1st Birthday Smash Cake

X-Rated Bachelorette Cake & Cupcakes

This naughty cake & cupcakes were made for a bachelorette party.

Vanilla cake, filled with vanilla pudding, iced in flesh toned vanilla buttercream icing, with toasted coconut accents :)

Marble cupcakes, vanilla buttercream, chocolate candy decoration.

Baby Annoucement Cupcakes

I used these fun, blue filled cupcakes to announce the sex of our baby to my coworkers!

Vanilla cupcakes, filled with a blue cotton candy buttercream, topped with white chocolate cheesecake frosting.

Donut Topped Cupcakes

For a recent order, I was asked to make a cake (forgot to take a picture!) and cupcakes for a Dunkin Donuts manager of the year.  What better way to tie in the Dunkin Donuts than donut topped cupcakes, glazed with the DD pink & orange.

Vanilla bean cupcakes, frosted with vanilla bean buttercream & topped with homemade vanilla bean donuts, with a simple glaze.

Graduation Cake

It's graduation season again!  I was asked to make a cake for a graduate of my former high school, so it was extra special :)

This cake was a vanilla bean cake, filled with homemade strawberry filling, iced & decorated with vanilla buttercream.  I used alternating colors for the bottom shell border and top reverse shell border.

Disney Cars themed cupcakes

I made these fun cupcakes for a Disney Cars themed baby shower.  The hostess didn't want to overdo the theme, so she chose fun, bright, colorful liners and threw in a few of the licensed Cars liners.  A cute racing flag topper for each cupcake tied it all together!  Red Velvet cupcakes with Cream Cheese Buttercream are in the red liners, and Vanilla Bean cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Swiss Meringue Buttercream are in the yellow liners:

photo credit to Derek McNelly

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

After much searching, I have finally found my favorite vanilla cupcake.  This cupcake is light and fluffy, and thanks to the vanilla bean seeds in the cupcake, it still packs a strong vanilla punch.  The cupcake below was topped with my favorite, Vanilla Bean Swiss Meringue Buttercream, the perfect frosting for a light cupcake!

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
2 1/4 cups cake flour (I always make my own by scooping 2 Tbsp of flour out and adding 2 Tbsp cornstarch)
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups whole milk
4 large egg whites
1 stick butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 vanilla bean seeds
2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl, and set aside.  Mix milk, egg whites, and both vanilla extract and seeds together in a small bowl and set aside.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar, about 3 minutes.  Alternate adding the flour and milk mixtures to the butter/sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.  You should use 3 additions of flour and 2 additions of milk.  Once the mixture is combined, turn the mixer up to medium and beat for 2 minutes.  Portion into cupcake liners, about 1/4 cup each, and bake for 18-20 minutes at 350.

Recipe from My Baking Addiction

Paczki for Mardi Gras!

Paczki (pronounced punch-key) are a brioche dough donut with fruit or custard filling, popular around metro Detroit on Fat Tuesday.  With the large Polish population, I'm sure the donuts here are among the best!

I've made donuts with success before, so decided to try my hand at Paczki.  I made some with a raspberry filling and some with a vanilla pudding/custard filling.

I was so excited that these look just like the ones from the bakery!

Happy Mardi Gras!

Cherry Vanilla Tuxedo Cake

Here is another variation on the Tuxedo Cake that I first made for New Years.  This cherry vanilla version would be a perfect Valentine's Day dessert!

Isn't it pretty?  And it couldn't be easier!  Just start with your favorite cake mix (one that makes two nice tall 8" cake layers), add a jar of chopped maraschino cherries to the batter, reserving the juice.  Bake as directed, and let cool.

Cherry Vanilla Buttercream:
2 sticks butter
5 Tbsp maraschino juice
2 tsp vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar

Beat the butter and the juice together until the butter turns pink (fun!), add the vanilla, and then slowly add the powdered sugar.  Frost the cooled cakes.

Glaze:
4 oz semi sweet chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup corn syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract

Heat cream over medium high heat, just until it reaches a boil.  Pour over chocolate (in a separate bowl), and let stand 60 seconds.  Add corn syrup and vanilla, and stir until all the chocolate is melted.  Let cool in refrigerator for about 5 minutes, then pour over cake, guiding it over the sides.  Let cake set 1 hour before serving.

Recipe from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen

Coffee & Donut Cupcakes

These coffee & donut cupcakes were for a Police Officer's retirement party. Obviously, they were for an officer with a sense of humor :)

I wanted to play off the cops & donuts stereotype, so I knew I wanted to incorporate the donut into the cupcake, as well as coffee flavor. Thinking that a coffee flavored cupcake may be too overpowering for the entire crowd, I chose to make a maple-vanilla cupcake. To top the cupcake, I made a coffee & cream buttercream by using a coffee/espresso flavoring and half & half. Finally, the cupcakes were topped with a baked chocolate donut, with a vanilla glaze & chocolate jimmies.

Maple Vanilla Cupcakes

yield 24 cupcakes

2 1/4 cups cake flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 1/4 cup buttermilk

4 large egg whites

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp maple extract

In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt. In a medium bowl (or large measuring cup), whisk milk, and egg whites. In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar at medium speed for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add vanilla & maple extracts, then add the flour & milk, alternating between the two, starting and ending with the flour. Once everything has been added, beat the batter for 2 additional minutes. Scoop into lined cupcake pans and bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes.

Coffee & Cream Buttercream

2 sticks butter (I used 1 stick salted & 1 stick unsalted)

4 cups powdered sugar

1 Tbsp coffee extract

2-4 Tbsp half & half or heavy cream

In a stand mixer, beat the butter for 3-5 minutes until very light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar slowly, mixing until incorporated (it may be crumbly at this point). Add the coffee extract and half & half, continuing to beat, until you reach the desired consistency. Pipe on to cupcakes.

Mini Chocolate Donuts

yield 48 mini donuts

1 cup flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp nutmeg (don't skip this!)

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

4 tsp butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

In a large bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, nutmeg & salt. In a small bowl, whisk milk, sugar, egg, butter and vanilla until smooth. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, and whisk until blended and smooth. To fill donut pans, put mixture in a ziploc bag and pipe into the cavities*, filling them about 2/3 full. Bake at 375 for 5-7 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before turning out from pan.

*Even though most pans are non-stick, I recommend spraying the pan. Wipe clean & spray each time to ensure the donuts do not stick.

Vanilla Glaze

1 1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbsp + 1 tsp milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Whisk ingredients together & use immediately. You can pour over donuts or dip each individually.

Cupcakes adapted from My Baking Addiction

Donuts adapted from The Motherload

Bailey's Vanilla Bean Fudge

This fudge tastes just like a glass of bailey's and cream.  The Bailey's isn't overpowering, but the flavor is definitely there.  It's creamy & smooth and the vanilla bean flecks add a punch of vanilla flavor and pretty specks throughout the fudge.

Bailey's Vanilla Bean Fudge
yield 64 pieces
2 cups sugar
1 stick unsalted butter
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp Bailey's Irish Cream
2 cups (~12 oz) good quality white chocolate chips
seeds from 1/2 a vanilla bean
7 oz marshmallow creme

Line a 9x9 pan with parchment or foil.  Combine sugar, butter, cream, and Bailey's in a heavy bottomed pan and bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Once boiling, reduce heat to medium low and use a candy thermometer and cook until 234 degrees (should take 7-10 minutes), stirring constantly.  Once the mixture hits 234 degrees, remove from heat and add chocolate chips.  Stir until the chips have melted and the chocolate is smooth.  Add vanilla bean seeds and marshmallow creme and mix until well blended.  Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and cool until room temp.  Cut into ~1x1 squares and enjoy!

Recipe from Not So Humble Pie

50th Anniversary Cake

Vanilla bean cake with vanilla bean Swiss meringue buttercream:

Piping done with vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream; teal fondant circle.

Vanilla Bean Cake with Vanilla Bean Swiss Meringue Buttercream

I was so excited to make this cake for my Grandma's surprise birthday party.  I had already picked out the perfect cupcakes to make, and wanted the perfect cake.  I chose a fluffy vanilla cake from Sweetapolita.   

The cake was bursting with vanilla flavor, nicely complemented by a raspberry whipped cream filling and topped with vanilla bean swiss meringue buttercream.  I used some different piping techniques to decorate.  Overall, the cake was a huge success, and I don't think I've ever received so many compliments on a cake in one night!  

Sweet Sixteen Cake #2

Back to regularly scheduled glittery pink sparkles with this cake!  Here is another Sweet Sixteen cake (possibly my favorite kind to make!).  The birthday girl requested pink velvet funfetti, vanilla buttercream, and lots of bling.

I piped a simple cornelli lace on the sides in pink icing to really make the pink stand out.  I love how this cake turned out & so did the birthday girl!

The Big Five-Oh

This stacked vanilla almond sour cream cake was for a very special birthday celebration.  Simple fondant flowers were used to decorate the cake that was filled and iced in vanilla hazelnut buttercream.  No "over the hill" theme, here!

Stay tuned for the matching bumpy cupcakes!