I enjoy having enough cake-making skills to be able to whip something up for a friend in need. A buddy of mine at work came to me one day and asked me to create a cake for his father’s 75th birthday celebration. I made a chocolate 10″ round with milk chocolate base icing and dark chocolate rosettes and stars as borders. I don’t write on cakes very often, so this was a good chance to practice!
YUMMY!
Last Tuesday, I posted photos of the wedding guest book I made for my friends Mégan and Angel. Today is my chance to show you the cake I created for them.
For their reception, Mégan and Angel ordered cupcakes from Cuppies and Joe for their guests, but they still wanted to include the tradition of saving their wedding cake for their one year anniversary. That’s where I came in. : )
Being from South Carolina, Mégan is a true Southern gal and wanted their keepsake cake to be Red Velvet with Cream cheese icing (which totally matched one of their wedding colors—ivory). Here are the results:
I had seen a knife-dragging technique in a Rachael Ray Everyday magazine, so I gave it a whirl here.
It turned out pretty neat, but the softness of the cream cheese icing gave me some fits at first. I’d like to try that technique again in buttercream.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE using rosettes.
They are so pretty and simple to do. I also used my star tip to pull out some icing to make ‘points’ all away around the top and bottom borders.
Mégan and Angel were pleased with the results. They didn’t cut into this cake at their reception, so I’ll be interested to hear how it tastes in a year when they take their first bite.
Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Alba! Thanks for letting me be a part of your special day!
Wow! Long time, no post. Since my last posting, I:
*Married my soulmate and inherited two daughters
*Traveled internationally
*Ran a half-marathon and have recently been meeting for health & wellness accountability with one of my best friends
*Hand-addressed my sister-in-law’s 260+ wedding invites
*A number of other amazingly beautiful, wonderful, time-occupying activities
All that to say, life has been too busy to post much about cake-baking and book-making (though I have been continuing to do both). But I’m BACK, baby! And ready to revamp this blog with a fresh, bi-weekly format.
Starting today, you can expect to find new posts every Tuesday and Thursday. Sometimes cakes, sometimes books, sometimes both. So come on back next week and see what we have in store for you here at Z as in Zebra!
The more I learn about making cupcakes, the more I find myself tempted to spend money! The latest thing I’ve been drooling over? Baking cups.
Confectionery House has really awesome opaque ones in tons of colors,
and Bakerella was just showing off their polka dot ones on her site.
Once the wedding is behind us, I think my summer project will be experimenting with cupcakes! And I’ll likely be giving them away so I don’t have to eat them all myself!
If you’re reading this and you LOVE cupcakes, leave a comment on this post and I’ll start a running list of lucky cupcake recipients! 
I was asked to make an Xbox controller Groom’s cake for my friend Mikie’s wedding reception. Here are the steps it took to make this cake a success.
STEP ONE:
I baked two rectangular layers of milk chocolate cake, placed buttercream filling between the layers, and used a stencil I created on my computer to cut the cake into the correct shape.
STEP TWO:
I frosted the entire cake in white buttercream and allowed the icing to crust (appoximately 20 minutes).
STEP THREE:
Once the icing had crusted, I used regular Viva paper towels to smooth the icing. This step helps the surface of the cake to more closely resemble plastic–a definite must when you are creating an Xbox controller! ((Note: I realize I could use fondant to give it a ‘plastic’ look…I just don’t think fondant tastes as good as buttercream, plus it’s more difficult to cut when you are ready to serve the cake.))
Next, I piped gray-tinted buttercream on the edge of the cake to match the controller.
STEP FOUR:
Using a #12 tip, I created the buttons and triggers on the top edge of the cake to match the controller.
STEP FIVE:
I used a second printout of my stencil to make all the buttons and joysticks the correct size. All buttons were created out of fondant that I tinted to match the buttons on the actual controller. All pieces were cut and shaped and left to dry overnight.
STEP SIX:
Using the actual controller as a model, I placed the fondant buttons in the correct positions on the cake. I then piped the details on the buttons using thin consistency buttercream.
STEP SEVEN:
Using the actual controller as a model, I placed the 3-D fondant joysticks in the correct positions on the cake.
DONE!
The finished product…an Xbox Groom’s cake, iced and ready for my friend Mikie’s wedding reception.
The finished product as compared to its inspiration.
As much as I dislike its taste, fondant does hold a shape pretty well. Thus, all the buttons and joysticks were completely 3-D and made out of tinted fondant.
For my birthday last year, my fiancé Andrew’s aunt Cristi (a culinary genius in her own right) gave me a cookbook dedicated entirely to gourmet cupcakes. I oohed and aahed over it for months before actually putting it to use. These “Margarita Cupcakes” were my first adventure.
The batter AND the icing actually contain both fresh lime juice/zest and TEQUILA. The smell of the batter alone is enough to make you feel intoxicated! While the cupcakes were baking, I whipped up the glaze. I made a few tweaks to the recipe so it wasn’t quite so runny and would set up a little better. A sprinkle of chunky sugar and a lime wedge later, the cupcakes were ready!
YUMMY! They are a cute addition to a girls’ night or any other time you need a dessert that’s sinfully delicious. Bottoms up!
I love making cakes for kids’ parties and my fiancé Andrew’s nieces and nephews especially love my creations. Niece Lily recently turned 4, and she requested that I make a pink princess cake for her party.
Here are the step-by-step directions for making a princess cake. I realize you may read some of the steps and think, “Well, duh. Thanks for insulting my intelligence”, but I always try to give VERY SIMPLE directions for those who may be totally in the dark in terms of making cakes. That also explains the length of this post!
STEP ONE
Choose a oven-safe metal or glass bowl to use as your cake ‘pan’ (bowls make the perfect “ball gown” shape). Prepare the bowl by coating it with a thin layer of shortening and then dusting it with flour. Or, use Wilton’s special stuff called “Cake Release”, which is what I use to cut down on prep time and hassle. Place your bowl on a cookie sheet.
STEP TWO
Mix up your cake batter! Yummy!
STEP THREE
Pour batter into prepared bowl and place into the oven, making sure that it is nearly centered in your oven. This helps ensure even baking. 
For baking time, begin with the recipe directions, adding time as needed until a toothpick (or in this case, I used a long kabob skewer) inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. I found that my cake required nearly double the time the recipe called for, but you want to keep your eye on it so it doesn’t burn!
STEP FOUR
While your cake is in the oven, wash your mixer and whip up a batch of buttercream icing. Because I would be piping details, I started with a batch of “medium” consistency icing, divided out what I would need to tint, and then used the remainder to make “thin” consistency icing for covering the cake. 
STEP FIVE
Add color to your divided icings. Wilton brand pigments are great because the colors are very accurate and easy to blend.
Use a toothpick to extract pigment out of the tub (ALWAYS use a NEW toothpick or you will contaminate your pigment tubs!) Start with a small amount and drag the toothpick through your icing. 
Mix in the color using a spatula, adding more pigment (with a NEW toothpick), if necessary. Ta da! Pink icing! 
STEP SIX
Once the cake has been removed from the oven, let it cool slightly. It will likely have a bump or a crown from where the batter expanded while it cooked. 
This will need to be shaved off so the cake will sit evenly. You may need to remove the cake from the pan to be able to trim it. Gently dump the cake out by placing a plate over the opening of the bowl and turning over. After you have shaved off the bump, set the cake on a cooling rack and let cool completely. 
STEP SEVEN
Once cake has cooled, center it on a prepared cake board. 
Now you are ready to decorate!
STEP EIGHT
I like to sketch out how I want my cake to look. That helps me know which piping tips I will need, as well as which color icing to use.
STEP NINE
Coat your cake with the ‘base coat’ layer of icing and prepare your piping bags with the correct tips and icing colors you will need.
STEP TEN
Begin bringing your sketch to life by piping the correct colors in the correct places. 
STEP ELEVEN
Wilton makes a “teen doll pick” for cakes, but you can also use a regular Barbie with its legs removed. Whatever you choose, insert the doll into the cake.
(Hey, this is a family-friendly site, after all!)
STEP TWELVE
Pipe the “bodice” of the doll’s dress.
STEP THIRTEEN
Finish off the dress by piping a “hem” around the bottom of the cake. This give everything a nice, finished look.
STEP FOURTEEN
Now your cake is complete and you are ready to show it off!
Time to celebrate!
Note: As I carried the cake into the party, nephew Will asked, “Is that Lily’s princess cake?” When I said that it was, he responded (with a sly twinkle in his eye), “I’m gonna eat her head off!” What a boy thing to say, huh? So…we let him have a bite to prove that Princess’s head was plastic, not cake.
So, there you have it. The steps to turn a plain ol’ mixing bowl into a whimsical Princess cake! (This same technique can be used for other occasions requiring a dome shaped cake…an “Over the Hill” party, for instance.) Enjoy!
During the month of June, I volunteered to make fancy cakes for the price of ingredients. While most people would be willing to eat a delicious, FREE cake, no one took me up on my offer more enthusiastically than Marcy. In fact, the subject line on her email read: “CAKE—IMPORTANT!!!” My favorite snippet from her email request read:
saw that you are looking for people to make cakes for…..and let me tell you something…..CAKE IS MY FAVORITE FOOD. seriously.
Naturally, it was impossible for me to say no to making this gal a cake. About six back-and-forth emails later, we had narrowed down her flavor choices to one (she’s not joking when she says cake’s her favorite food!). For her birthday, she decided that she would like a wedding-esque cake. I was happy to oblige.
I’d seen people incorporating wire and beads into their cake creations, and since I was going for a very unique, elegant look for Marcy’s cake, I decided to give it a whirl. I did my research and learned how to correctly use wire and prevent food-safety problems.
I called my friend Jacee to help with the beading, since she has both the skills and the tools. She did a great job and Marcy’s cake turned out AMAZING. It’s one of the best cakes I’ve ever made (if I do say so myself). And it was fun to make, too!
The two-tier cake was a flawless white cake with classic white buttercream icing. To imitate a ‘wedding look’, I decorated the surface of the cake as well as the borders with dots.
While I cut and bent the wires, Jacee created the pendants out of fishing line and different combinations of black and hot pink beads with silver accents.
The wires were threaded through a fondant ball and into a small bit of fondant which was anchored in the base of a floral pick. The floral pick was then inserted into the cake (that’s how I kept the wires from actually touching the cake itself). Fondant spheres then surrounded the floral pick for both aesthetics and structural support.
Marcy was really pleased with the cake. Perhaps, even shocked. She didn’t know exactly what she’d be getting, and I think the final result really surprised her. She was also really excited that there were plenty of leftovers. 
Back in June, I was wanting to do some ‘cake experiments’ and try some new techniques. The hard part? What do you do with a bunch of cakes after they are finished? I decided I would need to have a reason to make them before I even started. So, I posted on my blog that I was in need of some cake eaters.
I explained that I was by no means a “pro”, but that I was wanting to get better, and that I needed some reasons to practice. I offered to donate my time if the recipient would pay for the cost of the ingredients. Boy, did the requests POUR in!
For the next several posts, I will showcase some of the cakes that came from that exercise. Enjoy!
First, Donna requested a cake for her wedding anniversary (8 years, if I remember correctly). The cake was going to be a surprise for her husband. When I asked if she had any specific requests in terms of the design, I got a one word response: “Chocolate!”. Coming right up!
I hadn’t had many chances to work with my oval pans, so I started there and made a two-layer devil’s food cake. For icing, I took the opportunity to practice piping vertical lines, rope borders, and rosettes.
Rosettes are one of my favorite techniques to use. The piping motion is fairly simple, but the final result is so elegant!
I was pretty pleased with how the cake turned out, and Donna and her husband were, too!
This past summer, my fiancé’s two adorable nephews turned 5 and 3. Their joint birthday party was water-themed and included water balloon and water gun fights, shark decorations, and swimming in Mimi and Grandpa’s pool.
I was asked to make a cake shaped like a shark for the party. Since I didn’t know where to begin, I searched for inspiration online. I found a great photo on Flickr and got in touch with the woman who made the cake. She was able to give me some great pointers on how to get the cake perfect the first time. (Thanks, Chirky!)
I used a loaf pan to form the body of the shark and made ‘fins’ out of frosted cookies. Here is the final result:
There were a few things that I loved about this cake:
1. The teeth
2. The cake flavor…it was red velvet cake and looked ‘bloody’ when we cut into it at the boys’ party (what little boy doesn’t love destruction?!)
3. The fact that all the kids couldn’t wait for me to cut the cake and made requests like “Can I eat his eye?”, “I want to eat his teeth”, etc.
All in all, a success!
