Another (semi) cake fail...

Book club oops!

I borrowed an Ice Cream Cone cake pan from my sister-in-law a few weeks ago.  (Have you checked out her blog?  You should.  She rocks.) It looked so cute, and I couldn't resist.  I figured I'd make them for book club tonight.  Well, in theory...they are cute.  The problem?  They cannot stand on their own!  Right now they look okay, but I guarantee that they will not survive the drive over to Jen & Mandy's house.  The good thing is, they taste amazing!  It is yellow cake recipe with Martha Stewart's Swiss Meringue Butter Cream frosting.  Delish!  

Looks cute, right?  Not so much when I couldn't figure out how to transport them...

See?  Awful.  Hopefully the girls won't mind.

Holly's Party.

Here's a video of Holly enjoying her cake...isn't she hilarious?  Jack didn't want any...

(Thanks, Karen, for sending the video...so sad I couldn't be there.)

This was Holly's cake before...

This was it during...

And this was it after...

I think she liked it...

Happy 2nd Birthday, Holly!

Holly and her ducks...

Two years ago today, my cousins, Karl and Claudine, gave birth to the adorable Holly.  Five weeks early, she was a little bit of a surprise, but she was strong and alert since day one.  She has grown into a curious and lovable toddler.  I enjoy my Holly-days and am hoping to have more of them this summer.  Even though I'm going to have to miss her birthday party, I wanted to make sure I made her cupcakes for the party tomorrow.  Holly loves her ducks; therefore, it is the theme of the party. 

I made basic yellow cake and fudge chocolate cake recipes, and Martha Stewart's fluffy vanilla icing. 

I used blue spray food coloring to lightly tint the icing then topped the icing with white sugar pearls to look like water and bubbles.  Then I made chocolate ducks out of a mold I found at a local candy and bake shop. 

I had some left over chocolate batter, so I decided to make a small cake for Holly to blow out her 2 candles and devour.  I used a 6 inch square cake pan then carved a duck shape out of it.  It sort of looks more like a chick, but it'll have to do.  I hope she likes it! 

Tiffany's Shower

A Tiffany's Shower for Tiffany

A few months ago, my friend, Maureen, asked me if I could make a few cakes and cupcakes for her friend Tiffany's wedding shower.  Seeing as though her name is Tiffany, the shower is Tiffany & Co. themed.  The idea was that the cakes would be the center pieces of the tables and would look like Tiffany & Co. gift boxes.  The cupcakes were to add some extra decorations to the table, and I had a little fun with those.  I used the Magnolia's Bakery Vanilla cupcake recipe for all of the cakes.  It is simply the best vanilla recipe I've ever used.  This time, I added vanilla bean to the batter to give it an extra touch.  Delicious!  I made so many batches of this batter yesterday, that I now have it memorized!  I made a vanilla buttercream icing and tinted it Tiffany Blue.  The bows are made from my homemade fondant recipe and dusted with some luster dust to give it some sheen.  Maureen, her friend Michelle, and Maureen's adorable daughter, Everly, came for the afternoon to help.  Everly was an angel and slept through most of the afternoon.  It was a nice afternoon of gabbing and baking!

First up...the cupcakes

Even Everly drooled over the cupcakes when she finally awoke!

And now for the cakes...

Maureen and Michelle promised to take pictures when the cakes are at the tables and set up for the shower, so I'll add those pictures when they send them!

Hoppy Easter!

Homemade Easter Candy

Growing up, my mom was amazing at making holidays extra special.  Her handmade treats, beautiful decorations and holiday traditions always made me feel festive and loved.  Easter always included dying Easter eggs, making homemade Easter candy, and a competitive Easter morning egg hunt that sometimes resulted in injuries.  Now that we are all adults (the youngest in the family is about to turn 30...EEK!), my mom continues the traditions on Easter.  We still dye eggs, and we still have a hunt.  However, the prizes now include alcohol intead of candy....who doesn't want to search for eggs in the hope of winning a bottle of wine?  This year, I have been pretty bummed because we are not going to be able to make the treck to see my parents in Raleigh with everyone for Easter.  So... I decided to cheer myself up by making the Easter Candy my mom made every year.  I emailed her for the recipe, and as it turns out, it is simply a variation on the Irish Potato Candies I made a month ago.  The flavors include buttercream, coconut cream, and peanut butter (the peanut butter always went VERY fast in our house).

Peanut Butter with Milk Chocolate

Coconut Cream with Semi-Sweet Chocolate

Isn't the dish adorable?  It was in our Easter "Basket"  from my mom and dad.

Magnolia Bakery

Magnolia's Vanilla Cupcakes

Matt had a meeting in New York City last week, and I tug along to hang out in Central Park and catch a play.  One of my goals for the trip was to check out a few bakeries and some delicious cupcakes.  I visited Crumbs and Magnolia...both mouthwatering but very different.  Crumbs' cupcakes were over-the-top, super decadent, and sort of like a party in your mouth.  Magnolia, on the other hand, had much more simple treats.  I tasted a simple lemon cupcake with lemon buttercream icing....absolutely fantastic.  The cake was like velvet and the frosting was so light and creamy.  I just had to buy their newest cookbook, More from Magnolia. 

 I couldn't wait to try a recipe, so my first day home, I already made the Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Icing.  I'm taking them with me to a friend's house.   She gave birth to a stunningly gorgeous baby girl a week ago, and Matt and I thought they could use a meal and some dessert.  Maureen was one of my college roommates, and one of my favorite memories is her buying me a fabulous birthday cake during Senior Week, which we ate for breakfast and lunch for almost a week.  Vanilla cake is her favorite, so I tinted the icing pink in honor of the lovely Everly Grace and baked up a batch.  My goal is to distract our friends with food, while I sit quietly cuddling their baby girl.

I used up some of the flowers I used for my Mother-in-Law's Cake a few weeks ago.

Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Well...hello, deliciousness.

I'm getting together with some friends tonight, and I wanted to bring something a little different for dessert.  I stumbled upon an idea for cookie dough cupcakes.  Sounds heavenly, right?  Well, it is.  Chocolate Cupcakes with cookie dough centers and cookie dough frosting.  Matt and I split one to taste them, and he said the only thing missing was the other half.  I suggest using an eggless cookie dough recipe so no one gets sick.  I stole mine from Cupcake Project. 

Our friends, Maureen & Andy, may be stopping by this afternoon.  They are looking for a distraction considering Maureen is a few days overdue for their first child.  She will be happy to know that the cookie dough is egg-free, so she can eat it.  The night Maureen & Andy told us they were expecting, I made Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes, which Maureen clearly could not indulge in.

Creme Brulee Cupcakes

What is better than Creme Brulee?

Not much, in my opinion.  It is absolutely my favorite dessert.  If it is on the menu when we go out to eat, I'm ordering it.  I've tried a couple of times to make it at home, and my attempts have been futile.  It is disappointing, but I will keep trying.  However, I recently found this recipe on my friend's fantastic baking blog...SUGAR SHOCK!  I knew I had to try it.  My cousin, Hilary, is home from college this week, and her parents graciously invited us over to dinner, and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to try the recipe.  Matt and I just sampled one, and I want to eat more of them.

Next time, I think I'll use more brown sugar on top for extra delicious crunchiness...

Peanut Butter Cherry Blossom Cake

Happy Birthday, Mother-in-Law!

My mother-in-law's birthday is on Tuesday, but we are celebrating this weekend.   She is a big chocolate & peanut butter fan, and I ususally make her a chocolate cake with chocolate peanut butter icing, but this year, I thought I'd try to mix it up.  I decided to make a peanut butter cake with chocolate icing.  After googling lots of recipes, I decided to go with Paula Deen's...you can't go wrong with her recipes.  I'm not sure how the cake turned out yet, but if the batter is any indication, it should be scrumptious!   I didn't use her icing recipe, as I have one that I find delicious already.  I wasn't sure how to decorate the cake, but I decided that after a long winter, I wanted something spring-like.  What represents spring more than Cherry Blossoms?

Sorry about the poor quality of the pictures.  Some day, I will learn to take beautiful ones that show off the cakes better.

Irish Potato Candy

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Growing up in a very large Irish Catholic family in Philadelphia, I thought everyone knew what Irish Potato Candy was.  That was until I took some a few years ago to my in-laws.  They claim to have never to have had it, which I find to be blasphemy!  If you aren't lucky enough to know what these delicious bites of heaven are, please hurry and make this recipe before the big day arrives. 

A fantastic combination of cream cheese, butter, coconut and cinnamon.

I found this adorable container at Michael's last week for a dollar.  I couldn't resist.

So, readers...have you tried Irish Potato Candy before?  Is it a yearly tradition for you, too?