C is for Cookie....Monster....AND cupcakes!

Who doesn't love cookies?

Who doesn't love monsters?

Who doesn't love cupcakes?

Well if you said "me" to any of the above questions, you should turn and run right now!

(awkward pause)

Okay, now that those haters are gone.....let the cookie monster cupcake pictures commence!

He's so cute.  Don't you just want to hug him?

And steal his cookie???

So here he is as a cupcake!

You will find these cupcakes all over the WWW. 

They really are easy to make and such cute fun!

Use a "grass" tip to pipe the icing and give him that furry effect. 

Use candy melt wafers for the eyes.

  I used fondant for the pupils, but you could use chocolate chips or edible marker and drawn them on. 

And then grab one of those boxes of miniature chips ahoy and viola!

I love the googly eyes!

Thanks for looking!

Tinkerbell's Party Dress

Doll cakes.....who doesn't remember having a doll cake when they were a kid? 

(Well maybe a few guys out there, but I'm sure they were AT a party that had a doll cake at some point in time!)

So much fun...I can eat this AND I get a toy when it's all said and done.....SIGN ME UP MOM!

Tinkerbell is one of the new "Disney Princesses" so I wanted to give her a beautiful party dress to wear!

I got the tinkerbell doll at one of those large discount chain stores...I'm sure you know one of those.

All parts of her that are inside the cake are safely covered in saran wrap.

She is iced in buttercream with a fondant bodice and flowing train of petals/leaves down the back.

Purple and green is such a lovely combination for this party dress!

Her wings came with the doll....believe me I would love to figure out a way to make edible see through wings for next time!

Of course I saved her clothes and packaged them in a cute little cupcake box for the birthday girl to dress her up after the party!

Minnie Mouse goes Topsy Turvy!

Topsy turvy, mad hatter, wonky....

whatever name you use....

it makes a great cake statement at your party!

Nothing better than having your cake be the centerpiece at your party so you don't have to create an additional decoration for the table. 

Brooklyn had a Minnie Mouse theme for her 2nd birthday and this is the cake for the table!

You should have seen all the minnie inspired decorations and treats they had!  Wish I had a picture to share with you! 

Buttercream iced with fondant and chocolate decorations!

And I think you'll find a coordinating ribbon on the edge of your cake board really finishes the cake nicely!

Have a great day!

How to Train your Dragon

Okay, if you haven't seen this movie....go now.....well you can't see it in theatres anymore.  So  run to the nearest store and buy the DVD. 

We got to see this in the theatre in 3D when it came out.  Great story and animation.    Although, I'm pretty sure the Vikings didn't have Scottish accents.....  anyone?  I'm pretty sure they should have had Nordic accents: Swedish, Norweigan and the like.

But I digress, because you don't really make a cake out of sound!

So when John Ryan's mom said he wanted this theme.....I went to work thinking up a design.

Incorporate the mountains since most of the movie takes place near/in them.

Lots of sky and clouds since he is a flying dragon.

Of course the 2 main characters: Toothless and Hiccup.

This was the cake he had at his birthday party!

These are the cupcakes he shared with his classmates at school!

Viking hats and dragon wings!

Happy Birthday John Ryan. 

Thanks for coming up with great themes....can't wait to see what you want next year!

Baby Elmo 1st Birthday

I hope you've seen these adorable "Baby Sesame Street" first birthday party supplies! 

How can you NOT choose these for your baby's first birthday party???

Well, Kian was a lucky baby to get a baby Elmo cake!

Elmo is made from buttercream and the "number one" and other shapes are made from fondant!

Thanks for looking!

Thomas the Train

I really love the challenge that comes with a 3D cake.

You have to think about the physics and gravity issues to make sure your cake will remain stable enough for transport.  I also try to use the minimal amount of internal structural support to ensure easy cutting and serving at the party. 

There are a lot of tutorials out there on how to make a Thomas the Train cake.  And you better believe I looked at a LOT of them!  I find the best teachers are the ones out there blogging and sharing!  Here is a REALLY good step by step tutorial

Also, finding pictures (or better yet a physical model) of what you want your final product to look like really helps!  You have to use your artist's eye to think about dimension and proportions.

 

I found myself rushing to get to delivery so I didn't get the best pictures.  But I hope you can see all the fun details.

Thanks for stopping by! 

And if you don't mind ....  know of any good tutorials to share?

Olivia the Pig

Olivia the Pig.

Olivia the Birthday Girl.

Seems like a perfect birthday party theme!

I can't say that I've ever read an Olivia book...(I have boys), and I know I've never watched the new show.... (again I have boys AND they're "too old for those BABY shows MOM!")

I do know what she looks like from book jackets. 

So cake has to include pinks, reds, and black.  Of course you can't forget Olivia herself!  And the sweet red bows she wears?  Of course!  Polka dots?  Certainly!

This cake is completely inspired by chocmocakes (she's my cake IDOL!)

Happy birthday Olivia!

Tangled Tower

For everyone that remembers, I only have boys at my house.  So when I get cool girl themed cakes, I jump at the chance....but sometimes I have to do research to make sure I have the details.

There is pretty much NO WAY that my boys would sit through the movie Tangled!  So I had to resort to internet research on this.

Mom specifically requested a 3D tower, so you know I was all over that idea!

Mostly the base is the cake that was served at the party.  There is a small cake that makes up the bulk of the tower top.  The tower itself has a pvc pipe to maintain the integrity and also to hold the weight of the top.  Then I used RKT (rice krispie treats) to build the shape into what you see.  Then it is covered with buttercream icing.

The very top of the tower is a sugar cone upside down and covered with fondant shingles. 

My favorite part is her long golden hair flowing out the window and down around the base of the tower.

I have since viewed the movie....and believe it or not the boys watched too!  :O

Thanks for stopping by!

Strawberry Shortcake

This is Strawberry Shortcake!  At least this is what she looked like when I was a kid.

Aww, isn't she cute? 

Does it bring you back a few years? (Let's not discuss how many...ahem) 

As time marches on, so does Strawberry Shortcake!  I love that she is spanning generations and all little girls still have the chance to play with a "scented" doll. 

Remember that smell?

Look how her fashion sense has updated, but still a bonnet and cute short curly hair.

Here is the newest evolution of Strawberry Shortcake! 

She's let her hair grow and it seems to be more of a beret than a bonnet upon her locks!

No matter her look, she is still a great subject to have when making a party theme choice!

So let's see what we need at the party???

How about some cookie favors?  I took inspiration from one of my favorite cookiers (Sweet Sugar Belle) and the strawberries found on the party plates

Cupcakes are always the FUN and easy way to serve all the kids!

But of course you need a cake to put candles in and sing the Happy Birthday song to!

I made some buttercream vines with flowers and some miniature fondant strawberries for the sides of the cake.

Thanks for hanging around so long with us Strawberry Shortcake!

And Happy Birthday Kaitlyn Marie!

Beatles

I made this cake for my brother's birthday.  He has many interests and one of the things we always do when we visit is play Beatles Rock Band on Wii.  So I thought a Beatles themed cake would be nice, he also likes monkeys and he is a wine connoisseur. 

This is what the final result was.

Happy Birthday to my "baby" brother.  I love you!

Ni Hao, Kai Lan

My kids are too old for Nick Jr. shows now, so I only get to keep up with what's on when I get a cake request using a show as the inspiration.

This is Kai Lan and her friends.

 

And this is Avery's birthday cake.  Her mom said that the "sun" definitely had to be on the cake.  That is one of Avery's favorite characters.

Buttercream iced cake with chocolate and fondant characters!

Happy Birthday Avery!

Dora and Boots

Dora and Boots!

What a perfect pair!  I have done many Dora cakes over the years and I try and make each one unique.

Dora and Boots are a FBCT placed on the cake after the background was done in buttercream and crushed graham crackers!

Minnie Mouse Ears

Ever since I saw a minnie mouse themed cake on my wonderful friend's website.....Sweet Art Shop.... I have been wanting to make a similar design.

Luckily Kristie had the same idea for Ella's 2nd birthday!

This cake is 100% edible!

My favorite parts.....

Disney font writing.....

and the edging on the bottom of the hat, complete with stitching!

Feedback makes me smile!

Thank You soooo much for the cake! Ella loved it. Everyone thought it was so CUTE. Then they tasted it and they LOVED it. There is no cake left over. People were calling to stop by and get a piece. I have 2 friends who want to order a ckae for their kids birthday. I am sure we will contact you soon. Thanks again! I can't wait to order Jaxon's cake. He will be one in March.

Kristie R

Bakugan

Bakugan Battle Brawlers!!!

Sheet cakes are always a challenge.  So much area to cover with a design! 

I took the look of a Bakugan card with the red and yellow flame look and translated it in a color friendly fashion.  You still get the idea of flames/explosion....without a mouthful of red icing!!!

Happy Birthday Nicholas

Toy Story ..... 3!

Carson is turning 3.

And thanks to Pixar Entertainment....Toy Story has been revived for a new generation! 

How lucky that Toy Story  3 fit the bill for his party!

He was very specific that he wanted Woody, Buzz and especially Jessie (she is his favorite!) on his cake.

The characters are made out of buttercream and Carson's name and the number 3 are made from modeling chocolate.....to resemble the Toy Story 3 Logo!

Happy Birthday Carson!

What Time is It????

If you don't watch Cartoon Network, then you don't have any idea what Adventure Time is. Even if you watch CN.....you might still NOT understand what Adventure Time is.

My kids laugh hysterically at this show....it is a bit bizarre and definitely a fantasy cartoon. So for my oldest's 11th birthday I decided to use this as the cake theme.

This is the top view.

Here is a front view. The characters are made from chocolate.

Here is the birthday boy...anxious to get the candles lit and make a wish!

And finally here is "Jake" all served up with a slice!

Happy Birthday my sweet boy. You are growing up too fast.

Mom loves you forever!

HALO

When coming up with a cake theme, especially for older kids, thinking about the things they like or the hobbies they have is a good place to start.

Patrick likes to play...

This is one of the pictures sent to me by mom. Master Chief is the main character they wanted for the cake.

I took inspiration from the background, blue with mountains and clouds.

Happy 16th Birthday Patrick!

First Birthday Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse seems to be a very popular first birthday request!

Mickey is a classic that never goes out of style!

Of course each baby needs her own cake to explore and eat!

Caroline had the best expression on her face when I showed her the cake.

She was truly excited and happy, a one year old expressions are simply real!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE when I get such a reaction!

Hope it was a fantastic party!

Iron Man

Iron Man Theme. Personally, I haven't seen Iron Man 2 yet, but I really liked the first movie. I'm not big into action movies....but I guess I have a soft spot for Robert Downey Jr.

Realistic characters can be quite a challenge when making the translation into sugar. This was the picture mom sent of the decorations.I really liked the circuit board background and wanted to incorporate that into the overall design. So I made up my own circuits on all 4 sides of the cake.

I made Iron Man from chocolate so I could place him on the cake easily with my circuit board background.

Mom had a great phrase to use..."Charged Up For Your Birthday"... it really helped bring home the use of the buttercream "wiring".

Hope your 8th Birthday was "electrifying"!