Heather's Bridal Shower

 

I was really excited to do Heather's bridal shower cake because I've known Heather since the second grade. I can hardly believe she's now married (I'm a little late in posting this cake). Her shower was beautiful as it was an outdoor setting on a gorgeous summer day!  Her wedding colors were champagne and lilac, so that's what her maid of honor asked for the decorations to be.  My favorite part of this cake was the cascading lilac flowers that were made of royal icing.  These flowers are really easy to make and hold themselves really well.  I really love using royal icing flowers on cake, if you haven't already noticed from my blog (he he!).

Congratulations Heather and Nick!

Dr. Seuss Birthday!

 Brandy, a returning customer, contacted me to make a cake for her other son's birthday.  She loved the Thomas the Train cake so much, that she asked me to do her second son's first birthday cake in a Dr. Seuss theme. She had a ton of awesome ideas, so I put them all together and created a special cake that I absolutely loved at the end.  Brandy was surprised and excited as well! Brandy wanted One Fish, Two Fish, Green Eggs and Ham on the cake, and Thing 1 and Thing 2 so this is what I came up with!

One fish... 

Two fish....

Red fish...

Blue fish...

The smash cake... you can't have a first birthday without one!

 Brandy found this great idea for marshmallow pops. I always like a new challenge and I knew these wouldn't be too difficult so I ran with them. I feel like I could have done better, but when dipping marshmallows in chocolate it's difficult to be exact and perfect.  I'm always my worst critic. They still were a cute addition to the cake and party theme!

Wedding Shower

I was asked by a friend from high school to do her wedding shower and I was really grateful that she asked! It's great to hear from old friends and be reconnected by my cakes and I'm so happy to help them out on their special occasions. Nicole's wedding colors are watermelon and black so she decided to have cupcakes with small watermelon flowers on them and she found these awesome cupcake liners that tied everything together perfectly! The cupcakes were red velvet with cream cheese icing and vanilla.  Red velvet is always a huge hit at parties. Nicole liked them so much that her upcoming wedding cake that I have the pleasure of making, will be red velvet (less than one month until the big day!). 

Congratulations Nicole and Kevin!

Abbie's First Communion

I was asked by Jordan's aunt to do a cake for a daughter's first communion.  We decided on doing a cake and also cupcakes with a few different flavors.  The cake on top was vanilla and the cupcakes were toasted coconut (gluten free), pink lemonade, and red velvet.  I was especially grateful that she requested gluten free ones so that I could enjoy the cake as well! :) They ended up being a big hit at the party and it was great to be there to see everyone's reactions.  Every once in awhile it's nice to attend the party where my creations are going so that I can get feedback.

Pink Lemonade

Toasted Coconut

Red Velvet

The Monkey's Banana!

   

I am so blessed to have awesome people in my life that spread the word of my cakes. I wouldn't be able to make all of these cakes without you! Thanks!

My sister's friend from high school spread the word to her good friend and that's how I ended up making this cake :)

The theme of the first year old's party was monkeys (I may steal her cute decorations and theme one day!) with bright colors.  She found the idea online and I tweaked it to fit her ideas and the party's colors.  The flowers, monkey, and her name "Gianna" are made from fondant, which are made a few days in advance so that they can set and harden.  Fondant is great to work with when making decorations and enables me to make the cakes over a few days, which is perfect with my 8-5 work schedule!

A first birthday is not complete without a smash cake, of course.  And what better idea for the smash cake than a banana! It turned out to be so cute with the monkey cake!  Although I had a minor breakdown in decorating this cake till late Friday night, I was so happy when I delivered the cake and it was everything she asked for (the fudge I bought at Fudgie Wudgie at the outlets helped too!)!

Happy 1st Birthday Gianna!

Happy Birthday Present

My first gluten free cake order! It gives me great pleasure to be able to cater to someone's food sensitivities because I have been in their shoes.  

Kelley, a friend from grade school, who also has celiac disease (who knew in second grade that we shouldn't have been eating those gluten-filled pancakes we made after sleepovers!), asked me to make a cake for her Mom's birthday.  Several of Kelley's family members have been diagnosed with celiac disease, so it was important for them to be able to enjoy cake at a birthday party as well. I was so happy to do this cake for Kelley, especially because the colors are pink and black and I was able to do a "present" cake! 

I haven't covered a cake in fondant for awhile and to tell you the truth, I was nervous to try it again.  It's a tricky process (at least I think so) and with one mistake, you're back to square one.  I was so happy that it came out good on the first try!  This was my first time making a fondant bow and I was so excited with the way it turned out! My old boss told me that the trick is to make it a few days or a week in advance so that it can set.  I was so glad that I took his advice! I love having the opportunity to do new things and experiment.

Thanks Kelley!

Casino Cake

 

Suzanne, a friend from high school, requested a cake for her Dad's 60th birthday.  Actually her Mom requested it, as she somehow got word of my cakes.  It's pretty amazing how word gets around and people hear about me doing cakes! I'm enjoying every minute of it! 

Suzanne's Dad loves playing card games and his party was at the Rivers Casino, so I knew just how to decorate this cake. With fondant playing cards and poker chips decorated with royal icing, this cake was cute and simple.

A Taste of Broadway

 

A professor of mine from college asked me to be a part of such a great cause, A Taste of Broadway, to raise money for the Homeless Children's Education Fund. The evening was full of entertainment, food, and drinks with a silent auction and a Chinese auction. Brett Keisel from the Steelers is a big advocate for HCEF, along with a large number of people.
I decorated a foam cake for the Chinese auction, in which I donated a free cake of the same size to the lucky winner.  I was also lucky enough to be able to volunteer at the event, which was an awesome evening.  Throughout the evening, we raised thousands of dollars, I believe it was around $15,000!!!!! I am so thankful for being able to be a part of such a great cause!

Tweet - Tweet!

For Cara's (60th + 1) surprise birthday party, my cousin Bobby requested a birdhouse cake for her.  I found these adorable cupcake ideas online and could not pass them up! The cupcakes are chocolate batter and the decorating was all done with butter cream. The birdhouse is vanilla and chocolate batter, which is made out of butter cream as well.  

If you look close at the front of the birdhouse, you'll see a post with a bird's nest and some eggs in the nest.  I love those little eggs! As I was making the cupcakes and adoring the little birds, my niece Isabel said, "Aw, those birds are so cute!" For how easy the cupcakes were to make, I am so pleased with how they turned out... as well as the cake! 

Happy Birthday Cara!

Uncle Mark's 50th Birthday

For my Uncle Mark's 50th birthday we had an awesome surprise party!  My favorite part was his reaction to his cake.  I included his favorite things, his garden, fishing, and his dog.  With a vanilla "lake" on the bottom and a chocolate "garden" on top, his cake was complete.  The fisherman and dog were made from fondant and the garden was made using butter cream.  I know he loved this cake as much as I loved making it.

Happy Birthday Uncle Mark!

Wedding, Hokies, and Anniversary Surprise!

Another cake for Jamie (she's such a great customer!)! Her husband, Michael, is a Virginia Tech alumni and obviously a huge Hokies fan.  It was only appropriate to make his groom's cake "VT" themed. I was so happy when they asked me to do the cake for their rehearsal dinner, especially getting to recreate the logo.

The day of their rehearsal dinner was also Michael's parent's 39th wedding anniversary.  As a surprise, Mike and Jamie wanted a personal cake to celebrate such a milestone anniversary.  Mike and Jamie asked for a small and personal cake, simply and elegantly decorated for his parents.  I am very pleased with how their cake turned out and I'm pretty sure his parents were surprised that Jamie and Mike thought of their special day too! 

Congratulations Mike and Jamie and Charles and Carol!

Hockey, Beer, and XBox

Crystal asked for a cake for her husband's, Dan, surprise birthday party.  He asked for three things for his birthday...hockey, beer, and xbox. With all three of his favorite things, this cake turned out to be very unique! The cake was yellow batter with butter cream and fondant decorations. The controller and beer mug are made out of rice krispies covered in fondant.  I finally got to make a beer mug!

Happy 23rd Birthday Dan!

50th Topsy- Turvy

Laura found this cake online at pinkcakebox.com and loved it for her Dad's 50th surprise birthday party, so I recreated it. This was my first attempt to create a topsy-turvy cake and it was definitely a learning experience.  The cake above was the first cake... My inexperience, the hot weather, and a non-sturdy, moist cake created a catastrophe and the cake fell apart. Luckily, I have lots of patience and was able to fix the cake and size it down (to a more reasonable size anyways) and create a more sturdy cake.

 

 

The car was my favorite part because it was so much fun to make and to see it come alive with each piece added.  It was made out of rice krispy treats covered in fondant and painted with edible silver paint.  After all of the sweat and tears,  I was very happy with the end result.

Experience is not what happens to a man.  It is what a man does with what happens to him.  ~Aldous Leonard Huxley, Texts and Pretexts, 1932

Thanks Laura!

Jamie's Wedding Shower

Congratulations Jamie!

Jamie's wedding colors are Watermelon and Orange (maybe it's Tangerine orange?) and I love these colors together! With pretty little flowers, both pink and orange, on top of each cupcake and covering the cake, this tower of sweets was complete.  

Best Wishes to Jamie and Mike! I'm looking forward to the groom's cake! 

Audrey Hepburn Inspiration

 

 I was so excited to do a cake with an Audrey Hepburn theme! It was only appropriate to add pink, pearls, and of course, Breakfast at Tiffany's. The cake was red velvet with a cream cheese butter cream. With the perfect touch of black scrolling and a high heel on top, I was so proud of this cake and super excited to get the birthday girl's reaction. I'm pretty sure she loved it! 

Thanks Christina!

Strawberry Cream Angel Food Cake

After Jordan overheard my friend and I planning a cake for next week, he wanted a cake for himself.  For a man who doesn't like sweets very much, it was strange that he requested an angel food cake with strawberry cream.  So I searched the web and found an AMAZING recipe and thought what better way to make it more amazing than to make it GLUTEN FREE, so that Jordan and I could both eat it! It was SOOOOO delicious that I wanted to share it with everyone. I'll be honest, after making it I didn't think it would be very good, but after putting it in the fridge for a bit and adding the home-made whipped cream, it was nothing short of amazing!

For you to enjoy...

Angel Food Cake Recipe:

1 1/4 cups (125 grams) sifted cake flour (I substituted an equal amount of Rice Flour- I think any flour will do)

1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated white sugar, divided

1 1/2 cups (360 ml) egg whites, at room temperature (from about 12 large eggs)

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon

fresh lemon juice (optional)

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (optional)

1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Have ready a 10 inch (25 cm) two piece angel food cake (tube) pan.

 

In a large bowl sift together 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar and the sifted cake flour.

In your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar, lemon juice, and salt and continue to beat until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until glossy stiff peaks form. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla extract and almond extract.

Sift the flour mixture over the egg whites (about one quarter of the flour mixture at a time) and gently but quickly fold (do not stir) the flour into the egg whites. You can use a large wire whisk or a large rubber spatula. (It is important not to over fold the batter or it will deflate.)

Pour the batter into the pan and run a metal spatula or knife through the batter to get rid of any air pockets. Smooth the top and bake in the preheated oven for about 40 - 45 minutes. The cake is done when a wooden skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean and the cake springs back when gently pressed. The top of the cake will have cracks. Do not over bake.

Immediately upon removing from the oven invert the pan.  Suspend the pan by placing the inner tube on the top of a wine bottle or flat topped glass. Allow the cake to cool for about 1 1/2 hours. (I tried putting it on a flat topped glass, but somehow the cake blew off the glass and toppled onto the floor :( I advise NOT using a glass and to use a wine bottle or some type of bottle.)

When completely cool, run a metal spatula or knife around the sides of the pan to loosen the cake and then remove the cake from the pan. Next, run a metal spatula or knife along the bottom and center core of the pan and remove. Place on your serving plate.

Strawberry Cream

• 1 plain angel food cake, baked and cooled
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 (12 ounce) can condensed milk
• 1/3 cup lemon juice (optional)
• 2 teaspoons almond liqueur, plus 2 teaspoons, or 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, plus 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
• 2 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

Directions 

Using a serrated cake or bread knife, carefully cut the top 1-inch from the cake. Carefully remove and set aside. Using the tip of the knife, cut into the cake along the inner and outer edges, leaving a 1-inch border of cake intact. Using your fingers, carefully hollow out the cake between the two cuts, leaving an empty "tunnel". Tear the removed cake into bite-size pieces and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the condensed milk and beat until thoroughly combined. Stir in lemon juice and 2 teaspoons of the liqueur. Gently fold in the cake pieces and strawberries. Spoon the mixture into the tunnel in the center of the hollowed out cake, and cover with the reserved cake top. Cover cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.

Whipped Cream 

1-1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 Tbs. granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Shortly before serving, prepare 1-1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 Tbs. granulated sugar, and 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Using a cold bowl and whisk, whip until the cream reaches stiff peaks. I actually like my whipped cream frosting on angel food cake to be a little over whipped. Continue to whip the cream for a few more seconds and the cream should begin to clump up. Ice the cake with the whipped cream topping.  Refrigerate for up to 1 hour, or serve immediately.

Thanks Jordan for such a good idea!