Aargh, Matey!

This pirate cake was created for my nephew's 5th birthday party. I used 2 eight inch cakes layered with filling to create the pirate's face. I covered the whole thing in a flesh tone fondant and then added the accessory pieces. What a success!

Bake on!

Michele

Bridal Shower Tea Party Hat Cake

This hat cake was made for a bridal shower tea party. All attendees of the bridal shower wore a tea party hat. We constructed this cake using 1-10 inch cake as the base or brim and 2 layered 8-inch cakes. We fondanted the cakes separately using the brown ribbon to hide the seam. We achieved the brim my extending the fondant beyond the 10 inch cake instead of trimming it at the edge of the cake. We added the daisy, feathers, and pearls for accessories. Though they aren't edible, they did add a nice finishing touch.

Flag Cake

Made this patriotic cake for my super-duper cute goddaughter's baptism. I know, not the usual cake for a baptism, but it seemed kind of fitting being it was the day before the fourth of July. I had intentions of decorating the outside cuter but was frightened with the thought of it getting ruined in the heat and drive to the cabin. Caught everyone by surprise though when the first piece was cut!

And I was dying to try this design after I saw it pinterest (my new obsession!) And being the impatient person that I am, I just couldn't keep this one on the back burner until next year!




And here is the trick to all of the madness. Make a double batch of your favorite white cake recipe. Color the first batch red and divide it into two cake pans. With the second batch and divide it in half. Leave one half white and color the second half blue. When completed you will have two red cakes, one white, and one blue.

After they have cooled. Using a serrated knife or cake leveler, cut the two red cakes and one white horizontally in half. On your cake plate, start by place one of the red halves. Spread the top with a little bit of white filling. Then place one of the white layers on top and spread the top with white filling. And finally, put the red layer on top and spread with filling.

Now for the fun and clever part! Take the blue layer and cut a circle in the middle. I used a ten inch cake pan and cut a six inch circle in the middle. Works well to use a bowl or cake pan as a template. You can now indulge and eat the blue six inch circle if you wish!! Then take the remaining white layer and one of the red layers and stack them together. Using the same bowl or cake pan template, cut circles in the red and white layers. And again you can indulge in the outside rings of red and white cake!

And for the final assembly steps! Place the blue outside ring on top. Put the white circle in the middle first. Top with filling and then place the red circle on top! I highly suggest doing a crumb coat! And then frost and decorate as desired!!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

I'm baaaaccckk! Can't believe it has been a month and a half since the last post!

Thought I would come back with a bang though! This pie is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Love the strawberry and rhubarb combo. The tartness of the rhubarb and sweetness of the strawberries balance very nicely! And best of all, the strawberries and rhubarb are both fresh from the garden! Picked the strawberries today at a local farm and the rhubarb is from my grandma's garden!


And to top it off, the pie is covered with a buttery streusel topping! Definitely my favorite part! I will always pick a streusel topped pie over a double-crusted pie! Don't even have to think about it!


Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

for the filling:
2 3/4 cups sliced rhubarb
2 cups sliced strawberries
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch

for the topping:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, cold and cut into small pieces
1 unbaked single pie crust

In a medium sized bowl, combine the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, and cornstarch. Mix well. The mixture should be thick and syrupy after mixing. Pour the mixture into the pie crust and spread evenly.

In a second bowl, combine the flour and sugar. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour/sugar mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Spoon streusel mixture evenly over the top of the pie.

Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 50-55 minutes. You may need to cover the pie crust edges with foil halfway through to prevent burning.

Let the pie cool completely before cutting. Serve with a dallop of whipped cream or scoop of ice cream!

Knock You Naked Brownies

Oh my gawd! Delicious brownies with a generous layer ooey gooey caramel in the middle!

That ooey caramel was dripping on the counter the second after I snapped the photo! And the best part is that it was still soft and gooey after being refrigerated for an hour. Nothing worse than hard caramel that sticks to your teeth! But no worries about that with these scrumptious little babies!

The brownie base is actually made from a cake mix, but I promise you that no one will even be able to tell! Definitely doesn't have a "box cake" taste. Because of the cake mix these brownies are super easy and fast to whip up! The hardest part about making these is waiting for them to cool before being able to eat them.

These bad boys are delicious with a glass of milk, but are taken up a notch when served with a scoop or two of ice cream. Especially when they are still a little warm and they make the ice cream soft and soupy!

Knock You Naked Brownies

1 box german chocolate cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
60 Kraft caramels, unwrapped
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/3 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix cake mix, chopped pecans, 1/3 evaporated milk, and melted butter. Stir together until well combined. Mixture will be very thick.

Press half of the mixture into a well-greased 8x8 inch pan. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

In a double boiler, melt caramels and 1/2 cup evaporated milk. When completely melted, pour over brownie base. Sprinkle chocolate chips over caramel layer.

Turn out remaining brownie mixture onto work surface. Use your hands to press it into a square that is slightly smaller than the pan. Use a spatula to lift it off the counter and place on top of the caramel and chocolate chip layer.

Return pan to the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow pan to cool to room temperature. Then cover and refrigerate for several hours.

Source: Pioneer Woman
Linked to: Tidy Mom's I'm Lovin' It Friday

First Communion Cupcakes

I've looked at the candy molds many many times at Micheal's and JoAnn's, but have always passed them up. For some unknown reason I figured they just wouldn't worked. I envisioned the candy getting stuck in the molds and ruining them while trying to get 'em out. Well yesterday I decided to spend the whopping two dollars and give them a shot. And boy am I glad I did! Kind of want to go to Micheal's now and grab one of every design! They are so incredibly easy. And not one of them got stuck in the mold! They pretty much just fall right out!

And best of all, making these cute little candies is so much easier, faster, and less stressful than working with fondant! So glad we are finding some fun alternatives to fondant!

Lemon Tart

First and foremost, I must apologize for my poor picture. The family had dug into it before I could snap a decent photo... and my tin foil stuck to the whip cream. Do not let looks deceive you. This tart is absolutely amazing. Remember when Jess was blogging about a baking bucket list...well making a tart/torte has been on my list for quite some time. When I spotted this recipe I knew that it would be a nice compliment to my family's Easter dinner. This is a perfect light lemony spring dessert. I honestly can't wait to make it again and taste spring at its best. I'm proud to say that not only was it a tasty success on my first attempt at a tart but I also get to cross it off my baking bucket list.

So what stood out for me when I came across this recipe? Well, I do love lemon. It ranks right up there with pumpkin. So my eye always gravitates towards lemon recipes. This recipe has a shortbread crust. I love the light buttery taste of shortbread. Paired with lemon, cream cheese, and homemade whip cream, I knew that this would be a hit.

Crust:
1 cup flour
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold, unsalted butter

Lemon filling:
5 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 eggs
1 Tbsp lemon zest

Topping:
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 Tbsp powdered sugar


Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a 8-9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom. In a food processor place the flour, sugar, and salt. Process to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the pastry starts to come together and form clumps. Place the pastry in the prepared tart pan and, using your fingertips, evenly press the pastry onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Pierce the bottom of the crust with the tines of a fork. Cover and place the pastry shell in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill.

When the pastry is completely chilled, place the tart pan on a large baking pan and bake until the crust is golden brown, about 13-15 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool while you make the filling.

Reduce the oven to 350 degrees.

In a food processor or electric mixer, place the cream cheese and process until smooth. Add sugar and process until incorporated. Add eggs, one at a time, and process until thoroughly combined. Add remaining ingredients and process until well blended and smooth. Pour filling into pre-baked tart shell and bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until filling is set. Transfer tart to a wire rack to cool, then cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least an hour.

Beat the whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Cover the lemon layer with the whipped topping. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Source: Joy of Baking
This recipe has also been linked to Cupcake Apothecary A Theme Bakers Sunday #2. Theme: Lemon

Bake on!
Michele