Christmas Cupcakes 2009

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Everyone!

Maybe you are ready to take down your Christmas decorations.
Maybe it's snowing where you are.

I am taking down my decorations, but it is definitely NOT snowing here. It is cool and we have had the fireplace going to heat up the living room

These were the cupcakes I made for the classroom parties before the break.
I am late in posting but wanted to share!

I came up with this idea for a string of lights in a pile when I was working with some green chocolate. Piping it with a tip 3 or 4 really looked like Christmas light wires to me....and then I remembered I had some chocolate covered sunflower seeds in my cake cabinet. Perfect sizes and colors....because they are more oval like real lightbulbs. I rolled the edges in primary color confetti sprinkles to add more color.

These are fondant snowflakes made with a PME plunger set that I got last year at the ICES convention in Orlando. I also rolled the edges in blue sparkling sugar.
I really like the look of a sugar edge on a cupcake.

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season.
2010 is upon us and I hope it brings the best for you and your family.

Topsy Turvy 40th!

I had the pleasure of making a very special cake for a 40th milestone birthday!

Tonja was turning 40 and let me tell you, her family knows how to party in style!

A beautiful venue, balloons galore, ice sculpture, music and dancing....and of course who can forget the cake???
Tonja's mom and sister had a particular design in mind, and especially wanted a
"topsy-turvy" cake.

I was over the moon about this sculpture...all the words were fully encased inside of the ice....how do they do that?

Here's a view of the dance floor and some tables and chairs.

Here is the cake table.

And a close up of the cake. I used the colors and design of the napkins to inspire me.

I hope the 40th was the best one yet! Happy Birthday Tonja!

German Chocolate

If you could taste this cake through the blogosphere.....you would know how incredibly yummy it is!

I got this recipe from a friend when I lived in Texas....and then I found out the recipe is actually on the Baker's German chocolate baking bar box! It doesn't matter where it came from, the fact is that it is the BEST german chocolate cake EVER!

There are several steps in preparing this cake, but each step adds to the overall flavor and appearance. The step to add.....toast your pecans before you add them to the coconut pecan icing....you won't regret it!

This is by far the cake choice of my husband every year! And now I'm thinking Ian and his family might have a new favorite!
Happy Birthday Ian!

Here's the link to Baker's recipe

Georgia Southern Graduation

We aren't too far from Statesboro, GA, which is home to Georgia Southern University. Because we are so close our Elementary school is lucky enough to host the graduating students in their last semester for student teaching. Our kids are lucky....check out how cool GSU is....

Direct from GSU's website ...

"We are a Carnegie Doctoral-Research university providing the classic residential campus experience. Georgia's largest and most comprehensive center of higher education south of Atlanta, every state and 86 nations are represented in the student body. The University's hallmark is student-centered education for undergraduate and graduate students alike."

So last week Georgia Southern had their fall graduation and I was lucky enough to get to design TWO different cakes.

This is the more recent Eagle logo GSU uses.

And this is the more traditional logo!
Congratulations to all the graduates!

Rudolph the Red Nosed Cupcake!

This cute and easy cupcake was for a cake decorating demonstration that I did today. One of my neighbors belonged to a local MOPS group and asked me several months ago if I would like to do a presentation for the December meeting.

So over the course of the last few weeks I knew I needed a quick and easy project. Especially because the PS's (preschoolers) were going to be attending the meeting with their M's. I went to my stack of cake mags/books and online to get some ideas.
I decided it would need to be a cupcake that anyone could make and one that has ingredients easily found in your local supermarket. With all that in mind....I wanted to use chocolate buttercream and what better than a brown reindeer!
Rudolph has pretzel antlers, a sour cherry candy nose, buttercream icing eyes with mini chocolate chip pupils and a buttercream smile! It is a quick and easy project and the kids love making their own!

Merry Christmas MOPS! Thanks for letting me share part of my passion with you!

Black Bear Cabin

I love it when a cake has personal meaning to someone. This cake was for Steve's birthday. They are buying a cabin and apparently there are black bears nearby in the woods.

This is a red velvet cake with cream cheese icing, all the decorating is done with buttercream icing and the bears are made from chocolate.

Enjoy that cabin!

Benjamin's Deer

This lovely chocolate deer standing atop a camouflage cake was for Benjamin's 9th birthday.

Funny thing is, I have a son named Benjamin and he will be turning 9 next month. When he came to check out the cake....he was taken by surprise....

"Is that my birthday cake, Mom?"

"No Benjamin.....your birthday isn't for awhile, that cake wouldn't be good to eat next month"

"But it says Benjamin.....and I'm turning 9!"

"I know....how cool is that?"

"Are you sure that's not my cake?"

"Yes Benjamin."

So happy 9th birthday Benjamin....(not my Benjamin).
Hope you had fun at Frames and Games!