My friend Minette Rushing is the owner of a local Savannah cake shop called “Custom Cakes”. The name is straightforward enough and certainly conveys a basic concept of the work they do. However just they way that Minette doesn’t take enough credit for what she does, the name “Custom Cakes” doesn’t begin to convey the amazing cakes that they produce.
Located in an unassuming stripmall in the midtown area of Savannah, Custom Cakes lives up to its name by producing cakes that are as delicious as they are beautiful! Something that just about everyone who has ever been to a wedding knows is NOT always the case.
An amazingly talented individual who has studied under the likes of Nicholas Lodge who created the wedding cake for Princess Diana, Minette and her team have been selected to do many celebrity weddings. One of their cakes was recently featured in the Fall 2009 Vera Wang wedding catalog and they did the wedding cake for the recent filming of the movie version of Nicholas Sparks’ book “The Last Song”, featuring Miley Cyrus which was filmed nearby on Tybee Island. One of the things I most admire is her generous spirit and willingness to share her talents, knowledge and skill with others. She has taught several cake decorating classes for me at 700 Kitchen Cooking School and also offers more involved and advanced classes throughout the year in her own shop.
This past fall two of her cake designers participated in the Food Network’s “Challenge” series. The first episode just aired this past Sunday evening and I was lucky enough to be invited to a viewing party to watch it live. Ashlee Perkins is one of the primary designers for the creative and unique Groom’s Cakes that Custom Cakes frequently produce for weddings all across the low country region.
I first met Ashlee this past November at the Tyler Florence Low Country Celebration where she proudly displayed a Racoon cake that was so well done that many people thought it was simply a sculpture and had to be told it was actually a cake!
She started working in the shop while she was a student studying animation at Savannah College of Art & Design. Somewhere along the line buttercream and fondant got in her veins and now she’s starting what will be a very sweet career as a cake designer every bit as talented as her mentor Minette. This past fall Ashlee was invited to participate in the Food Network’s “Beauty Pageant Cakes” Challenge.
Going head-to-head with three other competitors, they each had to design a cake to celebrate the 15th Anniversary of Universal Royalty, a Texas-based beauty pageant company. Each designer had to take with them ALL necessary items (cake, fondant, buttercream, etc) that was needed. However it wasn’t until the challenge started that they learned an “unknown” part of the challenge …..being teamed up with a beauty pageant mom! That’s right…each one was to be “assisted” by the mother of a young girl that competes in the beauty pageants. I’m sure you can just IMAGINE the kind of skills that a beauty pageant mom can contribute to a three-dimensional cake! Needless to say…it did make for very interesting watching!
The episode will air again on the Food Network on the following dates and times:
Tune In:
- Jan 27, 2010
7:00 PM ET/PT
- Jan 30, 2010
6:00 PM ET/PT
- Jan 31, 2010
7:00 PM ET/PT
For more information on AMAZING specialty cakes and cake classes:
Savannah Custom Cakes
7060 Hodgson Memorial Drive
Savannah, GA 31406
(912) 356-0072
website: www.savannahcustomcakes.com
Need sweet treats for your Valentine?
Valentine’s Day is quickly coming up and Minette Rushing will be joining me to co-teach a hands-on class at 700 Kitchen Cooking School on Saturday February 6, 2010 :
Valentine’s Sweet Treats
Saturday Feb. 6, 2010, 10am-1pm $75/person
Red Velvet Petit Fours with Poured Fondant Glaze
Fondant Embellished Sugar Cookies
Rich Chocolate Truffles Laced with Liqueur
Betwixt Bars (Chocolate caramel pecan shortbread goodness!)
For class reservations call: 912-721-5006
700 Drayton St.
>Savannah, GA 31401