New Projects!

I've barely started blogging and I'm already behind! My life has been quite a bit busier since my last post but I promise to get back on track with new tutorials, recipes, etc. First off, some projects that I've been working on lately...

This fun little smash cake was for my friend Kristen's son Noah. I decided to go with a giraffe poking his head through the treetops to go along with their safari theme. In case you'd like to try something like this at home, the giraffe was made from modeling chocolate and attached to the cake with a skewer to hold it in place. The rest of the cake was decorated in fondant. :) Here's some addition photos that Kristen captured of Noah's second birthday bash. 

Next up is another smash cake! This one was for a friend Amber's daughter Emilee's first birthday. This cake was also done in fondant, including the strawberries. :)

Amber was kind enough to send the aftermath of the cake smashing. 

Next up was a party I was super excited to create desserts for, my Dad's 60th birthday! Anyone who knows my dad knows that he LOVES Jimmy Buffett so it came as no surprise that he picked that as the theme of his celebration. 

Instead of traditional cupcakes, I decided to create "Cheeseburger in Paradise" cupcakes. To recreate these, simply bake vanilla cupcakes, cut in half and fill with meat, cheese, veggies, and condiments. The meat patty is chocolate ganache piped with a round tip, the lettuce is vanilla buttercream piped with a leaf tip, and the cheese and condiments are vanilla buttercream piped in a smaller round tip. 

For the cake I created a tiki bar. The bottom tier is covered in ombre fondant waves and surrounded by graham cracker sand. The palm trees, coconuts, and "lost shakers of salt" are all made in fondant. For the top tier I did a hand-painted sunset and then laid pieces of brown fondant over top to create the bar. The roof is molded Rice Krispie Treat which I piped over in chocolate ganache using a grass tip. 

Next up is a smash cake I did for another client. The theme was music and chevron so I decided to create a fondant record on top to house the birthday message and some brightly colored chevrons on the sides for the music notes to lay on top of. 

This next cake was one of my favorite to date. The party already had an adorable hot air balloon theme so we came up with a hot air balloon topper and some detailed bunting banners and puffy clouds all over the body of the cake. The topper was made from fondant covered Rice Krispie Treats.

This next cake was too large a project for me alone so I called in reinforcements. The lovely Kyong (a co-worker at Sweet & Saucy Shop) was kind enough to help me sculpt a golden retriever for a veterinary office's first anniversary. Below are some photos of the cake, my favorite being the cake being examined by the dog that inspired it. I'd love to know what he's thinking!

Thank you for stopping by! If there are any cakes you see here that you'd like further explanation on creating, leave a message and I'll include a tutorial in a future post!

My Favorite Macaron Recipe!

You've asked and I've answered! I'm always getting requests for a recipe and tips for achieving the ever-elusive perfect macaron. Anyone who's ever tried to bake these delicate French cookies knows the many frustrations they cause. Never fear! Below I've included my favorite recipe and some tips, photos, and frequently asked questions.

Ingredients:

2 oz. egg whites

1 oz. sugar, superfine or granulated

2 oz. sugar, powdered

2 oz. sugar, powdered

2 oz. almond meal

Steps:

1.   Measure out your ingredients.

      Tip! Whenever possible, use recipes that have weight measurements, especially when making a temperamental dessert like a macaron. Large eggs aren't always the same size and everyone packs their measuring cup differently. Using weight measurements is one of the best ways of getting more consistent results. 

2.   Put egg whites into a stand mixer and whip up until slightly bubbly.

3.   Add superfine or granulated sugar.

      Tip! While using superfine sugar is recommended, I have had no problem using granulated when it wasn't available.

4.   Whisk to medium peak.

      Tip! The peak system may seem like something only snobby culinary school grads use but it's actually quite simple and very effective. Just take your whisk attachment off of the mixer, tap of some of the excess and turn it upside down. The "peak" of your meringue will tell you when it's done. A medium peak holds it's shape well but the tip will curl. See this article for further explanation: Whipping Soft/Med/Stiff Peaks

      Another tip! Add gel color here. I like Americolor or Wilton's gel color. 

5.   Whisk in first portion of powdered sugar (2 oz) to soft peak 

      by hand or mixer.

      Tip! The eggs and sugar will reach soft peak quickly. Whisking by hand can give better control if you are afraid of over mixing. 

6.   Pour into mixing bowl or continue to use the bowl from the stand mixer if the batch is small enough. 

7.   Fold in almond meal and second portion of powdered sugar (2 oz).

      Tip! I recommend combining the almond meal and powdered sugar in a food processor. If one is not available, sift together. 

        Another tip! Be very careful here. Watch the consistency as you fold the sugar and almond meal into the egg mixture. If under or over mixed, the macaron will not turn out correctly. The batter should run off of the spatula like a ribbon. If you'd like to test the consistency, place a dollop on a piece of parchment paper and watch to see if it flattens out. If it doesn't, keep mixing. 

8.   Put in piping bag with a medium round tip. 

9.   Pipe 3/4" size onto parchment.

      Tip! For more consistent piping, make your own template! Cut a piece of parchment down to the size of the sheet plan you will use and use a round cookie cutter to draw circles to pipe inside of. When you lay a piece of parchment on top, you will be able to see through it to your template and can use it over and over. 

10. Let sit out in the air until skin forms.

      Tip! When you touch the top of the macarons the batter should not transfer to your finger. 

        Another tip! If you'd like to add sprinkles, add them after you've piped the macarons but before the skin forms. If you'd like to add them in a pattern (hearts, stripes, etc) wait until after you've baked and cooled them. Then draw the pattern with some gel color and dip into the sprinkles. 

11. Bake at 350F in a convection oven or 325F in a traditional oven. 

      Tip! Don't set a timer. Some websites will estimate about 10 minutes but this can be misleading. Each oven will cook differently so check on your macarons frequently. They are done when they are firm to the touch but not turning brown on the edges or bottom. 

12. Fill with the filling of your choice!

For troubleshooting macarons, I love this article: Food Nouveau. Thanks for stopping by the blog!

Some Past Projects!

In the past year I've had quite a few projects that I was never able to post! Now that I'm an official blogger (2nd post-woohoo!) I think it's time to catch up! Here goes: 

First up is a cake that I worked on with Grace of Sweet Gems, on OC based cake decorator. The wedding was on Cinco de Mayo so the bride chose to integrate some of the cutout banners commonly used as decoration but with a slightly softer wedding feel. Below is a photo of the cake and a close-up on the banners.

Next is another wedding that I worked on with Sweet Gems. Grace did a delicate lace texture and a sugar flower for the cake and I piped the buttercream flowers on the cupcakes.

Kristen of Kristen Alves Photography designed this adorable beach-themed birthday party for her son Noah's 1st birthday party last year. I did an ombre smash cake with a surfboard to match the decor and some shark fin cake pops. Below are some of the fantastic photos she shot of the desserts and Noah enjoying his cake!

Next up is a smash cake and cake pops that I did for another client's little girl's 1st birthday. Her theme was pink lemonade so I did a fun rustic with a sugary lemon on top. I kept the pops simple with a pink drizzle and sprinkles.

I've been fortunate enough to do all of the desserts for this client's little girl's birthdays! Below is her most recent Hello Kitty theme birthday. The smash cake was a simple pink ombre buttercream with a fondant Hello Kitty and banner. The ombre pops are some of my favorite pops to date!

 This next cake was a two-tiered rustic I designed to match the invites of my friend April's bridal shower. The love birds were made from poured sugar!

Last but certainly not least is a cake that I put together for one of my Dad's birthdays. I decided to use the ever-popular ombre effect to mimic a mug of beer and piped some bubbles raining down the sides to complete the look. 

Thanks for stopping by! I'll have another post up next week if not sooner! 

Hazel Raye's 1st Birthday!

I'm so excited to share these adorable photos of Miss Hazel Raye's 1st birthday. Hazel is the daughter of one of my best friends, April, so I was thrilled to be able to take part in the festivities by providing the desserts. She decided on a Minnie Mouse themed smash cake and cupcakes. Here are some of the photos! (Photos provided by the amazing Kristen Alves! Check her out here: Kristen Alves Photography on Facebook )

The cupcake flavors were mocha chip and salted caramel. April added some cute Minnie Mouse wrappers to match the decor. 

For the smash cake I wanted to do a cute and simple Minnie Mouse design. I decided on a delicate horizontal ruffle and some Minnie ears.

Hazel didn't seem to share my excitement for the cake. What a cutie!

Thanks so much for stopping by the blog. I'll be updating it weekly so stop by often for new posts!