Purple Perfection Peony Spray
Peonies are one of my favorite flowers, we have had them adorn our landscaping for almost 22 years; I remember planting our first peony plant with Sydney (she was almost two) and it just happened to be Mother’s Day. As I was covering the the second cake Sydney came through the door ready for 10 days of fun (she is spending the summer in DC). I had originally created the Peony cake topper as another cake, in a long line, of 21 birthday cakes for her to choose from. The Peony symbolizes friendship, good luck, feminine beauty, elegance and...
read moreFabric Fondant Billow Weave Cake
I posted a few days ago Sydney will be turning 21, and I am creating a few different cakes for her to choose from for her party. This is the first cake for her to view. This cake is a billow weave, Susan Trianos has a wonderful video explaining how she creates a wonderful tufted billow weave cake. The first time I saw the billow weave I thought of Sydney, between her love of fashion and fondant cakes, I knew she would adore the fabric fondant cake. Generally, Sydney and I will construct a cake together via FaceTime, it is fun to create the...
read moreSugar Paste Rose
I love a full open rose sitting on top of a cake. It is a simple touch of elegance. I had planned on designing a few cakes for Sydney to choose from for 21st birthday party. The first element I need is for her to choose from is the type of topper; she is leaning towards a flower. She wanted to see a few different types, last year we designed Butterfly Orchids for her birthday cake. This year she hasn’t a clue, so I thought I would start with the rose, but I wanted to have a fabric quality to match the cake design, (I plan to explain...
read moreRoyal Icing Daisies
It would seem Colorado wants to hold onto winter, we have had 3 major snow storms every Tuesday for the last 3 weeks; today we finally seem to be warming up. I thought if I decorated some daisy cupcakes I might give colorado a punch in the arm, so to speak. If know anything about Sydney and I we love warm weather, once Christmas has past we start dreaming of the balmy spring days. Sydney and I find use out of the t-shape parchment paper under a piece cellophane and visualizing the nail head is a clock to insure realistic daisies every time....
read morePurple Passion Fondant High Heel Shoe
Shoes are the number one accessory; women brag about how many pairs of shoes they have in their closet. Mariah Carey had Mario Buatta design an elegant space with gold-leaf and bleached-wood floors for her stilettos. Although my husband has to share his closet with my left over shoes I do not have a special built room just for my shoes, I would not object to one! I admit I adore shoes, wearing them, looking at them, and shopping for them, so it only seems obvious that a shoe would be a popular cake topper. For the past few years fashion...
read moreThe Luck of the Irish, Crème de Menthe Cupcakes
DF asked me to bake cupcakes for the women in human resources (to thank them). With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner I thought they should be decorated for the occasion. I was inspired by, of all things, a 21 century insurance commercial. I realize how odd that may sound, but in the little commercial they show this fantasy land with grass, a pound, and flowers; the person who has the 21 century insurance receives a visit from a leprechaun dancing around a pot of gold. I knew I wanted the cupcakes to resemble the scenery. When Sydney...
read more“In your Easter Bonnet with all The Frills Upon it”
I have had a love for Judy Garland since I was a little girl; my father introduced me to The Wizard of Oz when I was two. From that moment on, I watched every Judy Garland movie I could find. I still can recall the first time I saw Judy Garland and Fred Astaire dancing and singing to classics like “We’re a Couple Swells”, “Drum Crazy”, and of course “Easter Parade”. I introduced Sydney to Judy Garland and now we both share an admiration for her movies. Sydney thought it might be fun to dedicate a blog...
read moreCherry Blossom Fortune Cupcakes
Sydney started noticing personalized fortune cookies and thought it might be fun if we created fondant fortune cookies with a gumpaste personalized message. I thought it would be perfect to add cherry blossoms gumpaste flowers with cherry blossom flavored cupcakes. As I have written prior, cherry blossoms are a major part of D.C. history. Sydney and I FaceTime and Skyped this post together, I must admit it was hilarious to watch us trying to figure the structure of the fortune cookie over the internet (D.F. was in tears from laughing)....
read moreSweet Strawberry Angel Food Cake
This past week Sydney and I did not have an opportunity to bake together; it was time to move her to George Washington University, her new home while she finishes her undergrad years. It seems strange to start a baking project alone in my kitchen, I find myself missing her idiosyncrasies that once made me crazy. As most of my readers know Sydney is more than my daughter, she is my best friend, business partner, and my inspiration! She continually surprises me with her hidden inner strength and resolve. I realize most mommy bloggers write...
read moreGift Box Cake Filled with Peace and Hope in 2013
As I write this special post I am in Washington D.C. dropping Sydney off to start her junior year at George Washington University. It seem apropos to be in our nation’s capital while I write a gift box cake post dedicated to a New Year filled with peace and hope. Sydney and I started the plans for the peace gift box cake the day after Christmas 2012. I was reminiscing with Sydney when it occurred to me how much violence has happened in her short life compared to my entire life; I wish I could erase all the awful events from our world,...
read moreA Baking Year in Review
Sydney and I are presently working on a very special post, but in the meantime we thought it might be fun to revisit 2012. We were blessed with an amazing friend who travels home, to Japan, twice a year, and generously brought us back a plethora of cherry blossom flavors. We spent an entire month using cherry blossom extract, sugars, and compounds in array of treats, by far the favorite was the Cherry Blossom Macarons. And Strawberry-Blossom Macarons. This summer Sydney turned 20 and wanted us to design Butterfly Orchids out of gumpaste for...
read morePoinsettia Cake, A Peek into our Holiday Traditions
Poinsettias have become a staple during the holiday season, the plant is sold every year, and most homes have a few. It has become a family tradition to design a special cake that represents the season, last year we created a Buche de Nöel (Yule Log), I suggested we design another this year, but Sydney wanted something spectacular! Thinking of a spatular cake isn’t as easy as you think. As I was thumping the front of my head saying “think, think, think,” yes just like Winnie the Pooh, I glanced over to fireplace and...
read moreMr. Freeze, The Holiday Cake that Came to Life
Sydney was looking through Alan Dunn’s, Christmas Cakes (A perfect gift for any cake enthusiast) when she came across a cake of the most adorable snowman. She insisted we create a snowman cake of are own. Alan Dunn’s cake inspired Sydney and I to design our own version. I knew the cake would be a fun project for us, but I must admit I was caught off guard at the amount of excitement that came over us as we began bringing the cake to life. We found ourselves giggling like first graders as we added the parts of the snowman’s...
read moreStollen, A Christmas Family Tradition
Every year at this time, for the past eighteen years, Sydney and I bake a Christmas Stollen. When Sydney was small, her job was to roll the almond paste (her favorite flavor) and pour all the ingredients, as she grew up so did her baking capabilities! This year as we were baking our Christmas Stollen I realized it would be the last time we would bake a Stollen together for at least six years; Sydney has been accepted to The George Washington University for the spring semester, she leaves the first week of January. Next year I will be baking...
read moreChristmas Cranberry Pound Cake
I am going through a fresh cranberry phase, Sydney and I have been finding ways to develop recipes that incorporate cranberries; putting them in stollens, brioche pockets, cookies, and a cranberry white chocolate cake. I believe we have started a new family holiday dessert tradition. This past Sunday we had friends over for dinner, the dinner consisted of bolognese, warm pancetta spinach salad, garlic bread, steamed green beans, and to finish the meal we had cranberry white chocolate pound cake. I must admit I was on “pins an...
read moreApple Cider Cupcakes with Acorns and Oak Leaves
This year for our Thanksgiving Sydney and I thought Apple Cider cupcakes with gumpaste acorns and oaks leaves would be fun and festive place tags that will adorn our table! Apple cider starts the holiday, once you begin to see gallons of it in the food stores you can’t help but start thinking of the festivities. Thanksgiving is the first of the holiday meals, family and friends gather together, while cooking, baking, and of course eating! Sydney and I wait all year to host Thanksgiving at our home, and we try to show our appreciation...
read moreBoston Cream Pie: A Special Thanksgiving Dessert
Boston Cream Pie happens to be DF’s favorite dessert; Sydney and I normally bake him a special Boston Cream Pie for his birthday every year! This year Sydney thought, since DF’s birthday is two weeks prior to Thanks giving, Boston Cream Pie would be the ultimate Thanksgiving dessert, and DF had his second favorite dessert, Belgium Chocolate Cake . You might be wondering about the traditional pumpkin and apple pie, no worries those wonderful Thanksgiving desserts will adorn our table too. When Sydney first approached me with the...
read moreHappy Halloween Cupcakes
Halloween is as entertaining for adult as it is for children; Sydney and I are no exception. We become completely engaged in decorating, dressing-up, and baking treats to give to family and friends. These amusing cat, bat, pumpkin and ghost cupcakes are just one of many mouthwatering goodies we are packaging to hand out. With just a few materials and imagination an ordinary cupcake becomes a boolicously, unique Halloween pastry, that is irresistible to all. Sydney and I baked an extra batch for the preschoolers she is observing for her...
read moreJust in Time for Autumn Mini Pumpkin Bundt Cakes
This time of year pumpkins and gourds are everywhere; we plan trips to arboretums to find that perfect pumpkin worthy of carving and placing on or near the front porch. I vividly remember carpooling a car of excited three and four year olds for their first arboretum. Sydney and her friend’s energetic excitement became contagious and exhilarating; we began going each year as a family. Sydney and I were reminiscing our Autumn arboretum ritual and thought creating mini pumpkin shaped bundt cakes, orange flavored, would be a great way...
read moreBewitching Dulce de Leche, Brush Embroidered Cupcakes
The holiday season has officially begun with the month of October and Halloween; from now until Jan 1st celebrations will be happening each month. This month we have the opportunity to dress in costume, eat amazing goodies, help with school Halloween parties, and decorate our homes with scary witches, skeletons, webs, and spiders. When sydney was young I couldn’t wait for this time of year to start, Sydney and I baked up a plethora of treats for her parties. Now we have the opportunity to bake for other little one’s parties. This...
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