"I love inside jokes. I hope to be part of one someday."
-Michael Scott, from The Office
I am a big fan of the T.V. show The Office. Huge. I have seen every episode at least once, and I can quote Michael Scott-isms and Dwight Schrute-isms with the best of them. Each week, Eric and I tune in, just waiting to hear what sorts of cringe-worthy statements come out of the main characters' mouths. Although I have heard that the original British version of the same show is just as funny, the American version doesn't leave me feeling deprived of humor by any means, so I'm going to stick with the Scranton branch of Dunder-Mifflin for now (well, technically, Dunder-Mifflin and the Michael Scott Paper Company, which was launched in last week's memorable episode...)
Because I am a fan of The Office, you can only imagine how excited I was when a friend of my friend Stephanie called me and asked if I would make a cake for Jenna Fischer's birthday celebration, which was held last night at Prive (pronounced "pree-vay"--there is supposed to be an accent on the "e", but I can't seem to figure out how to do that with this system). Prive is a popular nightclub at the Planet Hollywood resort, and Steph's friend Judy does their PR. Jenna Fischer plays Pam, one of the main characters of The Office, and she is apparently very fond of cupcakes. It just so happens that Judy had tasted some of my cupcakes at Steph's baby shower a few weeks ago, so my timing could not have been more perfect! You can see additional pictures of the party at this link, but those are owned by Wire Image, thus the teeny tiny picture above. I should have some better ones in the next few days.
"Hi Julie, it's Judy. Would you be interested in doing cupcakes and a cake for Jenna Fischer this Saturday?"
"Hmmm....let me think about that. (Beat) YES!!!!!!"
We decided that the final product should incorporate the Prive logo, something "Office-y", and of course cupcakes. What we finally decided on was this cake (below) surrounded by cupcakes to look like a big flower. I decided that the best representation of The Office would be the logo, which appears at the end of the opening credits. Made out of two layers of black and white fondant, I went through 3 horrendous practice rounds before creating this final version that I was satisfied with. Yes, I became one with my x-acto knife.
For the Prive logo, I made sugar cookies of various shapes and sizes, and I covered them with white royal icing. Once the icing hardened, I piped on the raspberry-hued Prive logo. The cookies were then placed on top of some of the extra cupcakes and used as "leaves" for the flower. The stem was fashioned out of gumpaste, and my forearms received a major workout from kneading in the green food color (yes, my hands still have a faint green tint--anyone know how to get that out?) The hardest part for me is always the writing--my cake penmanship needs a bit of work, and writing on a cake is always a little nerve-wracking. Oh well, at least my spelling was correct--that counts for something, right?
Although this cake took A LOT of work, it was so much fun for me, and finding those pictures of Jenna Fischer smiling next to my creation really made my day! Sorry for no new recipe today, but as you can see, I've been busy!!
You're the baker who made this cake?! I'm a huge fan of The Office and read Jenna Fischer's blog on MySpace. She was talking about this cake and had some pictures of it up on her blog. That is so awesome! You did a great job!
Posted by: Tanya | April 05, 2009 at 11:14 AM
That's a very fun and creative cake - beautiful too!
Posted by: foodhoe | April 01, 2009 at 03:14 PM
Oh my God! That's so cool! You're like a celebrity chef now! Congrats!
And I brushed up a story for the Cheerios contest. I might send it your way to see what you think. :)
Posted by: Blond Duck | April 01, 2009 at 03:18 AM
Julie, how fabulous! Your cake looks fantastic. What wonderful elements--cookies, cake, cupcakes!! The Office is my favorite show; I'm still in awe that you got to make Jenna's bday cake!!
Posted by: Elyse | March 31, 2009 at 09:51 PM
You are officially a rock star. A birthday cake for Jenna Fischer? Does it GET any cooler than that?
Also, I think your icing penmanship is superb. If you like, I'll show you an example of mine, and then you will feel incredibly good about your skills.
Posted by: Wendy | March 31, 2009 at 11:20 AM
Wow, Julie! Congrats!
I enjoy cake decorating too, so I especially love this post.
If you have time, check out the cake I made last week for my niece's first birthday:
http://joshmarcieandbattlestar.blogspot.com/2009/03/shes-crafty.html
It's not perfect, but I was pleased with it. Can't wait to make some cute Easter cupcakes in a couple weeks. I'm sure you'll have something cute to show us, too!
Posted by: Marcie | March 31, 2009 at 09:55 AM
Wow-what an incredible cake! Congrats on your first celebrity cake, it's beautiful.
Posted by: Christy | March 30, 2009 at 07:33 PM
nice work!!!! looks awesome :)
love to office!
Posted by: Dani | March 30, 2009 at 05:12 PM
This is pretty exciting and you are one clever gal! You did such a nice job. I'll be waiting for your next celebrity cake.
Posted by: Mary | March 30, 2009 at 12:11 PM
Exciting stuff, right?!?!
Posted by: Darius T. Williams | March 30, 2009 at 11:17 AM
The biggest congrats! That is a huge deal. Nice job.
Posted by: The Duo Dishes | March 30, 2009 at 10:45 AM
How exciting! Love that show, and your cupcakes look wonderful!
Posted by: patsyk | March 30, 2009 at 10:13 AM
Wow! You must have been so excited at this opportunity. Next stop: "The Office" 500 Episode Party! Great job!
Posted by: Foodie at Heart | March 30, 2009 at 08:50 AM
Wow, this is so exciting! You did an amazing job, and I'm sure Jenna was very pleased! Congrats!
Posted by: the wicked noodle | March 30, 2009 at 07:28 AM
How fun! And, the cake and cupcakes look great! Great job.
Posted by: lisaiscooking | March 30, 2009 at 06:48 AM
That is so cool Julie! Your little cupcakes turned out so cute! I bet Jenna was thrilled to see what you had made her. I can't wait to see who you'll get to bake for next!
Posted by: Jenny | March 30, 2009 at 06:32 AM
Awesome! You go!
Posted by: Katrina | March 30, 2009 at 06:04 AM
NICE job, Julie.. good for you.. You must be so proud! Highly impressive:)
Posted by: donna | March 30, 2009 at 03:22 AM
Your hard work certainly paid off - you did a fantastic job on that cake, Julie! Such a steady hand with that piped lettering, I'm impressed. What a great gig, too!
Posted by: Kathy - Panini Happy | March 29, 2009 at 08:34 PM
You are so talented! Very nice!
Posted by: deanna | March 29, 2009 at 04:02 PM