Ladybug Cake

Ladybug cake using minimal decorating skills. Actually, my 5-year-old daughter helped decorate that. :)

Birthday Cake

This was a tiramisu cake decorated with buttercream frosting

Patriotic Berry Cake

Underneath the whipped cream, this was the lemon-raspberry mousse dessert which I posted on May 3rd, 2010: raspberry mousse squares. I just decided to decorate it as the flag for July 4th. It would have been better if I had used a rectangular versus a square baking dish but nobody complained... :)

Birthday Cake

I made this for a friend of mine at work. I used fluffy chocolate pudding frosting which is very light. The consistency is not stiff enough to decorate with, but it worked well for frosting. The cake was chocolate on the inside. Everybody at work liked it. :)

Anniversary Cake

I made this cake for a friend of mine and, as it turned out, that hooked her to cake decorating too! :)
This was classic yellow cake iced and decorated with buttercream frosting.

Cake with Flowers and Shells

This is the same cake, the main difference being that the one on the second one has a few extra flowers in the center :) Just practicing decorating- so much fun!

Various Cupcakes

Here are some cupcakes I was having fun with:
rosettes, shells, leaves...

Mum Cupcakes

And the cake decorating adventure continues with cupcakes...
Here are the first mum cupcakes i made:

Cupcake Cake

And this is when a new chapter started in my life: Wilton cake decorating classes!
First ever cake I decorated following the Wilton method of cake decorating, and loving it!
Boy, am I hooked!

No-Bake Raspberry Mousse Squares

This dessert is extremely easy and can be so versatile. The number of variations is pretty much endless. I have made it several times and each time it gets rave reviews. No baking required, so definitely a good dessert for the summer. You can garnish it with fruit or decorate it fancier, or not at all if you are not in the mood for it :) But in any event, it is going to be delicious.

Ingredients

48 NILLA Wafers, divided
3/4 cup boiling water
1 (3 ounce) package JELL-O Lemon Flavor Gelatin
1 cup ice cubes
1 (8 ounce) package PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 (8 ounce) tub COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
1/3 cup raspberry preserves
1 1/2 cups fresh fruit

Directions

Stand 16 wafers around edge of plastic wrap-lined 8-inch square pan. Add boiling water to gelatin mix; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Stir in ice until melted.

Beat next 3 ingredients in large bowl with mixer until blended. Gradually beat in gelatin. Whisk in 2 cups COOL WHIP.

Pour half the gelatin mixture into prepared pan; cover with 16 wafers. Microwave preserves on HIGH 15 sec. or until melted; brush onto wafers. Top with remaining gelatin mixture and wafers.

Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm. Invert dessert onto plate; top with remaining COOL WHIP and fruit.


Recipe adapted from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/lemon-raspberry-mousse-squares/detail.aspx

Chocolate-Chocolate Cookies

In my book, anything that has nuts in it is yum. These cookies have a double oomph of chocolate in them too, so how could you go wrong :)

Easter Bunny Cake

This is an Easter cake both kids and adults will thoroughly enjoy! It's a fun project for children, as you can let them decorate it once it is assembled. All the children at our party were thrilled with it and the adults appreciated the gourmet taste of the cake itself- it was Hummingbird Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. Divine!

 

 



Hummingbird Cake

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour                

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 large eggs, beaten

1 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained

1 cup chopped pecans

2 cups chopped bananas    

    
Directions: 

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; add eggs and oil, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened. (Do not beat.) Stir in vanilla, pineapple, pecans, and bananas.
2. Divide batter into four greased and floured 9-inch round cakepans. Bake at 350° for 22- 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.
3. Divide the layers two by two, as though you are making two cakes. Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers. Cut one of the cakes, so you have two "ears" on the sides and the middle is the "bow tie".  The other round cake use as the face of the bunny. Assemble and frost the top and sides of the cake. Decorate with jelly beans, licorice, etc to resemble a bunny-my daughter had a blast doing this! Store in refrigerator. Enjoy!        

Cream Cheese Frosting:

Ingredients
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 pkg (8 oz each) cream cheese, at room temperature
2 lbs powdered sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:
Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth, about 3-4 minutes. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla. Frost.

Recipe courtesy: hummingbird cake