New Blog: Wedding Cake

I have attempted to create a new blog that meshes my life with my baking (since they are pretty much the same thing!)  Check out my new blog here and follow along for updates on my new life in Virginia, my cooking and baking adventures and trying to create a "city" life.

Thanks for following and hopefully you check out my new blog :)

Reese's Puff Cupcakes - I'm Cereal!

Sorry for the pun in the title!  I just couldn't help myself but to have a little fun with the title!  I made these cupcakes a few weeks ago for my best friend and her fiancee!  I asked for his favorite type of food/sweets because he always sees and comments on my baking adventures but since he lives in Texas - he can't really taste them!  When he said he loves Reese's Puffs - I KNEW I had to try! (Benefit: Also my boyfriends favorite cereal and I was about to go and visit him)

I found a great recipe online and attempted to make the cupcakes!  It was fun to make a peanut butter icing! and even a chocolate ganache - I had to try and not eat the icing before I put it on the chocolate cupcakes.  I looove Peanut Butter!  The fun part was putting all of the Reese's Puffs on top - I tried to get as many as possible on top to make it super Peanut Buttery and Chocolate-y!  What do you think?  Try it out and BAKE ON!

Red, White, and Blue - YUM!

This isn't my typical baking post - but I really wanted to share this recipe, because it was creative, festive and fun!  I can't wait to re-create these Jell-O Shots for many different occasions (I even have a request for football team related shots!)  I saw these on Pinterest - but sadly couldn't find a recipe, so I had to make my own concoction and it was definitely worth it!

I finally found Jell-O shot cups after searching so many different stores - thank you Party City! I mixed Blue Raspberry Jell-O with Pineapple Cruzan Rum and poured them into the bottom of cups.  Then froze those until they were solid.  Next up - WHITE!  So I added some cool whip and spread it to make a nice layer.  I had to freeze them again, to make sure the red didn't seep through. Then... I mixed Strawberry Jell-O with Mango Cruzan Rum and put that in the refrigerator to allow it to set up a bit before pouring onto the top layer.

I finally added the red to the top of the cups, sealed the cups and put them in the freezer to get ready in time for our 4th of July BBQ!  They came out DELICIOUS.  They were a little too large as a shooter - so some even ate them with a spoon, but the cool whip made it really refreshing and the fruity flavors mixed well.  Take a look and stay tuned to other future MIXTURES :)  Bake (and shot) on!

Ice Cream or Cupcakes? BOTH!

I've seen these many times before, but I never attempted them until this past 4th of July!  Every 4th, I try and make something unique and new that will challenge my baking skills.  It's a tradition from after my freshmen year of college (Summer '07) in which my Mom started my love of baking by challenging me to create the Teddy Graham Swimming Pool.

This year, I went with an easier recipe but still challenging.  I made cupcakes in ice-cream cones!  I had to figure out how to balance the cones in my baking pan, then scoop in enough batter and make sure they baked all the way through.  I definitely made a bit of a mess, and a few overflowed, but they looked super cute!  Everyone enjoyed them thoroughly, and I think they look more complicated than they actually are!  Take a look and let me know what you think!  BAKE ON!

A Special Birthday for Grandpa!

My Grandpa turned 80 this past June 9th, and he is probably one of the most important male figures in my life.  I grew up, upstairs from him and I truly do appreciate who he is and what he has done for me.  What is extra special is, he was in the Navy and my boyfriend is in the Navy - so they especially get along :)

I was assigned to make his birthday cake for his 80th birthday - and since we were only doing dinner for his birthday (instead of a surprise party) - I made him a golf themed cake and then a Strawberry short cake.  He told me that his favorite cake was Strawberry shortcake - so I attempted to make that from scratch.  It was good, just different from any kind of cake I have ever made.  It was delicious but just not my usual moist buttermilk-type of cake.  Check them out and let me know what you think.  My grandpa enjoyed them both, and I was happy that I could do something special for him for everything he has done for me!

Whoopie Fun (fetti)

Like I have mentioned many times before - Pinterest is my obsession!  And it's great because it constantly inspires me to make more and more desserts.  I have expanded outside of just cakes, into cupcakes, and pies and cookies and different flavor combinations and decorations.  This time, I decided to try and make Whoopie Pies.  I had purchased a Whoopie Pie cookie sheet and figured it was time to put it to use.  I found a recipe courtesy of Betty Crocker - that used Funfetti cake mix and turned them into the MOST delicious Whoopie Pies.

It's a combination of box mixed cake, fresh ingredients and icing made from scratch.  Once that is all done (the icing is a combination of cream cheese, butter, sugar and vanilla!), you create your Whoopie Pies and then add some colorful sprinkles to the icing to really make them Fun! I look forward to making more and different types of Whoopie Pies- so stay tuned.  And if you're looking for an easy recipe to impress - I'd try any Whoopie Pie from Betty Crocker!  Enjoy & Bake on!

Cuse Cake Off - FINAL FOUR!

I know it's been a few weeks since I have last posted, and I actually have a new cupcake to feature (stay tuned this weekend).  But this post is a SPECIAL post.   Remember the Cuse Cake Off that I entered - well I made it to the final four!

Voting ends tonight at midnight - so please check out the competition and vote for my Cupcake Otto (Vicki S) and vote!  Greatly appreciated!  And remember BAKE ON!

'Cuse Cake Off

Well this is a first!  It's my first "competition" that I have entered my baking into!  My friend posted a Syracuse sports blog post on my Facebook wall and challenged me to enter the 'Cuse Cake Off as part of Nune's Magician bake off.  I only had one day to get something together.  I decided to make mini cupcakes and form them into one giant Otto (Syracuse's mascot is an Orange named Otto!)

I entered the competition and it went live today!  Check it out here.  I am in the lead as of now - Otto Cupcake Cake (Vicki S.) but this is only the first round, I need to make it into the final four.  So if you have some free time, cast your vote - or even leave your comment below if you like the cake!  I appreciate all of your support!

Bake on!

Pure Decadence!

You may find this surprising, but I actually try not to eat TOO many sweets...now, how can I do this with all of the sweets I bake on a weekly basis?  I wish I had a definite answer, I just try and take half a bite to make sure its tasty and sweet enough for whomever I am giving them too and then I walk away!

This latest experiment with baking, was VERY difficult to walk away from - it was a lot of my favorite sweets/desserts combined into one cookie!  This is a super simple recipe, because nothing is from scratch, but together it's a whole lot of YUMMY!  So, you start with smaller cookie tins (I used mini-cupcake tins) and you cover the bottom of each of the tins with pre-made frozen chocolate chip cookie.  I used Pillsbury.  And don't forget to spray your cookie/cupcake tins with an anti-stick baking spray!

Next up, squish a Reese's mini cup into the cookie mix, and then top it all off with brownie mix.  Bake it for 18 minutes, let it cool for a bit and then pop them out for some deliciousness.  Let me know what you think if you try it out!  And kudos to Pinterest for sharing this recipe with me!

Trix Treats

Most people have heard of and love Rice Krispie Treats, but have you heard of Trix Treats?  I didn't before I saw this image on Pinterest! I nicknamed them Trix Treats, because I thought they sounded cuter than Trix Krispie Treats.

Basically, I did the same thing I normally do for Rice Krispie Treats - melt 1/2 stick of butter, a bag of mini-marshmallows (in a double boiler) and then mixed it into 6 cups of Trix cereal.  I poured it into the pan and let it sit for a while.  The best part of the Trix Treats- they are SO colorful, and definitely filled with sugar!  I brought them to my youth group on Sunday, and they couldn't stop eating them!  So easy to make, and so fun for any occasion!  (I'm going to test them out with Fruity Pebbles and maybe Cocoa Pebbles!).  Have you created anything like this? Bake on!

My New Obsession

So I may be a little late to the game with my obsession with Pinterest, but I think it is one of the most beneficial and healthy obsessions that I could ever have!  I don't spend too much time on Pinterest, but when I have a few minutes to spare, I'll sift through the "Food and Drink" section - it's my absolute favorite!

I have come across some of the most interesting and challenging recipes that I would never think to try or even find on my own accord!  Over the past two months I have attempted and experimented with so many new techniques and flavors - I feel like I have developed into a more capable baker!  I started with Irish Car Bomb cupcakes where I infused alcohol into a cupcake, created a chocolate ganache, and a Bailey's icing all from scratch.  I made Oreo rice Krispy treats that had my office ranting and raving.  S'mores bites, lemon blueberry cupcakes, chocolate cinnamon cakes, stout brownies, PEEP cake and many more...I found all of these recipes on Pinterest and made them my own!  Check out my Pinterest boards - most of them are for sweets, but every so often I add a different recipe, or style in there!

And if you have any favorite, unique recipes - feel free to share!  I love experimenting, and I am always looking for an excuse to bake, so please share and remember to bake on!

Something New!

My boyfriend really isn't that much into sweets, which makes it difficult dating me :)  I bake sweets all the time, and I love giving him a taste test of everything.  Every trip I make to see him in VA, I have to bring some sort of baked good (along with hummus, cracker, pizza, pepperoni and chicken cutlets - all his faves)!

I usually pick something pretty easy to make and transport to VA, but this time I really thought about what HE likes, and what his favorite flavors are.  I came across a Cinnamon Toast Crunch cupcake recipe, and guess what!  That's  HIS FAVE cereal!  The recipe was super easy, and it allowed me to incorporate box (yes, BOX mix) Vanilla, with some extra buttercream, crushed up CTC and a few additional ingredients.  The cupcakes smelled delish!  I then created a CTC cream cheese icing - just added a bit of crushed up CTC to the cream cheese icing.  I topped each cupcake off with some sprinkled cinnamon and sugar and a piece of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.  I tasted them when I brought them to VA (we attempted to share one, but he ate the rest of it!).

I loved the recipe, and it was super easy to make - so I'll definitely have to make them more often!  Stay tuned for some other fun recipes I have been trying!  Bake on!

(P.S. I didn't take a picture of the cupcakes, but I have a cute one of my BF and me at the beach!)

A backup cake!

I know I posted a while ago about my Youth Group's bake sale - but I don't think I fully explained HOW MUCH baking I actually did that weekend... It was actually quite absurd.  I had researched a whole bunch of different cakes, a variety of flavors, designs, etc, this way there was a flavor, cake and sweet for everyone!

I was a Girl Scout growing up, and I came across a cake based on one of the most popular Girl Scout cookies, the Samoa.  I thought this was a great dessert - taking a classic cookie and making it a cake! I bought all of the supplies from the recipe and didn't bother to actually read the recipe.  As I was about to start the Samoa cake, I scrolled through the recipe to find out that one of the main steps included boiling condensed milk for over 10 hours!  Goodness- I couldn't do that.  So I hopped on Pinterest and found a simple chocolate-cinnamon bundt cake, and knowing I had all of those ingredients - I started on that cake.  It was simple and a huge hit!  I was happy I was able to think on my feet, but it definitely still is on my to-do list to figure out how to make a Samoa cake :)  Check it out below and remember to BAKE ON!

Hoppy Easter, Everybunny!

I know, I know, yesterday was Easter!  But, I took yesterday off from blogging, but I still want to wish everyone a late Happy Easter!  We had a great Easter here, and the weather was perfect for a few Egg hunts outside (that tricky Easter Bunny snuck outside!)

On top of all of the food and festivities - it was my aunt's birthday on Friday, and since she was away on her actual birthday -- we celebrated on Easter for her!  I wanted to make her a special cake but also tie in something fun for Easter.  I found this cute Peep Sunflower cake on Pinterest, and attempted it!

What do you think?  Everyone enjoyed it and it was super simple!  Bake on and stay tuned to some other recipes and new flavors that I've been experimenting with.

Baking Filled Weekend!

This past weekend was filled with baking, probably one of the busiest baking weekends I have had in a long time!  The church youth group that I run held our first bake sale on Sunday!  Knowing that it was Palm Sunday, and a lot of families have big family dinners and would need to bring dessert - we were the solution!


All in all I baked 3 different bundt cakes, 42 cupcakes (2 different flavors), and 3 batches of cookies!  You can see all of my baked goods below!  I think my favorite was these Lemon-Blueberry Cupcakes with a Lemon cream cheese frosting!  YUM :)  I even put them in a very spring-like box, because presentation is very important!  I found the recipe and pinned it on Pinterest - check my pinterest out for a bunch of awesome new recipes!  What do you think of everything below -  stay tuned for more of the recipes, and more of what I baked this past weekend!  BAKE ON!

Happy St.Patrick's Day!!!

I may only be a "wee" bit Irish -but this year I went all out for St. Patrick's Day (my boyfriend is really Irish!).  I went all out and bought green necklaces, shamrock glasses, Leprechaun hat headbands, and of course, cupcake tins! I searched online for some Irish themed cupcakes, and Irish Car Bomb cupcakes and I knew I had to make them!

 It was a Guinness chocolate cupcake, a Jameson ganache, and a Bailey's Irish Cream buttercream icing!  It was the first time I incorporated beer into a cupcake, and it was quite the experience - I paid close attention as to not burn the beer, and the cupcakes came out perfectly!  It was also the first time I made a ganache, and I was a little afraid about getting the chocolate chopped properly and getting the right consistency.  I probably could have let it sit and cool a bit longer, but it was also delicious!

I finished the cupcakes - and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the cupcakes, and I have to make them again this weekend for my sister in law's birthday...so more adventures to come!  Bake on!

Yummmmmy Cupcakes!

I will usually taste my cupcakes before handing them out (USUALLY)... but I also kind of like the surprise and the feedback of other people.  Especially when I try a new flavor - I like the criticism, because it's always positive because it can only make me a better baker!

It was my best friend in the entire world's birthday last week, and sadly - we couldn't spend it together.  So I went to visit her this past weekend for a birthday re-celebration with her family.  She had asked me the month prior to her birthday to make her some special cupcakes (last year, I made her Princess Aurora).  I started to brainstorm of something cool to do - but I knew what would make her happiest.  We bonded over a few inside jokes in middle school, and one of them was Milkyways!

So I made  her Milkyway flavored cupcakes - I melted down Milkyway bars, folded them into the cupcake batter, and made a chocolate butter cream.  As you bit into the full cupcake, it was as if a Milkyway exploded!  I was quite proud of them... I am looking forward to making some other candy bar cupcakes in the future, so stay tuned and bake on!

Go Army!

I work with a pretty awesome sales team as my regular 9-6, mon-fri job...and one of the benefits of sales is the fact that they can wine and dine clients!  And sometimes it's nice to send a little something to thank our clients for their time and consideration.

Well...when I heard one of our sales guys was meeting with the marketing team for Army -- I HAD to make something!  Whether or not we work them or not, I wanted the opportunity to make some custom Army cupcakes.  (Especially since my best friend is going to marry someone in the Army).  The cupcakes were pretty simple, nothing too difficult, but fun to make!  What do you think of them?

BAKE ON!

We're Late for a Very Important Date!

It's been a while since I have posted - but I have continued to bake over the past few weeks, despite a hectic work schedule and getting back into the swing of things after some travelling!  My first adventure back into baking was quite the adventure down a massive rabbit hole!  Alice in Wonderland themed cupcakes for a baby shower!

The task wasn't easy, I wanted something fun, colorful and yet somewhat relevant for a baby shower.  I came across some sample cupcakes and I worked to replicate them with my very own twist on them!  It took me about five hours from start to finish -- creating every piece from scratch (the mushrooms, flowers, and hats!).  My back may have been a little sore from hunching over the details, but it was all worth it when I put the cupcakes together and saw how Alice in Wonderland just popped from the cupcakes!  What do you think?!

Bake on!