December 2011
1 post
6 tags
Creamy Vanilla Frosting
Creamy Vanilla Frosting
1- 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 TBSP. clear vanilla extract (regular is fine but the frosting will have a brown tinge)
2 lb. pkg. powdered sugar*
Cream butter and cream cheese in a mixer. Add vanilla. While the mixer is going on low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar, about ¼ cup at a time. Taste it after you’ve added about 2/3 of...
October 2011
1 post
11 tags
Rockstar
My posts have seriously dwindled since I became pregnant. My priorities have shifted (so excited for this baby!!) and cake sort of fell off the radar when the fatigue and morning sickness kicked in…and stayed and stayed. On very rare occasions I crawl into the kitchen to bake—and this was one of them…
The extra tall top tier is blue velvet cake with vanilla frosting, and the...
July 2011
1 post
9 tags
July 4, 2011
My dear Grandma was born on July 4th. This gives me the chance to make lots of patriotic cakes.
On a hot summer day, lemon cake with vanilla mousse filling and cool fresh berries on top is just the thing! My sister found the cute decorations at Michael’s.
Here’s a the naked cake (before the decorations):
June 2011
1 post
11 tags
Under The Sea
Usually when I make a cake there is some drama involved. Something almost always goes wrong. This time, it all just fell into place. The cake, fondant, and frosting behaved beautifully….
…like it was meant to be. The only little blip is on the “congrats”. Someone (you know who you are) made me laugh while I was writing it, and well- now it has character. Here are some...
May 2011
1 post
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Over the Rainbow →
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For all the Moms
Our big, extended family Mom’s Day celebration gave me the perfect reason to make this cake:
I’m not the best at placing flowers on a cake, so I got a little help from a friend : )
The top layer is dense, chocolate cake with cherry pie filling and a thick ribbon of Dutch chocolate icing to keep said filling from squishing out.
The bottom is lemon cake with vanilla mousse...
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Keep Those Fillings IN The Cake! →
April 2011
1 post
10 tags
Red Velvet Cake
I wanted to make an elegant cake to follow Easter dinner, and decided on Red Velvet. The rich texture and red color make it the perfect choice. I’ve also been wanting to use this beautiful cake plate I got for Christmas:
The cake and its plate look like they were made for each other. I used Martha Stewart’s Red Velvet Cake Recipe with excellent results. I’ve included tutorials...
5 tags
How To Make Red Velvet Cake →
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Tiffany Inspired Cake →
This week’s tribute is to a cake inspired by the art of Louis Comfort Tiffany.
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Audrey Hepburn's Hats →
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Tea Time
I’ve seen cupcakes in teacups before, and think it looks so very dainty!. I found an inexpensive cup and saucer at Ross, and placed a vanilla cupcake inside. Then I started to experiment with different fruit garnishes…
Next I tried some fresh hydrangeas… and then some fake hydrangeas
March 2011
2 posts
5 tags
Flower Pot Cupcakes →
These would make sweet little birthday (or any occasion) gifts!
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A Very Hungry Caterpillar →
I come across so many wonderful cakes, that I’ve decided to share them in a series of weekly posts. The subject for this one is the star of one of my favorite childhood books. Enjoy!
17 tags
Thumbelina's Wedding Cake
I love mini tiered cakes. Perhaps the thought of eating an ENTIRE cake myself is what makes them so appealing…
This little vanilla-bean cake is dipped in chocolate ganache, and wrapped in chocolate fondant…
This one is a chocolate cake with vanilla meringue frosting and fresh blueberries.
These would also be perfect for a shower or even a formal occasion.
13 tags
Sweet St. Patrick's
I’m teaching a R.S. cupcake/cake decorating class March 17th, and thought these would be perfect:
Chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream.
And one with a shamrock for extra luck!
15 tags
Knitting Basket Case?
…then this is the cake for you! This cake was a special surprise for the author of a knitting blog called Sunshine’s Creations. Her knitting designs are amazing- so I wanted to impress her with something realistic. I used Makin’s Ultimate Clay Extruder to make the fondant into yarn. A clay extruder is a less expensive alternative to a Sugarcraft Gun. I wrapped the...
13 tags
99
Aunt Jill asked me to make a birthday cake for a sweet relative who will be 99 this weekend. I think it needs to be over the top… After all, 99 is major achievement!
So the birthday girl’s favorite flower is the African Violet. Unfortunately I couldn’t find any decent-looking real ones, and no fake ones. I did find this lovely dark purple hydrangea, and since her eyesight...
February 2011
3 posts
18 tags
Once there was a monkey, a giraffe and a...
…You get to finish the story.
Bottom cake: Rainbow Sprinkle cake with (Pastry Pride) vanilla mousse filling. Top: Milk Chocolate cake with chocolate mousse filling.
This was my first attempt at fondant animals— not bad. It’s a bit like making clay animals. I really loved making the giraffe’s knobby little knees. As you can see in this next photo, the monkey is...
12 tags
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November 2010
3 posts
15 tags
Lemon Cake Recipe
Here’s a great way to make Lemon Cake if you are too busy to do it from scratch (and tastes just as great).
1 box Betty Crocker French Vanilla Cake Mix
1 stick soft unsalted butter
2 TBSP canola oil
5 large eggs - room temp
3/4 cup sour cream
1 TBSP lemon zest (fine grated fresh lemon peel)
Preheat your oven to 350 F. Grease your pan (if you are turning the cakes out of the...
14 tags
Cozy Cocoa.
Cozy Cocoa. A wintery “Welcome Home” cake for my brother-in-law Jordan. He recently returned from the California Roseville Mission.
8 tags
Why I don't make pies.
Last night I made the banana cream pies for Thanksgiving dinner. My husband was out, and my son was downstairs watching The Sandlot. All was going well with the pie making until I started the whipped cream topping. I thought - hey I’ll improvise by adding some Dream-Whip (I wanted it to taste like vanilla mousse) to the mixture, but it was not getting stiff. In fact, the more I beat it with...
October 2010
2 posts
6 tags
Disney Freak
I made a Minnie Mouse Ears cake for a friend of mine. She’s a Disney freak. You know, the ones who have visited Disneyland every year since they were born, and get more excited about it than their kids. She loved this cake so much, she slept with it on her night table and ate it a crumb at a time. I love how this little cake was able to take her to her happy place!
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September 2010
2 posts
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August 2010
2 posts
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July 2010
2 posts
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Chocolate Pound Cake
I’m still experimenting with chocolate cake. This recipe has been my favorite version so far. It’s dense, moist and chocolatey! I have used it to make cupcakes, mini bundt cakes, and a 9” round cake. If you try it in a different pan successfully, please let me know!
1½ sticks soft unsalted butter
2¾ cups granulated sugar
5 eggs
1 TBSP good vanilla
1 cup buttermilk (or sour...
6 tags
June 2010
2 posts
5 tags
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May 2010
2 posts
7 tags
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Bloomin' Berries
I made this cake while vacationing at my sister’s in L.A. Her friend asked me if I’d do one for a casual get-together—and even suggested a fun store called Surfas where I could get the supplies. Nice. Now all I needed was a great idea for a cake. My sis suggested I try the delicious combination of lemon cake with fresh strawberries:
Good idea!
April 2010
1 post
8 tags
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Orange Dreams
Orange extract and orange zest make these little cupcakes tango on your taste buds! The adorable orange polka-dot bake cups came from Fancy Flours.
11 tags
Chocolate Ganache with Andes Curls
Ganache is just another name for paradise to the chocolate-lover. It is the magnificence that you find in the center of a truffle, and I absolutely love the frosting version of it on top of cake. I purchased a special Prepara Peeler to make the Andes curls.
11 tags
Easter Chicks
These egg cups are the perfect size for holding mini cupcakes! The heart-shaped Gobstopper candies are left over from Valentine’s, and the leaves are made of fondant:
I pushed yellow hearts part way into the frosting to make the little chickies below. I think big yellow jellybeans would work well too. I made the beaks out of fondant, and used a food marker to make the eyes.
These would...
March 2010
1 post
14 tags
Lucky Bites
These minis were easy and fun to make. The cupcakes are vanilla pound cake, and the frosting is my favorite - creamy vanilla. I made the shamrocks using a chocolate mold.
February 2010
2 posts
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January 2010
4 posts
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Thomas the Tank Engine
Little kids love Thomas. He’s cute, colorful, and has all sorts of adventures… He doesn’t annoy me like some of the other characters out there- which is definite plus. It’s also a hoot to hear my son use British phrases he hears on the show like “I’m so cross today!” or, “He’s a cheeky one.” In making this cake for one of his little...
11 tags
Marshmallow Fondant ♥
I hesitated to try this type of fondant at first because it sounded too simple. Now I am convinced it is the best fondant for getting smooth coverage on a cake without the tearing or cracking I’ve encountered using commercial fondant.
1 pkg (16 oz) mini marshmallows (Jet-Puffed or Kraft works great)
2 TBSP water
2 lbs* powdered sugar (C&H is my fav)
Shortening- you will use about ½...
10 tags
December 2009
1 post
19 tags
Fit for a Little Princess
Princess cakes—especially the Disney kind are popular these days. Instead of a standard sheet-cake, I thought I’d try a tiered cake with a chocolate transfer sheet wrapped around one of the tiers. I found the perfect pattern at the Fancy Flours website.
I should have photographed the process of getting the sheet ready to apply to the cake. It was a bit scary, and difficult to work...
November 2009
1 post
4 tags
September 2009
1 post
7 tags
