A Happy Bunny Cake and a few Surprises!

I have been thinking about a very simple cake design with PEEPS on top. So silly I know but I have never made a PEEPS cake.

It would be a small cake, covered with pipped white grass and the PEEPS perched on top. It would be cute and very simple!

A few days later, I decided to just do it. I was driving myself insane thinking about it so much.

I do that kind of thing. Do you? I think I have told you before that most of the simple projects I take on somehow become bigger, more complex and the most time consuming. It is true. Just don't remind the hubster of this this, please.

Lady Bug 1st Birthday Party

I am excited to share Madison's 1st "lady bug" birthday party with you!

I get just a wee-bit excited when I get to be involved in 1st birthday parties. I have yet to see one that is not a 10+ on the cuteness scale.

This one is no exception.

It is all about lady bugs today. It is no secret that lady bugs are cute but when you add the cuteness of a one-year-old, the cuteness goes off the charts.

Seashell Cake

Are you like totally over the cold, wet Winter yet?

I am.

Seems like this Winter has been unpredictable is many ways. Warm sunshine, below zero temps, massive snow, lots of rain and even thunderstorms. Crazy.

I was excited when my sister requested a beach themed birthday party this year. She said she is over the cold and the snow and ready for Spring. 

I can relate. So am I.

I decided to make her a seashell/ocean cake. There was only one problem. I have never made fondant seashells before and in my town, I just can't go out and buy seashell molds.

Vintage Tupperware Party

A few weeks into the New Year, I went into major "funk" mode. This has happened to me a few times in the past. When the Winter funk comes on it happens fast and hits hard.

The excitement of the Fall and holidays were gone and to be honest, I didn't know what to do with myself. I tried to keep busy with hobbies and this and that but I had a semi-sad feeling going on and a bit of boredom.


You know how it is. It can bring on the lazies too. The couch turned into my best friend. No motivation to do anything. I hate when this happens.

How do you Measure up on the LOVE Scale?

I have been thinking about Valentine's Day for the past few weeks because I love to make Valentine's Day sweets. I have made a few too many - just because I like too.

The Valentine sweets are so cute with all the reds, pinks and whites. And have you check out the Valentine isles in the stores? Colorful, cute-ness overload.

Valentine's Day is the big love day of the year, you know.

It is easy to show love with lots of candy, roses, chocolate dipped strawberries, jewelry and nice dinners. Yes. That's easy.

Let's Decorate a Cake

Hello. My name is Donna and I am an addict.

A cake addict.

The last time I checked there was no cure. I admit, I don't check often.

Oh well.

When there is no cure, I deal with it by making and eating more and more cakes.

Oh well. Oh well. Such is life.

Water Color Cupcake Tutorial

"The world is but a canvas to the imagination." -Henry David Thoreau

One of my most popular cake flavor is "Happy Cake."

Everyone loves it - especially the kiddos. It is a simple white cake batter, flavored with almond and/or vanilla with 1/2 cup of colorful jimmies mixed in.

"Quickie" Christmas Bark

Merry Christmas Eve!

I must admit - I have never made Christmas bark, chocolate bark or any other kind of bark. I didn't realize how easy it is.

I had a sample of "tart cherry" chocolate bark at the Holiday Market a few weeks ago. It was LOVE at first taste!

I purchased a bag of the tart cherry candy crunch so I could make it for Christmas.

I made it. Then I lost it.


Yep.

A Christmas Cake and Other Christmas Goodies

We attended our first Christmas party food fest of the season this past weekend. You know, the parties dinners that you attend and eat and eat and eat?

Yes. We did that.

The appetizer bar grabbed hold of me and would not let go. I had so much smoked salmon, shrimp and uh, yes, uh chicken tenders that I had no room left for my dinner.

I  know, I know "chicken tenders" are a kid kinda thing but believe me people, these are the best chicken tenders I have ever eaten - in my life. I only get them once a year so I sorta have to make up for lost time.

A Red Velvet Birthday

Do you do the black Friday shopping madness?

I normally don't but sometimes I go out at dinner time. I have found at this time there is lull in the stores and it's not life threatening.

I don't get the "deal of the day" but I don't get trampled either.

It is just safer that way.

Girly Football 1st Birthday Party

I am pretty sure a secret meeting was held and I wasn't invited.

Zoe's mommy and daddy decided she would have a "football" party to celebrate her 1st birthday. It was the hubster's job to break the news to me.

When he announced that I had to asked me to make a make a football cake for our sweet Zoe's 1st birthday party, I was over-the-top excited.

I mean "football" is my entire existence. Know what I mean? Yes, I am one of those glued to the t.v., yelling so loud that I scare the neighbors and attend every football game that I possibly can - even if I don't like the teams.

"Cute as a Button" Birthday Party

monday, october 28, 2013

"cute as a button" birthday party

I love being a part of 1st birthday parties so when I was asked to make Khloee's "cute as a button" cake I was thrilled.

Each detail of the party design was on the cutting edge of cuteness.

Khloee definitely lived up to the theme of her party.

Her cuteness factor is off the charts.

The color scheme consisted of many colors in cheery, happy tones.

Buttons, burlap and chevron adorned everything.

Sweet-tober Fest

I have a love/hate relationship with mini candy. I love them. They hate me. It is that simple.

I found a recipe for Halloween monster cookies. They had lots and lots of good stuff in them.  Mini chocolate chips, peanut butter and mini M&M's to name a few.

Peanut Butter Mania

It started out simple enough. I made a Reese's peanut butter cake as a gift.  I also posted a Reese's peanut butter cake tutorial for that same cake.

Since then it is like "peanut butter" mania broke loose.

I made this little two tier for my family's birthday.

We have six family birthdays in September.  Is that crazy or what?

It is a white chocolate cake. The tier sizes are 7 and 4.  Each tier had only two layers of cake and one layer of peanut butter buttercream.

Ina's Frozen Key Lime Pie

Do you like Ina Garten?  I do. She seems so sweet and so calm.  

I like "calm." "Calm" is not so much in my blood so I am naturally drawn to those who are.  

The hubster is naturally calm. I am happy he is because he needs that trait to deal with me.  

I am more rowdy than calm.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cake Tutorial

My favorite candy is Reese's Peanut Butter cups.  Not the new "mini's" and not the full size candy bar.  I like the little guys.  The bite size ones that are individually wrapped.

Wanna know why?  If I eat the bite size, it doesn't count so I can eat as many as I want.

The full size candy bars?  I never touch them.  Way too many calories.

Cake Tales and Mini-Tiers

When I ventured into the crazy world of cake design, one thing I quickly discovered is that everyone loves a big honkin' beautiful cake, a carved cake and the look of fondant on a cake.

But as in life, the bigger and better, the more it costs and the more cake there is to eat.

Not every birthday party needs 75 servings of cake. I find that 30-40 servings is more than enough for the average small party. For this reason I came up with the "mini-tier" cake.

The mini-tiers are relatively small and will serve 30-ish. Each tier has only two layers of cake and one layer of filling. They stand 12" tall, without a topper.

The size of this black and white cake was 7-5-4 rounds.  I baked it in the 3" high "fat daddio"pans.  I normally use approximately 7-9 cups of batter for a mini-tier - depending on the pan combination I use.

Cookie Butter Krispies with Caramel Sauce

Have you tried the new cookie butters already?  They are "out of this world" good. If you haven't tried one, you missing out on some real good stuff.

I made "cookie butter krispie treats" this weekend and oh my - I could have eaten the entire pan.

Buttercream Ranunculus Roses Tutorial

I love the simple things in life.

The older I get "simplicity" is where it is happening, baby.

All. The. Way.

When I discovered how to make a simple buttercream ranunculus rose, I was ecstatic.

Can you hear me jumping up and down with excitement?

I am.

If you are like me, you always under estimate the time it takes to make a cake.

How to Make Buttercream Butterfly Cookies

I have received hundreds of emails asking me how to make the "Butterfly Buttercream Cookies."  I mean, people are begging me, stopping me on the street and calling me at all hours during the night.  I finally found a few extra minutes to share this with you.  Maybe all the "noise" will settle down after this and I can finally get some much needed rest.