Change of format and cakes too!

We've been MIA for a couple of weeks, just super busy with end-of-the-year school things as well as cake and just life in general.  Our schedule always gets hectic at this time of the year, so we mulled it over, and decided that posting every day just doesn't work for us as teachers and parents.  We are going back to our regular format of posting whenever we have something to share, be it cakes we've done, cake news, or whatever inspires us. 

We hope that you will still check in with us regularly to see what we are up to and what we've posted recently.  Honestly, blogging is a full time job, and we both already have one of those!!

Here are two cakes Christina made for her cousins, a brother and sister.  The first is Andy's Derek Jeter Yankee jersey cake, which was vanilla cake with vanilla pudding and strawberries.   Next is his sister Melanie's Sweet 16 cake.  It was a glamorous girly cake for a glamorous girl!  The inside was vanilla cake with vanilla pudding and strawberries for the bottom layer, and vanilla cake with chocolate pudding for the top layer. 

Andy and Mel loved their cakes, and we hope you do too!

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

P.S.  Stay tuned this weekend for a Safari theme first birthday cake for twins!

Temporarily down!

Due to a super busy week as well as technical issues, we are temporarily down but will be back up next week (hopefully).  Thanks for hanging in there with us!

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

Basic supply list for cake decorating

Sitting here, half asleep, sipping my coffee at 6:52 am this cloudy Saturday morning, it suddenly struck me that once again, I forgot to get a box to transport my latest cake! 

Grrr...

This has happened more often than I care to admit as of late.  I blame my darned allergies for clouding my ability to think clearly, but nonetheless, the forgetfulness must stop!  I have visited Sweet N Fancy (our local cake decorating supply store) so often this week, the wonderful ladies there don't even miss a beat when I come in. 

"Back again?" they greet me with a smile. 

Not good.

So as I sit here, I have decided to make a list of basic supplies that each cake we make requires so that maybe, just maybe, I won't forget so many things in the future.  Think of it as a master checklist, with room to customize it for specific projects.  (If my husband reads this, he will definitely tease me, as I am the queen of checklists and my talent/obsession has rubbed off on him!)

Basic Cake Decorating Project Checklist:

• design/inspirations ideas and pictures
• cake drum (AKA base board)
• cardboard cake boards (for multiple layers)
• cake box (for final transport)
• ingredients for baking cake
• cake pans
• filling ingredients
• butter cream (for filling, piping dams, and skim coating)
• pastry bags (disposable and non-disposable)
• scissors
• ruler
• decorating tips
• spatulas
• scraper/smoother
• rolling pin(s)
• sugar shaker (filled with confectioner's sugar)
• fondant
• gel paste(s)
• fondant smoother
• pastry wheel
• support dowels (if stacking)
• fondant tools & cutters
• paint brushes
• dusting powders
• vodka
• air brush machine

Since it is only 6:52 am, I may have forgotten something, but I am fairly certain that these are all of the basic things I haul out each and every time I work on any cake, so if you think of anything, be sure to drop us a line!

Happy baking!
Christina

Wacky Cakes Wednesday!

Realistic cakes such as this one always get us.  Would YOU want to eat Fido (or Mitch)?  But in fairness, this cake is absolutely awesome and the creator is a cake goddess!  Woof, woof!

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

Terrific Tool Tuesday: Cake decorating dusts!

This Terrific Tool feature was a tough one to write because when we decided to do cake decorating dusts, it seemed as thought we couldn't just talk about that and be done with it!

Let's start with the basics.  Cake decorating dusts are special edible dusts just for cake decorating.  They contain only non-toxic ingredients and are perfect for use on gum paste, rolled fondant flowers, and so much more.  They can be used in dry form, as the name suggests, but can also be mixed with oil-based flavorings or alcohol (like vodka) for painting and highlighting.  

There are many types:  luster dust (give subtle colors with a high sheen metallic-like finish), petal dust (used to achieve deep hues with a matte finish on gum paste flowers), sparkle dust (similar to luster dust in effect), pearl dust (produces a shimmery luster), highlighting dust (come in either silver or gold and enhance your creations with a very high sheen, although some are not edible, so be careful), and disco dust (add a touch of color with lots of sparkle).  

Petal dust

Luster dust

Sparkle dust

Pearl dust

Disco dust

Cake decorating dusts are wonderful for all of the above purposes, and we certainly use them dry, but our favorite use is mixed with vodka and sprayed on with an air brush. 

Check out the vast supply of dusts on LusterDust.com and CandyLandCrafts.com, among other great on-line vendors or even in local craft stores that carry cake decorating supplies.  Once you use decorating dusts, cake decorating will never be the same for you!

A sample of a cake with luster dust (cake courtesy of Grosecar of Cake Central)

Happy baking!

Christina & Meghan

In the Spotlight: The Daring Kitchen!

Ever share a recipe with a friend, maybe even make the same recipe and compare notes over how it came out?  Isn't that fun and certainly a way to grow as a baker or cook?  If you have, then you need to join The Daring Kitchen.

One day, Lisa of La Mia Cucina and Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice decided to share a recipe for pretzels back in 2006, and before they knew what happened, by 2009, they had a website with thousands of followers!!  "Today, The Daring Bakers and The Daring Cooks span the world as bakers/cooks of all nationalities come together once a month to try something new in the kitchen!"

For more information about Lisa and Ivonne, check out the Daring Kitchen website and become a member.  The monthly challenges, whether you are a Daring Cook or a Daring Baker, are fun and certainly challenge (pardon the redundancy) you to spread your culinary wings!  We've been members since November 2010, and even though we can't do every single monthly challenge due to our already hectic schedules, we try to do it because it really is so much fun for us!

Check out our recent challenges from December, February, and March.  Stay tuned for May's challenge at the end of the month - it's a yummy one for chocolate lovers!

Until then, happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

Birthday cakes, a baby shower cake, and a bridal shower cake too!

May and June are always busy months for us, and this year is no different!  Last week we made a cake for Christina's cousin, this week we have a bridal shower and a boy's birthday, and next week we have a sweet 16. 

Phew! 

We end the month with a Safari-themed cake for twins turning one and then we head into June, when we have more birthday cakes and baby shower cookie favors too.

Never let it be said that we are idle!  We even have an order for wedding cake pop favors for July, so it looks like the summer is going to be busy as well.

Here is the baby shower cake from last week and the bridal shower cake from earlier this week, and be sure to come back tomorrow for the Yankee jersey cake for a boy's birthday, which is a reprise of a cake we did last year.

The bridal shower cake (below) was small and simple with the bride's main color of royal purple as an accent.  The couple's monogram on a heart with ribbon roses made this cake a sweet treat indeed!  The inside was a duplicate of the bride's actual wedding cake:  chocolate cake with Bavarian cream and strawberries (although we had to leave out the strawberries since one guest had severe allergies).  Nonetheless, the cake was yummy and the bride loved it!




The baby shower cake was a zebra print for a girl and also a reprise of a cake from last year.  The client requested matching cake pops; both cake and pops were red velvet, with cream cheese filling for the cake.  The cake was delivered to The Mansion in Madison.

A variation on a baby shower cake we did last year.

Coordinating cake pops!

A cake pop, up close and personal!

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

Tasty Thursday: Double-Strawberry scones!

We found this recipe in our May issue of BHG magazine.  In keeping with our strawberries theme for Tasty Thursdays in May, here it is.  Christina is planning on making these for a Mother's Day brunch this weekend!

Double-Strawberry Scones

(recipe courtesy of BHG magazine and BHG.com)

Ingredients:

• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into chunks
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh strawberries
• 1/2 cup freeze-dried strawberries, (optional - Trader Joe's carries these!)
• 2 Tbsp. snipped basil
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• Half-and-half or milk
• Sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl stir together the flour, the 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gently toss in fresh and freeze-dried strawberries and basil. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl stir together eggs and the half-and-half. Add egg mixture to flour mixture all at once. Using a large spoon, gently stir just until moistened.

3. Turn dough out onto a generously floured surface. Knead dough by folding and gently pressing it 5 to 7 times, turning dough a quarter turn after each fold. Transfer to a lightly floured parchment-lined baking sheet. Pat or lightly roll dough into a 3/4-inch-thick circle. Cut circle into wedges and pull apart slightly.

4. Brush wedges with additional half-and-half and sprinkle with sugar. Bake about 16 minutes or until golden. Serve warm. Refrigerate any leftover scones; reheat 15 seconds in microwave. Makes 12 scones.

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

Wacky Cakes Wednesday!

Is this really a reason to celebrate???

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

Terrific tools: Wilton fondant tool set!

Wilton's 10-piece fondant/gum-paste tool set is a must-have for every cake decorator.

It includes every tool you would need to create beautiful gum paste and fondant flowers, leaves and accents.  The set comes in a covered case and "includes large/small veining tool, shell tool/knife, large/small dogbone tool, serrated quilting/cutting wheel, umbrella tool with 5 and 6 divisions, scriber/cone tool, large/small ball tool, palette knife and modeling sticks #1 and #2."

It sells for $29.99 on the Wilton website as well as in stores such as Michael's and AC Moore, although if you shop there, be sure to use a discount coupon for it!

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

In the spotlight: NY Cake!

First known as the Chocolate Gallery over 25 years ago, NY Cake is indeed a baker's paradise!

 A renowned cake decorator and gold medal award winner, Joan Mansour founded NY Cake after customers kept asking "repeatedly for a shop to purchase supplies to bake and decorate their cakes, she decided to emphasize more on baking products and we thereby became known as New York Cake and Baking Distributor."  Now her store is 5,000 square feet and carries everything a cake decorator could ever want!

Located at 56 West 22nd Street between 5th & 6th Avenues, NY Cake is open Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm for all of your baking needs.  They also offer classes of all kinds so be sure to check out their website and visit their store if you are in the area!

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

Happy birthday, Jason!

Christina's cousin Jason is turning 26 on May 2nd, and yesterday she attended his birthday bash for which she provided the cake.  Red velvet with cream cheese was what the birthday boy requested, decorated with navy, chartreuse, hot pink, and white as well as some serious pizzazz!  The cake was a hit with all the party-goers.

Happy birthday, Jason!

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan