A long-standing tradition of Mardi Gras is the famed King Cake.  This cake is not only yummy and sweet; it hides a special surprise inside. The cake derives its name from the biblical three kings.  Something you may not about this cake, it isn’t just saved for the day of Mardi Gras.  It should be enjoyed from the Eve of the Epiphany (January 5^th) until the end of the celebration of Fat Tuesday.  Why not celebrate every week with special King Cake of your own?

The cake may have different forms depending on what part of the world you are celebrating in.  The French and Spanish speaking cultures all have different traditions surrounding this particular dessert.  The French make a cake with many flaky outside layers and a thick middle of Frangipane (almond flavored filling).  In Mexico it is traditional to form the cake into a shape of a crown to represent the kings.  Spanish bakers like to utilize dried fruit on top of the cake to represent the crowned jewels.

In the United States the most famous Mardi Gras celebration happens in New Orleans. The king cake of the south is much like an over-sized cinnamon roll with excessive frosting. It tends to take the shape of a Bundt cake or resemble a braided challah.  Perhaps the most important thing about your King Cake (besides the toy baby hiding inside) is to make the cake as colorful as possible.  Green, purple and yellow are must do colors to honor Mardi Gras with.

If you feel up to taking on the yummy taste of making your very own King Cake to kick off the Lenten season, I’ve provided a link to a fairly easygoing recipe.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/mardi-gras-king-cake/

Or pick one of our cakes to bring the celebration to you!

Trifle is a dessert that isn’t seen too often in America. It’s more of a European thing. Trifle is a layered dessert that may contain custard, fruit, fruit gelatin, whipped cream, and cake. It’s basically a big mishmash of sweet fruity treats! Making a trifle with fruitcake is a great delicious idea.

First, you’re going to need to find a large bowl. You could substitute several smaller bowls for the large bowl if you’re preparing the trifle for a lot of people. Crumble up your fruitcake into small blocks and make a layer on the bottom of your bowl (or bowls).

Next, pour some sherry or brandy all over the fruitcake. Some fruitcakes are already quite saturated with alcohol, and this step is by no means necessary. It just helps to moisten it up a bit and add some flavor.

Next, add some fresh seasonal fruit on top of the fruitcake. It might be best to work off of flavors that are either already present in the fruitcake or that will go well with it. Some good fruits to use in trifles include berries, pomegranate, and mandarin oranges.

The next step is to pour some warm custard as the next layer. Make sure the custard isn’t hot. Try to completely cover both the fruitcake and fresh fruit layers.

The next step involves whipped cream. The best way to do this is to whip your own cream, but Cool Whip or something similar would serve the same purpose. After the custard has cooled and stiffened, spoon the whipped cream over the custard and make a nice even layer.

Finally, it’s time to top the trifle! You could use more fruit, shaved chocolate, or spices like cinnamon and sugar. It’s totally up to you. There are endless possibilities here!

There you have it! You finally have a delicious and productive use for all of that extra fruitcake!

“No legacy is so rich as honesty.”

Tip #1: I’m sure you’ve all heard – Honesty is the best policy.  Don’t be afraid to just come out and say that you care!  People don’t say it enough.  Letting someone know that you love them is possibly the best gift they could receive.  All it takes is a few simple words.  If you are too bashful to say it aloud, snail mail goes a long way at showing your affection.  Receiving a card is a special treat nowadays!

“For the friendship of two, the patience of one is required.” – Indian proverb

Tip #2: Be patient. People like to know that not everything is “me, me, me.” Sometimes the best you can do is to sit back and listen.  When a friend comes to you with a problem, first instinct is to relate the issue to a problem of your own. Sometimes it’s best just to sit back and listen and not offer a piece of advice.  We all go through periods of just wanting to be heard. The best way to show support is to say nothing at all.

“I have always thought the actions of men are the best interpreters of their thoughts.” –John Locke

Tip # 3: There is an age old saying, “actions speak louder than words.” The best way to tell someone you really care about them is to show them and not just say it.  Being there for your friends and family is the simplest way to let them know you care about them.  Sometimes all it takes is to give someone a shoulder to lean on.

Bien Fait Cakes would love to help you show someone you care by giving the gift of a delicious dessert.  So spread some yumminess around!  Your family and friends will be sure to love a taste of our specialty cakes.

The squares we are talking about, regardless of their actual shape, can best be described as something tasty, held together by a secondary tasty substance. Almonds stuck together by caramel, berries held in place by lemon filling, pecans and chocolate, the combinations are endless. Cranberry filling with a sugary breaded coating, lemon squares frosted with white powdered sugar.  The base flavor can contrast the main ingredient or compliment it, offering something sweet with something tangy, or a heavy texture and a lighter flavor.

They can be dry or gooey, or something in between. Some melt in the mouth while others stick to your teeth. A glass of milk compliments them nicely and they are best served as desserts or side dishes, perhaps with tea or coffee.

Dessert squares are great because they are sweet and rich, but come in nearly bite-sized portions ideal for snacking or even sending as gifts. Wrap them up and mail them to loved ones in far off places, either making them all one of a kind or giving them a kind of sampler pack.

Squares can come with a number of frills. Some have frosting drizzled over the top, others come with little toppings like bits of fruit or candy.

Here is an idea for making squares a tasty learning opportunity for your children (be you a parent, teacher, or both). Using a butter knife the average square can be cut into other shapes, the easiest being rectangles and triangles. If the child can name the shape you’ve cut, let them eat it.

Using a large square, cut it into different types of triangles, isosceles, scalene, right, or whatever, then see if the children can reconstruct the square using the separated triangles. The prize for fitting it back together is of course one or more triangles to eat. This can be a fun, education party game for children, and can involve other types of food.

Many families take the time to do something fun together, whether that is making cards for school parties, going to sweetheart dances, father/daughter or mother/son parties, making decorations or baking cookies.

Though these holidays, that are scattered through the annual calendar, all have their negatives (like too much advertising, the focus on the material, etc.) they serve the important function of lifting our spirits, and giving us the needed excuses in this busy world to take the time out to be with the one’s we love.

So, I hope you are all taking the night off, whether with your hunny, your family, or your closest friends. Tell them what they mean to you… and have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!

Two particularly popular specialty cakes around Valentine’s Day are the fruitcake and a nice chocolate cake. Fruitcakes are chock full of flavors and textures, all of which complement each other wonderfully. Chocolate specialty cakes are a great alternative to the standard box of chocolates, while still keeping with the whole giving chocolate on Valentine’s Day tradition (check out our February Feature for a great chocolate combination).

Specialty cakes in general are a perfect way to express your love this Valentine’s Day, but no specialty cake beats the teacake for this purpose. Teacakes are sweet, perfectly sized, and available in a whole variety of flavors. Some good Valentine’s teacake flavors include strawberry, chocolate, and mixed fruits.

Teacakes are called “teacakes” for a reason, and that reason is that their perfect companion is a nice, warm cup of tea! Some great tea flavors to consider are Earl Grey, Irish Breakfast, and Orange Pekoe. Of course, the standard green tea always works wonders too. Fruity teas are also a perfect addition to your sweet teacake treat, especially if the teacake is chocolate – the mixture of fruit and chocolate is tried and true for a reason!

If you feel that your Valentine’s Day specialty cake gift is falling a little flat, consider throwing in a card and some other sweet treats like cookies or chocolate covered strawberries. With a centerpiece like a delicious cake, though, you can’t really go wrong. A nice tasty baked treat is the perfect way to say “I love you” on any day of the year, but there is perhaps no better time than Valentine’s Day to give this delicious treat.

Baked goods are always a good gift option. Everyone likes a sweet treat every now and then, whether it’s a giant slice of cake every day or the occasional nibble of a cookie. Either way, you can be certain that your sweetheart will appreciate the gift of some delicious baked goodness.

There are so many different kinds of baked goods to choose from. From cookies to cheesecakes, mousse to brownies, and candy to cakes, you are guaranteed to find the perfect sweet treat for your other half. If you’re having a hard time deciding, consider ordering a sampler platter! These sampler packs contain a little bit of everything, adding some excitement to the experience of receiving such a gift.

If your loved one has a food allergy or other dietary concerns, baked goods are actually a really good option for you. The store-bought chocolates and candies are often not manufactured with food sensitivities in mind. Bakeries are really helpful and often enthusiastic about working with your concerns in mind. There are sugar free, wheat free, gluten free, and flour free sweet treats available, and they all taste just as good as their “normal” counterparts. Baked goods are 100% the way to go if you must work around food sensitivity.

To add even more heartfelt meaning to your sweet treat Valentine’s Day gift, consider donating a small amount to your sweetheart’s favorite charity as well. This is an especially meaningful way to bolster a Valentine’s Day gift that you feel may fall flat. Delectable baked goods are a perfect Valentine’s Day gift, but your thoughtfulness will really shine through if you go the extra mile.

Whether it’s a gigantic sampler pack of sweet treats or a small specialty cake, your loved one is sure to love their delicious Valentine’s Day gift.

It is rare to receive something in snail mail these days.  So if you want to write someone a thank you, it is my preferred method.  Of course a thank you email or text can be appreciated all the same.  Sending a thank you card in the mail shows a presence of more effort. If you want to go a step further: flowers or a small token of appreciation (perhaps a cake from Bien Fait!) is a great way to say thanks!

There are a million reasons to say thank you.  And far too many things get left “un-thanked.” Whether someone gives you a gift to celebrate a special occasion like a birthday, Christmas, or just because; it’s always important to let them know you appreciate the thought and effort.  Don’t forget to say thank you for a simple act of kindness.  It seems rare these days that someone would go out of their way to do something just “to be nice.” So, don’t forget to say thank you!  Perhaps, the thing we should be saying thank you for the most is the people in our lives that give us love and support.  I know I don’t always remember to thank the ones of love just for being them.  Let them know every once in awhile how much they mean to you! It won’t go unnoticed.

Everyone here at Bien Fait Cakes would like to take this moment to thank you, our readers, for supporting us throughout the years! We appreciate your business and your words of kindness.

Thank you!