I have been super busy this summer. Things are going great and I don't really have much to complain about :) That's always a nice feeling.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Sunshine and Flowers
Well hello again!
I have been super busy this summer. Things are going great and I don't really have much to complain about :) That's always a nice feeling.
A little while back I made another rose cake. Everyone always loves the rose cake. I think its because its so simple yet intricate. It definitely screams class and daintiness. For this cake, I made the rose cake bright yellow because it would be sitting at the top of a cupcake stand with flower cupcakes. I figured it would kind of replicate the sun showering down on a garden.
I loved the cream cheese icing on the cupcakes! I could have ate the whole bowl myself! I also loved how the little flowers turned out. Really happy with the silicone mould I used for it.
All in all, a very pretty display :)
I have been super busy this summer. Things are going great and I don't really have much to complain about :) That's always a nice feeling.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Romantic Damask
Lately I've been seeing damask styles everywhere! I actually think I might be late to jump on this technique. I've specifically seen them in beautiful cake designs. I decided to try it out recently and was quite pleased with the results.
This cake was quite daunting to me as I hadn't done something like it before. I planned and researched and imagined myself making it for a whole week! I am grateful that I was given the opportunity to make it.
But imaging yourself doing something is TOTALLY different from actually doing it (duh).
For example, I didn't imagine all the dishwashing, cleaning, scrubbing, and back pain but all those things were as real as ever!
That's probably what I hate most about making cakes...the cleaning :(
Back to the cake...I was super excited when I got my order of stencils from Flour Confections. I love that store and spend hours on their website all day errrday! They are so efficient with delivery and answering questions and have a lot of products that you can't find at other baking supply stores. Their prices are also not bad...compared to some other stores *cough* Golda's Kitchen *cough*.
I was so nervous about getting the stencilling right. I watched many Youtube videos that said it was tricky and gets better with practice. It definitely wasn't as bad as I had imagined it to be!!
Mind you, there were still some things I wanted to scrap and fix but all in all, I think the cake turned out beautiful and I'm happy that the people I made it for were also happy. Inside is a yummy rich chocolate cake with coconut swiss meringue buttercream....THE bomb dot com!
I miss my photographer roommate who took such beautiful pictures of my creations. I'm doing my best with my little point and shoot but honestly...apples and oranges. And I don't have the creative angle and eye of a photographer. MUST....LEARN....PHOTOGRAPHY!
But imaging yourself doing something is TOTALLY different from actually doing it (duh).
For example, I didn't imagine all the dishwashing, cleaning, scrubbing, and back pain but all those things were as real as ever!
That's probably what I hate most about making cakes...the cleaning :(
Back to the cake...I was super excited when I got my order of stencils from Flour Confections. I love that store and spend hours on their website all day errrday! They are so efficient with delivery and answering questions and have a lot of products that you can't find at other baking supply stores. Their prices are also not bad...compared to some other stores *cough* Golda's Kitchen *cough*.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Long time no blog! I would say that I'm super busy and hardly have time to sit and write a post but that would be a lie because all I do is sit around and do nothing....okay maybe not nothing but you get the idea.
I have a bunch of exciting new projects lined up which I can't wait to blog about. If your not much of a reader and just want to see updated pictures of what I create, take a look at my Facebook page and while your there, might as well like the page to keep updated :) Shameless self promotion.... I know
Anyway, I took a crack at a Martha Stewart Red Velvet Cake recipe. I can't remember the exact link and forgot to take it down so I don't feel right sharing the recipe but I'm sure a simple Google search would yield the same results.
I decided to fancy them up with some gum paste flowers and try some two toned icing as well. This was also my first time trying Swiss Meringue Buttercream. I was pretty nervous about trying it because I'm quite comfortable with my super sweet buttercream icing but decided to take on the challenge. I only made half a batch at first and was surprised by how easy and yummy it was that I made another half batch to equal one batch :) I will blog about the process later but let me just tell you that the result tasted DIVINE! It tasted like silk and butter had a baby in my mouth. I could have ate the whole bowl myself!
HOWEVER, I didn't like how it tasted on the red velvet cupcakes. The cupcakes were quite sweet which made the SMBC taste not as sweet and too rich. I would like to try the SMBC on regular white or vanilla cupcakes and see how that works out. Or maybe I just didn't make it right and that's why it was that way.
Let me know what you guys think! And check out my Facebook page if you get a chance :)
Anyway, I took a crack at a Martha Stewart Red Velvet Cake recipe. I can't remember the exact link and forgot to take it down so I don't feel right sharing the recipe but I'm sure a simple Google search would yield the same results.
I decided to fancy them up with some gum paste flowers and try some two toned icing as well. This was also my first time trying Swiss Meringue Buttercream. I was pretty nervous about trying it because I'm quite comfortable with my super sweet buttercream icing but decided to take on the challenge. I only made half a batch at first and was surprised by how easy and yummy it was that I made another half batch to equal one batch :) I will blog about the process later but let me just tell you that the result tasted DIVINE! It tasted like silk and butter had a baby in my mouth. I could have ate the whole bowl myself!
HOWEVER, I didn't like how it tasted on the red velvet cupcakes. The cupcakes were quite sweet which made the SMBC taste not as sweet and too rich. I would like to try the SMBC on regular white or vanilla cupcakes and see how that works out. Or maybe I just didn't make it right and that's why it was that way.
Let me know what you guys think! And check out my Facebook page if you get a chance :)
Monday, May 28, 2012
Giveaway!
Just wanted to quickly throw up this post to announce an amazing giveaway!! Go check it out at https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=394076373967872&set=a.376755805699929.78352.199687153406796&type=1&theater and make sure to enter as many times as you can!!!
Who doesn't like free stuff?!?!?!
NO ONE!
Don't miss out and make sure to enter :) Tell all your friends too!
Sharing is Caring!!!
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Return of the Cake Pop
Last week I had a cupcake project lined up for the upcoming Easter holiday. Unfortunately, things didn't turn out as planned and pretty soon I had 24 cupcakes that looked like a mini version of this disaster that had happened before. I'm starting to think that it's either the baking soda that I'm using, or my roommates are giants who stomp around and cause my cupcakes to deflate. Both are very plausible reasons.
Oh the dreaded cake pop.
Cake pops are not my most favourite thing to make. To be fair, I've only given them one try but that was enough for me to file the idea away and nervously laugh at trying it again.
Don't get me wrong. They're cute as a button. Looking up pics of other people's cake pops makes me want to try my own.
The biggest problem I have is that it is So. Damn. Time. Consuming.
They're expensive, finicky, and take a huge set up too.
All for 5 minutes of a bite of cake.
Anyway....enough with my complaining.
This time around I used chocolate melts from Bulk Barn and I noticed that the chocolate cracked and oil oozed out of the crack. Not a cute look. They were easier to melt and work with though.
I spread out the work over a few days rather than trying to cram it all into one day which helps loads!
I also decided to add Nutella instead of buttercream icing to the cake crumbs which ups the yumminess factor but adds to the weight of each cake pop.
Happy Baking!
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Spring Flowers!
I feel like a bear that just came out of hibernation.
The weather has been soooo unpredictable! Back in fall, people were saying that we were going to have one of the hardest winters ever. So obviously I went and bought a really warm (and expensive) coat and a really sturdy (and expensive) pair of waterproof boots.
And then winter didn't come.
But I'm not disappointed. As I might have mentioned before, I wasn't really built for winter. Not one hair on my head likes winter or snow or cold.
After a long time, I was able to try something new in terms of baking and decorating to celebrate the good weather.
I baked some chocolate peanut butter cupcakes with a recipe I found in a cupcake book. I have to do a review on this book sometime soon.
If you want to try this and think the video is a little unclear, let me know and I'll do another post with step by step pictures and explanations.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Funnel Cake
Today marks the beginning of my new diet. Well technically its an old diet that I've started and stopped multiple times. But we're just going to call it my new diet.
Over the 5 years that I've been an undergraduate student, I have changed (what I consider) drastically. I'm not going to go into details about everything I want to change about myself but I WILL say that I'm on a determined mission to live a healthier lifestyle full of exercise, nutritious food, and good rest.
Obviously this is a pretty hefty goal. I live on Mr. Noodles and soda, sleep at 3 in the morning and wake up at 12, and the most exercise I get is walking to the bus stop which is 1 min from my door.
Thus my back up plan is to fatten all those around me so that I look good.
KIDDING!
About the fattening others part....not about the healthy living part.
But the title of this post is funnel cake and that is what we are going to talk about.
Gimme a break this one time and I'll try not to put up anymore posts that will clog your arteries. No promises though.
I tried out a recipe I found at this site which has some beyoooootiful pictures of food. Seriously. Compared to those pictures, mine look like they were taken on a polaroid.
I love this recipe because it is super simple. There isn't a whole lot of ingredients and you can find almost everything you need already in your pantry....if you have a pantry that is.
What I don't love is that it calls for deep frying. Deep frying always makes me cringe because I KNOW it will taste sooooo good but I KNOW that its sooooo bad....INTERNAL CONFLICT! Who am I kidding? There's not conflict. Deep frying FTW!
Here's what you'll need
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1/4 cup powdered sugar for garnish
A squeeze bottle
The original recipe also called for 1/4 tsp lemon zest but I didn't have any. I also assumed that the powdered sugar was for garnish...it wasn't super clear on the original recipe...or maybe I'm being a total idiot and I should have added the sugar. Either way....it tasted fine without the sugar.
Here's what you should do
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a container with a spout. You will be pouring the batter out of this container so it's easier if it has a spout.
In another bowl, whisk the egg and then add milk, vanilla, and lemon zest and whisk some more.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir until well combined. The batter should be pretty thick.
Pour batter into the squeeze bottle. I tried to use the Wilton bottles but I found the tips to be too small and the funnel came out crispy and thin. I changed to a piping bag which made a really big funnel which I also didn't like too much but my taste testers loved. Try to find a bottle with an opening thats not too big or too small. I suck at math so I'm not going to bother giving you a diameter or a measurement. I will say that the squeeze bottle is MUCH easier to manage than a piping bag.
Place a metal ring into a pan with oil. This will act as a guide if you want perfectly same sized funnel cakes. I didn't have a metal ring so I just eyeballed it. They turned out fine.
Once the oil is hot enough, squeeze the batter into the oil making a ring and then criss crossing everywhere to achieve a funnel cake look.
Cook for about 1 min and flip. Once it is evenly golden brown, remove from oil and place onto paper towels or something that will absorb all the excess oil.
Top immediately with tonnes of powdered sugar and add whatever else your little heart desires. I used whipped cream, strawberry jam (which I melted because I didn't have strawberry sauce), and chocolate sauce.
NOM NOM NOM
Happy baking...err...frying!!
Over the 5 years that I've been an undergraduate student, I have changed (what I consider) drastically. I'm not going to go into details about everything I want to change about myself but I WILL say that I'm on a determined mission to live a healthier lifestyle full of exercise, nutritious food, and good rest.
Obviously this is a pretty hefty goal. I live on Mr. Noodles and soda, sleep at 3 in the morning and wake up at 12, and the most exercise I get is walking to the bus stop which is 1 min from my door.
Thus my back up plan is to fatten all those around me so that I look good.
KIDDING!
About the fattening others part....not about the healthy living part.
But the title of this post is funnel cake and that is what we are going to talk about.
I tried out a recipe I found at this site which has some beyoooootiful pictures of food. Seriously. Compared to those pictures, mine look like they were taken on a polaroid.
I love this recipe because it is super simple. There isn't a whole lot of ingredients and you can find almost everything you need already in your pantry....if you have a pantry that is.
What I don't love is that it calls for deep frying. Deep frying always makes me cringe because I KNOW it will taste sooooo good but I KNOW that its sooooo bad....INTERNAL CONFLICT! Who am I kidding? There's not conflict. Deep frying FTW!
Here's what you'll need
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1/4 cup powdered sugar for garnish
A squeeze bottle
The original recipe also called for 1/4 tsp lemon zest but I didn't have any. I also assumed that the powdered sugar was for garnish...it wasn't super clear on the original recipe...or maybe I'm being a total idiot and I should have added the sugar. Either way....it tasted fine without the sugar.
Here's what you should do
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a container with a spout. You will be pouring the batter out of this container so it's easier if it has a spout.
In another bowl, whisk the egg and then add milk, vanilla, and lemon zest and whisk some more.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir until well combined. The batter should be pretty thick.
Pour batter into the squeeze bottle. I tried to use the Wilton bottles but I found the tips to be too small and the funnel came out crispy and thin. I changed to a piping bag which made a really big funnel which I also didn't like too much but my taste testers loved. Try to find a bottle with an opening thats not too big or too small. I suck at math so I'm not going to bother giving you a diameter or a measurement. I will say that the squeeze bottle is MUCH easier to manage than a piping bag.
Place a metal ring into a pan with oil. This will act as a guide if you want perfectly same sized funnel cakes. I didn't have a metal ring so I just eyeballed it. They turned out fine.
Once the oil is hot enough, squeeze the batter into the oil making a ring and then criss crossing everywhere to achieve a funnel cake look.
Cook for about 1 min and flip. Once it is evenly golden brown, remove from oil and place onto paper towels or something that will absorb all the excess oil.
Top immediately with tonnes of powdered sugar and add whatever else your little heart desires. I used whipped cream, strawberry jam (which I melted because I didn't have strawberry sauce), and chocolate sauce.
NOM NOM NOM
Happy baking...err...frying!!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Creme Brulaylay
Do you ever have those days when you're sitting in class at 9:30 in the morning thinking about a really yummy dish you had a while ago? I mean yeah your obviously paying attention to the lecture and studiously taking notes. But your also drooling over a big fat piece of pie or a creamy dessert...like creme brûlée.
Well that's what I was doing last week and then had the opportunity to put my dreaming into action.
Recently, my roommates and I had a girls night and I decided to whip up some creme brûlée...obviously I can use phrases like 'whip up' and 'throw together' because I'm such an expert...duhh.
It was surprisingly easy. There weren't too many ingredients and I found a really good video showing the process...and the cook was French....with a French accent. The accent proves his expertness so I went with his video. I'm sure there are many other variations and ways to do it.
Here's the link to the video. The ingredients are also listed on there.
I didn't have a flamethrower...I mean blowtorch so I set the oven to broil and carefully put the ramekins in and watched them with hawk eyes. I wish I had the blowtorch though. It would have been cooler.
They tasted really good. They were a little warm and more liquidy since I put them in the oven instead of torching them. All in all, very fattening and yummy.
Well that's what I was doing last week and then had the opportunity to put my dreaming into action.
Recently, my roommates and I had a girls night and I decided to whip up some creme brûlée...obviously I can use phrases like 'whip up' and 'throw together' because I'm such an expert...duhh.
It was surprisingly easy. There weren't too many ingredients and I found a really good video showing the process...and the cook was French....with a French accent. The accent proves his expertness so I went with his video. I'm sure there are many other variations and ways to do it.
Here's the link to the video. The ingredients are also listed on there.
I didn't have a flamethrower...I mean blowtorch so I set the oven to broil and carefully put the ramekins in and watched them with hawk eyes. I wish I had the blowtorch though. It would have been cooler.
They tasted really good. They were a little warm and more liquidy since I put them in the oven instead of torching them. All in all, very fattening and yummy.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
First Sugar Cookie Attempt
Okay so I know I said I wouldn't be doing another post until I got a few other things done and was back at school....
BUT everything is almost pretty much in order and I just drank a huge mug of french vanilla coffee...and decided to do a post!
What is french vanilla coffee?
1 spoon of Nescafe instant coffee
3 spoons Tim Horton's French Vanilla Powder
Hot boiling water
Tons of sugar
yummm....I thought I might throw a Lindor chocolate truffle in there...but too bad I ate them all :)
I thought I would ring in the new year (a little late) by talking about a project I tried in 2011 summer and haven't touched since.
After creeping Sweetopia's blog and watching this tutorial video on her royal icing daisy transfers about 50 times, I decided to give it a try myself.
I was too intimidated to make the royal icing from scratch so I bought the Wilton mix...and this was also before I had my stand mixer.
I used this basic sugar cookie recipe.
For a first attempt, I would say that I didn't do too bad. There were a tonne of downfalls like the cookies being too thin, not getting the right consistency for icing, having way too much icing left over and go to waste, ugly daises...well now that I think about it, maybe it wasn't such a successful attempt!
But she made it look so damn easy!
And from this project I've realized that I cannot ever be a surgeon because my hands are super shaky...well that and some other reasons but let's not get into that.
There were a tonne of steps to the cookie decorating process and since it was my first time I was super slow too.
So this year I'm going to take another stab at cookies....maybe not be too over ambitious with the design and just start with basic things like actually baking the cookies properly and making the icing.
I also wanna try out a whole bunch of new cupcake recipes!! Top of the list? COCONUTS!
Happy Baking!
BUT everything is almost pretty much in order and I just drank a huge mug of french vanilla coffee...and decided to do a post!
What is french vanilla coffee?
1 spoon of Nescafe instant coffee
3 spoons Tim Horton's French Vanilla Powder
Hot boiling water
Tons of sugar
yummm....I thought I might throw a Lindor chocolate truffle in there...but too bad I ate them all :)
I thought I would ring in the new year (a little late) by talking about a project I tried in 2011 summer and haven't touched since.
After creeping Sweetopia's blog and watching this tutorial video on her royal icing daisy transfers about 50 times, I decided to give it a try myself.
I was too intimidated to make the royal icing from scratch so I bought the Wilton mix...and this was also before I had my stand mixer.
 |
| Naked Cookies..teehee |
For a first attempt, I would say that I didn't do too bad. There were a tonne of downfalls like the cookies being too thin, not getting the right consistency for icing, having way too much icing left over and go to waste, ugly daises...well now that I think about it, maybe it wasn't such a successful attempt!
But she made it look so damn easy!
And from this project I've realized that I cannot ever be a surgeon because my hands are super shaky...well that and some other reasons but let's not get into that.
There were a tonne of steps to the cookie decorating process and since it was my first time I was super slow too.
 |
| So many little bumps :( Such uneven circles! |
I'm not much of a cookie eater...I kinda prefer cake (surprise surprise)....but the cookie decorators I occasionally (and by occasionally I mean obsessively) stalk inspire me to try it out for myself.
So this year I'm going to take another stab at cookies....maybe not be too over ambitious with the design and just start with basic things like actually baking the cookies properly and making the icing.
I also wanna try out a whole bunch of new cupcake recipes!! Top of the list? COCONUTS!
Happy Baking!
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Happy Holidays!!!!
I have relocated back to b-town for the Christmas break. You might be thinking that must be nice....a whole two weeks to be pampered by your parents, relax, watch TV, and do whatever your little heart desires!
Let me just tell you now...that would be my break in a parallel universe perhaps...but around here? N to the NO.
I still have all my grad apps to get in. My parents' list of chores and cleaning duties is longer than Santa's naughty list. The only way I'm going to get time to watch TV is if they extend the day to 27 hours instead of 24. And all my little heart desires is a bed and a warm shower....I'm low maintenance like that.
So I guess this is just another long wordy poor excuse as to why I won't be baking this Christmas :(
You hate me don't you? I just know it!
Unfortunately, my schedule is pretty much gridlocked until January 22nd 2012, when I can wrap up my last interview and my last app will be stamped, addressed, and in the mail.
After that, I promise to bake up a storm!!! Occasionally I will be doing some reviews so if you're into that kind of stuff, stay tuned :)
Have a great holiday and a happy new year. Eat something sweet, do something nice, and snuggle a lot with loved ones!
Happy Baking!
Let me just tell you now...that would be my break in a parallel universe perhaps...but around here? N to the NO.
I still have all my grad apps to get in. My parents' list of chores and cleaning duties is longer than Santa's naughty list. The only way I'm going to get time to watch TV is if they extend the day to 27 hours instead of 24. And all my little heart desires is a bed and a warm shower....I'm low maintenance like that.
So I guess this is just another long wordy poor excuse as to why I won't be baking this Christmas :(
You hate me don't you? I just know it!
Unfortunately, my schedule is pretty much gridlocked until January 22nd 2012, when I can wrap up my last interview and my last app will be stamped, addressed, and in the mail.
After that, I promise to bake up a storm!!! Occasionally I will be doing some reviews so if you're into that kind of stuff, stay tuned :)
Have a great holiday and a happy new year. Eat something sweet, do something nice, and snuggle a lot with loved ones!
Happy Baking!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Guest Blogging at Frosting for the Cause
I recently had the pleasure of putting together a post for Frosting for the Cause; an inspiring and wonderful online project to raise funds and awareness about breast cancer as well as being a tribute to all the brave women who have fought and are still fighting all forms of cancer. Every day is a new recipe and an inspiring story. Take a look through the blog and maybe you could sign up to be part of it? Pretty please? You won't regret it, I promise :)
I dedicated the post to my grandmother and my music teacher. Both these ladies have been huge influential figures in my life. The life lessons I have learned from them are invaluable. It still feels somewhat surreal that they are not physically here with us anymore but we all know they are still here with us in our thoughts and memories. I often have a hard time expressing myself about certain things because some emotions I like to keep to myself. Frosting for the Cause was a much needed outlet for these feelings and I was able to pour all my love into the making of these cupcakes. This may sound weird, but I guess these cupcakes are an expression of my love and gratitude to my grandma and my teacher.
I had initially wanted to put together a fundraiser as part of my posting responsibility. Unfortunately, due to time constraints and a lot of picky rules about food safety things got pushed back. I am still planning to have a bake sale but as of right now, its in the planning stages.
Take time this holiday to hang out with your family and friends. I know I definitely haven't been spending as much time as I would like to because crazy life gets in the way. Appreciate the people in your life, enjoy the present moment, and laugh as much as you can...everything else will fall into place.
I dedicated the post to my grandmother and my music teacher. Both these ladies have been huge influential figures in my life. The life lessons I have learned from them are invaluable. It still feels somewhat surreal that they are not physically here with us anymore but we all know they are still here with us in our thoughts and memories. I often have a hard time expressing myself about certain things because some emotions I like to keep to myself. Frosting for the Cause was a much needed outlet for these feelings and I was able to pour all my love into the making of these cupcakes. This may sound weird, but I guess these cupcakes are an expression of my love and gratitude to my grandma and my teacher.
I had initially wanted to put together a fundraiser as part of my posting responsibility. Unfortunately, due to time constraints and a lot of picky rules about food safety things got pushed back. I am still planning to have a bake sale but as of right now, its in the planning stages.
Take time this holiday to hang out with your family and friends. I know I definitely haven't been spending as much time as I would like to because crazy life gets in the way. Appreciate the people in your life, enjoy the present moment, and laugh as much as you can...everything else will fall into place.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Monkeying Around
Okay guys its time to get serious. Theres no time for monkeying around and tomfoolery (where the hell did I hear that word and why am I using it?)
I recently received a request for some cute little monkey toppers for 2 year old baby twins. These were a complete joy to work on because they totally distracted me from the rest of the cray cray that is my life. I'm going to start using more hip words like cray cray and oh em gee because apparently I'm getting old and thus feel the need to connect with the inner youth in me. BOO YEAH! Wait do they still say that?
I used chocolate fondant for the bodies and skin coloured fondant for the rest of the bodily features.
I followed this tutorial and I think they came out cute as a button. I absolutely hated the skin colour fondant I was using. It smelled gross and was so much harder to work with than the fondant I use regularly. It was also overpriced and came with very little in the packaging. Overall, a very bad product.
But this post is about monkeys and not fondant.
I wanted the girl monkey to be wearing a tutu but when I tried to wrap it around her, since she was sitting down, it just ended up looking like a frilly weird skirt. So nixed that idea and gave her a blanket instead.
I wish I could have made the whole cake so that I could tie in the theme of the cake to these monkeys. I also made a few letter blocks out of fondant but didn't manage to get a good picture other than with my phone and lets face it, with my crackberry, it may as well not be a picture at all.
I hope the twin babies and their mommy liked them!!
Happy Baking!
I recently received a request for some cute little monkey toppers for 2 year old baby twins. These were a complete joy to work on because they totally distracted me from the rest of the cray cray that is my life. I'm going to start using more hip words like cray cray and oh em gee because apparently I'm getting old and thus feel the need to connect with the inner youth in me. BOO YEAH! Wait do they still say that?
I used chocolate fondant for the bodies and skin coloured fondant for the rest of the bodily features.
I followed this tutorial and I think they came out cute as a button. I absolutely hated the skin colour fondant I was using. It smelled gross and was so much harder to work with than the fondant I use regularly. It was also overpriced and came with very little in the packaging. Overall, a very bad product.
I wanted the girl monkey to be wearing a tutu but when I tried to wrap it around her, since she was sitting down, it just ended up looking like a frilly weird skirt. So nixed that idea and gave her a blanket instead.
Happy Baking!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Sigh
You know that couple who just got engaged and incessantly talk about nothing but wedding plans?
And your best girlfriend who just found out she's pregnant and has started talking about nothing but babies?
Well guess what students who are applying to graduate programs talk about?
That's right....grad applications....that, and working at McDonald's should they not get accepted....at least...thats what my plans are.
Grad apps have consumed me. Its all I think about day and night and night and day....which have now just blended together because I never sleep anyway....sleep is for the weak. You think lions and tigers sleep?
NO!
You know who else doesn't sleep? The girl down the street who is applying to the SAME program you are. Sleep isn't holding her down and it shouldn't hold you down either!
I now find myself giving up on sleep and just call them naps. Sleeping from 6am to 8:30am when you have to wake up for class isn't sleep. Its a nap.
You know what else I can't do anymore? Make decisions.
My typical evening will go like this:
Sit down to fill out my prerequisite sheet for UfT
Realize I can put down 1 of 2 courses
Wonder which would look better
Look at my transcript to see which I did better in
Pick a course and write it down
Scratch it out and write another
Wonder what the person who will read it will think of me for taking that course
Wonder if I should have even taken that course
Wonder if I should have made it to post-secondary at all
Wonder if I am using the right colour pen
Wonder if I am writing neat enough
Wonder if the person reading will laugh at my writing
Wonder if I should hire a calligrapher to fill out my sheet
Wonder if it is to be or not to be
Stare at the paper in morbid fear for 10 minutes
Stare at the part that says name wondering whose name that is
Have an identity crisis
Rip the paper up and watch an episode of Modern Family
I also can no longer hold a conversation with someone without going to a very anxious place.
Typical conversation
Friend: Want to go out for sushi tomorrow night?
Me: Sure...what time should I get my personal submission into you by? *twitchy face*
Friend: *backs away slowly*
As you probably guessed, this post has nothing to do with baking. It's just an insight in to the brilliant mind of me...and my fellow peers who are in the same position I am.
Just remember this; if you lose sight of why you're doing it...you need to take a break....go eat a cupcake...then come back to your desk or wherever you work...BREATHE...and keep going
Keep Calm and Carry On!
Happy Baking!
And your best girlfriend who just found out she's pregnant and has started talking about nothing but babies?
Well guess what students who are applying to graduate programs talk about?
That's right....grad applications....that, and working at McDonald's should they not get accepted....at least...thats what my plans are.
Grad apps have consumed me. Its all I think about day and night and night and day....which have now just blended together because I never sleep anyway....sleep is for the weak. You think lions and tigers sleep?
NO!
You know who else doesn't sleep? The girl down the street who is applying to the SAME program you are. Sleep isn't holding her down and it shouldn't hold you down either!
I now find myself giving up on sleep and just call them naps. Sleeping from 6am to 8:30am when you have to wake up for class isn't sleep. Its a nap.
You know what else I can't do anymore? Make decisions.
My typical evening will go like this:
Sit down to fill out my prerequisite sheet for UfT
Realize I can put down 1 of 2 courses
Wonder which would look better
Look at my transcript to see which I did better in
Pick a course and write it down
Scratch it out and write another
Wonder what the person who will read it will think of me for taking that course
Wonder if I should have even taken that course
Wonder if I should have made it to post-secondary at all
Wonder if I am using the right colour pen
Wonder if I am writing neat enough
Wonder if the person reading will laugh at my writing
Wonder if I should hire a calligrapher to fill out my sheet
Wonder if it is to be or not to be
Stare at the paper in morbid fear for 10 minutes
Stare at the part that says name wondering whose name that is
Have an identity crisis
Rip the paper up and watch an episode of Modern Family
I also can no longer hold a conversation with someone without going to a very anxious place.
Typical conversation
Friend: Want to go out for sushi tomorrow night?
Me: Sure...what time should I get my personal submission into you by? *twitchy face*
Friend: *backs away slowly*
As you probably guessed, this post has nothing to do with baking. It's just an insight in to the brilliant mind of me...and my fellow peers who are in the same position I am.
Just remember this; if you lose sight of why you're doing it...you need to take a break....go eat a cupcake...then come back to your desk or wherever you work...BREATHE...and keep going
Keep Calm and Carry On!
Happy Baking!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Hockey Jersey Cake
My boyfriend is a huge Leafs fan. He has stuck with them through the good and the bad and has made me a default leafs fan.
So naturally for his birthday I was going to make him a hockey themed cake. I initially thought of making a hockey rink (arena?) but decided that there wouldn't be enough actual cake to eat or too much cake. Still want to try that sometime though.
This cake was relatively simple to make. I had originally planned on adding a buttercream border at the bottom to hide the imperfections of fondant but I didn't have enough time.
It is also much harder to cover a square or rectangle cake in fondant than it is for a round cake.
And it is also much harder to fit a Tamil name onto a tiny little maple leaf.
After I made the cake, I realized I should have done the BACK of the jersey with his name as the players name rather than the front.
I then smashed the cake into a wall and started all over again.
KIDDING
I brushed my shoulders off and put it in the books for next time.
I also just realized that this is the first 'boy' cake I've made. It kind of killed me that I couldn't put anything pink or pretty on it :(
I guess what matters in the end is that he loved it, even though he doesn't really eat cake....weirdo.
On a different note, I know I kind of fell off the face of the blogworld this past week. Its only because I'm running around like a chicken with its head cut off. I will be back to some much needed baking soon with more pics and funnier posts than this one....I hope.
Till then...Happy Baking!!
So naturally for his birthday I was going to make him a hockey themed cake. I initially thought of making a hockey rink (arena?) but decided that there wouldn't be enough actual cake to eat or too much cake. Still want to try that sometime though.
This cake was relatively simple to make. I had originally planned on adding a buttercream border at the bottom to hide the imperfections of fondant but I didn't have enough time.
It is also much harder to cover a square or rectangle cake in fondant than it is for a round cake.
And it is also much harder to fit a Tamil name onto a tiny little maple leaf.
After I made the cake, I realized I should have done the BACK of the jersey with his name as the players name rather than the front.
I then smashed the cake into a wall and started all over again.
KIDDING
I brushed my shoulders off and put it in the books for next time.
I also just realized that this is the first 'boy' cake I've made. It kind of killed me that I couldn't put anything pink or pretty on it :(
I guess what matters in the end is that he loved it, even though he doesn't really eat cake....weirdo.
On a different note, I know I kind of fell off the face of the blogworld this past week. Its only because I'm running around like a chicken with its head cut off. I will be back to some much needed baking soon with more pics and funnier posts than this one....I hope.
Till then...Happy Baking!!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
I'm Alive!!
If you're wondering where I am....I'm right here!
I have been ridonculously busy this past week. I haven't been baking :( but I have been stalking goodies that other people have baked!
I promise that I will be doing a post soon. Don't leaaaavvveee meeeee.
Okay my attachment issues have surfaced.
The biggest problem with being a full time student and a part time baker/blogger is that you wish you were a full time baker/blogger and onlypart time student....quarter time student.
So don't worry, I haven't spontaneously combusted or been silenced by the FBI. I'm here and well and pulling out my hair with no time to do anything.
I'll be back soon enough! I promise with something yummy...I think.
I have been ridonculously busy this past week. I haven't been baking :( but I have been stalking goodies that other people have baked!
I promise that I will be doing a post soon. Don't leaaaavvveee meeeee.
Okay my attachment issues have surfaced.
The biggest problem with being a full time student and a part time baker/blogger is that you wish you were a full time baker/blogger and only
So don't worry, I haven't spontaneously combusted or been silenced by the FBI. I'm here and well and pulling out my hair with no time to do anything.
I'll be back soon enough! I promise with something yummy...I think.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Christmas Came Early!!
This past weekend, I came into possession of something that I have been coveting from the moment I laid my eyes on it.
It is magnificent. I can't think of a word for it other than magnificent.
And its all thanks to one of my besties who knows how crazy I am and feeds my addiction :)
In fact, she was just as excited as I was was to watch me open it! If anyone is wondering how I have the motivation and determination to keep up with school AND fulfill my baking dreams, you should know by now that I'm obviously not doing it alone. I would be doing nothing without my friends and family who support me and keep me going when I feel like I have absolutely no energy left.
Okay put the tissue box away...no more sentimentally stuff.
My friend, T managed to hook me up with this beautiful beast sent down from the cake heavens:
I'm gonna give you a moment to appreciate the sheer awesomeness of everything that comes in this box.
I know most people who read my blog probably don't know what this is or the significance of it.
But to those who are staring at the computer with a glow across your face....trust me...it is every bit as good as the picture.... and better.
I will be doing a comprehensive post on the Ultimate Decorating Set soon including a comparison of the price of the set to buying each item individually. I can't promise that it will come soon but it will happen one day.
The retail value of the set is $470 but if you thought for even a second that I would fork that over, then we need to go on a few more dates because you don't know how cheap I am. Rest assured....I got this baby for a HUGE steal.
I'm getting flustered all over again... I think I need a paper bag.
Needless to say, I remain indebted for life to my friend T for hooking me up.
The next few weeks will be a bit packed as I get ready for finals and finish up assignments and have multiple crises over grad school applications where I drown my sorrows in junk food and try to convince myself that my life won't be over if it doesn't work out. I will try to squeeze in as much baking as I can.
Happy Baking!
PS: I'm wondering if I should cancel Multicultural Monday altogether. I'm always missing it and I never end up trying the recipes anyway. Thoughts?
It is magnificent. I can't think of a word for it other than magnificent.
And its all thanks to one of my besties who knows how crazy I am and feeds my addiction :)
In fact, she was just as excited as I was was to watch me open it! If anyone is wondering how I have the motivation and determination to keep up with school AND fulfill my baking dreams, you should know by now that I'm obviously not doing it alone. I would be doing nothing without my friends and family who support me and keep me going when I feel like I have absolutely no energy left.
Okay put the tissue box away...no more sentimentally stuff.
My friend, T managed to hook me up with this beautiful beast sent down from the cake heavens:
I know most people who read my blog probably don't know what this is or the significance of it.
But to those who are staring at the computer with a glow across your face....trust me...it is every bit as good as the picture.... and better.
I will be doing a comprehensive post on the Ultimate Decorating Set soon including a comparison of the price of the set to buying each item individually. I can't promise that it will come soon but it will happen one day.
The retail value of the set is $470 but if you thought for even a second that I would fork that over, then we need to go on a few more dates because you don't know how cheap I am. Rest assured....I got this baby for a HUGE steal.
I'm getting flustered all over again... I think I need a paper bag.
Needless to say, I remain indebted for life to my friend T for hooking me up.
The next few weeks will be a bit packed as I get ready for finals and finish up assignments and have multiple crises over grad school applications where I drown my sorrows in junk food and try to convince myself that my life won't be over if it doesn't work out. I will try to squeeze in as much baking as I can.
Happy Baking!
PS: I'm wondering if I should cancel Multicultural Monday altogether. I'm always missing it and I never end up trying the recipes anyway. Thoughts?
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Review: Wilton Global Fondant and Gum Paste Mold
Since I have a bit of time (a reallllyyyy tinnnnnyyyyy bit) between cakes and school work I thought I would do a quick product review on the impression mold I used for the bharathanatyam (dance) cake.
The Global mold is one of 3 or 4 I believe. It is made of silicone and comes with a bunch of designs on one sheet all relating to a certain theme. I received it as a birthday gift (ironically from the same friend that I used the mold to make a cake for) and was super excited to use it. I think its the most 'ethnic' looking one of the molds.
The instructions to use it were fairly simple. Wash the mold carefully before the first use. Obviously...this goes for any kind of tool you buy...if you even think about skipping this step, just picture a giant warehouse with rats running around on top of your products boxes...ya that's right...get scrubbing.
To use, you basically push in the fondant on top of the design you want and roll a rolling pin over it to make sure you fill every crevice. Make sure you sprinkled cornstarch onto the mold beforehand so that the fondant doesn't stick. Then just lift the fondant or gum paste out and TADAAAA.
Pshhh, who am I kidding...we all know things don't work that way in real life...
The biggest problem I had was that I had to make sure the impression wasn't overfilled or else I would have to trim the excess fondant off by hand which resulted in extra work...and we all know how much I hate extra work.
Eventually I got the hang of it and was able to fill each impression with just the right amount of fondant so that there was no excess.
I also found that I didn't need to use cornstarch! My fondant didn't stick to the silicone at all. I don't know if this was because my fondant was just the right amount of stickiness OR because the heavens were smiling down at me because I'm special....personally I think its the latter.
What I like MOST about this mold is that once you pop the shape out, you can manipulate it to form other shapes. I used the 4 petal flower impression and then cut them in half to make my own border. Winning!
What I didn't like was that the borders that came with the mold didn't look good when I made them. They were hard to fill without showing breaks or folds. When I did manage to fill it properly, there was always excess fondant that I had to then trim off. I also think it would be a hassle if you have a larger cake. The borders are not that long. I'm not too sure because I didn't use the border design and I decorated an 8 inch cake but I would imagine that you have to do a few borders and join them together resulting in more divides in your border. Again, not a big deal but since I'm a perfectionist and get crazy twitchy eyes when things I make have tiny flaws, I consider it a minus.
I think the mold would be better if they changed out the border designs and added some other impression designs and also if there was some way to fill the design and cut away excess fondant before popping the fondant out. Not sure how they would do that and make it convenient but I'll let the creative design engineers over at Wilton work on that one. The cavities were also quite deep and I think I would like it better if they were a bit thinner so that the work doesn't stick out of the cake oddly.
Regardless, I would give this product 7 out of 10. I think the mold is a great tool to give your cakes that extra flair if you are pressed for time. The intricate designs are great and you have an option among a few patterns to choose from. The product is very durable and seems like it will last a long time. I'm not sure about the price since I received it as a gift. But again, if you get it, make sure to check at Michael's first because they have those blessed coupons that make it easier on our wallets.
Next time for product reviews I think I should take some pictures of me actually using the product. All this text on the page is just boring...except for those few people who read my blog just for the writing...anybody? Ya didn't think so.
Happy Baking!
The Global mold is one of 3 or 4 I believe. It is made of silicone and comes with a bunch of designs on one sheet all relating to a certain theme. I received it as a birthday gift (ironically from the same friend that I used the mold to make a cake for) and was super excited to use it. I think its the most 'ethnic' looking one of the molds.The instructions to use it were fairly simple. Wash the mold carefully before the first use. Obviously...this goes for any kind of tool you buy...if you even think about skipping this step, just picture a giant warehouse with rats running around on top of your products boxes...ya that's right...get scrubbing.
To use, you basically push in the fondant on top of the design you want and roll a rolling pin over it to make sure you fill every crevice. Make sure you sprinkled cornstarch onto the mold beforehand so that the fondant doesn't stick. Then just lift the fondant or gum paste out and TADAAAA.
Pshhh, who am I kidding...we all know things don't work that way in real life...
The biggest problem I had was that I had to make sure the impression wasn't overfilled or else I would have to trim the excess fondant off by hand which resulted in extra work...and we all know how much I hate extra work.
Eventually I got the hang of it and was able to fill each impression with just the right amount of fondant so that there was no excess.
I also found that I didn't need to use cornstarch! My fondant didn't stick to the silicone at all. I don't know if this was because my fondant was just the right amount of stickiness OR because the heavens were smiling down at me because I'm special....personally I think its the latter.
What I like MOST about this mold is that once you pop the shape out, you can manipulate it to form other shapes. I used the 4 petal flower impression and then cut them in half to make my own border. Winning!
What I didn't like was that the borders that came with the mold didn't look good when I made them. They were hard to fill without showing breaks or folds. When I did manage to fill it properly, there was always excess fondant that I had to then trim off. I also think it would be a hassle if you have a larger cake. The borders are not that long. I'm not too sure because I didn't use the border design and I decorated an 8 inch cake but I would imagine that you have to do a few borders and join them together resulting in more divides in your border. Again, not a big deal but since I'm a perfectionist and get crazy twitchy eyes when things I make have tiny flaws, I consider it a minus.
I think the mold would be better if they changed out the border designs and added some other impression designs and also if there was some way to fill the design and cut away excess fondant before popping the fondant out. Not sure how they would do that and make it convenient but I'll let the creative design engineers over at Wilton work on that one. The cavities were also quite deep and I think I would like it better if they were a bit thinner so that the work doesn't stick out of the cake oddly.
Regardless, I would give this product 7 out of 10. I think the mold is a great tool to give your cakes that extra flair if you are pressed for time. The intricate designs are great and you have an option among a few patterns to choose from. The product is very durable and seems like it will last a long time. I'm not sure about the price since I received it as a gift. But again, if you get it, make sure to check at Michael's first because they have those blessed coupons that make it easier on our wallets.
Next time for product reviews I think I should take some pictures of me actually using the product. All this text on the page is just boring...except for those few people who read my blog just for the writing...anybody? Ya didn't think so.
Happy Baking!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Rose Cake
Today is a milestone! I know I say that a lot, but this one is for realz!!!
And technically it wasn't today, it was last weekend....but the excitement carries!
I officially had my first client/customer/person-who-I-didn't-just-give-cake-to.
Go ahead and scream and do a little victory dance for me...you know you want to...go ahead I'll wait.
I don't think I can explain the feeling of PROFESSIONALLY baking someone a cake for the first time...ever. I think its right up there with having your first kid and getting married....okay maybe not THAT far up...
It's not the getting paid part that is exciting (but it definitely don't hurt!!) but rather the feeling that someone considers your work serious and professional and GOOD enough to pay you hard earned money for it.
I think I need a tissue.
I was talking to my friend yesterday about being a cake 'artist'. I didn't consider myself to be creative or an artist because I can't draw to save my life. Then she mentioned that baking is my 'medium' just like photography is hers.
Meeedddiiiuummmm. I rolled that around in my head for a while and came to the conclusion that I am a kid with crayons. I want to do great things. Paint Mona Lisa's and be a Van Gogh in my own right (but I'm keeping both my ears). Often times though, I am my own worst critic. So for now I'm going to focus on colouring in the lines and learning bit by bit.
And today I feel like I've graduated kindergarten! Yay me!
Inspiration for this cake (and by inspiration I mean totally plagiarized) came from I am Bakers beautiful Rose Cake. I dressed it up pink and added a few nonpareils. Inside is a lemon cake and its covered in vanilla buttercream.
Credits to my super photographer Emily.
And get this guys....I EVEN SENT THE CAKE OFF IN A PROPER WHITE BOX.
*FAINTS*
Happy Baking!
And technically it wasn't today, it was last weekend....but the excitement carries!
I officially had my first client/customer/person-who-I-didn't-just-give-cake-to.
I don't think I can explain the feeling of PROFESSIONALLY baking someone a cake for the first time...ever. I think its right up there with having your first kid and getting married....okay maybe not THAT far up...
I think I need a tissue.
I was talking to my friend yesterday about being a cake 'artist'. I didn't consider myself to be creative or an artist because I can't draw to save my life. Then she mentioned that baking is my 'medium' just like photography is hers.
Inspiration for this cake (and by inspiration I mean totally plagiarized) came from I am Bakers beautiful Rose Cake. I dressed it up pink and added a few nonpareils. Inside is a lemon cake and its covered in vanilla buttercream.
Credits to my super photographer Emily.
And get this guys....I EVEN SENT THE CAKE OFF IN A PROPER WHITE BOX.
*FAINTS*
Happy Baking!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Bharathanatyam Cake
I am super excited about this cake.
My friend recently had her 21st birthday. As many of you may remember from my previous post, 21 is a big deal in my culture...well for girls at least.
But I did not make her a key cake...I was planning to do a change up on the traditional key cake but then things got expensive and it just wasn't going to happen.
INSTEAD...I made something better! Well at least I think so :)
My friend loves to dance. She's an amazing classical Indian dancer and is most passionate about it.
I looked high and low on the internets for a beautiful "Bharathanatyam" inspired cake...and found nothing.
So I took some inspiration from other dance themed cakes and came up with the sketch for my cake. I wanted it to look like the silhouettes of dancers on stage.
I traced the dancers out from black fondant and let them dry out. I also got to use an impression mold from Wilton which I will be doing a review on soon. The inside was a marble cake and covered in vanilla buttercream.
The hardest part of this cake was obviously the dancers. I wanted them to actually look like dancers and include all the little details like the pleated fan skirt and the graceful arms. Initially I had wanted them to have even more detail like bangles and the bells on the feet but since they were small, the details didn't come through. But they look like dancers to me so s'all good!
Every time I look at this cake, or pictures of this cake, my stomach jumps a little and I get excited all over again.
All in all, a very successful personalization of the cake :)
And thanks to Emily again for the amazing pictures. She has her own blog now too! Check it out here
Happy Baking!
My friend recently had her 21st birthday. As many of you may remember from my previous post, 21 is a big deal in my culture...well for girls at least.
But I did not make her a key cake...I was planning to do a change up on the traditional key cake but then things got expensive and it just wasn't going to happen.
INSTEAD...I made something better! Well at least I think so :)
My friend loves to dance. She's an amazing classical Indian dancer and is most passionate about it.
I looked high and low on the internets for a beautiful "Bharathanatyam" inspired cake...and found nothing.So I took some inspiration from other dance themed cakes and came up with the sketch for my cake. I wanted it to look like the silhouettes of dancers on stage.
I traced the dancers out from black fondant and let them dry out. I also got to use an impression mold from Wilton which I will be doing a review on soon. The inside was a marble cake and covered in vanilla buttercream.The hardest part of this cake was obviously the dancers. I wanted them to actually look like dancers and include all the little details like the pleated fan skirt and the graceful arms. Initially I had wanted them to have even more detail like bangles and the bells on the feet but since they were small, the details didn't come through. But they look like dancers to me so s'all good!
Every time I look at this cake, or pictures of this cake, my stomach jumps a little and I get excited all over again.
All in all, a very successful personalization of the cake :)
And thanks to Emily again for the amazing pictures. She has her own blog now too! Check it out here
Happy Baking!
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