Target and Confetti Cakes

Have you been in a Target store recently?

If so then maybe you have seen some of my handiwork.

A few months ago I had the pleasure of working with the uber-creative design team behind the Target in-store ads for Valentine's Day! Since it is February, I thought it was time to share the awesome process I was apart of. I was asked to design cookies and cupcakes that complimented the look of the Target products. This was one of my first gigs as a food stylist but with my background in art, design and fashion (oh right... two books and ten years of cake making too) it all felt really natural.

Thanks to the amazing stylist Joe Maer for hiring me and my friend Mary from Cake girls for recommending me. Let me know if you have a chance to see the ads!

Happy Birthday Vassar!

It's the 150th Birthday of Vassar College, my alma mater where all my baking began in my senior year of college. Fast forward a number of years (just a few years of course) and I am a professional cake designer. I'm honored they chose to feature one of my cakes in the advertising.

It is ironic since I studied studio art at Vassar and the cake shown, made for Bride's magazine, was inspired by the artist Wayne Theibaud.

Also, check out the latest blog posting of Sweetest Couture, they included us with some of the BEST cake designers on Earth, what an honor!

Classes Update

Just a little update on a class coming up at the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) in New York City this March. The class is for professionals and individuals that have some experience with cake design. Here is the description for the class (a lot of techniques are covered):

Elisa Strauss, Sculpted Cakes, March 21, 22, 23, 2011, 7:30am-12noon, $750.00
Any fashionista will adore this bag. It makes an unforgettable Mother’s Day or birthday gift. By changing the shape and adjusting the handle, you could make a briefcase-style bag, too. If you can make this cake, you will have the fundamentals to make any sculpted cake. Although not obvious as a tiered cake, this doweled creation is made unique by gum paste decorations that personalize it to any occasion. Students in this class will receive credit from the ACF.

If you are interested in registering please check out ICE's website.

On another note, I will not be teaching in Paris this year. Unfortunately we could not get all the details squared away in time but I hope to be going in the future. In the meantime, the owner has just had a baby so hasn't taken down the course description. Please DO NOT sign-up for this course.

As always, I am teaching PRIVATE classes to students from all over the world and working on a whole bunch of creative projects that I hope to be able to reveal later this year. I'm also excited to be moving my studio next month; so lots of exciting changes in 2011!

I tweeted but not sure if I mentioned in my last blog, our first book The Confetti Cakes Cookbook was just re-ordered for its SIXTH Printing.