The New Season Of Duff Ace of Cakes!

[K8memphis]

699.99 mile one way delivery of an 80th birthday cake to the Windy City from Baltimore! See Duff curled up with the cake in the back of the van pulled over catching some z's on the way. Not to mention the cake is the spitting image of Wrigley frickin' Field.

A head arrived in a box, a deer was carried out in a box. Put the cakes in a box? mmm no.

Watch as Katherine balances a four tier $1500 cake wrapped in plastic wrap on one knee while negotiating the door at the top of some steep stairs.

No but that Wrigley's cake was tremendous. <insert clapping smilie face>

And not to knock the cake that Katherine juggled to deliver, but it was not uber bombastically decorated. I hope all the brides who read all the hot tips on how to save money on their cake got the whole $1500 part. It was a stunning custom designed cake. It was not a large cake although it was four tiers, it was probably maybe a 12" on the bottom, coulda been 14 but the deal is, the $1500 is a fair albeit bombastic price point. Fresh, delicious, servable art ain't cheap.

That's worth repeating, "Fresh, delicious, servable art ain't cheap."

What did you think of the show?

Edited January 19, 2007 by K8memphis (log)

[tmgrobyn]

I love the show because of its realism. The back of the bakeshop I manage is a lot like theirs. Fun, very hard work, tedium and sometimes a bit snarky at stupid customers. Duff and the gang aren't painting an unrealistic view of a bakeshop. It's great. The delivery with one hand on the door while balancing on the knee, I have done too many times not to shudder everytime I see it done by someone else. Ick.

Some people may think the $1500 was too much, but not a bakeshop worker. The ingedients are only the beginning!

[ghost]

Duff did our wedding cake in December of 2005. We chose him to do our wedding cake just after he filmed his very first Food Network competition but 9 months before it aired. After our wedding we noticed he was on many more food network challenges. I asked him how long before he got his own show, he laughed and said, "It's called Ace of Cakes and starts this summer." Duff is a great guy. And we totally lucked out by getting him to do our cake before he was famous :-) I bet we wouldn't get in the door now for what our budget allowed.

[Pam R]

I love the show. It just started airing recently on FTVCanada.

tmgrobyn, I couldn't agree with you more. Even though he (and the crew) create cakes that I'll never be able to create, there's still a lot that I can identify with. Bubbe talking him into baking all those cookies that he doesn't usually do? Scrambling to get the cakes delivered - in one piece - on time. Supplier shorting you during your busiest week of the summer? Haven't we all been there?

I do wonder why he seems to have an aversion to cake boxes..

ghost - Have any pictures of the cake? And I'm really curious - how do his cakes taste? I mean, we know they look fantastic - but do they taste as great as they look?

[ghost]

I love the show.  It just started airing recently on FTVCanada. 

tmgrobyn, I couldn't agree with you more.  Even though he (and the crew) create cakes that I'll never be able to create, there's still a lot that I can identify with.  Bubbe talking him into baking all those cookies that he doesn't usually do?  Scrambling to get the cakes delivered - in one piece - on time.  Supplier shorting you during your busiest week of the summer?  Haven't we all been there?

I do wonder why he seems to have an aversion to cake boxes..

ghost - Have any pictures of the cake?  And I'm really curious - how do his cakes taste? I mean, we know they look fantastic - but do they taste as great as they look?

←

The cake was delicious. We were pretty standard on flavors with lemon pound cake and white chocolate raspberry. I only wish we weren't so hurried on our wedding day so I could have enjoyed it a bit more. But Duff is awesome, he's is definitely the same person in real life that he is on tv. He's a blast!

Here is a picture of our cake: http://www.charmcitycakes.com/images/gallery/elegant_50.jpg

Edited January 28, 2007 by ghost (log)

[jsmeeker]

I TiVo this show and have watched several episodes.

This may seem like a really dumb question, but do they actually BAKE the cakes? I don't think I've ever seen flour, eggs, sugar, etc. Or even an oven. I just seem them decorate cake (and rice crispies), usually with fondant that is bought from a vendor.

What'a the scoop here?

[Pam R]

I think I've seen them bake the cakes. Maybe.

I'm sure they baked all those cookies for the stacked wedding cookies. Didn't they?

[K8memphis]

Yes they bake them there. By the way, the bakery is 5,000 sq feet. Too cool.

There's a contest on Jane magazine for someone to get to intern with Duff for a week. You just sign up for it. I'll try to find the linkage...brb...

link to contest

Edited January 29, 2007 by K8memphis (log)

[JeanneCake]

The show that was on yesterday showed them taking baked cakes out of the oven; I noticed in the first set of shows they didn't let any film of the actual cake preparation (mixing, scaling, baking, making buttercream) into the show; but this last episode showed them making cake batter. And I don't remember seeing a walkin at all!!! I wonder when stuff goes on the "done rack" how long it stays there before it goes out the door...

[ghost]

The show that was on yesterday showed them taking baked cakes out of the oven; I noticed in the first set of shows they didn't let any film of the actual cake preparation (mixing, scaling, baking, making buttercream) into the show; but this last episode showed them making cake batter.  And I don't remember seeing a walkin at all!!!  I wonder when stuff goes on the "done rack" how long it stays there before it goes out the door...

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So I asked him this when he was doing ours. It takes sometimes a few days to do a cake. However, once the fondant is over it, the cake can sit out for quite a while without spoiling.

[tmgrobyn]

Yes Pam! We never box a cake if it is tiered. Why mess with perfection? For us it is just one more way to goof it up! hehehehe!

I've seen them bake also. We use way more frosting than he does and the "how do they taste?" question was always on my mind too. ghost your cake sounds delicious! That flavor combo is one of our most popular.

[Kajikit]

I TiVo this show and have watched several episodes.

This may seem like a really dumb question, but do they actually BAKE the cakes?  I don't think I've ever seen flour, eggs, sugar, etc.  Or even an oven.  I just seem them decorate cake (and rice crispies), usually with fondant that is bought from a vendor.

What'a the scoop here?

←

I've only seen two eps of it so far, but on the last one they were talking about it being the intern's job to scrub the used cake pans... so somebody's got to be baking something The finished cakes are glorious!

[K8memphis]

...

The cake was delicious.  We were pretty standard on flavors with lemon pound cake and white chocolate raspberry.  I only wish we weren't so hurried on our wedding day so I could have enjoyed it a bit more.  But Duff is awesome, he's is definitely the same person in real life that he is on tv.  He's a blast!

Here is a picture of our cake:  http://www.charmcitycakes.com/images/gallery/elegant_50.jpg

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So for this reason, and because I blew it at my daughter's wedding, (hey I've only been doing this 30 years) umm, I'm offering a new detail. I'm going to supply a small box with a note attached to put in a coupla slices of cake for the couple to have take-out, a pre-arranged doggy bag for bride & groom. And further instruct for someone to place it in the getaway car. I mean in a lot of cases and if the b&g were cool, the baker could even accomplish this with (nice) cake scraps and pre-fill the box.

Caterers should always be doing this for them anyway. You know it's common to not be able to even remember the day much less enjoy the eats.

Just a thought....

[Joisey]

This show is entertaining, but I can see it rapidly going the way of "American Choppers"...same characters, same personality quirks, different products. Hopefully Duff gets the same merchandising profits as the Teutels....

[tmgrobyn]

We usually recommend not to count the cake top (a 6" round usually) in the guest count. Then we provide a small box to transport that cake with the couple on their honeymoon. It's a fall back I've used because the only cake I got at my wedding 32 years ago was that "one picture" bite! I was disappointed that there wasn't more. It was a huge cake! 5 tiers, 7 satellites, and I got one bite!

Well, rant off! I always recommend taking the cake, and then we supply the anniversary cake a year later.

[K8memphis]

Luckily for me, my daughter and son-in-law stayed in town overnight before leaving for their honeymoon or I'd never have heard the end of it for the rest of my life. We had oodles of the wonderful catered food and some of the cake left so they came by the next day & we all pigged out.

But between your rant which has been repeated my so many brides and my near brush with the wrath of my daughter just kidding kinda sorta, I decided to take the opportunity to avoid it for all the rest of my brides. She was able to enjoy the food afterall but she would have loved to have gotten to tease me for all eternity.

I mean it's so ironic. When they left the reception they were hungry. We were there trying to decide what to do with piles of food and cake. As so often is the case after a wedding. Hello-o.

I should add that with any wedding cake I also deliver an anniversary cake boxed and decorated to match ready to be encased in plastic and frozen. Like a 4 or 5 inch cake. It's easily accomplished with cake scraps.

This way I tell the bride that she can count all the servings in her cake to be served, that always goes over well with them. And I'm now adding the extra detail of making a way for them to get a few slices 'to-go' to enjoy after the reception when things calm down.

Your method of having them come back in a year is also a good marketing tool. But sometimes the top cake is an 8, too many servings to not count. This way the math is that much easier for me with custom jobs.

[psychobombshell]

I have a HUGE crush on Duff... bald head, loves Fu Manchu, plays the bass, plays with power tools in a non-traditional fashion, cute smile, smart as hell, AND passionate about my favourtie food ever..... what's not to love?

[tmgrobyn]

Yes Kate it does work as a good mktg tool except when we're uber busy. Then it's like oh heck! another dang bride wanting a free 6" cake! Of course we don't say that to them, but it does fill the grumble fodder well. It's usually simply decorated, they get to choose chocolate or white and a filling of their choice.

I like the idea of using the cake scraps, too!

[handmc]

This show is entertaining, but I can see it rapidly going the way of "American Choppers"...same characters, same personality quirks, different products.  Hopefully Duff gets the same merchandising profits as the Teutels....

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You know I was wondering the same thing. I have also noticed that the more I watch american chopper, and I am not even a bike guy, I become more facinated with what they do and how creative they are. The personality nonsense actually just gets in the way.

I don't think I will tire of the show soon. It is interesting to watch how the staff, his friends that start with him, have grown in their job and what they do. The one skinny guy who seems to be his #2, is a lot more confident in his work than the first season. He also appears to really like what he his doing.

This guy makes some great looking cakes. Only a little more than an hour out of Baltimore every time I watch the show I am tempted to order one.

[srhcb]

Gee!

A Superbowl Cake that looks like a football field, complete with little players, and a replica of the Superbowl Trophy.

How imaginative.

More like a Junior High School Art Class Project than cutting edge pastry making.

[StephMac]

Well... it did have to serve hundreds (thousands?) of people, and it had to be transported and decorated far, far away from their "home base" in Baltimore, and it had to assembled as quickly as possible... I think that kind of limits your design a bit. Besides, the wind and shaking stage worked plenty of havoc with that "Junior High School Art Class" cake; something more "cutting edge" may have been in worse shape in those conditions.

I do think they missed a prime opportunity to use some fireworks on the cake! (Probably couldn't due to the crowds, I'm guessing.)

The typewriter cake, though - that was an impressive, beautiful piece of work. The round coffee-mug stains on the board were an especially nice touch, I thought.

[K8memphis]

Gee! 

A Superbowl Cake that looks like a football field, complete with little players, and a replica of the Superbowl Trophy.

How imaginative.

More like a Junior High School Art Class Project than cutting edge pastry making.

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I could not disagree more. Cutting edge pastry making? Just the idea of delivering any cake to an outdoor event in Miami humidity and heat, not to mention the wind, building a remote cake room, or was it two cake rooms, one at the hotel one outdoors, five people traveling a thousand miles one way. All of the work was over the top professionally. 3-d figures of every player, the two big helmets and the trophy. Little random details like the water jugs & stuff. The lettering was not done on a printer. And it has to be fresh and it has to taste good. And the logistical nightmares are very real. I mean football people would not want a lighted fountain and lattice work y'know.

[K8memphis]

Ok. I get it you wanted maybe some cheerleaders? No but seriously, if he's asked to do this another year he will have to outdo this year's I'll grant you obvious choice of decor, but hey whatsa matta with obvious? What would we recommend for a football game?

Umm, a giant Superbowl ring, umm, yeah cheerleaders, umm, now I like to do action kinda cakes. I could see a big muscle-y arm ripping up out of the football field turf tossing a ginormous football. That would be cool. Or a foot kicking a ball all action-y like.

Y'know what I really like about a football game is when the refs stick their arms straight up for a TOUCHDOWN. I would totally do some raised arms like that too.

Or umm, picture a short tree with a tire hanging on it and a football being thrown through it and then there's a foot ball field like morphed on the other side of the tire and at the end a jumbotron with SUPERBOWL 2008 on it, fireworks-y. Then with all the accompnaying accoutrements of a football game.

Ok I got it. Duff should hire me for consults. Two football fields with a foot kicking a ball on one side and an arm tossing the ball on the other field -- the two balls collide mid-air like half smashed into the other and SUPERBOWL #whatever in big letters coming out of the smash. Each field personalized for each team. Dude, that would be cool.

But still yet most decorators could not have pulled that off, the logistics alone were killer. Ok he could ramp up the decor next time but no where near junior high level. You'd need to walk in some cake mocassins.