Easy Halloween Cupcakes

I am a HUGE fan of the Wilton cupcake accessories. Seriously - some paper and cleverly designed toothpicks can really transform your cupcake. AND its ridiculously easy to make a simple cupcake look awesome.

While I definitely want to make some of the crazy complicated cupcakes from Hello, Cupcake!, these are just as festive and waaaay easier. I've also used the graveyard set - and there are SO MANY MORE. Then there's the Duff cupcake tattoos. I didn't think I would like them very much, but they don't taste bad and are really easy to use.

And lets not forget all the fun cupcake stands! One can never have too many. (I think I have about 5 different stands.) I could really go for a cupcake now....

Memorial Day Treats Part 2: Patriotic Cake!

In this second installment of Memorial Day treats, I will show you the fun cupcakes/cake I made. First: THE CUPCAKES!

I found these fun patriotic cupcake papers in the recesses of my cupboard. I think I bought them at Walmart a few years ago for the 4th of July. WIN!

Next I divided the batter into 3 bowls and dyed one red and one blue. Then similar to the tie-dye cupcakes I made, I spooned each color into the papers - started with blue on the bottom, then white, then red.

I used a 1 tablespoon scoop to evenly add the batter. Though I did run into the problem of not having enough of each color. I need to learn how to divide the batter more evenly. Unlike the tie-dye cupcakes, I didn't mix the colors around once in the papers.

I used white frosting and topped with red, white, and blue star-shaped sprinkles.

Next I moved on to the Flag Cake. I saw this cake on a website a few years ago and have never had the chance to make it. I learned a lot making this cake.

Lesson #1: Evenly divide batter. I made white cake batter, poured what I thought was half into one 9in pan then dyed the other half red. Unfortunately I ended up with more of a 1/3 white, 2/3 red ratio.

Not sure if you can really tell from this picture, but the red cake is WAY taller than the white cake. I then repeated the process but left half white and dyed the other half blue. I did better with the second batch evening out the batter, but still not perfect.

Lesson #2: Use a cake leveler. I just used a knife to cut my cakes in half horizontally. They were all kinds of uneven. It looks like Betsy Ross may have been drinking a little when she made this flag.

You create the flag effect by placing half a white layer, then half a red. Next you take the whole blue cake and another half red/white combo and cut a circle out of the middle. You use the outer blue circle and the inner red/white circle when you're putting the cake together. BONUS: lots of scrap cake - Cook's Treat!

Here is a view from the top. I used copious amounts of white frosting to make up for how uneven the cake was. Then I decorated them the same way as I had the cupcakes.

Lesson #3: MORE ICING! I didn't ice between the top red and white layer and they didn't adhere as well as I would have liked.

Lesson #4: Add a crap ton of dye. Not only did Betsy Ross drink too much and sew this flag all crooked. She also passed out and left it in the sun. I hope she's proud of her pastel flag.

Mmmmmm. Tastes like freedom. 

I'm Up For Hire!

I had my VERY FIRST commission last week! My boss's daughter is obsessed with the Hunger Games (kid after my own heart!) so she asked if I'd make her a cake just like I did at my Hunger Games Party. I used a Wilton roll and cut mat to roll out the fondant this time. It didn't really work too well - the fondant stuck to the mat so when I finally pried it off it was a bit wrinkly. Next time - powdered sugar! I also didn't cover the edges too well - luckily thats nothing that can't be fixed with a crap ton of fondant leaves! I just put a lot more around the edge to cover up all the gaffes.

Here is the cake I made for the birthday with my first cake below it for comparison.

The bird is positioned a little differently. I think I made him too big this time around - had to squeeze the letters around him. But luckily my boss didn't notice and she said her daughter loved it. Sorry there's no picture of the jungle I put around the edge. Next time. 

Wednesday Review: Fun & Original Character Cakes

Fun & Original Character Cakes by Maisie Parrish is a wonderful book! 

What I Like:

·         It's another British book! We get to read about sugarpaste, colours, and humour! While there are weird terms I don't know like "tylose powder" and "gum tragacanth" (I'm assuming they're just the British way of saying things instead of baking terms I'm not familiar with) they are fully explained in layman's terms in the book.

·         This book is a wealth of information. It tells you how to color, store, and paint fondant. It includes tips on how to store, transport, and cut your cake after it's made. It also has a section dedicated to the equipment you'll need to make the models complete with labeled pictures and explanations.

·         Recipes! You know by now that I love when books include recipes. There aren't a ton of them but there is a paragraph included with the benefits of each kind of cake (how long it lasts, easy storage etc). Of course there is a fruit cake recipe. (ahhh the English.) And because I love all things miniature, I'm excited that there is also a recipe for mini cakes (though why it’s a different recipe all together I'm not entirely sure.) There's also a recipe for pastillage - remember when I had no clue what this was? Well along with the recipe is an explanation that it is a form of sugarpaste that dries very hard. Also - edible glue recipe. Need I say more?

·         There are over 30 individual characters described in the book and they all seem relatively simple to make. As Maisie puts it: "everything starts with a ball". There is a mini tutorial on how to make a mouse, monkey, lion, elephant, rabbit, crow, and dog before you even get into the project instructions. The characters are all very cartoonish which I love.

·         The instructions are very easy to understand and really break it down into a step by step process. I also love the fun tip that dry spaghetti can be used to support the fondant models. SO COOL.

·         "A little More Fun" section at the end of each project suggests ways to decorate cupcakes and mini cakes with the same theme to compliment your cake.

·         There is a list of suppliers in the back which include both UK AND USA (as well as a few other countries) And woohoo! There's a store in Springfield! I will soon be very poor.

What I don't like:

·         I have a love hate relationship with the Brits. While some of their crazy lingo is explained for us yanks, you may still need to Google some of the words/phrases. It's also measured out with the metric system - grams pshhh. While the amount in oz is also given, there is a disclaimer that it is not precise and I'd prefer it all in cups and teaspoons anyways.

Per usual, there isn't a lot I can find that I don't like about this book. It has fantastic tips, goofy characters, great pictures, and I want to go home and start baking immediately. 

Let Those Hungry Kids Eat Cake!

Here it is! The COOLEST cake I've ever made!! Get ready for A LOT of pictures. I took them at almost every step of the way - so here we go:

I baked a yellow cake and frosted it with store bought 

frosting - not enough time to make my own! Also, still delicious. 

I used black Fondarific butter cream fondant for my base - it is actually delicious. I had never liked fondant before, but I can definitely eat this stuff. Dying anything black is a feat in itself so I'm happy I could by pre-dyed fondant. 

Time to roll it out! It was a bit of a pain because I have the WORST 

kitchen table known to man for baking. There are 5 leaves 

in it so you get lines in EVERYTHING.

Transferred the fondant to the cake.

Smoothed it out and cut off the excess. Time for decorating!! 

I got my fondant tools all ready. I bought 

Wilton's white fondant to mold into the mocking jay.

Using the lid to the fondant and the slightly smaller lid to 

the frosting can, I cut out this circle and then painted it gold.

Next I shaped the head and used one of my decorating tools to 

texture the head to make it look like it has feathers.

I started assembling the mockingjay on the cake. I made the body 

and the tail out of one piece of fondant and cut lines into the tail.

I used a leaf cookie cutter for the feathers because that was all I had.

I filled in the wings with my feather/leaves and then made an arrow to lay across the bottom. I pulled the mockingjay's beak down a bit so it looks like its biting the arrow. 

Then I gave it the Midas touch.

Woot!

Cutting out letters!

I had to work a little with the kerning. I put way too much space 

between "be" and "ever" at first and had to move it all around.

Then I used the leaf cutter to *gasp* actually cut out leaves for the border. 

I rolled purple balls, rolled them in disco dust, 

then indented them to look like berries. 

Nightlock berries. 

And there you have it! My finished Hunger Games Mockingjay cake!! 

I have to give credit to Pikko's step by step instructions on how she made her Hunger Games cake. I followed it to make the wings and then eyeballed the rest. Ahhh - November 22, 2013 can't get here soon enough!! 

Wednesday Review: Sweetopia.net

Mixing it up a bit this week and reviewing another crafting blog!! Sweetopia.net is a website that features the baking creations of a woman named Marian. This woman is seriously talented - also, I'm pretty sure she's Canadian, thus furthering my love for the great country to the north.

What I like: 

·         AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME cookies. And wonderful pictures of them as well.

·         She uses a Kopykake projector to trace images onto cookies. I WANT ONE.

·         There are video tutorials and step by step instructions for many of her cookies.

·         Contests!

·         She highlights mostly cookies, but does cakes, cake pops, cupcakes, and more!

·         There are a lot of recipes included on her site - there are even gluten free options.

What I don't like:

·         Again, just from my own experience - where does one find the time/patience to do this much decorating!?!? I guess she may only do a few cookies at a time, which is a little more do-able, but still - this woman must have the patience of a saint! 

This is such a fun website to look through. Many of her cookies were featured in a book that I reviewed earlier - 1,000 Ideas for Decorating Cupcakes, Cookies & Cakes. Someday… I'll get to this level of expertise! 

Wednesday Review: Sweet and Simple Party Cakes

I WANT TO MAKE ALL THE CAKES. Seriously - they're all beautiful in this book. Sweet and Simple Party Cakes by May Clee-Cadman is fantastic.

What I Like:

·         It's well laid out. There's a small introduction and then it dives into recipes and techniques. It lists the equipment essentials, discusses different icings and fillings, and how to assemble your cake. The design sections are divided between pastels, whites, and brights. (I may like this because the last 2 rhyme.)

·         Mini cakes. This book has a lot of ideas on how to decorate mini cakes. You can either cut out rounds from a normal cake or use mini cake trays. MUST FIND THESE IMMEDIATELY.

·         Polka-dots. I'm a HUGE fan of polka-dots and a few of their cakes are decorated with different color polka-dots - easy and awesome. (also they're RAINBOW!!)

·         Everything looks really easy to do. I'm not sure if it actually is, but this book just makes it seem so simple. Maybe because each decorated cake doesn't have a ton of different things on it. It's the KISS principle.

·         They show you how to trace designs directly onto your cake using a pin/toothpick and tracing paper. Then you can trace icing over the indents for an easy way to get fancy uniform designs.

·         It pairs mini cakes or cupcake designs with a big cake. So you could make both to fit all into one theme, or just one of them depending on what you have time for.

·         There's a whole section on how you can use items like ribbons, silk flowers, jewels, and feathers to decorate your cakes.NEAT!

What I don't Like:

·         I don't have time to do all the baking I want.. or all the running I'd need to do if I could do all the baking I want.

This is a great book - wonderful pictures and ideas. There is really something about the simplicity of the designs that keep all the cakes looking beautiful. There's not one in here I wouldn't want to make! 

Baby Shower Cakes!

This past Saturday was my friend Kim's son's 2^nd birthday. This week we'll look back at his baby shower! (I can't believe that was TWO YEARS ago!!)  I was expecting 20-30 people for the shower so I made 2 cakes. I bought the Wilton stork and the baby carriage cake pans. (LOVE THEM)

I thought it'd be a pain to decorate, but it was fun - almost like a color by number. I wasn't too creative with the colors - just copied the picture that came with the pans.

Unfortunately we had a blizzard the day of the shower so only 7 people ended up coming. Luckily I love cake so had no problem eating all the left over! 

Wednesday Review: Wedding Cake Art and Design: A Professional Approach

To continue with the wedding theme this week, I am reviewing Wedding Cake Art and Design: A Professional Approach by Toba Garrett. Like the subtitle says, Garrett focuses a lot of the book's content on the professional cake designer: the steps to take when working with a client, how to write up a contract etc.

What I like:

·         Chapter 1: Designing the Cake lays a great foundation of cake knowledge. It covers color, texture, theme, shape, and décor.

·         Chapters 2-11 showcase different theme ideas like romantic, textured, seasonal, and floral designs.

·         Each chapter opens up with a hypothetical couple - a little background on who they are, what kind of cake theme and taste they're looking for and how the cake designer developed that into 2-3 sketches. Then Garrett shows you how to make each of the cakes.

·         SO MANY RECIPES. TWELVE different kinds of cake! They all sound delicious. There are also recipes for marzipan, gum paste, a ton of buttercreams, royal icing, ganache, pastillage (I don't even know what this is), curd, and jam! oh my gosh I am really hungry all of a sudden.

·         At the end of the recipe chapter it tells you the best pairings of cake, filling, icing, and fondant.

·         Also includes templates you can xerox.

What I don't like:

·         All the cakes use Fondant. Granted, it's not the only thing they use. As I said before there are about a bajillion different icing recipes in the back of the book. And frequently multiple kinds are used in the decorations, but it'd be nice to see a cake without fondant as well.

·         Chapter 12 is all about setting up a cake design business. Whether it's best to work from home or rent office space, what equipment you will need to buy, what you need to do legally to establish a business, how to network. Etc. Not very useful for me.

I think my favorite part of this book is the recipes. I need to see if I can make modified versions of the cakes because obviously I won't need a whole wedding cake (unless somebody wants me to make theirs??) I think I'll try one for a holiday or birthday coming up soon. There was a really cool fall looking one so maybe for Thanksgiving! 

Wednesday Review: 20 to Make - Sugar Animals

This week's Wednesday Review is coming to you *gasp* on Thursday. I meant to go home Tuesday night and pick a book to review but Mardi Gras celebrations got in the way.

Oops! ON TO THE REVIEW!

Search Press's 20 to Make series covers a variety of crafts including glass painted projects, jewelry making, wedding favors, and knitted items.  I own 2 in the series and they both have to do with dessert decorating (shocker!).  Frances McNaughton, the author of Sugar Animals, is a demonstrator for the British Sugarcraft Guild. HOW DO I JOIN!?!?! She's made sugarcraft props for a variety of movies as well including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Chocolat. It's always fun to read British books when they talk about "colouring" their "sugarpaste." I NEED TO MOVE TO THE UK ASAP.

What I Like:

·         Great pictures. Each animal has its own 2 page spread. One side shows the individual parts you will need to make. Each part is numbered with corresponding instructions to make assembly very easy. The other side of the spread shows the animal fully assembled in some sort of cute pose.

·         There is a tutorial section in the beginning highlighting the basic shapes you will need to master to make each animal. It also tells you the tools you will need and how to best join the shapes to create your masterpiece.

·         Some of the designs are ADORABLE! My favorites are the panda, hippo, kangaroo, tiger, koala, lion, monkey, and zebra.

What I don't like:

·         I'm not as big of a fan of the lizard, snake, camel, or seal designs.

·         There's no recipe for sugarpaste included. Not that it isn't easy enough to type into Google and find 30 different recipes, but I always appreciate when I can get all the information from one source.

This book is a great resource if you want to make decorative animals for cakes/cupcakes. You could even make them with clay for figurines or ornaments!