Fun Zebra Print Birthday

April 6, 2012

For my niece's 5th birthday party, I decided to surprise her with the design of the cake. Since the party had to be held on a Friday evening and I had to work all week, I didn't have time to do an elaborate 2 or 3 tier cake that she is accustomed to nor did I want to travel a couple hours with a multi-tiered cake; however, I still wanted to make it fun and beautiful. The entire cake is edible except for the silver ribbon around the top of the cake and surprisingly, the kids actually seemed to enjoy the fondant covering. Mischa loves animal prints, so I thought she'd really enjoy the zebra print theme of this cake. It turned out great and since the cake was chocolate, I also made some vanilla/cream cheese frosting cake pops as an extra treat =)

Cheesecake Pops

March 24, 2012

Cake pops are pretty popular right now, so I thought I would do a little experimenting and try my luck at making cheesecake pops. Although they were a little messy to make, the final result was pretty delicious. These particular ones are a plain cheesecake rolled in graham cracker crumbs and coated with dark chocolate and more graham cracker crumbs. Yum. =)

Valentine's Day Cake Pops!

February 14, 2012

I was feeling quite festive for Valentine's Day this year. Although without a "valentine" myself, I wanted to make some special treats for my co-workers. The cake pops are chocolate with pink and red white chocolate coating & shimmery pink sugar crystals. They were delic & enjoyed by all. =)

"It's a Girl"..Baby Shower Cupcakes

February 13, 2012

I made these cupcakes for a friend of a friend who is expecting a baby girl, which will be her second, so technically, it was a "SPRINKLE." =) The cupcakes are a combination of chocolate & vanilla. Some are decorated with tasty buttercream & sprinkles while others with adorable baby girls covered in blankies with itty bitty pacifiers...all made out of fondant & all edible.

Buzz Lightyear (Junior)

February 12, 2012

This is my second Buzz cake that I made for a friend's son's birthday party. The cake is vanilla with buttercream frosting and the border, stars, and buzz are made out of fondant. "To infinity & beyond!!!" =)

Mean Jean is 75!!

January 28, 2012

You've guessed it...Mean Jean is 75!! Mean Jean is my Godfather's mother (believe it or not) & although not truly mean, she does enjoy her McMaster's & cigs, so this design was the obvious choice for the BIG 7-5.... The bottle of whiskey is chocolate cake, buttercream frosting, & fondant details. The banner, ashtray, and cigarettes are also made out of fondant and ALL EDIBLE....ashes included =)

Star Wars Cake Pops

January 21, 2012

When I was asked if I could do something for a Star Wars themed 4 year old's birthday party, I realized I knew VERY little about Star Wars. The extent of my knowledge was "Luke, I am your father" and Princess Leia's cinnamon bun styled hairdo, which I should actually credit an episode of "Friends" for. Anyways, I did some research and now I at least have a basic foundation, which I've found to be pretty helpful given the popularity of Star Wars themed birthday parties these days.....especially among the 3-6 year old clientele. I have to say, I think Yoda and Chewbacca are my favorite....at least in cake pop form. =)

Jungle Themed Birthday

January 14, 2012

My friend has a daughter and a son that are about a year apart, so she had a joint birthday party for them this year and decided on a jungle theme. In addition to two separate cakes for each child, I made the "jungle" cake pops as shown above. For the cakes, a zebra for Kalyn and a lion for Jaxson. =)

Poker Cake

December 17, 2011

A lady requested a poker cake for a surprise party she was having for her husband. The entire cake is covered in fondant on a fondant covered base and hand-painted poker chips and cards.

Buzz Lightyear (Senior)

November 26, 2011

This is the first Buzz Lighyear cake I made. Buzz is one popular space ranger...I'm actually a pretty big fan myself. =)

Class Reunion Pops

November 26, 2011

Over Thanksgiving weekend, I had my 10 year class reunion at Generations in Wheeling. In order to celebrate this MILESTONE, I obviously provided some sweet treats for the party. Top right cake pops are chocolate cake with milk chocolate coating decorated with pearls, pictured center are both dark chocolate cake with dark chocolate coating decorated with chocolate chips and white cake with white chocolate coating decorated with coconut flakes. Bottom right are white cake with white chocolate coating decorated with MAROON sprinkles....GO KNIGHTS. =)

Playstation 3 Groom's Cake

August 26, 2011

I made this Playstation 3 groom's cake for a couple's rehearsal dinner, which was requested by the bride as a surprise for the groom. The cake was flavored to mirror a pineapple upside cake, the groom's favorite. The controller is also completely edible as it is made out of rice krispy treats and covered in fondant. =)

Sports Balls Cupcakes

August 7, 2011

When your last name is Ball and you're celebrating your first birthday, it seems only fitting to have a "Sports Balls" theme at your party. These are always cute and pretty fun to make as well. =)

Peach Pearl Wedding Shower

August 7, 2011

The maid of honor requested simple yet elegantly designed cupcakes for a wedding shower. Peach was one of the colors of the wedding and edible pearls & glitter added the final touch to the layers of buttercream. The maid of honor, who is also a close friend of mine, was nice enough to capture and share pictures with me of the cupcakes displayed at the shower, which was held at Sandscrest in Wheeling.

Scooby Doo Cake

July 2, 2011

My brother's friend asked me to make a Scooby Doo cake for his nephew's 4th birthday. He had planned on showing up at the party with the cake to claim that he had made it himself. Although he thought the cake was great, I do believe he was a tad disappointed as I don't think anyone at the party actually believed him. =)

A "Wise" Wedding Cake

June 4, 2011

I made this wedding cake for my good friends, Mandy & Matt Wise, for their wedding this past summer. The colors of the wedding were very vibrant and each person in the wedding party had a different "accent" color that really popped against the mostly black attire. Mandy requested a non-traditional cake that would incorporate the colors used in the wedding. Based on some ideas Mandy had sent me in addition to fabric swatches, I really think this cake captured the vibe of the wedding. And, I was pretty relieved that an all buttercream cake survived a hot summer day in June on the 3rd floor of the artisan center!! Fun times were had by all. =)

John Deere Groom's Cake

June 3, 2011

For years, a groom's cake has been a wedding tradition in the South (i.e. the red velvet armadillo cake in the movie Steel Magnolias); however, more recently, it has became rather popular and common at ALL weddings. It is usually served at the rehearsal dinner or as a separate dessert at the actual wedding reception. Although the wedding cake is often a white cake, the groom's cake tends to be chocolate or something a bit more exotic. It also takes many forms usually reflective of the groom's hobbies, favorite sports team, interests, etc....and, that's what brings us to this John Deere cake made for Mandy & Matt Wise's rehearsal dinner. The cake is chocolate with buttercream icing, fondant accents, and even some chocolate dirt. =)

Happy Retirement Cake

May 29, 2011

This cake was made for a teacher's retirement party. The cake is both chocolate and vanilla, buttercream icing, and fondant accents. The beach, sun, blue water, palm trees, & fancy drink sound perfect to me for retirement.....and her teacher's apple tops it off. =)

Thomas the Train

April 17, 2011

This "Thomas the Train" cake was made for a little boy's 2nd birthday party held at Wheeling Park playground. It was requested that the cake be mostly buttercream with minimal fondant decorations, so only Thomas' face is fondant in order to truly capture his character...accompanied by Thomas and train track cupcakes. =)

Under the Sea Cake

April 9, 2011

I really enjoyed making this cake for my niece's 4th birthday. "The Little Mermaid" was always one of my favorite Disney movies growing up. I remember seeing it in the theater and loving the "Under the Sea" scene for all of its vibrant colors & excitement. I was six at the time, so it must have made a big impression. With this cake, I was hoping to recreate that feeling as much as possible and ended up pretty pleased with the final result. =)

Crazy Daisies!

April 2, 2011

This cake was made for my friend's bridal shower, and you guessed it, the theme was "Crazy Daisies." The colors of the flowers for this cake were really beautiful and perfect for a spring time shower. To make sure we had enough cake for everyone in attendance, I made matching cupcakes with baby daisies. =)

Pink Camo Cake

March 19, 2011

This pretty in pink cake was made for a little girl's 4th birthday party, which was being held at Cabela's at the Highlands. Very fitting for the venue as she requested a cake covered in pink camouflage fondant. Glitter & gumballs for the final touches. =)

Cowboy Cake

January 29, 2011

This cake was requested for a western cowboy themed 1st birthday party. The cake is chocolate and vanilla iced with buttercream and completed with fondant decorations. A fondant cowboy hat, bandana, and sheriff's star top it off. =)

Frog Prince Cake

December 11, 2010

My friend was having a frog prince theme for her daughter's 2nd birthday and requested a cake that would complement the decorations she had already purchased. Here is a thank you card featuring the Frog Prince:

And, here's the Frog Prince himself, in cake form:

Champ Snoopy Baby Shower

December 11, 2011

For this baby shower, cupcakes were requested to match the baby bedding below, which is "Champ Snoopy."

So, I did both Snoopy cupcakes and sports balls to tie it all together.

NoJo Jungle Baby Shower

November 20, 2010

For this baby shower, the theme was based off of the chosen baby bedding and accessories, which was "NoJo Jungle." Here is a light switch featuring the NoJo monkey:

And, here are the little baby NoJo monkeys in cupcake form...perfect for the little guy's shower. =)

It's A Boy Cupcakes

May 29, 2010

For the same friend I made the beach themed wedding cake, I made these super cute "It's a Boy" cupcakes for her baby shower. I also made these same cupcakes for a baby girl shower as you'll see in a later post.

Minnie Mouse Themed Cake

April 10, 2010

For my niece's 3rd birthday party, we went with a Minnie Mouse theme. The decorative pink gumballs and ears made out of fondant were potentially a bigger hit with the kids than the cake itself. And, here's the birthday girl making a wish!!!! =)

Beach Wedding

August 15, 2009

One of my very best friends got married in Ocean City, MD during the summer of 2009. The wedding took place on the beach and this beach-themed cake was made for the outdoor reception that was held back in Wheeling a week later. Seashells made out of chocolate and brown sugar for sand sound good to me. =)

Pink & Orange Flowered Tier

July 11, 2009

I made this cake for my Dad's wedding reception in the summer of 2009. I had never done a multiple tier cake for an event and up until this point, I pretty much just experimented for family. I was given complete freedom with the cake and arrived at this simple yet elegant design fit for summertime. Although one of my first tiered cakes, possibly one of my favorites.