Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes

Mmm...pumpkin. It cannot officially be Fall until I see a few of these lovelies out and about on steps (or at least in your local grocery store which can happen as early as July) but even more than the pumkin itself...when I hear that long awaited confirmation, "Yes! We'll have the Pumpkin Spice Latte starting next week! (so stop asking, pesky coffee junkie)" at my local Starbucks! Yay, Fall!! When blogger Annie's Eats posted this recipe - it was ON. The only thing that held me back - the making of the vanilla bean caramel sauce. And I'm not talking about the can in a slow-cooker method. I'm talking melting down white sugar. In a pot. Without BURNING IT. Yikes. After hemming and hawing for a few weeks, desire got the best of me and I had to at least try. And you know what? It wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it'd be - turned out beautifully in fact! The most heavenly treat of a caramel sauce I have ever tasted! Let's pretend the neighbors didn't see me dancing around my kitchen along to shouts of, "I am woman! I have made caramel sauce - like a GROWNUP! A real chef even! HA!" Ahem. The cupcakes - were spectacular! A coffee-infused pumpkin cupcake brushed with coffee before topping with fresh whipped cream, a drizzle of the MOST FABULOUS vanilla bean caramel sauce and a sprinkle of cinnamon - bellissima! Please check out Annie's Eats for even more wonderful pumpkin recipes too! http://annies-eats.net/2011/09/06/pumpkin-spice-latte-cupcakes/

Ivory Ruffles and Sequins Wedding Cake

So, here it is! My completed entry for the "Decorated for Wedding" decorated cakes competition using "Fondant/Gum Paste" for the 2011 North Carolina State Fair :) I cannot claim inspiration on this design - I used a lovely design by "Sweet Pudgy Panda" and built on it! She had posted a photo of a breathtaking two-tier design using the fondant ruffles, sequins and ruffled flower and I just thought it would make such a lovely four-tiered wedding cake (not to mention I was dying to give it a try!!) so I went for it! Have to be honest, not sure how practical it would be to cover an actual four-tier cake using this method, as my cake used styrofoam cake dummy layers and was still so heavy!! Just can't imagine how much heavier it would be adding in the weight of real cake and filling...yikes!! Still, an all together lovely image :) Very happy with how it turned out! Now I just have to deal with the ordeal of getting it to the Fairgrounds...

Massey Ferguson Tractor Grooms Cake

Can't say how much I enjoyed this project - for so many reasons! It was a challenge to sculpt all the elements - loved that part, but even more than that was the meaning behind the cake. This cake and the individual elements on it meant so much to the Groom-to-be that it was truly touching - I so enjoyed meeting with both he and his fiance when discussing their ideas for this cake - what a wonderful couple! :) This cake was made to honor the Groom's Father who passed away several years ago - in addition to selling Massey Ferguson tractors, Dad loved farming and the two of them spent lots of time out in the fields working together. This cake was meant to be a "snapshot" of time spent together and a way for the Grooms' Father to be a visual presence at their rehearsal dinner. They requested red velvet cake with vanilla buttercream icing, the road and field were chocolate buttercream with oreo cookie crumbles to resemble dirt. I hand formed all the figures, the GMC truck and the Massey Ferguson tractor using fondant/gum paste using photos supplied by the Groom.

Work in Progress...

Just thought I'd share one little shot of a side project I'm currently working on...you'll be hearing more about this one later on in the month (as long as all turns out well that is!)

Kawasaki 100 Birthday Cake

As seems to be the case with me...I did not know quite what a Kawasaki 100 was before making this cake :) Kawasaki, yes...the 100 part, no! Cake was vanilla buttermilk with a chocolate buttercream crumb coat covered with varying shades of fondant to replicate the Birthday Boy's beloved dirt bike! Was this a challenge? Oh, yes - but quite a fun one!

Ford Fan Cupcakes

These cupcakes were made for a Ford truck fan's Birthday! White vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream icing swirls - one dozen topped with blue sprinkles, the other dozen topped with blue fondant ovals that I hand-lettered to look like the Ford symbol! :)

Mini Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

These cupcakes were made for the Kids EveryWear Consignment Sale's special "First Time Moms" shopping event! Mini vanilla bean cupcakes with vanilla bean buttercream frosting and vanilla candy button toppers! Loved how sweet the little buttons looked on the minis! :) If you'd like more info on the sale, you can find their site here: http://www.KidsEveryWear.com

Sweet Potato Cupcakes

How much do I love sweet potatoes? Hmm...about as much as I used to hate them when I was a little girl (and that was quite a bit - trust me!) I already had a pumpkin cupcake that I Love for Fall, but had been trying to think of another flavor that would work with cupcakes and embrace the season and I thought of one of my favorite recipes, Sweet Potato Crunch - hence, these wonderful cupcakes were born! Sweet potato cupcakes with browned-butter cinnamon cream cheese frosting and pecan praline topping...the entire experience of these cupcakes says, "Fall"! :o) Mission accomplished!

Lebanon VFD 40th Anniversary

These cakes were such a pleasure to work on - such a wonderful occasion to help celebrate as well! Two sheet cakes celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Lebanon Volunteer Fire Department here in Durham County, North Carolina! One cake was chocolate, the other vanilla buttermilk - both with vanilla buttercream icing and fondant detailing. They requested one cake with a fire truck and the other I did my best to recreate their fire department's patch.

Duke Cupcakes

So, I admit it - I had to put personal allegiances aside for this project, being the (HUGE!!!) UNC fan that I am! (Which I'll admit is laughable since I actually work at the darker blue institution). These cupcakes were requested to celebrate a huge Duke fan's Birthday :) Vanilla cupcakes with blue vanilla buttercream icing swirls - half topped with hand cut gum paste "D" toppers, the other half with simple white sprinkles to carry on the blue/white theme! Even though I prefer the lighter blue, I loved how these turned out and I'll admit - wouldn't mind doing more of these ;)

Lego Star Wars Cake

Another Lego Star Wars Birthday cake - slightly different design than I used before :) Rich chocolate cake with Oreo buttercream filling covered by blue fondant. I then made fondant "legos" and used them to edge the base of the cake and attempted to make a lego jedi that looked like the Birthday boy! Finished it off with some fondant lightsabers and the Birthday boy's name on top of the cake (loved making the lightsabers!!)

Cookies & Cream Cupcakes

So I've been wanting to try these out for forever - partly due to my Hubby (a.k.a. - the Oreo junkie) and finally did! Rich chocolate cupcakes with Oreo buttercream icing swirls topped off with mini Oreos! Two very enthusiastic thumbs up from the cookie-junkie himself! :)

Blue Gingham Baby Shower Cupcakes

I really enjoyed making these toppers and loved the look once all put together! :) One dozen fresh strawberry cupcakes with cream cheese icing and one dozen chocolate espresso cupcakes with vanilla buttercream icing, both with hand painted fondant toppers made to match the blue gingham baby shower invitations!

Welcome Back Teacher Cupcakes

These were just a little "Welcome Back!" for my Daughter's teachers! Vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream swirls and coordinating liners and cupcake toppers/picks! Hope these make their first days back in the saddle a little sweeter! :)

"Sweet Romance" Cake Squares

Honestly, this isn't the type of project I normally take on - however, had a friend contact me late in the week with a cake "emergency"! She'd ordered cake squares from a "big box" store but they weren't going to be able to do the colors she needed (the closest they could come is hot pink and black? Really?!) Was there any way I could just do the decorations? Well, sure - why not! The cake came to me with a base coat of plain white buttercream - no frills or decorations whatsoever - a blank canvas, if you will! It was really a simple task to add fondant cutouts in the coordinating colors then buttercream piping details in gray to match the bridal shower decorations - all done! *Once again - I did not bake this cake, but I did have fun decorating it!* :o)

50th Wedding Anniversary Cake

Working on this cake took me back - it's been a while since I've done the basketweave pattern, loved it though and thought the design turned out so nicely! :) 50th wedding anniversary cake made for a special couple! Almond pound cake with vanilla buttercream filling and icing covering the cake. The flowers were all royal icing, I also added a little gold shimmer dust to the roses which I thought looked so pretty!

Pink and Green Dottie Birthday

I just loved the way this cake came together! Birthday girl requested pink, green and a "curly L" for a topper for her cake, so that's exactly what she got! :) Fresh strawberry cake with white chocolate buttercream filling covered with green fondant. I then added pink fondant dots and a pink fondant ribbon and bow. Finally topped it all off with a pink curly "L" hand formed from gum paste/fondant!

Little Mermaid Birthday Cake

I just love The Little Mermaid :) This was one of my very favorite Disney movies growing up - I had a very well-worn VHS (don't laugh!) copy to prove it too! This Birthday cake was for another very special Little Mermaid fan's day! Rich chocolate cake with (mmmm!) strawberry buttercream filling covered with blue fondant - even Ariel's perch on top was a small chocolate cake covered with textured fondant! All the seaweed, coral and shells were made from fondant, as was the Birthday girl's name which I painted with a thin covering of white shimmer dust. Ariel was not made by me - purchased her from a local party supply vendor. ;)

Fresh Blueberry Cupcakes

Yes, I do realize I've been a bit obsessed with cupcakes as of late...I just don't see how that's a problem! :) Vanilla cupcakes with fresh blueberries tucked inside (yum!) and a swirl of vanilla bean cream cheese frosting on top (just sitting there looking gorgeous!) then two beautiful little blueberries topping the whole thing off! I loved how these cupcakes tasted - oh, so very yummy - but even more than that I just adored what a stunning visual the white made against the blue! Lovely! :)

"Mounds" Inspired Cupcakes

Have to admit first off - I am not a fan of coconut. I love the scent, don't mind the flavor, but I just am not a fan of the texture - ick! Sorry to all the coconut fans out there, for me it's just too similar to tiny particles of plastic lol! However, when a good friend made the request that I come up with a "Mounds" inspired cupcake, I embraced the challenge wholeheartedly! I used a dark chocolate cupcake as the base and filled it with a dark chocolate ganache - yum! Then I made a buttercream icing but instead of using regular milk or whipping cream I thought I'd try coconut milk, which gave it a nice subtle hint of coconut flavor (still might add coconut extract next time to ramp up the flavor a bit more!) Then I topped it all off with a sprinkling of shredded coconut - altogether a lovely cupcake! :)

Fresh Peach Cupcakes

Have to admit - I was pleasantly surprised with these cupcakes...immensely so! I am not a huge peach fan, but when I found this recipe it just intrigued me so I had to try it! So EXTREMELY glad I did! This may be the best non-chocolate cupcake I've made so far! Fresh peach cupcakes with dulce de leche swiss meringue buttercream topped with toasted pecans! W. O. W. :o)

Monkey Baby Shower Cupcakes

Loved this shower theme!! Vanilla cupcakes - one half with chocolate buttercream, the other half with vanilla buttercream icing swirls, topped off with hand formed gum paste/fondant monkey toppers for a Baby Shower! :)

Zebra Stripe Birthday

This Birthday cake was for a special little girl who loved both zebra stripes and the color pink! Vanilla buttermilk cake with vanilla buttercream filling, covered with white fondant, then black fondant zebra stripes! Then I used a strip of pink fondant to edge the bottom of the cake and added pink and green curli-ques on top! :)

Beach Ball First Birthday

This was one of the cutest themes I think I've seen for a Summer 1st Birthday - Beach Ball/Pool Party! Seriously, how cute is that?! The sheet cake was a rich, chocolate cake with all vanilla buttercream icing, even the details and accents. Then I made a little vanilla cake for the Birthday boy and used vanilla buttercream to give him his very own beach ball smash cake! Loved all the bright colors and designs with this project!

Pink Baby Shower Cupcakes with Handmade Flags

These were a fairly simple order, but just thought they turned out so lovely! Rich, chocolate cupcakes with vanilla swiss meringue buttercream swirls and my own hand made ribbon flag toppers! :)

Blue Elephant Baby Shower Cake

I don't seem to get too many opportunities to do the more "boyish" cakes even if they are baby boy cakes...somehow I'm always doing girly cakes - which don't get me wrong, I love!! But, it's so much fun to switch gears and change direction every once and a while! :) With this cake, my task was to match the Carters' Blue Elephant bedding collection, which is being used in the nursery - fun!! White vanilla cake with strawberry swiss meringue buttercream filling, covered with blue fondant which I marked to match the circle design found on the bedding. I then added a chocolate brown fondant strip at the base of the cake and finished if off with two little elephants I cut from fondant/gum paste mixture! Had so much fun with this design and was so in love with how it turned out!

Butterbeer Cupcakes and a Fond Farewell

So I've seen Butterbeer cupcakes popping up left and right ever since blogger amybites posted the recipe and I finally succumbed after I had the chance to make some toppers to go along with my cupcakes...I mean, you can't have naked cupcakes right?! Especially not when you're making the cupcakes in honor of the end of one of your favorite book/movie series! To fix that problem, I decided to make golden snitches and broomsticks as toppers using fondant and gum paste and a little bit of shimmer dust! I went by Amy's recipe exactly - didn't try to change a thing and the cupcakes...wow, were they ever rich! Yummy, but definitely not for the faint of heart! Have your glass of milk nearby! :) Butterscotch cupcake, butterscotch filling, butterscotch buttercream and a butterscotch drizzle?! Wow! But could it really be any other cupcake when you're saying goodbye to one of your favorite characters? No, of course not! Many, many thanks to J.K. Rowling for sharing her wonderful world (and imagination!) with the rest of us! And...are you working on any other projects? Just curious... :o)

Pink, Black and White Scrolled Shower Cake

This was another fun task of matching a cake to an item - in this case the shower invitation! The bottom tier was chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream filling, covered with white fondant. The top tier was vanilla buttermilk cake with vanilla buttercream filling covered with white fondant. I used pink fondant to edge the bottom of each tier, then added black fondant dots before attaching pink fondant/gum paste flowers that matched the ones on the invitations! I then cut black fondant scrolls using my Cricut Cake and attached them around the sides of the cake. I was very pleased with how the whole design came together - loved how the colors looked on the cake! :)

Hello Kitty Birthday Cake

Matching a cake to an outfit is one of my favorite things to do - it's just so much fun! Such was the case with this Birthday cake - Mom wanted to match the cake to a custom t-shirt she'd ordered for the big girl's special day. Bottom tier was vanilla buttermilk cake with vanilla buttercream filling covered with pink fondant. Top tier was chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream filling covered with pink fondant. All the accent pieces you see (even Hello Kitty!) are fondant as well! Another Hello Kitty cake that amazingly was able to leave our house (had to sneak it out when Taylor wasn't looking lol!)