The Fairy that Almost Got Away

I had the wonderful opportunity to dip my toe in the Tinkerbell pool and make this adorable fairy cake for an even more adorable little girl's 5th birthday party.  Her favorite fairy from the Disney collection is Silvermist the water fairy. Silvermist's favorite hangout is by a babbling brook and she likes water lilies and to teach tadpoles to blow bubbles. Sounds like a fun party girl, indeed! 

This cake is a 6" over 8" dark chocolate cake with salted caramel buttercream between the layers. It was finished in a coat of dark chocolate ganache then fondant. Silvermist is hand sculpted from fondant and gumpaste, then handpainted.  Her face is made from a gumpaste mold of an actual Silvermist doll, giving her the unique facial characteristics of the fairy (even though her body is a softer, rounder version of the original). She sits admits water lilies on lily pads and next to a cascading stream. The water is done with vertical strips of thinly rolled and ruffled fondant which was then painted with blue luster dust. The only non-edible part of the cake are the fairy wings, borrowed from the doll used to model for the face. 

(please don't say it...the photo is junk!  In the rush to get to this late morning party, I missed taking a photo with my Nikon D40 and then I forgot the camera at home.  This is an iphone photo that my husband has photoshopped to drop out the backlit background. I usually don't like to show heavily photoshopped cakes on my blog because I don't want to hide my abilities behind on-screen editing, but this was the only way to showcase this cake, which just like a fairy nearly disappeared without a record to show for it)

Angry Birds Cake

Ba Da Bump Bum, Ba Da Bump Bum, Bada Da Da Da Da Da Da Dah Bump. WAAAANK! WAAAANK! Hiiiighhhh YAAAAAH!... Heh Heh Heh Heh. Heh Heh Heh Heh. Heh Heh Heh.

Translation: Exacting revenge on those egg-stealing, disputable pigs requires fuel. The kind of high-octane, pure energy found in a Mexican Hot Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Red Chile Whipped Ganache.  Almost entirely edible (minus some support for the sling shot and long planks), this 8" cake is sculpted in chocolate and vanilla fondant with pieces that are entirely moveable to make your own Angry Birds tableaus.

Spring Wedding Cupcakes

Once upon a time, in church halls across the country, punchbowls brimmed with champagne punch,
jordan almonds preened in tulle and dessert tables beheld
the newlywed's first sweet taste of married bliss. 

Here's a modern interpretation for the classic cake and punch reception: a lovely tower of cupcakes
as the centerpiece of the dessert table. The bride and groom had requested their friends and family
bring a sweet ending to help celebrate their new beginning at their luncheon reception. With a cupcake
 tower, the couple can still pose for that iconic wedding photo of 'cutting the cake' while keeping with their casual spirit.  

This glimmering sliver stand allows for a single cupcake to rise to the top, 

here with a pair of lemon yellow love birds. 

Cupcakes are princess white sour cream cake filled with red raspberry jam and finished with a 

generous swirl of wedding-white buttercream.  Pale yellow, grass green, soft pink and

 white gumpaste daisies glow from hand painted silver luster dust and small pearls.  

Couture Inspired Cakes

The world of design is full of inspiration, borrowing and expanding on ideas that cross the genres of graphic, textile, visual, architectural and natural forms. On wedding dresses, I love the row of tiny little pearl buttons that often grace the back of the bodice and sometimes trail down the skirt. And rouched bodices! Oh how I wish there were more occasions to wear formal dresses. 

Thankfully, I can have my taste of formal design (and eat it too) with couture inspired cake design.  I think that this would be an amazing small wedding cake, or incorporated into a larger tiered design.  The cake itself is wedding worthy: a bridal white cake with raspberry filling  and Italian meringue buttercream (recipe follows)

Italian Meringue Buttercream (IMBC)

1 1/4 cups sugar

• 5 large egg whites
• Pinch of cream of tartar
• 1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter chilled, but not hard
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

How to: 

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil. Continue boiling until syrup reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer which is about the soft ball stage.
2. Meanwhile, place egg whites in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat on low speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar, and beat on medium-high speed until stiff but not dry; do not overbeat.
3. With mixer running, add syrup to whites in a stream, beating on high speed until bowl feels cool to the palms when touched, about 5 minutes. Switch to the paddle and continue beating and add butter by the tablespoon, waiting for it to be incorporated before adding the next chunk. Watch in horror as the mixture becomes a curdled mess.  Continue beating. The buttercream will come back together and become smooth and fluffy. If the temperature in your house is over 75, I suggest putting some soft ice packs around the bottom of the bowl to keep the buttercream cool. You know the buttercream is ready when it makes a 'slapping' sound in the mixer. 
   
   
   Use the buttercream immediately, or allow to firm up a bit in the fridge if it is too limp.  This buttercream freezes beautifully and with a slow defrost and a quick re-whip in the mixer, it is ready to go. 
   
   
   
   

It's Coming up Cupcakes

When a spring birthday takes a class of kindergardeners to the park for celebrating, be sure that flowers and butterflies will be there decorating the occasion.

Sunny yellow and leaf green American buttercream top off these princes white sour cream cakes. A variety of large and small fondant flowers, leaves, and butterflies brushed with shimmer luster dust make these birthday cupcakes ready for a song.

Thank Heaven for Pretty Cakes

Building on a beautiful technique, this birthday cake takes the rosette swirl to a place of birthday perfection. This is an 8", two layer base cake with a 5" top tier. At the birthday girl's request the cake was a vanilla princess sour cream cake with American buttercream. 

Large piped rosettes enrobe the lower tier, while the top is smooth buttercream done in a quilted pattern and finished with a ruffle border and edible pearls. Birthday wishes and space for 5 candles made this a lovely centerpiece for an afternoon birthday party.

Swirls and Twirls: a Red Velvet with Rosettes

I love this cake. I mean really love--in a sit back and just let me look at you, kind of way. I had seen several incarnation of this design on the internet (that originated on the 'i am mommy' blog), and I was immediately smitten. I had to try it, only instead of pure ivory I added a stripe of pink tinted buttercream to the cream cheese buttercream for the rosettes. The cake is an 8", two layer red velvet cake with cream cheese buttercream. Such a simple idea that has a big and beautiful impact.