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)

Simple, Special Cakes

Click on the video above or this link to see the segment on the Fox 9 website.

This morning, I'm headed to Fox 9 to do some "Simple, Special Cakes."

I'm going to demonstrate how to do some of the fancy finishes on cakes that look amazing, and also help to cover up if you're not the best at keeping crumbs out of your icing -- yet.

You can come learn these techniques and some others at a class this spring/summer.
I'll be in White Bear Lake Thursday, April 24 and in Northfield Thursday, June 26.

And if you're interested in my Wilton classes at the Hobby Lobby in Woodbury, check out my schedule of classes here.

Click the Links Below to See:
How To Make a Petal Cake (like Leah's)
How to Make an Easy Ruffle Cake (like Cody's)
How To Make a Ruffle Cake
Community Education Cake Decorating Classes
Wilton Classes in Woodbury, MN

Gingerbread Houses for Kids

There are plenty of amazing websites out there devoted to those perfect, architectural-wonder gingerbread houses. This is not one of them.


My boys and I went to visit Fox 9 to show the weatherman, Cody, how gingerbread houses are done. Click the video above to see the segment, or you can click here to go to the Fox 9 website.

Gingerbread houses in our house generally involve a whole lot of sugar, layers upon layers of candy, marshmallows and sugar cereal, and who knows what else. And with kids, I think that's really what it's all about. Below are some of my ideas for making the kid-friendly gingerbread house a more fun experience.

It's all about the icing

Whether you're making your gingerbread house with a kit or graham crackers or Homemade Gingerbread, whether or not it stands up to the test of a child decorating it is all about the icing.
Most of the kits come with some pre-packaged icing, which is fine for adding your decorations and making snow around the outside of the house, but I've found that real Royal Icing makes a huge difference for getting the house to stay together.

The Great Minnesota Get-Together

photo courtesy: twincities.com

If you're in Minnesota, and heading to the State Fair this weekend, come visit me Saturday, August 24.
I will be baking with kids in the "Creative Activities Building" from about noon to about 4:00. It's just a hop, a skip and a jump from the Main Fair Entrance.

We're going to be making these 'Minion' Cupcakes...

And some Sunny Sunshine Cake Pops...

And my own kiddos will make an appearance, helping me with their favorite, Marshmallow Flower Cupcakes.

See you at the Fair!

Donuts for Dads on Fox 9

Big day! Lots of donuts! An excited six-year-old! We're heading to Fox 9 this morning to show off my Jackson's donut-making abilities for Father's Day.


Click here to go to the Fox 9 site to see the video there, if it doesn't show up well here.

If you're visiting to find the recipes I mentioned on the show, here's a list of links, or you can scroll down the main page, and you'll find them all from the last week.

'Healthy' Homemade Donut Recipe
Easy Donut Recipes from Cake Mix
Crazy Chocolate Donut Recipes
Best Donut Frosting and Glaze Recipes 
Strawberry Powdered Sugar Donut Recipe

And click the links here if you're interested in taking a Cake Decorating Class or hosting a Cake Decorating Party or Workshop.

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And don't forget, if you shop at Amazon.com through my link, you support this blog and its contents. Thank you!

Marshmallow Flower Cupcakes on Fox 9

If you have trouble viewing the video above, Click Here to visit the MyFox9.com website to see the video.

I'm super excited and super nervous to take one of my little men on TV with me this morning to make these marshmallow flower cupcakes.

We first made them last year for Teacher Appreciation Day for their preschool teachers.

What You Need:
Cupcakes
Mini-marshmallows (about 20-25 per cupcake)
Icing (any kind will do, even canned icing)
Sugar sprinkles in pretty flowery colors
Sandwich Bags

Polka Dot Cakes Revisited

Remember the Polka Dot Cake?

Photos Courtesy: ScotchBrand.com

Well, as it turns out, I did all of the practice to learn how to make it for a special project.

It is for a website showcasing some pretty cool options for Scotch Tape.

Polka Dot Tape!!

I had a lot of fun watching how the real pros, professional photographers and stylists make pictures look great.

It's a good thing I didn't send them this one!!

Click the Links Below to See:
How To Make a Polka Dot Cake
How to Make a Sprinkle-Sprinkle Cake
Another Polka Dot Cake Idea

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And don't forget, if you shop at Amazon.com through my link, you support this blog and its contents. Thank you!

Pot of Gold Cake Pops on Fox 9

St. Patrick's Day is just one week away. So, I took my Pot of Gold Cake Pops and hit the road. Today, I am visiting Fox 9 with these pops, some of the most popular treats I've ever made (if you go by how many people have visited their original post).

KMSP-TV

If you're new here, welcome!
Here are some links that will help you make these pops:
Pot of Gold Cake Pops
How to Make Cake Pops
How Long Does It Really Take to Make Cake Pops?
Click here to buy the gold ball sprinkles.
  (I got the gold sugar sprinkles in-store at my local Williams-Sonoma.)

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And don't forget, if you shop at Amazon.com through my link, you support this blog and its contents. Thank you!

Sprinkle Sprinkle Cake in the Pioneer Press

First... there were these Rainbow Half-Cakes.

Then, the Pink with Sprinkles Cake.

And now we have the sprinkle/sprinkle cake. Sprinkles on the inside, sprinkles on the outside! Awesome!

Photo Courtesy TwinCities.com

You may have seen this cake with me in the Eat Section of today's St. Paul Pioneer Press. No? Well, go check out the short article. I'll wait right here for you to come back! ;-)

What You Need:
White Cake Mix or Vanilla Cake Recipe
1/3-2/3 cup jimmies sprinkles*
Buttercream Icing
1-2 small bottles of rainbow nonpareils sprinkles
Optional:
Piping Bag
Tip #21

*Note on the sprinkles: Do not try to use nonpareils (ball-shaped) sprinkles in batter. It doesn't work out. They all just lose their color, turn white, and turn your batter a highly disgusting shade of grey. To make a sprinkle cake, you need to use jimmies or another "shaped" sprinkle like the dots or the flower-shaped ones. I like jimmies best.

Christmas Cut-Outs on Fox 9

KMSP-TV
I visited my good friends at Fox 9 again this morning... bringing along some recipes, tricks and tips for your Christmas Cut-Out Cookies.
(If the player above does not work for you, click here to go to the Fox 9 website.)

Click this link to see my recipes, tricks, tips, etc.

Pumpkin Cake Pops Revisited -- Updated

This weekend, I visited my friends at Fox 9 again... showing them some Pumpkin Cake Pops, and Pumpkin Cake Bites. If you'd like to see the segment, here it is:

Minneapolis News and Weather KMSP FOX 9
If the player controls don't show up on this link, head to the Fox 9 website to see it here.

I'm working on some new pumpkin cake pops this week, in preparation for a visit to my friends at Fox 9 this weekend.

My original Pumpkin Cake Pops post is one of the most popular posts here in the fall. I LOVE these cake pops. (Even more than the banana ones, and I love those ones, too!)

I will get back to creating new content and trying new recipes very soon. It has been a crazy late summer and early fall for me.

Don't Miss These Posts:
Pumpkin Cake Recipe
Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
How Long Does it Take to Make Cake Pops?
Fall Treat Roundup
Halloween Cake Pops

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Pecan Turtle Cake Recipe

It's all here. Chocolate, Caramel, Pecans. Yummy turtle cake. And the best part for me was that it was all leftovers from other projects!

What You Need:
Chocolate Cake Recipe
Caramel Buttercream Icing Recipe
1 cup Pecans (toasted and chopped)
Caramel Sauce (see Caramel Icing Recipe)
Chocolate (melted)

Graduation Treats on Fox 9

I visited the local news this weekend to share some graduation treat ideas. I shared two ideas, cake pops and homemade peanut butter cups. Here's the video:

If it won't play, try the Fox 9 Website: www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/18635225/in-the-kitchen-grad-party-treats

One is a variation of these Homemade Peanut Butter Cup Graduation Caps.
*Update: I didn't get a chance to show you how to get them on the stick, but you want to insert the stick after you put on the top chocolate layer, and before you refrigerate them. Once they set, the chocolate will allow the stick to be stuck.
I made a new batch showing how to put them on sticks and with the various fillings, check them out here: Graduation Cap Candy Pops. 

Another are these Graduation Cap Cake Pops.
*Update: I will do a complete tutorial on these early next week, I promise. (See the Cake Pops tab above for all of my cake pop tutorials.)

Homemade Peanut Butter Cup Recipe

I got a recipe similar to this from my aunt in a little book she put together for me for my wedding. I altered it a bit to make it a smaller batch, but I love the texture and flavor of these peanut butter cups.

And if you want, you can also make them in a pie-sized piece. I've made them mini-cupcake size, standard-cupcake size and in those little mini foil pie tins.

What You Need:
1- 12 oz. bag chocolate chips (I recommend milk chocolate.)
1/2 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter (I prefer crunchy, but whatever you like.)
1 package of graham crackers, crushed (1/3 of a standard box of graham crackers.)
1 cup powdered sugar

Yield: About 3 dozen mini cupcakes, 2-3 of the mini foil pie pans.

As Seen On...

In case you missed me this weekend on Fox 9 making cookie pops... here I am:

Beki Cook's Valentine Cookie Pops Recipe: MyFoxTWINCITIES.com

I do wonder if I could have said "yup" a few more times there at the end... I don't think I covered it quite enough. (Kidding.)

Here are links to the recipes and tutorials we talked about in the segment:
Vanilla Sugar Cookie recipe
Royal Icing recipe
How to make cookie pops
How to make a bouquet of cookies

And here's a great look at the other two segments I've done in the last year at Fox 9:
Fondant Jack-o-Lantern Cakes
Banana Cake Pops

How to Make a Valentine's Bouquet of Cookies

Making a bouquet of cookies is not hard at all. If you can make sugar cookies, you can make cookie bouquets.

I took these cookies on the local news yesterday (2/12/12) morning, to demonstrate how to make one of these bouquets... and we ran out of time to show you completely, so here is a step by step.

What You Need:
Cookie "Pops"
Flower Pot or other decorative bucket or basket
Dried beans or rice
Styrofoam disk the same size as the opening to your pot or bucket
Paper Shred or Tissue Paper

Did You See?!

Remember this cake?!

My husband's birthday cake... the one I dubbed "The Most Ridiculous Chocolate Cake Ever?!" The one I gave him tons of grief about making. The one I slaved over for more hours than I care to admit? The one that combined five. different. recipes. (when you count the crust and the whipped cream).

Turns out it was a pretty okay thing that I made that cake. Because that cake led to this:

The St. Paul Pioneer Press has published the entire recipe and photos in today's Eat section. I'm pretty excited. It's my first time having a cake recipe published anywhere other than on this blog.

If this is your first time visiting my blog, thanks for checking me out. Not everything I do is as ridiculous as that cake! (I'd say almost nothing I do is as ridiculous as that cake.)

Here's a link to my Top 10 Favorite Posts.
My Recipe Index is another good place to visit. It's got all of my recipes. (I highly recommend the Banana Split ones.)

I hope that you find helpful ideas, tricks and tips for your baking projects here. You can follow me on Facebook, where I always keep you up-to-date, or you can sign up for emails from me:

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If you're interested in a class, I teach cake decorating classes around the Twin Cities. You can find a whole list and links to register at my class websites: bekicookscakes.com/commed or bekicookscakes.com/wilton.
I also teach private parties and workshops. More information can be found at bekicookscakes.com/parties.

Thanks for supporting my baking habit... as always!
- Beki

A Halloween Visit to Fox 9

Here's a video of my recent appearance on the local news. I always enjoy visiting Tom and Karen... even if we talk too much to get our projects finished.

In the Kitchen: Cake Decoration: MyFoxTWINCITIES.com

Click the Links Below to See:
Other Fondant Decorating Ideas
How to Cover a Cake with Fondant
What is the Best Fondant to Use?
Other Fall, Halloween and Thanksgiving Decorating Ideas

Cake Pops from Fox 9

In the Kitchen: Banana Cake Pops: MyFoxTWINCITIES.com

Banana Cake Pops

by Beki Cook

Make Banana Cake & Cream Cheese Frosting according to my The BEST Banana Cake Recipe.

To make cake pops:

1 cake- baked and cooled

1-2 cups frosting

Candy Melts or almond bark

1-2 Tbsp. vegetable shortening

lollipop sticks

styrofoam disks

sprinkles