Happy Birthday

This post is just to show you two birthday cakes I've done recently.

The first was for Ms. L's surprise birthday party. Its a simple semi-homemade French Vanilla with cream cheese frosting.

Semi Homemade French Vanilla Cake
-One box of vanilla cake mix and the oil, water, and eggs called for on package
- Clear Imitation Vanilla
-French Vanilla Flavored Coffee Creamer (the liquid, not the powder)
-Cinnamon

After mixing the cake mix per directions, add a tsp of clear vanilla, 2 TBSP of the creamer, and a few shakes of cinnamon. Mix again, and bake! Its that simple and it makes such a difference! After the cake is cooled, even out the layers, cover in frosting, and viola!

Serious credit to my dad on this one. I can't pipe cursive to save my life, so I let him have a go. Someone make him teach me one day!
This guy over here is a basic yellow cake with chocolate buttercream frosting. Yeah, thats right. CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM. The easiest frosting I have ever made. I have to warn you though, if you plan on covering your cake with it and then decorating with it, CHILL the cake first, if not your decorations will run down the side of the cake (don't ask me how I know, I don't want to talk about it).

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup solid vegtable shortening (I used the butter flavor one, made a big flavor difference)
1/2 cup butter or magerine
4 cups (about 1 lb.) powdered sugar
1 tsp clear vanilla
2 tsp milk.

Cream the butter and shortening. Add the powdered sugar gradually, one cup at a time. If you have a mixer (stand up or hand held), USE IT. I can't imagine how messy this would be without one. After you have added all the sugar, add the vanilla. If your icing is dry, add the milk. It should be a teeny but runny, but should coat the back of a spoon without dripping off. Cover with a moist paper towel until ready to use.

Hope you like it!
<3 JessyBakesCakes

A Heart And A Pearl Necklace

<333

So, this was my first actual order of a novelty cake! (Thank you Mrs. Daub!) Its a heart shaped box with a "pearl" necklace. I have to say, this cake was NOT easy. First off, AC Moore let me down. They sold out of FONDANT! I nearly died. Luckly, I have an amazing dad that solves problems in under 5 minutes (or your money back). Generally though, a lot of time went into this cake, but I'm super happy with the way it turned out. A few nicks here and there, but I'm super happy, and everyone loved it.

It's a devils food cake with buttercream frosting (made from scratch!!!!), and covered in fondant. For the "pearls" I rolled out little balls of fondant a few days before, and strung them on some floral wire. Then after I atatched them to the cake, I painted them with some Wilton Shimmer Powder in silver mixed with a tad of water, giving them a really realistic pearl look. Then I added a ribbon and bow made out of fondant, and my signature roses all around.
The cake board was made out of Foam Board covered in super cute wrapping paper (think I got it at walmart a few weeks ago) and then some clear plastic wrap. Over all, I was thrilled with the outcome and look forward to making more novelty cakes.

<3 JessyBakesCakes

Mini Cakes!

Short, sweet, and to the point. =]

This idea hit me when I was walking around in my happy place (AC Moore). I saw the cutest little cake pans ever. The best part? ON SALE! My heart skipped. So I got them, and rushed home and luckly, I had two birthday gifts I needed to come up with. So, mini cakes were born.

For Alicia

Hmm, wonder who this one is for..

And another for "Ms. L", hence the giant purple L. ^_^

Its simple really. Take your favorite cake mix, bake, cover in your favorite dressings, add a cake box, and you have a really cute birthday gift idea. And they are the perfect size for two (or a very nice helping for one).
The cake boxes, found them at AC Moore also.


And ofcourse, I added my signature fondant roses.


And this one, I just had fun with. Everyone is allowed one messy cake, right?

Ok, maybe too much fun.. Don't report me to cake wrecks!

Thats it for now!

<3 JessyBakesCakes

Its A Hamburger! Its A Cake! No! Its A Hamburger Cake!!

So, my dads birthday was a few weeks ago, and to celebrate, I combined his two favorite things: big burgers and carrot cake. So, here we have carrot cake shaped like a hamburger and paired with sugar cookie fries!Mmmmm. Burger!

I have to say, this cake took a lot out of me. Originally, I wanted to do it with fondant, but that was a disaster (I'll never try to make fondant from scratch again).

So, to start, you need all your ingredients and tools...

Then, start mixing!

Then you bake all four cakes (two cake recipies divided into four 8 in pans), let them cool, wrap them in plastic wrap, and freeze them for 1/2 an hour. Level them, carve them into bun like shapes, assemble with sugar cookie "lettuce" and "cheese". Use some red colored frosting for ketchup, and viola!Hamburger Cake!

<3-jessybakescakes

Finally

Hey guys and welcome to my new blog!
I've been thinking about starting one for a while to show everyone what I do with my spare time. This blog will be mostly about things that I bake, or ideas that I get for future baking adventures. I hope you like what you find here.

<3 JessyBakesCakes