Just had to share...

So I know that we've shown you a lot today, but I just had to give you a look at one of our newest designs.
This delicate, smooth top tier is part of a gorgeous four tiered baby. It reminds me of the old-style Marzipan Princess cakes, but again, this is butter creme! Don't the colors just go beautifully together?
















Here is one of another of our nuptual faves. Something blue...
Javier is so intent in his work, he didn't even notice this phantom taking a photo. He has just about the steadiest hand in Hansen's history...we're so proud of him!

The Wow Factor...

This is a perfect example of one of those cakes that just makes everyone in the back sneak a photo of it with their camera phones before it gets all boxed up for delivery.

Fully sculpted out cake and butter creme frosting (not fondant!) the car is completely, absolutely yummy. Our artists are able to attain the smooth look of fondant using our own special methods...allowing for more versatility and taste.

Cool beans.

Happily Ever After...

Once upon a time, there was an open book. Well, an open cake book. We sculpt the cake into the open book shape, and use a special "comb" to create the pages. We let it set up in the chiller for stability, then let the decorator attack it with fairytales and romance.
We did a couple of these tomes this weekend; adding edible gold leafing to the tips of the pages, a magical castle, and an enchanted backdrop to finish off the story.

Here are a few other designs we thought you might like to see...

FORE! (Well, Forty, as least...)
The most coveted pattern in the land...

Can you imagine the joy we felt a few years back when the edible metallics were made available for our use?

Sparkle + Frosting + Delicious Beauty.

Getting on the bus...

We've opened up a facebook account, and we'd like to invite you to be our friend! Just search for Hansen's Cakes, and send us a friend invitation...we'd love to interact with you!

Cuppys on Parade...

Decorating diva Gina really went all out this morning, hand piping this delicious menagerie of buttercreme creatures on fresh baked cupcakes.

Hansen's Cakes cupcakes come in a wide variety of flavors; Chocolate, Italian Marble, Danish Gold, Bridal White, Lemon, Spice, Banana Nut, Carrot, Almond Crunch and Red Velvet make up the menu...with additional offerings in the works!
Our butter creme frosting is madfe from our own special recipe. We have a unique formula which allows us to pipe, lay-in or sculpt anything that comes to mind, without fear of melting or collapsing.

A flawlessly smooth icing job affords the look (but not the "eh" taste) of fondant...our butter creme is the stuff that childhood memories are made of!
Meow!
A chocolate puppy on a cuppy!

There is no limit to what we can do...

Just wait until I upload the portrait-cupcake images (yes, we'll put your photograph on a cupcake!)

Talk about a party favor...!

Fresh, Fresh, Fresh...

How many fresh cake samples do we give out on a daily basis? Far too many to count...in fact, we have a full time guy who individually wraps these fresh bites all day, every day!

This batch is one of our most popular combinations: white cake with the scrumptious Bavarian lemon filling. Ooh, it's just so yummy!

Another wedding cake design in progress...you can practically hear the bells ringing!

What a Sweet Day...

Jose worked his magic this afternoon, "wrapping" a "gift" that couldn't be more delish! Nobody ties a bow like this master decorator!
On the other side of the refrigerator, the Pam & Gina made their own magic with these tiered creations.
Looks like some very special people are going to be enjoying their celebrations in the sweetest way!

Suzi the multi-tasker brought the Beverly Hills High School mascot to life for tomorrow's all-staff luncheon. Hansen's Cakes is a big supporter of the education system, both public and private, and enjoy a boost to our educators morale whenever possible.
We are proud to show our support to a large number of our local schools, by setting aside a yearly allotment of gift certificates, which benefit local PTAs and Booster clubs through silent auctions. Although we wish we could give to each and every organization, we still do our best to evenly distribute our allocations fairly.
Translation? Stay in school!!!

Changing with the Times

(article from www.getmarried.com
http://www.getmarried.com/articles.php?id=173)



Every little girl dreams of her wedding; the elaborate gown, where the event will be held, and just how special her wedding cake will look. Over the years, dress hemlines rise and fall, venues fall in and out of favor, but the traditional tiered wedding cake continues to maintain a major place in the heart of every bride. This is not to say that there are not marked trends in the wedding cake industry…there are. Historically, the details of wedding cake design have changed along with the times, while maintaining the tiers and height that are the trademark of the nuptial occasion.The most noticeable design changes began in the 1980s, when brides first added a blatant blast of whimsy to their cakes, paralleling the new wave fashions of the era. Bright colors found their way into the creative process; tilted tiers and wild florals made the wacky décor complete. In the 90s, a move to elaborate elegance took over, with bakers pushing their boundaries with taller, wider cakes, and extreme floral displays, echoing the prosperity that hit the country at the end of the decade. This trend continued into this century; bride’s selections showed off their sophistication and flair for the unique. Looking through wedding magazines over the past few years, one can see the diverse styles that have taken center-stage. Lately, the trend in cake design is markedly gleaning detailed hand-work from the past. Reality television shows featuring cake decorating have made the audience appreciate the hard work that goes in to creating delicate lace frosting and details. Suzi Finer of Hansen’s Cakes, has seen the design trends change over the years. “Cakes that echo the invitation are hot right now. Elegant classics with added ultra-spot detail work have risen in popularity.” Having flourished for seven generations, Hansen’s Cakes has experienced first-hand the design trends that sweep through the industry. “Cherry blossoms are the flower of the moment right now.” Finer notes, “We also see that tasteful metallic base frostings are growing in popularity.” Looking into the magic crystal ball to the future, there is a good indication that the coming year’s trends will follow this course. “We anticipate that there will continue to be a move towards intricate, detailed design. Now that the brides know what goes into creating a cake, they want their own to be the most special, memorable cake in the world.”Photography by: Hansen’s Cakes

An Interlude...

The Los Angeles Opera Camp's cast party after the final performance of Brundibar this weekend, was a joyful celebration. We were so pleased to have been able to provide a sweet ending for such a rich program.

Transformed...

So I'm sure that you remember that Little Mermaid themed cake I shared with you last evening...well, here it is with the figurines and embellishments, courtesy of decorator Pam, who is also a whiz at wedding cakes!
Here, Javier is making this coolio skull even more fab by airbrushing on a pink background. Skull-licious!
Suzi did a quick lay-in logo for the Los Angeles Opera Camp's culminating performances of Brundibar this weekend.

We've got a lot going on this time of year; you'll not only find us at the Long Beach Gay Wedding show, but at the same time, we'll be at our longtime partner in the community, The Quiet Cannon, for the Here Come the Brides wedding event!

People still believe in love...

You may ask, "How are your wonderful cakes actually created?" Well, I'll tell you. A secret Hansen family formulation of ingredients has been passed down through the generations, and is kept locked up tight in a safe. Once baked, the cakes are carefully cooled, de-panned and chilled. After they are assembled with the appropriate filling, they are given a "scratch coat,' to stabilize them and provide an even surface to ice after they are again chilled.
Here, you see the cakes with this "scratch coating." Pretty cool stuff, heh?
Then, tada, iced and decorated! This particular cake is going to be finished with a Little Mermaid theme...
...and this one is just plain lovely!

Another 70th birthday this week...this version has one of our popular splattered designs. Just wait until it is embellished later this evening!

Design ideas...

Alberto (Popeye) "Hustled" to create this Disco-inspired design. The pristine mirrored ball is set on a false base so as not to touch any part of the cake that will be consumed. Somebody is going to be getting their groove on!
Always a favorite, Mickey makes for added fun on this Disney-themed creation. We love to create cakes that complete the party's feel...
Here is an Indiana Jones vignette, complete with a dimensional waterfall.

Deliciously adventurous!
A "Cheetah-licious" creation for a Cheetah Girls party...

...and a lavender bear to match the invitation for a baby shower. We like to add some familiar touches to our baby shower cakes...though the bear and roses are made of fresh butter creme icing, the little safety pins, clothes pins, baby bottles and bracelets are all plastic embellishments for the new mommy to keep. These may become favorite playthings of the child when it is old enough to play with them!

You can see that the wedding artists have been busy as well today. It is only 7:58 in the morning and they've come up with many fabulous creations already! The popularity of stacked cakes keeps growing, and tone-on-tone icing details are a trend that blossomed with no signs of fading. Just lovely.

Supporting Love...

We'll be sharing our flavors, designs, and options this Sunday, August 24th at the Long Beach Gay Weddings event. The show begins at 11am, and ends at 4pm, and is being presented at the Long Beach Renaissance Hotel (a longtime friend of Hansen's Cakes)

You can be assured that there will be pah-lenty of fresh, delicious Hansen's Cake there for the tasting...if you make it to the show, pop on over to the booth and say hello!

Today we were invited to attend a fabulous brunch meeting at the legendary pink palace; The Beverly Hills Hotel. The morning was hosted by Maryanne from Festival of Brides...you just my be seeing us at a few of their exciting bridal events this season!

Sweet Somethings...

Today's event was a resounding success...the Same Sex in the City Wedding Extravaganza was the place to be, with top wedding vendors and fabulous guests (including some major celebrity sightings!)



Our modest booth was transformed into a shimmery winter wonderland, thanks to a little help from a friend who was sweet enough to "prop" us up. Her tchotchke-accents truly made our table the belle of the ball.



The whimsically lustrous cake that we brought in to feature was covered with pearl-ized butter cream balls (completely edible) and were set off perfectly by the baby pink, brushed white, mirrored silver and other shiny balls held beautifully in antiqued small urns. This is a great way to set your own wedding cake table; a different look for a fantastic photo!



Here are some more views of our display...




Our fanned out brochures were soon replaced by fresh slices of wedding cake. We brought two full sheets with us for the show; one white, one chocolate (both with white icing, delicate borders and center clustered floral.) With 200 servings of cake at our fingertips, we managed to pass out just about every bit of delicious cake to the steady flow of people.

By the time the show was over, we warmly shared the remaining slices with the hard working show staff, who we had noticed were espying our booth with a hungry eye throughout the day.



We're grateful to the many interviewers who took the time and interest to learn about Hansen's Cakes history and extraordinary cake legacy.








Here is one of our favorite Same Sex in the City Celebrity attendees...Princess Diaries' Heather Mazzarino and her lovely fiance popped over to rehearse the "Feeding of the Cake" ceremony for their upcoming nuptials.
We look forward to meeting up with these ladies-in-love very soon!

This week was filled with cool cake orders, including a tremendous sculpted ballfield, complete with a sold out crowd of fans filling the bleachers! We had so many orders for our specialty, hand painted, airbrushed sheet cakes, that the boys almost wore themselves out.

Javier was especially busy with his brush, creating some truly marvellous designs. He is trully a treasure.

Our fleet of vans each has the Hansen's Cakes logo emblazoned on their sides. If you happen to pass one on the road, give us a friendly beep~!





Longtime friend of the bakery, wedding dress doyenne Renee Strauss, hosted a mini-event in her Beverly Hills showroom today. We were happy to provide her with a mini-cake (get it, mini-cake, mini-event?) for the occasion, along with some of our popular Red Velvet and Tiramisu sheets and mini (again with the mini) cupcakes.
We've been providing her with fresh samplings of our specialty flavors for 20+ years. Yummers!