Favorite Things

In general Men's cakes are a challenge.  So many design elements to avoid.....flowers, bows, pink, purple, glitter, polka dots, you catch my drift?

So, unless there is some sort of theme to follow, it is TOUGH.  At least when you are trying to create something a little more unique and original that your run of the mill cake.

Then, there are also your super themey cakes.  I have had my share of super themey men's cakes.  Like Call of Duty especially.

This 40th birthday cake was a welcomed departure from the super themey, but had just enough theme element to make it fun and interesting.  Love that!

It was a simple tiered cake meant to pull in several of the birthday guy's favorite things. 
A USC alum, Kansas City Chiefs fan, and iphone and ipad gadget lover.....this was the end result.



Fun stuff.

Flour Girl

Luau Birthday

I was so excited to work on one of last week's projects.  I made a cutting cake and coordinating cupcakes for a 7th birthday for a little girl named Mikayla.

There have been TONS of ideas floating around my head for a luau theme, so I FREAKED out when I finally had the opportunity.  Although, once I put pen to paper to sketch my rough design, I found that the small 6 inch cutting cake was going to eliminate lots of those ideas.  It was just too small to convey what I wanted....So I played with it, pondered it, and came up with something I was very happy with in the end.  Also, I really liked making the cupcake toppers for this one.  I don't always feel that way about cupcake toppers, but this week I did.

Aloha....and Mahalo!

Flour Girl

Oh Louie....

Louis Vuitton and Chanel brands are popular topics amongst us girls....aren't they?

This was a birthday cake I made last week for a gal who loves her Louis Vuitton collection.  To add servings and switch up the design, I added a bottom tier gift box cake with a big gold ribbon and bow to add a little glam.  The Chanel lipstick and compact were specifically requested to represent the birthday girl's favorite makeup.

I also made Louis Vuitton wallet and keychain cookie favors.  Now all the guests could have a little Louie in their lives too.

Thanks for checking in....

Flour Girl

Happy Birthday to my Big Sis...

So, today is my favorite sister's birthday.  She also happens to be my only sister....but that is irrelevant, of course.  To celebrate her birthday, I made her a small cake for our family dinner yesterday.

Ya see, she is a bit of a country girl at heart.  She loves her country music, has attended the rodeo, and has been known to go to the races...that's of the NASCAR variety...not the ponies....

So, in honor of some of her favorite things I made her a chocolate cake with peanut butter buttercream with a chocolate cookie cowgirl hat topper, chocolate fondant belt and "T" initial buckle with a hot pink bandanna to girlie it up. 

Happy birthday T...it's gonna be a big year, a good year...I'm banking on it.


Flour Girl

Polka Dots

A while back I was asked to make a cake for a little girl's birthday party to be held at Chuck E. Cheese's.  The ultimate design was up to me, as long as I used the signature Chuck E. Cheese colors of electric green and purple, and incorporated a "cute mouse" in the design.

I love when I can choose the design...but it also drives me CA-RA-ZEEEEEE.

You see, in general, I have about a bazillion ideas floating around my head.  Things I'd love to try.  So, when I am told to do whatever I want to do...I get super excited, but then a little exasperated and coo-coo as I try to plan the design.  What of those bazillion things can I make work for this occasion?  Do I like that color scheme with it though?  Can I make a flowery cake for a teenage boy and it not be weird????

So, for this cake I finally settled on modern dots, a big bow, and a mouse...but not just any mouse, THE mouse....Chuck E Cheese on top.

For this mod, polka dot scheme, I wanted it to be very structured, very planned, very...even.  I stuck to a color pattern.  I loved it.

Then when I was done, I sat Chuck right on top.  Perfect for the occasion, I thought, and he helped tie all the colors together and make it all make sense. 

I threw in some small flowers to girly it up a bit too.  This is one of my faves....I hope you like it too.

I have another polka dot cake to share tomorrow.....

Flour Girl

Mmmmmmm....Chocolate

Last week I made a decadent chocolate cake for a very sweet family celebrating a birthday with an out of town family member.  This cake was her birthday surprise! 

Speaking of surprise....Surprisingly enough, chocolate cake isn't as popular as one would think.  I honestly thought that chocolate was a universally loved flavor.  Turns out, maybe not so much.  Vanilla or white cake is by far preferred, and red velvet is certainly a neck and neck second to that.  Chocolate probably ends up being about 4th or even 5th, falling behind Lemon and sometimes even Hummingbird. 

I love chocolate cake but to be perfectly honest....I love a "naked" chocolate fudge cake.  I think it is perfect just the way it is, no filling, no frosting, no...nothing at all.  Hand me a bare chocolate cupcake, and I am good to go.  Also, I really look forward to baking chocolate cakes because the smell as it is in the oven is so distinct, warm and rich.  

And if I am really being honest, I am personally not so much of a cake person.  *GASP!?!?!*  I know......but it is true.  Hi, my name is Trisha.....and I love ice cream.  Yeah, I said it....I am an ice cream person.  I could eat ice cream every day.  I make cakes, I love cakes....but I don't really prefer to eat cake.   Wow...yeah....I put that out there....
AND, if I am really telling the whole truth....I am infamous in this house of offering the hubby fresh fruit as an exciting dessert option.  Yep....I am that person. 

"Hey Babe....do we have anything sweet?  I feel like dessert." 
"Yeah!  We have watermelon....pineapple too!"

Yep....that's me.  Disgraceful, I know.

Anyway, I digress...

This cake was chocolate fudge with chocolate mousse and chocolate buttercream.  Can anyone say "Rich"?  I love chocolate mousse so much, I can eat it straight from the mixing bowl...not that I actually do that....not me.  However I will not deny making great "use" of the leftovers, dipping fresh summer strawberries into the fluffy rich chocolate mousse the rest of the weekend.

I had no specific instructions on color or design for this cake.  The only request was flowers.  So, instead of doing a few large flowers, I went with tons of little flowers.  In the end, this cake just may be one of my new favorites.  I say that a lot, but......I have a lot of favorite things.  Favorite foods, favorite places, and of course favorite people, just to name a few!

Thanks for checking on me. 

-P.S. Happy birthday to my Dad!  He happens to also be a chocolate person, German chocolate to be exact.  That's his fave.... But truth be told...I think he is also an ice cream person.  Love you Daddy!

Flour Girl