Sunday, June 3, 2012

Miniature Roses

There are lots beautiful cake decorating ideas found in the internet today. But if you are searching for a tutorial on how to make miniature roses, you’ve come to the right website.

In order to make lovely miniature roses, you need to mix fondant with a bit of tylose powder to create a pliable paste. Take a small pea sized ball of this paste and roll it in your hands to form a small sausage shape. Take your rolling pin and flatten the sausage shaped paste thinly.

To make petals for your roses, you’ll need to pull the edges of the flattened paste with your fingers. To do that, position your fingers on each side of the paste and pull out the edges. Start from the bottom end and upwards. Use a cocktail stick or frilling tool to frill the edges of the paste and turn it over before rolling.

Start rolling the flattened paste loosely starting from the right end. Pinch in the bottom to secure the whole thing. Use your fingers or a fondant tool to gently open up the petals of your miniature rose. Once that’s done, you can cut the base of the rose using a scissors for a more finished appearance.

View the original article here

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Dog Cupcakes

Show your love to your pet dogs by making cupcakes in honor of them. Making dog cupcakes is not that hard to do. You just need to have the following items: cupcakes, black edible pen, gray buttercream icing in a piping bag with a tip #21, white chocolate chips, chocolate chips, red jumbo hearts, and white chocolate wafer cut in half.

The first thing you need to do is pipe in some frosting on your cupcake. Begin piping half of the cupcake beginning from the center to the left side. Next, pipe frosting on the other side starting from the center to the right side of the cupcake.

For the snout of the dog, pipe two layers of three not-so-straight lines on the lower center part of the cupcake. Again, use the above mentioned piping technique. Once done, you can now attach the white chocolate wafer for the dog ears on top of the cupcake. Position it with the round side going out.

Take your white chocolate chips and make a small dot in the middle using the edible pen. This will be the dog’s eyes. Once done, place the chocolate chips just above the snout. Take a chocolate chip and place it on the snout just below the eyes. For the dog’s tongue, take your jumbo heart and insert it on the bottom part of the snout with the top part sticking out.

To finish off the dog cupcake, you’ll need to pipe in some fur on the dog’s ears.

View the original article here

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Champagne Bottle Cake

I will be having a party with some friends at home and we will be toasting to some good news. I took this chance to make sure that I have the appropriately themed dessert. I will be serving wine and drinks together with the Champagne Bottle Cake I just created.

The Champagne Bottle Cake was made by stacking 3 fruit cakes together vertically. The cakes were secured using some skewer sticks before carving them into a round shape with a knife. To achieve a genuine champagne bottle shape, the fruit cakes were further molded by hand. To ensure that the cakes stay put, buttercream icing was used to stick each layer together. After coating the cake with several layers of dark tinted buttercream icing, it is then placed inside the fridge to cool.

To make the top portion of the Champagne bottle cake, an ice cream cone was coated with melted chocolate. Once cool, the cone’s tip was cut off and place upside down on top of the cake. Two large marshmallows are then placed on top of the cone and covered with frosting. The wine bottle label on the cake was made with fondant and some food coloring. The design and text could be customized according to the occasion that will be celebrated.

I wanted to surprise my friends even more so I placed some sherbet and bi-carb soda inside the ice cream cone prior to putting it on top of the cake. Upon serving, I will remove the marshmallow bottle top and pour some lemonade into the cone with the sherbet and bi-carb soda to achieve a realistic fizzing effect.

View the original article here

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Pony Birthday Cake

Are you ready to make your own pony birthday cake? Here’s how:

Prepare two 9-inch round cakes by cutting their domes off and placing them upside down. You’ll also need pony templates to ensure that the cake does come out looking as a pony. Position the body template on one cake and the head and tail templates on the other. Carve the cake carefully around the templates using a small knife.

Once you have the pieces, position them accordingly on the cake board and begin crumb coating the cake with light brown frosting before placing them inside the freezer for a few minutes. Once the cake has cooled, apply a final coating of frosting on the cake. Make sure the frosting is as smooth as possible.

Now, it’s time to put in the pony’s mane and tail by using darker brown frosting. For the tail, squeeze the piping bag down and release the pressure once you’ve reached the end. Use the same technique in putting the mane.

For the pony’s blanket, you can use pink (for girls) or blue (for boys) frosting. Pipe a square on the body and smooth it using a spatula. You can also pipe in the birthday celebrant’s age on the blanket too.

You’ll also need to add details to the pony’s hooves by piping some dark chocolate frosting on them. Use a large chocolate candy for the pony’s eyes.

View the original article here

Saturday, May 26, 2012

How to Make a Patrick Star Cupcake Topper

Do you know who Patrick Star is? He is SpongeBob Squarepants’ funny best friend. He is a pink starfish and wears a vividly colored pair of shorts. If you have a fascination for Patrick, show everyone how adorable he can be by making a cupcake topper in his likeness. Here’s how:

Aside from cupcakes and the usual frosting, you will need star-shaped sugar cookies as well. To begin making your Patrick Star cupcake topper, you’ll need slightly melted pink icing and drying rack. Put your cookie on top of the rack and begin coating the top part with the pink icing. Make sure that the surface of the cookie is thoroughly covered. Shake the cooking on the rack to let the excess icing drip off. Sprinkle a bit of red colored sugar on the cookie and let it cool.

As for Patrick’s cute shorts, you will need neon green and purple colored buttercream icing. Use a pastry bag to pipe in the shorts over two points of the star. You can use a butter knife to smooth in the buttercream. Next, you’ll need to pipe in a few flowers over the shorts using the purple buttercream.

Use white icing to make Patrick’s eyes and black icing for the eyebrows, center of the eyes, mouth and belly button accents. Let the cookie dry completely before putting in on top of a frosted cupcake.

View the original article here

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Hello Kitty Cupcakes

Here’s a cupcake decorating idea that would appeal to girls and women alike – Hello Kitty Cupcakes! It is very easy to make and very cute too.

The first thing you need to do is frost your cupcake with white buttercream icing. Take a large marshmallow and cut it diagonally in half using a sharp pair of scissors. The cut marshmallow should look like a cat’s ear. You might want to further cut them in half to fully resemble Hello Kitty’s ears.

Push the marshmallow ears unto the sides of cupcake. Take a dollop of white frosting and smooth it over the ears to secure it properly and to eliminate any gaps. If you have trouble smoothing the icing properly, you can dip in your spatula in hot water and then smooth the icing. Just make sure that you have wiped off any water before using the spatula.

Grab your piping bag with red frosting and pipe in Hello Kitty’s bow on the upper right side of the cupcake, near one ear. To make the bow, create to small circles and join them together by piping a smaller circle in the middle.

For Hello Kitty’s whiskers, use black frosting and pipe in three short whiskers on both sides of the cupcake. Use the black frosting for the eyes and a yellow colored one for the nose.

View the original article here

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Red Rose Petal Cake

Cake decorating ideas can come in many different inspirations. You might want to make a beautiful cake adorned with fondant animals because you had just came from a lovely farm or you could create a cartoon character shaped cake because it is your nephew’s favorite and you just love how his face lights up when he’s happy. If you absolutely love red roses, you might want to create a cake inspired by it too.

Here’s one of the most beautiful red rose petal cake you can create:
The first thing you need to do is mix ¼ to ½ lb of red fondant with a teaspoon of gum tragacanth or CMC powder. This will make the fondant very stretchable and pliable to ensure that your rose petals are very stable.

Roll the fondant thinly using a rolling pin. If you have a pasta machine, you can place the fondant it to make it even thinner. Once you’ve achieved the appropriate thickness, begin cutting rose petals using petal cutters. You will need to make a lot of petals to make the red rose petal cake stunning. Get your ball tool and ruffle the edges of the petals. Roll back the edges of the rose petals using a stick for a more realistic look. Afterwards, let them dry properly in a tray.

Using the perfectly dried petals, make a large red rose. Prep your cake by carving a portion off to accommodate your rose. Cover your cake with white fondant. Now, it is time to put in the rest of the petals.
Begin sticking in the petals one at a time on the outer edge of the gash of the cake. Use sticky water to secure them. You might want to put sponges behind several petals to ensure that they don’t droop. Once you’ve covered a sufficient part of the gash with rose petals, you may now place your pre-made rose. Let the cake dry completely before removing the sponges.

View the original article here

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Doughnut Recipe

Speculoos (or BiscĂ´me?) Baked Doughnuts:

For the doughnuts:
1/2 cup (120 ml) any vegan milk (plain or vanilla)
1/2 cup (100 g) Sucanat
2 teaspoons ginger powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup (56 g) vegan butter, melted or 1/4 cup (60 ml) peanut oil or other neutral-flavored oil
6 ounces (170 g) any vegan yogurt (plain or vanilla)
6 tablespoons (90 g) speculoos spread (homemade or store-bought)
2 1/2 cups (300 g) whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons instant dry yeast (or a packet [2 1/4 teaspoons] of active dry yeast, see Notes)
1 teaspoon baking powder
Non-stick cooking spray

For the speculoos-flavored chocolate ganache:
1/2 cup (120 ml) vegan creamer (plain or vanilla, I like to use unsweetened MimicCreme)
1 cup (176 g) vegan semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons (30 g) speculoos spread (homemade or store-bought)

About 10 vegan speculoos cookies, crushed to sprinkle over ganached doughnuts


To make the doughnuts: Combine milk, sugar, spices, salt, butter, yogurt and speculoos spread in a small saucepan. Whisk while heating to lukewarm on low heat, until the butter is melted. (If using oil instead of butter, just combine everything and heat to lukewarm.) Do not let the temperature rise higher than lukewarm, or it will kill the yeast. Use an instant-read thermometer to check that the temperature is around 100°F (38°C).

In a large bowl, combine flour, instant dry yeast, and baking powder. Add wet ingredients into dry, vigorously stirring with a rubber spatula for a couple of minutes until thoroughly combined, or using a stand mixer. Scrape the sides with the spatula and gather the dough in the center of the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 60 minutes. There won’t be such a noticeable rise during this rest, the doughnuts will mostly rise while they’re in the oven.

Coat two standard doughnut baking pans with spray.

Using an ice cream scoop. divide the sticky batter into the pans, about 3 tablespoons of batter per hole. Lightly moisten your hands with water to keep the sticky batter from adhering to them, and use the index of each hand to spread the batter evenly in each hole. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand another 50 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C, or gas mark 5). Bake for 16 minutes, or until golden brown.

Carefully remove from pan and transfer onto a wire rack to cool.

To make the ganache: Heat the creamer in a small saucepan, on medium-high heat. Once hot, remove from the stove, adding the chocolate chips and speculoos spread, stirring until the chips are melted and the mixture is perfectly smooth.

To decorate the doughnuts: Dip the doughnuts into the ganache, letting the excess drip off. Sprinkle crushed cookies on top.

Yield: 12 doughnuts
Notes:
• You might have extra ganache leftover from this recipe. How about drizzling some on vanilla or chocolate ice cream, or refrigerating it for a little bit so that it’s spreadable on a piece of crusty, freshly baked whole grain baguette?
• If you want the dough to be easier to handle, just stir the batter after the first rise, cover the bowl with plastic wrap again, and shove the whole thing in the fridge for a couple of hours. You could also make it the night before and bake as-you-go, since the fresher the donuts/decoration, the better. Just make sure to give it all a little more time to come back to room temperature for the second rise.
• If you are using active dry yeast, you’ll have to proof it first: Combine 1/2 cup (120 ml) lukewarm milk, 1 teaspoon of the sucanat and the yeast in a small bowl. Let sit 5 minutes until bubbles appear, to ensure the yeast is active. Just heat the butter (if using), yogurt, remaining sucanat, and speculoos spread separately, just until lukewarm and that the butter is melted. If using oil, just heat the oil, yogurt, remaining sucanat, and speculoos spread until lukewarm. Combine with proofed yeast mixture, and follow the rest of the instructions to mix wet ingredients into dry.
View the original article here

Friday, May 11, 2012

Lavender Ombre Bat Mitzvah cake

Lavender Ombre Bat MItzvah Cake

This Bat Mitzvah cake includes an ombre color fade from light lavender at the top of the cake to a darker lavender at the base. The glittery swirls decorating each tier include a contrasting ombre pattern in the opposite direction.

Leaf wrapped Monogrammed Topper

The highlight of the cake is a standing gumpaste letter “E” which is wrapped in green leaf decorations and accents of leaves and cascading vines. Decorations include crystal butterflies and small bunches of ecru and lavender roses and hydrangea.

Rose & Hydrangea Sugar Flowers

Flavors and fillings included purple velvet cake with vanilla buttercream and chocolate cake with raspberry chambord buttercream.

View the original article here

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Classic 60′s Groom’s Car Cake

1968 Fiat Spider Positano Yellow

Replication of a classic car, a 1968 yellow fiat spider, for a groom.

Front of Classic Car Cake

The entire car was almond cake with hazelnut buttercream. We delivered the cake to The Manor in West Orange NJ.

Details of interior of car cake

View the original article here

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Doll Face Silhouette Birthday Cake

Doll Face Silhouette Birthday Cake

The pink and black cake has this doll silhouette as the centerpiece for her party.

The three tier cake includes baby pink fondant on the top tier with various sizes stripes in hot pink, white and black. The middle tier is covered in hot pink fondant with polka dots. The final tier includes stripes in a coordinating color scheme.

Flavors and fillings included chocolate with oreos and cream buttercream, marble cake with chocolate buttercream and pink velvet with cream cheese filling.


View the original article here

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Alexis’s Sweet 16 Cake

Flared Damask Sweet 16 Cake

The top tier was covered in black fondant with gold swirls. The front of the tier included the celebrants name in fancy red font.

Red, Black and White Sweet 16 Cake with Gold Accents

The middle tier was decorated with red fondant and a glittery gold band with a bow and tails. The final tier was white with black damask decorations. Flavors and fillings included red velvet with vanilla buttercream, vanilla with chocolate buttercream and chocolate with hazelnut buttercream and chocolate hazlenut praline crunch


View the original article here

Monday, April 30, 2012

White Paisley Wedding Cake

Paisley White Wedding Cake

The theme of the cake centered around the distinctive paisley design.

The paisley design is incorporated across a variety of cakes through the years, and it is a beautiful design element for wedding cakes. The sideways teardrop design is of Iranian and Indian origin and serves as a great way for a couple to incorporate pieces of their ethnic origin into the cake.

Close-up of Paisely designs on wedding cake

“Persian pickles” is truly a historical term used to describe paisley or just a fictional offshoot of the popular “Persian Pickle Club” book.

What does seem to be accurate is that the actual origin of the word Paisley was derived by a town in Scotland of the same name. Other interesting derivatives of the name include Mankolam (from India) and Boteh Jegheh which the Persian translation.

Paisely Print Wedding Cake at the Park Avenue Club

The cake itself was covered in whtie fondant with piped paisley patterns on each tier in white with pearlized details. Flavors and fillings included chocolate and vanilla cake with oreos and cream buttercream, chocolate buttercream, coffee buttercream, and hazelnut buttercream.

Here’s another popular wedding cake design with a similar paisley design pattern:

Paisley Wedding Cake


View the original article here

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Baby Boy’s Christening Cupcake Tower

Baby Boy's Christening Cupcake Stand

The topper cake is covered in quilted light blue fondant with chocolate dots in each corner. The top is decorated in a white bow which coordinates with the white piped pearls around the base of the tier.

Blue Velvet, Chocolate, & Vanilla Cupcakes

Included along the cupcake stand are 25 blue velvet cupcakes with vanilla buttercream, 25 vanilla with lemon buttercream dyed light blue and 13 chocolate with chocolate and almond buttercream.

View the original article here

Friday, April 27, 2012

Cake Pops


Spring Cake Pops with Yellow Daisy

Cake pops are a great alternative to a cookie or cupcake favor!


Vanilla cross section of cake pop


Vanilla Rainbow Polka Dot Cake Pops




Dark Chocolate with Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch Cake Pops


Red velvet cake pops drizzled with white chocolate


Pink Velvet cross section of cake pop
View the original article here

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Belgian Chocolates Wedding Cakes



If you weren’t craving chocolate before… you’re welcome.

What’s better than a chocolate cake, enrobed in chocolate cigarettes and encircled with Belgian chocolates?  How about a chocolate starburst wedding cake topper?  Shut the front door!

This chocolate chocolate and more chocolate wedding cake would meet the craving needs of any chocoholic bride out there.  Apparently, once the cake had been served, the chocolates were passed around with coffee.

I love the idea of decorating dessert…with more dessert.  Beautifully executed, we think this would make a swell DIY project as well, and could be scaled back for a groom’s cake, or even a birthday cake.  I’m bookmarking it for my big day, in fact.  And if you lurve the idea of a chocolate wedding cake, check out these other two I’ve featured recently:  a chocolate truffle wedding cake (one of my faves) and a sunburst wedding cake, decorated with warm copper tones.

What are your ideas for decorating dessert with more dessert?

View the original article here

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Hostess Cupcake Groom’s Cake



What is with me and chocolate lately? Wait. Could there BE a dumber question?  Eh.  It is what it is.  And…what it is…is another chocolate cake from Brooke.

But look at it, will ya?  Like I could resist!  It’s a giant Hostess cupcake, perched upon the top of what we suspect is the groom’s cake for a lovely summer celebration.  And it’s perfectly executed and instantly recognizable.

Okay, so…confession.  I was never really allowed to have these as a kid, and I wouldn’t let my children touch Hostess products with a ten-foot pole, so they would have no idea what this is (other than a yummy giant chocolate cupcake, and really, isn’t that enough?)  But to my generation, this is instantly recognizable and completely adorable.  Decadent in its size, comforting in its appearance.  And I guarantee, much more delicious than the original.  I wonder if it’s filled?  Surely!

This adorable cake was made by The Hudson Cakery.

View the original article here

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

All White Roses Wedding Cake

I know.  Not the most cutting edge cake I’ve ever featured.  But really.  Look at it.  It’s beautiful.
There is something so wonderful about simplicity.  A single color.  A motif repeated over and over.  Color carried through various design elements.



I guarantee you that many people overlooked just how pretty this cake was.  ”Seen one white cake, seen ‘em all.”  But the artist really paid attention here.  See how the size of the sugarpaste roses gets slightly larger with each layer?  And notice that the whites match, and the bisque porcelain topper inspires the finish of the entire cake.

You may thing that simple equals easy.  Not so.  Sometimes, the meticulous attention to detail that a simple cake requires trumps the busiest of creations.  You can’t fake perfection with simple.  No siree bobby.

View the original article here

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Art Deco Square Wedding Cake

I started to make this cake a feature for Wedding Cake Topper Friday, on account that I heart Paris in the most longing way, and so of course I sighed and swooned when I saw this fabulous cake.  But honestly, the cake is so much more than that topper.  And so here it is, the star of its own post.



I’m a big fan of art deco anyway.  Have you seen Midnight in Paris?  Woody Allen’s 2011 Oscar contender straddled the line between present day and 1920s Paris.  I loved it immediately, and this cake, with its art deco motif and La Tour Eiffel topper, takes me right to it.  And there’s something so complete about the marriage in art deco of a structured, almost masculine background, softened with flourishes and decorative touches.  I suppose I love the balance and symmetry of it.

And this cake displays it beautifully.  The artist limits the color scheme to three colors:  off white, a deeper cream, and brown.  The motifs of dots and scalloped edges is repeated as well.  The meticulous buttercream is applied to the cake with sharp edges, thus further focusing your attention on the piping, and the setting in which the cake is photographed is equally perfect, as the creamy marble backdrop echoes the color and structure of the cake.  The bees’ knees, yes?

View the original article here

Saturday, April 7, 2012

‘How Do I Love Thee?’ Pink Wedding Cake

Sonnet 43 Elizabeth Barrett Browning Cake

This is the part of the blog where I confess that I am a total English Lit geek.  Like, so much, that I studied it for four years, and contemplated grad school and teaching.  However, other opportunities presented themselves (like making, and then writing about, wedding cakes) that were far more family friendly…and here I am.

Where was I?

Oh yes.  My deep and abiding love for the British written word.  Well, any written word, actually.  As long as it’s well-written.

However, this happens to be one of my ab fave poems, Sonnet 43 from Sonnets from the Portuguese, by Elizabeth Barret Browning.  That’s a pretty generic title, but you are sure to recognize the poem:

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints!—I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life!—and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

I find myself quoting it frequently.

When I saw a beautiful cake that used this particular sonnet, I knew I needed to share it with you.  This is the second time we’ve featured a “poem” cake; Christen fell in love with this ee cummings hand-piped cake previously.

This simple, pink fondant-covered cake is trimmed with paper bands containing the beautiful words hand written in calligraphy.  The motif is repeated in a swag that captures the same words.  It also incorporates a double-height layer, something that we love around here.  An old-fashioned nosegay tops the cake perfectly.  It is truly one of my all- time favorite cakes, created by Wendy Kromer for Martha Stewart Weddings.

Source

Read More:  calligraphy wedding cakes, cerebral wedding cakes, elizabeth barrett browning wedding cakes, literary wedding cakes, martha stewart wedding cakes, nosegay wedding cake toppers, paper decorated wedding cakes, Pink wedding cakes, poem wedding cakes, sonnet wedding cakes, victorian wedding cakes

View the original article here

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Pink and Yellow Chevron Polka Dot Wedding Cake

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Brooke

Pink and Yellow Chevron Wedding Cake

I remember that we flirted a little with chevrons last year, and I’m happy to see them representin’ again in 2012.

Isn’t this a darlin’ little cake?  I love the sassy little polka dots that bring just the right pop of color, and the ruffly peonies say summer pretty in such a lovely way.  Really, are there any prettier flowers for a wedding than flouncy peonies?

The demure size just lends to the charm.  We could see this design translated to any number of hot color combinations (teal and chocolate?  grey and yellow?  blue and green?), and the design would be darling on a cutting cake and matching baby cakes or cupcakes or cake pops – oh my!  And if you’re expecting a crowd for your shindig, this could easily be the perfect get together for a more intimate celebration, like a bridesmaids’ luncheon.

We don’t know the baker of this lovely cake sadly, but we can tell you that it was photographed beautifully by BRC Photography of Norman, Oklahoma.

Source

Read More:  CakePops, milk glass cake plates, milk glass cake stands, peony wedding cakes, pink and yellow wedding cakes, Pink wedding cakes, small wedding cakes, wedding cupcakes, white wedding cakes, yellow wedding cakes

View the original article here

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Let Them Eat Cake: Sunday Round-Up for March 25, 2011

Starfish Cake

Here we are!  At the BEACH, spring breakin’ it up!

I hope you aren’t stuck somewhere cold and snowy, but if you are, snuggle up with some hot chocolate and dream of warmer days that are JUST around the corner!  Better yet, let me send some spring vibes your way in the form of the sweetest and prettiest I can find around the interwebs.  So let’s get started with a review of the cakes we brought you this week!

On Monday, I showed you what is certainly destined to be one of my favoritest cakes of all time, a wedding cake inspired by Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Sonnet 43.  How Do I Love Thee? indeed.  Covered with frosting.  That’s how ;-)

Tuesday, we gave in to our darker side – our chocolate vibe, that is, and featured this incredible chocolate cake, decorated with – what else? – MORE chocolate.S.

Art Deco and Gay Paris were the vibe of the day on Wednesday, when we featured an incredible art deco-inspired square cake, complete with an Eiffel Tower topper. Swoon.

We went demure, sassy, and oh so romantic on Thursday, with this darling hot pink and bright yellow chevron polka dot cake, trimmed with a flounce of peonies.

Friday saw me wax a wee bit nostalgic when I brought you an adorable stephanotis nosegay caketopper.

And now, let’s discuss a little Sweet and Pretty:

You think your wedding dress train was long?  Record setting, perhaps?  Not even close.  The Andree Salon in Bucharest, Romania, now holds that record, thank you very much.  (And there was SPITE toward the previous record holder involved!  Delicious!)

We’re hearing that the average cost of weddings rose in 2011 for the first time since 2008, signaling that couples are willing to splurge a little, regardless of the economic picture.

No bridal ensemble is complete without a garter…and what’s better than a gorgeous garter?  WINNING a gorgeous garter!  But hurry! This giveaway on HWTM.com is only happening through Tuesday, 27 March!

I absolutely LOVE the idea of a surprise New Year’s Eve wedding, like this one on Style Me Pretty.  What are your thoughts?  Could you pull it off?

Do you dream of a custom-made wedding dress? Then check out this feature on Broke Ass Bride, which documents the journey.  Fun read.

I love this Bonita Springs wedding, featured on Oceanside Bride. Starfish abound as a central motif…right down to the cake, made by Mikkelson’s Pastry Shop, which I feature above.

Looking for gold and pink wedding inspiration? The Wedding Chicks have you covered.  Beautifully.

Have a delicious week!

Source

Read More:  art deco wedding cakes, average wedding cost, beach inspired wedding cakes, belgian chcolate wedding cakes, bonita springs weddings, calligraphy wedding cakes, chocolate wedding cakes, custom made dresses, gold and pink weddings, naples florida bakeries, new years eve weddings, nosegay caketoppers, pink and yellow wedding cakes, Pink wedding cakes, poetry wedding cakes, shell wedding cakes, starfish wedding cakes, surprise weddings, victorian wedding cakes, wedding train world record, white wedding cakes

View the original article here

Monday, April 2, 2012

Cake Topper Friday: Tiara Wedding Cake Topper

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Brooke

tiara cake topper

Now, seriously…why didn’t we think of this?  Brill!

So…we all need to be honest here, right this minute.  And that is to say that if we had our way, we’d ALL get the chance to wear little tiaras and crownlettes (is that a word?  I don’t think so) like this.  I personally would wear mine while grocery shopping and vacuuming.  Heck, I already wear my pearls for those activities, so why not?

This is a great cake anyway, all white on white, round on square, with a perfect swag of fondant doing a great fabric impression.  The piping is exquisite, the decorations are just enough without crossing the line.  But it’s the crown that takes the cake.  Yessir, I said it.

Source

Read More:  fondant wedding cakes, regal wedding cakes, rhinestone cake toppers, round on square wedding cakes, tiara cake toppers, wedding cake bling, white on white wedding cakes, white wedding cakes

View the original article here

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Stephanotis Nosegay Cake Topper

Posted on March 23, 2012 by Brooke

Nosegay Cake Topper

My senior year in high school, the sweetest boy took me to prom.  I wasn’t big on corsages, especially those wrist-y kind that were so popular at the time.  So I asked for a nosegay, a little bouquet that I could carry.  He obliged with the most adorable little cluster of pink tea roses, surrounded by baby’s breath and variegated leaves and pink ribbon.  Sigh.  And wow.  I can super still remember that :-)

So nosegays have always had a little place in my heart.  My girls carried nosegays instead of full bouquets for my wedding, in fact (Nikko blue hydrangeas in that instance.)  There’s just something so classic about their demure size.  Well, you can pretty much guess that I flipped when I saw this cake topper of stephanotis (love them!), made of sugar, and fashioned into a perfect petite nosegay.  Trimming the little clutch of flowers is a maize yellow ribbon, trailing all the way to the table.  The cake is lovely; with its ribbon trim and the asymmetrical height of its layers, I’d say it’s “just so.”  But that nosegay on top, as though an attendant breezily tossed it there on her way through the reception.  Well.  Darling.

The beautiful cake and topper were created by Superfine Bakery in Burbank, California.

Source

Read More:  burbank wedding cakes, california wedding cakes, flower cake toppers, nosegays, petite wedding cakes, small wedding cakes, stephanotis, sugar flowers, wedding cake toppers

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Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Calm - {Grapefruit Cake}

Over the past month, I've enjoyed waking up to quietness and going about my morning routine alone. I've become accustomed to the ease and speed of making breakfast for one and am strangely comforted by hours of wordless peace spent in an ambient living room. It's been calming after months of enjoyable but tiring trips to and from friends apartments to just... Be in my own place.
I've found a new routine for my Saturdays, and it involves folding myself up on the couch, burying my legs in my pullover and balancing a mug of enriched coffee on my kneecaps. My garage sale coffee maker, who's loyally followed me through three moves, fills the otherwise silent room with comforting sputtering and clicking. My only companion, that Mr. Coffee, is the in-house DJ all morning.

I eat folded eggs on toast, all Pollock'd up with Frank's Red Hot, while scanning my planner for the day's obligations and chores. Homework. Reading. A half-assed shopping list. Slowly distorted by a dusting of crumbs, the tasks below become easier to swallow as I file them away for the coming hours.

I take time each morning to admire the cool blue glow of the dawn on drawn shades; typically while folded up on the couch with that first mug of the day. It's a mundane thing that I, for whatever reason, look forward to after peeling away covers and a thin veil of sleep in my bedroom. I guess it's become the anchor of my morning, that silly illumination, reminding me that the day is just outside my window, patiently waiting for me to come out and play.


The weekends now, after quite some time, are mine.

Grapefruit Cake via A Thought for Food and Saveur
I asked for grapefruit ideas on Twitter a few days ago and was reminded of this recipe by Rosie of Sweetapolita. I was not disappointed! The cake comes out buttery and nicely dense. I'd like to try it with brown sugar in place of white and bananas instead of grapefruit - I'll get back to you when I do!

1 grapefruit
3/4 c + 1 Tbsp (115g) flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 Tbsp (57g) butter, softened
2/3 c (131g) sugar
2/3 egg*, room temp
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 c (60ml) milk
4 oz (113g) cream cheese
1 c (156g) powdered sugar, more or less to taste

*You could probably use one egg and it would be fine, but I beat the egg in one bowl and scooped out about one third before adding to the recipe

Preheat the oven to 350F. Oil and line a 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan.

Zest the grapefruit and set aside. Peel and segment the grapefruit, place the slices in a small bowl. Into another small bowl, squeeze the remaining pulp (all the bits that are not segments) and reserve the juice for the recipe.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt, then set aside. Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until very light and fluffy, about five minutes. Beat in the egg and mix until well-combined, about two minutes. Add three tablespoons of grapefruit juice and the vanilla and beat to combine, about two additional minutes, being sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Dump in half of the dry ingredients and mix briefly to incorporate. Add the milk and mix just until combined, then follow with the remaining dry ingredients.

Place half of the reserved grapefruit segments into the bottom of the prepared baking tin. Pour the batter over the top and smooth to cover. Bake until the top springs back when lightly pressed, about 25-30 minutes. Let cool on a cooling rack.

While the cake cools, prepare the frosting. Melt the cream cheese in the microwave and whisk in the powdered sugar, 1-2 tablespoons of remaining grapefruit juice and a few pinches reserved grapefruit zest. Spread over cooled cake and top with the second half of segmented grapefruit.
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Monday, March 26, 2012

Candy - {Peanut Butter and Chocolate Hi-Hat Cupcakes}

"Hey, I think sat behind you in Marketing last semester."

I tugged the ear bud from my left ear, letting it fall neatly over my shoulder and turned to see the source of the voice. Sitting [ironically] behind me, was an innocent-looking guy. Blue-eyed, blonde-haired and messy-headed, he stared at me expectantly with a smile, waiting for a response.


"Um..."

Surely not what he'd hoped for.

I searched my brain for his face, desperately seeking a connection. It was true that he bore a rather striking resemblance to a former classmate, but one from high school - not college. I continued to try, but I just couldn't place him. And, unfortunately, the deeper I spun, the more his smile faded.

He allowed me relief; sharing his name. He was B. He smiled again. "Well, what's your name?"

It was a simple question, I guess. Part of the give-and-take of introductory pleasantries and the first step of truly getting to know someone. It's how it goes. I know it. I wasn't surprised.

But there's this battle in me that involves the answer, and it started years ago. What is my name?


Before college, I was painfully shy. Shy to the point that I couldn't breathe properly when talking to strangers. So shy that I could count on my fingers the amount of people I was comfortable looking in the eyes. And shy, not in an adorable and darling way, but in the most unfortunate way. The way that makes you weird and unsure and awkward and scared. The way that prevents you from being cool or popular or any number of things that young kids spend their childhoods so desperately trying to be.

I was, however, fortunate enough to have friends, most of which I met in elementary school. We were a scrappy bunch - none quite like the other - that enjoyed gushing over The Jewel Kingdom in the cafeteria, drawing in class and beating up boys on the playground. In a good, comforting way, we were united in our "oddness."

As such, I was good within my circle of friends. It expanded and shrunk a few times over the years, but always for the better. I could always talk to them - even look them in the eye - without fear of judgement. But if they weren't around, I was silent. I didn't try to make new friends, I didn't talk to or look at other students and I didn't make any effort to overcome my shyness because I didn't think I could. I sat in the back of the class with a book on my desk and hair in my eyes, calm and collected as long as I was left alone.

I knew, however, that that was no way to live. The summer after I graduated from high school and was getting ready to move into the dorms at MSU, I promised myself that I would be more open and less shy. I didn't really know how to go about it, but I was determined to try, so I went after it head-on.

For my first couple of days at MSU, I ate breakfast, lunch and dinner with a new person. I filled my tray and picked a target, forced myself to make small talk and got some phone numbers. I didn't keep in touch with any of them, but I got over that initial fear of meeting new people, which was huge for me. In my dorm room, I left my door open and made a point to say, "hello," to anyone I passed in the hallway.

Which was how I met A.


A was a goofy guy who was always laughing and saw the best in everyone. He was easy to be around, which was a relief for me, and knew how to take and make a joke like nobody's business. So, naturally, when he forgot my name a few days after we met, I refused to tell him again. And he, naturally, decided to start calling me Candy.

It stuck.

Initially, it didn't occur to me that the name Candy had racy connotations. I thought it was cute and appropriate considering my love of all things sweet, so I didn't mind when the rest of the people on our floor started calling me Candy, too. To be honest, I still think it's an innocent nickname; regardless of what A meant when he dealt it to me.

He was my first friend at MSU, and the first person who made me believe that I have no reason to be so shy. His nickname was a daily reminder that I was succeeding in stepping out of my shell. Without making a big deal of it, A taught me that I am worth talking to. He convinced me to forget fear by teaching me to handle awkward silences with panache and that people aren't inherently mean. I didn't realize it until recently, but I'd been waiting my entire life to meet him just so I could learn how to function socially.

Since then, there are people in my life who have only known me as Candy. For a long time, if anyone asked, I was Candy because that's what all of my closest friends called me.

But today, I think, "I'm Kaitlin," will do.

B smiled again. "It's nice to meet you."


I may still be a little shy and awkward, but you know what? I embrace it. I'm not a social butterfly and I don't want to be. Everyone's got their off moments and I've learned - thankfully - that they're nothing to be ashamed of.

I've lost touch with A, but I'm thankful for everything he taught me whether he meant to or not. In his words, "life is full of awkward moments, but they're only awkward if you believe them to be. So don't. You'll be happier for it."

P.S. For those theatre geeks out there... I'm Shy.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Hi-Hat Cupcakes

Printable Recipe

Peanut Butter Cupcakes via Annie's Eats

I liked these cupcakes, but I found them to be a little dry and reminiscent of cornbread. Which wasn't necessarily bad, just not quite what I was going for. My only changes to this recipe were to add an additional tablespoon of sugar and use natural, chunky peanut butter. Do you have a good moist peanut butter cake recipe?

1 3/4 c (248g) all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
12 Tbsp (177 g) butter, room temp
1 1/3 c (264 g) sugar
2/3 c (156 ml) creamy peanut butter
3 eggs, room temp
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c (118 ml) sour cream
1/4 c (59 ml) buttermilk (or use regular milk and pour about 1/2 tsp vinegar into the measuring cup before you measure you milk)

Preheat the oven to 350F and line 2 muffin tins with 22 liners. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of your mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the peanut butter and mix to combine, scraping down the edge of the bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well to incorporate each and scarping the sides before each addition. Add the vanilla and sour cream and beat until well-combined.

Scrape the sides of the bowl and add half the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until just incorporated. Add the buttermilk and mix until combined, then add the second half of the dry ingredients and mix just until the batter is homogenous.

Divide the batter between the 22 cupcake liners and bake 18-20 minutes or until the top springs back when light pressed. Cool on racks in pans for 3 minutes, then remove cakes from pans and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
The buttercream I used for these cupcakes was a mix of scraps. I added some Whipped Caramel Ganache to Swiss Meringue Buttercream, but not in any specific quantities. The recipe below is a suitable substitute.

Please click for a step-by-step guide to making Swiss Meringue Buttercream and troubleshooting tips!

5 egg whites
1 1/4 c (250 g) sugar
1 1/2 c (340 g) butter, room temp and cut into cubes
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 c chopped chocolate or chocolate chips, melted and cooled

In the base of a double boiler, bring water to a simmer. In the top bowl (or just a bowl to place over a pan of simmering water) combine the egg whites and sugar and whisk constantly until the mixture is hot to the touch (160F on a candy thermometer if you want to be completely accurate), about five minutes depending on the original temperature of the eggs. When the mixture has warmed sufficiently, pour it into the bowl of your stand mixer and whip on high speed until the bottom of the bowl is room temperature, ten to fifteen minutes. When the bowl is no longer warm, turn the mixer to medium-low and begin adding the butter piece by piece. Let each chunk incorporate completely before adding the next and don't rush the process!

After all of the butter has been added, add the vanilla and melted, cooled chocolate and turn the speed back to high. Whip for about 3 minutes or until the buttercream comes together.

Chocolate Dip via Martha Stewart
Don't make this until you're ready to dip (see assembly instructions below)!

2 c (12 oz/340g) chopped chocolate or chocolate chips
3 Tbsp peanut oil

Combine the chocolate and peanut oil in a microwave safe dish and microwave for 30 seconds. Mix to redistribute, then microwave for 30 more seconds. Mix again and microwave for 20 minute bursts, stirring and checking until the chocolate is smooth.

Assembly

Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Chocolate Dip
Peanuts

Frost cooled cupcakes with buttercream. Place on a baking sheet and refrigerate or freeze until the frosting is cold and firm to the touch. When the cupcakes are ready, prepare the chocolate dip. Transfer to a deep container. Dip each cupcake and hold upside down over the dip for about five seconds to let excess drip away. Place back on baking sheet and top with a peanut. Once all of the cupcakes have been coated, store in the fridge to set. Serve at room temperature.
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