2014 Custom Cake Classes

City Cakes Classes Scheduled with Chef Benny Rivera

Chef Benny uses the most advanced techniques to bring the cake of your dreams to life. He specializes in three dimensional sculpted cakes in addition to sugar paste flowers, buttercream, royal icing and different fondant techniques. Chef Benny has been seen on the first season of the TV show Fabulous Cakes from the TLC network. He has also been seen as a contestant on the Food Network Cake Challenge, Food Network’s Sugar Dome and Halloween Wars.

By popular demand, Chef Benny has scheduled the following workshops:

Workshop: Fundamentals of Fondant Use (Cat in the Hat Cake)
Date: Tuesday, February 18th and Wednesday, February 19th, 2014
Time: 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Total Cost: $350.00

This workshop is a great fondant beginner class and will teach you how to make great looking cakes just like you see in magazines with no airbrush required. In this two day workshop learn how to properly cover a cake with buttercream as well as cover a cake with fondant making sure it is neat and flawless. Also in this workshop, you will learn how to decorate your own cake (not Styrofoam) using fondant to create different elements and learning new techniques such as the “Cat in the Hat” character popping out. At the end of the workshop you will take home your own single tier cake covered and decorated with the techniques learned in class. Students will be provided with all the tools & supplies needed to complete the workshop (tools for use at the studio only) including the cakes, buttercream and fondant. Only 4 students are permitted in each workshop so rest assured that you will receive personal and very detailed instructions from Chef Benny himself! Please email City Cakes at info@citycakesny.com to secure your spot today!

 

 

Workshop: 3D Baby Dragon
Date: Tuesday, March 4th, and Wednesday, March 5th, 2014
Time: 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Total Cost: $500.00

Experience the art and magic of building one of our most popular sculpted cakes of a three dimensional baby dragon cake. Take advantage of this amazing workshop where you will be learning to sculpt and put together an amazing design using cake and rice crispy treats. On this two day workshop, Chef Benny will teach you how to properly fill, shape, and cover you cake as well as how to properly stack them to make sure they are stable and secure. You will also learn how to quilt and decorate with specific tools. At the end of the workshop you will be taking home your own amazing three dimensional dragon cake. Students will be provided with all the tools and supplies needed to complete the workshop (for use at the studio only) including cakes (no Styrofoam), buttercream and fondant. Only 4 students are permitted in each workshop so rest assured that you will receive personal and very detailed instructions from Chef Benny himself! Please email City Cakes at info@citycakesny.com to secure your spot today!

 

 

Workshop: Whimsical Cake Slice
Date: Tuesday, March 18th and Wednesday, March 19th, 2014
Time: 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Total Cost: $500.00

Learn to make one of our most beautiful, colorful and fun designs, our whimsical cake slice! This amazing cake design can be adjusted for any special occasion such as a birthday party, a baby shower, an anniversary celebration, etc. Working with real cakes (not Styrofoam), Chef Benny will teach you how to properly fill, cut, shape and frost an amazing and unique whimsical cake design; the exciting part of this workshop is where you will discover clever decorating tricks using a variety of colors with fondant to create amazing details. The final result will be your very own whimsical slice cake design for you to take home and impress all your friends! Students will be provided with all the tools and supplies needed to complete the workshop (tools for use at the studio only) including the cakes (no Styrofoam), buttercream, and fondant. Only 4 students are permitted in each workshop so rest assured that you will receive personal and very detailed instructions from Chef Benny himself! Please email City Cakes at info@citycakesny.com to secure your spot today!

 

 

Workshop: Luggage Cake
Date: Tuesday, April 1st and Wednesday, April 2nd, 2014
Time: 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Total Cost: $500.00

This is the perfect workshop for you to learn how to create a unique and beautiful old style luggage full of incredible details. Experience the art and magic of building this amazing cake design with a fun and educational two day workshop at City Cakes, using real cake and not Styrofoam! You will learn this specific design but can apply these techniques to many other. Square cakes are one of the most complex cakes to work with, and in this workshop you will learn all the tricks to make them look perfect. Chef Benny will teach you how to fill, cover and stack your cake layers as well as how to measure, cut and place your fondant panels onto the cake making sure they are perfectly placed and attached. Also in this workshop, you will learn how to make an incredible amount of handmade sugar details to bring life to your piece of luggage. At the end of the workshop you will take home your own beautiful suitcase. Students will be provided with all the tools & supplies needed to complete the workshop (tools for use at the studio only) including the cakes, buttercream, and fondant. Only 4 students are permitted in each workshop so rest assured that you will receive personal and very detailed instruction from Chef Benny himself! Please email City Cakes at info@citycakesny.com to secure your spot today!

 

 

Workshop: 3D Baby Piano Cake
Date: Tuesday, April 15th and Wednesday, April 16th, 2014
Time: 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Total Cost: $500.00

Experience the art and magic of building one of our most wow factor cake designs of a three dimensional baby piano. Take advantage of this amazing workshop where you will be learning how to sculpt and put together a unique cake design, as well as how to build the perfect structure support system for these type of cakes. In this two day workshop, Chef Benny will teach you how to create amazing and unique details made out of cake and fondant. At the end of the workshop you will be taking home your own amazing three dimensional baby piano cake. Students will be provided with all the tools and supplies needed to complete the workshop (for use at the studio only) including cakes (no Styrofoam), buttercream, and fondant. Only 4 students are permitted in each workshop so rest assured that you will receive personal and very detailed instructions from Chef Benny himself! Please email City Cakes at info@citycakesny.com to secure your spot today!

Lightning Strikes!

Kate called in with a special request for a party in their building in Tribeca .  Her son, like many little men across the world, is a huge fan of Lightning McQueen from the Disney movie CARS. Coming up with the theme for his birthday party was the easy part, but she wasn’t really sure how the idea of making a cake in the likeness of McQueen would turn out! Chef Benny with the help of the entire City Cakes NY team got to work, somebody working on McQueen’s eyes, another person working on Lightning’s bolts, a few folks helping with the wheels, and quickly this body-and-detail team souped this cake up into one heck of a Chocolate Decadence filled Lightning replica!  What a cute little buggy, huh?

Zoey’s Broadway Birthday

Broadway’s newest star Zoey is on the horizon! Naturally a star always has the most phenomenal showpieces and what a better way to celebrate her birthday then with a Times Square Cake custom made for her by the City Cakes team she saw on TLC! After countless hours, numerous cups of coffee, and a bit of king-kong comedy, we were able to assemble a star quality cake for a talent such as Zoey. Although very challenging, this Chocolate Decadence cake was stacked high and wide, complete with custom edible Broadway show posters, edible lights, street signs, the TKTS booth, and even sugar-made replicas of the Naked Cowboy & Cowgirl. Of course, this cake wouldn’t have been complete without a poster for Zoey’s Show on the main Coca-Cola Tower! Bravo!

Flowers for Francesca

To help celebrate Francesca’s first birthday, her mom ordered an adorable two-tiered cake that would match the theme of the party, right down to the cute little sugar ladybugs and flowers. A delicious Banana Tenderness Cake with Hazelnutella Buttercream was served on plates matching the flower and pink theme of the party, held at the swank Party Loft on 5th Ave and 15th Street in Manhattan. City Cakes NY came through with another hit cake!

Barnyard baking

So when Karla emailed us asking for a replica of her twin boys’ toy barn in cake form for their birthday party, we said yes!  Then she asked if we could make it hollow so the twins’ favorite barn animal toys could be inside… a little bit of a challenge, but sure! When we delivered the final product to the incredible Moomah Cafe at 161 Hudson in Manhattan, that Barn Birthday Cake couldn’t have been a better fit for the party…. we were SO happy to have come through!  Who would have thought, a Red Velvet Barn Cake with Creme Cheese Buttercream!

Said mom Karla after the event,

“Dear Chef Benny

What a beautiful cake you made!!
We were super happy, the boys LOVED it!!! And the guests couldn’t
believe that was a cake, until we all had a piece of it.. It was
delicious!!!

I am sending attached a pic from my Iphone, but when I get the ones
from the photographer, I will send it you, with a better resolution.

It was gorgeous, delicious..
A BIG HIT!!!
Thank you!!
Karla”

Boy, how we love happy endings!  Yeeeeeehaw!

Let the show begin!

We are actually to the point where we can’t possibly update our website with all the cakes we’re making daily. Many folks have encouraged us to start a blog – to share our cakes, our laughs, our tears and excitement.  We want to give you a glimpse into the world of custom cake making and all the frills of running a small cake studio in Manhattan, NY.  So, without further ado…. hold on, get ready for a show…welcome to City Cakes NY!