A Touch of Class Cakes

A year of cakes

2012-02-11T18:49:00.000-05:00

Hi all!

As promised, here is a run through of the sweet treats we created in the second half of 2011 and the first months of 2012. They range from cupcake wedding favors to a pirate's treasure chest to an adorable Cookie Monster child's birthday cake.

Enjoy!

Our annual cake for our Peer Leaders!

Argh! A treasure for Christina's cousin, Louis!

Cupcake wedding favors for a colleague...there were some with pink flowers too!

A 4th of July trifle!

Vroom! A Cars-inspired cake for a boy turning 3...action figure Cars were added at the party!

A giant pez dispenser for our principal's birthday. He is both a collector of pez as well as a Packers fan!

A mini cake for Christina's buddy, Mary!

A sweet 16 cake for a charming girl!

A groom's cake for a Giants fan!

Dried cranberries and coconut make a sweet holiday treat!

A beach-themed engagement cake!

Happy sweet 16 to Rebecca!

Mmmm....cookie! A fun cake for a special 3-year old!

Elmo and Cookie Monster cookies to accompany the Cookie cake!

Southern chocolate pie!

We'll be back up and running soon!

2012-02-08T09:48:00.000-05:00

2011 became a super-busy year, both professionally and personally, so we stopped blogging regularly (okay, we stopped blogging at all), but we are determined to get back on track with at least a few posts per month this year. That is our resolution.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for lots of pics of cakes from the second half of 2011 as well as the ones we have done so far in 2012!

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

Wii Mario Kart cake, Decorate-Your-Own cake, baby shower cookies and more!

2011-06-13T15:00:00.000-04:00

May and June are always busy cake months for us, which is why we have been too swamped to post lately. Nonetheless, we wanted to share some of what we have been up to as well as some up-coming projects too.

For Memorial Day weekend, we delivered this cake for twins turning one to North Jersey. The party theme was Safari, and the cakes were vanilla with pistachio whipped cream filling and chocolate with chocolate buttercream.

Safari-themed first birthday cake for twins, Noura & Samir.

The following week, Christina's youngest and oldest children celebrated their 5th and 9th birthdays, respectively. Aidan, the 5-year old, requested a Wii Mario Kart cake, while Mandara, the 9-year old, requested individual mini cakes for her three best friends, her sister, and her to decorate on their own. Here is Aidan's cake as well as all five mini cakes, both in progress and done.

Wii Mario Kart cake for Christina's son, Aidan.

The girls working on their individual mini cakes.

This past weekend, we had 40 baby shower cookie favors to make. Each sugar cookie was a unique baby onesie in yellow, blue, green, and orange individually bagged with "It's a Boy!" ribbon in blue.

This week we have two small graduation cakes as well as an annual cake for the Peer Leaders in our middle school. And next week, we are swamped! 180 cupcake wedding favors, a football-themed groom's cake, and a pirate's treasure box cake too! Phew!

Stay tuned for those pictures soon!

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

Change of format and cakes too!

2011-05-24T15:15:00.000-04:00

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!

2011-05-18T06:32:00.000-04:00

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

2011-05-14T07:23:00.000-04:00

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!

2011-05-11T06:27:00.000-04:00

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!

2011-05-10T06:49:00.000-04:00

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!

2011-05-09T06:27:00.000-04:00

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!

2011-05-06T10:24:00.000-04:00

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!

2011-05-05T14:26:00.002-04:00

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!

2011-05-04T15:48:00.001-04:00

Is this really a reason to celebrate???

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

Terrific tools: Wilton fondant tool set!

2011-05-04T15:48:00.000-04:00

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!

2011-05-02T06:45:00.000-04:00

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!

2011-05-01T20:00:00.000-04:00

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

Tasty Thursday: Strawberry Cake!

2011-04-28T10:09:00.000-04:00

Now that spring is here and the weather has turned for the better (we hope), fresh fruit is always first and foremost on our minds for healthy snacks as well as for cake.

Strawberries are always a personal favorite because they can be so juicy and delicious. And fresh strawberry time is upon us, hooray! In fact, we love strawberries so very much that we are going to showcase those luscious berries in each Tasty Thursday feature in May!

We've shared our go-to fresh strawberry filling in the past and today we'd like to share a delicious strawberry cake recipe we came across by chance. What we love about this cake is that it doesn't require any frosting, although a scoop of fresh whipped cream wouldn't be amiss on it!

Oh, and strawberries give Christina, our resident kitchen gadget geek, an excuse to use her favorite gadget: a strawberry huller! If you don't have one of these, be sure to get one. They save your berries from being hacked to death and losing out on some of the precious fruit by simply digging out the green stem and none of the ripe, red berry. Christina's is from The Pampered Chef and can be used to core tomatoes too, when they come into season!

Strawberry Cake

Adapted from Martha Stewart
recipe courtesy of Two Peas and Their Pod

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pound strawberries, hulled and sliced
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar, for sprinkling on top of cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch springform pan or pie plate. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl. Set aside.

2. Put butter and 1 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in egg, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.

3. Gradually mix in flour mixture. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Arrange strawberry slices on top of batter. Sprinkle turbinado sugar over berries.

4. Bake cake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake until cake is golden brown and firm to the touch, about 50-55 minutes. Let cool in pan. To serve, cut into wedges. Store cake at room temperature, for up to two days.

Serves 10

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

P.S. One of our favorite children's books features the strawberry:

And here is a short video clip of the book too!

Wacky Cakes Wednesday!

2011-04-27T06:48:00.000-04:00

Ummm...so what's with the dead guy on the cake?

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

Terrific Tool Tuesday: Icing smoother!

2011-04-26T10:03:00.000-04:00

Sometimes the simplest tool is the best tool to have and works wonders. An icing smoother is one of those tools.

An icing smoother is a type of scraper, either plastic or metal (usually aluminum), that is used to smooth buttercream on the tops and sides of cakes in preparation for decorating. Some smoothers even have different sides that can create cool designs on your icing - in that case, it is known as a decorating comb.

We use this smoother by Ateco:

There are lots of brands to choose from so depending on your needs, you can get one that does the job. Online merchants such as Global Sugar Art carry them.

Since we got one, our crumb coat for fondant has been the smoothest ever!

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

Happy Easter (a day late)!

2011-04-25T09:09:00.000-04:00

We enjoyed our familial celebrations yesterday and never got to post pictures of our Easter desserts. This year we decided to go with cake pops, a trend made all the rage by Bakerella. These lovely little treats are the perfect end to a huge meal when you just want a taste of something sweet.

If you want to learn how to make them, we suggest you purchase Bakerella's book "Cake Pops". It is easy, full illustrated of step-by-step directions, and many fun projects for the whole family.

Here are some pictures of Christina's family as they made them, as well as a look at Meghan's finished product!

Christina's girls hard at work!

Tim, Christina's husband, adding details to his cake pop!

Maddie, Christina's youngest daughter, painting corn syrup onto her pop!

The finished cake pops all wrapped up and ready to go to Easter dinner at Christina's parent's house!

Meghan's Easter cake pops!

Enjoy and happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

Amazing Wedding Cakes - Sneak Peek of the All-New Episode this Sunday 4/24!

2011-04-23T09:00:00.003-04:00

So we know we said we are on Spring break and wouldn't be posting (and trust us, we are enjoying the time off!) but we couldn't let the weekend go by without our weekly post about Amazing Wedding Cakes. And you can probably bet we will have something fun for tomorrow's holiday too!

This Easter weekend may be filled jelly beans and egg-decorating, but don't forget to tune-into some beautiful cake-decorating as well with another all-new episode of Amazing Wedding Cakes! Check out the bridesmaids' dresses, winter wonderland and BBQ picnic cakes on Sunday, April 24th, at 10pm | 9c on WE tv!

Here's what's happening:

Robin in Minnesota creates a bridal shower cake that’s a stunning salute to being many times a bridesmaid, and now happily a bride. Christopher designs a wedding cake that’s a twist on a classic BBQ picnic, with checkered tablecloths, watermelon, dandelions and dragonflies. White Flower in Ohio dreams up dangling snowflakes and rock sugar sparkle.

And make sure to tune in regularly for all new episodes of Amazing Wedding Cakes on Sundays at 10/9c on WE tv:

http://www.wetv.com/shows/amazing-wedding-cakes/episodes/season-4/bridesmaids-dresses-winter-wonderland-bbq-picnic-cakes

Happy baking!

Christina & Meghan

We're on Spring break!

2011-04-18T15:17:00.002-04:00

As we are both teachers, this is our Spring break week and so we are also taking a break from our cakes. Be sure to check back starting on April 25th for our regular daily blog entries!

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

Amazing Wedding Cakes - Sneak Peek of the All-New Episode this Sunday 4/17! (VIDEO)

2011-04-16T06:39:00.000-04:00

We don't know about you, but we are absolutely loving this season of Amazing Wedding Cakes! The beach/baby wedding cake last week was a work of art and the friendly competition between the sisters' engagement cake was fun to watch too!

Love is certainly in the air this spring with another all-new episode of Amazing Wedding Cakes this weekend! Be sure to tune in for the cityscape, gift box and rock-climbing cakes on Sunday, April 17th, at 10pm | 9c on WE tv!

Here's what's happening:

Robin of Minneapolis’ Gateaux Inc. meets a couple who want to incorporate multiple cities into their wedding cake, to depict their “Tale of Three Cities” story. Lauren and Marianne of Cleveland’s White Flower Cake Shoppe get to work on a Gift Box cake for a couple having Holiday-themed nuptials, but black fondant fades very quickly in the light, so the team must work in half-darkness to finish the project, harnessing their best night vision! Last-but-not-least, Orange County’s Christopher Garren’s Cakes receives an order for a unique groom’s cake to play up the groom’s obsession with rock climbing.

Check out the sneak peek video clip below and tune in for all new episodes of Amazing Wedding Cakes on Sundays at 10/9c on WE tv.

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

In the news: Baby cakes!

2011-04-13T19:39:00.000-04:00

I subscribe to several magazines and one of my favorites is always the Food Network one. This month's issue (May 2011, Volume 4 Number 4) had an article called "10 Things You Need To Know". And the very first thing listed was the following which was a fun piece of news to us:

"Bakers are delivering big news. Expectant moms and dads have started a sweet tradition: They're asking bakeries, instead of their doctors, to reveal whether the baby they are having is a boy or girl. The doctor writes down the gender and seals it in an envelope, then the baker makes either a blue or pink cake and decorates it with gender-neutral icing. The parents--to-be cut the first slice and discover the secret. Queen of Cakes bakery in Edina, MN, now gets order for "baby cakes" a few times a month. Says owner Terri Leckas, "I feel like the fairy godmother."

Here are some pics we found of the aforementioned baby cakes. And if you watched last week's "Amazing Cakes" on WE tv, then you would have seen one of these done!!

Happy baking!
Christina

Wacky Cakes Wednesday!

2011-04-13T06:47:00.000-04:00

Warning: the following wacky cake is not for the feint of heart - or stomach!!! It is just plain disgusting and unnecessary! Who made this and thought it was a good idea???

photo courtesy of RelaxedPolitics.com

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

Terrific Tool Tuesday: Silicone Molds!

2011-04-12T09:56:00.001-04:00

Yesterday we featured First Impressions Molds LLC as our Spotlight vendor of the week, with the promise to tell you more about silicone molds today, so here we go.

Silicone molds are used with fondant and gum paste, as well as a myriad of other mediums, to create decorations for cakes. Pastry chefs like Duff Goldman, Lauri Ditunno, and others use them to make life easier when they need a specific type of decoration that can be difficult to make.

Purchasing silicone molds is the easiest way to go. Site like First Impressions specialize only in molds, but you can also get them at site like Global Sugar Art, NY Cake, and others. (See our list of favorite website in the right side bar of this site for more vendor suggestions.) The molds come in a host of shapes and sizes, so if you search enough, you should find just what you need.

To use a silicone mold is super easy. Here are how-to instructions courtesy of First Impressions:

How-to

"Take a piece of sugarpaste that you think will be enough to just fill the mold, knead it until it is smooth and roll it into a ball. Take a dusting puff* and dust the ball, then press it into the mold, making sure you capture all the detail and any undercuts*.

You can dust the top as you press the sugarpaste in if it begins to feel sticky. If you have excess paste after filling the mold you can either cut it off with a pair of scissors (careful not to clip the mold), pinch it off, or run a straight edge spatula across the top to remove the excess, then smooth it again.

If the mold is deep, highly detailed or has undercuts, you must place the filled mold into the refrigerator or freezer for 15-30 minutes depending on how deep the mold is to allow the sugarpaste to set firm and to make for easy de-molding.

De-molding:

After you have pressed your sugarpaste into the mold, you can simply pop the piece out by gently holding the mold with your thumbs on top and fingers on the bottom of the mold and flexing it out and up.

If you have placed the filled mold into the refrigerator or freezer simply remove it and de-mold, then place the finished piece on waxed paper to air dry.

* Dusting puff - fill the foot of one knee-high pair of pantyhose with a 1/4 cup of cornstarch, then tie it and cut off the excess, leaving about an inch extra at the top for holding onto.

* Undercuts - portions of the piece that are deeper into the bottom or side of the mold than the rest."

If you search for a mold and just can't find what you want, perhaps you need something unique and specific to a project, then the way to go is by making your own mold. That is when a site like MYOM.com (Make Your Own Molds) comes in handy. There you can find mold making kits, videos, and supplies and accessories to get the job done.

Below are some molds that we own which make life easier, and even a couple we have on our wish list - that is, we wish we'd had them when we made a cake that featured just that decoration!!

Happy baking!

Christina & Meghan


We own this mold and use it with isomalt to make realistic-looking gems when needed.

Where, oh where, was this mold last summer when we were attempting make an engagement ring topper for a cake?!??

These drop beads make a beautifully elegant decoration!

Pearl borders have never been easier since we purchased this mold!! No more messy piping bags and aching hands!

* Dusting puff - fill the foot of one knee-high pair of pantyhose with a 1/4 cup of cornstarch, then tie it and cut off the excess, leaving about an inch extra at the top for holding onto.

* Undercuts - portions of the piece that are deeper into the bottom or side of the mold than the rest."

Reflections of a cake decorator

2011-04-11T19:04:00.002-04:00

Cake decorating shows are my secret passion. In fact, I record so many that my husband often marvels at how many there actually are on television!

I thoroughly enjoy watching the process of creating a cake from start to finish; of watching another artist hard at work on something about which they are passionate. There is never a time when I am viewing a show that I don't feel the inevitable pull to get up and make a cake of my own. My family benefits from this compulsion regularly and they actually encourage me to watch my shows so that I will get inspired to bake for them!

This evening I was sitting with some quiet time to myself (unheard of, I know!) while my husband was out with our eldest at softball practice and our two youngest were next door playing with friends. I was finally getting around to watching Food Network Challenge's "Last Cake Standing" (last season) and thoroughly enjoying the first episode.

Their first challenge was to create a cake that tells the story of who they are. The competitors - Michelle Bommarito, Bronwen Weber, James Roselle, Courtney Clark, Mary Maher, and Elissa Strauss - got to work on what I saw as essentially the story of their life, and I paused to ask myself what I would have done if I was one of them.

The answer was simple: a tall, ambitious cake with exquisite detail that represented my love of all things cake, perhaps with me in the forefront and my children avidly watching while my husband lending a hand as I worked on my creation. The cake would definitely be colorful, vibrant, and fun, much as I see myself.

And if taste were a judging criterion, it would taste out of this world!

Happy baking!

Christina

In the Spotlight: First Impressions Molds, LLC!

2011-04-11T05:55:00.000-04:00

This week we are linking together our "In the Spotlight" feature with our "Terrific Tool" of the week. When we sat down to brainstorm what vendor we wanted to feature and the tool we wanted to share with you, these two just went together perfectly!

This week's spotlighted vendor is First Impressions Molds LLC.

According to their website, "First Impressions Molds uses only the highest quality silicone to create molds used for a variety of mediums. We offer an unparalleled selection of over 400 silicone molds at competitive prices and always with the best service." Best of all, their molds can be used in so many ways, the creative possibilities are endless: fondant, gum paste, candle, royal icing, hard candy, candy clay, plaster and bread, just to name a few!

A silicone mold can make life so much easier when you are decorating a cake (see tomorrow's post to find out how) and First Impressions is the leader in the industry offering quality products with a wide selection at prices that won't break the bank!

Happy baking!

Christina & Meghan

Amazing Wedding Cakes - Sneak Peek of the All-New Episode this Sunday 4/10! (VIDEO)

2011-04-09T08:48:00.001-04:00

Last week's episode was fabulous, complete with a snow storm, a tricky topsy-turvy cake, and a koala cake too! This week promises to be just as good.

Here's what's happening:

Two sisters, both engaged, convince Marianne and Lauren in Ohio to make competing cakes for their double engagement party. Which cake will outdo the other? A Minnesota couple celebrates the groom’s safe return from Afghanistan after a quickie marriage. With an added twist, the bride is pregnant, and only the couple knows the gender of the baby! Robin suggests they make the color of the actual cake under the fondant either blue or pink so that when the first slice is cut at the party, all their guests will learn whether the couple is having a boy or a girl!

Tune in for all new episodes of Amazing Wedding Cakes on Sundays at 10/9c on WE tv:

http://www.wetv.com/amazing-wedding-cakes/videos/amazing-wedding-cakes-game-on

Here are some pics of the upcoming episode as well as a video clip too! Enjoy and be sure to tune in on Sunday!

Happy baking!

Christina & Meghan

Tasty Thursday: Tres Leches Cake!

2011-04-07T06:30:00.000-04:00

Christina's family is from Puerto Rico and as such, she was raised eating delicious comida criolla (AKA Puerto Rican food). One of her favorite desserts is Tres Leches (Three Milks) cake; even though it is not necessarily of Puerto Rican origin, it is still a popular dessert option at island restaurants.

Recently, when she was in Puerto Rico for her grandmother's funeral, Christina had a delicious version at a local bakery in Orocovis. She came home with it on her mind and decided sharing her recipe for it would be a great idea for one of our Tasty Thursday slots!

(Photo courtesy of Bobbyrica.com)

Tres Leches gets its name from the three different milks - sweetened condensed, evaporated, and whole - which gives it its richness and moistness. It can be a sweet cake, traditionally made with a large quantity of sugar and a meringue topping but this version uses much less sugar and fresh whipped cream instead, cutting back on calories and preparation time. Most recipes call for a light rum added to the milk syrup, which adds a nice adult flavor, although it can also be eliminated without sacrificing the taste. And unlike other cakes, this cake tastes better the next day, after it has set completely.

Here is the recipe Christina makes whenever she craves is and annually for the multicultural festival at a local elementary school her children attend. It comes from one of her favorite cookbooks called "Latin American Cooking Across the USA" by Himilce Novas and Rosemary Silva. Enjoy!

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

Tres Leches Cake

For the cake:

1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
5 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk

For the milk syrup:

1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon light rum or your favorite liqueur (optional)

For the whipped-cream topping:

1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Make the cake batter: sift together the cake flour and baking powder. Cream the sugar and the butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer until well blended. Add the eggs and the vanilla extract, and beat until foamy. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the dry ingredients, alternating with the milk, until the batter is smooth.

2. Pour the cake batter into a lightly greased 7 x 11 x 2-inch cake pan or baking dish, and bake on the middle rack in a preheated 350 degrees Farenheit oven for 30 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top springs back when gently pressed. Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then invert it onto a serving platter. Pierce the cake with a fork in many places and allow it to cook completely.

3. Next make the syrup: Whisk all the syrup ingredients in a medium mixing bowl until well blended. Pour the syrup evenly over the cake and refrigerate the cake, covering in plastic wrap, for at least 3 hours.

Make the toppings: First chill the cream, a large mixing bowl, and beaters or a whisk in the refrigerator. Beat the cream in the chilled mixing bowl with an electric mixer or the whisk until it begins to thicken. Add the sugar and vanilla extract, and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Cover the top and side of the cake with the whipped cream topping, using a spatula or knife. Cut the cake and serve. You may also cut the cake first, and then garnish with whipped cream only those portions you plan to serve.

Serves 10 to 12

Wacky Cakes Wednesday!

2011-04-06T06:31:00.000-04:00

Okay, so can someone explain why you would bake a baby into a cake? That is just strange!!!

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

Terrific Tool Tuesday: Spatulas!

2011-04-05T06:54:00.000-04:00

When most people hear the word spatula, they envision the tool they use to flip pancakes or eggs. But a cake decorator sees something different, and not just one type either.

Spatulas come in all different shapes, sizes, and styles. You can get a short, medium, or long one; one with a plastic handle or a wooden one; offset or straight; or even one with a tapered end. We believe that it is best to have several because you never know which one will work best for the task at hand. Wilton and Ateco are two trusted brands that made quality spatulas with stainless steel blades.

The spatula serves many purposes, from frosting cakes to spreading or mixing toppings. The blade should be slightly flexible, which aids in spreading and making soft toppings smooth in appearance. The spatula is used as a decorating tool but can also be used to serve slices of cake, pieces of pie or bars. We even slide ours under a cake to lift it slightly so we can slip our hands beneath to move it!

Baking spatulas are available with various length blades ranging from 4 to 14 inches. Here are samples of just four different types that are out there. If you are in the market for one, we suggest getting yours from a site like Cook's Dream or Wilton or even at your local craft store like Michael's or AC Moore.

Plastic handle, 4 1/2" x 3/4"

Wooden handle, 4 1/2" x 3/4"

Wooden handle, tapered tip, 5" x 3/4"

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

March's Daring Bakers Challenge: Yeasted Meringue Coffee Cake

2011-04-04T19:09:00.000-04:00

The March 2011 Daring Baker’s Challenge was hosted by Ria of Ria’s Collection and Jamie of Life’s a Feast. Ria and Jamie challenged The Daring Bakers to bake a yeasted Meringue Coffee Cake. I am a little late in posting but I have a good excuse: I had to travel out of the country for a funeral! I hope the folks at the Daring Kitchen can forgive me! :)

Anyway, the challenge was similar to the stollen back in December in that it was a wreath with similar steps. However, this cake was definitely a sweet treat! I made two, kept one home and had that with coffee and tea, and brought the other one to school to share with colleagues because word was that it was best on the first day or two.

Here is the recipe I followed, as well as some pics of the process and the final product. It is a little time consuming but definitely yummy!

FILLED MERINGUE COFFEE CAKE

My favorite part: mes en place!

The dough ready to be covered and allowed to rise!

My finished cake!

A close up of the inner yumminess!

Makes 2 round coffee cakes, each approximately 10 inches in diameter.
The recipe can easily be halved to make one round coffee cake.

Ingredients
For the yeast coffee cake dough:
4 cups (600 g / 1.5 lbs.) flour
¼ cup (55 g / 2 oz.) sugar
¾ teaspoon (5 g / ¼ oz.) salt
1 package (2 ¼ teaspoons / 7 g / less than an ounce) active dried yeast
¾ cup (180 ml / 6 fl. oz.) whole milk
¼ cup (60 ml / 2 fl. oz. water (doesn’t matter what temperature)
½ cup (135 g / 4.75 oz.) unsalted butter at room temperature
2 large eggs at room temperature

For the meringue:
3 large egg whites at room temperature
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ cup (110 g / 4 oz.) sugar

For the filling:
1 cup (110 g / 4 oz.) chopped pecans or walnuts
2 Tablespoons (30 g / 1 oz.) granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (170 g / 6 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips or coarsely chopped chocolate

Egg wash: 1 beaten egg
Cocoa powder (optional) and confectioner’s sugar (powdered/icing sugar) for dusting cakes

Directions:

Prepare the dough:
In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 ½ cups (230 g) of the flour, the sugar, salt and yeast.
In a saucepan, combine the milk, water and butter and heat over medium heat until warm and the butter is just melted.
With an electric mixer on low speed, gradually add the warm liquid to the flour/yeast mixture, beating until well blended. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes. Add the eggs and 1 cup (150 g) flour and beat for 2 more minutes.
Using a wooden spoon, stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a dough that holds together. Turn out onto a floured surface (use any of the 1 ½ cups of flour remaining) and knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is soft, smooth, sexy and elastic, keeping the work surface floured and adding extra flour as needed.
Place the dough in a lightly greased (I use vegetable oil) bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let rise until double in bulk, 45 – 60 minutes. The rising time will depend on the type of yeast you use.

Prepare your filling:In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar for the filling if using. You can add the chopped nuts to this if you like, but I find it easier to sprinkle on both the nuts and the chocolate separately.
Once the dough has doubled, make the meringue:
In a clean mixing bowl – ideally a plastic or metal bowl so the egg whites adhere to the side (they slip on glass) and you don’t end up with liquid remaining in the bottom – beat the egg whites with the salt, first on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high and continue beating until foamy and opaque. Add the vanilla then start adding the ½ cup sugar, a tablespoon at a time as you beat, until very stiff, glossy peaks form.

Assemble the Coffee Cakes:
Line 2 baking/cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Punch down the dough and divide in half. On a lightly floured surface, working one piece of the dough at a time (keep the other half of the dough wrapped in plastic), roll out the dough into a 20 x 10-inch (about 51 x 25 ½ cm) rectangle. Spread half of the meringue evenly over the rectangle up to about 1/2-inch (3/4 cm) from the edges. Sprinkle half of your filling of choice evenly over the meringue (ex: half of the cinnamon-sugar followed by half the chopped nuts and half of the chocolate chips/chopped chocolate).
Now, roll up the dough jellyroll style, from the long side. Pinch the seam closed to seal. Very carefully transfer the filled log to one of the lined cookie sheets, seam side down. Bring the ends of the log around and seal the ends together, forming a ring, tucking one end into the other and pinching to seal.
Using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife (although scissors are easier), make cuts along the outside edge at 1-inch (2 ½ cm) intervals. Make them as shallow or as deep as desired but don’t be afraid to cut deep into the ring.
Repeat with the remaining dough, meringue and fillings.
Cover the 2 coffee cakes with plastic wrap and allow them to rise again for 45 to 60 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
Brush the tops of the coffee cakes with the egg wash. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until risen and golden brown. The dough should sound hollow when tapped.
Remove from the oven and slide the parchment paper off the cookie sheets onto the table. Very gently loosen the coffee cakes from the paper with a large spatula and carefully slide the cakes off onto cooling racks. Allow to cool.
Just before serving, dust the tops of the coffee cakes with confectioner’s sugar as well as cocoa powder if using chocolate in the filling. These are best eaten fresh, the same day or the next day.

Happy baking!
Christina

In the Spotlight: The Cookie Cutter Shop!

2011-04-04T06:42:00.000-04:00

In addition to cakes, we also make cookie favors, a pretty big trend for all types of parties. We've made birthday favors, holiday cookies, and bridal shower favors too. Our cookies are delicious sugar cookies decorated with fondant and royal icing in whatever design is desired - the sky is the limit! Here are some of our past projects.

add pics here!

When we decided to start making cookies, we began a hunt to add to our limited cookie cutter supplies and that is when we came across The Cookie Cutter Shop.

We won't tell you that you can get every type of cookie cutter on their website, but you can definitely get a great selection of top-notch quality at super prices and their customer service is top notch! They've been in service since 1999 and are truly a great, family-run company. They ship quickly and always include recipes and a small gift in the box. The first time we ordered, we received this adorable miniature reusable shopping bag!

Their cutters come in all shapes and sizes, and if you can't find what you're looking for, you can always purchase a Make-Your-Own-Cutter kit. The site offers not only cutters but also baking supplies, cookie cookbooks, accessories (bags, ties, etc), and recipes as well.

So as they suggest on their home page, "pour yourself a cup of your favorite tea and browse through (their) selection!"

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

Amazing Wedding Cakes - Cool koala cake on the all-new episode this Sunday, 4/3!

2011-04-02T08:22:00.000-04:00

Spring weddings are here, for us personally kicking off when Christina's friends Jen and Mike get married in two short weeks (April 16, 2011)!

The industry is in full swing making nuptial dreams come true for countless couples, and for us the most important aspect, of course, is the cake! Naturally, some of our local favorites are in on the action; for instance, Pink Cake Box is participating in Braunschweiger's bridal show today, April 2nd, in Morristown, NJ from 11am to 4pm. (Sorry for the late notice!)

Even if you are not involved in a wedding or attending one soon, there are plenty of opportunities to see how the cake is made especially for the bride and groom. How? By tuning in to a cake show, of course! The best for the topic at hand is Amazing Wedding Cakes. Check out an all new episode of this Sunday, April 3rd, at 9pm | 8c on WE tv!

Here's what's happening this Sunday:

"A topsy-turvy, black & white wedding cake takes a detour in New Jersey. In Minnesota, a stunning gold cake with purple orchids nearly gets lost in the blizzard of the century. And in Orange County, two cute Koalas set the stage for "I Do."

Tune in for all new episodes of Amazing Wedding Cakes on Sundays at 10/9c on WE tv:

http://www.wetv.com/shows/amazing-wedding-cakes/episodes/season-4/black-white-gold-koala"

Let us know what you think of the new season!

Happy baking!

Christina & Meghan

Tasty Thursday: Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting!

2011-03-31T09:56:00.000-04:00

We actually shared this recipe around this time last year on our old blog but it is definitely worth repeating, especially with the popularity of carrot cake at Easter time. The recipe is courtesy of Christina's mother, Nancy, who found it many years ago in a magazine.

The cake itself is moist thanks to the addition of mayonnaise as well as pineapple chunks. The spices give it a nice kick and the toasted walnuts add to its earthiness, but the clincher is the decadent cream cheese frosting that brings it all together. Let us know what you think by sending us a comment!

picture courtesy of The Best Carrot Cakes website

Best Carrot-Pineapple Cake

Cake Ingredients:

2 cups sifted cake flour
1 ¾ cups sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon allspice
1 ¼ cups finely shredded carrot
1 (8 ¼-ounce) can chunk pineapple (in heavy syrup)
¾ cup mayonnaise
4 eggs
1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Baking Instructions:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease and flour (or spray with Baker’s Joy) two 8 x 1 ½-inch or 9 x ½-inch round baking pans. Set the prepared baking pans aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and allspice. Add carrot, undrained pineapple, mayonnaise, and eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed till moistened.
Beat on medium speed for another 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in the walnuts by hand. The batter will seem loose but this is normal.
Pour the batter into prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes. Loosen sides. Remove cakes from pans. Cool cake layers thoroughly on wire racks.
To assemble, place 1 cake layer on a serving plate. Spread layer with about ½ cup of cream cheese frosting. Top with second layer. Spread top and sides with remaining frosting. Store frosted cake, covered, in refrigerator.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

In a large mixing bowl, beat one 8-ounce package of cream cheese; ½ cup unsalted butter, softened; and 2 teaspoons of vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in enough sifted powdered sugar (about 4 cups) to make frosting of spreading consistency. (Makes 3 ½ cups)

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

Wacky Cakes Wednesday!

2011-03-30T06:07:00.000-04:00

We don't know about you, but this scary creation would put us off cake indefinitely. It just goes too far into gross (although it is well done)!

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

Terrific Tool Tuesday: Fondx rolled fondant

2011-03-29T10:05:00.000-04:00

Whenever you watch the cake shows on TV like "Ace of Cakes" (which is sadly off the air), "Cake Boss", and Food Network's "Challenge", to name a few, you see that the decorators are using pre-made fondant from a bucket, and more often than not it is the Satin Ice brand.

Satin Ice is a fine product and we use it for accenting and smaller projects. However, when it comes to covering a cake, we prefer not to use it for two reasons: it doesn't taste as good as we'd like and it dries out easily so our cakes tend to crack with it.

Instead, we discovered a different, better fondant that not only covers well but also tastes great: Fondx by Cal-Java.

We first discovered this product at the National Capital Area Cake Show in Virginia in 2010. The vendor was present with samples, which we tasted. That was our first clue that it was better than Satin Ice. Then the vendor used it in a demo and we were sold; we purchased two 10-pound buckets on the spot for $25 each!

Ever since, we have been using Fondx to cover our cakes and we have been happier for it. Once or twice we used Satin Ice in a pinch (mostly out of laziness to tint our own fondant - Satin Ice does offer a greater variety of colors) but each time we used it, we recalled immediately why we prefer Fondx and vowed never to do it again (until next time)! Fondx just tastes better (like marshmallow) and looks better too!

Global Sugar Art, our favorite on-line vendor, sells a 2-pound bucket for $11.99 and a 10-pound bucket for $28.99 (although the more you purchase, the cheaper it is). The down side is that it only comes in virgin white but you can tint it any color you desire by using food color, such as Wilton, or our preferred brand, AmeriColor.

If you want it already tinted, then your best bet is to head over to CalJava Online to purchase it. You'll pay more but you can also get it in black, ivory, blue, red, green, purple, orange, yellow, and brown. CalJava even offers something called Fondx Zero; according to their site, "...this new 0g Trans Fat formula is perfect for cake artists looking for a healthier alternative or for business owners who desire to use 0g Trans Fat ingredients."

Where ever you get it or whichever variety you use, trust us, you're gonna love Fondx, so be sure to visit Global Sugar Art or Caljava Online or any vendor that carries it and get a bucket today!

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

In the Spotlight: Global Sugar Art

2011-03-28T06:01:00.000-04:00

Last week's "In the Spotlight" honoree was Cakes We Bake. Check out the post here. This week we turn our attention to a fabulous vendor, Global Sugar Art.

Global Sugar Art is located at 625 Route 3, Unit 3, Plattsburgh, NY. They are open to the public from 9-5, Monday through Friday and "welcome you to visit our store and browse the thousands of cake decorating supplies in stock." However, since Plattsburgh is a very long road trip for us, we take advantage of the vast array of supplies via the Internet.

Simply put, Global Sugar Art rocks.

Seriously.

They have every cake decorating supply imaginable at great prices; they offer discounted shipping rates based on how much you spend; and they ship lightning fast.

No joke.

One Wednesday morning, we ordered a few last-minute items we needed for an upcoming cake via regular shipping (no expediting), and by Thursday afternoon - the very next day! - we had our stuff! And we live in Central NJ while Plattsburgh is in Upstate New York at the Canadian border!!! Needless to say, we were floored and super pleased too!

So head on over to Global Sugar Art, either in person or on line, and check out for yourself how great they really are!

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

Two more cake show to add to the DVR schedule!

2011-03-27T17:26:00.000-04:00

Ever since "Ace of Cakes" ended their 10-season run on Food Network, and Buddy Valastro's "Next Great American Baker" ended its first season, we have been in need of a fresh, new show to follow. Naturally, we still tune into Food Network's "Challenge" as well as "Fabulous Cakes" on TLC for our fix, but even these are getting old. As we wait for the next season of We's "Amazing Wedding Cakes" this Sunday, we've received word about two new shows coming our way soon!

Ashley Vicos of "Sweet Ashley's" in Atlanta is going to be hosting a new show called "Have Cake, Will Travel" premiering on the Food Network on April 2nd at 9pm. The show will be a "new comedy docu-reality series that follows Ashley Vicos, the reigning queen of the cake decorating world, as she leads her motley crew of assistants around the country creating jaw-dropping, three-dimensional cakes for every type of event imaginable."

Ashley Vicos

For those of us who loved Duff Goldman's series so much, this may be just what we need to keep the spirit alive. We'll let you know once we see the premiere, but we are hopeful!

The second show is called "Last Cake Standing" and is also airing on Food Network, premiering on April 3rd at 10pm. This show features "eight talented pastry chefs who face off in a cake competition unlike any other. With crazy twists and eliminations looming each week, only one will prevail and take home $100,000." It almost sounds like "Challenge" to the extreme, doesn't it? Can't wait to check it our. Our DVR is about to get a major workout!

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

The National Capital Area Cake Show is here!

2011-03-25T06:22:00.000-04:00

This weekend - March 26-27, 2011 - is the annual National Capital Area Cake Show in Annandale, Virginia at Northern Virginia Community College. Cake decorating enthusiasts can attend to see live challenges, free demonstrations, attend classes, view entries for a decorating competition open to all, and best of all, shop! There will be top industry vendors such as CalJava, Choco-Pan, Guidlcraft, and dozens more. There are even youth activities and a bake sale too, which this year benefits Icing Smiles and Fischer House.

One of our favorite parts, aside from shopping, is spotting the cake celebrities - in the past, we've seen Anne Heap, Mary Jo Dowling, Norm Davis, Zane Beg, Toba Garrett, and many more. This year, the live challenge participants are Bob Brougham, Mike Elder, Dana Herbert (winner of TLC's "Cake Boss: The Next Great American Baker"), and Kathy Scott.

Be sure to head on down to Annandale for an unforgettable caking experience!

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

Tasty Thursday: Honey Sand Ball cookies

2011-03-24T05:58:00.001-04:00

Obviously, we are huge fans of cake, but there are many other desserts that put a smile on our faces. As we rifled through our recipe boxes looking for a recipe to share this week, Christina found a personal favorite given to her by her dad, John. She has used this recipe so often that it is tattered, worn, and covered in stains!

A picture of Christina's well-loved recipe in her dad's handwriting!

This recipe is quick and easy to whip up (any baker worth her weight in salt will have all of these ingredients on hand at any given time), and the cookies themselves are great with a nice cup of tea or a cold glass of milk. Enjoy!

Here's what they should look like (photo courtesy of Whats Cooking America)

Honey Sand Balls

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
2 tablespoons honey
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
sifted powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter, the 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and honey. Add flour, nuts, vanilla, and salt. Mix thoroughly, using hands if necessary.
Shape into 1-inch balls. Place balls 1 1/2 inches apart on a cookie sheet.
Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 14 to 16 minutes, or till the cookies are barely tinged with brown.
While cookies are still warm, roll in or sprinkle them with powdered sugar twice. Makes 48 cookies.

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

Wacky Cakes Wednesday: Divorce Cake!

2011-03-23T09:54:00.000-04:00

In our search for a wacky cake for this week's Wednesday feature, we came across something completely new to us: divorce cakes! We have never heard of the concept before but apparently there is growing market for just this kind of cake.

If you really think about it, why not? You celebrate every other aspect of a marriage with a cake: engagement, bridal shower, rehearsal dinner, the wedding day, anniversaries, etc. But what if your marriage becomes one of the nearly 50% that end in divorce? And what if not only does it end, but it ends poorly, so much so that the signing of the papers calls for a celebration? What better way to celebrate than with cake?

So here is our favorite divorce cake for our Wacky Cake Wednesday feature. It tells the tale all too well. Thanks to http://www.singlemommyhood.com/ for the image.

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

Terrific Tool Tuesday: Serrated Knife

2011-03-22T10:02:00.000-04:00

A serrated knife? Really? That's an essential cake decorating tool? We can sense your doubt, but trust us, this one is a must. We honestly don't know how we lasted so long without one. And we aren't talking about a small one either. Oh no, we're talking about a big, lethal serrated knife (AKA a bread knife), like the ones you see the pros using on TV.

As a matter of fact, it was on Food Network's "Challenge" that we first noticed this tool being used. As the professional cake artists raced against the clock to create, huge, extreme cakes they carved by hand, we notice that the knife was always the same: long and serrated. So we went out to find ourselves just such a tool.

After hitting several different stores (and picking up other unnecessary "necessary" items along the way) we settled on a knife we found at our local Home Goods store. The brand was Fat Daddio's, a well-known name in the cake decorating industry, producing quality baking pans and other tools.

Our knife (we each got one) is a 14" cake/bread knife. On websites like Cheftools.com, this knife goes for around $13.92. We got ours for $7.99! It was a deal too sweet to pass up, hence we got two.

There are tons of brands out there, some significantly more expensive by big name brands such as Henckels, Wusthof, and Shun, but we find this one works extremely well for leveling cakes as well as carving them for 3D projects such as our recent lighthouse cake.

Still doubt us? Just ask Christina, who ended up getting three stitches in her right thumb when this lethal weapon slipped and "nicked" her finger. We've actually both sustained injuries from using the knife, so a word to the wise: be very careful, pay close attention, and if all else fails, wear safety gloves - your fingers will thank you!

Our Fat Daddio's serrated cake/bread knife.

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

Back to our regular schedule!

2011-03-21T14:47:00.000-04:00

Hi all!

Just a quick note to let you know that we didn't vanish off the face of the Earth. Christina is our webmaster and site coordinator, and unfortunately, her maternal grandmother died suddenly last Tuesday (March 15, 2011) resulting in her having to fly to Puerto Rico for the week and so making it impossible for her to keep up with the blog.

Now that things have settled down for Christina and she is back stateside, she is ready to get back to what we do best: cakes, cakes, and more cakes!

Keep an eye out for our normal Tuesday post of Terrific Tools!

Happy baking!

Christina & Meghan

In the Spotlight: Cakes We Bake

2011-03-14T12:06:00.000-04:00

Last week we featured Cake Central as our "In the Spotlight Monday" honoree. Check out that post here.

This week we are choosing another favorite social network for cake decorators, Cakes We Bake, "where cake decorators and bakers share cake photos, cake decorating tips, and cake recipes."

We've been members of "Cakes We Bake" for a year and love all of the wonderful components of the site. Once you join as a member (for free) you can personalize your page, upload photos, join discussion forums and so much more. There links to cake events across the country and even around the world. There are smaller subgroups based on your location and skill level; we are members of the New Jersey Cake Decorators and Self-Taught Decorators. And our favorite, there are links to dozens upon dozens of instructional videos for different decorating techniques.

Here's a link to our page: http://www.cakeswebake.com/profile/Christina790

Novice or expert, this is another great site for you to connect with other fellow cakesters from around the world so be sure to check it out!

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

Cakes in the news: A Cake Fit for Royalty

2011-03-12T17:23:00.000-05:00

My DVR is set for April 29th to record the royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton. I don't remember the wedding of his mother and father, Princess Diana and Prince Charles, but I do remember seeing photos, hearing talk about it, and following their life together as they had the boys, through their divorce, and as they built separate lives.

Prince William and Kate Middleton's official engagement photo.

As a little girl who dreamed of being a princess herself, the royal life was fascinating. I remember being devastated when they announced their divorce and I recall vividly that I was babysitting a little girl named Madison on August 31, 1997 when Diana was killed in a tragic car accident. Images of her young sons, left motherless, were so touching. And of course, like any girl my age, I thought Prince William was dreamy.

Charles and Diana's engagement photo.

Now he is getting married and having his own fairy tale wedding to his long-time girlfriend who happens to be a regular girl (who says dreams can't come true?!??) and the wedding is just weeks away. And of course, at this point in my life, married to my own dream guy and being a cake decorator too, I am interested in all of the usual things - flowers, dresses, etc. - but I am most especially interested in the cake.

Just yesterday it was revealed that chefs from the Welsh National Culinary Team have been hired to make the custom creation. No theme has been shared, but rumors have it that harps, dragons and the national flag will be represented since Prince William and Kate will be settling in Wales, where he is stationed with the Royal Air Force.

Prince Charles and Princess Diana's official wedding cake (they were rumored to have had 27!) was supplied by Andrew Davidson of Classic Celebration Cakes as had been many royal wedding cakes before theirs, but William and Kate declined their services. Charles and Di's cake had a traditional fruitcake center and the finished confection towered 6 feet high with five tiers.

Charles & Diana's cake

So since the details of the cake don't seem to be forthcoming, I will patiently wait until April 29th to see this cake fit for royalty. Until then...

Happy baking!
Christina

My Little Pony cake!

2011-03-11T06:24:00.000-05:00

Christina's daughter, Maddie, is finally having her 6th birthday party. She wanted the "My Little Pony" theme, so the tableware, balloons, and other decorations fit the bill. There will be pizza, a craft, and of course, a cake. Last week we posted the recipe Christina would be using.

Here is a picture of the finished cake as well as a close-up of a slice of the fun rainbow inside. Yum!

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

Tasty Thursday is for recipe sharing!

2011-03-10T20:22:00.000-05:00

The Internet is full of fabulous finds for delicious, unique or even classic cakes. We've certainly tapped into many on-line resources for a recipe in a pinch, but we also have our own collection of recipes, some from our family members, some from our vast collection of cake cookbooks, and some we've found in magazines or even in newspapers, etc. And not all of them are for cakes, but also cookies, pies, and other sweet treats too.

In the past we've shared the odd recipe here and there (go back through our posts from this blog and our old one for our recipes for Vanilla cake, Panna Cotta, Florentine cookies, Italian Cream cake, Snickerdoodle cookies, Christmas Stollen, Pumpkin Spice cupcakes, Apple pie, No-Fail Sugar cookies, Chocolate Better Than ___ cake, and so many more). We'd like to continue in the same vein, but we're specifically reserving Thursdays for this tasty tradition.

So here is our first Tasty Thursday recipe sharing. It is from Christina's recipe box, given to her by her dear mom, Nancy, long, long ago - source unknown. The recipe is for a to-die-for Apple cake that will have you smackin' your lips and cutting another slice in no time. It is best served with vanilla ice cream or a cold glass of milk.

Easy Apple Cake

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup Amaretto (or almond extract, in a pinch)
3-4 cups apples, peeled,cored and diced (large dice)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a Bundt pan with cooking spray; set aside.
With an electric mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy.
Add eggs and vanilla, continuing to beat until well mixed.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon, mix well.
Add half of the flour mixture to the butter/egg mixture, mix well.
Add milk and Amaretto to the mixture, then the rest of the flour mixture, beating well after each addition.
Fold in chopped apple, mixing gently but thoroughly.
Pour mixture into prepared Bundt pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes until toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 10 minutes.
Remove from pan and let cool on a rack.

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

Wacky Cakes Wednesday!

2011-03-09T16:08:00.002-05:00

Cake decorating is an art form, no doubt about it. The sky is the limit when you are creating a cake. Generally, we at ATOCC prefer simple cakes with clean. modern lines, but if someone requests something specific, we create whatever they want. And sometimes these requests can be a bit odd. We've been fortunate in our cake requests, but some fellow cakesters out there have not been so fortunate, getting some downright bizarre requests.

So we've decided to dedicate each Wednesday to a crazy cake that we found somewhere on-line, whether it be in Google images, on a blog, or somewhere else. Cakes that make us gasp or cringe when we see them because they are so wacky.

Let us know what you think of the crazy cakes by commenting on our posts each Wednesday. We'd love to hear from you! And if you have a wacky cake you want to share, send us an e-mail with an attachment or a link: touchofclasscakes@gmail.com.

This week's cake caught our eye (pun intended) and is brought to you from http://www.cakepicturegallery.com/main.php .

Happy baking!

Christina & Meghan

Terrific Tool Tuesday: Ribbon cutters!

2011-03-08T06:01:00.000-05:00

Tuesdays at "A Touch of Class Cakes" have been renamed "Terrific Tool Tuesdays". So what does that menan? It's simple: each Tuesday we will feature a different cake decorating tool that cake decorators just have to have and we can't live without.

Today's tool is a ribbon cutter. This easy-to-use tool allows you to quickly cut stripes, ribbons, and even bows for your cakes. There are several different varieties available but we are going to highlight only two:

1) Wilton Ribbon Cutter and Embosser Set: According to the Wilton site, "This easy-to-use tool is the perfect way to add beautiful textured fondant ribbons, stripes and bows to your cake. Just choose the cutting and embossing wheel designs you want, slide the washer, core, wheels and spacers on the roller handle, and roll on top of your fondant. We suggest brushing the assembled roller with shortening for easy release. The perfectly cut ribbon strips are ready to place right on your cake! Produces ribbon widths from 1/4 in. to 3 3/4 in. when combining spacers."

The tool runs about $16.49 and comes with 26 different pieces. We use ours regularly since we generally only make a ribbon border for most of our cakes or perhaps a simple bow. Some glitches that you should be aware of are that if you tighten the screw too much, the tool won't roll; likewise, if you don't tighten it enough, the pieces can easily come apart. It can be tricky to get used to (Meghan still giggles when I drop pieces all over the place as Christina adjust the widths!) but well worth it in the end for making even strips for bows and ribbons.

However, if you are looking to add multiple stripes to your cake or are making a cake of many layers, then this next took is more what you will need:

2) Ateco 7 Wheel Cutter Pastry Cutter: Much pricier than the Wilton tool (on CooksDream.com, it runs $82.59 plus shipping) this tool is a time saver when you need even cuts and uniform portions in large quantities. It can be used for ribbons and bows for cakes as well as for "cutting brownies, cookies, cake and pastry or pasta dough." Duff Goldman and other master cake decorators use this tool frequently. You can also opt for the 6 or 12 wheel versions, depending on your needs. We haven't purchased this yet as we seem to be making out just fine with our Wilton tool, but it is definitely on our wish list.

Check out some of our favorite cake decorating supply websites under our "Our Favorite Sites" and be sure to go out and get yourself one of these tools. You won't regret it, especially if you've ever struggled to cut ribbons before!

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

In the Spotlight: Cake Central

2011-03-07T06:29:00.000-05:00

So we've decided to make Mondays a day to spotlight great cake-related websites. These are websites we frequently visit to learn new things, read some fun stuff, or purchase supplies.

Our first "In the Spotlight" website is Cake Central.

This website is dear to our hearts as it was the first one we became members of as we began our travel down the road of cake decorating. Cake Central is called "the world's largest social network for cake decorators" and as such is a wealth of resources and information for everything cake-related. Need an idea for a cake design? Go to Cake Central's "Galleries".

Need a tried-and-true recipe for a cake? Go to Cake Central's "Recipes" page. Need advice on how to do something for a cake? Go to Cake Central's "Forums" and create a discussion on the topic in question. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how many people are willing to help you in a tough spot. We cakesters are a kind and generous bunch. :)

There are also links to classes, shopping, contests, articles, news, and so much more. And best of all, in March of 2010, Cake Central launched their very own magazine. It has only been a year and there have been some kinks along the way, but the magazine is a great source for tutorials, recipes, product reviews, and industry news. A subscription runs $60 for a year of 12 issues with free shipping within the United States. The magazine is also available at select cake decorating shops throughout the country so click here to see if you can get it in your state. We have a subscription but we can also get a copy at our local cake decorating shop, Sweet N Fancy.

The most recent issue of Cake Central Magazine.

So whether you are a novice or master cake decorator, if you are not a member of Cake Central (which, BTW, is free) then you need to head over there now and become one!

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

Secret project revealed: Lighthouse bridal shower cake!

2011-03-06T07:32:00.000-05:00

Christina's friends, Jen and Mike, are getting married on April 16, 2011 and yesterday was Jen's bridal shower at Rosie's Wine Bar in Garwood, NJ.

Kelley, another friend and also the MOH, asked Christina to make Jen's shower cake (we made Kelley's sister's shower cake last year and she just loved it) in the theme of the shower, which was nautical. The theme was inspired by their engagement: Mike asked Jen to marry him at Old Barney, the lighthouse at Long Beach Island, NJ.


Old Barney, Long Beach Island, NJ (picture courtesy of www.longbeachisland.com/history.html)

This cake was a labor of love for Christina, as Jen and Mike are two very special people to her. The design seemed simple: a conical shape decorated to look like a lighthouse. A quick sketch was step one:

The original design, which underwent many changes.

The support structure came next. That was a challenge in and of itself because we had never created one despite watching it done many times on TV. Christina consulted her dad and a very hand colleague, Jim, and with their advice and a shopping list in hand, hit Home Depot for what she would need. (See our post from March 1st on our old blog for step-by-step details and a picture.)

Another challenge for this cake was figuring out the beacon for the top of the lighthouse. Isomalt (a sugar substitute that is used for sugar sculpture since it does not crystallize as quickly as regular sugar) was considered but quickly abandoned as too tricky to try to pull off after the adventure making the support structure. Another shopping trip, this time to Pier 1 Imports, wielded perfect results: a metal candle holder that showcased four small lanterns that perfectly resembled a lighthouse beacon!

Pier 1 Imports tea light lanterns are the perfect lighthouse beacons!

The final step was the actual cake itself. Kelley requested chocolate since it is the favorite of the bride and groom. The filling was our popular homemade strawberry (made of the freshest berries, sugar, and cornstarch cooked down), which had been the same flavor cake we made for Kelley's sister's cake last year.

The new challenges came once the cake layers were stacked on the support structure and when the filling began leaking past the frosting dams Christina made to keep said filling inside the cake where it belonged. An extra thick crumb coat and overnight refrigeration took care of that. Next came covering it in fondant, a new nightmare. Fondant is notoriously heavy and this cake was tall. Another friend and fellow cake maker, Laura, was called in for an extra set of hands. After rolling it out twice, the fondant was finally on!

Old Barney is a maroon color on top so Christina decided to use her airbrush machine for this job, a gift from her husband at Christmas, which had only been used up to this point for spraying vodka on cakes to finish them off. (The vodka wets the cake, eliminating unsightly powdered sugar spots from rolling the fondant but then evaporates leaving a nice sheen on the cakes.) The airbrush was a bad idea. This led to Christina taking off the fondant and starting from scratch! In the end, the second fondant job was much better, done in two pieces, white for the bottom half and red for the top.

After that, the finishing touches were a piece of cake, pun intended! The coup de grace was the beacon on top with a battery operated tea light candle lighting the way to Jen and Mike's future wedded bliss.

After all was said and done, the cake was hit, Jen and Mike both loved it, and even had some left to take home for later!

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

Happy birthday, Maddie!

2011-03-04T06:46:00.000-05:00

Christina's middle child, Madeline, is 6 today so we wanted to wish her a happy, happy birthday!

She is bringing these cupcakes in to school today to share with her classmates. On Sunday she'll have a small cake for her family, design to be determined (we'll post that over the weekend), and next Friday she'll get her special My Little Pony rainbow cake (see yesterday's post).

Confetti cupcakes with vanilla frosting and confetti sprinkles in a carry case (available at www.SweetNFancy.com)

Happy baking!

Christina & Meghan

Rainbow cake!

2011-03-03T15:25:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow Christina's daughter, Maddie, turns six and she has requested a My Little Pony cake for her party next week. While planning the cake, which we will post here upon its completion, Christina decided to do add a fun element to the baked layers themselves: a rainbow affect!

That means she will be making multiple single layers of vanilla cake which she will then dye different colors using food coloring. When stacked together, they will create a rainbow, which looks pretty darned impressive when you cut into the cake!

Here is an example of what we mean:

(Picture courtesy of http://www.marthastewart.com/)

Stay tuned for Christina's cake next week!

Until then, here is a copy of our vanilla cake recipe (which is actually a 1-2-3-4 cake, recipe courtesy of Swan's Down) in case you decide to try out a rainbow cake for yourself. We use this particular recipe because it is delicious and holds up well to stacking and carving.

1-2-3-4 Cake (AKA vanilla cake)

Ingredients:
1 cup butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
3 cups sifted Swans Down Cake Flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Baking Instructions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Add eggs one at a time to creamed mixture, beating well after each addition.
Add flour mixture alternately with milk and flavorings, beating after each addition until smooth.
Baking: Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch layer pans, using about 2-1/3 cups batter in each pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans and finish cooling on racks.

For the rainbow effect, divide the batter evenly between six medium bowls. Add enough of each color of food coloring to each bowl, whisking, until desired color is reached. Transfer each color to its individual cake pan and bake from there. (Note: Christina is planning on doubling this recipe and baking her layers in 6" round pans.) Be sure to stack your layers in the order of ROY G BIV so you get the true rainbow look!

Happy baking!

Christina and Meghan

Upcoming event: Cupcakes with Buddy

2011-03-02T21:48:00.001-05:00

Hi all!

One of New Jersey's very own cakesters, Buddy Valastro, is participating in a worthwhile event to benefit epilepsy awareness and education in just a couple of short weeks. This fundraiser is near and dear to our hearts, and so we are planning to attend. Here's the write-up from the official website for the event, "Cupcakes with Buddy":

"On Sunday, March 13, 2011, join Buddy Valastro of Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken and his family for a fun afternoon of purple cupcakes provided by local bakeries. Watch Buddy's demonstration and taste his special cake for the occasion!

Hosted by The Anita Kaufmann Foundation in honor of Purple Day for epilepsy awareness, all guests are asked to wear purple to show their support.

Cupcakes With Buddy also features a silent auction with incredible prizes and a huge selection of delicious cupcakes. This event is sure to be one of New Jersey's most talked about. Purchase your tickets today and support epilepsy awareness and education.

Advance Individual Ticket - $50.00
At the Door - $75.00 (cash only)

For an additional $30, you can also pre-order an autographed copy of Buddy’s new book. All proceeds support epilepsy awareness and educational programming.

To learn more about The Anita Kaufmann Foundation, please visit www.akfus.org. For more information on Purple Day, stop by www.purpleday.org"

The event is for a worthwhile cause, so if you can, purchase your tickets today!

Christina & Meghan

Coming soon!

2011-03-02T10:27:00.001-05:00

Hi all!

We are in the process of finishing the design of this new & improved blog so we can move over from touchofclasscakes.wordpress.com. Check out the current blog until we get this one up and running!

Happy baking!
Christina & Meghan

A Touch of Class Cakes

A year of cakes

We'll be back up and running soon!

Wii Mario Kart cake, Decorate-Your-Own cake, baby shower cookies and more!

Change of format and cakes too!

Temporarily down!

Basic supply list for cake decorating

Wacky Cakes Wednesday!

Terrific Tool Tuesday: Cake decorating dusts!

In the Spotlight: The Daring Kitchen!

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

Tasty Thursday: Double-Strawberry scones!

Wacky Cakes Wednesday!

Terrific tools: Wilton fondant tool set!

In the spotlight: NY Cake!

Happy birthday, Jason!

Tasty Thursday: Strawberry Cake!

Wacky Cakes Wednesday!

Terrific Tool Tuesday: Icing smoother!

Happy Easter (a day late)!

Amazing Wedding Cakes - Sneak Peek of the *All-New* Episode this Sunday 4/24!

We're on Spring break!

Amazing Wedding Cakes - Sneak Peek of the *All-New* Episode this Sunday 4/17! (VIDEO)

In the news: Baby cakes!

Wacky Cakes Wednesday!

Terrific Tool Tuesday: Silicone Molds!

Reflections of a cake decorator

In the Spotlight: First Impressions Molds, LLC!

Amazing Wedding Cakes - Sneak Peek of the *All-New* Episode this Sunday 4/10! (VIDEO)

Tasty Thursday: Tres Leches Cake!

Wacky Cakes Wednesday!

Terrific Tool Tuesday: Spatulas!

March's Daring Bakers Challenge: Yeasted Meringue Coffee Cake

In the Spotlight: The Cookie Cutter Shop!

Amazing Wedding Cakes - Cool koala cake on the *all-new* episode this Sunday, 4/3!

Tasty Thursday: Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting!

Wacky Cakes Wednesday!

Terrific Tool Tuesday: Fondx rolled fondant

In the Spotlight: Global Sugar Art

Two more cake show to add to the DVR schedule!

The National Capital Area Cake Show is here!

Tasty Thursday: Honey Sand Ball cookies

Wacky Cakes Wednesday: Divorce Cake!

Terrific Tool Tuesday: Serrated Knife

Back to our regular schedule!

In the Spotlight: Cakes We Bake

Cakes in the news: A Cake Fit for Royalty

My Little Pony cake!

Tasty Thursday is for recipe sharing!

Ingredients:

Directions:

Wacky Cakes Wednesday!

Terrific Tool Tuesday: Ribbon cutters!

In the Spotlight: Cake Central

Secret project revealed: Lighthouse bridal shower cake!

Happy birthday, Maddie!

Rainbow cake!

Upcoming event: Cupcakes with Buddy

Coming soon!

Amazing Wedding Cakes - Sneak Peek of the All-New Episode this Sunday 4/24!

Amazing Wedding Cakes - Sneak Peek of the All-New Episode this Sunday 4/17! (VIDEO)

Amazing Wedding Cakes - Sneak Peek of the All-New Episode this Sunday 4/10! (VIDEO)

Amazing Wedding Cakes - Cool koala cake on the all-new episode this Sunday, 4/3!