17 October 2010

Cake Boss - Carlo's Bake Shop

Promised a post on "Cake Boss'! This post is easy, all I have to do is post a dozen pictures and you people judge for yourself. If I were to judge, I'd say they make the most INSANE cakes!


Oki let me give you guys an idea of who they are. Carlo's Bake Shop is a family orientated business owned by Buddy Valastro. Buddy learnt the techniques and tricks from his father, who in turn learnt his skills from his father. Count how many generations that is. Today, Buddy is one of the most successful cake artist in United States. The bakery is packed with his mother, four older sisters, three brothers-in-laws and the rest of the crew. They are a very vocal family, tons of screaming and shouting. Despite all these, you can see their love for each other, their passion, determination and drive for what they do.

Roulette Cake:
People who loves the Casino would simply adore this!!! They included chips as well, ain't you fascinated?! There's more! The roulette wheel really spins! The cake is created using pound cake, fondant, modelling chocolate and gum paste. They are all edible, even the roulette wheel! How awesome is that!

Mammal Cake:
This cake was designed and made for The American Museum of National History for the opening of their "Extreme Mammals" exhibit. The Indricotherium (that mammal that looks like a rhino) is edible too!

Dragon Cake:
What does it remind you of? Dragon Boat! The Metro Athletics Dragon Boat Team (MAD) ordered this cake for their 2009 racing season.

Leaning Tower of Pisa Cake:
Wedding Cake. How original is this! Somehow it feels even more romantic than the typical wedding cake designs.

Grucci Fireworks Cake:
Donna Grucci and Felix Grucci Jr. of Grucci Fireworks ordered a cake for the Grucci patriarch's birthday memorial. Look at the size and the details in this cake. Its INSANE right!! Tell me one bakery in Singapore that can make cakes CLOSE to this. 

Fire Truck Cake:
The Harrison Fire Department requested a cake as a thank you gift for the retired firefighters at he NJ Firemen's Retirement Home. The cake had working lights, siren and smoke created from water vapor. Crazy isn't it!! Its feels more like a toy than a cake. LOL

Wedding Cake with Birds:
A vintage wedding cake. Do you see the transparent cage near the bottom of the cake. Two white doves will be placed into the cage just before the wedding. During the wedding ceremony, the love couple will release the doves from the enclosure. Aw.... so beautiful. Once again, everything on this cake (except for the cage) is edible.

Race Car Cake:

The Retail Bakers Association of America (RBA) requested a cake for the annual American Retail Bakery Exposition in Charlotte, N.C. This is the largest cake Buddy and his crew has ever made. Can you see the two tiny head near the back of the car. Those are real human ok, not figurines!! Look how big the cake is! You can drive in it. 

Aquarium Cake:
The Adventure Aquarium in Camden, N.J., requested a cake for their fifth birthday celebration. So Buddy and his crew got creative. They made a hammerhead shark, a tiger shark, a sea turtle and a stingray along with many coral fishes such as clown fish. Even the corals are edible. This cake looks so beautiful, how will anyone bear to eat it! Two large aquariums are incorporated at the back of the cake with live salt water fish swimming in it. This is not a cake, its art. Wish I could find a close up picture of this cake. You should look at the details on it. Definitely my all time favourite!

Altamura Wedding Cake:
Another Wedding Cake that I absolutely adores! This is a seven tier cake made of vanilla sponge cake, buttercream, white fondant, and royal icing. Buddy is so skilled and talented! Cake piping is one of the most difficult skill to master in cake art. Look at the amount of details on this cake. How I wish it is MINE!!!

Wedding Cake:
A six tiered piped wedding cake for Bride's Magazine Cake. Exhibits Buddy's extraordinary piping skills. If he was careless and make just one mistake with the royal icing, he will have to redo the cake all over again. Thats how challenging this cake is.

Couture Fashionista Cake:
Girls... Prepare to drool!




















How adorable is this!!! Think I will go ecstatic if I receive such a cake for my birthday!! Girls, You have the same wish as me don't you!

As you can see, the list goes on and on and on. He makes fantastic cakes! I wish there are good quality pictures to show you guys the full extent of their attention to details. So if you people plan to go to New Jersey for a holiday, remember to go to Carlo's Cake Shop! Their customers claim the cakes and pastries taste heavenly.