Cake Girls

Cake Girls is a specialty bakery business located in Chicago, Illinois. They are known for creating cakes in the form of replicas of architectural landmarks and cultural icons.[1] They have been featured on WE tv's Amazing Wedding Cakes and the Food Network's Last Cake Standing.[1]

The owners

The Cake Girls are Mary and Brenda Maher, sisters that were born and raised in Rochester, Michigan. As children, they both understood they had an artistic talent in creating different types of cake. As adults, they both spent time working at a bakery in Detroit, Michigan and rediscovered their passion for creating elaborate three-dimensional "sculpted" cakes for weddings and other special occasions.[2] After a time in Detroit, the sisters decided they could do better with their own business in Chicago, and thus was born "Cake Girls".[2]

Food Network appearances

Mary and Brenda have made a number of appearances on the Food Network Challenge show and they are currently undefeated champions.

Mary & Brenda Maher appeared on the Food Network Challenge for The Simpsons Movie cake. Their opponents were as follows: Debbie Goard of Oakland, CA: Bronwen Weber of Dallas, TX: The second runner-up in this competition. She created a cake that was the Simpsons movie on a skateboard and Marge sitting on the top. Tad Weliczko of New York City: His cake was a Homer Simpson statue that replicated an Oscar Award. The cake that was created was for Krusty the Clown. They were announced the winners at the end of the show and received $10,000 for the winnings.<ref name=Simpson's>Jason the TVaholic (July 25, 2007). "MMMM donut cakes". TVaholic. Retrieved 6 October 2009.</ref>

Mary & Brenda Maher appeared on the Food Network challenge Disney Princess cake. Their opponents were as followed: Flora Aghababyan Assistant Pastry Chef, Bellagio Hotel in Paradise, Nevada who created a Cinderella (Disney character) Cake. Norman Davis Owner, The Sweet Life in Annandale, Virginia who created an Ariel (The Little Mermaid) cake titled "Ariel's Garden". Elizabeth Hodes Owner, Elizabeth Hodes Custom Cakes and Sugar Art in New York City who created a Princess Jasmine cake titled "Flying High" and Kate Sullivan Owner, Lovin Sullivan Cakes in New York City who created a Belle (Disney) cake titled "Belle's Enchanted Evening". Mary and Brenda created a Snow White (Disney) cake and were announced the winners at the end of the show and they received $10,000.[3]

Last Cake Standing Competition

Last Cake standing was a four week competition for the title of the "Best Cake Artist of America" aired by Food Network. Each week the competitors were given a task to complete in 24 hours. At the end of the task, one team was eliminated until there was one team with the Last Cake Standing. There were six teams: Michelle Bommarito (Ferndale, MI), Courtney Clark (Ann Arbor, MI), Mary Maher (Chicago, IL), James Rosselle (Los Angeles, CA), Elisa Strauss (New York, NY), and Bronwen Weber (Dallas, TX).

The first episode the challengers task was to create a cake that shows their lives. The challenge winner was the Cake Girls. Their cake was about Mary and her life as an artist, and how it transformed into her cake making today. The second episode the five remaining challengers were given the task to create a wedding cake in only eight hours. The competitors got to meet with the couple who the wedding cake was being created for, but only for a short period of time. The newlyweds got the choose who their winner was and used the winning at their wedding reception.

The third episode the four remaining challengers had to create a super hero cake. The night before each team was asked to create a super hero of their own. When the challenge came that next morning, they didn't have their normal aids that they had in the previous challenges. The remaining four were split into two teams, with their aids being their fellow competitors. They had to create a super hero cake that incorporated both the competitors ideas. The winner was cake girls (again). At then end of the show, the losing team had to have a "cake-off" so they can advance into the finale.

The fourth episode was the final episode and the last three competitors had a 24-hour cake challenge. They had to create a five foot sweet 16 birthday cake for a set of sextuplets. Not only did the cakes have to individually represent each of the sextuplets, but the cakes also had to be delivered to the party in a time frame. The winner of the challenge was the cake girls and they ended up winning the whole challenge, they currently have the title of "Best Cake Artist of America" and an additional $50,000 to their name.[4]

Fire

A fire broke out on the building's second floor shortly after 5:30 am on March 29, 2010. The building, including the bakery, was deemed a total loss. The cake girls and everyone in the building were unharmed. However, they were unsure if they would be able to fulfill outstanding orders due to the fire.[5]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Stacy Perman (June 2009). "When Sister Is Your Business Partner". Business Week. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "The Cake Girls". ABC7Chicago.com. 29 April 2008. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
  3. ↑ "Princess Cakes". TV.com. Retrieved 6 October 2009.
  4. ↑ "Food Network Challenge: Last Cake Standing". Wanna be tv chef. July 25, 2007. Retrieved 6 October 2009.
  5. ↑ Roscoe Village Fire at WGN.com

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/03/cakegirls-bakery-in-flames.html

External links