Karma Cakes: Please Give Me 5!

In Karma Cakes, I highlight an organization or individual that uses baking to make the lives of others a little better. If you know of a bakery, organization or individual that does this please let us know.Most everyone I know that bakes, including myself, do it because is makes people happy. Then there are those that use baking as way to reach people in other ways like...

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Please Give Me 5

I first came across Jakob's story through my wonderful group of flickr friends. Jakob's mom is a cake designer from Down Under named Kathryn and the following post is reprinted with permission from her blog 4 Goodness Cake. I actually sat in front of my computer for 20 minutes trying to write a blog post before realizing that I couldn't find words any better than Kathryn's. If you were touched as half as much as I was you'll click on the link above the "Please Give Me 5" logo and donate. It's $ 5 in New Zealand but only about $ 4 in the US. Also, please post on your own blog, facebook and twitter page. Jakob's halfway to his goal and there's only one week left!

Here's Kathryn's post, originally published on 3/27/10:


"For many of us Christmas is that moment in time when we focus on the people we love and we do everything in our power to make sure they feel it. We even extend part of that love and kindness to people who we don’t really know just in case they don’t have someone giving them that support.

Anyway, that ‘s how it should normally go but in the moments before Christmas 09 my friend Tracey was told that her daughter Kelcey aged 9 years had a disease known as T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. You don’t need Wikipedia to work out that this is a damned serious disease that has no right to be in anybody’s life especially someone so young and hungry for life like, Kelcey. As you can expect this was devastating news for Tracey, her husband Kelvin and all their family and friends.

The road ahead for Kelcey is a constant barrage of invasive treatments that will challenge every physical and mental part of her being. She is a child with a whole bunch of dreams and wishes that have now been cruelly wrenched from her. It’s not fair. Tracey and Kelvin are determined to see their precious Kelcey overcome this disease and begin to enjoy the things that children are designed to enjoy. I will be fully supporting Tracey and her family in this campaign because she has done so much for me, my family and many other people who know her. I am confident she probably has no appreciation whatsoever of how much she has inspired and strengthened those around her.

Tracey has unwittingly done this as she waged her own battle against breast cancer a few years ago. Yes, it’s hard to believe that while she still has her own fight to finish she has found the reserves of courage to fight for Kelcey. That’s too remarkable for words.

My 9 year old son Jakob has developed a strong relationship with Kelcey through this time. Perhaps this had its beginnings when Tracey and I were two friends with three months between our pregnancies. Jakob has seen and understood how very different Kelcey’s situation is from his own so when he talks about her you can feel the powerful strength in his belief that she will be cured. He wants to help Kelcey so tomorrow he’s joining a “shave off” that will be staged by the Auckland Police Dog Section.

Yes, my son is going to shave his head to raise funds for Kelcey.

He made this decision himself and he already has set himself a target figure. Jakob’s theory is that if a 1000 people amongst the billions who live in this world sponsored him $5.00 each then he would have $5000 to give to Kelcey and her family. The mother in me wants to say to him “Son let’s keep it real. You don’t want to be disappointed” but he believes he can do it so I’m going to believe with him.

So this is where YOU come in.....

Please donate $5 to Kelcey’s fund and then PLEASE forward on to everyone and anyone you can think of!
We have about a week to get this thing ‘global’ and I will be updating his progress as the figure climbs and adding photos of the ‘Shave Off’ Fundraiser..... with the new look Jakob!
If you made it this far then I thank you.....now PLEASE go press that Donate button :O)"

Click here to donate to Jakob's cause! Only one week left!

** Jakob is a huge fan of the Ellen Show and has written to Ellen in the hopes that she will help him bring attention to Kelcey's cause by sending a tweet to her fans. Here is a link to send an email to Ellen. Maybe if enough of us email, she'll help!**

Well it's bake to work for me!

Thanks for tuning in! Until next time...

Sugar Mama NYC's Giveaway: Wilton baking and decorating supplies

Every one loves getting free stuff and giving it away is even more fun! Sugar Mama NYC will host giveaways as often as possible featuring the coolest stuff we can find.
It's easy to enter: Just click on one of the links below. Enter your info, the name of the giveaway featured in the title above and your give away entry. Best of luck in Sugar Mama NYC's Giveaway!

Coming soon, Sugar Mama NYC will have an online store on our website selling Wilton baking and decorating products! To kickoff our upcoming store, we will be giving away an assortment of Wilton baking and decorating products.

Today's Giveaway:

Giveaway Name: Wilton baking and decorating supplies


Giveaway Entry: What baking/decorating tool can you NOT live without and why?

Giveaway Prize: Cake and pie server, Baker's blade, Decorating tip cover set, and 12 icing bag ties.
Retail Price: Over $25.00
Giveaway ends April 22, 2010!

Wilton Enterprises, based in Woodridge, Illinois, and founded in 1929, is the leading food crafting company in the industry, with the number one position in cake decorating, bakeware and tea kettles. Today, Wilton Enterprises offers the industry´s most comprehensive and innovative selection of baking, cake decorating, candy making, cookie making, wedding, baby, party, seasonal, kitchen and hydration products. These products are designed to make it easy for anyone to enjoy the thrill of serving something special and utilizing unique style and design while doing it. Consumers trust Wilton brands such as Performance Pans™, Candy Melts® brand confectionery coating, Cupcakes ´N More® dessert stands and Copco® Housewares to help make celebrations more exciting. Along with great products, Wilton classes and publications have helped hundreds of thousands of people around the world create impressive party desserts, served with flair. Celebrating its 80th year, The Wilton School of Cake Decorating and Confectionery Art still educates 1,400 students a year who have come from 88 countries and all 50 states while Educational Marketing with its almost 4,000 teachers across the US taught 262,000 people the art of cake decorating in 2008.

**We love comments, but leaving one below will not enter you in the giveaway. You must submit an entry form by clicking the link below. Be sure to enter the GIVEAWAY NAME & GIVEAWAY ENTRY to qualify**

Enter Here:
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Skip to the good stuff!
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Cake of the Week: Back to the 80s

This week's beauty is a huge cake for a very nostalgic 16 year old. When I met with Kimberly and her mom, Kimberly was very clear that she wanted an amazing cake to compliment her 80's themed party. It just so happened that I had a sketch for an 80's themed wedding cake that never happened. Bad news for the couple, but good news for Kimberly. We modified the design to include Mr. & Mrs. Pac Man, finished off with a glittery microphone and 16 topper both in pink; the birthday girl's favorite color.

The cake is composed of 3 square tiers of cake. The bottom tier is chocolate with chocolate butter cream. The middle and top tiers are white cake with yummy strawberry fruit filling.
The bottom tier was a graffiti'd brick wall composed of fondant cut into panels pressed with a brick patterned impression mat, airbrushed with a combination of yellow, red, orange, then
finally brown, and "spray painted" with tags.

The middle tier is something I'm sure the birthday girl has no experience with, but everybody remembers... the cassette boom box! As I was putting this cake together I became flooded with memories of me taping songs from the radio and winding a cassette with a pencil. And the best was when your Walkman ( your what?!) would run out of batteries and your music would play sloower and sloooower. Those were the days...

The top tier is adorned with a name buckle and decorated with the theme of every child of the 80's pixelated partners, Pac Man & Ms. Pac Man complete with pellets and the ever coveted power pellets. I noticed as I was decorating the top tier that Ms. Pac Man had to have one crazy morning routine. She wears lipstick, eyeliner, mascara, a fake mole and even takes the time to put a bow in her hair! Pac Man however, just rolls out of bed and starts chasing ghosts. I guess it's another example of art imitating life.


The cake was topped with a rice krispy treat microphone and gumpaste 16. After a quick coat of pearlescent shimmer for some extra zazz it was ready to go! This deceptively heavy cake, about 50 -60 lbs, was loaded up, delivered and once set up fit in perfectly with the old school hip hop decor.



Happy Birthday Kimberly! I hope it was funky fresh! :o)
Well, it's bake to work for me!
Thanks for tuning in!

SUGAR MAMA NYC CELEBRATES WEDNESDAY EVENING PERFORMANCES AT WITH COMPLIMENTARY GOURMET CUPCAKES FOR AUDIENCE MEMBERS

For Immediate Release: Contact:

Glenna Freedman/Keith Sherman & Associates (212) 764-7900 Glenna@ksa-pr.com

SUGAR MAMA NYC CELEBRATES WEDNESDAY EVENING PERFORMANCES AT WITH COMPLIMENTARY GOURMET CUPCAKES FOR AUDIENCE MEMBERS

at The Black Box Theatre at The Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre 111 West 46th Street

“You wont find a more entertaining 90 minutes of first-rate country music.” – Associated Press-

“The cast could hardly be better! Lauren Kennedy, Sally Mayes, Teri Ralston, Gina Stewart & Liza Vann are first-rate singers and actors!” – Backstage, Critic’s Pick-

PHOTO EDITORS PLEASE LOG ON TO: http://www.goodolgirls.com/press/pressphotos

The hit Off-Broadway show, GOOD OL’ GIRLS, is pleased to announce that audience members will receive a complimentary gourmet cupcake from Sugar Mama NYC at 8 p.m. performances on Wednesday from March 17 through April 7th.

Customers who call Sugar Mama NYC will receive 10% off their order if they mention, The Secret Discount Code in every cupcakes box.

The musical which opened February 14th, will now play Wednesday evening performances, beginning March 17th.

Two of Nashville’s leading singer/songwriters redefine the modern Southern woman in GOOD OL’ GIRLS, a musical about love, loss and laughter. Through the language of five unique southerners, GOOD OL’ GIRLS celebrates childhood through old age with big hair and bigger hearts. Featured in the cast are: Lauren Kennedy (Spamalot), Sally Mayes (She Loves Me), Teri Ralston (Company), Gina Stewart (“Dawson’s Creek”) and Liza Vann (Machiavelli). Adapted by Paul Ferguson, the musical, written by two prominent Southern authors, Lee Smith (The Last Girls) and Jill McCorkle (Going Away Shoes), has songs by Nashville hit-makers Matraca Berg (Reba McEntire, Dixie Chicks, Faith Hill) and Marshall Chapman (Jimmy Buffett, Wynonna, Olivia Newton-John). GOOD OL’ GIRLS is directed by Randal Myler (It Ain’t Nothin’ But The Blues; Hank Williams: The Lost Highway; Love, Janis).

In three short years Sugar Mama NYC has produced hundreds of cakes, cookies, cupcakes and brownies; and can boast such clients as Virgin Atlantic Airlines, Paul Frank Industries, Thompson Hotels, J.P. Morgan Chase, John Legend and The Stephen Colbert Show, The Colbert Report. Sugar Mama NYC has also designed cakes for CitiBabes in SoHo and NBC’s Saturday Night Live. For more information, visit www.sugarmamatreats.com or call 718-953-0025.

The playing schedule for GOOD OL’ GIRLS is Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with matinees Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets are $70. For tickets call (212) 352-3101 or 866-811-4111 or visit www.theatermania.com. For group sales call (212) 265-8500 or log on to www.theatre4groups.com www.goodolgirls.com

Cake of the Week: Downhill skier

This week's mountain of a cake was actually a hold over from last week. Ironically,we experience a nor'easter (that’s a big *ss snow storm for you warmer climate dwellers) this snow capped master piece had to wait for better weather to make it's debut. This Alpine beauty was cooked up, at the last minute; which seems to be the rule rather than the exception with Cake of the Weeks, by a friend of the birthday girl. The theme of the party was that after 25 it all goes downhill. This hasn't been my experience, thank you very much, but it did make for an awesome cake idea!

The mountain is actually 3 tiers of cake: Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Butter Cream, Red Velvet with Cream Cheese Buttercream and Butter Cake with Vanilla Butter Cream. Once the tiers were stacked and before it was crumb coated, they were sculpted into a rugged mountain shape and S curved ski trail was carved into the face.

The cake was covered in white fondant and airbrushed with an icy blue shimmer to give the look of a snowy peak. The trees were made from gumpaste and frosted with royal icing. The flags were made from gumpaste and secured with toothpicks (or cocktail stick, if you prefer).

Our guest of honor was made of white modeling chocolate and is sculpted wearing a green, her favorite color, ski suit and unfortunately headed towards a tree.

A special birthday message was added with an edible marker and the downhill skier was delivered to her final destination. Let's hope all of her downhill battles are limited to the ski slope.

Well it's bake to work for me!
Thanks for tuning in! Until Next Time...