"Making A Wish" Cupcakes

My sister is a volunteer for the "Make A Wish Foundation." She asked me to create some cupcakes for one of her kids that she helps make a wish for. This child is stimulated by flashing lights and what kid does not like chocolate. So the dilemma, flashing lights on a chocolate cupcake with some delicious whipped cream frosting. Well, my mom and other sister came up with an idea of flashing rings placed on top of the cupcakes, but it is not something they can eat without taking it off. I like to create all edible decorations, just in case : ) So my sister said the bright colors of a stoplight would be perfect (bright colors could help stimulate the child). Thus, stoplight colored inspired cupcakes. The child and family enjoyed the cupcakes very much. It always puts a smile on my face when everyone enjoys my cakes, cupcakes, and goodies with a smile on their faces : )

Baby Girl Baby Shower Cake and Cupcakes

One of the last cakes and cupcakes I did was for a baby girl baby shower. The mother wanted a two tiered cake that she had seen on the Internet, all she wanted was a few alterations. Now, I know I have told you guys many times not to use fondant with whipped cream frosting, well I had to break that rule again. This time though I combined the fondant with gumpaste (50/50) that way I could make the diamond pattern on the bottom tier. The pink is the whipped cream frosting and the yellow diamond pattern is the mixture of fondant and gumpaste. It worked out very well and surprisingly smooth and stayed pretty soft, I did put it on the morning of the shower, thus no sogginess : ) The top tier was whipped cream frosting with hand-piped vine work and flowers. The flowers and pink bow were handmade from gumpaste, hardening which allows the items to keep their shape. I love using gumpaste because it hardens in just 24 hours depending on the thickness, versus fondant which can take a few days to weeks to harden depending on the thickness. Overall, this cake turned out beautifully and the inside just as much. It was a simple marble cake with a vanilla cream filling and, of course, whipped cream frosting : )

The cupcakes that went with the two tiered cake were for the mom-to-be's mother. She loves buttercream, so since the tiered cake was whipped cream, I decorated the chocolate cupcakes with my homemade buttercream. The designs for the cupcakes were simple. The first was a pink flower pattern with edible silver glitter and an edible silver ball in the middle. The second design was a cream colored spiral pattern with a sprinkle of edible silver balls. Both designs complemented each other very nicely, as well as, complementing the cake colors to blend everything together. Simple designs, excellent taste : ) Also, the cupcakes were on one of my stands that I loan out, which adds to the overall look.

Here's how well they looked together...

The 50 and the Wild One

Here are some recent cakes I did. One is for a 50th wedding anniversary, it is a three tiered cake with handmade gumpaste flowers and air brushed in edible gold coloring. There are mini white gumpaste inlays inside each flower; the flowers are accented by white silk leaves to add texture to the cake. The topper on the cake is a simple plastic golden 50, which can be bought at any hobby store. The couple's children also wanted a fishing themed birthday cake for the groom-again for his 70th birthday. Apparently he loves to fish, so the cake was based off a plaque found a local country store. It reads, "Good things come to those who bait." Both cakes are covered in a whipped cream frosting. Here's a little note for some people: gumpaste can be used with whipped cream frosting, but fondant can not because the whipped cream frosting softens the fondant, which allows colors to seep and can make something so beautiful turn ugly within minutes (especially when it is placed in the refrigerator).

Another cake I have recently done was for three children. Their mother wanted a jungle themed cake. This is a tri-layered sheet cake (chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla cake flavors with a banana cream center). I don't mean to toot my own horn but it was delicious and everyone at the party agreed : ) This jungle themed cake is made with whipped cream frosting and decorated to look like a wild jungle with vines, thus the crazy grass texture on the cake and leaves everywhere. I know that I said not to mix fondant with whipped cream, but there is an exception when the three animals (giraffe, elephant, and monkey (which were made of fondant)) had over a week and a half to dry out, thus no seepage on the cake : ) I added gumpaste leaves, tall grass, and palm trees (air brushed in edible green) adding to the jungle theme.  

After graduating from Scottsdale Culinary Institute with my Associates in Baking and Patisserie, I decided I wanted a career to give people quality creations at an affordable price. Here is where my story begins. . . I will blog about the many different cakes and goodies I create for my customers. To view other cakes and goodies I have created prior to this blog, you can visit my page on Facebook. This blog, unlike my Facebook page, will go into detail of my many works.

Keep an eye out for more pictures and posts because this is only the beginning . . . of cakes and goodies that is : )

Today is only the beginning. . . . for cakes and goodies that is.