A Cascading Buttercream Floral Wedding Cake in Erie, PA

“It Can Be Over The Top”

Some wedding cakes call for a little restraint. One of the words I see a lot in my wedding cake consultations is “simple.” This was not that cake! This bride gave me her color palette, asked for hydrangeas to be included and told me that she loved the look of flowers cascading down the cake. Beyond that, she encouraged me to use my artistic license. She said, “more is better, it can be over the top,” which was music to my ears!

The result was a three-tier wedding cake covered in cascading buttercream florals, arranged in a palette of lilac, lavender, champagne, baby blue, pink and indigo. I love when couples come to me with a vision but also leave room for my own artistic interpretation. It allows me to create something that feels personal to them while still being distinctly JustineMade.

Three Tiers, Two Flavors

I want my wedding cakes to taste just as wonderful as they look. This cake featured three tiers in two delicious flavor combinations:

• Bottom tier: Chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream filling

• Middle and top tiers: Vanilla buttermilk cake with cookie butter buttercream filling

The cake measured 10 inches, 8 inches and 6 inches across its three tiers. With a rich chocolate tier and the sweet flavor of cookie butter paired with vanilla buttermilk cake, there was something for everyone.

A Family Affair Delivery

Delivering a three-tier wedding cake is always a team effort and this one was a family affair. My husband helped me transport the cake out of our mini van onto the dolly. I got a little push back for asking to use the vertical platform lift to get the cake into the venue. However, once the gentleman saw how big the cake safe was I think he understood that bringing it up the stairs would have been risky. Anyone who has transported a decorated wedding cake knows that getting it to the venue is only half the job! Once the cake safe was inside, my husband helped me lift the cake onto the display table. I could finally breathe once the cake was on the table with no damage from transportation.

Then came an unexpected surprise: the bride's missing cake topper had magically appeared. Thankfully, I had brought all of my decorating supplies with me so I was able to add the topper to the top tier right there at the venue. I also brought extra buttercream florals in case any were damaged during transport. As it turned out, one needed replacing after the metal center dowel from the cake safe was removed from the cake. With my backup florals, green buttercream and a leaf tip ready to go, I made the final adjustments and added a few last-minute leaves to fill in the design.

My best friend helped by keeping an eye on my kids in the car while we finished everything up. Between my husband, my best friend and a car full of cake supplies, it took a village to get this cake ready for the reception! These are the behind-the-scenes moments that don't always make it into the final photos, but they're part of what makes creating wedding cakes so memorable.

“You Don't Even Want to Cut It”

When the bride saw her finished cake, she absolutely loved it. The bride said the cake was so beautiful that you almost didn't want to cut into it — but you'd be glad you did, because it tasted even better. She told me that everyone wanted to know who made the cake! What made me happiest was hearing that her guests loved how it tasted, too. That is the best kind of compliment. I want my cakes to be something guests remember not only for how they look but for how they taste. Anyone that has ever attended a wedding knows that the dessert is always a topic of conversation.

Looking for a Wedding Cake in Erie, PA?

At JustineMade, I create custom wedding cakes that bring together thoughtful design, handcrafted buttercream details and delicious flavors. From cascading buttercream florals to elegant, understated designs, each cake is created with the couple and their special day in mind. If you're planning a wedding near Erie, Pennsylvania and envision a cake that feels personal, artistic and delicious, I'd love to hear what you have in mind. Explore my wedding cake offerings and get in touch to inquire about your date.

Six Months of JustineMade: I’m Officially Profitable

Six months ago, I decided to start a small cake business.  At the time, I had absolutely no idea what the next six months were going to look like. I just knew I loved making cakes, I wanted to see if I could turn it into a real business and I was willing to figure it out as I went.

Five months ago, my website went live after I passed inspection and received my Pennsylvania limited food establishment license. This process took some time and my application got lost at the Dept of Agriculture in the process!

Four months ago, my calendar started filling up with custom cake orders from people who trusted me with their celebrations. I jumped up and down with my kids when I got my first custom order!

Three months ago, I had four wedding cakes on my calendar. My first wedding client reached out to my best friend after she shared one of my early posts, just a week after going live. I told my best friend to let her know that I have never made a wedding cake before! Despite this, she trusted me and booked with me immediately and I am currently working on her wedding cake this week.

Two months ago, I delivered my first three-tier wedding cake with cascading buttercream florals. This was insane. This required the investment of a $600 Cake Safe which was So. Worth. It. Delivering this cake with my husband’s help and my kids being taken care of by my best friend in the parking lot is a core memory for me.

One month ago, I became booked through the end of 2026. It is so unsettling to have to say no to custom orders when you are trying to grow your business. But in addition to JustineMade, I have three young kids, I am a PA in the Emergency Department part-time and guest lecturer at a local PA program. It’s important to me to find a healthy balance!

Yesterday, I was $97 away from being net positive. It happened pretty quickly over the past month after I was steadily sitting at -$2,000 for months. I kept thinking it would happen by the end of the year. I was NOT prepared to see that positive number in September.

Today, JustineMade is officially profitable! One thing this process has really taught me is that being booked out and being profitable are two completely different things. It’s not just about the ingredients, supplies, packaging, equipment and business expenses. It is about the TIME spent taking my customer’s ideas and my own artistic interpretation to create something so genuine and personal. Time is the most precious thing I have and I want to make sure the time I spend building JustineMade is actually building a business that is sustainable and worth it.

My husband, Kang, has been incredibly supportive. He came home from work one day to me informing him that I have an LLC! My parents and my village have taken care of my kids for countless hours so I could work. My friends have listened to all of my crazy ideas and never discouraged me from going for it. And then there are my customers. Every person who has trusted me to make something for their birthday, wedding or special occasion has helped get JustineMade here. Every order, referral, social media share and kind word has meant more than you probably realize.

So, six months in, I'm officially profitable, booked through the end of 2026 and very excited to see what happens next. Thank you for being here and supporting my little cake business!

From Bridal Bouquet to Buttercream Bouquet: A Wedding Surprise Inspired by Fresh Flowers

One of my favorite parts of designing a custom cupcake bouquet is choosing each buttercream floral in a genuine and unique way. This cupcake bouquet was commissioned as a surprise wedding gift for a bride from her sister. First of all, I was blown away by the thoughtfulness of this gesture. She wanted something deeply personal for her sister and trusted me to execute it. Instead of sending me a generic color palette or inspiration photo from Pinterest, she send me a photo of the bride’s actual wedding bouquet. This became the blueprint for this design.

Having to choose only 12 florals for my bouquet proved to be challenging. I created a blueprint on Microsoft Word and changed the flower placement a dozen times. I knew creating an exact replica was unrealistic, but I was determined to capture the same feeling that would make it instantly recognizable by the bride. The bouquet features soft pink roses, dusty mauve carnations, delicate blue petal flowers, burgundy petal flowers and green dahlias. Each cupcake was created to be it’s own little work of art before coming together to create the finished product.

I wanted to write about this project because it tells a story. When I first started my business I was unsure if there was even a market for cupcake bouquets. But this story is why I love continually refining my buttercream techniques. It allows me the creative freedom (that I so desire) to transform meaningful inspiration into something unique and delicious. If you’re looking for a custom bouquet or buttercream florals in Erie, PA, I’d love to help create something uniquely inspired buy your story.