Is This Really Breakfast?

Powdered and Chocolate Glazed Donuts

Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

Even I can't justify this as a healthy breakfast!  But, we had the time and I had the desire so there you have it!  Powdered, Chocolate Glaze, and Cinnamon Sugar Donuts.  

They are actually cake donuts made from scratch and baked in the oven.  They were a big hit.  I actually had to limit how many the kids could sneak.  The hardest lesson to learn - eat until your belly is fully and not because it is so yummy you just have to have more!

New Look, New Name

So, what do you think of the new look and the new name?  I loved this graphic and just had to add it.  Just wish a was a little more tech savvy - probably wouldn't have took so long if I knew the easy way to do it!  I also changed the name to reflect more of what I do.  I think it fits well.

Thanks for reading!

Watch out Philly....Here I Come!

I am so excited about this that I just had to post it!  

I am going to a 2 day cake decorating conference in Philly hosted by CakeCentral.com.  This is such a great opportunity to grow as a cake decorator and learn from two of the best decorators out there.  Everything buttercream, modeling chocolate, and fondant textures will be mine for the taking!  Can't wait!

Whipped Cream & Blueberries

This cake was made for the ultimate whipped cream and blueberries lover.  It is a patterned gum paste bowl, strawberry cake, swiss buttercream icing, and topped with blueberries.

Oh So Whimsical

I was excited to get an order from one of our favorite preschool teachers for her birthday.  Her requests were very simple - a 3 tier round vanilla rainbow cake with vanilla buttercream icing, the words "Happy Birthday Susan," and a whimsical design.  After looking around at other pictures posted online I found the perfect inspiration for her cake.  The only catch...she didn't want to know what it looked like.  It had to be a surprise!

The final product came out colorful and cheerful and just perfect for her.  I wrapped it up and waited for her to open it on her birthday.  I am not sure who had more trouble being patient - Susan, waiting to see her cake or Me, waiting to see if she liked it?!?!?!?!

Humidity....I Get It Now

Every class I have taken or recipe I have read has always said to factor in the heat and humidity levels when making your icing.  I never really understood what they meant...or how to tell if I needed to adjust the recipes.  I could tell a difference if my kitchen got a little too warm when decorating but nothing a blast of air conditioning and a little time in the fridge couldn't fix.  So, I figured, what's the big deal?  Well....heat and humidity are a big deal and I totally get it now!!!!!

This past week we were in Maine visiting my brother and sister-in-law.  It was right around his birthday so I decided to bring up everything I needed to surprise him with a cake.  I pre-baked the cake and froze it (uncut).  I whipped up all the icing and packed up the fondant and gum paste.  I threw my tools and other random decorating supplies into a bag and off we went!

The house we rented in Maine was on a gorgeous lake.  It was perfect except for the fact that it had no central air conditioning and not the best lighting.  The first night of decorating at the house the temperature was a tad warm but certainly quite comfortable.  I made the gum paste decorations for the top of the cake (dog, ball, bone, and dog dish).  No problem.

The second night I had one more thing to make.  It was a little too warm to start creating until after 10.  No big deal - it wasn't that big a piece (dog house) to make but I started to notice that everything was a little gummy.

The third night I needed to stack the cake and cover it with fondant.  It was quite warm in the house, even late at night.  We opened all the windows and had the fans on full blast aiming towards the counter I was working on.  I finally gave into the idea that I would have to make it work.  It took a really long time to get the fondant to cooperate and cover the cake.  I piped grass on top and placed the decorations.  By that point I was done.  I could see the fondant starting to bubble and buckle on the sides.  I needed to get the cake out of the heat.  Besides, the only thing left to do was the border around the cake.

The next morning the house was hot!  Nothing I could do about it - I had to put the border on before my brother arrived and the surprise was ruined.  I rolled the fondant out and cut the letters for "Happy Birthday Fred."  The fondant was a little gummy but I knew I could make it work.  Out of the fridge came the cake, and the lettering started.  In the time it took to do all of this, the cake started to sweat (seriously!), the writing on the dog house ran off, and the border letters didn't want to keep their shape. I managed to get the word "Fred" up and decided to cut my losses with the "Happy Birthday" for fear of ruining the cake.  I started to pipe on brown paw prints on the side of the cake.  Only, they didn't want to stay in place.  I tossed the cake in the fridge and finished the paw prints.  Phew!  The cake made it!  And so did I!

It was challenging to decorate in a strange house, with no air conditioning, during a heat wave.  But, I think the final product came out quite nice.  Hope you agree!

And, yes, the photos were taken inside the refrigerator!  I wasn't taking any chances!

Litte Monsters

Well, it was bound to happen.  I have created little monsters.

Me:  What do you want for breakfast?
Oldest and Youngest (middle one is still sleeping):  Muffins!
Me:  Ok...I will make some.

Me (now to all three):  Do you want strawberry or banana chocolate chip?
Youngest:  I want banana!
Oldest:  I want chocolate chip!
Middle:  (too sleepy to answer yet)

So...here is the product of asking a simple question and getting a more complicated answer than expected on a Monday morning!

Brown Sugar Banana Muffins

Chocolate Chip Muffins

New Baby Cake

Welcome to the world!  Clean and simple design for a surprise new baby gift.

New Baby

And the verdict is....

Well, it has been a week and the cakes have been defrosted.  On separate nights that is.  Wouldn't want to give my family a complete over-shock of sugar.

The first one defrosted was the fondant covered cake with the gum paste bow.  I was pleasantly surprised that the bow was in perfect condition - didn't droop or break.  The fondant color was as bright as the day I colored it.  I did notice that there were a few ice crystals forming on the sides.  When I touched the fondant it was sticky.  Not the way it should be.  I got a little concerned.  So, I let it defrost at room temperature for about a day.  The stickiness went away and it felt normal to the touch.  The fondant was no longer perfectly smooth.  If you looked really close (and I do mean pretty close up) there seemed to be little holes, or pin pricks, around the fondant.  Nothing earth shattering.

Two days later, I defrosted the buttercream cake with the royal icing flowers.  Again, pleasantly surprised that it looked exactly the same as when I boxed it up for the freezer.  This time I did not notice any ice crystals around the cake.  The flowers held their shape perfectly.  It also helps that they were made from royal icing, which dries pretty hard anyways.

And the question I know you are all asking.  How did they taste? 

The answer is....the buttercream and royal icings tasted absolutely normal.  The fondant tasted just the same as when I put it on the cake.  I do think it was a little stretchier than usual though.  The cake itself, I found to be a tad bit drier than when fresh baked.  I would compare it to a day or two old cake.  A cake that is happily enjoyed and every last crumb is missing from the plate.

Now the next questions I know you are all asking.  Would you recommend decorating and freezing a cake?

The answer is....it wouldn't be my first choice.  Nothing beats the freshness of a cake that just came from the oven!