Smash Cake Fun

I just wanted to add a link to Fresh Photography and some cute pictures she took.  Shawna ordered a giant cupcake for one of her clients to smash...it was for a first birthday photo shoot.  Check out some of the fun here:

http://www.fresh-photography.ca/blog/?p=221

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Finnish Pancakes

I first got introduced to Finnish Pancakes when my husband was playing hockey in Manchester, NH and living with a Finnish couple.  I  loved to visit, especially when Meri made delicious Finnish Pancakes to eat while playing a game of Sequence.  I sadly lost Meri's recipe, but have since found a new one that I like as well.  Meri would always make a big, thinner pancake by pouring the batter onto a cookie sheet.  I have done this, as well as cooking them in a 9x13 cake pan, as I did this time.  Both work great. While searching online, I noticed that some people cook them in a frying pan on the stove too.

The following is the recipe that I have been using the last few years.  I am sure I found it online, but am having trouble relocating it so that I can add a link.  If I find it, I promise to link it to my blog!  Until then, here are the basic instructions.

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. butter
3/4 Cup flour
3 eggs, beaten
2 Cups milk
3 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp. salt

First, place the butter in a 9x13 pan and place it in the oven while it preheats to 400 F. 
Meanwhile, beat eggs, add flour, milk, sugar and salt.  Beat well.  Pour batter into hot, melted butter.  Bake for 30 mins.  I usually poke it with a fork about 20 mins in.  ( If you use a cookie sheet make sure to do this more often).

Here is a picture of my baked Finnish pancake.  

I like to add whipped cream & strawberries and serve it as dessert!  Mmmm, sooo good!  You can serve it with other fruit, syrup, jams, or any other delicious combination you can think of!

The leftovers are good too.  Just warm them up in the microwave and they are just as good as when they come out of the oven.

Enjoy!

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Pumpkin-Chocolate-Chip Squares

On Sunday, we enjoyed another Thanksgiving meal with some of our friends here in Oklahoma City.  I was in charge of buns (watch for upcomig blog) and dessert.  I decided to try Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Squares from the Martha Stewart Website. 

Here are the ingredients that you will need.  Plus Chocolate Chips...not sure how I missed putting them in my picture!

 Mix the flour, baking soda, salt and pumpkn pie spice together.

 Cream butter and sugar.  Add the egg and vanilla.  Next, mix in the pumpkin.

Don't forget to add the chocolate chips! 

Here it is ready to come out of the oven.  Make sure you let it cool COMPLETELY before cutting it or trying to take it out of the pan.  Mine was still warm and the middle sort of melted in.  Still tasted good but didn't hold up as a square.

Here are some of the squares.  I spread a little Cream Cheese Frosting from the Pumpkin Cupcake post on top of the squares and it was delicious together.

Enjoy!

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Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

I have been eyeing up lots of great pumpkin dessert ideas the last few weeks as today is American Thanksgiving.  I already got to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving before I moved to Oklahoma City, but I love a great excuse to do baking and cooking.  Plus, who doesn't love turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and more.  Mmmm...it sure smells good in my kitchen right now.  It is wonderful to have my parents visiting, and my Mom has definately been a great help in the kitchen today! 

So, for dessert I decided to do something we had never tried before.  I found a recipe for Pumpkin cupcakes with Cream Cheese frosting that can be found here.  How fitting that it is from a Canadian magazine!  I didn't have buttermilk so I used a mixture of plain yogurt (about 1/3 cup) and 2% milk, to make a total of half a cup.

Here are some special pumpkin ingredients I picked up.

 How about these great pumpkin cupcake papers.  I brought them with me from home and was excited to finally get to use them.  They are very festive.

The recipe says that it makes 12 cupcakes, but it makes 12 BIG cupcakes.  This is the amount of batter that was in each wrapper. 

When baked they looked like this.  Mmmm....they smell delicious!

Next add some of the Cream Cheese icing and some Autumn Sprinkles.

Check out these delicious, pumpkin cupcakes!

Our Thanksgiving meal is almost ready!  I can't wait.

P.S- we of course had to have a taste test of the cupcakes and they are nummy.  Everyone likes them and the icing very much!

Happy American Thanksgiving to everyone!

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Football Oreo Truffles

I first got to taste an oreo truffle at a Super Bowl Party last January.  They were delicious and everyone wanted the recipe...yet I never did get it!  So, I decided to do a Google search and came up with a few recipes like the one found here: http://www.food.com/recipe/easy-oreo-truffles-186726

This past weekend my husband's hockey team and a bunch of the wive's & girlfriend's went to an OU football game.  There were over 85, 000 fans at the game- what an experience!  Of course we went early and did some tailgating, so I decided to make some Oreo Truffles to take along.  I was inspired by several posts on Bakerella's website to make them into the shape of footballs.

First, crush whole Oreo cookies in a food processor.



Empty the crumbs into a bowl.



Mix in a package of cream cheese.  I used a spoon and my hands when needed.

Shape the mixture into balls, or in this case, mini-footballs.

Now, this is where I need more practice!!  I melted the chocolate almond bark in a pot on the stove and then poured it into a small bowl.  I dipped the footballs in chocolate and then set them on wax paper to dry.  I tried to dip them with a toothpick and then hold them to dry a bit but they started to break apart.  Next time, I will put them into the fridge for a while to make them a little harder.  Since I set them down wet, the chocolate dripped down and formed a flat bottom.  Maybe if I wouldn't have been making them at 10:30 at night I would have taken more time.  I placed them in the fridge to harden the chocolate quicker.

Once they cooled, I used a knife to very carefully cut away some of the flat base.  Next, I melted some white almond bark in the microwave and placed it in a decorating bag, cutting off the tip.  I cut the whole a little big so the laces turned out a little messy too.  I drew one line down the middle and then three smaller lines across it.

The mini-football Oreo truffles were a HUGE hit and the football game was a blast with Oklahoma taking home a big win!  The truffles may have been referred to as 'heaven' and I may have a few orders for the next road trip! 

Mmmmmm! Delicious!



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Lemon Update

So, the lemon icing was delicious, but I found it a little strong for my tastebuds.  At first I thought it was too lemony, so I tried adding some salt and more powdered sugar.  After some more tasting by my husband and I, we decided that it was maybe too sweet.  Eventually, I decided to add some Cool Whip as I had some in my freezer.  I probably ended up adding close to two cups of Cool whip to the icing and it tasted soooo good.  Of course with so much Cool Whip, it was no longer an icing that I could use to decorate, but rather a glaze to put over the cupcakes.

Find the Lemon cupcakes and the Lemon Kissed Buttercream frosting at http://the-cupcakery-blog.blogspot.com/2008/02/week-8-lemon-cupcakes-with-lemon-kissed.html

The cupcakes have a light lemon taste that goes nicely with the frosting, but I would suggest not putting too much icing on top unless you love lemony sweetness. 

Here are some alterations that I made to the Frosting, making it more of a Glaze.

1 stick of unsalted butter

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp milk (1%)

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 cups Cool Whip

I will update this post when I get around to making this a scond time since this time I was really just playing around and didn't keep track of exact measurements.  We really did like the taste of it though! 

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Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Frosting

I recently visited Pinkitzel located in Bricktown of Oklahoma City.  Check it out online at: http://www.pinkitzel.com/  It has a super cute interior and delicious cupcakes.  I must admit that this place has truely inspired me to get baking and creating once again.  Yesterday I spent many hours checking out great baking blogs and found delicious recipes that I just can't wait to try! 

So today I went and picked up some last minute ingredients and baked up a storm.  I chose a lemon cupcake with lemon frosting, and while they are pretty tasty, I found the lemon frosting a little overpowering so I will definately need to do a little tweaking to get it to perfection. 

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Jewelery Box Cake

I made this jewelery box cake for Taryn's 7th birthday.  I used a square cake, cut it and layed one portion on top of the other.  I used graham crakers to make the sectionals on the top layer.  The 'lid' of the jewelery box was not edible as I made it using cardboard covered in tin foil and icing.  It was fun to add some candy heart rings and candy necklaces to the jewelery box.  The kids loved them!  

I added some colourful gumballs around the edge of the bottom drawer to add some colour and fun for the kids.

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Giant Cupcake

Ella got to smash the first giant cupcake for her photoshoot, so I got to make her a second one to enjoy at her birthday party.  I used lots of the same colours but decorated it a little bit different.  Imagine a great big #1 candle sticking out of the flower on top.  So much fun for a little one's first birthday!

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Giant Smash Cupcake

I love the giant cupcake pan!  Here is a cake that I made for Ella's first birthday pictures.  Ella is going to have a photoshoot smashing this giant cupcake with Shawna of Fresh Photography tomorrow.  How much fun is that!?!?  The colours/design was chosen to correspond with Ella's diaper cover. I can't wait to see the beautiful pictures.

This cake was my first attempt at Dairy Free.  It definately was a learning experience with many hours of work put into finding and trying new recipes.  I am happy to have learned so much and hope that my next dairy free experience will go much better with the knew knowledge that I have found!

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Winnie The Pooh!

For Christmas I recieved several Wilton Cake Pans including this Winnie the Pooh.  What a fun and easy way to make a special cake.  I love how there is room to personalize the cake on the balloon.  I made this lemon cake for my nephews 2nd birthday.  First I covered in in white buttercream icing, with a shell border.  I smoothed out green on the balloon and piped a special message.  The Winnie the Pooh was made up of LOTS of stars.  I love that piping a star is so easy and yet looks so good!   Mmmm...good!

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Strawberry Shortcake

When my our niece told Richard that she wanted Strawberry Shortcake for her birthday, he replied, "Perfect, that's Auntie's favourite cake to make." Well, he was right. My favourite cake is simply a moist white cake, dripping with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. Mmmm! He was also naive. I knew instantly that she wanted THE Strawberry Shortcake, after all, she did dress up as her last Halloween. I was a little intimated by the thought, but decided to give it a go! I had to change it from my original drawing a bit as it just wouldn't work for me, but I am happy with the end result!

I made a two layered 10" cake filled with Whipped Cream Cream Cheese frosting and Strawberries!  I then used buttercream to decorate the cake.  The little strawberry on the left hand side was made using a heartshaped cupcake.  The flowers along the bottom were licorise flowers.  I piped strawberries around the outer edge of the cake as well. 

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Thomas the Train

My nephew has been in love with Thomas for over 3 years now.  Each May we travel to see Thomas on his Day Out at Heritage Park in Calgary.  It is so much fun watching his eyes light up when he sees Thomas on the traintrack.  For his 5th birthday he requested a Thomas Cake.  I searched online and fell in love with a few.  I was inspired when I saw a half-tiered cake with Thomas emerging from a tunnel.  I added a few of my own ideas as well.  All in all I love the way that it turned out.

I made 2 8" white cakes and then cut one of them in half and stacked them on one half of the other cake.  I used a Whipped Cream, Cream Cheese frosting for the filling and then decorated it using buttercream icing.  I started with green grass and a blue sky.  I piped some brown to make the tunnel and outlined it with chocolate chips.  I made a tree on the front and added some licorise candies that look like flowers.   I used a toy Thomas to set on the brown piped railway track.   I also put chocolate chips all around the bottom.     

On the top I wrote 'Happy 5th Birthday Josh!' and then I decided I needed to add some decorations to the back.  Harold flying over the mountains of Sodor Island was the perfect way to finish this Thomas and Friends Cake!

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Baseball

My family enjoys hockey in the winter and baseball in the summer.  We enjoy other sports as well, but these are our two favourites!  This past summer I created to baseball cakes.  The first was for my Dad's birthday.  I used the Wilton ball pan to make a 3-D baseball on top of an 8" circle.  I decorated it with buttercream icing.  I got the idea for this cake from a photo in a book that came with my decorating kit.  I was a little disappointed that my red icing appeared so pink.  I learned for the next time and bought premade red icing.  Definately the way to go for red and black icing!

The second baseball cake was for my Nephew's baseball team after they won Provincials. For this cake I made two huge square cakes filled with a Whipped Cream, Cream Cheese icing.  I also added a 3-D baseball in the outfield.  I put their team name and logo (The Cardinals) on the infield of the diamond.  I new I wanted to be able to use the sides of the cake to decorate, so I had to make it extra big.  Around the two front sides I wrote 'Congratulations Provincial Champs.'

I melted some white chocolate and then used red icing to make little baseballs.  I the put the name of each player, coach and manager on a baseball, along with one that said fans.  I then iced them onto the remaining sides of the cake, and filled in some of the spots on the front.

I hope that all of the players, parents and coaches enjoyed eating this cake as much as I enjoyed the opportunity to make it for them!

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3-D Hockey Bear

I love the Wilton 3-D Bear pan and all of the decorating options that come along with it.  I decided to decorate it as a hockey player for my nephew's 10th birthday.  I put the name of his spring hockey team on the front, and his name and number on the back.  Not only did his teddy have a black eye, but he even wore a bandage on his opposite cheek.  I also melted chocolate in a circular shape for the hocky puck.  The stick and skates were made of cardboard covered with tin foil.  My nephew enjoyed sharing this cake with the kids at his birthday party.

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Quilting Cake

I made this birthday cake for my Mom and Sister Janis.  My Mom is an avid quilter and my sister enjoys it as well, so when I saw a photo of a three tiered quilting bee cake, I new I had the inspiration for my mom's cake!  Each 'patch' of the quilt is made up of different colours and designs, and then stitched together with icing.  I melted chocolate to make the scissors and needle.  

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Moolicious!

I made this cake for my brother Duane who is a holstein farmer.  His little boys loved it- especially all of the sprinkles!  I designed this cake with the help of my husband and am very happy with how it turned out.  I hear it tasted pretty good too!

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Giant Cupcake

I finally bought the Giant Cupcake pan.  This cake is super cute and would go great with a bunch of cupcakes around it.  The cake to the left I decorated with a rainbow theme, but the options are endless. Carson loved to tell us all the colours of the gumballs as he took them off to share.

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Wilton Course 3, Final Tiered Cake

I began working on this cake long before the day of class. The first step was to make LOTS of fondant roses in a variety of sizes. I had searched online and found several cakes that I was inspired by. The cake consisted of a 6" round cake on top of a 10" round cake. Each cake was approximately 4" high. I covered both of the cakes in Fondant, and then did some scroll work with white Royal Icing. I placed a white fondant ribbon along the bottom of each cake, and then had a white fondant ball border at the base of each cake.

I really enjoyed making the roses and look forward to using them again in the future. I look forward to making them in a variety of colours too.


This was the first tiered cake that I have made. I am quite happy with the results but look forward to making more in the future to use some of the new skills that I learned.

I had used dowels to support the tiers of this cake, but I decided that I would like to use the pillars that I had gotten in my course kit, just to try something different. This was the result:

Another time I would have more roses to place on top of the bottom cake, but I was simply using the flowers from the original cake.  I decided to reorganize the flowers to make a cake similar to the one that is shown on the Course 3 Booklet. Again, I used the same cakes, not with the pillars, and made the following cake. It just goes to show the variety of cakes that are available with very similar features.

I look forward to one day being able to create a cake for someone's special occasion!

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