Bulldog Grooms Cake www.3brothersbakery.com

The inclusion of the Groom’s Cake during the bridal celebration began around mid-19^th century in Britain and somehow appeared in the Southern United States during the early 1900s becoming a Southern tradition according to foodtimeline.org .  A year ago Prince William and his bride Kate Middleton during their nuptial celebration shared a Groom’s cake made of chocolate and tea biscuits enjoyed from his youth.

In modern day where does one go when questioning baking traditions?  How about to a 4^th generation baker who has been baking most of his 90 years and his 5^th generation baking son?

“In the 1960s I first was asked for a Groom’s cake,” said Sigmund Jucker, one of the founders of Three Brothers Bakery.  “It was a simple, double stacked chocolate sheet cake. Double stacked, so the tier height matched the height of the wedding cake tier and always a chocolate cake, chocolate butter cream icing and filling.  A cake to feed 200 cost about $75 or 37 cents a slice,” continued the senior Jucker.

1970s era grooms cake by Three Brothers Bakery

Once Sigmund Jucker learned about the Groom’s cake, Jucker said with a smile “I always suggested a Groom’s cake, for it was another sale.”  What he did not realize was how he perpetuated the tradition throughout the South.

Superstition had it if a single girl slept with a slice of Groom’s cake slipped under her pillow, she would dream of her future groom.  Janice Jucker, wife of Bobby Jucker, remembers during the 1960s her mother coming home with a slice of cake and putting it under her pillow several times, for they were given out as favors of the wedding.

In the 1970s, Bobby Jucker, explained “the Groom’s cake became a bit more elaborate – still chocolate adding fresh fruit, chocolate shavings and at times even multi-tiered, but never would I let the cake outshine the Bride’s wedding cake.”

Not until the 1980s did the Groom’s personality begin to appear within the 2D cutouts and 3D cakes of mainly “manly” subjects, such as sports, autos and hunting to name a few.

1980s era chocolate grooms cake by Three Brothers Bakery

When fondant came on the scene in the late 1980s the decorating canvas made some of the impossible possible. Three Brothers Bakery began being known for their large 3D confections, even making an Astrodome cake for the stadium’s 20^th anniversary.

Astrodome 20th Anniversary cake by Three Brothers Bakery

“I think the trend began with the movie “Steel Magnolias” and the “bleeding” armadillo Groom’s cake. Today, in 2012, couples still come in asking for a “bleeding armadillo” made with red velvet cake and ask if we have ever heard of it,” chuckled Jucker.

The 1990s followed suit with more bakers venturing out into the world of the 3D cake.  Before the baking shows, in 2006, Three Brothers Bakery and Jucker made their first “Extreme Cake,”  - an 8.5 foot oil derrick shooting 3.5 feet of fire. “Today we can do anything,” said Jucker.

Oil Derrick Cake with Fire by Three Brothers Bakery

Each cake comes with a story.  Jucker shared a favorite story, “In 2010 a Groom was going to have to get rid of a ‘stuffed’ wild turkey he had hunted if he wanted to marry the Bride.  So as a joke the Bride’s family ordered a life size wild turkey, for the wedding day was the last day for the turkey.  Most definitely the Groom’s personality was felt and heard at that wedding.”

Wild Turkey Grooms Cake www.3brothersbakery.com

The Groom’s cakes of Sigmund Jucker’s day ran about 37 cents a slice while today’s cake begins at $1.50 a slice for the most simple of cake and design.  Should you want the “wild turkey” of cakes, most likely like Prince William’s, it is all custom work to be quoted only after detailed design appointments.

A century after the Groom’s cake arrived in the South approximately 80% of all weddings include some form of a Groom’s cake, and now the Groom’s cake begins to gain favor throughout the U.S.  “Over 50% of all cake consultations include the Groom,” said the younger Jucker, for “the Groom’s cake allows the Groom to share his personality and preferences.”  Perhaps a year ago Prince William was like all Groom’s wanting to put a piece of his personal self into the celebration and, in so doing, he gave us the renaissance of the Groom’s cake.

Note from Janice: This post was a also a press release published April 30, 2012

In the wake of the decision to not support Planned Parenthood and reversal of the decision 3 days later, Susan G. Komen for the Cure is finding their fundraising efforts a bit lackluster.  The Houston Chronicle today published an article about these efforts which motivated me to write this post.

I, like everyone else, evaluated whether to continue to give funds to this charity.  It did not take me long to remind myself of why I support them.

According to Amb. Nancy Brinker there are over 2.5 million breast cancer survivors and Susan G. Komen for the Cure has been the largest supporter of research in the field.  Amb. Brinker’s short message is probably the strongest and most precise reason to continue support.

We all make mistakes.  So Komen made one, admitted it and reversed a bad decision.  Do not compound things by moving your support to other charities.  And if you have removed your support, do what Komen did and reverse your decision.   You are only hurting the survival rate of your fellow woman and man (yes man) by moving support.

Why did Nancy Brinker make a promise to her dying sister?  So others do not lose a sister or a loved one as she did. I know I thank Susan G. Komen for the Cure, for it is very possible I would not be here today without the support this organization gave to research around the globe.

Plain and simple – your money saves lives.

Join me & Donate Here

Hamantaschen, a triangle shaped cookie filled with usually poppy, prune or apricot, and sold in most places only during the Jewish holiday of Purim are found daily at Three Brothers Bakery in none other than Houston, Texas.

This delectable delight named Hamantaschen, literally meaning Haman’s Pockets, but also called Haman’s Ears, or French, Napoleon or Patriot Hats has been sold daily for about 15 years at Three Brothers Bakery in Houston, Texas.

Are Hamantaschen Going Mainstream?

“The daily production began when a non-Jewish customer, Mrs. Rodriguez, would call every two weeks for two or three dozen hamantaschen, so we’d make extra, and they were selling, so we started making them daily,” explained Jucker. But now Jucker is seeing them emerge as Christmas gifts and even eaten in coffee houses.

Three Brothers Bakery’s triangular shaped pockets are filled with the traditional poppyseed, prune or apricot and also one will find cherry, raspberry, blueberry, lemon, cheese, date, peach, strawberry, or chocolate filled. The top three are poppy, chocolate and apricot fillings.

During Purim the Hamantaschen are made either with yeast dough or a secret cookie dough recipe, which is kept securely in a safe. The same cookie dough can also be found at the bottom of all their award winning pies, for it also serves as their crust. When asked if most of his clientele was Jewish, Jucker replied, “90% + of our customer base is not Jewish, but as we now serve our fourth generation of customer, they have come to enjoy the cookie and hence their children like them, so the demand keeps growing.”

They ship well, so Three Brothers Bakery ranks them in their top 10 best selling baked goods online. Jucker ended by saying, “Thank you Mrs. Rodriguez for creating a bakery trend we hope will be passed on from generation to generation.”

The Story Behind Hamantaschen and Why We Eat Them on Purim

We just finished the Bridal Extravaganza, so all those who are recently engaged or soon to be married are in high planning mode, so I thought I would share with those planning their weddings some of the wedding cake trends I am seeing today.

LACE

Mimic bride’s lace on cake or even use an applique of the lace (too save money on the cake) – show your baker your dress or a piece of lace and let them be inspired by it with a lace pattern on your cake.  This cake was done by http://www.cakesofyourdreams.com.au/ and found in the blog Australia Entertains.  It is an Indian lace and I must admit I am unsure if it is sugar or applique, but I feel it is a unique and beautiful cake.  Very different from our Southern traditional lace we see at weddings.

Cakes of Your Dreams Indian Lace Wedding Cake

BLACK IS HERE TO STAY

• Black gowns (more for bridesmaids) are in and for the edgier bride perhaps even an all black cake.  We displayed one for a year, but no one ever bought a black cake for a wedding – only black accents. Our customers do buy black cakes all the time, but not for weddings.

Black Tiffany Windows Inspired Wedding Cake by Three Brothers Bakery

NEW WAYS TO ACHIEVE HEIGHT IN YOUR CAKE

• Taller cakes seem to be making a come back, but not with the tall columns of the 80s. We are seeing a more common use of taller than average tiers heights -8″ and 6,” as well as spacer tiers

4 Tier Ivory Round Wedding Cake with Flowers and Swags with 6" Tiers by Three Brothers Bakery

7 tier wedding cake with peonies and edible gems by Three Brothers Bakery

PAINTED CAKES

• Painted cakes  - we showed our first painted cake in 2007 inspired by a Royal Empress china pattern, but the inspiration can be anything.  We painted a bride’s tattoos on her cake – lovely tropical flower  groupings and of course we’ve done a groom’s tattoo as well.

Bride with Painted Wedding Cake of Her Own Beautiful Tattoos by Three Brothers Bakery

Painted Wedding Cake of Bride's Tattoos by Three Brothers Bakery

Rather than pipe scrollwork, we can paint the scrollwork, which perhaps is a part of the invitation or a monogram created for the couple.  Or painted green vines are beautiful and then the sugar flowers lay where the flower or bud would have been painted (perfect for a green wedding). Just remember when you paint on a cake your canvas is fondant, so be prepared for a higher budget for your cake.

INDIAN/PAKISTANI/ASIAN WEDDINGS

• We still see our Indian/Pakistani brides stay with large cakes, but step away from their own traditional base colors  (red, gold) and move to a white cake with a touch of red and gold to honor their elders. A great example is the lace cake at the beginning of this post.

RUFFLES

• Ruffles are still in but very, very delicate.  A favorite cake artist of mine is Maggie Austin.  She was a ballerina and her cakes seem to be inspired by this part of her life.  A great word to describe her work is ethereal.

Maggie Austin Rose Frill Wedding Cake

COLOR ON CAKE

• Color on cake is now the norm, so I think it has moved past being a trend, for it is here to stay.

3 Tier Wedding cake with Pale Green Textured Band and Sugar Magnolias

1970′s STYLE WEDDING CAKE IS BACK

• Buttercream cakes reminiscent of the 70s and 80s are definitely back.

1970s Style traditional wedding cake by Three Brothers Bakery

SUGAR FLOWERS

• Sugar flowers are more and more popular, but for those on a budget, you can always opt for fresh

Cascade of handmade, sugar roses wedding cake by Three Brothers Bakery

Sugarpaste Roses by Three Brothers Bakery

(remember to have the florist wrap the stems, for fresh flowers have pesticides, and no one wants pesticides in their cake).

SHIMMER ON CAKE

• Up East they are moving away from the shimmer spray on the cake, but we are still seeing it in the South.

CAKE BALLS AND OTHER DESSERTS

• Cake balls, cupcakes, pies and miniature pastries – viennese tables are more the visible plus bakery boxes of pastries or cake balls have been seen on the East Coast to take home after the After Party to have for breakfast in the morning – of course that is a trend we hope makes it to our part of the country and remains a tradition.

Cake balls by Three Brothers Bakery

Treat guests with a yummy bakery box and inside is a surprise - today's trend, cake balls (by Three Brothers Bakery)!

CLASSIC ALL WHITE WEDDING CAKE

• And of course, an all white wedding cake never goes out of style.  Nothing is more elegant in a traditional American wedding than an all white/ivory cake. (Remember Kate Middleton’s).  A beautiful white or ivory cake would be my choice and bring the color in with the linens or a pale color, such as blush.  Less is more for a beautiful, ethereal wedding cake.  I found a gallery of photos of the Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding cake.

The one trend that never goes out of style is simply choosing a cake that tastes great and makes YOU happy and one YOU love.  Something twenty years from now, when you are looking at your album, you are still happy you chose it for one of your important memories of your wedding.

Congratulations to all, and maybe 2012 will bring a new surprise for us!  Stay tuned…

Janice

PS:  You may want to check out our series of blog posts on how to buy a wedding cake.

1. Setting up the appointment
2. Preparing for the appointment
3. During the appointment
4. Evaluating cake vendors
5. I know who I want to bake my wedding cake – Now what happens?

Santa Brings Toys to Children at The Bridge

We hold an annual toy drive to collect toys for children of all ages. Toy donation boxes are left at local businesses beginning on November 17^th and toys will be collected through December 13^th.   You can find toy drop boxes at Three Brothers Bakery, 4036 S. Braeswood Blvd.  Houston, TX  77025. and the following locations.

The Faulk Foundation will have a “Wrapping Party”  December 15^th .

Faulk Foundation Wrapping Party 2010

The Christmas Party will include a visit from Santa Clause and all of his “Helpers/Elves” which will assist in getting the toys distributed to the children, lunch will be catered by James Coney Island for all residents and volunteers, special appearance by The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Clowns, balloon animals, face painting, a free framed picture with Santa will be offered to all residents.

HLSR Clowns join Faulk Foundation Elves & Children of The Bridge

We hope you will stop by the bakery and drop off a toy to support The Bridge or donate to The Faulk Foundation.

To volunteer or for more information, please contact Carol Mack,

713.358.6330 or carol@faulkfoundation.org.

Faulk Foundation Mission

The Faulk Foundation’s support goes to a level where most charitable organizations simply can’t – plugging the gaps in our system that allow venerable

families to fall through the socio-economic safety nets and who are at immediate risk. The Faulk Foundation maintains the resources for immediate

intervention for those occasions when family crisis creates an unmanageable free fall in circumstances. The foundations efforts are to provide the needed

assistance for a cushioning effect and possible stabilization of the family or individuals dealing with extraordinary circumstances.

The key to our philosophy is solving the real problems that these families face through qualified giving. This means that we carefully review applications from

individuals and families to determine how we can help them, rather than just deciding how much we should give them. Many times our giving may be in the

form of money, but other times we offer clothing, furniture, bill payments, transportation, toys, household goods, medicine and medical supplies or perhaps just

a listening ear. No matter what form it comes in, assistance from the Faulk Foundation is designed to give those that we help what they need most, and to do that,

we first become closely engaged in their lives and situations.

Child from The Bridge tells Santa she has been nice this year!

In the current economic climate, more and more people are suffering. The need for heartfelt, wise and benevolent giving is greater than ever, and we need help to

fulfill our mission. By supporting the Faulk Foundation, you can be sure that your entire donation is providing direct assistance, and your investments of time and/

or money are truly making a positive impact in the life of someone who is in genuine need.

The needs are great. Let our aim be as well.

About The Bridge Over Troubled Waters

The Bridge Over Troubled Waters, Inc. (The Bridge) began in 1978 with a vision to reach out to those in need, to give them assistance in rebuilding their lives, and to help them to achieve greater self-determination. The desire of the founding board members was to provide a temporary shelter with a home-like environment that would serve as a “bridge” to assist individuals in returning to useful places in society. Thus, the original emergency shelter began with a handful of dedicated volunteers and the capacity for six families.

Santa Visits Faulk Foundation Christmas Party 2010 at The Bridge

During its 31 year history, The Bridge has grown to become the 6th largest comprehensive crisis centers of its kind in Texas, serving more than 20,000 people annually. In addition to being one of the largest crisis centers in Texas, The Bridge is also the only agency of its kind serving southeast Harris County – a population of approximately 526,000.

The Bridge offers a wide range of supportive services, available in English as well as Spanish, to serve the needs of our clients.

100% of  ALL Proceeds Benefit The Robin & Joshua Berry Children’s Trust!

SHOP til you DROP & Feel Good About It!

Robin & Joshua Berry were killed in an auto accident over the July 4th weekend, on their way back home from a family vacation in Colorado.  Their three children survived, but the two boys (Aaron & Peter, aged 8 & 9) are paralyzed from the waist down.  They & their sister Willa (5) are now living with Joshua’s brother, Matt & his wife, Simone, & their 2 children.  Robin and Josh’s children are a part of our Three Brothers Bakery family.

Robin Perlo-Berry, Josh Berry, Peter, Aaron and Willa Berry (thank you to photographer of this picture)

Please help support the rehabilitation, healing and growth of the Berry children by participating in any or all of the following events – 100% of the proceeds will benefit the Robin & Joshua Berry Children’s Trust!

Private Preview Party for Berry Family Rummage Sale

Date:  Sunday, November 13th 4:00-6:00, 4832 Beechnut

(across from Bed, Bath & Beyond,

next door to H & R Block)

·         Refreshments will be served!

·         $25/per person, all proceeds benefitting the Robin & Joshua Berry Children’s Trust!

·         SHOP EARLY AND GET FIRST PICK on all of our amazing high-end items, including the following, and MUCH MORE!

·         Like-new designer purses, shoes & clothing (Furla, Jimmy Choo, Coach, Louis Vuitton, Stuart Weitzman, Richard Tyler, Marc Jacobs, Moschino, Prada, Cole Haan, Donald J. Pliner, Betsy Johnson & much more!  All excellent quality and many never worn & new with tags!)

·         Like-new infants & children’s room décor, baby equipment & clothing (Gymboree, Janie & Jack, hand smocked clothing and much more, many new with tags!)

·         Antiques – smalls, lamps & more!

·         High End decorative home furnishings & décor

·         Framed Art

·         Current, working electronics

·         Like-new kids’ outdoor and indoor furnishings, including 2 puppet theaters, picnic table & house – all super clean, unassembled & ready to buy!

·         Sporting goods, including a brand new $500 driver, several pairs of hardly used Rollerblades and MUCH more!

·         High End Linens for adults and kids, all in great condition, many NEW in package!

·         Books & TOYS!  ALL PARTS PRESENT & WORKING!

·         Games (many NEW IN BOX – plan ahead for Christmas & Chanukah!)

AND OH SO MUCH MORE!  HUNDREDS OF HIGH QUALITY ITEMS!!

THE BIG EVENT!  Berry Family Rummage Sale

Date:  Sunday, November 20th 8:00 a.m.

4832 Beechnut

SHOP til you DROP & feel good about it, since 100% of proceeds benefit The Robin & Joshua Berry Children’s Trust!

Starting at 10:30, the Houston Rockets’ mascot, Clutch, will be giving Hugs to Help (benefitting The Robin & Joshua Berry Children’s Trust)

for a minimum donation of $1/Per Person, so come & get your hug on with Clutch!

To volunteer or for more information, please contact Marcie Baker Turrin at rescueme@shipshapehouston.com or Ann Baker Ronn at ann@afpgroup.com.

BENEFIT CONCERT FOR THE BERRYS
Date: Thursday, December 29th; Doors Open 7:00 pm

Fitzgerald’s in the Heights ~

Featuring Backspace playing The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” album in its entirety. All ages welcome!  For details, see www.backspace.myevent.com

Beautiful, Hand-Rolled Hannukah Candles by Celebration Company

Today, we want to salute the amazing people behind these gorgeous items- our very good friends (and really, extended members of the Three Brothers Bakery family) at Celebration Company.

Celebration Company is a unique employment program that provides Jewish adults with special needs an entry into the workplace. Celebration Company is a 501(c)3 organization and a part of the JFS Alexander Institute. These amazing people create beautiful Chanukah and Shabbat candles, artistic greeting cards as well as our signature pastry boxes and boards.

Additionally, take note when you buy baked goods from Three Brothers Bakery you are also supporting Celebration Company.  Take a look at your bakery boxes.  Most of our boxes are made and stickered by loving hands at Celebration Company.  Look for their sticker on the side of the box with the signature of the Celebration Company partner who made your very special box.

Three Brothers Bakery box made by Celebration Company Member

Not only do they work well as a team, but Celebration Company is a fun-loving brunch as well! The employees hold periodic Shabbat lunches and plan everything from the yummy menus to even the grocery shopping lunches. Family members are invited to partake in the the meals, and it’s all smiles all around.

We had so much fun meeting with the entire Celebration Company family and encourage everyone to continue to support this amazing program! To learn more about Celebration Company, visit their site here. While you are always welcome to purchase their amazing products at the Three Brothers Bakery store (grab one of our yummy treats while you’re at it!) you can always order online using their convenient shopping cart.

On behalf of the Three Brothers Bakery family, we’d like to thank everyone at Celebration Company for everything that they do. We love you!

INTERVIEW WITH BOBBY AND JANICE JUCKER

I sat down with Bobby and Janice as they told me about their exciting experience during the filming of Food Network Challenge: Extreme Pirate Cakes!

Zippy: So tell me what it was like waking up the morning of the cake challenge, knowing what was to come.

Bobby: Dena and I woke up at 5:00. I knocked on Dena’s door to make sure she was up. I got in the shower, got all my stuff ready, and drove to the studio, where they had breakfast for us. I was given my special burnt orange jacket (wonder if they knew I went to The University of Texas), and then we got ready to start the show.

Zippy: What were you thinking about right before the challenge began?

Bobby: I was thinking about everything I had to do, what the steps were, how I was going to do it, how I was going to get everything accomplished. I wanted to make sure I knew where everything was. You see, everyone had their own separate kitchen. Each participant had their own producer, camera man, and they would talk to you and ask you questions while you were doing things. And I must admit, I couldn’t help but wonder how we got there as first timers, surrounded by competitors who had all previously been on the show and other competitions (this was my first, although Dena has done many).

Zippy: Tell us what happened after the “ready… set… GO!”

Bobby: I was running to get my cakes! Off we went. We started building, building, building.  I was building everything on my board, and as I’m looking over, everyone else had their boards done! Then, we started making the cake part.  I don’t really even remember what Dena and I were talking about. It probably was something along the lines of, “where’s your list? Get your list! What’s on your list? Finish that guy– get those cannons done!”

A huge problem we encountered were the mixers. I thought the mixers were going to be 20 quart mixers, and lo and behold I got a SIX quart mixer. SIX! We brought the icing done, but you have to whip the icing. Since the cake was very large, it was a LOT of icing that needed to be whipped. I guess I assumed we’d have 20 quart mixers because that’s the smallest mixer I’m accustomed to at the bakery! Lesson learned about assumptions: when you assume… (I will refrain because this is a family blog).

So, Dena starts making the figures and the little pieces that are going to go on the ship, and the sails, which we have to let dry, which are made out of pastillage and gumpaste so they get really hard. But we brought some pastillage that was bad and that really messed us up. We worked with what we had by hardening some fondant and were able to make the sails. Dena then proceeded to make the flags, cannons, figures, barrels, rats and pirates, to name a few.

Artifacts

And then I started to build the ship, which was HUGE! It was probably 10 sheets of cake! It was just big, so huge! We got it all built, and then I realized that I had forgotten to put the wiring through! I had to remove the layers of cake that I already had (about 20-30 pounds of cake at that point) and had to make Dena stop what she was doing so she could help me.

Zippy: That’s outrageous! So you eventually did get the wiring through, though?

Bobby: I had to run all my electronics up into the ship because we had some real technical stuff. We had some extreme elements – the gaslight (which we had to make), cannons that were going to blow (the cannons I had to wire. I had to run a CAT5 wire up through the base) and then six cannons that needed to be wired through the control. I had to remember where they were so I could punch holes in the fondant in the proper places.  I got that set up but then realized I had the wrong connectors. I just couldn’t find them!

Hull with "mice"

So then we iced the cake and put fondant on everything. after which I started cutting the holes so I could find my wires. We turned the ship and Dena worked on the hull. She put little rats in the hull, which was really cute (the only cute rats you can find are in sugar). We were trying to give a perspective of what it was like to be on a ship… and what kind of things did they have in a ship? They never marked their gold or their treasures. They had all of their barrels in one section, all of their gold and miscellaneous items in very plain Jane boxes, and then they had their cannon balls… and rats were all over the ships. We had to make the wooden bannisters/spindles for the top. The masts actually were really tall, and we had to get the cake over the masts (in between the masts).

Finished Pirate Ship Food Network Challenge Cake

(laughing) MORAL: You know how they emphasize all these “problems” on TV? Multiply that by 100 to get an idea as to how many problems there actually were in real life!! It’s more than what they can actually show in an hour!

Zippy: And all this, while you are on television! Incredible!

Bobby: Part of the challenge IS being on TV itself. You are trying to focus on what you are doing as well as meet the time constraints, but you’ve also got a crew of people filming you and on occasion, you also have people asking you questions. It is tough!

Bobby: Janice wanted to make sure we were drinking water, eating… I would tell Dena, drink some water Dena! It’s time to drink water! We were laughing because it was actually written into our schedules which we prepared.   I got hungry at one point, and we really didn’t have time to go eat. I popped a can of chicken and downed that protein really quickly (have to give Janice credit for this!) in a minute and boom – we were back in action!

Zippy: As I understand it, you specifically were constantly in action.

Bobby: We were running back and forth to the freezer to get more cake the entire time. Every once in a while you’d see me running to the freezer through the camera men and through the electrical lines on the floor.

Janice: He was always running. The first time he did it (he did it so many times), he took off and no one really knew why. And then they understood– the freezer is off-set, and only the participant and their partner are the only ones who can touch the cake. He took off and, as such, the cameramen ran after him. And please remember there were wires everywhere! It was really impressive, actually– while Bobby was running back from  the freezer, the cameraman was  running backwards with his heavy camera in order to capture the shot. And there was another person running behind him trying to make sure he doesn’t fall. NO ONE TRIPS OVER THE WIRES! It was absolutely fascinating. No one tripped all day.

Pirate Ship Cake for Food Network Challenge

Zippy: Tell us about the “surprise.”

Bobby: At this point, the ship is sort of done… but then, they call for us to come to the front. They say they have a surprise. They bring a giant treasure chest and say, here’s the deal. There is a special coin in this treasure chest. The person who finds this coin will be the captain of all the teams. This captain will have one team walk the plank. And by walking the plank, they will be out of their kitchen – banished for 30 minutes from the competition. Well, I’m pretty far back, and I’m going– oh man, if I get banished, I’m done! This girl- Tida- banished Tracie, because she thought Tracie was biggest threat. (laughing) No one thought I was a threat, because all of them thought I wasn’t going to finish.

Janice: There’s always one they think isn’t going to finish, but even I thought they might not finish.

Bobby: After Tracie got banished, we went back to work. We started to put the ship up, which was really heavy. Not only is the cake massive, but it’s got all the “extreme elements” and the wiring that goes along with it.

Janice: He’s standing on top of the table, ready to put the ship up. Then Dena, little 5’2” Dena, has to get on a little stepladder so she can help Bobby lift the ship. And mind you, the ship seemed to weigh about 150-200 pounds – way more than Dena!

Bobby: She was shaking; I didn’t think she could get there! Tracie’s assistant who was next to us said she couldn’t focus on what she was doing because she was watching us!

Janice: But Dena did it!  She got the ship up there with Bobby!  Dena said she was running on adrenaline! Pure adrenaline!

Bobby: At that point we were looking pretty good. I started building the wave, which took me a long time. Dena finished up all the little artifacts and then started working on the “water”, which was all around on the bottom.

Food Network Challenge Cake - the pirate on raft

Janice: It wasn’t actually water, though-

Bobby: It was a mixture of gel solution (that looks like jelly), blue coloring, and electronics that was on top of my base board, which looked like a wheel from a ship with the handles on it. The thing was so heavy that the handles didn’t work and I actually broke one!

Janice: The idea was that you could lift the board using the handles.

Zippy: At this point, time had to be running out, right?

B: Oh yeah! I was about to finish the wave and realized we were almost out of time… and then my airbrush decided to disappear on me. I pulled out an alternate airbrush that uses a CO2 cartridge and sprayed the wave quickly. And then when I thought we were in the clear, Dena goes, “We need to put the sails on.” I jumped up on the table to put on the sails, and as we’re placing them in their proper positions, one of them breaks! We had to stop and try to glue it with chocolate to see if we could make it hold. We finally got it to hold and put it back on there.

Zippy: But it was smooth sailing after that, right?

Bobby: WRONG! We had 30 seconds left on the clock, and then Dena said, “OH NO, WE FORGOT THE FLAGS!”

Pirate Ship Cake on Wave before it Rose up out of Wave

Janice: Pat Croce is the guest judge, and he is really into pirates. (He is actually also a really amazing inspirational speaker, and I’ve had the pleasure of hearing him speak in the past). Anyway, he said something about how every pirate ship has a Jolly Roger, which was fortunate because Dena had made these Jolly Rogers. Dena got distracted and put the Jolly Roger down on the table and kind of forgot about it. Four of us in the audience noticed, and all we could think about was “THE JOLLY ROGER! THE JOLLY ROGER!” And then– with only about ten seconds on the clock– Dena goes, “Oh yeah! The Jolly Roger!” And that was the last thing they put on.

Zippy: And then, they called “TIME!”

Bobby: And we stop.

Bobby: But then comes a huge part of the challenge – moving your cake to the table.

Janice: You can have as many people you want. Just have to tell them ahead of time.

Bobby: They came to me and said, “All right, Bobby. Time to move your piece.” And I had to  have 9 people helping us move this thing. The ship was teeter tottering; it was so top heavy that it was moving (and not in the way it was intended to)! I had my hand on the board and another hand down at the bottom. We finally made it to the table when they said, “Okay, Bobby. Time to do your extreme element.”

Janice: They actually made him practice first.

Bobby: They weren’t so sure about the explosive pyrotechnics. They wanted to make sure no fires started or eyes were lost. I had to test one for them in a back area and show them how it works. After I tested it and got the “all clear,” they had one cameraman near my ship and told him to put his glasses on and get covered up. They only had one camera on the cake.

Janice: So they had a great attention to safety. Safety is a top priority on the set!

Bobby: So they said, “Okay, do your extreme elements.” So I start to do the extreme elements. The ship goes up, goes to the tilting point, tilts forward – and everyone held their breaths. And then it stops and comes back down. And then as it’s coming down– as the water is moving, as the “gas lamp” is lit– I set the pyrotechnics off – BOOM, BOOM BOOM!

Janice: It was pretty impressive!

Bobby: I was so happy – I thought we did great. I was so happy with our performance. We actually had a finished cake! It wasn’t exactly what I wanted to do. We had to take out a couple of things, but it was my first cake competition ever and we actually finished!!

Bobby Jucker & Dena Bryngelson in front of Food Network Challenge Extreme Pirate Ship Cake

Janice: Keegan, one of the judges, said that Bobby was a working machine and he had never seen anyone like Bobby. The way he ran to the freezer and was going, going, going– Keegan had never seen anyone who worked like he worked. He also said he didn’t think they had had a cake that big on Challenge ever.

Bobby: I’m pretty sure it was about 800 pounds. At least 750. We took 30 sheets of cake and had 10 left (which they donated to a shelter or the hungry). The amount of icing we had- we took at least 8 buckets – so 160 pounds. Took a lot of fondant. Really, we ran out of fondant. Had very little left.

Janice: Plus the board, which was heavy.

Zippy: Tell me about the camaraderie between all of the competitors on Challenge.

Janice: There was a great synergy amongst the group. Everyone rooted for everyone. The competitors were a great bunch of people.

The Competitors - Food Network Challenge Extreme Pirate Cakes

Stephen Maronian (blue)

Tida Pichakron (green)

Tracie Turinese (purple)

Bobby: I really liked them. We had a lot of fun. And you know, it wouldn’t have been the same without Dena. I was really happy to have worked with her on this challenge. She was the perfect partner.

Zippy: Last but not least, would you do it again!

Bobby and Janice: (without a moment’s hesitation) In a heartbeat!

Our Bobby was selected to be on Food Network Challenge: Extreme Pirate Cakes, which will air on September 4th at 7pm CST.  It has been quite a journey getting Bobby on the Food Network for the second time this year! We had heard of the opportunity from a bakery group we are in, and after some deliberation, I finally sent the producer a quick note and how about that?  She emailed me back!

We first wanted to make sure that if we were going to go through with this, we had a game plan set. One of the most important details was Bobby’s partner. The nature of the challenge required that Bobby work in a pair (you’ll see why this was so important later on!), and upon deliberation the name Dena Bryngleson (of Dena’s Sweetly Unique Cakes) came to mind. Dena had worked with us on the Boots and Coots cake. After we talked about it for a little while, we decided there was no one better suited to be Bobby’s partner than Dena. And fortunately for us, she accepted!

Boots and Coots Oil Derrick Cake with Fire by Three Brothers Bakery - Front View

Let us know what you think about Bobby’s audition video which we sent in with some photos of his work! (Link to YouTube Video is found at end of this post).

Oil Derrick and Fire-Breathing Dragon Cakes by Three Brothers Bakery

Fire-Breathing Dragon by Three Brothers Bakery

Lifelike, Lifesize Turkey Cake by Three Brothers Bakery

On February 21st, I received an email that took me straight to Cloud 9:

February 21, 2011

“Congratulations on making Food Network Challenge: FOOD NETWORK CHALLENGE: EXTREME PIRATE CAKES!!”

How about that!!  Surely this was when all the fun would begin… or so we thought. If you’re familiar with Food Network Cake Challenge, you’re aware that all the cakes are really BIG. As such, we had a full van with everything we had to take to Denver for the filming.

Our items included:

●      30 full sheets of cake

●      160 pounds of buttercream icing

●      100 pounds of fondant

●      Two compressors and an air gun

●      Tips, icing bags, rolling pins, spatulas, decorating accessories, our plan books, timer, and on and on and on…

And keep in mind we had to bring double of everything for back-ups!

It was a miracle the wheels of the van held up with the weight of the supplies. Bobby and a friend of his, Albert, drove up to Denver and did a little sightseeing. Along the way, they stopped at a restaurant and the waitress asked them where they were from and where they were going. Bobby told her they were en route to Denver because they were going to be on a food show. The lady immediately got excited and said, “Oh my G-D, you’re going to be on Food Network?! You have to sign my door!” Apparently, she has all the “famous” people who visit her restaurant come and sign her door, but Bobby protested, “I’m not famous!” She made him sign the door anyway.  They had a great time at the Cimarron Heritage Center in Bose City, OK. A must see on a road trip through Oklahoma.

Bobby and Albert arrived in Denver Thursday night so they could be well rested for Bobby and Dena’s first meeting, which was scheduled for Friday at 10…. p.m.! Oy, what a late night! In case you’re wondering, we did not even leave the studio on Friday night until midnight!

Of course, no one sleeps, because you are afraid you won’t wake up, so then you are really tired and hope the adrenaline will keep you moving.  And luckily, the adrenaline was flowing.

Stay tuned for Part 2 (an exclusive interview with Bobby and Janice) to hear a first-hand account of the challenge itself!

More to come…..

Bobby Jucker Food Network Challenge Audition Video

Robin Perlo-Berry, Josh Berry, Peter, Aaron and Willa Berry (thank you to photographer of this picture)

I did not know Josh, but if Robin chose him to spend her life with, I know he must have been great.  Robin grabbed life and lived it; she took everyone with her on her quest to enjoy life’s greatest moments. I cannot think of a moment where I saw her without a smile on her face.  The photos we have seen of their family are definitely an illustration of the love the family had for one another. We remember Peter, Aaron and Willa in the bakery eating cookies with their mom, smiling and laughing.

Robin picked up a birthday cake for Willa not long before their vacation to Colorado.  Creating sweet memories was what her life was about.  I recently saw a picture of the children in the hospital published by the Jewish Herald Voice, and it filled my heart to see them smiling.

To the Perlo and Berry Families:  We send our heartfelt condolences and admire the selflessness with which you are honoring your commitment to Robin and Josh.  We’re all here to help you.  Please let us know when you need anything.

Robin and Josh: To your children, we want to give the cakes for those birthdays, bar and bat mitzvahs, graduations, weddings and other special events in their lives each and every year.  Robin and Josh, you celebrated those big moments and we want to make sure we continue your legacy of creating sweet memories.

We want to help make sure the memories Robin began will continue.  Giving tzedukah (charity) before the Sabbath begins is a mitzvah (good deed).  If you would like to make a donation to The Berry Family Children’s Trust, please click on this link.

You can also receive updates on the family via their Facebook page.

A final memory:  I still and will always have a vision of Robin having one more thing to say, throwing it over her shoulder with a smile before walking out the door -  every time she came to the bakery. I’m glad that smile is my memory.

Robin and Josh,

Our entire community misses you. We promise to be there for your children.

Love,

Janice, Bobby and all of The Jucker Families and your Three Brothers Bakery Families