MCCLURE-MAY WEDDING CAKE

As a gift to my friends, Cory and Kristin, I offered to make their wedding cake this August. The dinner reception was held at The Whitney mansion in the historic arts district of Detroit. Prepared in the Windy City and driven to Motown for assembling and devouring, were layers of delicate vanilla bean cake, Michigan strawberry filling, rich vanilla buttercream frosting and hundreds of hand-made and colored shimmering fondant flowers. A smaller cutting cake was on display, but sheet cakes were prepared for twice the number of guests so everyone could have a big piece. Next to each slice, chocolate and white chocolate hand-dipped strawberries sat in a cloud of freshly whipped cream and rounded out the dessert for the new bride and groom!

PUMPKIN SPICE CAKES

An October birthday in my office called for fall flavors! Rich, moist pumpkin cupcakes were topped with a choice of luscious cinnamon cream cheese frosting or brown butter icing, all topped with caramelized pecans! The recipe I adapted (thanks Martha Stewart) called for brown butter icing, but the cream cheese frosting was definitely the crowd pleaser! Though I'm not a huge fan of pumpkin desserts, I'll definitely be making these again soon!

BRIDAL SHOWER

These dark chocolate cupcakes baked in red foil liners and topped with chocolate ganache and a little red hot on top fit the color scheme for a Chicago bridal shower this July.

CUPCAKES FOR A TOUR

When given the opportunity to tour the Vosges Chocolate Factory, naturally, I couldn't resist! So, I offered cupcakes as a humble gesture of my gratitude. Just as Vosges has assorted boxes of truffles, I decided I'd make a box of assorted cupcakes! (Though they are not nearly as flawless or decadent). Using my classic vegan dark chocolate cake, I made 4 varieties. Shown from left to right are black forest cherry, lemon, coconut and strawberry. Organic lemons were zested into the buttercream and used on top for a garnish. The cherry and strawberry are filled with bakehouse-made "almost organic" preserves. Organic sugar was mixed with the cherries I picked last week in Michigan and the strawberries bought from a local farmers' market. One with vanilla buttercream and the other with dark chocolate, it was hard to resist finishing them off with a strawberry and a cherry on top.

ORGANIC MARMALADE

Though citrus season is fading, making way for spring fruits like rhubarb and strawberries, I thought I'd make one batch of marmalade while the weather was still chilly! Using only organic fruit, organic sugar and pectin, these deeply colored jars of blood orange marmalade offer spoonful after spoonful of tart, sweet, spreadable goodness! While most were given away as gifts, I'm looking forward to trying some on a crusty buttered baguette and cup of good espresso.

EASTER TWEETS

I love Easter candy. One of my childhood favorites were the malted milk ball eggs that are pastel colors that you can paint your lips! This year, I wanted that malted chocolate taste and added malted milk powder to my standard chocolate cupcakes and buttercream frosting! A coconut border served as a cozy "nest" for these little buttercream birds and were a fun spring treat for an Easter brunch.

HAPPY 50th!

The LEAST I could do for a dear friend's birthday was make party favors to go on everyone's plate at his surprise dinner party. Seating for 60 was set up in a private room and individually wrapped classic chewy chocolate chip or dark chocolate-white chocolate chip cookies with a custom label were set out for each guest.

CUPCAKES FOR BRUNCH

Dark chocolate vegan cake served as the base for two cupcake options at a recent brunch: Fluffy and smooth vanilla buttercream on the large cupcakes, and vegan dark chocolate buttercream on the minis! Sprinkles and coconut were optional for dipping or sprinkling, but fruit from the brunch buffet landed on top of one vegan chocolate mini and set a trend for more fresh fruit topped cupcakes!

BECAUSE PEOPLE WANT TO BE LIKE THEM

Upon meeting Kathy and Aben, the clients for the wedding cupcake tower above, a friend of mine said "I want to be as nice as them!" I don't know if it's quite possible. The newlywed Cooper's are truly a wonderful couple of folks who tied the knot this weekend in Chicago. After trying some cupcakes at a friend's birthday last March, Aben and Kathy asked Simran Bakehouse to do their wedding cake! The fun couple decided on a cupcake tower with two flavors of cupcakes: Carrot and Chocolate. Each cupcake was baked in a gold foil liner and was topped in cream cheese frosting with organic orange zest and a white non-pareil rim. With more cupcakes than guests at the party (about 200), friends and family were able to endulge in more than one! At the top, a small carrot cake wrapped in white fondant and topped with calla lilies to mimic the centerpieces was cut by the bride and groom towards the end of the reception.

HOLIDAY JAMS

I'm serving up a little taste of summer this winter with jams made from locally grown (or picked) fruits: organic chunky peach, red plum, organic concord grape and indiana blueberry!!

SIMRAN BAKEHOUSE AT SUSTAINABLE PARTY

STAY OUT OF THE RED BY GOING GREEN:

HOW TO THROW A SUSTAINABLE HOLIDAY PARTY
Chicago, IL—November 26, 2008

Farr Associates, a Chicago leader in sustainable architecture and urban planning, has a small budget and big ideas for their sustainable holiday party. In today’s tough economic climate, local companies are battling discretionary spending budgets—and this year’s holiday parties are on the front lines. Farr Associates is translating that push for economic sustainability with equal goals of social and environmental responsibility. This focus on sustainability pervades all aspects of their business, and this year’s holiday party is no exception.

Organized by their own employees, this sustainable holiday party highlights some simple features you can integrate into your own eco-celebration.

Spread the cheer. Create digital invitations, or use free, web-based invites that will reduce costs and resources associated with materials, printing and postage and email to your guests.

The more the merrier. Small offices can combine resources for a joint holiday party to get better deals on catering rates, private rooms, and encourage networking in a fun atmosphere. Farr has invited another local organization focused on sustainable issues, the Congress for New Urbanism, to join the festivities.

Eat, drink and be eco-savvy. Host your party on a weekday night, when establishments are more likely to provide discounts on heavily booked weekends. Consider caterers and restaurants that use locally provided ingredients. Farr's party is being consciously hosted at Crust, the first and only restaurant in the Midwest to bear the Oregon Tilth Organic Certification (OTCO - a certifying agent of the USDA). Executive chef Michael Altenberg has been dubbed “the green giant” for his commitment to these standards. He feels that “simply prepared, fresh foods just taste better.” Crust also recycles, composts and uses organic cleaning agents. They even purify and bottle their own water in reusable glass bottles. Crust's event planner, Nicole Douglas, worked closely with Farr Associates to compliment the economic and sustainable intent of the party. "We are very excited to be working with a company who shares our ideals of using sustainable, organic and local products. Supporting one another will help us to achieve our larger, long-term goals for the planet."

Location, location, location. Where you have your party is just as important, if not more important than what you do at the party. Keep your event near mass transit or at a location walkable from your office. Crust was selected both for its mission and its proximity to public rail and bus lines. “Saving money for guests on cabs or parking fees not only saves on the bottom line, but promotes reliance on transit, reducing carbon emitted into the atmosphere,” notes Jonathan Boyer, principal at Farr Associates.

Use your connections. Scout the talents of employees to boost morale and contact vendors or suppliers you know to save money. Farr Associates is getting eggless and vegan desserts for the party donated by Simran Bakehouse, which was started by one of their own project managers. Creative input from other employees led to inexpensive decorations and party activities including a “green” gingerbread house. Networking secured free live musical entertainment by local bluegrass band, Hayward. Half Acre Beer Company, a friend of Hayward, is generously donating beer to the event.

It is better to give than to receive. Farr has incorporated a charitable arm of the holiday party. Employees who donate non-perishable items for local homeless women’s shelter, Deborah's Place, will enter into a raffle with eco friendly prizes: organic chocolates donated by Vosges Haut-Chocolat, a local chocolate company with a passionate sustainable mission of their own, organic and locally roasted coffees, and non-toxic home cleaning products. Continuing an annual tradition of a gift exchange at the party, guests are encouraged to purchase their gifts from local, independently owned retail stores.

Company event planners Hughes and Grayson note, ‘With a little creativity and extra effort, a party like this will save money, promote our responsibility to the environment and give back to our local community.”

Farr Associates is widely regarded as one of the most sustainable planning and architecture firms in the country. Located in the historic Monadnock Building in Chicago’s Loop since its founding in 1990, Farr Associates’ planners and architects work in integrated design teams to create award-winning designs. Farr Associates collaborates with clients and local community members on projects that aspire to attain social, economic and environmental goals, often at the crossroads of urbanism and architecture.

For more information on the participating organizations, visit the following websites:

www.farrside.com
www.crustchicago.com
www.deborahsplace.org
www.halfacrebeer.com
www.vosgeschocolate.com
www.myspace.com/haywardbluegrass
www.simranbakehouseblogspot.com

SUMMER TREAT IN WINTER

Though it's not quite the season for berry cobblers, this hot and steamy dessert was the perfect treat on a cold, snowy night! Paired with freshly made ice cream, it made me feel that summer's not that far off... (well, of course it's six long, cold months away, but if I have to make cobblers all winter to get back into that state of mind, I think I can handle it!) It's my friend's favorite dessert, so we tackled our first cobbler together. Using an all butter biscuit dough recipe and frozen blackberries in lieu of fresh ones, we were happy with the results. The dots of dough on top of the sugared berries didn't spread out as much as we would have hoped, but next time, I'll try a smaller vessel so they are closer together. Ryan said he'd want to try a cobbler that had some dough sort of mixed throughout the fruit, so he could get that chewy bite of crust on the bottom or on top. I think this means another cobbler experiment is coming up soon.

RETRO MINIS

I don't always post in progress photos, but because the client for these cupcakes is also the author of a blog: http://www.merrimentdesign.com that offers a lot of step-by-step techniques for some super crafty stuff, I thought I'd give it a whirl. Look for these cupcakes on her site soon too - sitting atop a cake stand she made for her sister's 40th birthday! With requests like "retro" and "non-traditional" colors, I tried to go 'seventies suburban' with green, cream and mauve vanilla-almond buttercream skinny swirls and large dot sprinkles on top of these mini dark chocolate cakes. Following the party, I got this message:

"The cupcakes were a *huge* success. People raved about them and we handed them out to strangers at the bar too. Nothing makes friends faster than yummy chocolate goodness. Thanks again for making them on such short notice. I can't thank you enough!"

Well, thanks to you, too! I can't wait to see the cake stand and see that rising to the top of my to-do list for the winter!

HAPPY 60th, MOM

I couldn't think of a better treat for my Mom's 60th Surprise party than the same kind of cake she'd always make for us growing up. Banana cake with caramel filling was the combo for the big day and I used an almond butter cream to play off the flavors of the fragrant cake. Orchids from Asrai Gardens in Wicker Park were the perfect accent for an otherwise simple tiered cake. Even with this cake that would serve over 50 people, my Mom was the sweetest thing in the room.

AMERICAN PIE 2

Here's the second take on an American classic - this time, using an all-butter crust recipe. I froze the dough because I knew I wasn't going to use it right away, thawed it for a day in the fridge, and was elastic and smooth when I rolled it out. The lattice pattern was easily cut into strips with a pizza cutter. Next time, I'll measure straight lines and cut with a fluted cutter for a more festive pattern.

American Pie

After picking 27 pounds of apples in Indiana this weekend, at least one apple pie was a must for a fall dinner party. This was my first homemade apple pie (that was not made in tandem with my mom when I was a kid). Three kinds of apples: Granny Smith, Fugi and Golden Delicious were sliced up and piled high inside the homemade pate brisee. The cinnamon-sugared top crust was accented with a small apple-shaped cut out that gave a peek inside the piping hot pie. A generous dallop of fresh cinnamon whipped cream was spooned onto each slice for dessert. While there wasn't much left over, the extra pie slices were quickly claimed by the dinner guests to take home! While I have enough apples to make this pie 8 times over, I will do this pie at least a couple more times so I can refine the edges and maybe try a lattice pattern. I need to save some apples for other recipes, too! Next up: Apple crisp, Apple Brown Betty and Apple Butter.

Carrot Cake Testing

 

 

These mini cupcakes served as a wedding cake testing at a fall party for the bride and groom to be! They and their guests got to choose their favorite carrot cake combination! The three cakes ranged in spiciness, add ins (like pineapple, nuts or raisins), carroty flavor and color. Plain cream cheese frosting and some with fresh orange zest or freshly grated ginger added a smooth and velvety topping on each little bite-sized cake.

CARROT CAKE(S)

Simran Bakehouse is always up to a challenge. As an a-typical wedding cake tasting, I'll be doing 3 different carrot cake recipes paired with 3 different cream cheese frostings. In a couple weeks, the guests at the bride and groom-to-be's BBQ will help choose the cake that will be served at their wedding! This was my first attempt at a carrot cake - shown here "naked" before getting dressed with a smooth, creamy frosting. More carrot cakes to be posted soon!

TRYING TO PRESERVE SUMMER

With hand-picked Indiana Blueberries and Organic Michigan Peaches from the Green City Market, these ripe summer fruits were transformed into scrumptious jars of jam that will be enjoyed by my friends, family and me for the coming cold winter months.

DISCO FEVER BEGINS

A 40th birthday with a 70's disco theme calls for a special cake! This disco ball cake topped a cupcake tower of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry cupcakes that had swirls of silvery-gray buttercream frosting and disco dancers on top. These other images show a behind the scenes look at what will soon become a parts of a disco ball cake! Hundreds of rolled and hand cut 1/2" fondant tiles will be drying for the next few days. Once hardened, they'll be painted with edible silver luster dust so that they sparkle on the ball-shaped cake they'll be affixed to! Still to come, cake for 50, dancing silhouettes, and a rocking good time building this cake! I'll post the finished cake in less than a week.

IT'S LIKE BUTTAH

Using organic heavy cream from the Green City Market, I filled this plastic leaf mold with freshly whipped butter! Once chilled, these leaf-shaped pats of butter will pop right out onto the bread plates of my dinner guests for a fall party.

THE CHOPPING BLOCK

 

 

 

Good quality chocolate was getting the knife so that it could be tempered for a Simran version of Reeces cups. An organic almond butter center waited patiently in it's paper cup for warm milk chocolate to enrobe it. A sliced almond tops it off and they're ready to be boxed up. I've got to work with chocolate more. Maybe this winter...

CUPCAKE STANDBY

 

Not everyone at work likes coconut. So, for a double birthday celebration in the office, I made a quick and easy vanilla buttercream to swirl on top of my dark chocolate cupcakes. The coconut haters were thrilled and were good enough to tempt the coconut lovers to try one, too.

VEGAN GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

 

These moist chocolate cupcakes were topped with a rich gooey topping surrounded by a swirl of chocolate frosting. Hoping I could make these on a whim and not have to go to the store for any of the ingredients, I swapped out the called-for evaporated milk and used coconut milk instead! Everyone at worked raved that they loved the coconutty flavor and were glad I brought enough cupcakes for seconds...

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT CUPCAKES

Baked with pleasure and filled with passion, these special cupcakes were made for my friend's birthday. I steered clear of pastels and sprinkles, as I wanted something more sophisticated and masculine. So, I made my classic dark chocolate cupcakes and filled them with a rich and creamy Nutella mousse. On top, a toasted hazelnut with a glass-like point of burnt sugar was set carefully into a bed of semisweet chocolate ganache, creating a multi-layered experience of nutty, chocolately sweetness in every bite.

CHOCOLATE COCONUT CHILDHOOD FAVORITE

 

What better way to celebrate a 60th Birthday than with a childhood favorite to keep you feeling young at heart? These surprise cupcakes were made to bring back sweet memories for my boss! A moist chocolate cake was filled with silky chocolate buttercream, topped with smooth vanilla buttercream and coated with sweetened shredded coconut.

YOU'RE FARR OUT

 

Created to mimic pastel-colored conversation hearts, this year, coworkers at Farr Associates received hand-decorated cookies as valentines from the Simran Bakehouse!

SOME LIKE IT HOT

 

These moist dark chocolate cupcakes are topped with a deep chocolate buttercream spiced with rich cinnamon. A touch of cayenne pepper adds a surprising kick with heat that lingers once the chocolate has cleared the palate.

LOVE BIRDS

Another wedding reception was held for the newlyweds, Sheila + Frank. This time, it was at the beautiful home of the Krugers in the Chicago suburbs. Two little love birds sat atop this vanilla cake with pineapple filling. This nest crowned the top of a 5-tired cupcake tower for the special event!

PINEAPPLE SORBET

 

A summery vegan treat of homemade pineapple sorbet is tucked gently into a thin chocolate shell and garnished with home-grown, organic mint.

SHEILA + FRANK WEDDING CAKE

 

 

 

A unique situation called for a unique cake! My Mom just got remarried to an old high school flame! They dated in the 12th grade, met up at thier 40th high school reunion, and well, the rest is now history! My Mom wanted something fun and light hearted for this summer garden wedding. Two tiers of white cake with strawberry filling were covered with a luscious vanilla buttercream and then a final coat of white modeling chocolate and rolled fondant decorations. (Every side was different!) Inside, two moist layers of cake were joined together with bakehouse-made strawberry filling. Strawberries were hand-picked in Indiana and cooked down to make a delicious, deep red filling, bursting with fresh strawberry flavor. Extra filling was modified into a strawberry sauce for plating. Note to self: Do not experiment with new techniques when preparing a wedding cake out of town! Extra stress is definitely not needed, but the end result worked well - a box-like square cake with a smooth surface for applying fondant cut outs, and the first-time filling recipe was delicious (thanks for the tip, Martina!). Since this was my gift to my Mom and Frank, I made more than enough to feed the guests so the family could have some to devour over the rest the weekend. The 12" tier disappeared very quickly and over a week later, my Mom and my Brother are still wishing there was more! [Photos by Chris Grayson]

VEGAN COFFEE CAKE

 

It's not a typical birthday cake, but Chris wanted something with a crumb topping in lieu of a frosted treat. I 'veganized' my mom's eggless coffee cake recipe, substituting vegetable oil for melted butter and soy for regular milk. The result? A deliciously moist and sweet treat - though not as light and fluffy as the dairy-filled counterpart. Cut up in squares and wrapped neatly in parchment paper, they traveled well from the suburbs to the city. [Photo by Birthday Boy Brunn]

OH BOY!

This mod baby shower cake was designed for Susanna and Colin. 4 layers of dark chocolate cake with raspberry filling were covered with a rich chocolate buttercream and decorated with fondant shapes. (top photo by Rose) Colin and Susanna stand at the beautiful buffet that Anna put together and cut their cake. (bottom photo by Anna K.)

APRIL SHOWER

 

I never thought I'd be making a Wedding Shower cake for my MOM! With Daffodils being one of her favorite flowers, there was no question about how to decorate her spring shower cake! Hand cut and formed from fondant, daffodils of various colors were set into this chocolate hazelnut 2-tier cake. Keep watching after June 16th for the Wedding cake to follow!

MINI FAUXSTESS CUPCAKES

The naked chocolate cupcakes (below) got a delicious makeover! Filled with buttercream, dipped in chocolate and topped with swirls of more buttercream, it's hard to resist these little treats!

NAKED MINIS

 

These mini chocolate cupcakes are waiting to be dressed up as mini-fauxstess cupcakes! Once they are filled with vegan buttercream, dipped in a chocolate ganache and drizzled with white loops, they'll be ready to eat - all in one bite. (Or two, at the most!) This is just a practice round for a vegetarian cooking class that Simran Bakehouse will participate in at the Science of Spirituality Center in Naperville. Also on the menu: Strawberry Shortcakes.

CLASSIC COOKIES

 

Classic chocolate Chip and Chocolate with White Chocolate Chip and Macadamia nuts were packaged up last week to thank my coworkers and consultants for meeting a milestone deadline at work. Assortments of these chewy cookies (and some Oatmeal-Cherry-Almond cookies) were stacked, wrapped and tied with a bow and were a sweet surprise treat!

LEMON CUP RISOTTO

Another savory moment at the Simran Bakehouse. A humble risotto achieves new status when stuffed into a cored lemon and topped with home-grown herbs and freshly shaven parmesean cheese. The lemon is perfect for portion control and works well as a an appetizer at a party or as a side dish with a main course.

DREAM CUPCAKES

Modified from my mom's "dreamcake" these vanilla cupcakes (made vegan, just for fun) were topped with big scoop of a dreamy topping with pineapple chunks. Springy and light, these cupcakes made for a perfect dessert at an April Baby Shower.

PANNA COTTA

An experiment in vegetarian panna cotta, I think this was a success! Traditionally, panna cotta is a custard or pudding-like dessert made with heavy cream and gelatin. This vegetarian adaptation used agar powder (a vegetable-based gelling agent) and was "lightened up" a bit by using equal parts of heavy cream and half and half! The contents of a Madagascar vanilla bean were scraped into the pot of boiling cream and was sweetened with a bit of sugar. After chilling for a while in a ceramic vessel, it was turned out on top of homemade raspberry sauce and garnsished with fresh raspberries, manilla mango and mint. This luscious dessert that would pair well with a strong espresso melts in your mouth and is perfect to share.

GORILLA BREAD

Made for an Easter morning brunch, this pull-apart coffee cake was loaded with rich and gooey deliciousness! Biscuit dough rounds were flattened and filled with cinnamon-n-sugar and a little cube of cream cheese and were rolled up to make balls. Alternately, the balls were added into a bundt pan with more cinnamon and sugar, a melted concoction of brown sugar and butter, and pecan pieces until the pan was full. Served warm from the oven, this pull-apart was perfect with a cup of strongly-brewed coffee.

COMFORT BAKING

 
An icy cold winter weekend called for the Simran Bakehouse Oven to be good and hot! Giant Dark Chocolate Sugar Cookies were a welcomed addition to the repertoire of drop cookies, followed by a stand by of Chewy Oatmeal Raisin. The Dark Chocolate Sugar cookie was perfect topped with soft vanilla ice cream, and the Oatmeal Raisin was wonderful with a hot cup of tea. Packaged simply in a cellophane bag and tied with a ribbon, they made an impromptu gift for a friend at work and his expecting wife! 

AND THE OSCAR GOES TO...

 

... Crostini with Goat Cheese and Figs! While this not typical Bakehouse Blog fare, a sailor I know named Milosz said, "They look yummy, so put them up there anyway." Among the creamy potato leek soup, organic salad and braised asparagus, these bite size eats were the hit among the Academy that were my friends. 

 
The Figs had a savory rival of Tomato Basil Marinara and Goat Cheese topping a crostini rubbed with fresh garlic for the Best Eats Category. 

FAUX-STESS CUPCAKES

 
This rich, moist and all-natural alternative to the mass-produced packaged variety was a hit for a coworker's birthday. Everyone loved the chocolate ganache that topped these dark chocolate cupcakes and were pleasantly surprised when they found a delicious white center of soft buttercream in the cupcake's center. 

 
3 dozen at a time is as mass-produced as they come at the Simran Bakehouse! 

 
Inside a Fauxstess cupcake. 

REESE'S PEANUT BUTTER CUP-CAKES

 

Made for a big chocolate and peanut butter fan, these dark chocolate cupcakes were topped with peanut butter frosting with a Reese's cup smashed on top. 

HARK OF THE BELL

Organic Orange Marmalade and Hand-picked Strawberry Preserves were a modest gift from the Simran Bakehouse to the House of Bell this year. Delicious when spread on a perfectly toasted piece of bread, these colorful half-pint jars boast intense fruit flavor and just enough sweetness.

For an added savory and salty treat, a classic snack mix recipe was modified to be vegan. A childhood favorite, it was as fun to make now as it was more than 20 years ago.

photo by Christopher Brunn

HAPPY VEGAN CUPCAKES

 

Made for a Happy Hour Party at the 'House of Bell,' these vegan minis were a fun experiment for the Simran Bakehouse! While vegan chocolate cake has been a popular standard at the Bakehouse, vegan frostings are a new (and welcomed) addition! These dark chocolate bites were frosted with three holiday 'butter'creams: organic lemon zest + shredded coconut (bottom), peppermint + chocolate jimmies (middle) and "eggnog" + cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg (top). If more time had allowed, peanut butter and mexican chocolate 'butter'cream would have been served, too. Maybe next time... Chris, who inspired me to make these vegan treats, favored the peppermint and encouraged others at the party to try them all!

photo by christopher brunn
 

JEN'S BIRTHDAY!

 
Once again, Simran Bakehouse celebrates Jennifer's birthday! Dark chocolate cupcakes were topped with swirls of lemon buttercream and her initials "JM" were piped in melted chocolate with a chocolate loop to top it off! Happy 29th, Jen! 

GRASSHOPPER GOODNESS

 
Made with a dark chocolate vegan cake and creamy mint frosting, these delicious cupcakes were made for an office celebration. 

SPONGEBOB BIRTHDAY

 

Once again, Simran Bakehouse makes a cake for Ion's birthday! Last year, superheroes. This year, Spongebob Squarepants! While using shaped pans is not customary, I made an exception for this cartoon character that lives under the sea.

All the kids enjoyed this light white cake topped with lemon buttercream in their favorite cartoon character! 

BANANA WALNUT BREAD

A classic from the Simran Bakehouse, these loaves were part of a thank you basket but are also a great gift on their own! 

SPICE COOKIES

These sweet and spicy cookies are perfect with a hot cup of tea or coffee on a crisp fall night. Dark, thick molasses adds to their rich flavor. This old family recipe is new to the Vegan offerings by the Simran Bakehouse. 

FIT FOR A KING

This majestic cake was created with professional baker, Martina Shaneyfelt. Together, we designed this cake to celebrate the 60th Birthday of Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj. Martina baked, filled, and iced the impressive large cakes. Then, working all day at the eastern most point of Navy Pier in Chicago (where the birthday bash was held) we worked together (with the help of Mira Hamm) to assemble and embellish this marvelous cake! We had edible jewels that were made out of fondant in advance, and other decorations, like tassles, rope and decorative borders were made the day of the party and were also hand-painted with edible luster dust.

A 16", 12" and 8" tier were used to create this royal design. Separated by columns wrapped in edible gold confection, the top tier was adorned with a lotus-like crown and the middle tier hosted a family of jeweled elephants. Each tier was made of three rich layers of vanill cake, with black raspberry and mango fillings. Additional cakes were prepared to serve the over 900 guests attending the party!

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

This truly one-of-a-kind birthday cake was artfully adorned with edible interlocking circles and spheres. Each piece of candy was handmade and painted with edible luster dust in metallic colors that we hoped would suit the guest of honor perfectly! Made with some of her favorite flavors, a rich butterscotch and toasted pecan filling sat in between each layer of moist vanilla cake. 

CUPCAKE TOWER

Simran Bakehouse flew to Grosse Ile, Michigan to create a cupcake tower for Rachel's Graduation Party! Guests enjoyed over 200 vanilla cupcakes, frosted with a light and fluffy vanilla buttercream that Rachel and her sister Lindsey topped with their favorite sprinkles and edible glitter.

Fresh Gerbera Daisies and sparkling "R" crowned a 6" cake on the top of the tower! Cupcake towers are hot trend for weddings, showers, banquets and other parties! Top cake, cupcakes and frosting can all be customized for your special event!

JEWELS IN JULY

Simran Bakehouse contributed to the "Jewels in July" for the second year. Vanilla, chocolate and banana flavored cupcakes were partnered with swirls of vanilla, dark chocolate, peanut butter, mint, or lemon buttercream frosting. It was up to the guests to add some bling to these delicious little gems!

Guests "bejeweled" the cupcakes with sprinkles and sparkles, coconut, toffee chips, chocolate covered espresso beans, or marachino cherries! Many thanks to Jenna and Joe for helping serve the sweet treats! 

HEY CUPCAKE!

We're voluntering at the Garfield Park Conservatory this week for the ArchiTreasures annual gala event! A DIY Cupcake Bar is the offering from "Hey Cupcake!" It's something fresh from the Simran Bakehouse!

STRAWBERRY ECLAIR

As an end to lovely summer lunch, my cousins and I slowly devoured these sweet treats. Hidden in flaky layers of puff pastry was a cream-cheese filling and homemade strawberry preserves topped with a generous swirl of fresh whipped cream and a hand-picked strawberry!

CHOCOLATE DIPPED ORGANIC STRAWBERRIES

Plump and sweet organic strawberries were hand-dipped in dark and white chocolates then packaged in boxes and ribbons for Mother's Day gifts.

SUGAR 'N' SPICE & EVERYTHING NICE

A generous swirl of orange buttercream frosting (showing specks of fresh organic orange zest) and juicy mandarin orange slices topped these spice cupcakes for an office birthday celebration.

GARDEN WEDDING

This light and airy vanilla cake was filled with a rich chocolate custard and enveloped in the bride's favorite shade of purple. Orchid arrangements made by A New Leaf in Chicago adorned the two tiers.

A SAN FRANCISCO TREAT

Simran Bakehouse delivers... to San Francisco! I couldn't pass up an opportunity to share something from the Simran Bakehouse with one of my best friends ever, Julie Wagne. A surprise for her birthday, this nutella filled, chocolate covered, chocolate cake was a hit! Colorful chocolate covered sunflower seeds topped the cake and squiggles of yellow buttercream frosting took care of the sides... and the party guests took care of devouring it!

BANANA BREAD

These fragrant loaves of banana bread are actually sugar free and dairy free! Honey from a local farm sweetened up this batch of bread and and super ripe organic bananas give such great flavor. These went to my brother, the person I love making it for the most! 

LITTLE VEGAN LEMON MUFFINS

These little lemon muffins pack a lot of punch with organic lemon zest! Baked to a golden goodness with a little coarse sugar on top, these are a great breakfast or afternoon treat with hot tea. Moist and fluffy, they held up well to my adaptation of an eggless recipe gone vegan!!! 

VEGAN CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES

This plateful of moist and chewy cookies disappeared quickly at work. No one would have guessed they were made with an egg substitute and all natural soy margarine instead of butter! The dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chunks were a smash! 

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

Who can't be happy on Valentine's when there's such an abundance of chocolate in the world?!?! This trio of cupcakes included variations on a basic dark chocolate cake: (clockwise from top) caramel frosted with hand-made confectionery hearts, nutella filled cupcakes with dark chocolate buttercream and pink m&m's, and raspberry filled cupcakes with bright pink vanilla buttercream and sprinkles!

VEGAN OATMEAL CRAISIN BARS

Vegan oatmeal craisin bars with a tinted vanilla glaze pack a healthful crunch with a sweet finish, perfect when paired with a cup of tea.

VEGAN CORNBREAD

This vegan cornbread is so delicious, you'd never know it wasn't made with milk OR eggs! It's best right out of the oven when it's still warm. Its especially delicious when butter and honey* can melt right into the steaming slices. Don't want to endulge that much? Just have it plain along side a good bowl of vegetarian chili for a delicious winter warm-up! (*yummy vegan alternative: soy margarine and maple syrup!)

MINI CHOCOLATE CROWNS

These little gems are small enough to eat in 1 or 2 bites but are full of rich chocolatey flavor! Chocolate cake is topped with dark chocolate frosting and milk chocolate decoration.

CHOCOLATE LOVERS' CAKE

Made for a mother and daughter who share both a January birthday and a love for chocolate, the four layers of cake alternate with a fudgy filling and is covered in dark chocolate frosting. Milk chocolate decorations were piped onto parchment and transferred to the cake for the final touches.

PRINCESS CAKE

Princess doll cakes seem to be popular with the younger ladies! This vanilla cake with strawberry filling was a delight at a princess party for 5-year-old Bianca! Doll cakes are also great for Sweet 16, Bat Mitzvah, or Bridal Shower celebrations too!

Dolls can be dressed in any color gown and can have very simple or intricate designs and combinations of colors. Here, yellow colored fondant and vanilla buttercream were used to create the princess doll's (edible) bodice and gown. 

TOWER OF TREATS

This tower is stocked with fragrant banana cupcakes adorned with swirls of rich caramel frosting and shaved coconut.

GOOD THINGS COME IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES

Trying to keep up with some American trends, Simran Bakehouse started thinking big. Your favorite cookies - chocolate chip, white chocolate macademia nut, oatmeal raisin - are available in three sizes. Notice that the "smallest" size is "Medium!"
(For XXL/custom sizes consider cookie cakes)

COOKIE CAKES

Eggless cookie cakes can be custom made with choice of cookie flavor, icing and message! This one went to my building superintendent for helping me with my car on a snowy night!

S'MORES INDOORS!

Simran Bakehouse was invited by ArchiTreasures in Chicago to make sweet treats for their annual gala reception, "Jewels in July." Patrons were able to create their own gourmet s'mores in the ballroom of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago!

How to make a gourmet s'more:
First grab a chocolate or regular graham cracker. Then pick your chocolate: milk or dark. Then choose from hand-made toasted coconut crusted, chocolate, or classic vanilla vegan marshmallows! Roast the marshmallow with a kitchen torch then smash it inbetween layers of chocolate and grahams. Enjoy while warm and gooey!

SIMRAN GOES SAVORY

These little sandwiches disappeared quickly at my housewarming party. Circles were cut from thinly-sliced rye and topped with cream cheese, cucumbers and fresh chives, while triangles of pumpernickle bread stuffed with sharp cheddar pimento spread were stacked up high!

LIFE STARTS AT 50

Lavender and silver were the theme for this sweet celebration held for a dear family friend. You wouldn't believe how it looked with 51 candles on top -- that were all blown out in one impressive breath! (Yoga really works!) 

RETRO THANK YOU

Inspired by a weekly tradition of donuts at the office, this Boston Creme cake made for a sweet farewell. Moist layers of fluffy vanilla cake were layered with vanilla custard and topped with a dark chocolate buttercream frosting. 

SUPER HEROES OF THE WORLD, UNITE!

Super heroes of the world join together to celebrate Ion's 7th Birthday party! A spherical vanilla cake topped a chocolate cake base covered in vanilla buttercream. Each child loved receiving a super hero figurine on their slice of cake!

WE'RE #1

Both Declan, his mom's favorite Irish football team and the Chicago Sox were #1 in 2005! This chocolate sheet cake with two half-dome cakes decorated as sports balls served over 70 people!

BOY'S BIRTHDAY CAKE

This classic cake paired two great flavors, banana cake with chocolate frosting, was made for Christof's 7th birthday. Christof's mom added his favorite lego toys to the top of the cake to make it fit with the theme of the party!

CHRISTENING CAKE

Made for an Irish Catholic Christening, this cake was used for a cutting ceremony at the reception. The fondant covered cake was adorned with medalians with the child's initials, his full name and date of the baptism, and an edible celtic cross. Edible silver luster dust gave the finishing touches to the cross. Fondant-covered cakes are perfect for those who want a clean, smooth design. Kept mostly white by the client's wishes, this cake was full of color and flavor inside, with four moist layers of white cake alternating with delicious strawberries.

VEGAN MARSHMALLOWS

Yes, you read it right, VEGAN marshmallows! Pillowy soft and perfectly chewy, these are great for toasting to make s'mores, floating a top a cup of hot cocoa or just eating alone! They also make amazing rice krispie treats!

BREAKING BREAD

Swirled with almond filling, the honey wheat bread is delicious when sliced, toasted, and shamelessly smothered in butter!

A childhood favorite of mine, mini loaves of honey wheat bread are perfect to keep for yourself or give away!

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

This strawberry shortcake was a hit at an outdoor graduation party. Fresh vanilla-almond whipped cream complimented the layers of moist, fluffy white cake and sweet strawberries. Refreshing mint and lemon balm leaves from my garden added the finishing touches. Perfect for a beautiful summer afternoon!

SEASON'S BEST

After hand-picking 17 pounds of strawberries, I was ready to make fresh strawberry shortcakes to serve 100 people for a graduation party and have enough left over for a couple batches of strawberry preserves!

HOMEMADE GIFT BOX

Thi s gift box consists of homemade strawberry preserves, freshly made unsalted butter, and three flavors of mini scones: pecan, cherry-cranberry, and blueberry!

The Simran Bakehouse just got jammin'! With fresh picked strawberries in the height of the season, homemade preserves are a great way to enjoy those flavors all year long! More varieties to come as the summer's berry bushes and trees get heavy with fruit!

ROSE PETAL WEDDING CAKE

This was my first wedding cake commission. The three buttercream frosted tiers were made with both chocolate and vanilla layers. The 14", 10" and 6" double layers served well over 70 people.

The paper thin roses and petals are all edible and were made to match the decor for the reception.

PRINCESS DOLL CAKE

This doll cake was made for a 3-year old's princess themed birthday party. It is a vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream frosting, covered in vanilla fondant. The bodice of the doll topper is also covered with edible fondant to match the gown.