Shopkins Cake

A couple months ago we received a fun request for a custom cake from a friend: she was throwing her 6 year old daughter, Olivia, a Shopkins-themed party and wanted us to get creative with the cake. 

I couldn't be further from the world of kids, cartoons and toys, not being a mother myself, so I had to ask her: "What is Shopkins?!".  

I had never heard of Shopkins before and had no idea what my friend was talking about. A quick Google search ensued.  

I quickly learned what the craze was all about: They're these colorful plastic figurines, each with a unique name and face, based on grocery store items.  The kind of stuff that would've been right up my alley when I was a kid.

Adorable! 

I was told, Olivia's favorite characters were Cheeky Chocolate (the half unwrapped chocolate bar) and Wishes (the birthday cake) and that I could pick which character to base the cake on.  
I picked Wishes ... obviously!

We got straight to work.  A few hours and lots of bright food coloring later, we had our masterpiece.  

I have to say, as cake designers, there's no better feeling than getting this kind of reaction from our customers:

Hester Street Fair Recap!

Hello!!

We are so excited to share with you photos of our past two weekends at Hester Street Fair - a curated outdoor market for one-of-a-kind goods and specialty foods.  The fair is located in Manhattan's Lower East Side and is open from April 25th through October 31st from 11am-6pm.  It was our first time at the fair and we didn't quite know what to expect.  Being the realist that I am, I was anxious while preparing, hoping we would have a "warm welcome"!  I'm happy to say we weren't disappointed!  Meeting all the friendly locals and watching as customers tried our cakes for the first time (the feedback was incredible!) made all the hard work worth it!  We can honestly say we had a blast!  We'll be back in September.  Dates will be announced on our Instagram and Facebook page.  Stay tuned!

Our menu included:  Sunday Bake's signature Carrot Cake with ganache topping, sweet corn cake, olive oil cake, almond lemon cake, lemon blueberry cake, Nutella baked mini doughnuts (our bestseller!), home made cookies with guava filling, mini cheese quiche.  

For more information on Hester Street Fair visit http://www.hesterstreetfair.com/

Mother's Day Restaurant Guide: Westchester & Fairfield Counties

Mother's Day is just a few days away, and if you haven't made plans yet, we've come to the rescue!  Hurry, there's still time to snatch up that reservation for Sunday brunch!

Fortina (top) In an upbeat, lively atmosphere, Fortina delivers “straight forward Italian food” – as their slogan aptly states.  With two locations, Armonk and Rye, Fortina’s menu boasts some scrumptious brick oven pizzas, killer pasta dishes and delicious salads.  Oh and did I mention a Nutella pizza pie?  Hello! Need I say more?

The Spread (bottom) Since my first visit to The Spread - located in SoNo aka South Norwalk - I have been smitten.  Within a cozy, industrial meets shabby chic environment (the mismatched plates had me at hello! ) you can choose from a menu that is as eclectic as a menu gets offering dishes like Fois Gras Torchon, Crispy Pork Belly Bites and my all time favorite Brick Chicken served with polenta and garden greens.  Your momma will surely be impressed!

And there you have it!  Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! xx

*Photos found on the web

Mother's Day Restaurant Guide: NYC

In my family, the task of finding a restaurant for occasions such as Mother's Day, somehow always falls on me.  Being the easy-going, stress-free human being that I am (not!), I don't necessarily thrive in my responsibility.  That's why over the years, I've compiled a list of eateries in NYC and surroundings to make my task a little easier. If you're anything like me, fret not!   Here at Sunday Bake we put together 2 small restaurant guides (NYC & Westchester County/Fairfield County) to help you in choosing the perfect spot to brunch with Mom on Mother's Day!

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT

Tartine  This small French bistro offers simple, delicious and inexpensive (wink wink) French food.  Their homemade tarts and meringues are also to die for! If you and Mom don’t mind waiting in line, this place is definitely worth it and if you’re lucky you’ll even grab a sidewalk table so you can enjoy some quality “people watching” time, I mean, bonding time over a glass of wine (BYOB!!) in the heart of the ever-so-charming West Village.  

Rosemary's  With a charming rustic décor and airy interiors, this West Village gem is one of my favorite places to eat in the city.  Their pasta dishes are mouth watering and their salads are prepared with veggies grown in their own rooftop garden (cuteness overload!). But for me, it’s the focaccia that steals the show... simply YUM!! The two large tables in the middle of the restaurant make this joint a perfect spot for larger parties.

Egg Shop  If you're feeling adventurous and full of energy, I'd recommend taking a trip to the Lower East Side, to visit this cute little café.  Egg Shop is a paradise for all the egg-lovers out there (my hand is raised!), as the name appropriately suggests.  Here you will find egg sandwiches, eggs on salads, eggs with steak, with salmon, with pork, poached eggs, scrambled eggs, sunny up eggs… you get the point!  

Claudette  Last, but certainly not least, this adorable Provençal restaurant in Greenwich Village, is everything girls love in a restaurant: a charming interior design; light, fresh food that fills you without leaving you stuffed; delicious cocktails and desserts!  As a bonus, it is only steps away from Washington Square Park, where you and your momma can go for a post-brunch stroll and bask in the sun.  Check, check, check.

Stay tuned!  In the next few days we'll be posting the Westchester County/Fairfield County restaurant guide.

*Photos found on the web.

Shooting our introductory video: Behind the scenes

Last Sunday, we recruited our very talented brother, Paul, to shoot a short introductory video for Sunday Bake... one you will see very soon on our opening page.  It was a weekend-long endeavor ... Mom and Deb spent hours in the kitchen preparing the cakes while Jess and I worked on the flower arrangements, planned the table settings and developed the story for the video.  It's so much fun when you can let your creative juices flow freely and in the end have the ability to create something as beautiful as this video will be.  We're exploding with ideas so we'll keep new things coming for your entertainment  ;)   Here are a few behind-the-scenes shots of our busy weekend: