Another wedding cake

I was really excited to do something a little more detailed for a wedding cake. I didn't however realize how time consuming this one would be.
My client is allergic to soy. Which means everything I usually use in my vegan cooking was out the window. I learned how to make the perfect fattening fluffy white cake. Lemon curd with real butter and fondant without using crisco.
I also learned how to make these beautiful flowers that took roughly 20 minutes a piece to make. I am sure if I did it more often I would become much more proficient. I was pleased with the outcome.
Next on my wedding want-to list is a colored cake with different shapes/colors for flowers. Anyone want to pay me to make that?

I have been making cakes... really, I have proof.

I made this cake for a friend. I love when someone gives me complete creative license when they ask for a cake. Her little girl was having a pj party and she loves Princesses Snow White being her favorite. While making this cake I think I achieved Cake decorating Flow. That place where everything comes together and the creativity just comes. Making it was so rewarding. I think I love making things I have never made before.
The head and foot boards are cleft over cake I covered with fondant. I colored the fondant brown and then cut wood grain into it with a dull knife. I then painted on it with brown food coloring mixed lemon extract. That helped to give it the stained look.
The blanket is just fondant. The bird and mushrooms are also fondant.

Emma loves to help make her cakes and she is super artistic. This year I let her splatter paint her cake. SO easy and she had so much fun. I melted frosting in the microwave for maybe 10-20 seconds. Then with a spoon she literally splattered it.How happy and fun is that?


This is a little outdated now. I made candy corn cupcakes. Super easy!

Found a couple old cakes I had made

Sarah wanted a high school musical 2 party a few years ago. If you have seen the movie then the cake will make sense. But I don't recomened going seeing the movie just to understand the cake. Of the three, this one was the lamest. But it did make for a great party theme! And really, that is all that matters.

Playing with cakes and a pie cookie

I have done some playing around just for the fun of it baking. Usually on Sunday I feel the need to bake.

I wanted to try a fondant flower. This one is a little to fat so next time I will have to roll it out thinner.


Lemon meringue cookie? It was good, we liked it, we eat them all!
Just because I wanted to make it after seeing a how to on the internet.
Friends invited us over for dinner and I offered to bring dessert. I couldn't decide between chocolate or strawberry so I did both.

Pina Colada cupcakes

I think these are my new favorite. So yummy, fluffy and light.
I found the recipe on Confessions of a Cookbook Queens blog. I altered it to make it vegan.

Ingredients:

1 box of Duncan Hines Pineapple supreme cake mix
20.25 oz can crushed pineapple
4 egg whites
1/2 cup vegan butter

Frosting

1/2 cup vegan butter
1/2 cup butter flavor Crisco
1/2 cup coconut milk (the kind used as a milk replacer)
1 tsp coconut extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 cups powdered sugar
Sweetened shredded coconut for garnish and added yummyness

Preheat oven to 350 and get your cupcake tins ready for goodness.

Strain pineapple pressing gently to get all the juice out. I was able to get exactly the 1 cup I needed from my can.

If you have a kitchen-aid, everyone should have a kitchen-aid, add cake mix, egg whites, butter, and pineapple juice. Beat on low speed until well combined, about 30 seconds. Turn up your speed to medium and mix another 2 minutes. Carefully fold in your pineapples. I forgot this step and had to add them to the cupcakes right before baking. Not recommended.

Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full. Place in the oven and wait for your nose to be sent into a heightened degree of pleasure. Unfortunatly you will have to wait 15-20 minutes before you will get to burn your tongue tasting their goodness. They are better with frosting but still delightful on their own.

Once they are cool add frosting either by pipping or spreading on with a knife. I choose pipping because I was eager to try them. Sprinkle with coconut shreds and enjoy. My oldest son does not like the texture of coconuts but likes the flavor. I left the coconut off the top of one for him.

Nephews train cake

A couple months ago I got this idea for a train cake. I had been looking at car cakes and train cakes and this is a collection of different ideas I saw out there. I love the way it came together. My house does not have air conditioning at it was extra hot that day. I learned how important a cool room is for frosting. The green kept sliding down the cake.

Do you think this sweet little boy cared? of course not!


I made the "3" train tracks out of fondant then placed his train on top.
The rocks and signs are made out of fondant as well. For the rocks I combined black and white fondant just enough to get that nice marble affect.

Cinnamon roll Cupcakes

I found this awesome recipe here. I wanted to give something special to the teenagers I teach at church since I was no longer going to be teaching them. Here are some of the responses I got. I was told it was "crazy good" "I've never tasted a more amazing piece of culinary art in my life" "Amazing" Giving teenagers treats is the best! They are so lovely with their compliments. I could not eat them as they were very not vegan friendly but they looked delicious.
After I heard such great reviews, Thank you again Cookbook Queen, I had to figure out a vegan version.

I decided to make a small 6 inch cake instead.

Looks messy and gooey and yummy.

Here is my recipe I came up with. Next time I will try to figure out a more cream cheese-ish frosting.

For the Cake

Ingredients

• 1 cup (1/2 lb.) vegan butter, softened (I used earth balance)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 tablespoons ground flax seed mixed with 3 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 3 1/4 cups cake flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups coconut milk (again the kind meant as a milk replacement)
• 1 cup brown sugar mixed with 1 & 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  

Directions

• Beat butter and sugar until fluffy and pale yellow, 4 to 5 minutes. Add flax-seed mixture, and mix until well combined. Mix in vanilla.
• In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir (or beat at low speed) about a third of the flour mixture into butter mixture. Stir in half the milk just until blended. Stir in another third of the flour mixture, then remaining milk, followed by remaining flour.
  
• Pour 1/4 mixture into each greased and floured 6-inch round cake pans. I had leftover and made about 6 cupcakes. You could use 8 or 9 inch pans instead.
• Put half of the brown sugar mixture on top of each pan.
• With a sharp knife swirl the brown sugar mixture through the cake.
• Add last 1/2 to the two pans, 1/4 to each pan.
  
• Bake at 350° until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pans for about 10 minutes before turning over.
• Let it cool while you make the frosting and glaze
  
  

Vegan Butter Cream Frosting

Ingredients:

• 1 cup vegan butter (Again I used earth balance)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 & 1/2 teaspoons clear imitation vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup coconut milk (the kind that is meant as a milk replacement found with the other milk in a carton, not the kind found in a can)
  
• 8 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

Directions:
Mix shortening, salt, coconut milk, vanilla extract, and half of the powdered sugar with a mixer for 5-10 minutes.

Add the rest of the powdered sugar and beat just enough to mix in.

Add additional coconut milk for desired consistency.

I used the frosting for the center of my cake and for the outside. Place in the fridge while you make the glaze.

Brown Sugar Glaze

1 stick(earth balance)
1 cup Brown Sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 & 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon


In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt all ingredients until mixed and pourable but not boiling. Pour over frosted cake and immediately place in the refrigerator to set.

We could not wait and we divided it into 8 pieces and devoured it in a very short amount of time! My stomach hurt I ate so much. Next time I will divide into 16th and only eat 1 piece.