OFFICIAL Disney Cake Chatter Thread - Part III

[mrsksomeday]

We have dealt with Pat twice when planning private dinners at the Grand Floridian. We did our communications by email. I suggest asking Grand Floridian private dining if they could give you Pat's email address, it's worth at least asking.

 

[AimeeMichele]

I'm interested to see replies about this. I have been playing phone tag with Pat for about 5 days now. I want a two tier mini cake with a Sleeping Beauty theme. She suggested the stand up image on chocolate. Not at all what I want. But I can't get in touch with her to discuss it!!

On a side note, are the mini two tier cakes really only 3" big?? That's a lot smaller than I thought. Is the bottom layer 3" or the top one??

Try calling her later in the evening. Last time I worked with her over email and over the phone the only times I was able to speak with her was late at night 7-8pm my time 8-9pm Eastern.

Also, keep your email correspondence with you and reconfirm with her the date and time you want your cake. She dropped the ball on our cake and had it down for the wrong day, however the chef at the Poly brought us a super cute screen print of Lilo and Stich (nothing like the cake I ordered, however at least there was a cake) after she heard what happened and pulled me aside to talk with me. Good luck! This year I'm dealing with Chef Brian....not chancing it again with Pat this time

 

[cupcakefairy2u]

This is the cake we ordered for our kids birthdays this past March. I've been meaning to post if for several months now. We asked for a Test Track themed cake since its my kids favorite ride. The cake was wonderful!

Thanks for sharing this is so cute.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

Hi All! I am planning a party for my sister's 40th birthday at Citrico's Chef's Table. We will be 10 ladies drinking and having a great time with plans for Jellyrolls afterwards. i.e., I want it to be an awesome cake - but we aren't really going to eat that much!

Based on lots of research done on this site, I drew up a sketch of what I wanted and have been emailing with the infamous Pat at the Grand Floridian. The quote for the original design was 400. I decided that was too much - they agreed that they could do a similar design on a 1 tier for about 190. I said ok.

My question is about advice for dealing with Pat. She is friendly but she doesn't get the rave reviews that Chef Brian does and I've actually seen some negative anecdotes. When she outlined my filling choices, she didn't outline all that are listed on this and so many other sites. She listed choc/vanilla buttercream or strawberry / rasberry mousse. That's it. I want the custard with strawberries or one of the other exotic ones.

So - am I missing something? Am i just looking for something to go wrong? Any suggestions? If our dinner is at Citrico's - I don't think I have many choices! Any hints / suggestions / etc. welcome! thanks!

I booked my friend's cake with Pat. She tried to limit me to the basic flavors and I told her no...that it had to be a lemon cake...and that I knew this was a cake flavor they could do, even it wasn't the standard. And in the end- we got a lemon cake.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

I'm trying to decide if I should get a standard podium cake for my daughter's 5th birthday at the Wave, or a custom cake. There will only be 5 of us. Her favorite princess right now is Merida (she's getting a Merida dress for her birthday). Has anyone had a Merida/Brave themed cake done? How about cakes from the Contemporary? A few years ago I ordered a custom cake from the Grand and it was fantastic - worth every penny!

I haven't seen a Merida cake, but I have a few base ideas for a cake.

The two Merida costumes use a Celtic Knot (a variation of a dragon knot) in the decorative hem pattern. That pattern would translate very well on the side of the cake. i.e. a lighter blue cake the color of the formal dress, large scale dragon knot pattern in gold going around full outer border of the cake, maybe a gold rope accented by wildflowers at the base, and while I don't love 2D standups...since it's the only option...maybe 2d standups on white chocolate of Merida w/the three bear cubs surrounded by more wildflowers.

 

[Colleen27]

I booked my friend's cake with Pat. She tried to limit me to the basic flavors and I told her no...that it had to be a lemon cake...and that I knew this was a cake flavor they could do, even it wasn't the standard. And in the end- we got a lemon cake.

That was our experience ordering with her too (twice). If you want something specific you have to be insistent about it because she will steer you towards the more standardized offerings. She's not much of a sales person; for my son's birthday I told her I had a budget of $75ish and her initial response was to recommend a 6" cake in standard flavors and decor!

I much prefer dealing with the staff at the Contemporary if I want something unique. The cakes from the GF both tasted very good but neither was all that original, and the second fell a bit short of what I'd described when ordering (I said "no flowers" and asked for berries/fruit instead, but they did Mickey sprinkles as the only decor).

 

[Cinderella909]

I'm trying to decide if I should get a standard podium cake for my daughter's 5th birthday at the Wave, or a custom cake. There will only be 5 of us. Her favorite princess right now is Merida (she's getting a Merida dress for her birthday). Has anyone had a Merida/Brave themed cake done? How about cakes from the Contemporary? A few years ago I ordered a custom cake from the Grand and it was fantastic - worth every penny!

We had a Brave cake done at the GF in July. You can see pictures on pg 33 post 487. We were very pleased with the cake.

Hope this helps! Karen

 

[Ufgator27]

hi all - thanks for the anecdotes - it does help and is very interesting. Based on what I"ve read, I wonder if they are understaffed. I mean, why would any business want to steer you towards "easy and cheap"...unless they really want to focus on the big elaborate money-makers - in this cake, cakes that are very elaborate, etc. - maybe $250+?

Anyway, I am glad to know about the lemon flavor b/c that was actually the preference but since I didn't see it listed, I didn't push it but perhaps I will now.

altho...lemon cake w/ custard/berries filling? How will that taste? Maybe the vanilla cake will really be better.

Does anyone know if can get chocolate flavored buttercream frosting when doing an elaborate decoration? i.e., can they tint choc frosting to a color like light blue or dark blue? I am guessing not but would love it if I was wrong!

 

[CrunchyMamatoKandH]

Try calling her later in the evening. Last time I worked with her over email and over the phone the only times I was able to speak with her was late at night 7-8pm my time 8-9pm Eastern.

Also, keep your email correspondence with you and reconfirm with her the date and time you want your cake. She dropped the ball on our cake and had it down for the wrong day, however the chef at the Poly brought us a super cute screen print of Lilo and Stich (nothing like the cake I ordered, however at least there was a cake) after she heard what happened and pulled me aside to talk with me. Good luck! This year I'm dealing with Chef Brian....not chancing it again with Pat this time

Does Chef Brian only do cakes if you're dining at the Contemporary? We are dining at Ohana and I was told to work with Pat when I called. Can I request Chef Brian instead? Sounds like that might be the way to go...

Does anyone know the exact size of the two tier mini cake??

 

[Colleen27]

I mean, why would any business want to steer you towards "easy and cheap"...unless they really want to focus on the big elaborate money-makers - in this cake, cakes that are very elaborate, etc. - maybe $250+?

I think that's the case. They do wedding cakes and other huge special occasions, and I don't think they're all that interested in <$100 birthday cakes. They'd rather have their best people dedicated to the higher end products and keep the birthday cakes simple enough that any of the bakery staff can handle them.

Does Chef Brian only do cakes if you're dining at the Contemporary? We are dining at Ohana and I was told to work with Pat when I called. Can I request Chef Brian instead? Sounds like that might be the way to go...

Does anyone know the exact size of the two tier mini cake??

The Contemporary bakery does service some other restaurants, but Ohana isn't one of them. You have to use the bakery that serves the resort where you're eating, and for the Poly that's the Grand Floridian.

The two tier cake is about 4" bottom, 1.5" top. They say it serves two but we found it to be plenty for 2 adults and 2 children after a full meal.

 

[lurkyloo]

altho...lemon cake w/ custard/berries filling? How will that taste? Maybe the vanilla cake will really be better.

I don't like fruit sullying my cake so I'm no expert, but I have seen plenty of lemon cakes with fruit fillings in wedding magazines these days, so it seems somebody thinks that's a good combo!

Does anyone know if can get chocolate flavored buttercream frosting when doing an elaborate decoration? i.e., can they tint choc frosting to a color like light blue or dark blue? I am guessing not but would love it if I was wrong!

Chocolate-flavored frosting is gonna have chocolate in it and therefore be brown. However, most elaborately decorated cakes are covered in fondant (over the buttercream frosting), which can be done in any color you like. I suggest that you request chocolate frosting under the fondant instead of the traditional vanilla. We did this for one of our anniversary cakes, and even though they warned us that the chocolate might change the appearance of the colored fondant, it didn't:

 

[andeesings]

Anyway, I am glad to know about the lemon flavor b/c that was actually the preference but since I didn't see it listed, I didn't push it but perhaps I will now.

altho...lemon cake w/ custard/berries filling? How will that taste? Maybe the vanilla cake will really be better.

Does anyone know if can get chocolate flavored buttercream frosting when doing an elaborate decoration? i.e., can they tint choc frosting to a color like light blue or dark blue? I am guessing not but would love it if I was wrong!

Have you thought about the ORANGE cake?? I had it August 29th after a discussion with some people who had done tastings on the wedding boards, and all who tried it agreed the orange cake was a WINNER! And you know, it WAS! It was SO delicious I was incredibly impressed!!

Originally I was going to have it with the bavarian cream and strawberries for a filling, but was told that it was fine didn't have much flavor (bummer!!). I don't know if custard would have more flavor, but I was told that the tropical mousse filling tasted great with both the lemon and orange cakes. The filling that *I* chose (amaretto crunch mousse) was OUTSTANDING in the orange cake. But honestly, strawberry tastes great with lemon, and if you decide to go with custard and strawberries I'm sure that will be great!

 

[TiggerTrigger]

Anyway, I am glad to know about the lemon flavor b/c that was actually the preference but since I didn't see it listed, I didn't push it but perhaps I will now.

altho...lemon cake w/ custard/berries filling? How will that taste? Maybe the vanilla cake will really be better.

Does anyone know if can get chocolate flavored buttercream frosting when doing an elaborate decoration? i.e., can they tint choc frosting to a color like light blue or dark blue? I am guessing not but would love it if I was wrong!

I believe lemon is one of the flavors listed on the first pg of this thread so they can't say it's a flavor they don't normally make. My friend loved the lemon cake. I actually tried to push her towards raspberries in the filling, but she just wasn't having it.

As for chocolate buttercream, I've seen them use it on cakes, but you wouldn't normally tint anything but a white frosting (i.e. vanilla buttercream, decorator's frosting, etc.). That being said- you might be able to get a very dark blue chocolate buttercream if they're willing to do it. A lot of decorators recommend starting from a chocolate buttercream if you're going for really dark colors, but that's usually more for things like making black. Still, can't hurt to ask

 

[Ufgator27]

Have you thought about the ORANGE cake?? I had it August 29th after a discussion with some people who had done tastings on the wedding boards, and all who tried it agreed the orange cake was a WINNER! And you know, it WAS! It was SO delicious I was incredibly impressed!!

Originally I was going to have it with the bavarian cream and strawberries for a filling, but was told that it was fine didn't have much flavor (bummer!!). I don't know if custard would have more flavor, but I was told that the tropical mousse filling tasted great with both the lemon and orange cakes. The filling that *I* chose (amaretto crunch mousse) was OUTSTANDING in the orange cake. But honestly, strawberry tastes great with lemon, and if you decide to go with custard and strawberries I'm sure that will be great!

omg - there is SO much to choose!! I honestly don't know what to choose now!! your enthusiasm for all of the above is really making me think. If it was for MY birthday, it would be easier but i want to get my sister what she really wants... and now I am not sure!! I need to talk to Pat b/c my sister doesn't like fondant so we were hoping for buttercream only for decorating purposes. I wish I could speak directly to the chef though b/c my "vision" is a bit complicated (yes, I have done a sketch for a 2 tier version but it was about $400 so stepped back to 1 tier for $190) - I want to hear how they can achieve the vision in 1 tier. If they can't, I am leaning toward something totally different. ack!!

 

[andeesings]

omg - there is SO much to choose!! I honestly don't know what to choose now!! your enthusiasm for all of the above is really making me think. If it was for MY birthday, it would be easier but i want to get my sister what she really wants... and now I am not sure!! I need to talk to Pat b/c my sister doesn't like fondant so we were hoping for buttercream only for decorating purposes. I wish I could speak directly to the chef though b/c my "vision" is a bit complicated (yes, I have done a sketch for a 2 tier version but it was about $400 so stepped back to 1 tier for $190) - I want to hear how they can achieve the vision in 1 tier. If they can't, I am leaning toward something totally different. ack!!

Honestly don't worry about the fondant, it's only decorative- if you want it served with the cake, you actually have to specifically ask for it (we're fondant fans in my family, so I asked them to serve the cake WITH the fondant). Otherwise your citricos server will peel it off before serving. It's good you have a specific vision- if it's sketched it should come out just like it!

 

[TiggerTrigger]

omg - there is SO much to choose!! I honestly don't know what to choose now!! your enthusiasm for all of the above is really making me think. If it was for MY birthday, it would be easier but i want to get my sister what she really wants... and now I am not sure!! I need to talk to Pat b/c my sister doesn't like fondant so we were hoping for buttercream only for decorating purposes. I wish I could speak directly to the chef though b/c my "vision" is a bit complicated (yes, I have done a sketch for a 2 tier version but it was about $400 so stepped back to 1 tier for $190) - I want to hear how they can achieve the vision in 1 tier. If they can't, I am leaning toward something totally different. ack!!

As far as the fondant goes- I disagree about fondant being only decorative...there are many different kinds of fondant out there and while not everyone eats it, the cake decorator operates on the assumption that it will be eaten...i.e. it's fully intended to be eaten. When you consider that store bought fondant ranges from $6-15 per lb for some of the favorite brands- you wouldn't invest that much in it if it weren't meant to be consumed.

Most people who don't like it have had one of the brands with waxy flavoring, bad mouth feel, and/or it was rolled too thickly. It's unfortunate b/c the really good brands and recipes of fondant are amazing. The Disney fondant is actually pretty good- sweet, non-waxy, no mouth feel issues, and rolled to a proper thickness. I just say this b/c as a person who does cakes on the side, I get a lot of people who try my fondant and are shocked that they actually like it since they normally don't...and the Disney fondant is fairly similar consistency to my homemade fondant.

If you're still not sold on fondant, they should be able to do something with a crusting buttercream that comes out with a super smooth appearance.

As for the design, I know some of the bakeries will help you with your design. While I had very clear cut designs when I've ordered cakes, I've seen people do a bit of back and forth w/Chef Brian at the Contemporary to find tune design concepts. I think just get the ball rolling and see how it progresses.

 

[CrunchyMamatoKandH]

Can the mini two-tiered cakes be made with fondant?? I thought the pix I've seen showed them with fondant. But Pat just told me no (finally spoke with her after a week of phone tag!!). Anyone ever get one with fondant??

 

[andeesings]

As far as the fondant goes- I disagree about fondant being only decorative...there are many different kinds of fondant out there and while not everyone eats it, the cake decorator operates on the assumption that it will be eaten...i.e. it's fully intended to be eaten. When you consider that store bought fondant ranges from $6-15 per lb for some of the favorite brands- you wouldn't invest that much in it if it weren't meant to be consumed.

Most people who don't like it have had one of the brands with waxy flavoring, bad mouth feel, and/or it was rolled too thickly. It's unfortunate b/c the really good brands and recipes of fondant are amazing. The Disney fondant is actually pretty good- sweet, non-waxy, no mouth feel issues, and rolled to a proper thickness. I just say this b/c as a person who does cakes on the side, I get a lot of people who try my fondant and are shocked that they actually like it since they normally don't...and the Disney fondant is fairly similar consistency to my homemade fondant.

If you're still not sold on fondant, they should be able to do something with a crusting buttercream that comes out with a super smooth appearance.

As for the design, I know some of the bakeries will help you with your design. While I had very clear cut designs when I've ordered cakes, I've seen people do a bit of back and forth w/Chef Brian at the Contemporary to find tune design concepts. I think just get the ball rolling and see how it progresses.

I enjoy fondant myself- and I DID quite like Disney's- however, I DID specifically have to request the fondant be left ON the cake when served, so if the poster didn't actually like the fondant I just don't think it's a problem to make sure they DO remove it before serving the cake. I'm all about sweet, pseudo thick rolled sugar. ;-)

 

[ppony]

So let me understand this correctly. The resorts that have bakeries are: Grand Floridian, The Contemporary, BoardWalk Inn, Animal Kingdom Lodge or Yacht and Beach Club.

So thought we're hearing a lot about Pat and Brian, there are point people at each of these bakeries as well we can/will talk to?

 

[Sara1Babe]

Finally uploaded my photos to Flickr.

The cake was a 6in fondant covered chocolate cake with white chocolate mousse filling. It was made by the Beach Club Bakery and delivered to Cape May Cafe on 11 Aug 2012. It cost 71 plus tip.

I asked for blue and white marbled fondant and it wasn't nearly as marbled as I wanted

Over all my DH loved his "fancy" birthday cake, and that's all that matters but it would have been nice if they had gotten his name right.