Tool Cake

Naturally, I used my go-to chocolate cake recipe for this, used orange buttercream for the filling and homemade marshmallow fondant on the outside. The fondant may be one of my new favorite recipes so look for lots of that to come in the future!

I learned my lesson, yet again, to never try something new the day of the project. The tools were going to be modeling chocolate, which never set up properly, so they became yummy, delicious, fondant instead.

I love making new cakes and this one was great fun!! I have new ideas running around in my head for the next cake....

Never forget an ingredient again!

Growing up, I would be half finished with baking something and start wondering if I had added everything I was supposed to. My mom taught me a simple way to make sure you add everything on your recipe.

The answer is so simple! Set out ALL your ingredients before you begin and as you use an ingredient put it away in the cupboard or pantry. If you have something left on the table or counter when you think you are done then you forgot to add it.

This past weekend I made a Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake for a fundraiser at church to help the girls in our youth program pay their camp fees this summer. (And yes, I know I used generic cocoa, not Hershey's. I cross my heart and promise to use the real deal next time!) 

I started with all the ingredients on the table (I live in an 85 year old house so there is limited counter space...)

Once all the dry ingredients had been added this is what the table looked like, with only the wet ingredients left.

A. The last thing that I added was boiling water, hopefully you can see the steam!. This may sound strange but some of my favorite baking recipes call for boiling water to be stirred in at the end.

B.  After everything has been added and ready to be poured in the pans

C.  Greased and floured 9" cake pans with with bake even strips around the edges.

The finished product!

My mom's tips have been lifesaving (or at least taken a load off my mind) over the years. What baking tips have come in handy for you?

I used this tutorial by mycakeschool.com as inspiration for this cake.

Cake mischief

While making a new cake Abby was quite curious about what was going on and so I let her watch me mix the batter and the frosting. She got really into it when I was making the fondant so she tasted some and decided she should only eat that the rest of the day. Between that and the chocolate frosting that went between the layers she was a sugar baby!

Abby eating her spoonful of frosting and thoroughly enjoying herself.

The finished cake. Definitely not what I had in mind but that's what I get for working on it while Abby was awake and "helping".

Chocolate cake with a delicious salted caramel frosting. Mmmm...

Recent cakes...

Just thought I would share some of the cakes I have done in recent weeks.

This simple birthday cake was done for a friend who is an inspiration to me.

An 88th birthday celebrated at a family reunion. The tree represents the birthday "boy"s love of creating new apple varieties in his orchard and also his posterity who came to celebrate with him.
(Farther down the cake it does say happy birthday!)

This cake was also for the birthday/family reunion but was an option for the gluten free eaters in this family.

Project for my final night of cake class.

Made for the anniversary of Barnum and Bailey forming a partnership.

St. Paddy's day Cake from my Wilton class

The cakes I've made this past week :)

Abigail was blessed in church today and I finished this cake early this morning, and I mean early so it isn't as perfect as I would have liked it to be. But, it didn't last long! (Buttermilk white cake with a lemon curd filling)

We had a wedding planning night for mutual and so I made a mini wedding cake and loved doing it!(Lemon and Devils Food cake layers with a strawberry/raspberry filling)

Snowman Cake

My birthday was this past sunday and it was a great day. I've been wearing the great maternity clothes that my inlaws gave me earlier in the month which has been such a nice change! I've been enjoying my sunday birthday gifts of perfume and a great cake decorating kit from my wonderful husband! I'm also excited to get to use my new glue gun as I get ready to decorate the house for the upcoming holiday season!(I'm making what should turn out to be a fabulous wreath)
Today I gave in to the temptation that I've been fighting all week and used my cake kit for the first time. It was SO FUN!!! Still not perfect but for the first time with these particular techniques and tips I don't think it's too bad :)

The elusive fish....

Experiments, experiments, experiments...
I am so lucky to have a husband who is so supportive of my dreams and aspirations and who encourages me!

Gingerbread!

I made this gingerbread cabin a few years ago and just found the pictures again and I was super excited so ya'all get to see them! I have been making gingerbread houses for many years, it's something that my mom and I enjoyed doing together when I was growing up. With this particular house, realistic looking was my goal. Everything on the tray is edible, from the chimney down the sugar water stream with floating "ice" chunks. Imagine that the door is broken and standing open because a bear scared away the people while they were roasting marchmallows outside because he wanted to hibernate inside....yup..that's what MUST have happened!
Now, the only question is...what kind of gingerbread creation should I do this year?

More baking!

Yet more baking adventures! I'm learning as I go along and enjoying it, even when things go a little haywire...we had a few cupcake misadventures today before the final product was captured on film..... I probably shouldn't have a favorite since I made all three but the butterfly is my favorite!

Confessions of a closet baker!

I have always had an obsessions with baking that I tried to hide. BUT, no more! I WILL NOT HIDE MY PASSION!! I have done a lot of thinking and decided to open my own cake and cupcake business next year out of our house! I want to specialize in cut-up cakes like the ones I remember my mom making when I was growing up and cupcakes.


This snake cake was made last summer on the spur of the moment for my nephews birthday party and the boys all thought it was pretty cool. Not too bad for a beginner...

Over this past weekend my brother Jon and his wife Amy hosted a homemade root beer tasting party and so I took the opportunity to work on my cake skills.

I have to say that these cakes aren't the prettiest or the most perfect but I am pretty proud of them when I consider that I made them without any professional supplies(used sandwhich bags for piping words, table knife for frosting the cake) and no room in the freezer to freeze the cake before shaping it. There are, of course, things I would do differently next time, but overall I am pretty happy with it! I am super excited to start taking the Wilton cake classes and getting more experience and tools to improve my baking!
I have the most supportive husband who has given me the go ahead and wants to help me in any way he can, who could ask for more than that? Thanks Scott!!