Buttercream Swimmer Cake or Cupcakes (fondant-free)

I made this cake and the matching cupcakes to celebrate the end of an amazing high school swimming season for my boys. 

What You Need:
1 x 8 or 9" 2-layer cake (see my recipe for doctoring a cake mix here.) 
  OR 24 cupcakes
4-6 cups decorator's icing (recipe here; I subbed 1/2 butter, 1/2 shortening)
Red, yellow, brown, black food coloring (or whatever color your team/swimmer is)
Silver & Gold Luster Dust
Red Petal Dust
For cake: Tips 1A, 12, 5
For cupcakes: Tips 12, 5, 3, 2

Ice the sides of the cake smooth, and the top can be roughly iced, as it will be fully covered.

(Click here for my tutorial on how to ice a cake smooth.)

Using the Tip 1A and the shade of icing you choose for skin, cover slightly more than half of the cake with a thick layer of icing. (I achieved this color with a drop each of red, yellow and brown.)

Smooth the icing with a spatula. 

If you use an icing like my decorator's icing that forms a "crust," use parchment paper or a flat paper towel (Viva) to smooth icing even more.

Do the same with the "cap color."

Add all of your details. I used a tip #5 to make the edges of the designs on the cap, a tip #12 with dark gray icing for the goggles, and a tip 1A for the nose.

Once the icing had set, and I smoothed it further, I added the sparkle to the cap, goggles, and the brush of pink to the cheeks.

For the cupcakes, I used a Tip #12 for the face, cap, nose, and a size 3 or 5 for the goggles. The decoration on the caps was done with Tip 2.

To do the varying skin tones, I started with the palest, then took out 1/3 of the icing, added more brown and black to get the darkest color, then combined the two for a mid-tone.

Rose-Covered Cake Tutorial

This cake is a new favorite. It's beautiful, and it's not hard to do. BUT... it does take a ton of icing.
I first saw a cake like this on the blog of another Minnesota baker, iambaker.net.

What You Need:
Cake ;-) (I used 2 layers of 6" round cake.)
   - How to Make Cake Mix Taste Homemade
6 cups (or more) Buttercream Icing
  - Recipe for Decorator's Buttercream Icing
Piping Bag and Tip #1M

Simple, Special Cakes

Click this link to see the video on the Fox9 Website.

I visited my friends at Fox 9 this morning to do some fun, simple decorating... and to promote some of my upcoming classes.
Below you will find the links to register for the classes and for the techniques I showed and talked about on the show.

Simple, Special Cakes Classes
(Click each link to register for that class)
Monday, Sept. 29 6-9pm Roseville Area High School
Tuesday, Sept. 30 6-9pm Henry Sibley High School (West St. Paul)
Saturday, Oct. 4 9:30-11:30am Northfield Middle School
Tuesday, Oct. 6 6:30-8:30pm North Dale Rec. Center (St. Paul)

Triple Chocolate Ice Cream Cake {Recipe}

My sweet little boy got his tonsils and adenoids removed the week before Easter.
So, I decided I would try to make it a little easier for him to enjoy the Easter goodies by making an ice cream cake.
(I did not, however, get great pictures of the finished product because of the recovering child, and a family that was rather eager to dig in!)
 

I'd never made one before, and I have to say, even though it wasn't exactly easy or quick, it wasn't really hard either. It just takes some pre-planning. In order to get everything ready, you need to plan to get the pieces in the freezer at least a day ahead of time.

What You Need:
The recipes for each of these is linked or posted below
Chocolate Cake (homemade or from a mix)
Chocolate Ice Cream (homemade or store bought)
Chocolate Fudge Sauce (homemade or store bought)
Whipped Cream Frosting
Toppings:
 Go nuts! Sprinkles, crushed up candy, mini chocolate chips, crushed Oreos, fresh fruit, etc.

Chocolate Martini Cupcakes {Recipe}

Cupcakes and Cocktails. They go together perfectly. So, when I agreed to hold a little party to benefit my kids' school, I decided to make these... Chocolate Martinis with Chocolate Martini cupcakes.
(We also made some Strawberry Margarita Cupcakes, if you're interested in that recipe.)

What You Need
For 24-30 Cupcakes:
6 oz. (about ¾ cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
3 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup vanilla-flavored vodka*
1/4 cup chocolate liqueur (like Godiva)
*Note: If you want a “boozier” flavor, add ¼ cup vanilla vodka and ¼ cup plain vodka.

For the Icing:
4 egg whites (at room temperature)
1 cup sugar (not powdered sugar)
3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) butter
2-3 Tbsp. Cocoa Powder
1/4 cup vanilla vodka
2-3 Tbsp. Chocolate Liqueur

Ruffle Cake Tutorial - Valentine's Day

Ruffle cakes are so, so pretty. And honestly, I expected them to be harder than they really are. The biggest challenge-- having enough icing!

What You Need:
Cake (This is a 6"x2" cake.)
Buttercream Icing (I used this Decorator's Buttercream Recipe.)*
Piping Bag with Tip #104

*Note: For a 6" cake, I used about 4-5 cups of icing. If you're making a more traditional, 8-9" round cake, and if it's taller, you need to make a double batch, just to be sure -- Especially if you're coloring the icing. (You always want to have more icing than you need because getting it the exact.same.color is really hard.)

Egg White Royal Icing Recipe

Royal Icing is the icing that dries hard for cookie decorating. I usually make my Royal Icing with Meringue Powder. But sometimes I'll get questions about making royal icing with egg whites instead of the powdered version.

So, I made some with egg whites for these gingerbread houses. It's really quite easy, you just want to be sure you don't use the egg whites raw, to avoid any potential for food poisoning.

What You Need
3-4 egg whites (about 1/2 cup)
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
4-5 cups powdered sugar

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting and Candied Pecans {Recipe}

Pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting... nothing beats that!
This recipe has a fluffy cream cheese icing, though, and it is so rich and tasty, it's worth the extra effort.
Top it off with a candied pecan (or a candy corn pumpkin for the kids), and you're set.

What You Need:
For the Cupcakes:
3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
3 tsp. cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
½ cup melted butter
½ cup apple sauce
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs (at room temperature)
½ cup buttermilk (or soured milk- ½ Tbsp. vinegar + ½ cup milk)
1- 15 oz. can of pumpkin puree (NOT pie filling)

For the Icing:
4 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. Vanilla
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
1- 8 oz. block of cream cheese

For the Pecans: 
2-3 cups pecan halves (or other nuts)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2-1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
either 1 Tbsp. meringue powder + 3 Tbsp. water OR 1 egg white + 1 Tbsp. water

Yield: About 30-40 standard cupcakes

Easy Pina Colada Cupcakes {Recipe}

Ahh, yes, drinks as cupcakes, what is better than this?!
Pina Colada Cupcakes. Very sweet. Very tasty!

What You Need:
1 box white cake mix
4 eggs
3 sticks butter, softened (1 1/2 cups)
1 14-oz can coconut milk (Do not shake it up!)
1 4-oz can crushed pineapple
1 cup sugar
2-3 Tbsp. Rum (optional)

*Yield: 18-24 standard-sized cupcakes

Cinnamon Apple Cut-Out Cookies {Recipe}

I like to start the school year off right... that means, for me, that I send in bribes gifts to my boys' teachers. This year, I tried these Cinnamon-Apple flavored cut-out cookies.

What You Need:
For the Cookies:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (at room temperature)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg (at room temperature)
3 Tbsp. apple juice concentrate (defrosted)

For the icing
1 lb. powdered sugar (approx. 4 cups)
3 Tbsp. meringue powder
1/4 cup water
3 Tbsp. apple juice concentrate

These Cookies are Just Peachy {Recipe}

August is National Peach Month. Now, in Minnesota, this really means very little because, well, it's Minnesota. We don't get good peaches here. August, January, never.

However, my Dad lives in South Carolina where, apparently, the peach is king. So, he's hosting a peachy little party, and asked me to send along some peachy cookies for it. I wanted the cookies to look and taste peachy.

What You Need:
For the Cookies:
3 to 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (at room temperature)
3/4 cup sugar
1 large or extra large egg (at room temperature)
2 Tbsp. peach schnapps
1/8-1/4 tsp. cinnamon

For the Icing:
Vinegar or lemon juice to wipe down equipment
1 lb. powdered sugar
3 Tbsp. meringue powder
1/3 cup water
1 Tbsp. peach schnapps

Yield: About 3 dozen 2"-3" cookies.

Tip for Tuesday: How To Freeze Decorated Sugar Cookies

Sometimes... okay most of the time... my real life and my life of cake decorating are in competition with one another. I don't always have time to get everything done that I'd like when I'd like. I'm sure no one else ever feels this way, right?! (sarcasm)

I had heard that you could freeze decorated sugar cookies, and that they would survive without the colors bleeding. I was skeptical. But I thought I could give it a try, and give it a really good test by making some more of these Baseball Cookies I showed you last summer for my sons' team snacks.

So, I decorated some Chocolate Sugar Cookies and some Vanilla Sugar Cookies. I used dark red icing for the lines/laces on the baseballs on top of a pure white base. If this stuff bleeds, there will be no mistaking. (But 5- and 6-year-olds still won't care.)

Donut Frosting Recipes

What's a donut without frosting?? But there are so many options when it comes to frosting. Chocolate, vanilla, just glaze, maple... we all have different opinions in this house!

What You Need:
For Glazed Donuts:
2 cups powdered sugar
3-4 Tbsp. milk

For Chocolate Ganache Icing:
1 cup whipping cream
8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate (or chocolate chips)
2 Tbsp. corn syrup (optional)

For Basic Cream Cheese Icing:
4 oz. (1/2 brick) Cream Cheese (at room temperature)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) Butter (at room temperature)
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 Tbsp. milk

Flavors:
Vanilla: 1 Tbsp. Vanilla Extract
Maple: 1-2 Tbsp. Maple Syrup
Chocolate (option 1): 1-2 Tbsp. Hershey's Chocolate Syrup
Chocolate (option 2): 2 Tbsp. Melted Chocolate Chips
Chocolate (option 3): 2-3 Tbsp. cocoa powder + 2-3 Tbsp. milk
Peanut Butter: 2 Tbsp. Melted Peanut Butter
Coffee: 2 Tbsp brewed strong coffee
Mocha: 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder + 2 Tbsp. brewed strong coffee

Homemade Donuts Made Easy {Recipe}

In my family, we all have different opinions about what the best donut flavor/ flavor combination is. So, I've come up with some ways to make a number of different flavors with just one cake mix and a few additions.

I'll give you lots of options for flavor combinations at the end of the recipe, but the one that my family tends to go back to is using a white cake mix to make vanilla, chocolate and peanut butter donuts. A little bit of something for everyone.

What You Need
For the Donuts:
1 White or Vanilla Cake Mix
3 eggs
1 cup Plain Yogurt (Greek Yogurt is best)
1/2 cup milk
(below is divided)
1 Tbsp. Vanilla
1/4 cup Peanut Butter
1 Tbsp. Cocoa Powder
2 Tbsp. Melted Chocolate Chips

Optional Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
3-4 Tbsp. milk

For the Icing:
4 oz. (half-brick) cream cheese (at room temperature)
1/4 cup (half-stick) butter (at room temperature)
1-2 cups powdered sugar
1-2 Tbsp. milk
Vanilla, Chocolate Syrup, Maple Syrup or other flavor to taste

Yield: 2-3 dozen large donuts. 5-6 dozen small/mini donuts

How To Make Multi-Colored Swirled Cupcakes

These little cupcakes look a little bit like they're on fire, but the cool striped swirl effect they have is really fun, and really easy to do, too.

What You Need:
Buttercream Icing in multiple colors
  -- Click this link to see how to make them in Icing Bag Bullets.
Cupcakes (or mini cupcakes like these)
Piping Bag
Large open star tip like Wilton Tip #1M

Cinco de Mayo- Mango Ruffle Cake

Because I just made some yummy Strawberry-Margarita Cupcakes, and I wanted my boys to share in the cake I made for Cinco de Mayo this year, I opted to go away from margaritas and towards some other Mexican-inspired flavors.

The cake didn't quite turn out as I'd planned, thanks to some silly mistakes on my part, but I think it turned out pretty well, nevertheless.

What You Need:
For the Cake:
1 Box White (or vanilla or yellow) Cake Mix
3 eggs
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup milk
1 cup mango puree*
Optional: 
1-2 Tbsp. limeade concentrate
Food Coloring
6" cake pan

For the Icing:
1 cup butter (at room temperature)
1 cup vegetable shortening
1- 2 lb. bag powdered sugar
1/2 cup mango puree*
2 Tbsp. limeade concentrate

*Note: See below for the mango puree instructions. I used frozen mango chunks from the freezer section, defrosted and pureed them.

Easy Superhero Birthday Cake

A special friend requested a little 'different' kind of cake for his 6th birthday. He wanted Green Lantern, because Green Lantern is his favorite superhero. BUT he was having a party at a pool, so he wanted Green Lantern... swimming.

I decided to try to make what is called a 'frozen buttercream transfer' to make Green Lantern.
But when I got started, I was certain, just completely sure, it would not work. (I planned a trip to Target to buy the figurine. I was that sure it would be awful.)
So, that is why I don't have a whole lot of pictures of the technique, but I have a few. I will share my lessons, and give you a few links to more complete tutorials by others.
And maybe soon, I will try it again, and do a better tutorial, because it really wasn't as hard as I'd imagined.

How To Make a Basket Cake {Video}

The basket weave is one of those techniques that takes a little bit to learn, but once it 'clicks,' you can whip out a cake like this in 30 minutes flat!

What You Need:
Cake & Icing (I prefer my Decorator's Buttercream Icing for this. But I used Cream Cheese Icing here-- not recommended for beginners because the consistency is harder to get just right.)
Wilton Tip #47 (use two tips if you want alternating colors)
Wilton Tip #21 (for the border)

How-To Make a Petal Cake

Learning something new... I decided to try the "petal effect" on the side of a cake. I had a birthday cake to make for our favorite babysitter, and I had carte blanche to do whatever I wanted on it. So, this is what I tried.

This white cake was actually the trial, because I was impatient, again, and the cake fell. So, I decided to just use shorty here to practice.

This was the actual birthday cake. I'm not sure that I don't like the practice one better.
I have to tell you that for how pretty this cake is, it's surprisingly easy to do! It took me less than an hour to decorate this cake!

Banana Turtle Cupcakes {Recipe)

These cupcakes are quite the mish-mash of a few of my favorite recipes. But they are SO good, and SO rich, and SO worth the work!

What You Need:
For the Cupcakes: (Banana Cake Recipe)
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. butter (at room temperature)
2 eggs (at room temperature)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. Baking powder
3/4 tsp. Baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. mashed ripe bananas
1/2 c. buttermilk

For the Icing: (Caramel Buttercream Icing Recipe)
1/2-3/4 cup Caramel Sauce (make your own or use store-bought)
4 egg whites
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla


For the Filling: (Chocolate Ganache Recipe)
4 oz. semisweet chocolate
4 oz. heavy whipping cream


Optional:
  Extra Caramel Sauce and melted chocolate for drizzling.
  Pecan halves and chopped pecans for decorating.