Update and Status Report

Moving a working bakery is no joke, you guys.

But it's going well! Here's the story:

Cakeapotamus got kind of... big and busy. Which is great! But it meant some decisions had to be made. Kind of like when we discovered we didn't have to do walk-in retail to be profitable after being open six months. Now we know we don't have to keep hosting parties to be profitable. This is especially good because I was looking at some major expenses to fix up the old place and make it nice and fancy for parties. I thought it was time for a makeover. But if I took that money and spent it fixing up my home kitchen- making it nice and fancy- and bringing it up to (and above) code, then I'd be investing in a property I actually own!
Seems like a no-brainer, right?

I even sprang for a new cover for Speedy here.

And since the Cottage Food law has passed in Alabama, it's completely legal for me to operate out of my home. You guys know I never made anything below a 100 on my health inspections at the bakery- but I can make my home kitchen even cleaner! Because it's shiny and new. And I'm still licensed and insured. I still have all my certifications and training thingies. I'm making a pretty amazing bakery here.

Same whimsy, new location.

So now I'm moving Cakeapotamus and trying to do it without interrupting my production schedule.

Heh.

Fun fact: when you move your mixers from your old kitchen to your new kitchen, it really helps to bring the paddles. Otherwise, you're stuck making icing in the old, ratchet KitchenAid that only has two speeds: fast and super fast.

Sigh.

Oh, and I forgot to bring spatulas. And salt.

Baby steps.

Who needs spatulas when you have all the drums, right?

But it's getting there. I love and adore my new purple kitchen. It's bigger than the bakery kitchen, there's only one oven but it's much bigger than either one at the bakery. More counter space, better light... I'm pretty happy. Just getting used to the new arrangement.

But my flavor-making creativity has returned! I'm about to have a whole lot of fun with liquor-infused cupcakes in here, y'all.

Bakery Memories: Illusions of Grandeur

This isn't really a bakery memory because I can see this happening again at the new location. But it's a good story that I was just reminded of. So here we go:

Cake collaborations are a thing. Sometimes they're kind of a big deal. Someone picks a theme and then they invite cake and sugar artists to make pieces along that theme. Everyone submits pictures of their work. You put them all together and BOOM! You've got an awesome site full of Charlie Brown or Harry Potter cakes. They're fun and a good chance to work with other cakers.

Well... see... last year, I think it was Reva's idea to make an April Fool's Day cake collaboration. I'm pretty sure it was Reva who started the whole thing. But I was in on it... and we decided to do a ridiculous cake collaboration.

Illusions of Grandeur! An exhibition of ethereal cakes.

Ethereal cakes. I came up with that part.

looks legit

We thought it was be funny to make a collection of pictures of invisible cakes. Heck, I still think it's funny.

We started recruiting cake decorators and sugar artists to join us. All they had to do was take a picture of an empty cake board or stand, put their watermark on it, and pretend it's the latest trend in cake art: ethereal cakes.

Yeah.

And we got some pretty darn well-known cake decorators in on this thing, y'all. It was kind of surreal.

So we made a Facebook page for the collab. Miguel made a website! We had head shots and bios... but the bios were totally fake. I made them up. And I'm writing these ridiculous backgrounds about super powers and extra toes and I'm praying that Karen Porteleo has a good sense of humor. I think, start to finish, we did the entire collaboration in 48 hours. It was all kinds of ridiculous.

And so we went live with it! And we're pretending to be so proud to be a part of this cake art trend. People are looking at everything and most people got a kick out of it.

There were a few people who messaged us, "I can't see the cakes."
Now, a nicer person would politely explain that there are no cakes, it's an April Fool's Day joke.
But I'm the reason we can't have nice things.

"I can't see the cakes!"
"Oh, sorry! That's a glitch we're aware of. Just restart your computer, install all the updates, and reload. You'll be able to see them."
"I still can't see them."
"Huh. Weird. Try restarting your computer again."
"Is anyone else having trouble seeing them?"
"Oh, yeah. Some people had to restart their computer three times!"
"Ah. OK, I see them now."

Sure you do.

The Next Chapter

It's kind of funny how life works sometimes. It's like the universe gives you signs that you're moving in the right direction.

A bunch of people have asked me where Cakeapotamus is moving to. I've been trying to avoid that question because there were still a couple of logistical issues to work on.

See, the original plan was to renovate the kitchen at my house. Paint, floor, bring it up to the standards that earned me a 100 on every health inspection at the Pepperell Parkway location. And so we began to work. The home kitchen is actually larger than the bakery kitchen. And the oven is bigger. I know! Plus, now Alabama has cottage food laws that allow me to legally sell out of my home kitchen. (We didn't have that when I opened the bakery.) So it's a no-brainer, right? The bakery needs some updating and repairs- but I don't own that property. Why not put the money into renovating a property I do own? Lower overhead, more cake profit... happy.

New kitchen color: Imperial Lilac.

But baking at home offers a few limitations:

1. No party space. No problem! Cakeapotamus is getting out of the party business to focus on the cake studio end of the business. May we recommend CyberZone?

2. Losing the bakery phone number. I think I've figured out a way to keep it. We'll know by Wednesday.

3. No place for cake pick ups. This was the big one. I don't want people coming to my house. Not that my clients aren't perfectly lovely. The people I make cakes for are the best people in the world! But I don't want all of y'all in my house. Have you ever seen my eye twitch when someone comes into my kitchen during a party? It'd be like that but with my whole house! Just no.
But then something extremely hopeful happened! It looks like our friends at CyberZone are building a small, grown-ups oriented area next to the arena. I don't want to share too much of the plan for the space, but Simon and Elaine say I can meet people there for Cakeapotamus cake pick ups! We love those guys. The current plan is to meet you guys up there for your cake pick ups. This is especially convenient if you're picking up a cake for a party at CyberZone, Bounce Zone, or O Town Ice Cream!

4. Otis. That stupid, vintage, nonworking Coke machine. I love that ridiculous 600 pound hunk of junk. But there's no place for it in my home. I was going to sell him, but I think, I think, Simon will let me put him in the new pick-up space. We believe he'll fit the decor.

5. Cabin Fever. Still not sure what to do about this one. The bakery is my happy place- and I adore the new kitchen! But I will need to get out of the house sometimes. Any suggestions on that one?

That's it. That's the update for now.
Cookies with Santa is this Saturday! Come get your pic made with Santa, kids decorate a cookie, and donate a toy to the Star Wars characters' Toys for Tots drive.

The moving sale is still on for the 17th. The tables, chairs, tea party linens and china, and bakery decorations are for sale! Come get some whimsy.

I'm so excited!