Tag: cake

DRAGON CAKE TOPPER

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dragoncake

Oh the special requests I get from my children! This birthday Jack wanted a dragon-themed cake/party. Instantly my imagination goes wild with possibilities!

If you have a dragon-loving person in your life I have the perfect cake topper for you!

Simply print the template below on either colored or white cardstock, cut out pieces and attach the arm, leg, and wings with mini brads (I found mine in the papercraft section of Hobby Lobby). I glued the fire behind the mouth of the dragon after I wrote out my birthday message on it. Once everything is attached tape or glue a wooden skewer to the back of your dragon and stick it in your cake!

dragon-template

DOWNLOAD TEMPLATE HERE: dragon template

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Getting big brother involved! Loved that Joel asked if there was anything he could do to help!

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Happy crafting!

xo.

Pete

 

Orange Dreamsicle Cake

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orangedreamsiclecake

I’ve turned one of my all-time favorite ice cream treats into a light and refreshing cake!

When I asked my youngest son what kind of cake he would like for his birthday (which happens to be on the first day of spring) this was his request. I thought it sounded weird to use orange sherbet in an ice cream cake, but when I thought about those delicious Orange Dreamsicles I’d get from the ice cream truck, this totally made sense. This recipe is so simple it will make you scream for Orange Dream…sicle! Okay, nerdy chills happening!

ORANGE DREAMSICLE CAKE

ingredients:

1 white cake mix

1 container orange sherbet (1 QT 1 PT or 48 FL OZ)

3 cups heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup powdered sugar

method:

  1. Bake white cake in one 8″ round pan following instructions on the box (I used the egg white only version). You will have half the batter left over to do whatever you want with. I made 12 cupcakes.
  2.  In another 8″ round pan spray with cooking spray. Line the pan with two sheets of plastic wrap crossing them and creating a plus sign. Make sure the plastic wrap is up snug against the inside of the pan and has a few inches to hang over the pan.
  3. Scoop as much slightly softened orange sherbet into the pan as will fit. I used an extra deep 8″ pan for mine, but a regular size pan works too. Smooth out the sherbet using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.
  4. Cover the top of the sherbet with another sheet of plastic wrap and place in the freezer to chill at least 30 minutes.
  5. Once the cake layer has cooled, wrap in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer to chill at least 30 minutes as well.
  6. Make your whipped cream icing! I like to chill my mixing bowl in the freezer for a few minutes before I get started on this. Fit your mixer with the whisk attachment. Pour heavy whipping cream into chilled mixing bowl. Add vanilla and powdered sugar and set at medium speed. Mix until cream begins to get pretty stiff. Add more powdered sugar if it isn’t sweet enough for you! Refrigerate until you’re ready to use it.

assembly:

  1. Unwrap your frozen white cake and place it on a cake board or cake stand. I like to drizzle a bit of honey down beforehand to get the cake to stick.
  2. Gently remove the sherbet layer from the pan. I used a helper to hold the pan while I tugged upward on the plastic wrap surrounding the sherbet. Stack sherbet layer on cake layer.
  3. Frost cake with whipped cream, smoothing sides and top as you go with a cake spatula or butter knife.
  4. Put in the freezer immediately after the cake is iced. Freeze for at least 30 minutes before serving. Serves 12

Enjoy!

–Pete

Blimey, It’s Leprechaun Cupcakes!

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Cupcake making is always great because it’s pretty easy and yields plenty of treats to go around. This little project can be done as a fun group activity with children–adults doing some of the more tedious parts.

To get started you need:

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  • cupcakes
  • orange buttercream
  • marshmallow fondant (recipe here)
  • circle fondant cutter
  • fondant rolling pin
  • black & green food coloring gel
  • piping bag, coupler, & Wilton tip #18
  • gold luster dust, vodka, & food-safe paint brush (optional)

To get started:

  1. Tint your fondant. You’ll need more green than black & white. If you don’t have gold luster dust, tint the white fondant yellow. Wrap black & white fondant in plastic wrap until ready to use.

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2.  Grab a chunk of green fondant and roll it into a cylinder. I decided on the thickness of my cylinder based on the size circle cutter I had. You want your cylinder’s circumference to be a bit smaller than the circle cutter. Wow, this is starting to sound like geometry!

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3. Next, cut your cylinder to the desired height of your hat, making a crisp top and bottom. Set side finished pieces on a surface dusted with powdered sugar to prevent sticking.

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4. Cut out fondant circles.

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5. Attach cylinders to circles. Set finished pieces aside.

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6. Next roll out black fondant (pretty thin) and cut it into strips with a sharp, non-serrated knife.

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7. Wrap black fondant strips around the bottom of each cylinder. Cut off any excess. Note: I didn’t use water as glue to attach my fondant pieces for this project. My fondant was doing a good job sticking on its own.

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8. For the hat buckle, I used my knife and cut tiny rectangles and then even tinier rectangles inside that (Congratulations! You made it to the tedious part!).4

9. I know not everyone has this stuff in their pantry, so don’t fret! I think yellow fondant buckles are just as cute. If you do have some gold luster dust on hand it’s a fun addition to this project!

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Using a food-safe paint brush mix your luster dust with a bit of vodka (it evaporates quickly and won’t gum up your fondant) and paint it on dry-ish buckles. Attach buckles to hats and HOORAY, they are complete!

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10. Now it’s time to ice your cupcakes! Fill your piping bag with orange buttercream and pipe little rosettes around the entire cupcake. Don’t they look like little curls?

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11. Top it off with your fondant hats. You now have cute leprechaun cupcakes!

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

xo.

Pete

Toasted Coconut Layer Cake

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coconutcake

Tuesday was my father-in-law’s 65th birthday. Whenever I am available (aka living in Utah) I always offer to make Wayne Harley Brachman’s version of coconut cake for his special day. It’s beautiful and a bit unconventional, just like my sweet father-in-law! However, a series of unfortunate events–catching a terrible cold, running out of ingredients, and having my car break down–led to me needing to shortcut this recipe! So here is my cheater version of dear Mr. Brachman’s cake:

TOASTED COCONUT LAYER CAKE

makes an 8″ cake that serves 12 people

for the cake:

1 box Duncan Hines yellow cake mix

2 Tbs. flour

3 eggs

1 stick butter, softened

3/4 cup milk (preferably at room temp.)

boiled icing with coconut:

1/2 lb. unsweetened coconut flakes (found in health food stores)

4 egg whites

2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

2/3 cup water

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla

method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350° and grease & flour two 8″ round cake pans.
  2. Empty the cake mix in a mixer bowl and add flour to it. Whisk or mix the ingredients together to break up clumps and blend.
  3. Add the rest of the cake ingredients and mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl towards the center. Increase speed to medium-high for 2 minutes.
  4. Evenly distribute batter between the two cake pans and bake between 26-30 minutes or until tester comes out clean.
  5. When cakes are done baking place on a wire rack for ten minutes. After 10 minutes, gently remove cakes from pan and place directly on the wire rack until completely cool.

While the cakes are cooling, you can begin to work on the icing.

  1. Preheat or change the oven temperature to 325° and line a baking sheet with parchment.
  2. Evenly spread coconut over the baking sheet and bake for 3 minutes. For an even toasting, shift coconut around baking sheet with a spatula and turn pan. Bake an additional 3 minutes or until coconut edges begin to brown. Typically, they are ready when you can start smelling the coconut!
  3. Set coconut aside. Crack egg whites into a clean mixing bowl. Fit mixer with the whisk attachment. Mix on medium speed until egg whites are foamy and thick.
  4. In a medium sauce pan add sugar, cream of tartar, water, and salt and set to medium heat while whisking occasionally.
  5. Simmer/lightly boil sugar water mixture until temperature reaches softball stage (235°) on a candy thermometer.
  6. While the mixer is mixing the egg whites on low slowly pour sugar water into the egg whites.
  7. Continue to mix increasing the speed to medium. Add vanilla while mixing for about 2-3 minutes. Frosting should be stiff.

assembly:

  1. Divide icing into two bowls evenly. In one bowl mix in half of the coconut.
  2. With a large serrated knife cut the two cool cakes into four layers total.
  3. Place the first layer on a cake plate and top with coconut icing. Continue this process with each layer until you get to the last one.
  4. Once the cake is assembled frost the entire cake in the plain icing making sure it is smooth and even.
  5. Gently press remaining coconut around the sides of the cake. I like to leave the top coconut free like Wayne does. This gives the cake an ultra sharp appearance!
  6. Refrigerate cake until you’re ready to eat!

oldcoconutcake

I hope all of these steps don’t intimidate you! Learning to make this simple boiled icing will expand your cake-making repertoire and give you the courage to try others like swiss meringue! Let me know how it goes!

xo.

Pete

TIP: Keep all of the eggs you need for this recipe out on the counter to get to room temperature (along with the butter). This helps the eggs separate and blend with batter easier.

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How to Host a Killer Nerf Party

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akigun

When it comes to six-year-old boys it’s fairly safe to assume they are packed with energy and LOVE to shoot stuff! My sister-in-law, Rachel, had the brilliant idea to throw her son a Nerf party for his sixth birthday. Originally she planned to have this party outdoors, but the weather in Utah in January was not cooperating! She came up with some creative ideas to make this party just as fun indoors.

To start this party off right, Rachel set out a row of Nerf guns for each attendee to take home as a party favor and use during the party. She got an amazing after Christmas deal on these babies at Target online. You could also suggest attendees bring their own guns if they have them on the invitation.

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She also purchased plenty of Nerf darts using Wish. Seriously discounted darts. No, seriously–check it out! Just plan well in advance because shipping takes some time!

Rachel and her husband, Hiro set up super fun target stations all through the house using cardboard boxes, duct tape, printed targets, army men, and balloons. So clever and the kids loved it!

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Each balloon target was worth a different amount of points.

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Check out the little spinners on these targets!

armyguys

I just love the army guys!

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Cute baby brother is locked and loaded–LOOK OUT!

I also love how everything ended up color-coordinated. Rachel stuck to a simple palette of red, blue, orange, and white. Even the guns and darts matched the party!

For food, Rachel kept it simple and ordered pizza–always a crowd pleaser!

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And for the cake, the birthday boy’s request: Vanilla cupcakes with a peach filling and peach buttercream icing, decorated with a fondant target and sprinkles (made by me!).

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In case you need a close-up of that luscious peach buttercream:

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I want to thank Rachel for sharing this special day with us! Hopefully this post inspires you for future parties and events!

Click here to download printable targets for your own party: target

xo.

Pete

Note: To avoid injuries set ground rules before the party gets going. For example, only shoot at targets, not people! –Just thought I should add that! 😉

 

 

DIY FONDANT

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Do you hate the way fondant tastes? Do you think it’s too expensive? Do you think it’s hard to work with? Well, I have a solution for you! MARSHMALLOW FONDANT! You will laugh at how simple the ingredients are. While fondant is not my first love for covering cakes (I have a tiny obsession with buttercream!), I love it as an option for making cake decorations. I have found it unparalleled in creating smooth, crisp lines and clean finishes. Another bonus to fondant is that it’s like edible play dough. Your kids will love playing with it and this recipe will have them love eating it too!

To make my Marshmallow Fondant you only need two ingredients (three if you count water!). I recommend using C & H confectioner’s sugar and Kraft’s mini marshmallows.

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MARSHMALLOW FONDANT

  • 32 oz (2lbs) C & H Confectioners Sugar
  • 10 oz Mini Marshmallows (make sure you grab a bag that doesn’t have marshmallows all stuck together–no bueno)
  • 3 Tablespoons water
  • 1 teaspoon flavoring such as almond, vanilla, cotton candy, cheesecake, etc. (totally optional–I never do this because I already love the taste)

TOOLS:

  • Standing mixer with either a hook attachment (my preference) or paddle
  • rubber spatula
  • microwave-safe bowl
  • paper towels
  • shortening

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Grease all of your tools with shortening: the mixing bowl, hook/paddle attachment, and rubber spatula.

    2. Pour your marshmallows in a microwave-safe bowl and add the water.26

3. Microwave marshmallows on high for 30 seconds. Remove from microwave and stir. Put back in the microwave for an additional 30 seconds and repeat until the marshmallows have completely melted.

4. Pour melted marshmallows in your greased mixing bowl and turn it on a low speed.

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5. Slowly start adding powdered sugar. Do not dump the entire bag in! Keep checking the consistency as you add the sugar. If the mixture gets super thick increase the speed to medium. Your goal is to have soft fondant that isn’t sticky and has a play dough-like texture.
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Often times I don’t use the entire bag of sugar, it all depends on how well everything is mixing together. It may take some practice to find your perfect consistency. This is where quality ingredients help!

6. Once your fondant is done mixing, knead it like dough. This process helps you to gauge consistency and make sure ingredients are properly blended. If the fondant is sticky, mix more powdered sugar in. If the fondant is hard, you’ve added too much sugar. It may be fixable by putting it in the microwave for 5 second increments. If that doesn’t work…you might need to start over. SO BEWARE!

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7. Either use your fondant right away or double wrap it in plastic wrap and place in a ziplock bag. Store at room temperature for up to one month. Fondant dries out quickly when exposed to air, so keep it wrapped tight. If it does harden while in storage you can soften it right up by microwaving it in 5-10 second increments (depending on how big the fondant ball is). 32TIPS:

  • When tinting fondant always use a gel food coloring (and wearing gloves is helpful during this process!)
  • When making decorations or toppers with fondant I purposely let the finished pieces dry out over night to create a sturdy decoration
  • Use shortening on your work surface while playing with fondant to prevent sticking
  • Painting a bit of water on fondant pieces will serve as a glue to attach other fondant pieces

Here are some fun projects I’ve done in the past using this recipe:

Let me know if you have any questions. I hope this opens the door to many food art possibilities for you!

xo,

Pete