Sunday Sweets Spotlight: Elena Gnut Cakes

I'm doing something a little different this week, Sweets fans:
All of today's cakes are by the same baker.

Why?

Because after ten years of searching out the best cakes the web has to offer, it takes a lot to impress me. And Elena Gnut, a culinary artist from Kaliningrad, Russia, knocks my sugar-loving socks off. Her cakes are pure art, incredibly unique, and I think you're going to love them.

Here, just look at her hot air balloon cake topped with floating butterflies:

That's all hand-painted! And her soft watercolors on the butterflies make them feel like something out of a dream.

More surreal sweetness: this leaping goldfish:

Everything here seems to defy gravity - and you KNOW those chocolate orbs are filled with something delicious.

I love the 3D sculpted wings on this fairy/angel:

And speaking of sculpting... this is cake:

WOW.

This one should be on a marble plinth in an art museum:

In fact, Elena could sell photos of this, right? I think I could stare at those textures all day.

Have you picked up on the subtle Gothic vibe to Elena's work? If so, then it probably won't surprise you that she's a big Tim Burton fan:

And can we talk about the genius of a Tim Burton-inspired Snow White and Little Mermaid?!

Most of Elena's cakes are pure whimsy, though, light and sweet:

D'awwwww. I may have squeed rather loudly over this one.

Another gravity-defyer:

Look at those feathery clouds! They must be cotton candy, but they look so much like real down feathers its messing with my brain.

This one has a kind of rose petal wind chime on top:

Again, dreamy and beautiful.

This one caught my eye since my parents are currently touring the midwest on their Harley:

I adore that soft color palette - so rustic and peaceful.

And finally, one last show-stopper (can you tell I'm binging Great British Bake-Off?) that literally made me gasp:

Absolutely stunning.

Elena is the only baker I follow on Instagram, and that's some of the highest praise I can give. Go give her follow for more eye candy like this in your feed, and be sure to browse the rest of her account, too, because dang, you guys. DANG.

Just to be clear, this post is not sponsored in any way, and Elena has no idea who I am. I just wanted to share something Sweet. :)

Happy Sunday, everyone!

*****

P.S. It's never too early to start decorating for spooky season, and these stick-on bats were my biggest hit last year:

3D Halloween Bats, Exterior Grade, 60 pc set

They're made of sturdy plastic, come in 4 different sizes, and have adhesive pads to easily stick them up anywhere in or outside your home. (I put a whole belfry of them on our front door.) (I don't know if "belfry" is right, but I'm going with it. :D) Even better, the whole 60 piece set is only $9 Prime!

Bridal Terrors

A lot of brides like to give their bakers a photo of their dream wedding cake, in the hopes that they might, in fact, get a cake that looks at least vaguely similar.

However, as you long-time readers know, this can be a lot like asking Francois the painting ferret** to whip you up a quick Mona Lisa. Some of the colors might be right, but in the end it's probably gonna be covered in fur and little poo nuggets. (The painting, that is, not the cake.) (We hope.)

For example:

Amanda C. asked for this, only in white and with a C:

And, in the baker's defense...

...that is most definitely a C.

Jei gave this picture to the head "chef" at a "luxury" beach "resort":

And she got...this:

I can't decide which is classier: the oozing cake or those water bottles.

Do you think the bride had to spring for those? [chortle]

Candice F. wanted this mushroom cake:

And her baker's interpretation?

Aw, those bakers: such fun guys.

Joanne and Elena wanted this stunner for their wedding:

And, to be fair, what they got did leave them stunned:

I would ask what happened to the flowers, but those squiggles have left me speechless.

And finally, Christie D. wanted her cake to look just like this, only with silver ribbon:

Pretty simple, right?

Well, here's an interesting factoid: did you know that "silver ribbon" can be translated as "duct tape"* in some bakeries? It's true. Here's proof:

That's "35 years of experience" right there.

So I'd hate to see what only two decades' worth would look like.

Thanks to brides Amanda C., Jei, Candice F., Joanne & Elena C., and Christie D. for making me feel better about my $80 Publix wedding cake.

*Note: Not actual duct tape. Duct tape is prettier.

**Loyal Wrecky Henchperson Shannon S. sent in this helpful illustration:

Quick! Somebody give me a clever ferret pun!
(I love my job)

*****

P.S. Don't worry, I have a pumpkin-spice chaser for you: Check out this card that transforms into a bouquet:

Fresh Cut Pop-Up Bouquet, "Pumpkin Harvest"

I've been raving about Fresh Cut Paper for a while now, and they just added two new Fall designs: this "Pumpkin Harvest" bouquet:

...and a pop-up wreath!? Ohhh, this is cool:

When I send my grandmother cards she likes to tack them up up on her wall, so I just sent her this one, which is meant to be hung up, and doubles as pretty Fall decor. There are more styles, too, so go see all the Fresh Cut Paper designs here.