Friday, March 19, 2010

How to bake and ice a cake...shop

There are now, officially, t-minus an undisclosed number of days until the cake shop opens its doors for the first time. You might go as far as to call it the birth of Kim and Jake’s Cake shop. So welcome to the world, cake shop. The good news? There is no placenta. The better news? There isbamazingly yummy cake. Arguably cuter than a baby, and definitely much tastier.

Please do...keep checking back in here for the official countdown for the official opening of Kim and Jake's Cakes which will he happening officially in an undisclosed number of days.  Official was used three times because really--it is that official.  Were you hoping for the fourth "official?" Well take it easy.  First, you can still get your cakes from http://www.kimandjakescakes.com/.  Second, the day is closer than you think. Third, if you can't sleep at night, at least you can read this blog while eating Kim and Jake's cakes.  And Fourth, just read on. 

You might be wondering HOW on EARTH does a cake shop come into this world. And especially a perfect little cake shop with all ten fingers and all ten toes? Well fear not, because now is the time to learn about the cake shop: from conception to birth. This blog will focus on the final few weeks before birth.

A given element to the birth of a cake shop is, of course, cake. This isn’t the time to blog about the cake itself. But here is a pretty, pretty cake made for a 50th birthday at the Boulderado. You people already know it tastes as good as it looks. ‘nuff said.

Let’s go ahead and break it down.  Let's create a numbered list, for the sake of organization, to see some other elements used to bake and ice a cake shop.

1. Flooring

If you want customers to walk into the shop, you must have a floor. Kim and Jake’s Cakes takes the mullet approach: business in the front, party in the back. For ya’ll customers, you’ll get to treat your feet to hardwoods up front. The cake-makers Kim and Jake get to party-it-up in the back on three different colors of VCT tiles. A little bedazzled-flooring makes happy cake makers…and really, you wouldn’t want it any other way.

2. Kitchen Stuff

You’re probably dreading the day when your young child looks up to you and asks, “Daddy, where do cakes come from?” No worries here—just show them these photos. You put together some sinks, ovens, freezers, and fridges and boom! Out pops a cake.  We'll even leave the large version of the photo, so the kids can see it better.



3. Display Case

Show us what you’ve got. Here’s where that happens. This little guy will be full of yummy cupcakes, accidentally making your ability to select which cupcake you want two thousand times more difficult. Don’t worry, it is okay to leave with four (or thirty) cupcakes instead of one. It happens to the best of us. That’s why Kim and Jake’s Cakes has to-go boxes.


4. Paint, Paint, Paint

Make it pretty! Just like a cake, you gotta ice the store, too. Check out the beautiful red. It looks so good, you’d think you can eat it. And guess what? Kim and Jake really splurged with the red paint, by buying an edible gallon of the stuff. Don’t believe me? Ask them to point you in the direction of the lickable corner when you come in for your cake. It's on the red wall. Trust me, you'll see it.

5. Family and Friends

It’s rare for a cake shop to be born without the love of family and friends. And when it comes down to it, baking and icing a cake shop is just more fun with more people. Plain and simple. It’s just a well-known proven fact. And the proof is in the icing, right?


Nate, the pastry chef at The Kitchen, helped paint the shop. Pretty sure he added in some secret ingredients of his own. All pastry chefs do, you know?


At Kim and Jakes Cakes, all are welcome to participate, even those lacking “food skills.” Other skills can transfer directly to the cake-shop-creating business. Here, former cyclist Michael Cody spends a day painting. Holding handlebars is very similar to holding a roller. Transferred skills. It’s that simple.

And there you have it...the baking and icing of a cake shop.  We hope you learned a lot...and we hope you laughed a little..and we hope you are totally excited to enjoy the cake shop with your family and friends!