Baby Booties

 

My first attempt at making baby booties from fondant.  Not perfect but not bad for a first time.  I found some new templates that I'm going to use so I'll post pictures as I figure it out.

Monster Cake

 

Finished Monsters cake.  I didn't put the monsters on top of the cake because I was afraid it wouldn't transport well so I boxed them all up for the next day when the party was.  The monsters turned out just like the picture!  I'm so proud of them!

Little Monsters 1st Birthday Cake

 

 

1st step in making a Little Monsters cake - make all of the stars for the cake and cupcakes.

 

 

Then add the wires for the star burst.

 

 

 

Then mold the mosters out of rice krispy treats and cover them with icing and fondant.  Molded the eyes for the orange monster separately and let them dry so they wouldn't fall over.  My daughter Kelsey helped by molding the rice krispy treats and she made the orange moster.  She also fixed the blue monster's mouth - her OCD didn't like my mouth.  LOL  I was up at 5 am this morning, couldn't sleep so I decided to finish the green monster by putting the blue waves around him. 

 

 

Added some flat monsters and stars to the sides of the cake.  







Chocolate Cupcake

Made some awesome chocolate cupcakes from scratch today.  My first batch and they will not be my last batch.  This is my chocolate recipe from now on.  The chocolate frosting has 10 oz. of dark chocolate chips in it and it is sinful!  I added a raspberry to make it cute.  As a side note, the next day the frosting had a chance to set up and it turned into a wonderful fudgey frosting.  The whole thing just melted in your mouth!

Chocolate Espresso Cake

This chocolate espresso cake turned out so well!  I really love the flavor!  You can see how moist and chocolatey the cake is.

Chocolate Espresso Cake Recipe:

Cake:

1 3/4 c all purpose flour
2 c sugar
3/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
2t baking soda
1t baking powder
1t salt
1/2 c oil
2 large eggs
1c buttermilk
2t vanilla
1c freshly brewed hot coffee

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 2 8-inch round cake pans with oil (I use Wilton's Cake Release spray)

In a medium bowl blend the buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla with a mixer on low.  Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt together and slowly add to the wet ingredients, just until incorporated.  Slowly beat in the hot coffee until fully incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans.  Bake for approximately 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let the cakes cool for 30 minutes and remove from the pans.

Frosting:

7 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
2 sticks butter, at room temperature
2t vanilla
2c powdered sugar
1T instant espresso powder*

Heat the chocolate in a glass bowl in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval, until almost melted.  Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Beat the butter at medium speed until pale and fluffy.  Add the vanilla and beat for 1 minute, scraping down the side of the bowl.  At low speed, slowly beat in the powdered sugar, about 1 minute.  Dissolve the instant coffee in 2t hot water.  Slowly beat in the coffee and the cooled chocolate into the butter mixture until just combined.

*I couldn't find instant espresso powder so I used instant coffee and it turned out very well.