Family Tree 2

For my Grandmother's 85th birthday, I knew I had to do something special.  There is nothing more important to her than her family, so I figured that everyone needed to be included.  With this cake, I not only used her favorite colors, but matched the invitations.  

The tree is made of gumpaste...7 branches for her children...14 leaves for their children.  All of those names, plus her 18 great grandchildren were written on the leaves of the tiers, all made of fondant.  The cake was Butterscotch Spice with cream cheese filling.  

Her party was so much fun!  There is nothing better than catching up with family, great food and fireworks!  

Happy Birthday, Grandma "Deanie"

Thank you for always having the confidence in me to achieve whatever I dream of.  

I love you!

 

Chocolatey Fall

 

When my dear friend's birthday would be celebrated with a girl's day out with lunch and pedicures, I knew that cake would be the perfect gift!  I have known Kim since my first year of teaching...more than 10 years ago and I am so blessed to have such a great friend.  

 

Her cake was made of Butterscotch Spice with Cinnamon Cream Cheese.  The chocolate fondant and the leaves made of modeling chocolate were a perfect compliment to the cake flavor!  The big problem with having a cake while getting a pedicure is the temperature.  Maybe I noticed it more than I usually do, but it was so hot in there that the leaves were melting on our forks!  No worries...they still tasted like chocolatey goodness...

 

As for the pedicure, it was so nice!  It was a gloomy & rainy day and it felt so good to get pampered.  Happy Birthday, Miss Kim...thanks for all you have done for me & my kiddles!

 

 

Hogwarts Sorting Hat

I had such a blast making this cake!  The sorting hat was for my oldest's good friend, Rayce.  He was having a Harry Potter Birthday and I am so glad that his mom asked me to make this specific design.  His mom and I are pretty close and fortunately, she trusts me when it comes to cake.  At first, I wasn't so sure I deserved such trust since it looked more like a beehive than a hat when I first started carving.  Finally, it started to take shape. 

My main concern, with this cake, was stability.  I knew that I needed a good support system and a dense cake to hold the shape.  The sorting hat was, my new favorite, Butterscotch Spice with cream cheese filling.  I loved that this was all chocolate fondant.  With petal dust and cocoa, I was able to work on the shadows and weathering of the hat. 

As I worked on the details, I had a bit of a Harry Potter movie marathon.  I thought for sure that I would need to watch at least 5 of the movies, but had finished the cake before The Chamber of Secrets had finished!  Not only did I get to make my vision of a great "character" come to life, but I was able to have a movie night.

Happy 8th Birthday, Rayce...

wishing you a magical year!

If anyone is interested in a Harry Potter birthday party and need suggestions, let me know.  Rayce's mom threw an amazing party, complete with Hogwarts "letters" as invitations...from the Headmistress herself!  Thanks for a great party, Brooke!

Get Set...GO!

This cake was made for and inspired by one of the cutest sets of twins I know.  Little Jack and Andrew love cars...all cars!  I was thrilled when their mom, one of my dearest friends, asked me to make their birthday cake. Made of my Sour Cream White cake with fresh strawberry buttercream, I hoped this would be a hit with this toddler duo and their family.  Details are both chocolate and marshmallow fondant and buttercream.  

Happy 2nd Birthday 

sweet Jack & Andrew...

Temple of Doom

or, "Hold on Tight Lady"...per the birthday boy

As we approached our oldest's 8th birthday, we noticed that he had once again, become obsessed with Dr Jones.  This time around, he had decided that his favorite of the movies he had seen, was "for sure" Temple of Doom.  Since I am a huge fan of this movie, I chose my favorite scene.  As I thought and thought, doubted myself and even conferred with a friend across the country, i finally came up with my design.  

I know, using the Legos is so the EASY way out, but I want someone to name one kid who would be happy playing with the figures made out of modeling chocolate, fondant or gumpaste.  This Lego set was one of his only wishes for his birthday and truly made his day to see them on the cake!  

The top tiers of this cake was Not-so-Thin Mint Chocolate with White Chocolate buttercream and the bottom tiers were Butterscotch Spice with Cream Cheese filling.  The fondant was of the simple marshmallow variety, trees were made of gumpaste and the rope was just that--rope.

Without having seen his cake, the birthday boy LOVED helping make the rocks and boulders.  He had begged to help with something and I wasn't so sure what he could do until very last minute.  For an hour, or so, I felt like I was on cake challenge.  None of the planning had gone as it should and I was putting all the details on with an hour to spare before the party!  At one point, my husband who is, apparently, a bigger fan of cupcake wars than I thought, shouted out, "Competitors, there is 20 minutes remaining, don't let your bridge fall short."  As I look back, yes pretty funny, at the time I wanted to smack him!

The party was a blast, our last ever at an indoor bounce place and my baby is now 8!

Happy Birthday, doodlebug!   

Queen's Garden

I usually don't get to do cakes for my sister or parents, and get tons of grief for it every time their birthdays roll around!  This year, we had planned to be roadtripping to my parents for my mom's birthday and my sis would be surprising us with a visit as well.  I thought it would be a good year to do a cake for her since we would be spending her 65th birthday in Disneyland next year.  

It was interesting, to say the least, completing a cake away from my own kitchen.  I pre-baked all the cake I would need, I made and colored all of the fondant ahead of time and I packed ALL of the gadgets and tools I would need.  My sister helped with some of the ribbon roses, but was the greatest when it came to keeping my kids OUT of the WAY!  

This cake was Devil's Kahlua Chocolate with fresh strawberry buttercream.  Although she prefers buttercream, I promised to do a thick layer when I dirty iced it, if she would "settle" for marshmallow fondant!

I tried my best to keep the finished product a surprise, but with only one fridge, it was a bit difficult.  In the end, we surprised her with most of her St George neighbors dropping by for a party.  It was so great to sweeten my mom's birthday just a bit!

Happy Birthday, Mom...
We had so much fun playing in the sun!
Thanks for always showing us you are never too old to be young...
Love you Truly!

 

 Ben 10's Omnitrix 

Lucky for us, that we have back to back birthdays with 2 of our boys in May.  Joel was so excited to have his party first, since the younger boy is too little to care.  He wanted a Ben 10 watch cake, just like I made for his friend Luke.  Joel was so thrilled with the finished cake, especially the little watch band stips around the bottom!  

Joel's cake was an  Amaretto Chocolate Cake with fresh Strawberry Buttercream and Chocolate fondant.  The kids loved it!

 

Happy 5th Birthday to my little Joelzy Bean!

I love you more than sugar...

First Holy Communion

This was one of the most special cakes I have made to date.  I am proud to share that my son celebrated his First Holy Communion this past weekend!  He was very excited and asked me if I could make a "cool" cake for his party.  I knew that the traditional white & shiny religious cake would not qualify as "cool".  

Jackson was very specific on his flavor and filling...chocolate with chocolate buttercream, but I tweaked it a bit.  His cake was Amaretto Chocolate with Chocolate Buttercream & White Sour Cream with Chocolate Buttercream covered in Chocolate Fondant and Marshmallow Fondant.

This was my first 3-tier and I am so pleased with how stable it was.  I figured that the safest way to do a trial run of a 3-tier would include sticking pretty close to home!  It was very heavy, but could have traveled easily.  

The colors worked very well together and matched his invitations, just like he wanted. All of the green was handbrushed with edible glitter and made such a huge mess, but looked amazing!  The cross and name were sculpted with gumpaste a couple of days in advance. 

The cupcakes were Chocolate Amaretto with Chocolate buttercream frosting and fondant decor to match the cake.  The cupcakes went so fast that I may have changed my mind about them.  When cupcakes coordinate with a cake, it makes them worth the time!

Congratulations, to one of the sweetest, most compassionate boys I know.  

We are so proud of you!

Class of 2010

but,

for the record... 

'A Utah Man Am I!'

My son's teacher had asked me about a cake for her husband a few months ago and I must admit, I was SO nervous!  Not only was this for someone very important to our family, but...it was for a BYU Graduation!  For those that know me, I am a blood red Utah Ute fan, proud graduate and hate the color blue!  However, I am always up for a challenge!  Her husband was receiving his Masters in Accounting and we figured we would do a cake befitting an accountant!  I remembered how big of a pain it was to learn the 10-Key in Mr. Nichol's technology class all those years ago, but making a cake replica of a printing calculator was a whole lot more fun.  Complete with paper, digital display and detailed keys, I couldn't wait to share this one!  My favorite part of this cake was the added splash of color that I included.  Just a touch of RED...

 In all fairness, I did put it on the back!  

 My husband thinks this picture looks like a bed complete with a BYU bedskirt for an accountant!  

Ha Ha...VERY FUNNY!

This calculator may not allow one to complete their taxes too accurately, but satisfy a sweet tooth it can!  The cake was covered in marshmallow fondant with a Chocolate cake and Butter Pecan filling.  My next goal... anything University of Utah related!   

Fellow UTE fans, or BYU fans who are in need of inspiration, CLICK HERE!! GO UTES! 

Princess Tiana

For my birthday, the boys decided that they wanted to make me a Princess & the Frog cake. We cheated a bit on this one and found a Princess Tiana topper, but don't tell...the boys are glad we have a toy to keep from the cake!  My oldest who has been very interested in baking and cake design was so meticulous as he placed the decorations on.  After nearly covering the entire top tier, he asked me what I thought.  I told him how great he did and how well he utilized EVERY empty space!  My 4 year old wasted little time planning and jumped right in.  I was pretty surprised that none of the fondant pieces broke.  He was so excited to put the flower on "his" tier.  He was a bit rough, but I love how gentle he TRIED to be!

 My very focused 7-year old decorating a Princess cake...does anyone else think this would be a great picture to share with friends in high school?  No, really, he was so excited for my birthday and I am really impressed with how important it was to him to make "his" cake look just right!

 I only helped him with one, and then he was Mr. Independent!  I am pretty sure he was just in a hurry to eat the cake, though.  Way to go, buddy...it turned out pretty great!

I love the colors that the boys picked out for this 2-tier, oval cake.  Both tiers were Butterscotch-Chocolate dream cake with fresh strawberry filling, and covered with marshmallow fondant.  This was the perfect sized cake for my little family and we certainly have plenty left over.  It always makes me wonder, why wouldn't you take the size of your party, double or triple it, and order your cake based on that many servings.  There is nothing better than leftover birthday cake!  

Thanks so much boys!  You made my birthday so fabulous!  From waking me with a quiet enough Happy Birthday song, so you didn't wake the baby, to the countless birthday kisses and hugs, you made me feel like a real princess!  How lucky am I??

 

Ben 10 vs. The Little Mermaid

 

 

These cakes were for two of the cutest kids in the world...next to my own, anyway!  Luke & Ellee were turning 4 and were so excited for me to make their birthday cakes.  Luke knew right away that he wanted a BEN 10 watch, but Ellee wasn't so sure of which princess.  Once she had decided on Ariel, she was so happy!  It was amusing to see the party setup, with half pink and princesses and the other,  green with Alien Force masks.  When it came time for kids, and the grownups too, regardless of gender, I could tell where frosting preferences existed.  It always makes me feel good about the flavor of my fondant when KIDS will actually EAT it!

Both the 1-tier Omnitrix and 2-tier Mermaid cake were Bailey's Chocolate with fresh strawberry buttercream.  The Omnitrix had marshmallow & milk chocolate fondant.  Ariel's garden was sculpted out of modeling chocolate and the ocean was sparkling buttercream.  (Ariel was a candle, that the birthday girl was SO thrilled to carry around with her for the rest of the party!)

Happy Birthday, Lukee & Ellee Bellee...thanks for all the HUGE hugs!

Blast Off!

As a mother with three young boys, I have watched many episodes of Little Einstein's, and loved them all!  I was so excited to make this cake for this little guy's 3rd birthday!  His Grandma commissioned this cake as a special gift for his party.  He made sure that his Grandma knew all of the details of Rocket.  I was thrilled to hear that this cake was loved so much that he refused to let them cut into Rocket!  Ahh... Happy Birthday, to this Little Einstein!

Both the base and Rocket were a White Sour Cream cake with chocolate buttercream filling. The exterior was marshmallow fondant and buttercream.

"OK, Dr. Jones"

For an Indiana Jones themed 6th birthday, I tried to come up with something that avoided store-bought cake toppers.  This crate was filled with white cake and fresh strawberry buttercream; although the Ark of the Covenant would have been treasured more for sure! The structure of Indy's hat and whip (on the left side of the crate), and the snake were made of rice krispy treats and covered with fondant.  The cake was covered with my personal favorite, chocolate fondant.  I hope the boy had an adventurous birthday at Thanksgiving Point's Dinosaur Museum!  Happy Birthday, Liam!

(This cake didn't photograph too well.  The fedora looks incredibly shiny and it is hard to see the detail of it.)

 Ladybug, Ladybug...

Fly away home

Made for my sweet Goddaughter's 6th birthday, the intention of this cake was to reflect and match her birthday party theme and decor.  This cake included both a buttercream tier with devils food and strawberry buttercream and the fondant tier with Kahlua Chocolate and strawberry buttercream.  Happy Birthday, cute girl! 

 

 LEGO

My friend's son was having a LEGO birthday, complete with a tallest tower contest and LEGO candy!  On this chocolate fudge, strawberry buttercream filled and fondant covered cake, we even used her LEGO candies!  I think the green LEGO board is my favorite part!  I was thrilled to hear that the kids loved the cake inside & out!  Happy Birthday, COLE!

Family Tree
For my Grandmother's 84th birthday, my 7-year old thought that a fall tree would be a great design!  Working together with my oldest, we brought his idea to life.  Filled with my Grandmother's favorite, strawberry buttercream, this 2-tier cake was devils food and was covered in marshmallow fondant.  I love how much fun my son had painting the leaves.  The piping was a little more difficult for him, but, with my help, he did a pretty good job!  

For his 'all about me' day in first grade, he told the class that he wants to be a baker when he grows up!  He has asked to help so many times...what fun we had!

"...a Pirate's Life for Me!"

For my son's 7th birthday, he was lucky enough to have 2 parties and 2 cakes! The treasure chest was made of devils food with strawberry buttercream and covered in chocolate fondant.  I am proud to say that most of this design was edible!  The melted jolly rancher jewels are my favorite part!  

X Marks the Spot

For my 7-year old's family party, this 2-tier cake was Amaretto-Almond with Amaretto Chocolate filling and covered in Marshmallow Fondant.  This is the perfect cake to have with a warm cup of coffee!

Check out Pirate Island Pizza in Orem or St. George...great place for a Pirate themed party! Their private party rooms are all unique and vary in size. My son and his friends loved the Smuggler's Cave! 

Pirate Island Pizza

Little Prince

Happy 1st Birthday to my BABY!  We had a low-key backyard party for his big celebration.  This carved, 1-tier was Amaretto-Almond with Amaretto Chocolate Filling and covered with Marshmallow Fondant.  

Big shout out to Eagle Mountain's Wasatch Deli for some great sandwiches for the big event!  We love having some great businesses in the heart of our corner of the world!
Wasatch Deli Company 

Me--OW!

This poor kitty had a 30-mile delivery, during constuction season in Utah! Her poor tail looked like it had been in a fight with an alley cat,  by the time she arrived to the birthday girl!  Nonetheless, my Auntie loved it!  Made with my Aunt's favorite Stawberry buttercream, this chocolate fudge cake was a big hit!  Happy Birthday, dear Aunt Luu!