November Roundup!

Zooooom! Whoosh! What's that? That's Friandise Pastries, jamming through a VERY busy month of November. Weddings--catering gigs--Patchwork Show--Thanksgiving! Let's review...

We had the pleasure of providing our signature dessert displays for some weddings this month. Congratulations to all our November brides and grooms!

Dessert display with custom backdrop

Custom-decorated Cakes for Dessert Display

We sold tons of Kirbycakes and other Friandise Sweets at the Patchwork Festival in Culver City. The Patchwork Festival is a great way to get to know a ton of local crafters of clothes, art, jewelry, and more--including us with our irresistible Kirbycakes!

Tastiest Booth at Patchwork!

Did you know we make custom cake pops? We do! A very delighted customer took our custom cake pops to her party and they were a huge hit!

Too Cute!

We even had an order for black macarons! No problem--these were perfect for a Nightmare Before Christmas Bridal Shower.

Beautiful Black Macaron!

We mustn't forget about Thanksgiving! We had many orders for pies, tarts, cupcakes, and other desserts. Our favorite was this pear and sour cherry tart--mouthwatering!

Pear and Sour Cherry Tart

That's just a few highlights from this busy month of November. This week we're getting ready for Unique LA, which is Saturday and Sunday at the California Market Center in Downtown LA. Come on down and check it out--10% of ticket sales are donated to Inner City Arts (an amazing non-profit for kids in LA) and you won't find a better selection of locally-crafted high-quality goods.

That's all for now. Until next time, stay sweet and send us a tweet! Pin It

Halloween Time!

Our favorite holiday is coming--Halloween! We love the costumes, the spooky fun, and of course the candy!

Lollicakes by The Cake Countess

We have filled our case with special Halloween treats and decorated for Halloween. Don't you love decorating? We sure do!

We have all kinds of Halloween fun going on--Halloween Cupcakes (Snickers cupcake anyone??), Cake Pushers, Jumbo Oreo-style cookies with Orange-tinted Buttercream inside..

So come down to our bakeshop inside Cordon's Ranch Market to get a treat and order some special cupcakes for your Halloween Party--A plate of Snicker and Reese's cupcakes would be spook-tacular at your party!

We are open from 10-4 during the week and special orders can be picked up on the weekends. Just email us for more info. Or send a Tweet or Facebook us!

A spooky cake by The Cake Countess

Tell us what your Halloween Plans are...and stay sweet!

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Birthday Week!

This week we celebrate the birthdays of some very special ladies to Friandise.

On Wednesday we had two birthdays. One was our very own Cheryl, a woman who is beyond special to Friandise. Not only is she Kirby's mom, but she is an invaluable part of the company. She is an amazing woman of strength and love that we just can't thank enough for all she has done and continues to do.. HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHER!

Cheryl and Kirby at Unique LA

We also wished Tina at Truly Yours Catering a very happy birthday. Tina has been amazing to work with and has really become a friend to our company. Happy Birthday to you TINA! We celebrated Tina's birthday with a special delivery of Kahlua Chip cupcakes. YUM!

Kahlua Chip Cupcakes for Tina

For Cheryl's birthday, Kirby made a Berry Delicious cake--remember the Berrylicious cupcakes we had at market a few weeks ago? Berries baked into vanilla cake with a berry vanilla buttercream. It was amazing! We also had to indulge Cheryl with some other birthday favorites- the Bananarama cupcake(banana cupcake with brown sugar buttercream-yowsa!) and of course a Maple Bacon Cupcake.

Maple Bacon Cupcake

In a few days we'll also be celebrating Mari's birthday. Mari works with us in La Crescenta, heading The Cake Countess. She is a truly talented cake designer whose work we just can't get enough of! Kirby will be making her a special Macaron Tower. Be sure to stop by her Facebook page!

One of Mari's Creations--WOW!

 What a great week to have a birthday around here! What's your favorite birthday treat? Is it a special cake? A cupcake you have been dreaming of? Tell us more on our Facebook and/or Twitter!

Till next week--stay sweet and enjoy dessert! Pin It

To Market To Market

For quite some time Friandise was mostly a commercial bakery, serving coffee houses, restaurants, country clubs, and caterers almost exclusively. As you all know in recent times we have shifted to serve our fans more directly. One of the bests ways to connect with you all? The Farmer's Market.

A quiet moment at the market

In July of 2011 we made our debut at the Century City Farmer's Market. We have now been there for a whole year, and we look forward to it every Thursday!

Sweets at the Market

Every week we bring our three most popular cupcake flavors: Red Velvet, Vanilla Salted Caramel, and Chocolate. We also bring a special cupcake flavor every week--some favorites have been The Dizzy(oreos+peanut butter goodness!), Maple Bacon, Strawberry Lemonade...the list goes on!

Strawberry Rhubarb Cupcake

We also bring assorted other goodies like cake pops and French macarons. Our latest addition of Kirbycakes has been amazingly popular. Jennifer brings dozens of Classic, Red Velvet(Red Kirby), and Salted Caramel(Salty Kirby) to the market every week and almost always sells out.

Get 'em while we got 'em!

This month we'll be doing a really fun special! The Golden Ticket--some Kirbycakes will have a Golden Ticket inside. Just like Willy Wonka, except we won't make you diabetic with a lifetime supply of chocolate. Each Golden Ticket will entitle the bearer to a free mini dozen cupcakes!

A free mini dozen cupcakes for the Golden Ticket holders!

How exciting is that? Don't eat them all at once!

As you know, we've recently moved into our new home at Cordon's Ranch Market in La Crescenta. During the coming weeks we'll announce where we'll have another Market location in our new neighborhood. Keep updated by Liking us on Facebook and Following our Twitter.

Till next week, stay sweet and out of the heat!


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We Love Custom Cupcakes!

As you may know from reading this blog, one of our favorite things about weddings (and celebrations of all kinds, really!) is the dessert. Now, we might be a tad biased being that we're a bakery but it's true! Desserts really top off a special event and give your guests one more memory to appreciate.

A trio of custom cupcakes

The cupcake craze has not let off-and why should it? Cupcakes are versatile, delicious, fun, and customizable! One of the latest wedding trends is dessert tables and custom-decorated cupcakes are a great way to have a fun and attractive display that leaves your guests satisfied, delighted and talking about your event for days.

Cupcake with Custom Anemone Flower

A cupcake tower can be filled with cupcakes of all flavors and decorated to suit the bride's tastes and decor of the wedding. It's something as beautiful as a huge traditional cake, but updated for the modern event.

Cupcake with Custom Bowtie Decoration

This week we've chosen to share some of our custom cupcake designs for formal events. These designs are perfect for a black-and-white wedding or any elegant event.

Cupcake with Custom Quilted Decoration

Custom-decorated cupcakes do require quite a bit of advance notice (we love things to be perfect and with these decorations, perfection takes some time), so give us a ring if you're looking to make a dessert display truly memorable!

As always, stay updated on our latest news at our Facebook page and Twitter! And hey, we love to hear from you--so tell us your dream custom cupcake!

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The Oviatt Penthouse

This past weekend we had the pleasure of providing desserts for two weddings at one of our favorite venues, The Oviatt Penthouse in Downtown Los Angeles.

Dessert Table at the Oviatt Penthouse

The Oviatt Penthouse is atop the James Oviatt Building, an Art Deco highrise in Downtown Los Angeles. Built in 1927 on Olive Street, the Oviatt Building is designated as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.   The Penthouse, once the private residence of James Oviatt, is an amazing place to have an event. It boasts details like Lalique light fixtures, arched hallway ceilings, the art deco bar in the dining room...even the elevator is a work of art. From the moment you step inside the lobby on the first floor it's like going back to the 1930s.

The Penthouse at Night (Photo by Roxy A @ Truly Yours Catering)

Outside, the terrace is equally inviting with a tiled fountain and wrought iron arabesques. The atmosphere is magical during the day and even more so at night with the 360-degree views of Los Angeles.

Pies round out the table --everyone loves pie!

The exclusive caterer for the Oviatt is Truly Yours Catering, a company we are so grateful to have worked with over the past couple of years. For information and to see some amazing pictures check out the Oviatt's website. We often run specials for brides in conjunction with Truly Yours' bridal mixers. (Keep updated on our Facebook page!)

A simple yet elegant tower of cake, cakepops and cupcakes

Dessert tables have a special place in our hearts. They are the ultimate in custom wedding desserts. A bride can have something for everyone and have something different at the same time. Guest can enjoy cake, pie, cupcakes, and it's all their choice. Partygoers love going to the dessert table to pick out their favorite treat.

A plate of  nostalgia: Mini Kirbycakes!

A dessert table can be made for any kind of event and works with many budgets. Check out more of our sweet displays at our Facebook page and while you're there, tell us what is on YOUR dream dessert table!

Tempting Ruffle Cake flanked by exquisite macarons and decadent brownies

Until next week--stay sweet!



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What's a Kirbycake?

We have been busier than ever this week (thank you wonderful customers!) preparing for weddings and event orders, but let's take a break from the hustle and bustle to take a look at our favorite new sweet treat.

Last week I promised some words about the fabulous Kirbycake, so here we go. We have a love for nostalgic desserts here at Friandise. Many of you have had our "Classic Lunchbox" cupcake at the Farmer's Market. It is a throwback to the 2-pack of cupcakes from Hostess we used to enjoy as kids.

So Kirby decided to make another classic treat, but Kirbystyle. Remember Ding Dongs? So do we! Kirby used Red Velvet cake to sandwich cream cheese frosting with a bit of boysenberry jam inside. Then she dipped it in yummy imported dark chocolate and voila! A star was born, namely the Red Kirby. The snack we all loved as kids was reborn as a red velvet masterpiece. And since they're made so well by Kirby, we decided to call them Kirbycakes.

Dipped Kirbycakes awaiting their foil wrappers

We also decided to make it Classic style. Chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream in the middle, enrobed in chocolate. There's nothing boring about the Classic Kirby--it's amazing.

A tray of Kirbycakes at a show--these sold out quickly!

Since one of our housemade specialties is salted caramel, you know we had to do this as well. For the Salty Kirby, under that smooth chocolate coating you'll find vanilla cake sandwiching salted caramel and caramel buttercream.

A Salty Kirby being devoured

The Kirbycake has quickly become one of our most popular items. Brides have ordered mini Kirbycakes for dessert displays. Coffee house around town** sell dozens to their their clientele. Jennifer sells dozens every Thursday at the Farmer's Market in Century City. And when we sell at events--guess what the crowd favorite is? Yes, Kirbycakes! We're also happy to say that Kirbycakes can be special ordered ($3 for each foil-wrapped delight) along with all of the amazing other goodies on our menu. Just shoot us an email!

We're always dreaming up new flavors for Kirbycakes--what's your dream Kirbycake flavor? Let us know on our Facebook wall or send us a Tweet!

That's all for now. Have a sweet week!

**[UPDATE 11/16]: Kirbycakes are available at Say Cheese, Jumpcut Cafe, Echo Lake Coffee Co., Marie et Cie, and The Shack at Bel Air Bar & Grill(Moraga & Sepulveda). You can also order a big Kirbycake as a dessert at The Federal Bar!

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Vintage Woodland Wedding Dessert Display

Here at Friandise, we think there's nothing quite like a brilliant dessert display to bring a wonderful event together. We've decided it's our favorite way to express the joy at any celebration. We like to use our senses of space and style to lay out Kirby's  gorgeous delectable petite sweets to bring together displays that are really more of a multi-sensory adventure than just a plate of sweets. For this wedding display we wanted to take you to a different time and place when you walk up to the table-- in this case somewhere like a party at a Swiss chalet--woodsy, a little sweet, and elegant all the way.

Vintage Woodland Wedding Dessert Display

Desserts are hand-selected with taste and theme in mind. For the Vintage Woodland Wedding display, Kirby crafted old-school favorites like chocolate chip cookies and apple pie (in a jar!), offered alongside trendier selections like custom-tinted cakepops and Parisian macarons--which by the way, are one of her specialties. Holding court amidst the well-appointed table is a selection of mini-cupcakes and a ruffle-iced cake.

Did I mention we love putting together displays?--we get the fun of customizing a table to the party to create a special occasion for all as well as the opportunity to delight everyone with a variety of Kirby's mouthwatering creation!. We love getting creative and giving a wedding or party that "wow" factor.

Delicately sweet and chewy macarons tempt us all...

A jar of classic chocolate chip cookies tempts kids young and old...

Time-honored apple pie--in jars!

All-the-rage cakepops

And they lived happily ever after ...

We're so proud of this Vintage Woodland Wedding dessert table! It's refreshing, tempting, and just fun to stand and admire before you reach out for the perfect treat.

Next up, Gothic Victoria shows her sweet side!

Photo Credit: Aaron Lucy www.aaronlucyphoto.com

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Happy May!

We're halfway through May and so much is going on at Friandise Pastries!

We have been very busy supplying pastries to the hungry students at CSU Northridge as they crank through finals to reach the end of the semester. One of the goodies we made just for CSUN was our Red Eye Cakepop--a caffeinated treat which comes in handy on long study sessions!

Wow, May is a big birthday month! We've done so many cakes this month already and more to go. Happy Birthday May Babies!

On May 15th we had the honor of supplying our petite sweets to the patrons of the First Annual Movable Feast at LA Union Station. Our new limited edition Cherry Cola Cupcake made its debut to rave reviews! It was a lot of fun to attend and make awesome new contacts. We're very grateful to have been invited to such a wonderful event.

We don't stay quiet for long--on May 21st we will be at Bitchcraft Trading Post's Spring Sale in Atwater Village.  If you're in the area, check out the event! There's something for everyone: vintage/handmade goods, art, AND of course our goodies! We'll have vegan and gluten-free goodies as well as our famous Cherry Chocolate Bread Pudding.

Summer is just around the corner--we are gearing up for our busiest summer season yet. Parties galore--weddings, grad parties, luaus...it's good to be outside at a great party enjoying a Friandise cupcake or slice of cake!

Father's Day is June 19th ---if Dad has a sweet tooth, our cupcakes are the perfect gift. Just give us a ring and we'll be happy to take a Father's Day order. And if you happen to order a few cakepops for yourself, we won't tell. ;)

That's all for now...more next week!

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