700 is a REALLY big number..

I've finally managed to bring myself round to the idea that I can't NOT look at another cakepop again, what with my business being well, erm, mostly cakepops and all that - after what soon became fondly referred to as "The Epic Order" (TEO for short?!)

Plenty o'folk have been asking who on Earth was it for? You haven't even shown us what they looked like after days of sharing the journey in creating TEO so I thought I would just give a little explanation!

I was contacted quite out of the blue by an Agency urgently looking for some promotional cakepops for a huge product launch for a well known, epicly, epic, one-of-the-biggest-companies-in-the-world brand.
The conversation went a little like this "Jade, can you make 700 logo'd cakepops for *brand* and the launch of their latest product for delivery next Thursday"
I respond "Oh sure, absolutely, no problem".

Turns out 700 is a really, really big number.

Delivery collection booked for Wednesday. The countdown began.

Saturday - It started off so well. Buttercream mixed - easy. Got a head start and rolled and chilled 90 cakepops thinking I would chip away at the order. I had plenty of time.

Sunday - I vowed to roll ALL of the little round buggers.. turns out, rolling cakepops in vast quantities takes a looooong time. Fast forward 6 hours, with the discovery that I can roll 100 per hour if I don't speak and have people bring me coffee.

Monday - came the arrival of the logo printed on to edible paper. Cutting 700 of those babies out will give you tremendous pinkie cramp I tell you. 

Then the dipping began. Hours or dipping, logo-ing, chilling, bagging and packing. By Monday night I had completed... 90.

Tuesday - TEO D Day. The day of endless dipping and packing. Hours and Hours. 20 to be precise. Douewe Egberts Coffee sales shot through the roof and my thumb has only just lost the lollipop stick shape blister. 1.30am they were almost all packed in to 5 whopping boxes with love, care and bubble wrap.

You know how it is really annoying when you are waiting for your latest 'Boohoo' delivery and your courier makes a balls up? Well, that's nothing on how it feels to send 700 precious cakepops and entrust their safe arrival in the hands of someone other than you. Paying the practically VIP rate to get them there by morning and insured to the hilt, on the Thursday, I received a call to say they had not arrived. Cue heart palpations, tears and several phone calls to said courier and all of the four letter words you can possibly think of. It was so devastating to know I had put so much in to something that could possibly then be ruined by a third parties poor performance. 

After being assured by the courier they would get their by 9am the following morning, with minutes to spare before the launch event, a sleepless night (and a gin or two) they finally made it.

It was crazy to think 700 people were in London munching my cakepops! 

The cakepops did have a logo on - which doesn't belong to me but instead to the brand - so as soon as I have approval to share the image then I'll show you those babies. 

Until then, if anyone ever says to you 700 isn't that big a number. Then they are a bloody liar. 

There might not be bread..but there's always cake!

Holy Moly - that was quite the snowy week wasn't it? I can hardly believe I was sitting doodling my Easter Cakepop designs when outside was the Beast from the East in its full Elsa from Frozen ragey glory!

It gave me plenty of time to prep and plan ideas for the next few months - it sometimes feels like I spend as much time at a computer as I do at an oven. I think the snow cabin fever had well and truly set in by Friday when I realised that some of the new flavours and designs were "out there" to say the least (you'll have to wait to see them for yourself won't you!) but isn't that the fun in it all? Coming up with new and fun things with every season?

After having to postpone an order or two due to the crappy conditions I was so thankful and delighted by local customers snapping them up to enjoy indoors with their families by the fire (well that's what I imagined them to do with the cakes, they might have just eaten them all to themselves en route back home - I fully support that move too) - and it's a nice thought that despite the bread and milk shortage there is always cake.

You may have seen at Valentine's day my first mini-cake, perfectly portioned for 2. This week will be another week of mini-cakes, albeit slightly bigger, but ideal for Birthday's for those who don't want to share (aka Me) so stay tuned for pics aplenty which should brighten up what promises to be an epicly soggy week ahead!

Jade 
xoxo