Meet Me at The Lanai

🎉 HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEKKI!!! FROM ST. DENIS MEDICAL  🎉 T his September, I had the joy (and challenge!) of baking a birthday cake for St. Denis Medical star Mekki Leeper . If you’ve watched the show, you know his character “ Matt ” has his fair share of quirky moments—but one of my favorites was when Matt broke out a full-on magic act for the talent show on Season 1 Ep13. It was unexpected, awkward, and completely hilarious… basically perfect birthday cake inspiration. Every cake I make is special, but this one was a chance to get extra creative—and I couldn’t resist leveling up with a buttercream transfer for the cake décor. Frosting + Funny Business = Buttercream Transfer To honor that magician moment, I found a still from the show, turned it into a cartoon rendering, and then recreated it on the cake using a buttercream transfer. Yes, you read that right—I basically painted with frosting. It involved mixing colors like I was back in art class, only this time the medium was sugar ...

When Amy’s husband reached out and asked me to bake her birthday cake, it was what I call a “say less” moment. You know—the kind where you’re already preheating the oven before the conversation ends. Amy runs the crafty department for the hit TV series St. Denis Medical and has been one of my biggest supporters—bringing my custom baked goods to set, featuring them for cast birthdays, and basically ensuring my treats have had their own behind-the-scenes career. She’s like the fairy godmother of snacks… but with a clipboard and production schedule. The request? A double chocolate cake with chocolate ganache icing and filling. In other words, the chocolate lover’s dream—rich, indulgent, and perfect for someone as thoughtful and hardworking as Amy. But the décor? That’s where the story takes a funny turn. The inspiration came from  an unforgettable chapter of St. Denis Medical lore: the squirrel saga.  Last season, the squirrels on the lot decided crafty was their personal all-yo...

When it came time to create a birthday cake for the legendary David Alan Grier, star of St. Denis Medical, I knew I wanted to go beyond just a “favorite flavor.” I wanted to honor his roots, his legacy, and his love for red velvet cake — all while giving it a dash of classic Hollywood glam. David is originally from Detroit, Michigan, and while researching ideas, I stumbled upon a beautiful tradition from one of the city’s beloved bakeries: Good Cakes and Bakes , which makes its red velvet cake using beet juice instead of red food coloring. Not only is this a natural alternative to artificial dyes, but it’s also a nod to the soulful and authentic flavors that define Detroit’s food scene. That inspiration sparked something deep — I had to try it. The result? A red velvet cake rich with natural color and flavor, frosted with homemade cream cheese frosting — silky, tangy, and just sweet enough to complement the earthy richness of the cake. But the look? That’s where Hollywood stepped in. ...

After the sweet success of Mekki Lepper’s birthday cake last season, I’m thrilled to share that I’ve been asked once again by Amy to bake custom cakes for the cast. What started as a fun end-of-season surprise has now turned into an ongoing creative opportunity—one that blends classic flavors with personal storytelling and design. Biscoff Is King (But There’s Always Room for More) It’s no surprise that Biscoff continues to be the top-requested flavor with clients—it’s nostalgic, spiced just right, and pairs beautifully with silky buttercream. You’ll find it, along with other top flavor combos, on the menu here on the site. One of my favorite cake styles to make is the “millionaire” cake—these cakes allow for maximum creativity, from the layering and textures to the flavor pairings and artistic finishes. They're the perfect playground for both technique and imagination. When Direction Is Clear: The Bigger the Cake, the Stricter the Specs On the flip side, larger format cakes—like ha...

If you’ve been following along my baking journey, you probably know me as the cinnamon roll gal, the one bringing sugar, spice, and everything nice to markets and custom orders. But what most don’t know is that by day, I work in the world of lights, cameras, and touch-ups — I’m a professional makeup artist in Hollywood. Surprise! For the past season, I’ve had the absolute joy of working on the new hit comedy St. Denis Medical, doing makeup magic behind the scenes. And in the most unexpected (but totally on-brand) plot twist, my two worlds — makeup and baking — collided in the sweetest way. It all started with a joke. I was chatting about my cottage home bakery with coworkers on set, and someone threw out, “You should bring your stuff in for crafty!” (Crafty = craft services, the glorious snack table of any production.) But my co-workers weren’t joking. They started raving about my baked goods and even began putting in the good word to Amy (shoutout to Amy, our craft services queen) to ...