Trio of Cakes!

I just love this way of featuring bridal cakes for your guests! Instead of one large bridal cake, how about 3 or 5 smaller different cakes arranged beautifully with a recurring theme? McKinley chose this option for her gorgeous Fall wedding at Pippin Hill. McKinley's cakes were Sour Cream Almond cake with Chocolate Buttercream and Carrot Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting...perfect for the start of the Fall season! After covering them with a marbled fondant we placed seasonal fresh fruit on her cakes...a few silver stands and servers and a unique and beautiful look was created for her wedding!



Just a word about the beautiful images...they were shot by Jen Fariello Photography and I love the ethereal quality of them. In addition to digital photography, Jen is brilliant with film as well. Thank you for the gorgeous images!

Calligraphied Cake

When Kristen and Jurgen contacted me regarding their wedding cake with their names done in calligraphy, I knew there was only one person to call! Jen Maton of Ifsoinklined Calligraphy creates beautiful art with the written word, from invitations, to enveloped and custom artwork, her skill is undeniably beautiful! Kristen's cake was a Pumpkin cake with Maple Buttercream and a Sour Cream Almond cake with Chocolate Ganache...yum!

Jen came over the night before the wedding and lovingly handpainted their names onto the cake...talk about a tag team. Loved working with you, Jen and I hope we get to do it again soon! Congratulations, Kristen and Jurgen and thank you for choosing Maliha Creations and Ifsoinklined to create your wedding cake at Sweely Estate Winery!

Beautiful pictures courtesy of Julie Napear Photography!

The Best Thank You!

For a wedding vendor, there is nothing better than receiving a note from a bride or groom detailing their joy with your work. When I opened my email and received the following from a previous bride, I was of course, thrilled that they enjoyed my creations so immensely, but I was also reminded of why I love my job so much. The opportunity to be involved in some of the happiest moments of my clients lives, from new babies, to weddings and everything in between, is a never-ending thrill. Thank YOU, Marjorie, for choosing me to create your wedding cakes!

"Dear Anita,

Ryan, our families and I cannot thank you and your husband enough for our two divine, delicious and highly detailed cakes on May 28th, 2011!! The fern cake was elegant, delicate and perfectly fit into our wedding theme. The UVa football stadium was ABOVE and BEYOND what we ever imagined! The lights? The UVa good old song? The field, the fans and the colonnade? The deep, delicious red velvet? Seriously, it was one of the many highlights of the wedding and many, many people refereneced how fabulous it was. I know that Patricia Lyons will have many photos of it, so we will make sure to connect you.

As well, on Sunday May 29th, it was so lovely to run into your husband and your daughter to get to discuss the amazing depth of engineering that went on to get this cake to perfection. It was really a family effort and we utterly appreciate your time, energy and creativity!

More photos to come!"

Cobalt blue...

Kally and Ben were married at the gorgeous Veritas Vineyard this past summer. Kally's inspiration was beautiful cobalt blue glass. There were hints of cobalt blue throughout their wedding...from the bridesmaid dresses, to the flowers, to backdrop lighting on the sheers surrounding the ball room. We created this cake for Kally and Ben by forming dozens and dozens of hydrangea blooms. After the blooms had dried, we airbrushed them with a cobalt blue edible food coloring. Once dried again, they were artfully placed on the cake. Their yummy cake was Vanilla Butter cake with Raspberry Buttercream and Chocolate Ganache...a classically delicious combination! A special thanks to Meg Runion Studios for beautiful images.

Scott Stadium...in Cake!

When I met Marjorie, her mom, and her fiance, Ryan last year we had a great time tasting different cake options and mixing and matching until we came up with the perfect wedding cake for Marjorie and Ryan. She had decided on a cake decorated in a fern motif...easy, peasy, I knew I could handle that!

Then she mentioned that she wanted a cake in the shape of Scott Stadium..."uhhh, no problem," I answered. And with that we were off. As her wedding date neared this cake was on my mind, morning, noon and night! I had to get blueprints from the University (it had to be 100% to scale and accurate), licenses for the logos (we wanted to keep everything Kosher) and I must have driven by Scott Stadium dozens of times (to get a feel for the real thing!). We spent hours online looking for lights (oh yes, this stadium had real working lights blazing over the field) and a way to play the University of Virginia fight song (it played back with the push of a button).

This cake had to be one of the largest undertakings I have had to date. Over 18 sheet cakes and 12 batches of buttercream...this cake fed over 300 people! The sheer size was just to provide all of the detail that we wanted to incorporate.

Some of the biggest challenges I knew I was going to face were the pergola at the entrance, as well as the fact that Scott Stadium is at street level on the student side and below ground on the opposite side.

So without further adieu, here are pics of the Scott Stadium. I will be blogging about some of my trials and tribulations and some pics of the process soon, but here is the finished product so expertly photographed by Patricia Lyons Photography Thank you Patricia, for capturing the Scott Stadium so perfectly. When I heard you were photographing it, my worries were washed away!

Adventurous Cake for an Adventurous Couple!

When Natalie and her mom came in for a tasting, I knew we were in for a fun time. Natalie and Michael are both adventurous spirits...they love the outdoors...whether skiing, surfing or something in between, they are happiest outside. Natalie saw a cake in my tasting room and fell in love with the design...an all white number with differing height tiers and lots of texture. We decided to incorporate a wave pattern on one of the middle tiers to bring in her love of the ocean. It was very subtle and it went perfectly with the cake. Natalie chose wonderful flavors for her wedding cake...Sour Cream Almond Cake with fresh pitted cherries and Vanilla Buttercream and Vanilla Butter Cake with Vanilla and Lavendar Buttercreams!

Here are a few pictures of their cakes. Beautiful pics courtesy of Jody Miller Photography.





A few weeks before Natalie and Michael's wedding, I received a call from Judy (Natalie's mom)...turns out Natalie's birthday is on her wedding day! She wanted to surprise Natalie with a custom surfboard and a birthday cake. We decided on a ski mountain with 2 kittens surfing down. The cake was a Vanilla Butter Cake with Coconut and Lime Buttercreams! Their lovely wedding took place at Montpelier, home of James Madison.

Bloomin' Magnolias

I have been so behind on my blogging this summer! I have lots of fabulous wedding cakes to share...bear with me! I met with Katie and her mom early this year for a tasting and consult and I adored them both immediately! Katie is such a delight to be around...warm, sweet and she has the loveliest smile, which she flashes often! Katie decided on a clean style for her cake and wanted to include large magnolia blooms. The week of her wedding, while driving around Charlottesville, I noticed the magnolias on the trees outside were in FULL bloom...it was so perfect! Katie, thank you for choosing Maliha Creations to design your wedding cake. It was such a joy to work with you and your family and I wish you and Steve a lifetime of wedded bliss!

For more details of this gorgeous wedding check out Aaron's blog!

Here are some images of their special day captured by Aaron Watson Photography. I have gotten a chance to do several weddings with Aaron this summer and I am always thrilled with his images. Thank you, Aaron!


Gorgeous full blooms to match the beautiful day!


Aren't they adorable!

Katie's shoes were the same bright red as Steve's tie...perfection!

Prince Michel Vineyard Wedding

After a few bumps in the road, Rachel, Jeff and I finally had a chance to enjoy a chat over some cake and coffee. Their vision for an elegant, lovely, and most of all, fun, wedding was achieved at Prince Michel Winery a few weeks ago. They chose a cake with gumpaste grapes, as well as a gumpaste plaque with their names on it. I enjoyed working with both of them so much. Their easygoing and fun-loving personalities were evident in throughout their wedding...from custom m&ms to Qdoba for catering!!! Aaron Watson Photography photographed their wedding and sent me this FABULOUS picture of their cake. Love the way the sun is bursting behind the cake...what a great shot, Aaron! Check out his blog for more!

one little word...trust.

When Courtney and Troy contacted me to create their wedding cake for their intimate wedding at King Family Vineyards, we knew there was a possibility that we would not be able to meet before their wedding. This meant that they would not have a chance to sit down and see if our personalities meshed, nor would they be able to try my cakes to see if it suited their tastes. Instead we hashed out everything via phone and email to create the perfect combination of cake and design for their big day.

One thing I do not take lightly is the fact that wedding cake is often the first bite of food shared by a newly married couple...in fact, this first bite should symbolize the sweetness of marriage and the sharing of food. So though Courtney and Troy would not be able to taste their cake before the wedding, they chose a Red Velvet Cake with Raspberry and Chocolate buttercreams...a fabulous combination! All of this to say, Courtney and Troy, I appreciate you trusting me to create your wedding cake. I really enjoyed having a part of your special day.

A huge thank you to Mostardi Photography for these fabulous images. They took so many amazing images, and I just could not choose one, so they sent them all! Thank you, Heather and Carver!

Featured on Style Me Pretty!

Claire and Praveen's beautiful wedding merged their two backgrounds and cultures in a magnificent backyard wedding! Thanks to Style Me Pretty for featuring this lovely wedding nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge!

Check it out here...

Here are some lovely pics of the cake from the wonderful Jen Fariello...thank you, Jen for your beautiful images!

Buttercream Delight!

I was thrilled to be asked to participate in the Art of Photography Workshop by Jen Fariello and Robert Radifera. There were many talented professionals who worked hard to make this day a success and I was excited to be among them! Shawn Cossette of Beehive Events requested an all buttercream cake with texture...it was fun to try a new technique and I was very happy with how it turned out. Thanks for including me and I cannot wait to see all the fabulous pictures!!!

Photo Courtesy Robert Radifera

Ecuadorian Delight!

My latest wedding cake was created for a lovely couple who recently married at Veritas Vineyard on one of the most beautiful days in March. This was one of the rare occasions that I did not meet with the bride...our tasting was with Alex, the groom, and both moms....and boy did we have fun! I could feel the comfort and familiarity of their relationships with each other and I knew that this marriage was starting off on the right foot.

Alex chose a Lemon Cloud cake with Mango curd and Raspberry buttercream with fresh raspberries embedded in the buttercream layer. The whole cake was covered in fondant and finished with a peacock ribbon and adorned with fresh flowers from Pat's Floral Designs.

This was also the first time I worked with Sasha Rothwell of Rothwell Photography and needless to say, I was blown away with her images! The stunning ballroom at Veritas was awash in a purple and blue glow and each of Sasha's images captured the lighting, the mood, and of course, documented the emotions so beautifully! I leave you with one of my favorite shots from Mary and Alex's wedding...check out more at Rothwell Photography Blog.

Owen and Helen's Wedding Featured...

...on Charlottesville Weddings today! Thank you to Danielle Freedman for featuring this beautiful wedding shot by Jason Keefer. There were so many fabulous vendors who helped to create Helen and Owen's special day. And what a lovely wedding for a lovely couple...may you both enjoy a blissful married life! Check out their wedding here!

Nick and Lori's Wedding in The Knot!

I am so thrilled that Nick and Lori's wedding at the beautifulVeritas Vineyard and Winery, in Afton, Virginia, was chosen to be featured in the Spring/Summer 2011 issue of The Knot! This beautiful affair was orchestrated by Jennifer Carroll and documented by the talented Jen Fariello. Pat and Sherry of Pat's Floral Designs handled all of the lovely florals. Lori and Nick's cake was created by yours truly. I had such a wonderful time with their cake since everything coordinated so perfectly, but I had an especially fun experience in making Nick's grooms cake. Lori sent me his cowboy boot and asked me to replicate it in cake. What a fun adventure that was! Luckily it was in the summer, so hopefully he did not miss it!

'Tis the Season...for Dessert!

I had the oppurtunity to work on something a little different a few weeks ago and I was thrilled to be able to collaborate with Ami Smith of Embellish Interiors and Jen Maton of IfsoInklined Calligraphy. The event was for the annual holiday party for the Community of Charlottesville Wedding and Event Professionals. With Ami's eye for detail and design she was able to create a beautiful backdrop and tablescape and with Jen's lovely calligraphy we were able to pull together a cohesive dessert table without sacrificing taste!


Dark Chocolate Cognac Truffles dipped in pearlized white chocolate...

Of course, a dessert table is not complete without a cake!

The hottest rage in dessert...Whoopie Pies!

Eggnog Cupcakes with Bourbon Buttercream and Pumpkin Cupcakes with White Chocolate Ginger Buttercream...complete with White Chocolate Ginger Bark.

My favorite part of the dessert spread...Shimmy Shimmy Cocoa Pops...just add hot milk (from sterling silver carafe) to hot chocolate pop and stir until melted...sprinkle on marshmallows and enjoy!


Jen's beautiful calligraphy...

One last look...


Beautiful photography courtesy of William Walker Photography and Tod Cohen Photography! Thank you both for your amazing talent and lovely works!

We would also like to thank Festive Fare Rentals for the beautiful farm table and the lovely hot chocolate mugs!