Why did the Lakers win a championship this year? I think the answer is pretty obvious. Our awesome Lakers cake. You didn't see the Celtics with an awesome cake by us did you? How about the Cavaliers? Nope. It was our Staples Center sweet treat that put the purple and gold over the top. Kobe, you know where to send the thank you note... filled with cash.
Husband Mike here as we slide into the second half of WE tv's Amazing Wedding Cakes season 2! And the pressure was on this week as we dove into the world of basketball for a groom's cake modeled after the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. Stadiums of all sports are pretty popular in the cake world. Few things inspire such passion as supporting your favorite team, and people love seeing their home field/court/ice etc. made of cake. By the way, doesn't it seem weird to make something you love for the sole purpose of eating it?
The Staples was a challenge because we knew that it is one of the most televised and therefore familiar arenas in the country. It's not just some round or oval behemoth, it has its own personality and shape. So, Marc and I decided as the men of the bakery we should venture out for a little recon since the Staples is just blocks away from us. We grabbed some pictures and it was really helpful. We saw the slope of the roof, the red accent on top, the palm trees, the lights, the big windows and all that. We opted not to recreate the distinctive jut out section because it would have just interfered with the aesthetics of the cake too much.
The field trip was a blast. As you saw, there was that awesome dude drumming his way through downtown L.A. blasting Edgar Winter's "Frankenstein." He had sticks and fingerless gloves and was going for it like his driver's seat was the throne of the biggest drum kit ever known to man! It was legendary. He was spinning his sticks and banging his head and I love this guy. Big ups to our camera operator Pyongson for leaping into action when I spotted this guy! One of my main goals during filming was to make Pyongson laugh cause she was usually very serious and focused on her work (which is awesome). So it brought me great joy to see her giggling as she shot this guy "rehearsing" for his big break. And as a drummer myself, I meant it when I said, "you gotta practice sometime!"
Now, before we get back to the cake, you might have noticed that silly headband I was wearing. Marc and I stopped by the store and picked up a basketball and some headbands to mess with Reva when we got back. We dangerously kept passing the ball around the bakery and at one point I bounced the ball off her back. Note to husbands: no matter how funny you might think it is to bounce a basketball off your wife's back, it isn't. Sorry honey!
The cake itself virtually designed itself. We knew it had to have Kobe's jersey and look like Staples, so that was a given. From there we all jumped in on this one. Reva assembled and laid out the fondant, Marc piped and hit all those design elements, Karyn worked on the palm trees and some other details to add on, and I went out and found some purple lights to give it that extra pop. You'll notice the actual Staples Center is silver, but when they shine colored lights on it, it takes on that hue, so we made the fondant purple-ish to highlight that aspect of the arena. Clearly, without those lights on that cake, the Lakers are not inspired enough to win a championship. Am I right?
The ball itself was styrofoam because we didn't want to add the weight to the top and the size of the wedding didn't call for extra cake. It got covered in buttercream and the lines piped and then the big argument. First of all, Marc did not get "ganged up on." The conversation of where to put the ball circulated for a couple hours and what you saw was the very end where we all were just reasserting our opinion. My argument was that putting it on the top made it look like it was teetering on the edge of a basket. What do you think?
The details came out great. Karyn's palm trees looked perfect, really adding to the sense of visiting the Staples. Marc nailed the signs and the windows and the giant jersey and ball cast no doubt as to what team this groom roots for. Jerseys and other fabric are tough to apply to cakes properly, but at least with basketball jerseys, there are no sleeves to contend with! We gave the top some form with some foam-core board and let the rest of the fondant hang over the edge of the building. Reva had a great save when she noticed the board on the back didn't have any fondant on it! Sometimes you're so into the overall look from the front, you can forget about people walking around the cake!! So she fixed that and with a couple wood dowels the cake was finished.
This was one of the very few deliveries we had Marc do by himself because Reva and I were actually on our way to deliver that Arboretum cake you saw a few weeks ago. But it was close by and even though Marc can get a little stressed out with the idea of delivering a cake, he loves being there and seeing the reaction of the clients. From what we heard, the reception site was incredible and the guests were swarming around the cake. As I said, nothing inspires passion like sports, and L.A. folks love their Lakers.
All in all I think this was one of my favorites this season. I know Reva said no one in the bakery was really into sports, but that's not true. I am a huge hockey nut and have spent more hours watching SportsCenter than I care to mention. So seeing such an iconic building come to life through the talents of Marc and Reva was really really fun. And did you see those lights? Who was the genius behind that?!
Next week we have a wedding cake inspired by peacock feathers!! Reva spent a lot of time on this one so tune in and see how it turns out!! Thanks for watching and keep your eyes on the blog for some big announcements coming soon from Merci Beaucoup! (Hint: get your wallets ready)
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