The Sweetapolita Bakebook

INTRODUCTION


I can still vividly recall my first cake experience : It was 1977, and I was earnestly leaning over a heart-shaped chocolate birthday cake, feeling the warmth of three little pink Cake Mate candles burning away as I excitedly tried to dream up a wish. The cake was adorned with stark-white and Barbie-pink frosting roses, swirly piped borders, and an elegantly scripted “Happy Birthday Rosanne.” It was the quintessential supermarket bakery cake, and it was perfect. My mom was never much of a cake-baker, though she always cooked big meals and made many a pie.

For many years to follow, my mom bought me these beloved heart-shaped birthday cakes—sometimes chocolate, more often vanilla—from our local grocery store in my hometown of Kitchener, Ontario. She knew, as mothers do, that something as simple as a cake had the power to make her little girl’s eyes twinkle and smile shine brighter. To this day, I cannot spot a heart-shaped cake, or even a heart-shaped cake pan, withoutfeeling the love and comfort of my childhood.

When I was sixteen, as a result of pure serendipity, I got a job at the only fancy bakery in our city, and it was during that time that I (officially) fell in love with the world- and-wonder of cake and confection. Despite having a longtime enchantment with pretty baked goods, my “cake” career began in a much different way when, in my twenties, I partnered with a friend and created a successful dessert-themed bath and body product company called Cake Beauty. And although I left the thriving company in 2003, I believe that those were the formative years of what later became Sweetapolita. A few years later, after getting married and having my first little cakelet, Reese, I registered for baking and cake design courses at Bonnie Gordon College of Confectionary Arts in Toronto. It was there that I was lucky enough to learn from some of the world’s leading cake artists and ultimately became a professional baker and cake designer. After weeks of feverish brainstorming, I came up with the name Sweetapolita—a nonsense word that would represent my playful approach to baking (and life) and hopefully capture the essence of what I create and release into the world.

So, armed with a whimsical name and a burning desire, I decided to up and start a blog. My creative heart and soul were all a-sparkle as I launched Sweetapolita.com. After several years of living all-things-baking, I felt particularly connected to the world of sprinkles. I knew there was a way to elevate and celebrate sprinkles in a way that would bring ease and excitement to not only every baker, but to anyone who wanted to play in the kitchen. It was a magnetic pull I could not ignore; perhaps it is the instant YAY they inject into anything they land upon, launching inspiration to create colorful sweets and sparking much childhood joy for everyone involved. I couldn’t explain why my connection to these crunchy little bits was so strong, but the creative in me knew this was where I was meant to be, and the entrepreneur in me felt reinvigorated. With that, I created a small collection of Sprinkle Medleys—mixes of premium sprinkles that celebrate color and texture with enough wow to be the star of any show—and started an Etsy shop. Fast forward a few more years, and Sweetapolita has evolved into a global lifestyle brand, bringing more happiness than I could have ever imagined possible.

But of course it’s not just about career happiness. To me, baking and sprinkles are so, so much more than that. Frolicking in flour, frosting, and sprinkle-tossing, even as a hobby or occasional pastime, is something that no one can ever take away from you. It is yours. Baking is timeless, its possibilities are boundless, and you can infuse it with your own flair—most often delighting everyone in your path along the way. Like a magic wand filled with sugar and sprinkles, sharing a made-with-love dessert seems to have the almighty power to instantly provide a sense of glee. A single confection can transport someone straight back to his or her childhood—often before even a spoonful of frosting or single cake crumb is tasted. Add a few unexpected touches of whimsy-and-wow to your creations, and you just might teleport them somewhere they’ve never even been.

As much as we love to bake for others, the truth is, I think there is just as much in it for us—or more. There’s something empowering about spending time alone with your creativity and making something with your own two hands, and I strongly believe that we all yearn to leave our stamp on the world— whatever it may be. Whether it’s blogging, opening a bakeshop, starting an empire, or even simply being the noted baker of the family, I believe you can thrive if you set out to be different and memorable. I mean, since we’re in this, let’s do what we love, kick it up a notch, and make some serious magic!

Throughout this book, you will find that most of the recipes and ideas are geared to tickle the childhood fancy in all of us while serving up a slight dose of drama and sense of splendor, making them suitable for anything from coffee with friends to the fanciest of celebrations or events. While working on this book, I strived to create desserts that you just might find if you discovered an enchanting bakery tucked away within some distant candy-colored carnival, because I can’t help but feel that a dash-of-dreamy makes everything taste better. As a sprinkle-junkie, I couldn’t resist devoting an entire chapter to sprinkles. With recipes such as Sprinkle- Me-Silly Pizza (page 22) and Rainbows & Sprinkles Cake (page 34), I celebrate the diversity and merriment of the sprinkle— hooray! While many recipes in this book call to the child in all of us, children are the focus of the playful Wondrous Sweets for the Wee chapter (page 36), where we help kids dive into super-colorful and creativity-inducing recipes like the Cut & Paste Illustration Cake (page 55) and Chalk-a-Lot Cookies with Edible Chalk (page 53). And who says cookies are just for kids? Things get a bit fancier in the Sugar-Coated Cutout Cookies chapter—classic cutout cookies are adorned with everything from glittery sugar (Menagerie Masquerade Cookies, page 69) to cotton candy (Pink Cotton Candy Cloud Cookies, page 75).

But creating the For the Love of Layer Cakes chapter (page 76) allowed me to embrace my obsession for layer cakes. The enchanting lavender and blueberry Blue Moon Dream Cake (page 85) celebrates supreme flavors and textures, while the four-layer Double-Chocolate Birthday Cake (page 82) revels in serious chocolate decadence, but with a decorative twist. And since some parties require even more cake (my kind of party!), I created an entire chapter of tiered cakes—Fanciful Tiered Cakes (page 104), to be exact—in which I share some of my favorite fondant and buttercream techniques, such as creating a beaded effect (Beads & Baubles Cake, page 117), twinkly sequins (Sprinkle Twinkle Cake, page 112), and a chalkboard finish (Chalk-a-Lot Cake, page 111) that is ready to be doodled upon with bright Edible Chalk (page 54).

I also created the ultimate building blocks for successful baking and caking: the last few chapters include my prized basics, including lofty, tender cakes for layering, the fluffiest of frostings, the most decadent fillings, and ever-buttery-and-crisp rolled cookie recipes, as well as many favorite fundamental cake- decorating techniques, such as frosting the perfect layer cake, covering a cake in fondant, and more. These recipes and techniques are not only used to create many of the designs in the book, but can be mixed and matched to create countless new dessert ideas—fancy cakes and confections aplenty!

And whether you bake for whim or for work, I sincerely hope that this book inspires you to bake yourself happy, let your imagination run the show, and delight all of those lucky people around you.

Love,
Rosie xo