Showing posts with label cakes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cakes. Show all posts

Monday, October 22, 2012

Bob the Builder


I have been meaning to post this for months but kept forgetting and lost the blog so here we go.  For my little guys 3rd birthday he wanted Bob the Builder.  Well Bob was super popular a few years ago but now he is hard to find.  Went over several different ideas for what he wanted - sheet cake that had a road made out of graham crackers in the shape of a 3 with machines digging dirt (crushed oreos) and toy figures of some of the machines and Bob, dump truck cake, and a cake shaped like Bob.  Well I could not find any little figures and Conner wanted Bob not just the machines. 

I am by no means a pro when it comes to decorating cakes but I do enjoy playing around with it.  I finally decided to make a Bob out of round cake pans like I did my owl.  (You can see that post here)  I cooked my cake using two round 9 in pans and then drew out a pattern for my pieces.  If you need a better idea about how to use pans to create a templete and pattern check the owl post I mentioned earlier. 

After the cake cooked I let it cool for a while and long while so that it would not fall to pieces when I cut it.  Also a good idea to add some pudding to the mix to help it be firmer.  While the cake was cooling I made my icing.  I have a huge sweet tooth but I do not love buttercream icing, it is just too sweet to me.  I like to buy the Wilton whipped icing and make it myself.  (You can get it from Walmart or Micheals) It is not near as sweet or as firm as buttercream so while it is deliscious it does not hold its shape as well.  I make all the icing in a large bowl and then take a little out for each color I need.  I use the Wilton icing dye to color my frosting.

Ok now that the cake is good and cool, you will begin cutting out your pieces.  Lay your pattern on your cake and carefully cut out the parts you need.  I left one circle whole and then cut out my ears, nose, and hat pieces.  The hat is 3 different pieces. The bottom is a little less than half of the other cake and then I cut two pieces to make the brim of the hat and the ridge that runs up it. 



After I placed my pieces I frosted it.  Frosting took some time with all the corners and turns and I was not happy with the eyes and mouth but overall there was Bob and my 3 year old was tickled!  I know you can not see his happiness from the pictures he was not excited about the camera but he was happy about the cake. 


Not as nice as a professional cake but much much cheaper.  Instead of $20 for a cake I probably only have $5.  And it was super yummy. 
 
Linking to some of these great parties





















Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Lemon Raspberry Mousse Squares

I have a ton of apologizes to go with this post first it is months late and 2nd I kept forgetting to take pictures and by the time I remembered it was gone.  It really is that good that is doesn't last.  Hopefully I can update this post soon, with my pictures because I just got some great berries from the Fresh Market yesterday so one of these may be in my near future.  Anyway here is my very old post. :)
picture is from nilla Wafer website and is the property of kraft food and nabisco


Ok I know it is like several months late but here is the fabulous dessert I promised.  I made this for Father's Day and it was gone.  I mean gone before everyone got some and there were more desserts there than just mine.  It looks super pretty so it is very inviting and it tastes  superb!  I can not take credit for the recipe, it came from the Nilla Waffer box a year or two ago.  Just a heads up I did follow the recipe exactly the 1st two or three times I made this and then I decided to change it a bit to make it easier.  (I will tell my changes as I go, nothing major just a lazy I mean easier way.)

Ok here is the list of ingredients and supplies you will need.

- 3oz box of lemon jello (not the pudding the jello)
-1 cup boiling water
-1 cup of ice
-8oz pack of cream cheese (softened)
-8oz container of cool whip
-1/4 cup sugar
-2 tsp lemon zest (optional- I didn't have any this time so I didn't use it and I could not tell a difference)
-48 Nilla Waffers (I did not count mine out I just used what I needed.  I also think any plain cookie would work for this, shortbread, or the Pepperidge Farm chessman)
-1/3 cup Seedless raspberry preserves
-fresh berries for topping

-small bowl, large bowl, 8x8 pan, electric mixer, spoons, cling wrap (optional)

Ok put your lemon jello in the small bowl and dissolve it in the hot water stirring for 2 minutes.  Then add your cup of ice.  (It can be cubes I just put enough cubes in a 1 cup dry measuring cup to fill it up.)  Stir until the ice dissolves.  Now set that to the side and cream your sugar and cream cheese together using a mixer.  Once it is combined add your lemon jello and mix it.  Then stir in 2 cups of your coolwhip.  This is also the point where you would add your lemon zest but I didn't have any so I worked without it.

{The original recipe which you can find online, has a specific number of cookies for you to put around the sides and on each layer it also has you line the pan with cling wrap so you can invert it.  I did not follow these steps.  It is just as pretty in the pan.  I just turned their sequence of steps around so my dessert would be the way theirs was once it was inverted.}

Ok so now place your cookies in the bottom of your pan.  Then poor half of your lemon mixture on top of your cookies.  Now top with another layer of cookies.  Next  heat your preserves in the microwave for about 15 seconds on high.  If it has not melted it some then do it a little longer.  Spoon your preserves on top of your cookies and kinda mash it out a bit with the spoon so it will spread some.  Now pour the rest of your filling on top.  Then if you would like add a few cookies to the top and decorate with some fresh berries.  Now just cover it and refrigerate for a few hours and then enjoy!!

If you want the original recipe just go to the website for Nilla Waffers here.

Friday, May 18, 2012

Curious George Cake

My owl cake was one of my most popular posts so today I though I would share a cake I made when my little man turned 2.  He wanted a "Turious Gorge" cake. (Curious George for those who don't speak fluent baby)  :) Well who doesn't love Curious George, I mean he is adorable and fun and always willing to take a risk. 
This was my second time experimenting with cake decoration but the 1st time I did not have a pan or a mold.  I was going to buy a pan in the shape of a monkey but they are expensive and I was not sure I could make him look like George and not just a regular monkey.  So I searched on Google for pics of George cakes and wow there were a lot!  Some were really fancy and out of my reach but I saw several that were just faces so I thought that would be quick and easy. 

Making a George cake turned out to be pretty simple.  I just needed a round cake pan, 4 cookies, Wilton whipped frosting mix, icing dye, frosting tip # 4, frosting bag, and a couple tooth picks.  I only cooked 1 round cake and used the rest of the batter to make a few cupcakes.  I do not like super sweet icing so I always make the whipped frosting instead.  Making the icing is very easy, just add chilled ice water and beat it a ton.  (Directions are on the box) 

After I got the cake cooked I let it cool while I made the frosting.  For George you need frosting that is very light brown, very dark brown, black, and white.  I used the gel coloring from Wilton to dye my frosting. 

I used a toothpick to draw out the shape of the inside of his face.  This was for the light brown area, and then I frosted it.  If you did not have to add cookies for ears you could leave the rest of his head without frosting since the cooked chocolate cake is the right color but you need frosting to hide the cookies and well what 2 year old wants a cake without frosting. 

To make the rest of his face cut away a small curve out from your cake and stack your oreos (or whatever cookie you like) to make his ears.  Then frost the ears heavily with the light brown frosting and cover the rest of his face with the dark brown. 

I traced out his eyes, nose, and mouth with my toothpick before I filled them in with frosting.
I piped them in very carefully using my piping bag (could use a Ziploc if you don't have one) and my small tip. (Wilton #4) I used my toothpick and finger to pat some of the lines out and adjust them. 

I liked the dark color of the cake better than the lighter color of the frosting so maybe if I make it again I might mix my brown and black to see if I could get a darker shade without having to use so much dye. 

My cake wasn't perfect but it made my little one very happy to have Turious Gorge :)  And you can't beat his smile. 


Oh and just a side note.  I made his birthday shirt by finding pics online and then playing around with them and printing onto iron on paper. 

Sorry I have no idea how to rotate the picture.









Linking to:

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Cutest Owl Cake and Decorations

I made the cutest (well in my opinon) owl cake last Saturday for my little boy's baby shower.  Unlike a traditional shower that happens before your little bundle of joy arrives, we had a welcome to the world shower.  Gavin decided to come 2 weeks before the scheduled shower and about 6 weeks before his due date.  I had never been to a shower for the baby after they were born so I had no idea what kind of invites to send out.  I finally thought of "Looks Whos Here" and that led me to the idea of owls.  I did not have a blog then so I only have a few pics, sorry but here are a few of my ideas. 

First, I googled owl cakes and found Anita's blog "Leave Room for Dessert" she had the cutest owl cake and great instructions.  I did not follow her recipe but I did use her idea of tracing my pans and then drawing my pic and cutting out my pieces.  I used a regular box of chocolate cake mix and added half a box of instant choc pudding to help the batter be firmer so it would be easier to work with and I used applesauce instead of oil.  (It was super yummy by the way) After I cooked the cake and it cooled for awhile I traced my pans and then drew my owl on those circles.  I then cut out my pattern pieces to see what I would need to cut from my cake. 
My cut out cake.  One whole round was left alone and I cut the other one up.  Again sorry I did not take pics of the process but check out Leave Room for Dessert for a more detailed tutorial.
Some of my pattern pieces.
I laid my pattern back on my cake to see where the frosting should go.  I used a toothpick to poke holes in the cake to leave the design so I could frost around it.  And I was not exact so just have fun with it.

I made my own icing from a Wiltons box that I bought from Michaels.  I don't like the super sweet stuff so I used the whipped icing.  It is yummy but it does not get firm so it will not show the details that buttercream will.
Frosted cake :)
I made one large bowl of icing and then pulled out a little bit at time to color. I used the Wilton icing dye not food coloring and I used M&Ms for the eyes.  Over all I think it was adorable, not professional but perfect for me and my boys will know it was made with love. 

I also made the very few decorations for the party.  I could not find anything in the stores so if you can't buy it make it!  Way more fun and super cheap.  I picked up 6 pieces of felt from the store for 0.29cents each.  Then I drew out different owl parts wings, eyes, body, etc in differnt sized and started tracing on my material.  A little hot glue and a few buttons later (buttons were for the eyes) and here are my owls.

Felt owls (sorry bad picture and this is only a few of them.)
Anyway this was super fun and super cheap to do.  A store bought or professionally made cake would have cost me more than $20.  Mine was about $6 and a little time baking with my family and planning out the design.  The owls cost about $2.  I think it was successful have fun and if you make a owl cake let me know.

Linking to:
http://funkypolkadotgiraffe.blogspot.com/
http://www.ladybug-blessings.com/
http://www.creationsbykara.com/
http://www.733blog.com/
http://www.somedaycrafts.blogspot.com/
http://www.sugaranddots.com/
http://www.katiesnestingspot.com/
http://weliketolearnaswego.blogspot.com/
http://www.herecomesthesun-kelly.blogspot.com/
http://www.shabbynest.blogspot.com/
http://www.504main.com/
http://www.kojo-designs.com/
http://oneartmama.blogspot.com/
http://www.chickenscratchny.com/2012/05/whats-cluckin-2-birthdays.html
http://thegrantlife.com/
http://www.watchoutmartha.net/