Our Humble Beginnings

During a recent meeting, the two of us were flipping through Launa's photo albums of some of the cakes she's done over the years, as we thought about what we should include in our website's photo gallery. What was so striking, was the level of skill and mastery that Launa has achieved in a relatively short span of time. From Launa's very first cake in 2000 for her hubby's birthday --

Launa's first official cake in 2000

what she describes as a pretty simplistic now -- to one of her latest epic masterpieces, the Robin Hood Castle Cake (complete with burning turret), it's been quite the journey (which you can read from her perspective on her blog).

Created in 2010 for son, Levi's birthday party

As we flipped through the pages, she laughingly pointed out some that were fabulous in concept, but didn't render as well in actual cake. As we reflected over all those cakes for all those different events for all those friends and loved ones, it was pretty amazing to see how her style has grown and evolved.

Made with love for her sister's birthday in 2001

Although, there were some groans over flaws that she noted, most of them would likely go unnoticed by many of us.

The thought that kept coming in my head was, "do not despise the day of humble beginnings."  In truth, some of those early cakes don't have the same level of skill or wow-factor as Launa's latest cakes, but each cake and the journey along the way has been an amazing tutor. We saw many photos of her with her arms around a friend or family member for whom she baked and decorated and put her love into her cake creation.

Launa with dear friend, Amy and her Micah (2007) -- a child who was definitely a gift from God

I have been on the receiving end of many of her cakes (well, my children have been actually) and I have treasured each one because I know how much effort and care she put into every single one of them. Take, for example, the first cake she ever made for me. It was for my daughter, Hadley's first birthday. I had pre-ordered a cake from our local wholesale retailer only to find out the night before her birthday party that they were going to be closed the next day for a holiday -- and so I would not be able to pick up my cake. One desperate call later to Launa for something "simple" and this is what she showed up with the next day for the party.

Hadley's 1st Birthday Cake and Personal Cake in 2006

When I reminded her about what I had said all those years ago, she remarked, "well, it was simple." (To her, of course, it was!) She literally saved the day for us and went the extra mile to give Hadley a personal cake to destroy -- which of course, she did.

It was almost too pretty to let her destroy it!

The was the first of what would be many cakes that Launa would provide for my children's birthdays. In fact, my kids don't consider it to be a real birthday cake unless they have a "Launa Cake." After this last cake she made for my son, Declan, my eldest child asked me, "Mom, why are Launa's cakes so good?" And the answer to that would be, because Launa is good as what she does.

Launa's answer in 2010 to my request to "just make some sort of Toy Story cake...an easy one!"

I guess what I'm trying to say -- maybe not so articulately -- is that these early days of cake are a historical reminder of not only how far Launa has come in her talent as a cake decorator, but of the people's lives she touched along the way.

And, that's a huge part of why her friends and family are so enthusiastically supportive of her starting Plum Crazy Cake Company. Because without her, there would be no cake business. Her creative spark, obsessive attention to detail, and genuine love for people is what will ultimately make Plum Crazy successful.

And if you've been wowed by the evolution of her ability as I have been, I guarantee that we "ain't seen nothing yet!"

-- Heather, proud part-owner of Plum Crazy Cake Company, but more importantly, proud friend!

Bringing Cake to the Masses

At Plum Crazy Cake Company, we're all about bringing cake to the masses. After all, shouldn't everyone be able to eat and make cake?

To do this, we've worked on some ideas this week at Starbucks (because we do some of our best brainstorming there) that will bring a little something for everyone. Hopefully, you already know about our group classes that we offer. Our Basics in Buttercream class is being rescheduled for September. As soon as we get the dates confirmed (sometime next week), we'll let post them up here on our Facebook Events page.

Launa demonstrating how to decorate novelty cupcakes

Maybe you didn't know that we also offer private one-on-one cake tutorials from basic cake making/decorating to more advanced cake decorating tips. This is great for the person who wants to work in her/his own kitchen. This also makes a great gift for a birthday or anniversary...or just because.

Our newest cake idea (and we're excited about this one!) is offering cake-themed parties for children and grown-ups alike. Party guests will be able to decorate their own mini cakes to enjoy during the party. It's the entertainment AND the dessert. Genius, right? Simply choose your flavor of cake, type of mini cake shape that you desire (square, round, star, flower), and the colors of fondant that you want, and we'll bring it all and show you how to decorate it like pro. For more info on this, check out our website.

If you are interested in any of these classes or the cake-themed party, shoot us an email at plumcrazycakeco@gmail.com or call us at 272-0710. We'd be happy to chat with you about ideas and prices.

And just in case you're wondering...yes, we're still enjoying this ride!