SMALL CAKES - TWO PURSE CAKES, ONE INITIAL CAKE

PUMPKIN / FALL / HAY BALES

Butterfly Cake 2

the smash cake:

this frosting is from cakecentral.com - it is AMAZING, not as hard as she warned but way more delicious than she says!!!

really, I think I just gained 10 lbs making this cake.

Creamy whipped buttercream icingServes/Yields: Fills 6qt bowl
Prep. Time: 20-30 min
Cook Time: none


This noncrusting buttercream icing has an incredibly light flavor and texture, and is definately not too sweet. The drawback is that it takes practice to make and to work with. Once you know how to work with it, it can be used to ice a cake with an incredibly smooth and satiny finish. It is also not ideal for warm weather.

4 lbs powdered sugar
2- 12 oz cans evaporated milk

3 lbs unsalted soft butter
1 lb shortening or Sweetex

2 tsp vanilla (or more, to taste)
1/2 tsp almond flavoring (or more, to taste)

In 6 qt mixing bowl, slowly beat powdered sugar and 1 1/2 cans of evaporated milk until smooth.

Add soft butter. Blend well.

Add shortening. Blend well.

Add flavorings and continue beating. Slowly add the last half can of milk to the icing and allow icing to blend well. (This is a good time to do any cake prep you have to get done.) If the icing covers the top of the paddle then the icing will eventually blend smooth and creamy with no air bubbles. Beating time can take 20 minutes or more.

Icing will be soft but with practice can make a beautiful finish. Ices smooth with a spackle tool and does not crust so is easy to re-ice if necessary. Refrigerates firm but does not have to be refrigerated. (I prefer to refrigerate icing once I am done with it but the cake can be left out a couple days with no harm.)

I have been asked for this recipe several times; however, the icing takes patience to make and patience to work with. You will be rewarded with an incredibly light, buttery icing that is perfect for those who don't want a sweet icing. Pipes very nice borders and basketweave sides, and can even make roses on a cool day with practice.

Enjoy!Nutrition InformationAs healthy as any other buttercream icing!

Lavender Butterlies

(I don't know WHY!!??? but this picture, no matter where I take it, looks blue - it's lavender, I PROMISE!!)

fondant butterflies with those wedding flower stem things (from the bridal section)
butterfly cookie cutters (3 sizes) - made 1 day ahead so they would dry all 'up' like that (I put them in the corner of bowls to dry in that shape - professionals have this foam stuff they use)

Jake stamped the lettering and then I used buttercream to trace the letters. (stamps in the cake section)
can I just say how nice it is to have an artist husband ;-)
he has more input in these cakes than you could probably imagine!!!
it's a joint effort most of the time!

anywho - Happy 1st Birthday Zoe - I hope it's super girly and puts all your brothers to shame!

VOLCANO/DINOSAUR CAKE

I'll post a picture when I get one but this had a little hole for dry ice to make it look like it was smoking...cute cute.

Sweet and Sassy Topsy Turvy Cake

same cake, a few changes, the topper kept breaking ;-)

figured out how to change it for next time but until then, had to go with 5 black and white candles instead...oh well...it was still super cute

Garden/Girly/Sherbert/Starburst Cake

flowers and hearts are starbursts rolled out and cut with cookie cutters

(and, I really stink at sheet cakes, writing...her name is Claire, not Glaire, and buttercream frosting decor....it's official and this cake was so gracious to remind me of all that)

LITTLE BIG PLANET CAKE

(APPARENTLY THIS IS A PS2 GAME?)

1st Birthday Girl Cake

marshmallow fondant
wilton candy things ;-)
buttercream writting

some notes

doctoring cake mixes:

devil's food cake mix
cherry koolaide packet
sub. buttermilk for water
put eggs in bowl of warm water before cracking to bring to room temp (or just bring to room temp)
sub softened butter for oil - HAS to be softened to room temp - not in microwave (cut into small pieces and leave out for 30 min if rushed)

it's baking right now....update soon
the batter is amazing!