One look at today’s cake and you’ll be enamored with its natural charm.  Layers of fresh apple cake take center stage in this rustic inside-out design.  Each tier has six layers of fresh apple cake with raisins, filled with cream cheese icing and stacked high.  Doesn’t that sound divine?  Resting on a wooden base and adorned with apples, this cake is so organic and earthy yet elegant.  A dusting of powdered sugar is the finishing touch.  Created by Jackie of Carried Away Cuisine and photographed by Natalie Bell, we absolutely adore this Rustic Fresh Apple & Raisin Wedding Cake!

Rustic inside-out designs with no exterior icing are becoming more and more popular.  They provide a great alternative to the traditional cake for minimalist brides and the icing-averse.  Their simple charm makes them a perfect option for outdoor events as well.   Plus, they naturally give off a great Autumn vibe!

I must admit…. every time I see one of these inside-out cakes, I wonder how it tastes.  The exterior icing of a cake helps to keep the inside moist.  How do you keep a cake like this from drying out?  Jackie of Carried Away Cuisine kindly shared her secret to keeping the cake moist and fresh!  She coats the cake itself with a clear-drying citrus glaze before torting and filling.  This protects the outside edge without changing the overall appearance.  Genius!  The perfect solution to ensure this style of cake tastes as good as it looks… everyone’s happy!

A huge thank you to Natalie Bell for sharing her lovely images with us and to Jackie of Carried Away Cuisine for sharing her inspiring Rustic Fresh Apple & Raisin Cake!

Vendors & Credits
Cake : Jackie of Carried Away Cuisine
Photography : Natalie Bell Photography
See the Full Wedding Here : Natalie’s Blog

Half Baked is excited to announce the newest addition to our Top Tier Cake Directory!  This cake shop is seriously all about the fun!  From the talented team of bakers and cake designers to their mascot!  (Yes, you read that right… the shop mascot is known as Dr. Fresh.)  Most importantly, the fun comes to life in whimsical cake creations that are just downright delightful.  With big smiles, we are thrilled to welcome Amanda Oakleaf Cakes to our cake directory!

With a passion for art and a love of sugar, Amanda Oakleaf started her business in her one room apartment. Fast forward three years and now Amanda Oakleaf Cakes has a gorgeous storefront just outside of Boston.  Amanda and her insanely talented and dedicated team create cakes for every occasion.  From intricately sculpted designs to elegant displays, each creation is made entirely from scratch.  Every morsel of buttercream, fondant and gumpaste is made by hand.   From scratch!   With a hefty dose of hard work and talent, they’re creating cakes that both look and taste above the rest.

How incredibly adorable is this 3D golden retriever cake?!?  Sporting a Red Sox jersey, this little guy was actually the size of a real puppy.  As if he wasn’t charming enough, Amanda and her crew named him Frosting.  I think I’m in love with Frosting!  And check out the crazy details in this mammoth elephant cake…

On top of the stellar 3D designs, Amanda and her team create some lovely wedding cakes as well.  Now for some pretties…

You know I’m a huge fan of ombre cakes!  And I absolutely adore those ruffled flowers!  And this next cake makes such a dramatic statement with its black and white stripes and bold pop of red…

Ok… so I can’t mention the shop mascot and leave you wondering.  Here’s a little peek at the team and Dr. Fresh!  His hat reads “Vanilla Ice-ing”.  Ha!

I could not be more thrilled to have Amanda and her team as part of our Top Tier Directory! Show them a little love and check out their full listing in Top Tier.   See even more delightful designs on Amanda Oakleaf Cakes website, blog and Facebook Page.

Special thanks to Amanda and her team for joining us. We can’t wait to feature more of your spectacular work!

Quick Reference Links:
Website:  OakleafCakes.com
Be Inspired:  Oakleaf Cakes Blog
Be a Fan: Facebook Page
Top Tier Directory: Full Listing

Over the years, I’ve seen a few cakes.  And just when I think I’ve seen everything, I realize that creative minds are always working to push new boundaries.   That’s why I love introducing you to new ideas and trends.  And oh my, today is going to be a very trendy day!!  When I first saw today’s cake,  I was curious, confused and amazed all at once!  Is it real?  What’s it made of… concrete?  Fascinated, I had to find out more!

Marcella Robin, the talented artist behind these cakes, can confirm that they are indeed real AND… completely edible.  Marcella is the owner, baker, designer and chief mastermind at MRobin Cakes in Portland.  Her entremet cakes are made of sponge cake, layered with a variety of creams, custards, and mousses.  It is then wrapped in a thin exterior layer of sponge cake known as jaconde.  Unlike a traditional cake, the design is not created from frosting or fondant but baked into the exterior sponge for an ultra smooth finish.  Coupled with Marcella’s graphic designs, the result are bold and daring!

Marcella was first introduced to decorative sponges in pastry school.  After graduating, she decided to start experimenting with jaconde and truly explore the possibilities of this medium.  After years of cake making and designing, her main focus now is entremet wedding cakes.

A few thoughts from Marcella:

“I am in love with entremets.  The graphic quality of the jaconde coupled with the traditional form of the stacked cakes is gorgeous to me.  They are, traditional, modern, androgynous, and have an air of inevitability about them that I find perfectly mysterious.  As a designer and baker, I find the play between technique and taste so interesting — the flavor profiles and textures are unlimited.”

A peek at the inside reveals strawberry bavarois, vanilla sponge, almond dacquoise and strawberry conserve layered and then wrapped in a poppy seed and almond sponge cake.  It looks simply decadent!  And I’m really loving the bold yellow and strong lines on this next one…

You’re intrigued aren’t you?  I just keep looking at these designs, slightly mesmerized, envisioning the possibilities.  A huge thank you to Marcella Robin for sharing her cutting edge cakes with us!  We love your concept and creativity.  You can see more of Marcella’s stunning entrement cake creations on her website, MRobin Cakes.

Vendors & Credits:
Cake:  MRobin Cakes