Multi-Colored Smash Cake

Little Miss B. is turning 1!! This little girl has such a wonderful personality- she's fun, smart and has a little hint of trouble maker in her eyes ;)

I got to make her smash cake!  Her theme was primary colors, so I decided to go with a multi-colored cake that would be a lot of fun for mom and dad to clean up after :)

BEFORE 

AFTER

BRENNA AFTER

Happy Birthday Brenna! We love you and had so much fun on your special day! You are growing so fast I can't believe you're already 1!

Lego Head Cake Pops

Lego cake pops were the request of the birthday boys... so lego cake pops they got. It was a fun adventure, and my favorite part was making the lego faces!  See the steps I took to make these below:

Bake the cake then crumble it into little pieces. Mix it with frosting until it becomes a loose dough. Don't add too much frosting or the cake pops will become soggy.

I balled up the "dough" and used a small round biscuit cutter to make the right shape.

Once the dough has been cut out, it should take on the middle sized lego head base.

Cut out small round pieces for the top of the lego head, and medium sized round pieces with a hole for the bottom of the lego head.

Place the lego head base on the stick then dip the end of the cake pop stick in melted yellow chocolate.

Slide the stick into the large part that was cut out earlier and press the two pieces together. Do not push the stick through the other side of the large cutout.

Place a little bit of chocolate on the small top part of the lego head.

Stick the small part on top of the pre-assembled lego head base.

Set the cake pops up to allow the chocolate to dry as you start to melt a larger quantity of yellow chocolate.

Dip the entire lego head dough assembly into melted yellow chocolate. Tap the pop stick lightly to help remove any excess melted chocolate, until the chocolate stops "dripping." 

Set the cake pops on a stand or in a piece of styrofoam to dry.

Use edible marker to write on the lego faces.  Wrap the lego heads in a food-grade poly bag and close off bag with ribbon or twist ties.

My Go-To Sugar Cookie Recipe- Revisited

I previously posted this recipe, but wanted to revisit the topic of my all-time Favorite Sugar Cookie Recipe! Over Christmas, I had a friend post a photo of the cookies he was baking and planned to decorate with his family. When I saw the photo you're about to see, I recommended Cookie Crazie's sugar cookie recipe!

Cookie Crazie was gracious enough to share her recipe with cookie bakers everywhere, and this recipe is so much more moist and tasty than any of the recipes I've found on the Internet, AND the edges of the cookie are more firm/sharp looking than my previously posted go-to recipe. Here is my friend's final result using the new recipe- what a difference a couple of ingredients makes!!

My Sugar Cookie recipe below was adapted from here: Cookie Crazie's blog. I use slightly less flour than she does, but other than that I use the same ingredient quantities that she uses.  I typically double this recipe and haven't had any problems with the dough consistency.

Ingredients:
1 C butter, softened
1 1/2 C sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla (or any other extract/emulsion flavor)
1/2 C sour cream
4 1/2 C flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Instructions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
1) Cream butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, & sour cream.
2) Blend in dry ingredients.
3) Roll dough to desired thickness (I prefer to use a Dobord on the middle setting, cover with parchment paper, then roll out dough directly on the parchment paper that gets transferred to the baking sheet).
4) Cut into shapes.
5) Transfer parchment paper to cookie sheet OR place cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet.
6) Bake for 18-20 minutes.
7) Transfer to a wire rack then cool the cookies.
8) Decorate with icing, sprinkles, or just enjoy them plain.

To make a chocolate sugar cookie:
Substitute 1/2 C cocoa for 1/2 C flour

Can People Cupcake Display

My mom runs a non-profit organization called the Can People (http://thecanpeople.com).  This is an amazing organization that sends care packages to Marines (and other military troops as requested) who are serving overseas in Afghanistan.  The organization initially sent care packages over in large coffee cans, and the troops who received the packages dubbed them "The Can People" and the name stuck.  The Can People is a wonderful organization and they do a fundraiser every year to help support the cost of making and sending the care packages.  I was blessed to be asked to make cupcakes for the annual event.

If you are interested in donating (goods or money) to support this wonderful organization, please go to their website and take a look at the details, or feel free to leave a comment on this page and I will make sure your message reaches the right people. 

Acoustic Guitar Cake

This is one of my early cakes (made approximately 3 years ago), but I just found the photo in my archived cell phone photos (please forgive the image quality).  I made the body of the guitar out of cake, covered in multi-colored fondant.  The neck of the guitar was made of cake, and the guitar strings were real guitar strings. The accents were made out of fondant that had been left out to dry, then airbrushed silver.  

Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

My cousin and his wife have twin girls, and I was excited to make the cupcakes for their birthday party.   The theme was Strawberry Shortcake, so I made bright pink and bright green colored cupcakes, with a fresh sliced strawberry on the top of each cake. 

TWINS- A Tale of Two Babies

 

I had the privilege of making a set of baby shower cakes- for TWINS!! One of my dearest friends in the world was blessed to have twins- a boy and a girl. The cakes are opposites- pink and blue, chocolate and vanilla.  They both have hand-piped clotheslines with royal icing baby clothes.  The toppers are hand-cut flags, with puffy-painted signs that say "BABY BOY" and "BABY GIRL."

These are the cakes and cupcakes that I made for this wonderful couple's baby shower.  Oh, and PS- I made their wedding cake too!

That Was a Very Hungry Caterpillar

This was a first birthday smash cake featuring a Very Hungry Caterpillar. This was a very special cake for me to decorate and I was excited to be able to make it.  I also made the cake for this precious little girl's mom and dad's wedding reception.  

Here are some photos of the birthday girl digging in to her cake!  She was so polite and such a lady when it came to her turn to "smash."

Art Party Neon Cupcakes

My niece was turning two and she was having an "Art Party". My sister gave me artistic freedom on this project, so I decided to go with a very colorful and Jackson Pollock vibe. 

I laid a sheet down, put down some cooling racks, and covered them in brightly colored cupcakes that were topped with white buttercream frosting.  I thinned out matching brightly colored royal icing (I used AmeriColor gel food coloring) and dipped a silicone basting brush in each color, then just splattered the cupcakes with the icing.  

To make the cake topper "Smash" cake I used brightly colored "Sixlets" (candy coated chocolates).  The entire top was covered in Sixlets, and a number "2" was made on the side using the candies.

Once the party started to die down a bit, I made "to-go" cups for the cupcakes using plastic cups and a little bit of plastic wrap.  

It has been a VERY long time

So much has happened over the past year and it seems to have been an eternity since I last posted (mostly because it has been more than a year!).  I had a car accident at the end of 2012 and have been through quite a bit to heal from my injuries which included a couple of surgeries and a LOT of physical therapy and chiropractic visits.  I completed a few projects in my down time, so I'll be posting updates that includes those projects in the near future.

Fall Wedding Cake

This Fall-Themed Wedding Cake was made for my husband's best friend and his lovely bride.  They requested a White Vanilla Buttercream rustic-looking cake, with branches and edible leaves.  The cake was very simple and fun to make! 

Rustic Country Wedding Cake

I made this cake in a hotel room, in Las Vegas, NV!  A very dear friend of mine got married in Vegas, and she asked me to make her wedding cake.  Of course I said YES, but then the question of logistics came up- how would I transport a wedding cake to Las Vegas from Southern California (a 4 hour drive) in the middle of summer, and have the cake #1: Survive, and #2: Taste good.  A good friend of both of ours had a timeshare I was able to use, so I had a functional kitchenette, and a table to use for assembly and decoration.

The cake you see is the finished product, without the topper.  I'll have to ask the bride for a photo with the topper, and hopefully a photo with the beautiful couple cutting the cake.  Hopefully more photos to come!!

Maroon, Silver and Black Graduation Cake and Cupcakes

My cousin graduated from high school! I remember when she was born- I was a freshman in high school, and I got to watch her grow up as I went to her house after school.  Her school colors were maroon, black and silver.  The graduation cap on the top of the cake was made out of cookies and cream chocolate wafers in a chocolate mold, and the flowers were made of fondant and each had a black dragee placed in the middle. The 2012 on the top of the cake were sparklers that lit up and really made a fun impression when they were lit!  I also made about 100 cupcakes with a graduation cap and a small silver and black flower adorning the top of each.  What a fun project for a wonderful person!  

Engagement Party Sugar Cookies

This is going to be a quick post- I know, you're thrilled! :)  I just wanted to post my wedding sugar cookies- well, actually, engagement party sugar cookies.  They were made with the most awesome sugar cookie recipe from Cookie Crazie's Blog (this woman is awesome and does her missionary work using the funds she raises decorating cookies- she is truly talented and a real Proverbs 31 woman- inspirational!).  Here they are- I hope the bride-and-groom-to-be enjoy them!

I also made a set of wedding dress and tuxedo chocolate covered strawberries for the same event :) 

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Wow- it has been a while- sorry for the delay in posting everybody- life has been crazy busy but crazy good too :)

Tonight I started practicing a Red Velvet Cupcake with Cream Cheese frosting.  For the cupcake I used the standard WASC recipe, but used Red Velvet mix and added a 4th egg to try a new texture (which I must say I like better than the normal 3 egg recipe).  Instead of Almond extract, I just added an extra teaspoon of vanilla. I got a thumbs up from hubby which is a good thing- because he hates red velvet.

The cupcakes were great- but the reason I REALLY made this post was to highlight the cream cheese frosting.  I scoured the Internet for a cream cheese frosting recipe that would be heat-stable (due to the fact that this wedding is Mid-July in California- what was I thinking?! Lol) but still tasty and not over-sugary.  After reading MANY blog, forum and website recommendations (too many to even count at this point)- I decided to branch out and try my own mixture in hopes that something stable yet tasty would come out of it.  I think I might have something worth keeping- but I'll know better tomorrow after the cupcakes have been sitting out for a day on my table in this lovely California heat-wave we're having (tomorrow should be 91 F, so that will be a good test I hope).
 
Cream Cheese Cupcake Frosting Recipe
2/3 Cup Shortening
1/2 Cup Butter (Unsalted, room temperature)
8oz Cream Cheese (I prefer whipped)
1 teaspoon clear vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon juice
4 drops concentrated Cheesecake extract 
4 Cups powdered sugar (you can sift after measuring to avoid lumps)

Steps:
1) Blend together all ingredients (except the powdered sugar).  Mix long enough to get the lumps of butter/cream cheese/shortening out of the mixture- but not so long that the mixture starts to break down- approximately 45 seconds on high using a stand mixer- about 1.5-2 minutes using a hand-mixer.
2) Sift the powdered sugar, if desired, into another bowl.
3) Mix in the powdered sugar in 1/2 cup at a time with the mixer set on low, until all powdered sugar is incorporated.
4) Pipe onto cupcakes immediately, or cover and refrigerate until you are ready to pipe.

I hope this one holds up to the heat- I'll let you know what my findings are tomorrow!

Creme Brulee Cheesecake Bars

For those of you who loved the Creme Brulee cupcakes- you HAVE to try this Creme Brulee cheesecake bar recipe- mixing fired up crunchy vanilla sugar AND cheesecake- talk about a winning combo!

Here is the recipe for Creme Brulee Cheesecake Bars

Crust:
1.5 boxes (about 115) crushed Vanilla Wafer cookies
1/2 Cup melted butter
4 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2-3 teaspoons vanilla extract

(Note- you can cut the crust recipe in half if you prefer a thinner crust- this recipe gives about a 1/3"-1/2" crust).
Step 1: Mix all crust ingredients together and press into the bottom of a greased 9" x 13" pan.
Step 2: Bake at 350 F for about 6-8 minutes.
Step 3: Allow crust to cool for 5-10 minutes before filling.

Filling:
4- 8oz Packages cream cheese
1 Cup sugar
1 Cup sour cream
2 Whole eggs
4 Egg Yolks
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-4 Vanilla beans, scraped (optional- I just love the look of vanilla beans in pretty much anything dessert-like)

(Note- you can cut the filling recipe in half if you prefer a thinner cheesecake- this gives about 1" of filling on top of the crust- just make sure to decrease the baking time if you decrease the filling amount.)
Step 1: Mix the cream cheese, sugar and sour cream together until smooth.
Step 2: Incorporate the eggs, egg yolks and vanilla extract and beat until well incorporated.
Step 3: Pour mixture onto cooled cookie crust.
Step 4: Bake at 350 F for 40-45 minutes until the cheesecake mixture is firmly set in the center.
Step 5: Allow cheesecake to cool for 1-3 hours by refrigeration or longer if time permits.

Topping:
1/2 - 1 Cup Vanilla sugar (lightly pulsed in a blender or food processor for up to 30 seconds)

Step 1: Just before you are ready to serve, put a light coating of vanilla sugar (or regular granulated sugar that has been pulsed a couple of times in the blender if vanilla sugar is not available).
Step 2: Cut into Bars or slices before torching the sugar.
Step 3: Using a kitchen torch (this is the fun part!) - torch the sugar until it turns a darker brown color by melting the sugar and allowing it to form a crystallised layer on top of the bars.

Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes

What is better than a chocolate cupcake? A chocolate chocolate cupcake.  'What does that mean?' you may be asking... it means this is one of the most chocolate-y cupcakes you'll ever indulge in! Adapted from the amazing "Cupcake Project" website... this is truly my new cupcake inspiration go-to site!

Here is the recipe for the Chocolate Chocolate cupcakes that are a new crowd-favorite.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1-1/4 cups vanilla-infused sugar (or regular granulated sugar)
3 large eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk (or Heavy Whipping Cream)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Steps:

1. Combine butter and sugar and beat until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes).
2. Add eggs, beating until well combined. 
3. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder to the butter/sugar mixture.
4. Mix in the milk and vanilla.
5. Stir in chocolate chips.
6. Scoop batter into cupcake cups about 1/2 full (I prefer to use a Large Cookie Scoop from the Pampered Chef).
7. Bake at 340 degrees for 22-25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Do not bake too long- cake can dry out too much.

Topping:

While the cupcakes are baking, you can make this simple ganache that is great for filling and frosting your cupcakes.

 

Ingredients:

1. 1/3 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
2. 1/2 Cup 62% (or greater) Dark Chocolate chips (you could also substitute white chocolate if you prefer)

Steps: 

1. Heat the whipping cream until lightly boiling (constantly stirring so as to not burn the cream).
2. Put the chocolate into a glass or metal bowl.  
3. Pour the heated cream over the chocolate and let it sit for about 8-10 minutes.
4. Stir the chocolate/cream mixture until the lumps smooth out.  
5. Place in a pastry bag with a round tip, and inject the chocolate ganache into the cupcake as filling. 
6. Next, pipe the warm ganache on top of the cupcake, and smooth with a knife or spoon (I hold the spreader or knife in the same position and spin the cupcake in a circle to coat the cupcake).  Allow it to cool for about 10 minutes before moving to prevent the chocolate from dripping.
7. Serve with an iced cold glass of milk

First Birthday Party

My adorable, wonderful, beautiful, brilliant, amazing (I could go on and on- but this blog is short) niece and godchild turned 1 this year!  And I got to make her cake, cupcakes and cake pops! (And my husband and I got to buy her saddle to go with the miniature horse grammie and grandpa got her- mini-horse can be viewed at the end of this post :) ).  Here are some photos that captured the event of the year! (Note: I don't know how I didn't get photos of the pinata- it was huge!)

 

The kids' table- coloring books, bubbles and toys.

       What first birthday would be complete without a jumper for the kiddos?
 

 

Some decorations my sister came up with- paper lanterns wrapped in clear plastic for a "candy" appearance.

 Cake pops! White cake with pink vanilla buttercream frosting, and pink and white sprinkles.

Cake pops- chocolate cake with pink vanilla buttercream frosting and white sprinkles.

Vanilla cupcakes filled with vanilla buttercream, topped with vanilla buttercream and green sixlets. 

Miss Avery with Uncle Charlie and Aunt Lena- smashing her neon pink smash cake (her mom picked out the pink buttercream, I just put it on some cake for her- I accept no blame for the fluorescent pink color that is shown covering her face, hands and dress in this photo!)

 The smash cake- neon pink, with green sixlets and white gumpaste rose.

 Avery's miniature horse- what every little girl wants- and bows in her hair for this special occasion!