Stiff Whipped Cream Frosting...

...that doesn't flop!!?? Oh, yeah baby! This stuff actually holds its shape and form, pipes beautifully, and tastes AMAZING!!! I love it paired with strawberry cupcakes. Or, you can eat it straight out of the bowl with your finger a spoon. My girlfriend Julie has been raving about this frosting recipe for like a year and about two months ago, I tried it. Since then, I have probably made it about 15 times. (I am not kidding) That is a lot of heavy whipping cream. Don't worry, I am not eating it all. I would be dead or 500 pounds if I was! Actually, this frosting is low sugar in comparison to most. Here is the recipe!

Whipped Cream Frosting
Source: Julie Fletcher found from allrecipes

1 block 8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar- NOT powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 cups heavy whipping cream

In your mixing bowl, with the whisk attachment, whip together the cream cheese and the sugar until nice and soft. Add flavorings and slowly poor in whipping cream. Whip for a few minutes until nice and stiff. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times while mixing.

Fondant looking Buttercream Icing

I had to share this recipe with you guys! It tastes like Costco frosting...which to some of you is awesome and others will shrink in disgust. But...here is the thing...you can get this buttercream to be super smooth. So, when you want the fondant look without the cost of the fondant...go this route. And if you don't love the flavor of the icing, use a different frosting in between the layers of the cake to compensate...no problem. Best of both worlds! This photo is not great quality and this cake is well...very mediocre. It was a final project for one of my classes. But the photo does show how smooth this frosting really can get.

Fondant-Looking Buttercream Icing
Source:Helen Sembra-my wonderful cake decorating hero!

2 pounds powdered sugar
4 Tab. meringue powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup Crisco
1/3 to 1/2 cup water
2 tsp. vanilla or flavoring of your choice

Combine in a mixer at low speed until smooth. If the frosting is too stiff to spread easily, up the water to 1/2 cup water. Spread evenly over cake. Let it set a few minutes, take a Viva paper towel and place the smooth soft side to the cake. If the frosting sticks to the towel, wait a few more moments and then smooth.

Bibbity Bobbity Boo

In honor of the "Royal Wedding"(sorry, just thought that should be capitalized and in quotations) I thought that I would post a picture of a cake that I made for a princess that is as equally stunning as the Duchess herself! But first I had to share this little beauty that I found on facebook. Seriously so funny!



So, once again I had a bit of a learning curve with the fondant so let me share some do's and don'ts with y'all (you do know I am from Texas right? Just thought I'd share!) I used a whipped cream frosting again because the taste cannot be beat, but it definitely makes for some more challenging decorating. I initially made the stripes on the cake with pink fondant, but I put it on the night before and the pink bled onto the frosting, (lesson learned!) so you need to wait and apply to a nice crisp buttercream frosting if you are using fondant detailing. I ended up piping the dots and stripes with royal icing. The pink circle on top is also made from fondant. I am signed up for yet another class where I will be learning a lot more about fondant and I am so excited to share what I learn with y'all (there I go again!)

Until then, happy experimenting!

Dark Chocolate Frosting

MMMMmmmm.... No thoughts or pictures needed. Best chocolate frosting yet folks...easy to pipe and perfect consistency! I used this frosting for this cake and these cupcakes...

Dark Chocolate Frosting

Source: Martha Stewart

1/4 cup plus 2 Tab. cocoa powder

1/4 cup plus 2 Tab. boiling water

1 1/2 cup (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup powdered sugar

pinch of salt

1 pound semi sweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Combine cocoa and the boiling water, stirring until cocoa has dissolved. With an electric mixer on med- high speed, beat butter, powdered sugar, and salt until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add melted and cooled chocolate, beating until combined scraping down sides. Beat in the cocoa mixture. Can be refrigerated for up to 5 days, frozen for up to a month. Before using, bring to room temperature and beat on low speed to smooth again.

Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes

Ask and Ye Shall Receive!!! I made these beauties (seriously, aren't these some of the simplest, yet most beautiful cupcakes you have ever seen??!!!) for the fair last week (Oh my gosh, that was just last week and it feels like it has been a YEAR!) and for a friend's party Wednesday night. These were a hit! Wouldn't a box of these be the BEST neighbor present EVER and, so simple and affordable! A few fans have been begging me for the recipe and, as promised, here it is...

Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes

Source: Paula Dean of course!

Put in your shopping cart the following:

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/3 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

2 cups flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 24- cup miniature muffin pans with foil liners. Of course, you can make regular size cupcakes too! I bet there would be enough batter for about 2 dozen.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with mixer till super fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat well and add peppermint extract.

In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients-flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to butter mixture alternating with buttermilk.Mix well. Stir in sour cream.

Fill cups 3/4 full and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until toothpick or knife comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove and cool on racks. Frost with peppermint cream cheese frosting and garnish with crushed peppermints, candy canes, or top like I did with peppermint butter mints.

Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting

Beat together the following in a mixer or with a mixer:

1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

6 cups powder sugar

Sprinkles Cupcakes Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Oh My!!! I have been CRAZY busy! I was just telling a friend that I feel like I am juggling 5 balls in the air...and not really catching any...

Alas, hard work equals success. Right? And that being said...I am going to share my secret frosting recipe with you and then get back to work making rolls for a fair coming up! Have you heard of the first cupcake chain in the United States called Sprinkles Cupcakes? Well, here is one of their frosting recipes that goes delicious on everything!!!! I use this recipe on my chocolate and strawberry cupcakes. The recipe I first received didn't have the dash of salt, but I added that after reading in a cake book that a dash of salt enhances the flavor to frosting. So here goes...

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup butter
1 block 8 oz. cream cheese softened
3 3/4 cups powder sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
dash of salt