Easy Princess Cupcake Toppers

I have three boys. Sigh! No princess movies, dresses, etc. here. My friends sometimes take pity on me and invite me with them to activities like Princesses on Ice, or on mommy daughter dates to broadway shows. Sigh again. Maybe someday...not soon though. This mom is at her limits currently. Anyways, a friend of mine asked me to make princess cupcakes for her daughter's birthday. I was thrilled! Any excuse for girlyness!! These were super easy and fast. Here is how I did it...

1. Buy some of this or this. I used a half and half mixture of the two (fondant and gum paste)
It was delish and dried super fast.

2. Color it desired shade with paste food coloring.

3. Roll it out as thick as a nickel.

4. Use a small princess cookie cutter and cut desired quantity out.

5. Wrap princess crowns around spice shakers to curve as they dry.

6. Once dry attach silver nonperils with royal icing.

7. Gently press onto frosted cupcakes.

Cheesey Garlic Bread Swirls

Whoa! Where did the week go?! I think I posted on Monday and promised cake pops...oopps. My apologizes. This baker has been busy with orders and classes this week. Never got around to those cake pops. But I have a few great projects that I have ventured this week...can't wait to share them with you! Till I get caught up with life...these cheesey, butterey, fatty spirals of goodness. Once again...from my new Our Best Bites Cookbook. Here is the link to their instructions...

Want these for your Easter meal?

Easter Ideas...Order Now...Or Bake Now!!!

Ahhh!!! It is here...Easter week...and I am just now taking orders for Easter treats...keep 'em coming...I love to bake all night long...

Would you like some of these....

These royal icing sugar cookies were displayed in an antique store in Littleton last weekend. These are yummy, light, cute and perfect for an Easter table...or bagged for take home treats.

Don't forget the rolls...the picture says it all...can't you just smell them...

And more dessert ideas...spring time means fresh, light citrus flavors to me! Lemon Cupcakes. Bake some for Sunday...or order some from me...

And don't forget the carrot cake...recipe to come...

Tomorrow I am posting Easter Cake Pops and Easter Candy Cupcake Toppers! Check back!!

Triple Layer Cookies and Cream Crunch Bars

AHHHH!!! I'm back!!! No, I haven't given up on this blog! Just been busier than ever! Last weekend I escaped for a much needed break to Park City with some girlfriends. We had a BLAST!!! Been playing catch up ever since!

Park City is gorgeous...except for that D%$^ snow they get. Geez...it didn't stop snowing the whole time I was there! We ate out for every meal, got pedicures, lounged, laughed, saw a matinee...ohhh...dear sweet vacation...how I looonngg for you now! Anyways, I am back and rearing to bake some more. I have some great recipes in the works for you guys out there! And...hello....it is Easter Week...check back on Monday for treat ideas for secretary's week and Easter Treats for teachers. We got to get orders in!!! These brownies were A-MAZE-ING!!!!! The frosting had peanut butter in it and was...well, just look at the picture and go buy some oreos!

Triple Layer Cookies and Cream Crunch Bars

Source: How Sweet It Is

makes 9-12 bars

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 cups chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanut butter

20 Oreo cookies

Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour an 8 x 8 cake pan. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then add remaining teaspoon of vanilla. Add in cocoa powder and mix until combined. Add flour and salt, mixing well until batter is smooth and comes together. Fold in 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Spread in the 8 x 8 pan.

Sink 9 Oreo cookies into the batter and press gently. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

While baking, crush the remaining Oreos in a ziplock bag. When brownies are finished baking, remove from the oven and sprinkle with 1/2 cup chocolate chips and crush Oreos. Place back in the oven for about 2-3 minutes.

During this time, melt remaining chocolate chips and peanut butter together. Remove brownies from oven and pour melted chocolate mixture over top, spreading with a spatula. Make sure chocolate gets down into the Oreo crevices, as it is the “glue” that holds the top to the bottom.

Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. Let brownies sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before cutting. Don’t worry if some of the cookies spill out from the middle or the top cracks – they are still delicious!

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.

April Give-Away

I am really obsessing over layer cakes lately people! Did you see the previous post?! I want to encourage everyone out there to attempt baking one of these beauties. No more 13 X 9 inch cakes!! I am giving away this month $25 toward any of the Wilton products I linked in the previous post. You can get cake pans, bake even strips, a leveler, decorator bags, etc. Join in the cake decorating frenzy!!! What do you have to do to be entered?! Get two people to follow me and your name is entered in the drawing! Just leave me a comment on this post letting me know the name of the two people you got to follow me. Simple and easy ... and worth it... let me know if you qualify!! If you win, I will let me know what you want and I will order them and have them shipped right to you! You must live in the continental U.S. to win this time. The give-away ends Saturday night at 5 pm. that gives you all week to get me two followers! Good Luck!

Birthday Party Post #3-Cake Baking Tips

Geez!!! I just have a lot to say about the same day of baked goods! I made this yellow cake with chocolate frosting for a friend's husband's birthday that happened to be on the same day as Wyatt. So, this was available for guests as well as the pina colada cupcakes. This was my first layer cake attempt. As previously mentioned, I have been taking cake decorating classes and gum paste flower classes. SOOOO helpful! This cake seemed like a breeze. I will never bake a cake in a 13 X 9 inch pan again!! Seriously, this took probably 30 minutes more and it looks a million times better. This cake is 2 9 inch cake layers, each split in half with a cake leveler. I didn't have to level the 2 original cakes due to the bake even strips I used. Here are some tricks and products I swear by. Buy them, have them for life, and never bake a 13 X 9 inch cake again!!! (No, I am not under contract with any of the manufacturers I am about to mention...just sharing what I know to help you!!!)

Layer Cake Baking Tips for the Beginner

Supplies that will save your life...worth the expense for the result!!!

2 8 or 9 inch cake pans

Bake Even Strips

Wilton Cake Release

Cake Leveler

Angled Spatula

Disposable Decorating Bags

Decorating tips #3 and #21

Tip #1- For high altitudes like Denver, never bake a cake at 350, keep your oven at 325 degrees and bake longer.

Tip#2- If you don't want to buy the bake even strips, my instructor swears by the following method to bake an even cake. (I haven't attempted this yet since I have the bake even strips)... Grease the bottom and seam of side wall of pan. Do not grease the side walls of the pan. You may flour if desired. Fill pan half full. Tilt pan until batter goes to top rim of pan, coating walls thinly. Drop pan on counter a few times to free up any bubbles and level batter. Should bake an even cake.

Tip #3- Measure by cups how much batter you put in each pan...this way your layers of the cake are exactly the same height.

Tip #4- test cake for doneness all over pan, not just center of pan.

Tip#5- if careful while icing...no crumb coat is needed. Crumbing lessens if you work with a chilled cake. Also, start with a big blob of frosting. You can scrape the frosting off as needed. Be careful not to let your spatula touch the cake, only frosting. This is easy with a cake spatula...there is something about the angle to it. The above cake does not have a crumb coat and there was not a crumb in sight.

Tip #6- When you add a layer on top of the frosting of the previous layer, drop it on, shimmy it to be in place and twist...this makes it a firm, stable stack.

Birthday "Party" Post #2

I thought I would share some more picts of Wyatt's party...mostly to share this other cupcake topper idea with you. As you can see, the dried pineapple flower- topped cupcakes were for adults. I put little toy Star Wars guys on the top of the kids' cupcakes. It was a hit!! They were all fighting over who got what cupcake. Then I had to break the news to the kids that they didn't get to keep the toy...didn't think through this before-hand...they seemed a little bummed. Maybe if you say it before they all start calling dibs that would help? My original idea was to make fondant light sabers to top each cupcake...that would be simple easy and cute. But I ran out of time and this worked with the theme. I soaked the toys in bleach diluted water first, rinsed them, and let them dry completely. No body wants kid slobber in their frosting now do they?!

Pina Colada Cupcakes

The Countdown to Mexico Continues!!! We have had a week of gorgeous sunshine and then ...snow yesterday. No worries weather gods, I only had an outdoor BBQ/ birthday party planned for my little Jedi Wyatt. That's ok...who doesn't love about thirty people crammed in my little house?! Actually, went pretty well. I can't believe he is 3. Crazy! We enjoyed eating these thinking of the beach while the snow was coming down. If you like pina coladas...(in song...) then you will LOVE these! Check out here for instructions on the dried pineapple flowers.

Pina Colada Cupcakes

Source: 101 Gourmet Cupcakes in 10 Minutes by Wendy Paul

Throw the following ingredients into your cart...

1 box yellow cake mix

3 eggs

1 tsp. coconut extract

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 small can crushed pineapple

(I added about 1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut also)

For the frosting (found on Annie's Eats)

2/3 cup canned crushed pineapple

8 oz. cream cheese

1 1/2 sticks butter, room temperature

1 3/4 cups powdered sugar

(I also added a handful of shredded coconut here)

(I also added about 2 tsp. meringue powder because the frosting was too soft and runny...)

Put your apron on and...mix together cake ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes until done. Cool completely and frost with the above frosting.