Mmmmmmm.....Pumpkin.

October is definitely the time for all things Pumpkin! Pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice cupcakes, pumpkin cookies, and of course these babies.... Pumpkin bars!

I was visting my Aunt in Portland a few years ago and she introduced me to these little ditties. Needless to say, it was love at first bite. The bar itself isn't sweet, and then you add some cream cheese icing, & maybe a few cute little accents. AMAZING!

I apologize for the slightly blurry photo.... It's definitely time for a new camera. BUT to make up for the bad photography, here, let me share the recipe!

Pumpkin Bars

2 C. all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. baking soda

4 beaten eggs

1 16 ounce can of pumpkin

1 1/2 C. white sugar

1 C. cooking oil

1 tsp. salt

Stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Combine eggs, pumpkin, sugar and oil. Beat until combined. Add dry ingredients and beat until combined. Spread batter in an ungreased 15X10X1" pan. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Cool and cover with cream cheese frosting.

Cream cheese frosting

1 6 ounce or 8 ounce package of cream cheese

1/2 C. butter

1 tsp. vanilla

2 or more C. of powdered sugar

Blend ingredients together until smooth. Add more icing sugar if you want it to be sweeter.

Package it all up cute & voila!

Tie Dye or Rainbow?

I found some pictures online the other day of what were called 'Neon Rainbow Cupcakes'. As soon as I saw the picture I knew I had to try it. And it was surprisingly easy!


Step 1: Using a white cake mix follow the instructions on the box in preparing the batter.
Step 2: Seperate the batter into 6 equal (or as equal as you can get them) parts.
Step 3: Using GEL icing dye, dye each part a different color (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple <- and to be honest the red was more of a neon pink). I read that using the GEL colors makes it more vibrant, but I'm sure that you can use just regular food coloring as well.
Step 4: put 1/2-3/4 of a tablespoon of one of the batters into each cupcake liner. Follow with additional colors. No need to swirl together, just let it fall in and land as it will.
Step 5: Bake as per box directions.
Step 6: decorate with icing & sprinkles if you want to!
Step 7: ENJOY!

I think one of the greatest things about these cupcakes is that each one is unique. Some have more of a color than another, and some have crazy patterns. This recipe can also be used for a cake as well. Just imagine the surprise when someone cuts into a plainly iced cake.

So there you have it. TIE DYE Cupcakes. (I think that suits it more than rainbow, what do you think?)

Something's Coming!!

So October is just around the corner, which means so is my second favorite holiday...

HALLOWEEN!

I just love it! It also means some more treats will be headed this way soon!

the BIG dream

I want to do this...

Or this...

Or this.....

Or even this!

How do you even start to do this though?? You always hear about these people who quit their corporate jobs and took a chance on starting a dessert type shop. Seriously??? Is it just luck? I don't get it. All I know is that I want to do what Amy Atlas (these are photos of her work) does. It's the DREAM! So if someone wants to lend me some start up money.... : )

Someday......

Some Old Stuff

Just felt like moving some of my older cakes onto here. So that is all this is. Nothing new, but plenty cute!

Finally, The Third Wedding Cake....

This wedding cake was made for my friend Nola and her hubby James. She gave me free reign, which I loved because it gave me the opportunity to try something new. Gum paste flowers. That's right. I made every single flower on that cake by hand out of gum paste. It took some time, but I was incredibly happy with the end result.

Things seemed to be going so well with this cake. I had it covered and ready the night before the wedding, just needed to put the flowers on, which would be done once the cake was at the reception location. Sadly, it seems to be a trend for me that something is going to go wrong. I'm apparently not allowed to make an 'easy' cake. I woke up the day of the wedding to find the middle tier had leaked. That's right leaked. The lemon/lime filling between layers decided it didn't want to stay between the layers and the fondant at the bottom was all soggy. It just wasn't looking as good as it did when I went to bed the night before.

So, 2 hours before I was supposed to be at the ceremony, I was having a panic attack. Thankfully I still had some fondant left over. I cut off a strip of fondant at the bottom of the tier, to remove all of the soggy stuff. Then cut a new strip to put on in its' place. Hence the double ribbon. I had to cover the seam somehow!

Thankfully it all worked out, and I have to say, I am incredibly proud of this cake. I love it. I thought it looked elegant and I loved the flowers. They were definitely my favorite part. Plus they help hide little imperfections. They also cascaded down the back of the cake as well. The cake tasted good too, which was a relief, especially with the leaking incident. I guess I'll look at it this way, it helped the yummy lemon/lime flavor to be in every bite!

PRESENTS!!! GIMME GIMME GIMME!

Isn't that what everyone screams on their birthday? Or is it just me? : ) I was asked to make a birthday cake for a friends little sister to help celebrate her 15th birthday. Coming up with an idea wasn't the easiest thing. So I thought, who doesn't like presents? Incorporate her favorite color purple and this cake could be very cute! My original idea was to cover the entire cake in fondant and use an imprint mat that I have that says 'happy birthday' all over it. After getting the fondant on the cake however, I was not happy. Fondant decided to hate me while making this cake. So, I ripped it all off and tried a new technique: Faux Fondant.

Now, after doing a faux fondant cake, I may never go back to fondant. Basically it involves using a buttercream icing that will develop a crust after about 20 minutes. You have to put a fairly thick coat of the icing onto the cake but it ends up looking fabulous. Next step, take a paper towel (mine happened to have a pattern on it) and put it up against the icing. Gently rub the paper towel into the cake. The icing smooths out and the pattern imprints on the cake. FABULOUS!

This was also my first time making a fondant bow. I chose a 14 loop bow because I wanted it to basically cover the entire top of my 8x8 cake. After the bow was assembled and nice and hard, I applied an edible lustre dust to the bow to give it a fabulous glittery girlie feel. LOVE IT!

All in all, despite the original set backs I had when I started this cake, I am very happy with how it turned out. I learned new techniques and feel I did the cake justice. Let's just hope that the 15 year old likes it!

And of course, credit to Chelsea Belle Photography for some great photos. (I even added one with me because I was told I had too. That one is just for you Chels!)

Not Sweet.... but Sweet

Please say title with the correct inflection. So this post is not a typical post. In fact, it's not about cupcakes, cake pops, cheesecake, cake, cookies, or anything that begins with 'C'.

It's about grilled cheese sandwiches. To be more precise, mini grilled cheese sandwiches. Now I know I am probably not the first person to ever do this, but I thought they were so adorable that I had to share them. I made buns about 2 weeks ago and decided to see what would happen if I made a mini loaf out of the the bun dough. Pure Genius. I ended up with a cute little loaf that tasted like my Mom's famous bun recipe (and no I'm not sharing that, sorry....). Now I know what you're thinking, doesn't this just mean you made bread. No. I made a bun that looked like a loaf of bread. Trust me on this one. The taste is totally different.

I now have this mini 'bun loaf' and I have no idea what to do with it. It's definitely to small for sandwiches. I pictured myself going into work with this tiny little sandwich and my co-workers staring at me as though I were some sort of nut job on some crazy fanatical diet. Then an idea struck me. I love grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. But I hate that when I cut my grilled cheese, most of the cheese leaks out. What better than bite sized grilled cheese? No cutting necessary!

That's right. This post is about a mini grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup. Comfort food at it's best. So if you're ever having a bad day, feel free to look back on this post, smile a little, and take comfort in some adorable little sandwiches. I'm a nerd. I know. I'm seeking help. ; ) So again I say, not sweet.... but sweet. And might I point out, perfectly browned to perfection.

Boob Job

I made a boob cake. That's right. Boobs. Or breasts if you feel the need to be more formal about it. Bra included to keep it modest. My only complaint is that I didn't make the icing dark enough, so the boobs are very pasty and the same color as the fondant used for the bra, which was a little sad. But then again, maybe I was going for realism in the color aspect. (Anyone reading this feeling incredibly uncomfortable yet?) Oh well. They still look fabulous. Hee hee. Plus the straps aren't the greatest thing ever, but they were a last minute addition. Can I just say that having the opportunity to make a cake that looked like this was probably one of the highlights of my cake decorating career to date. SO FUNNY! I'd totally make this again. Just think of the creativity allowed when designing the bras. Maybe I've found a new past-time. Bra design.

Meringue.... Seriously???

This weekend I attempted wedding cake #4! (For those of you wondering why I have not posted wedding cake #3 on here, don't worry, it's coming. I just have to track down the right USB stick with the picture of it!)

The wedding cake was a take on a cake found in the Martha Stewart Wedding Cakes book. It was definitely not your typical wedding cake. I looked through the instructions on how to make it and discovered I would be working with meringue. Not just any meringue, but a soft italian meringue. So of course, with any wedding cake, a trial run is necessary. Especially when working with something you are not used to. Trial run was done on a hot dry day. And it went well.

Day of the wedding brought lots of rain and humidity. I had baked the cake the day before and covered it with the soft italian meringue. The cake was carrot with cream cheese icing. Now I know you're all thinking, and you put meringue on that? But the italian meringue has a creamier texture and taste, so it worked well. Not the smoothest icing job on a cake, due to the humidity, it kept running and not smoothing out well, but I did what I could. I actually like the not perfectly smooth look. I think it suited the cake. The top 2 tiers were styrofoam, so I had covered those the night before as well. I had intended to get up early (as it was an afternoon reception) make another batch of the meringue, and do the detail work. It didn't go so well. In short, let's just say 3 batches of meringue later, lots of melting meringue, a complete mess of drooping piped spikes that looked like giant slugs, and a complete emotional break down (the fact that I wasn't feeling well didn't help), I was ready to throw this cake at the wall.

Thankfully, I have amazingly supportive sisters and friends. Who rushed to my rescue by attempting to make another batch of the meringue to see if maybe I just was letting the stress get to me and had somehow not done it right, and also running out to baking supply stores trying to find an alternative to the meringue. I love my sisters and friends.

A solution was found. We got the cake decorated using a stiff meringue made from a meringue powder, tasted gross but it worked! And got the cake to the wedding. However, I will say, I should have attached the 2 top layers better. I had already put the spikes on the top tier, when in reality I should have put it on the pillars prior to the spikes. The cake was a little shaky. I did warn the bride and groom. So they knew. However in their excitement to cut into that cake, the top tier went down. It's a memory! They laughed, everyone laughed, I might have cringed, but really, looking back I can laugh too. The cake was intact the entire reception, as the cake cutting was at the end, the bride and groom loved the cake, and that is all that matters! Congrats again to both of them!

I may have to retract my previous statement of claiming that Martha Stewart is a genius. Because that meringue was not genius. So lessons learned, don't always trust your trial run, soft italian meringue and humidity don't work well together, and lastly, if I ever work with meringue again, it will be too soon!

G'day Mate!

Typically this blog is all about my culinary endeavors, but my sisters went to Australia without me. Yep. Without me. So when they came home, I had to make sure that they felt welcome. So this is what they saw when they walked in the house!

And of course there was also some baking involved! Keeping with the Australian theme, I couldn't resist making an Australian treat into cake. That's right, I am calling Vegemite an Australian treat. And, even though the cake would have been sufficient, I stumbled across the cutest picture of a Koala cupcake, and had to add my own spin to that and make it my own!

The koalas are almost too cute to eat.... except that they were so tasty, so it had to be done. Even the crocodile agreed!

Neapolitan Ice Cream in Cupcake form? SAY WHAT?!?!

So Martha Stewart is a genius. That's right. I am calling Martha a genius. Who else could possibly come up with Neapolitan cupcakes. Half chocolate, half vanilla cupcakes with strawberry buttercream icing (made with real ground up strawberries- yum!) These cupcakes are not only tasty but also really nice to look at. And surprisingly really easy to make. After my experiments with cupcakes this past weekend I don't know if I'm ever going to be able to go back to using cake mixes. Making them from scratch adds so much more to the baking experience. Messier, but better!

Mint Central

Do you like mint?? Well, if you do, then these are the cupcakes for you! They seriously pack a HUGE minty punch. Thanks in part to having a York Peppermint Patty baked right into the cupcake, mint flavored icing, and then a slice of a York Peppermint Patty to top it off. Add a cute lime green giant sprinkle and you have some of the greatest mint cupcakes ever! Chocolate goodness. And Cute too! My only problem I had with this recipe is that I think I put too little baking powder and baking soda in. I didn't realize it till they were in the oven, so they ended up not being as soft and moist as I would have liked. (At least I'm blaming the lack of baking powder and soda for it). But even then, these were so yummy. Can't wait to try out some more recipes that I have recently come across...... top secret location at this point. Can't give away all my secrets! I've already shared Bakerella with you, what more do you want from me?!?! : )

Could they be any "S'MORE" tasty?

All I can say, is delicious! Sugar rush central but so very very very very very good. Especially right out of the oven. Nice gooey s'more goodness. Thank you Bakerella! I'm considering possibly selling specialty cupcakes at a farmers market this summer. So let me know what you think. Would you be willing to pay for one of these delicious looking & tasting morsels?

YUM!

A Sphere Cake Pan = AMAZING!

For Christmas this year, I got some amazing baking supplies. Including a sphere cake pan. So of course, when it was a friends birthday, I had to try it out! Super cute huh? The best thing is that you can make any ball you want! Since my friend plays basketball, of course that was the obvious choice. I can't wait to experiment more with this pan. I see a snowman in the future.... of course, that won't be till it snows again, so look for that next winter!

Classic Chocolate Cupcakes

Every now and then, you just need some chocolate. And what is better than a classic chocolate cupcake, with chocolate icing. Simple and delicious!

A Bouquet of Cheesecake!

So I made more cake pops. Cheesecake pops.

They were basic, covered in white candy melts & colored sprinkles.

Cut out some cute paper flowers, add them to the pops and voila!

CUTENESS!

I almost forgot!

One last Christmas treat. Gifts in a Jar. Easy, Cute, and a great gift for anyone! You can easily find recipes online ranging from brownies and cookies, to soups and dips. Of course being the sugar lover I am had to make cookie and brownie ones. But here are the finished products. Some cute ribbon, a tree ornament, and they are ready to go!

A little Flair!

I am in love with my sifter. I know a strange thing to be in love with, but it added such a cute winter flair to some classic home-made oreos, that there is no reason preventing the love! It's amazing what a sifter, and some cute snowflake stencils (thanks Mom!) can do! Since I love these cookies so much, I figured I would actually share the recipe that I use. Seriously, GREATEST COOKIES EVER!

Home-Made Oreos

1 box devil's food cake mix (Betty Crocker is best!)

3/4 C. butter or margarine, softened

2 eggs

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 C. butter

2 Tbsp. vanilla

2 C. powdered sugar

In a large bowl combine cake mix, 3/4 C. butter, and eggs. Chill about 10 minutes. Roll into small balls. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 7 to 9 minutes. Cool.

To prepare filling, beat the cream cheese, 1/2 C. butter, and vanilla together. Add powdered sugar and mix together. Spread filling on top of cookie, and then top with another cookie. Makes about 2 dozen.

The cutest little Snowmen you ever did see!

It's not a secret, that I am in love with the Cake Pop idea that I discovered at Bakerella. I think they are just the cutest things ever!

I decided to take the Cake Pop idea and create my own design. No looking at pictures and re-creating this time, nope, they came from my little imagination.

So I started by making the basic cake pops and got them onto their sticks. I decided that before I would cover them in chocolate, I was going to make sure that the accessories were ready to add so that I could just stick them on without having to add more chocolate as 'glue'.

Step 1: I made the lovely little top hats out of a mini oreo, mini marshmallow, chocolate melts, green tree sprinkles, and red icing. And I have to say, I think they turned out super super cute!

Step 2: Have a bowl of shaved coconut (I felt that the snow needed to look like snow, and smooth white chocolate wasn't going to do it for me), and a bowl of mini chocolate chips ready to go.

Step 3: Sort through the candy coated sunflower seeds (purchased in bulk) to pull out orange ones that look similar to carrots.

Now the assembling. This is where it got a little difficult and messy. If you didn't work fast enough you needed more chocolate to work and glue, and if you worked too quickly, a lot of the chocolate would fall off under the weight of the coconut. A little frustrating, but the end result was worth it. I've even emailed a photo to Bakerella. We'll see what she thinks! But I have to say I think these little guys are super cute! And tasty too!

Oh Christmas Tree

So I did attempt to make a Christmas tree out of stars this year. Normally this would be made out of gingerbread, and it would also be taller. Mine looks more like a bush, but I sill thought it was cute!

I decided that I couldn't use regular rice krispies, because trees need to have brown. So I have to say THANK YOU to whoever it was that invented Cocoa Krispies.

I cut out a variety of star shapes so that I could stack them together to make my tree. After they were all stacked, It was time to make the lump of rice krispies look more tree like, by adding some leaves. And of course, since it is a Christmas tree, it needed a little snow, some decorations and a star to top it off! I feel it turned out quite cute! Not too sure how it ended up tasting. I used royal icing, which I don't really enjoy the taste of, but I guess that if the icing was scraped off, it tasted great. (I had a lot of left over rice krispie pieces, so guess what I did?? That's right.... ate them...)

Finally, The Christmas Goodies make thier appearance!

So here they are.... FINALLY! I've really got be better at updating this site. I have a few things I'll be working on in the next little while, and I promise to put them up faster!

I made up some Christmas treats for friends this year (with the help of the wonderful Ashley). We spent the entire afternoon decorating and having some fun. Nothing too extravagant, some rice krispies, mini cupcakes, and brownies. But it was still delightful!

p.s. I love how my picture of everything is slightly blurry, and then my close up photo looks like it was taken with a fancy camera. Huh. How did that happen?