by Thomas Miller – Food Blogger / Restaurant Critic for Vero Vine
Do you ever wonder how cake became synonymous with celebrations such as birthdays and weddings? One of the first birthday cakes was actually made in Germany in the middle ages. They would celebrate their child’s birthday with cake, and called the party’s Kinderfest’s. At first, the cakes were not very sweet and had a bread like texture, but later became sweeter and were called Geburtstagorton. During the 17th century, cakes were made more elaborate with icing, multiple layers, and edible flowers. These types of cakes were only affordable by the upper class due to the higher priced ingredients and the time it took to make them. In the 18th century, kitchen gadgets became more accessible and affordable, and thus the price of cakes went down, and the number of cakes produced went up significantly.
To this day, cakes are still in high demand and customers have even higher standards for the designs they want. The baker not only has to know how to just bake a cake, but they also have to be an artist as well. Roxane Gibbons is one such local cake artist that just opened for business here in Vero Beach. She has been baking cakes for her friends and family for several years now, and just recently opened her home-based bakery in April 2016. I had an opportunity to sit down with her recently and taste some of her work.
Let’s dive right in and take a look at what she made for me try!
Cake Pops – ($20.00 per dozen) – Up first for me to try were these tasty looking cake pops! They were made with a chocolate cake that had been shredded, mixed with a peanut butter ganache, and rolled into a ping pong size ball. From there, they are swirled in white chocolate, dipped in gold sugar, and a small flower added to complete the garnish. The chocolate cake inside the pop was kept moist with the addition of the peanut butter ganache and the slightly thicker layer of white chocolate on the outside. I only wish the peanut butter flavor was a little more prevalent, since I am a huge fan of this flavor combination, otherwise they were still fantastic!
6″ Round Layered Spice Cake with Cinnamon Butter Cream Icing – ($45.00) – Roxane had contacted me before the review to find out what my favorite type of cake was, so I told her that it is a spice cake. As I sat down at the table for the tasting, there were lots of wonderful sweet smells, but this one definitely stuck out with the aroma of cinnamon and spice. If the icing on the side of the cake looks incomplete to you, then you are not up on the latest cake trends. This style is called a “half naked” cake and it is the hip and trendy thing to do right now for weddings and other occasions. The cake itself was very moist and had the perfect mix of spices. The icing was just the perfect amount, and not too sweet. I especially like the presentation on the wooden board and the twigs on top. It was absolutely delicious!
Mini Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake with Raspberry Sauce and a Mascarpone Whipped Cream – ($5.00 each, one dozen minimum) – First off, I have to say this was my absolute favorite of all the cakes I got to try. It was very moist, the lemon flavor was wonderful, and the raspberry sauce was lightly sweetened, yet still had a nice tartness to it. The mascarpone whipped cream had a slightly firmer texture than just regular whipped cream, and It was very smooth and creamy. This is definitely going to be a customer favorite!
Butter Pound Cake with Chocolate Ganache Icing and Chocolate Fondant Roses – ($5.00 each, one dozen minimum) – I was worried this one might be a little bit dry with the cake layers being exposed and not covered by the icing, but my concerns were laid to rest as I took my first bite. The cake was a little denser and had a firmer texture than the rest of them, but that was expected due to the type of cake it was. The layers were filled with a chocolate ganache icing that is a mix of bittersweet and semi-sweet dark chocolate. This dessert is an excellent choice for any chocolate lover!
In Conclusion:
Cakes have become so much more than just a simple choice of “white or chocolate”. They are a representation of our lives and what is important to us. Cake artists like Roxane help make our ideas come to life by creating the custom cakes, cupcakes, or cookies of our dreams. With everything made from scratch, gluten-free options, and basically anything you can dream up, R Cakes definitely has you covered.
Roxane also helps make “dream” cakes for less fortunate children through a charity called Icing Smiles. She donates her time every month and helps create cakes for critically ill children for this very worthy cause. For more information about this charity, click HERE for a link to their Facebook page.
Click HERE to go to R Cakes Facebook page so you can see some of her other work!
For custom quotes and to place your orders, please contact Roxane via her Facebook page or by telephone at: (772) 538-1674
