it looked I would have had her paint our walls at home.The coffin was finished off with some iron handles made of fondant and some edible laced draped around the top of the coffin.  

Another one of Mendy's co-workers Chef Fausz skillfully and meticulously decorated 2 sugar skulls with royal icing toping off the sugar piece. The finished product is pictured above with Mendy and Missy-Chef Fausz was still in class-JK

Thanks for reading!

Gabriel Vidauri 

The Millionaire Matchmaker Season 3

The Millionaire Matchmaker Season 3 - Wedding Cake Tasting - Video - Bravo TV Official Site

I found this video on the BravoTV site, I thought you might all enjoy Mendy with Miss Patty Stanger. This was done a few years back, or maybe it was last year. Any hoot enjoy the video. If you follow the show Millionaire Matchmaker, you know that the wedding was called off. O'well to bad, maybe we can make a break up cake for Patty! Maybe-
Thanks for reading or in this case watching-
Gabriel

Ruffles have Ridges

The best thing about being part of Cakes by the Pound is to watch the transformation of ideas and elements into a sketch and then into a pretty fricken awesome cake and best of all is the final result and a very happy bride. 

The bride and groom, Karen and John, came in with their Wedding Planner Kelly Lee Gin of Picture Perfect Events . The wedding was held at the Pasadena Langham 

The design of the cake was not yet decided on. After the tasting was done, the creative gears started to turn and ideas tossed around. Pencil and paper met, sketches, emails and phone calls exchanged the result a cake design inspired by the brides dress!! 

Karen (the bride) wanted to surprise John (the groom) with the cake design. The cake had many elements such as beaded boarders, flower appliqués, sugar flowers, a custom sugar mold of an antique   pendant-all hand painted, but the highlight of the cake were the hand made ruffles. Each ruffle was personally made and applied by Mendy. If you take a close look you can see the attention to detail as well as the care taken in applying them. Come to think about it, the patience Mendy displayed in applying each ruffle. 

In my opinion I think the cake came out awesome, I love all the elements as well as how the design allowed each of them to flow. I hope you enjoy the picture of the cake.

Thank you for reading 

Gabriel Vidauri

“A man in love mistakes a pimple for a dimple.”

What does the title have to do with this cake? Probably nothing except that it is a Japanese proverb and the wedding cake pictured has Kokeshi dolls. What are Kokeshi dolls? Well that is what we asked when Gregg and Ariane approached Cakes by the Pound (Mendy) for a wedding cake. 

Since our starting point for the design were the Kokeshi dolls, we had to find out what they were-Kokeshi dolls originate from the Tohoku region of Northern Japan, an area well-known for its onsen (hot spring) resorts. These handmade wooden dolls are thought to date back to the early 19th century when kijiya (woodworkers), accustomed to making bowls and trays, began using their woodworking skills and lathes to make simple dolls to sell as toys and souvenirs to the onsen visitors. The dolls may originally have had a spiritual significance with the kokeshi representing a wish for a healthy child-now you know.

The cake design was a collaboration between the couple and Mendy. The design was started out with just the characters or as we call it in Japan Kokeshi dolls. So we started from the top and worked our way down. Emails were exchanged and sketches were drawn. The result is what you see below. 

Mendy made the Kokeshi dolls from modeling chocolate and hand painted the expression on the dolls with coco paint. The cake also has carefully positioned hand painted sugar flowers. 

Besides making a decision on the cake design Gregg and Ariane also had to decide on the flavors. They ended up choosing wisely-Red Velvet with Godiva white chocolate buttercream and Chocolate Blackout with Valrhona crunchy pearls and Swiss Buttercream. 

The wedding was held at the Surf and Sand Resort in Laguna Beach. Which I thought was pretty cool for a wedding or just to have a drink near the beach.   

We would also like to thank our friends Fleuretica for making this happen. Thanks Euri and Kendra!                                                                                                                                                           

Thank you for reading and my apologies for the hiatus,

Gabriel Vidauri

Working Mans Dessert

We all know that Mendy can make pretty awesome wedding cakes but I always forget how awesome her "specialty" cakes are.  I know she enjoys making specialty cakes, especially when the client gives her creative freedom. So away she went!  This cake was made for Sanz Construction.

She ended up creating this cake: I am sure you guessed it, yep its a workman's tool bag (arent you clever). 

All the tools, pencils, paper and other stuff are all edible and made out of sugar!

Yeah I am proud of her, now only if she would let me sample more of her cakes. 

The tool bag cake is Cakes by the Pound's traditional Old Fashion Red Velvet (colored with red beets instead of food coloring-just like they used to make it in the south), with Godiva white chocolate cream cheese buttercream. 

Thanks for reading

Gabriel Vidauri

Flash Back Cake

These days Mendy has been very busy keeping up with this years wedding season. I guess the economy is doing better, or perhaps more people are cheating on their New Years resolution and slipping on their diets, therefore wanting more cake! Ok its a stretch I know-

There are new pictures on the way from some of Mendy's latest cakes, I just have to locate the drive-hhmm.... not good.

Any how, I bring to you Cakes by the Pound's latest honor. Pictured is a cake Mendy for Wetv's new show, I Do Over with host Diane Valentine . The cake is a interpretation of the 80's meets the new generation. What does that mean? Watch the show!

The show was so much fun to do! Mendy hates being on TV and hates me bragging about it but I write the blogs lol.  The production came by arranged this and arranged that, lit up the shop and bam! They filmed a segment for one of there episodes. Cameras and lights where everywhere. I hid in the back!

Mendy had such a good time with Diane Valentine and her crew she forgot it was for TV. She almost walked away with the sound guys microphone-lol 

Now for the cake-Mendys creation was a 5 tiered Mix of bling and sugar hydrangeas and blood red roses (like the ones we showed up with at the prom in the 80's-I should know).  Each layer also had some handmade and painted gold sugar tiles as well as sugar broaches  and sugar poured jewels. Just enough bling to bring you back to the 80's but without all the hairspray.  

Now for the inside of the cake. There are 5 tiers and I am not sure how they were divided but bare with me. The cake consisted of a vanilla butter cake, with fresh berries tucked in between each layer, covered with a  Godiva white chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream and MY favorite, chocolate blackout cake with Dark Valrhona chocolate ganache and Valrhona crunchy pearls covered with Godiva white chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream.

On another note I would like to give a shout out to our friends at the Whole Foods Market on Arroyo Parkway in Pasadena, they are always good for cake ideas and inspirations. Thanks guys!
Thank you for reading!
Gabriel Vidauri

Inside Weddings Summer 2011

Summer edition? Really what happen to spring? Right I may have spent my spring days and nights assisting Miss Mendy Pound make all of her fabulous wedding cakes for all the spring weddings-Well spring is gone and here comes summer and here comes the summer issue of Inside Weddings Magazine. 

 

Cakes by the Pound by Mendy K. Pound was very fortunate and honored to be mentioned in a featured wedding done by the magazine-Ting Sung and Che Wang wedding story. The wedding was spectacular. It was held at what was once known as the Pasadena Ritz Carlton and now The Langham Huntington Hotel. 

Now for the cake, It looks awesome! lol my opinion of course and Mendy would just die if she new how I brag about her cakes, so lets keep it on the down low. 

All the decorations on the cake are edible, we can start on what took the most time-the ruffles. Mendy did each ruffle by hand and meticulously made and put each ruffle down herself, I offered to help but all I tried to do is eat the cake-o well

The bottom 2 tiers were my favorite, chocolate blackout with Valrhona crunchy pearls and a whole lot of chocolate love inside. The top tiers were Old fashion red velvet with Godiva white chocolate cream cheese buttercream.  

The cake design was motivated by an old victorian theme and a mix of everybody's favorite vampire flick-Twilight.

Now I just need to explain to Mendy all of the extra Magazines I bought.