Happy Halloween!

See I knew I could make these better than last year! Although I wish I had made more time so I could have drawn faces on the pumpkins and ghosts. I was afraid of the cookie icing not drying enough for it before I had to package them up for two separate parties. I love the sheen on this type of icing. I also need to adjust my baking time for the different shapes, for example the cats baked much faster than pumpkins. I made fourteen for my daughter's preschool class party on the 28th, and another forty-seven for my son's class and their grade four buddies on the 29th.


I put them all in Halloween treat bags for convenience and sanitation I suppose :oP Stirling's class party was short so they could just take them home and with Madison I thought it was easier and less germy for the bunch of three year olds :o)

Baby Shower ~ Baby Girls in Basinet

I got a call for the 24th, from my good pal for an order for her girlfriend's babyshower. I went with eighteen Wilton inspired cupcakes. I chose a white cake with raspberry buttercream. They tasted delicious. I thought they turned out well, accept I would have made the pink darker as there wasn't enough contrast from the skin to the pacifier and bonnet.

Decorating Basics Final Student Projects

I finally gave in and taught Decorating Basics in October, having my last class on the 26th. I was getting over my laryngitis but I think I managed to pull through. At the same time I just can't seem to shake the chest cold I have. I start to feel better, and then the cough starts again. Humph! Anyhow as I promised my students I love to share my students accomplishments with my readers.
This session left me so impressed with my students. There originality on their projects were wonderful. I hope their friends, and family enjoyed them as I did.


This was the most unique - note the ribbon roses (last lesson before they decorated their cakes)very well incorporated. Perfect for Halloween!


Very cool!


I love copper!


Pretty!


Good use of all the techniques!


Wonderful!

Everyone chose great colour and the symmetry was perfect - these ladies know how to design cakes like pros already! I'm sorry if I missed anyone. Please feel free to send it to me and I can share it as well. Be proud of your work ladies! See you in January 2011 for Flowers and Cake Design. I couldn't have asked for a greater group!

Pumpkin Pie

We had everyone to our home for Thanksgiving and my mom made the pies. I made our's after the holiday, leaving enough for bite size pies - the yummiest thing ever. I could have eaten pie forever. Note to mom - bake decorative pie crust then put on pie while cooling. :o)

I Haven't Forgot You!

Sorry I haven't posted pics of my last class in October. My whole family has been passing colds around for over a month. I still had a bit of laryngitis when I taught my last class on the 26th and am currently battling a nasty chest cold. Please bear with me. I will post them soon I promise.

Gum Paste & Fondant - Final Lesson

As I did last class I posted my students final projects. I think their talent shined through with these pieces.

I look forward to teaching them Flowers & Cake Design possibly in the new year. I am also gaining many more interested parties in my buttercream transfer class, I'm so excited, but need to find the time to do so, as I just began teaching Decorating Basics yesterday to ten new students! I'm rather excited, but am already finding difficulties with how the lessons have been planned out, vital information that should have been discussed with the students on positioning the bag, pressure are not being discussed until next week. I think next time I teach this I will work that into the first lesson before having the students put stars on their cookies or practice board. It would have made a big difference in their results.
My cake was made up of all the elements that I taught in class over the past four weeks and incorporate that days lesson into it as well. Note to self: don't put fondant pieces in a tupperware container on the counter above the dishwasher - the heat makes all your fondant go soft and makes the coloured flakes melt :o(

I think the flowers still looked fine once I dried them out again and reshaped a couple. I love cake dummies - otherwise I would have had another project running right along with the others from the previous week.

Gum Paste & Fondant - Covering a Cake Board

I started teaching Gum Paste & Fondant again at Michael's for Wilton last month. I managed to run it with three people - why it wasn't the three who said they were originally interested, I don't know, but my three were perfectly bright and artistic in every way. I used fondant that was rather dry around the edges, and as we needed to have one for the final class I came home and "fixed" it with a smaller border of fresher fondant. I think it turned out well and I used it for my final lesson on the 28th.

Hello Kitty - Madison's 3rd Birthday!

The week of the 20th was filled with lots of baking,as I've said :oP

Sorry this one won't post in landscape, funny it is in my file :o(
Friday I did up the buttercream transfer while Madison's cake baked away in the oven.

My daughter is very picky, not much of a chocolate lover either. This one was a 10" yellow cake with wildberry filling (ED Smith thank you) and fresh whipped cream. Simple buttercream icing in her favorite colour which was discussed only a few days before. Too bad I should have asked her the morning of her party as that turned out to be a "blue" day. LOL! I had iced it leaving placing her name and the transfer to right before it went on the table Saturday afternoon. It turned out great I think, everyone loved the filling.

Welder Cake

Another cake for our babysitter, for the big party. I spent the week of the 20th working on what started out as two projects and ended up being three intertwined with Pancake breakfast preparations for our community league etc.
This first one is a combination of the fondant work I was doing for the Welder cake and for Madison's birthday that were needed for Friday and Saturday.

Thursday night I also baked two dozen brownies and made little fondant Vicwest logos for delivery first thing Friday morning to take for 'Steel Days'.

This one I made as a 10" marble cake with homemade chocolate pudding filling, and her favorite chocolate icing.

Hummingbird Cake

I worked on this cake the end of last week for my repeat client. :o) She loves hummingbirds and she sent me a copy of what her invitation looked like. This cake was a little more decadent, I made chocolate mocha mousse for the filling, and chocolate mocha icing. Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate. This was a 9x13 with a buttercream transfer very similar to her invitation, it was also for a few ladies who were celebrating, hence the 'Happy Birthday Ladies'. I think it turned out very well, and her company really enjoyed it. I have a couple ladies interested in learning how to do these transfers; any others? Maybe I'll plan a course session, hmmm. Only two more cake projects to go...

Happy Birthday Customer?

I had only one cake project planned for September, and then I got a misterious call. Well, not really mysterious but very exciting. A repeat non-family customer! Ha Ha Ha The woman I had done the 'Leo' cake for last month for her boss' birthday as me to do one for her and a few ladies that were planning on having a multi-birthday celebration. I'm not sure why, but after that little boost of confidence, I felt compelled to email my babysitter's mom to see what she had planned for her birthday on the 6th. I didn't mean to cause a commotion, seems mum forgot a little as they were planning a bigger event on the 24th, but to my surprise wanted me to do a simple 6" cake for the actual day - she loves chocolate and buttercream icing - no fondant. I really enjoy making classic cakes with new techniques that I have learned over the last couple of years. This was a success, and I'm sure the 10" I'm making for the 24th will be as well.

Ifyou are wondering why it says 'Happy Birthday Customer' it is because her restaurant choice was the Japanese Village and when they sing happy birthday they sing 'Happy Birthday Dear Customer' instead of the person's name. Made everyone have a good laugh, especially the babysitter's girlfriend who didn't understand the writing until the song was sung. Ha ha ha very cute indeed!

'Leo' Astrological Cake

Monday I spent making three dozen mini brownies for my daughter's playschool registration so I unfortunately don't think I took any pictures. At the same time my camera batteries are dead and I have had to resort to taking pictures with the BB. I got a rush order for a birthday cake yesterday morning for pickup this morning for word of mouth job (yey - TY Loretta!). She wanted the astrological sign 'Leo' on it; and chocolate chocolate and more chocolate, and a buttercream transfer of course; no short cuts here all made from scratch. Aside from trying to keep on top of the apple situation I have right now with harvesting. I managed to make a big pot of applesauce in between all my preparations for this cake; assembling only took me an hour today. I think it turned out really well - although my overall working surface ended up smaller than my original drawing; the cake must have shrunk? I am very happy with the outcome, and the client was very too.

2011 Wilton Yearbook Demo

Well, when you don't have income to begin with I try to reuse products where I can. I have officially almost used up all of the extra gray fondant leftover from the 'Hippo' cake. I also had a box of primary colours and a neon orange kicking around and this is what I did for two hours...

I was to demonstrate inlay and overlay techniques similar to the circle/star pattern on the cover cake of the yearbook. I used a cake dummy and a base from an old demo cake I had (just ripped off the old dusty stuff and put on fresher fondant). It's a fake cake, no one will eat it, so I am pleased with the outcome.

Mini Brownie Bites Yipee!

Late this week I spent making promotional brownies for D's boss(see entry for details)...

The 'V's are the company logos I made up with red fondant - note these are mini brownies - which made it difficult to use most of my tools and resort to good old clay molding with my hands, good and simple. Sorry for the blurry shot. From this little promo he would like me to do a larger order for an up and coming staff function. Yahoo!

(raspberry)ongrats!

I say raspberry as the little phfftt noise it made as I squeezed out the first letter on my sons cake went fat and lumpy and yucky all at once. Insert eye roll of disgust here. :oP Aside from the wavy 'C' the cake didn't turn out too bad, at the same time I didn't feel that it was worthy of a full frontal shot if you catch my meaning. :o) Hee hee hee. Anyone know what I did with my 16in. piping bag I used to iced the darned thing with? It has since vanished without a trace, wahhhh, lol! I have the cake icing tip and no bag?? I'm at a loss. It's the land of nothing with the Beezus and Ramona paperback that vanished months back (I just replace it, so wish me luck).

The temperature was also sweltering making my icing thinner than usual making it more difficult to control, and with the time constraints I had, I don't think it turned out half bad. It was chocolate with chocolate pudding filling - how can you go wrong?

Another week, another cake...

Sorry no pictures to post this time, everyone. I spent the latter of this week making another VAA cake for my mom's walking club. Same logo as before, except this time I needed to make it refrigeratorless friendly so I opted for store bought premade pudding for filling - thank you Hunt's. This was also my first time making a thick one layer 12X18 half chocolate and half vanilla (yellow). My cake recipes are two different consistency - and I thought for sure from what I could see was that the vanilla had taken over the pan and only left one third of it as chocolate. To my luck the layers actually overlapped one another in the middle equally on a perfect diagnol. Thank goodness buttercream icing is a maliable and forgiveable medium to work with. It hides things so well - note to self - let cake cool more - both before removing it from the pan and when slicing it in half horizontally. I let it cool for the recommended 15min. for the large pan and I also let it cool further for the minimum one hour - but lets see - the centre of the cake stuck so bad I had to freeze it in hopes it wouldn't fall apart completly when placed on the cake board. At least I knew immediately what my errors were. In the end you wouldn't have known the difference - cake is cake isn't it?
I have two cake projects planned for this week; so there will be plenty of pictures to come. Ta ta for now.

The Man Under the Tent....

This was my project early this week - D's birthday being on Thursday. I made cupcakes for our night at home with the four of us - mini versions


and had the cake for D's big party Friday night. I think I can model almost anything out of fondant :o) It was an awesome party - and the cake(s) were a hit!

Mini Brownie Delights

I made up a batch of these tasty little morsels to promote RCT at my Events & Programs committee meeting. When I went to make them I didn't quite have enough chocolate chips so I substituted 2 oz. of Reese chips instead; with the chocolate buttercream they were a hit. This recipe makes so many I took a dozen to Stirling's school to thank the staff for there assistance with the Parent Advisory/Council over the year, and also to promote RCT again. I left my business card :oP I was hoping to promote it at the G-sale at our community league yesterday but I only rented an 8' table and ended up filling another with no room for my portfolio at all :o( Next time I guess. D would like me to make these for his clients - yey. Picture them with a mocha buttercream (instead of chocolate), Starbucks caramel drizzle - topped with a dark chocolate espresso bean...mmmmm; I think I would just do a solid mix of chocolate chips though. (Originally written June 6 - had to wait for pic - sorry the box is overpowering the little guys :oP)

Happy Birthday....D'Artagnan??

Last week I wanted to make a cake just for us to eat. I was aiming for something sweet and tangy - going along with our beautiful weather we had had all week (up until Thursday morning). I went for a lemon flavoured cake with homemade lemon filling. My buttercream icing recipe makes enough to ice and decorate, and instead of shelving the leftovers I added some rosettes on the top with shell borders. I also had some leftover thin icing for lettering and just to appease my son I wrote Happy Birthday on it and added candles as he was turning 11 on Thursday.

Birthday Polka Dots - May 7

Here is the cake I did this past week. She wanted green with blue polka dots. This is what I came up with. I used the purple to tie all the elements together. This was a 10" round chocolate cake with chocolate pudding filling and chocolate icing. I'm becoming rather efficient at making fondant ball borders - I remember the ball border on the Canada Day Cake seemed to take hours! I loved how the lettering turned out as I didn't have any cutouts for the right proportions to the cake. I used my ribbon cutter to get all the sizes the same for each letter and number and eyeballed the rest. Stirling got me the 101 Cookie Cutter Set for Mother's day; which would very much have come in handy for this project. I can't wait to use them - I have so many ideas!

(Madison got me a bird house for Mother's Day that I loved very much too - I can't wait for her to help pick out the colours)

Welcome Home Cake - May 1

For those of you who are still waiting on me to post, I'm so sorry :o(
This is the cake I baked for my baking bingo winner. She wanted a simple cake to welcome her husband home from Afghanistan. Even as I type that I still feel privileged to have done so. I haven't met many military families since my dad retired when I was a teenager, for shame I know.
This was a chocolate 6" square cake with chocolate icing - all homemade of course - with the added touch of the fondant ribbon :o)

Anyone know how to get the creases out of a cake divider mat? That was my only disappointment. Could I iron it between some towels - or would it just melt and ruin everything?

VAA 25th Anniversary

My mom asked that I make a cake for the VAA's AGM that was this past weekend. I felt quite excited to do this and a little apprehensive, didn't want to mess it up either :oP She presented me with the crest that she helped to design and I took it and blew it up to an 11x17 to fit on my 12x18 sheet pan. I love buttercream transfers, if you can colour and trace, you are pretty much unlimited to what you can draw with icing. Here is a shot of the logo being piped:

Here was the finished cake:

My yellow cake(vanilla/lemon flavoured)with homemade lemon filling and buttercream icing. I try to go thinner on the icing so the extra layer of the transfer isn't too much for the palette. I talked to my mom today and it sounds like everyone enjoyed the cake, and other orders may follow from other VAA locations. Could be great! I'm still concerned about my price point, as other local cake decorators are charging $120+ per layer/tier of cake. $65+ for customized cakes. Hmmm maybe I need to revamp my pricing more; I still want to stay competitive with SOF, Sobey's and Safeway, at the same time their idea of the logo and mine are on two totally different wave lengths. Most likely they would use the edible paper and scan the image, where as I hand piped the image that took me a better part of the afternoon and into early evening to achieve.
I also got a call from my Baking Bingo winner and will be working on a cake for her for this Saturday, I'm so excited. Not to give you any hints, but I feel honoured to bake a 'Welcome Home' cake for one of our troops. That is so touching. :o) Thanks so much for considering my talent for your reunion cake :o))

River City Treats Goes Beyond Family & Friends

Who knew that this Baking Bingo donation would pay off, but it did. tee hee hee
On the weekend I got a call from my babysitter's mom, whom also attended the Bingo and saw my portfolio, to ask if I could make her younger daughter's cake for her 13th birthday. Green w. blue polka dots, I can certainly handle.
Since then I have been devising a way to price out these cakes without pulling a number out of the sky, like I did with the hippo, and was grossly under cost. I figure if I don't, the chances of making money at this are pretty slim. I'm excited, as I already have a sketch, but am meeting with the daughter next week to confirm that my direction is what she wants. This 10" round isn't needed until the beginning of May so I've got plenty of altering time.
The next cake project I got was from my mom for the VAA 25th Anniversary party this weekend. Simple 12x18 sheet cake w. a buttercream transfer, similar to ones I've done in the past (Elmo, Scooby Doo for my kids)This one just on a much larger scale. Tuesday I tried drawing the VAA logo out on paper, but I was concerned with my proportions on the wild rose, so I opted yesterday to get the image blown up to an 11x17, which is about as big as you get on a regular photocopier, without going over board on buying poster size. I traced it onto wax paper last night and plan to ice it and freeze it for decorating tomorrow afternoon's pickup. I plan to pretty much have everything done today and put it together tomorrow.
So with all of this professional cake project booking, I thought it was high time to get business cards made up as well as actual invoices. I just back dated the last eight projects that I have done and have the two new for a "Current" file :oP Why do I suddenly feel like I am playing office :oP
My pricing is finalized for cakes, as well as cookies and cupcakes. I actually have a four sheet XL document that I punched out over the last four days, that also includes flavours and fillings charts. I think I've remembered everything. I even got business cards made up, I love modern technology - 250 business cards for $13.99, whoot, and I made them all by myself on my printer:o) I had to make up it's own template in the label wizard but I think they turned out well, and it keeps with the theme of the voucher I sent to the Bingo.

I'm probably going to revamp this site a bit to, to reflect this connection between my so-called business and this blog. Now to finish up as I have a busy day ahead of me and two boys coming to play with Stirling this afternoon from 2:20-4:30, fun fun. I just hope the weather stays nice so they can play outside:o)

No Baking to Share - but the Cookie Jar is Full

It feels strange not really having any real baking feats to share so far this week. Don't get me wrong I have been baking and puttering around my Kitchen-aid as usual , but no noteworthy items. Finally our cookie jar is full again, my usual chocolate chip cookies, so full we all had to eat a few so I could close it . Last night I used some more of the leftover cake pieces from the hippo cake and made strawberry shortcakes for desert. I almost took a picture, but I ate it instead tee hee hee. D saw its size and thought I was crazy - surprisingly he managed to eat it all too, and loved it. I took the cake and cut it in half horizontally and filled it with the strawberries and whipped cream that was leftover (I had to chop and whip of course)- still fresh as the day I bought them :o) Very delicious.
My baking bingo contribution, to our community league, for the grand prize, was a success and I look forward to making the winner the cake of her dreams when she calls! I just hope I'm given enough notice.
I'm itching to bake as there isn't really any cake in the house at the moment, other than a small piece or two of hippo - why is that making me nuts? It's almost an obsession, all in a good way. As Janel said - I'm starting to dream in cake :o)

I got involved with this party idea through another blog I read - thank you Jay! I thought it was a good way to expose my baking projects. I wanted to share them and my experiences with others and possibly learn some new tricks or pass on some of my own.
I wish everyone could dig into my last entry to start our party with UBP.
I started blogging this particular page when I decided I needed an outlet outside of my kids. I have a personal blog that I share with close friends and family(none of which are google members)via auto emails when I write a new entry. It encaptures my life with my wonderful husband and children and is almost like the letter home to let everyone know how things are going in our lives.
This blog all began last spring when I began taking cake decorating classes through Wilton at Michael's. I really wanted to showcase my achievements with my family and friends that weren't able to share this with me personally.
I'm a stay at home with a five year old son in kindergarten and two year old daughter. I am very crafty and love to do anything having to do with all art mediums but lately I have really been taken by this cake decorating bug.
I don't want to tell you newcomers to look at my old entries, but that I guess would be the idea if you wanted to get a sense of where I am in my decorating journey.
When I wasn't a stay at home mom I was an interior designer and have done a lot of work in the city I live and some smaller rural towns as well. In retrospect that seems so long ago to me, and almost another life, which I know seems pathetic, but its the truth.
I hope to return to that life when both of my children are attending school full time, which isn't really all that far away when I consider the road that has already been travelled.
Sometime ago I made this blog public, but have yet to find any fellow bloggers that knowingly follow my baking ups and downs, other than the ones I have chosen to be emailed my posts.
In the meantime, while I enjoy the life of in-depth motherhood I find the time to share this.
I hope you enjoy these posts and my future posts to come.
Have a Happy Ultimate Blog Party 2010!

Hippo Cake

....and the fanfare plays....nah just kidding!

For those of you my few loyal readers who have waiting ever so patiently. I have finished making my niece's Hippo cake last night at 8PM to be delivered downtown for 9PM, whoot!! I can't say how amazed at how it turned out and everyone loved it! I have an order for a Giraffe :oP Quit a few other people asked me to do one for their party too :oP I wished I had business cards, but that would have required a running car, which I didn't have this week :o( My niece knows them all too well and she will pass on info when needed :o)
Here is the gal you've been waiting for:

My first experience at going all "Ace of Cakes" on a baking project. I loved it! Wasn't nearly as difficult as I had anticipated. Mental notes from watching said show and Cake Boss came in handy :o)
I am on my way to take my portfolio shortly for our community league's baking bingo they are hosting tomorrow. I've promised to provide a voucher towards a tasty creation of mine, I just hope the person who wins is easy on the cake designing :oP

Spring Easter Cake

In amongst my 'Hippo' creating, I planned a cake for Easter supper Sunday night. I did up a few fondant daisies (as my gum paste was very frozen and the other dried out beyond saving) used the 9x12 (approx.) piece of chocolate cake I froze earlier in the week from our 12x18 "test" cake as Dave called it. Trimmed it up as two layers, used buttercream icing and coconut; colouring the coconut on the outside and colouring the buttercream similar on the inside. It was delicious, the family came for ham and all raved about it. Still raved on Monday during a playdate too :o) Which reminds me I need to email someone some recipes :oP

Shamrock Cookies

This was my excitement earlier this week; baking and icing two dozen cookies for St. Patrick's Day for kindergarten. I thought two days was more than enough to have the icing dry, but not quite :o( A few stuck together in the box I sent them in :o(
I'm getting pretty efficient I can use the poured cookie icing and complete a cookie in less than two minutes! Whoot! A new record. I also iced the remaining three dozen (we figured, plus another dozen that were over done and not iced and eaten in between by all) since I had the icing, finishing them later Wednesday afternoon. It was a custom colour, so to keep it for another project and have to remix it, I'm sure I would still end up with a different tone; I'm good but not that good :oP
The class and teachers always appreciate the effort and they're really yummy! This time around there were some leftovers so Stirling shared some with his principle and one of the secretaries too, they really loved them too!
Stirling will be on Spring Break when Easter rolls around; so I am thinking of repeating the basket cake I did last spring just with some modifications. Stay tuned...

Chocolate and Skor Bits - Mar 7

Well once again my kids wanted cupcakes - and I got to try out my new eclair tip. What an awesome invention - mmmmm cool whip filled cupcakes :oP Anyhow; making cupcakes I always have extra batter so I made a chocolate oval layer - split it in two and voila; I also used up my homemade chocolate icing I had in my freezer, bonus! I filled it with chocolate pudding and topped it with Skor bits. Yum!

Recipe - Applesauce Cake

I felt so giddy when I got a recipe request; my first one tee hee hee. I cannot; however, take credit for these recipes as they are from the Joy of Cooking (I've just condensed it and only included the version I used) :o) This is my go to cookbook for many recipes; I always just try to put my spin on it.

APPLESAUCE CAKE
Preheat oven to 350oF
Grease and flour or line with wax or parchment paper one (1) of the following pans: 9 x 2 round, 6-cup fluted tube or Bundt, 8 ½ x 4 ½ “ (6-cup)loaf
Whisk together dry ingredients in small size bowl:
1 ½ cups sifted flour
¾ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. salt
set aside.
Cream in large bowl:
½ cup softened butter
¾ cup +2 tbsp. brown sugar
Beat in:
1 egg
In three parts add flour mixture with:
1 cup applesauce
to wet ingredients.
Stir in:
1 cup chopped walnuts
Spread into pan evenly and bake according to pan size or until toothpick comes out clean:
Round: 25-30 min.
Fluted/Bundt: 40-45 min.
Loaf: 1 hr. – 1hr. 10min.
Cool on rack for ten minutes in pan; invert onto wire rack lined with clean dishtowel and paper towels to avoid tracks to cool for at least hour. Meanwhile, prepare Old-Fashioned Caramel Frosting.

OLD-FASHIONED CARAMEL FROSTING (about 3 cups)

Combine in medium saucepan; stirring until it simmers:
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup heavy cream
Simmer covered for 2 minutes, refrain from stirring to dissolve sugar. Using a candy thermometer simmer uncovered until syrup reaches 238oF (this takes a while), use a moistened pastry brush to remove any syrup from the side of the saucepan while heating.
Remove from heat and add:
2 tbsp. butter
DO NOT STIR
Still using candy thermometer cool syrup to 110oF (45-60 min.).
Add:
1 tbsp vanilla
1 – 2 tbsp. rum or rum extract
Beat until spreadable yet drizzly thickness. Too thick add more cream. If it won’t thicken cool pan in a bowl of ice water while beating. Keeps in fridge 1 week; freezer 6 mnths (soften before using).

I in no way wish to encroach on any copyright infringements that writing this may cause.

Enjoy!

Applesauce Cake w. Old Fashioned Caramel Frosting

I don't usually post my normal baking sprees; like making chocolate chip cookies or bundt cakes, pies, ecetera, but when it turns out really well, and tastes better than you imagined you tend to want to share it in hopes that someone else wants to share the experience and ask for the recipe. So here is my latest and greatest pairing that I made on Friday. I was so sad to see the last piece disappear today :oP

The frosting I left a little thinner so it would drape over the cake and it worked well; I would use this as a glaze for donuts as well, mmmmmm, or ice cream. Sorry starting to salivate. :oP

100th Day Celebrations

It was the 100th Day Celebrations on Tuesday at Stirling's school. I ended up halving my recipe as I needed 4 eggs and only had 3. It still turned out well, and using my convection setting on my oven has made for some more even cakes too. I made a little 6x6 square; lemon flavoured cake(at Stirling's request) with vanilla pudding filling, lemon buttercream and lemon fondant. I made the numbers using fondant molds the weekend before; twice I might add, as Madison found where I was drying them, snuck behind the curtain and proceeded to devour one 0 and half of a 1 before I caught her - sneaky girl - oh and then get this...She ate a corner of the cake Monday morning while I turned my head for 30 seconds; it was still cooling! She even snuck off to eat it in her room this time; thought she wouldn't get caught I guess. A little extra buttercream and some cake from the top from when I leveled it and voila.

The teacher and class loved the cake; its nice to get to sample the top I cut off of most cakes, I thought it had turned out well, wished we could have had more.

Valentine's Day

If you hadn't already read about my busy long weekend of baking and decorating on my family blog, here are the pictures I promised.
For these cupcakes I used up leftover icing and the royal icing hearts from the cookie demo; I love how this stuff keeps when stored properly. I didn't have that much pink/white buttercream left yet (as I wasn't starting to decorate the heart cake until Sunday)so I opted for canned cream cheese icing to finish off; I can't remember the last time I used canned. It was in the fridge - petroleum products keep well past the so-called expiry dates anyways :oP I also used a blend of white and pink to give it the swirled look. I used my infamous yellow cake recipe that I alter and made this batter raspberry; while my heart-cake cooled I decorated the cupcakes. Got to have something to tide the kids over until they can eat the cake at dinner Sunday night. :oP

Certainly nothing too professional looking, but my kids really don't mind.
I made up raspberry buttercream and a Boston cream filling for the heart-cake on Sunday. I also made up dark chocolate shavings and edged it with raspberry jam. It was delicious. Tasted kind of like Viva Puffs :oP

Sorry about the glare, I thought this one illustrated the different sections better, and the colour was more accurate. However; my piping was a dark pink and the base icing was light pink.

Pie & Cookies

Last week I got a great deal on bags of apples from SOF and decided to work on my signature deep dish apple pie more. Last time I baked it I used a crumble (for the top) from a apple crumb recipe that is really yummy, but I didn't have any Peak Freans Shortbread cookies, so I tried another recipe. It called for walnuts or almonds, I chose walnuts. This pic was before I baked it; I piled it on so much but by the time it was done baking it looking like a normal height pie. The crumble was beautiful, but I think it would be even better with toasted almonds instead. I also decided that next time I will skip the higher temp bake for the first ten minutes as it seemed to over brown some of the walnuts; still delicious however.

(Sorry I didn't realize it was so shiny)


Since my demo cookies got mangled a la sales staff, merci :o( I promised to post pics of the ones I did up for Stirling's kindergarten class for his Valentine's party that was yesterday. I started decorating them on Thursday so the cookie icing could dry well. The teacher was so impressed and thanked me personally (for the first time I might add). I overheard his classmates telling their mommies all about them, I think having their names on them really won them over :o) Parmaan was on and on, anyways. I love to see their reactions and smiles especially. I planned to do borders, but didn't want to make up a batch of royal icing to do it :oP I was feeling lazy, but I still think they turned out great. I bless whomever invented edible markers as I am terrible at hand piping letters on anything as of late.

I also still have to figure out how to maintain the same temperature during baking, as I always end up with batches browned on every other batch. I think I need to babysit it more I guess.

Bored

Since I've been at home taking care of D this month; I found a lot of time to bake last week. It started at the beginning of the week with chocolate chip cookies, then I made rice krispie squares, I made chocolate cupcakes Saturday night from scratch for the kids, but I still had enough batter to make half of a cake. That 6" pan sure comes in handy. Sunday morning after breakfast, I halved the cake and did chocolate pudding for filling with vanilla butter cream icing and chocolate jimmies for effect. :oP It was a request by my son. :o)
I need to find a different recipe for chocolate cake; we like larger cupcakes and this one is too thin to have them bake over the top too much. Right now I use a Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake recipe from Joy of Cooking. Alternatives appreciated.
My husband likes the picture - doesn't it look like the cake is floating in the middle of my kitchen...ooohhhhh. LOL

Our Gingerbread House

The kids helped to decorate with the candies; Stirling was very helpful this year. Madison was very helpful with eating the candies. :o) We finally found time to build it and decorate it Christmas Eve. I forgot how long it needed for the icing to dry. I was a little not impressed with the gingerbread provided. I found most of it warped. Next year I plan to make my own and see if I can do better.