Lovebug Cookies

 These may not be cakes, but they turned out too cute to not share.! I love doing crafty projects with my nephew, and thought it'd be fun to make some valentine "lovebugs"! They were super simple to make, and turned out adorable :)

 First, we melted some red chocolate melts in a bowl. Stir at 30 second intervals until they are melted sufficiently. Then, we dipped double stuf oreos (because let's be real- it's not worth it unless its double stuf ;) ) about 3/4 of a way in the red chocolate. I used a spoon to distribute the chocolate more smoothly. As the red chocolate dried, I melted some black chocolate melts in a bowl. Then, we dipped the remaining exposed oreo cookies in the melted black chocolate. We slightly flattened miniature marshmallows (eyes) and attached two on each ladybug "lovebug". I used a toothpick to carefully dip into the black chocolate melts and paint a line down the middle of the ladybug "wings," then 6 spots for each lovebug. Lastly, we firmly pressed chocolate chips (pointy side down) into each marshmallow to create a googly eyed effect! <3

Melted Snowman Cake

Here's my ode to global warming in cake form.! I thought that it'd be fun to make a melted snowman cake, so here it is.! First, I bordered the cake with mini marshmallows attached with a small dollop of icing. I made buttercream icing and piped a snowman puddle on the top of the cake, with a buildup of icing for the head. I used mini chocolate chips for the eyes and snowman smile. I used a bit of orange food gel on the end of a toothpick to draw a carrot nose. I used an oreo as the snowman's top hat, piped red icing around the 'band of the hat', and accented it with snowflake sprinkles. I drew snowmen arms with a toothpick dipped in brown food gel, and added blue flower sprinkle buttons. I doused the snowman with some clear sugar, and accented around the snowman with some blue sugar. Then, I piped different snowflake shapes in aqua and dark blue all around the cake. Lastly, I added edible sugar pearls and more snowflake sprinkles to complete the cake.!

Mushroom Cake

 My boyfriend is fascinated with everything to do with cultivating mushrooms- Mycelium! Mycelium! Mycelium! I decided that this year for his birthday I would make him a mushroom cake.! (Following an excellent meal that highlighted several varieties of local organic mushrooms.! I made mushroom soup, mushroom marsala bruschetta with melted grueyere, and homemade pasta with pesto and mushrooms.! Yum.!)

First I baked all of the cake- I used 2 9 in rounds and baked a third layer in a smaller oval pan. While the cake was cooling, I whipped up some buttercream frosting, processed some oreo "dirt", and sculpted some of the mushrooms out of gumpaste (an edible clay-like substance). I used varying degrees of brown food gel to achieve a range of shades with the mushrooms. I ended up making 28 mushrooms, as it was his 28th birthday.! (Mysteriously I just happened to have exactly 28 candles in a drawer too, so clearly we had to use them all- it's a sign.!!!) I crafted some of the mushrooms after species that I knew, such as morels, shiitakes, oysters, namekos, etc. After the mushrooms had dried and hardened enough, I dusted each with some cocoa powder to give them a weathered, dirty look. I iced and assembled the cake, using a wooden dowel through the middle of the cakes to secure the oval layer on top. I iced the cake with two varying shades of brown tinted icing that I swirled together and generously covered with the oreo crumbs. I melted some dark chocolate that I then swirled into a tree trunk vine-like pattern up the side of the cake. Lastly, I finished the cake by placing all 28 mushrooms atop it.

 

Happy Birthday Buggie Boo.!!! :D

Gender Reveal Present Cake

 I was sooo excited to make my first gender reveal cake for my friends.!!! What an awesome fun way to be a part of such a wonderful surprise.! I decided a present with gender neutral colors would be most appropriate. I baked 3 tiers of cake in 9 in square pans and iced the cake and in between each layer with frosting slightly tinted with a small amount of green food gel. I rolled out gumpaste (an edible clay) thinly and used a cutter to cut several polka dots to decorate the present. Then, I fashioned the bow out of gumpaste tinted with yellow food gel.

 Cutting the cake together....! Boy or girl.?! Boy or girl.?!?

 :)

 Yayyy..!!!! Their sweet little boy will soon have a baby sister.!

This was my first try with polka dots in a came. It's pretty simple to do. I baked several pink and purple 'dots' in a mini cupcake tin. Once they cooled, I used a small round cookie cutter to make each dot a perfect circle. Then I alternated the pink and purple in circles in the greased cake pans. Do not lay the circles flat, but standing up instead so that they will be polka dots when you cut into the cake. Then, carefully fill up the pans with batter. Next time, I will definitely be adding more polka dots so don't be afraid to add plenty!

Tiffany & Co. Box Cake

My friend Precious requested a Tiffany & Co. Box cake and this is what I came up with.! To start, I baked a cake in a 9x13 pan and let it cool completely. Then, I cut the cake in half. I iced the bottom half before placing the top layer on slightly askewed. I finished icing the entire surface of the cake a beautiful Tiffany's blue (tinted with a small amount of light blue food gel). Then, I sprinkled blue and white sugar to line the inside of the jewelry box. I made the pearl necklace by rolling up small beads of gumpaste, which is an edible clay-like dough that hardens as it dries. To assemble the bow, I rolled out two thin, (6ish in) long rectangles and cut all of their edges straight. I cut the first rectangle in half. I formed a loop, bringing the edges together and "gluing" the seam with a small amount of water. As the loop dried, I stuffed a small piece of paper towel in the loop to maintain the structure. Repeat with the second half of the strip you already have. As the loops are drying, take your second rectangle, cut it in half and shape the ribbon ends with these pieces. I took another small piece of gumpaste to wrap around the center of the bow. Again, use a small amount of water to assemble and secure the bow. I also added a layer of shimmery silver luster dust for added luminance.! Next, I shaped the name tag out of thinly rolled gumpaste. Then I piped on the name tag and "Tiffany & Co." With black tinted icing. I finished everything off with a generous sprinkling of edible sugar pearls.!

Brain Cake

 In honor of Halloween I made a brain cake.! First, I baked a cake in an ovenproof glass bowl to create a domed shape. Once the cake completely cooled, I used a serrated knife to slightly shape the cake. I cut down the center of the brain to create the separate hemispheres.

 Then, I iced the entire cake and let it chill slightly in the refrigerator. While I was waiting, I tinted my gumpaste with a small amount of food gel (I used a combination of brown, pink & black- a very little bit goes a long way) and mixed it all together. I didn't intend to make such a dark color, but I think that it turned out well.

I iced the cake with another layer of frosting. Then, I rolled out pieces of gumpaste and laid them in different patterns to create "brain tissue" and cover the cake, making sure to maintain the line separating the hemispheres.

 Lastly, I used a clean brush to paint the "brain" generously with seedless raspberry jam.! ..And you're let with an OooOooozy, spooky brain...!

Traditionally, I have been making my friends cakes that look like other types of food to celebrate their close together birthdays. They were in town for the Richmond zombie walk, so I thought that this year a brain cake would be appropriate.! 

Garden gnome zombies ready to devour a brain cake whilst my pumpkin clad black cat looks on excitedly! Happy Halloween.!!

Barn with Piggies Cake

 My wonderful Grandpa just turned 86! He has been a hardworking farmer his entire life. Now that he's not physically able to complete the farm tasks that he's always loved, he enjoys watching the family complete any new farming schemes he decides upon. If you couldn't already guess this year's project, we added four cute little pigs to the family.

 

Here are the sweet piggies peeking out of their pigpen! Travis is the one to the left. The other three are tentatively referred to (and not really referred to because for some reason Travis is the star) as Porkchop, Egg & Cheese Biscuit, and Baconator (one is not pictured).

 I made the piggies out of gumpaste (an edible clay like substance that hardens as it dries) tinted with pink food gel a few days before the party. I used foodsafe black marker to draw on faces and splotches for each pig. I baked and cooled two 9x13 cakes that I iced with green tinted buttercream icing. First I used a decorating tip (#233) commonly used for grass to create small 3-D grassy patches, and then squeezed and dragged additional icing around the top of the cake using that same decorating tip. To make the barn, I made a small batch of Royal Icing (*It is very important to use royal icing- it acts as a very strong glue and hardens enough to connect the separate pieces of graham cracker. It's not the tastiest icing, you certainly wouldn't ice a cake using it, but it's a handy technique for decorations). I iced the sides of the barn red and let them completely dry. Cover Royal Icing not being used immediately carefully and completely with plastic wrap so that it doesn't crust and harden. Then, I piped a generous amount of white royal icing to "glue" the sides of the graham cracker barn together and let them dry completely. Right before presenting the finished cake, I put Travis on top of the barn and accented the pigs with mud puddles (hot fudge dusted with cocoa powder).

 This is Grandpa's Barn- clearly my graham cracker representation is dead on accurate.

 My sweet nephew was thrilled to see Travis the pig on the roof of the barn! "Muddy" (hot fudge) pig hoof-prints make up the 86 that Travis traced on the roof.