Ribbons & Bows: Mini cake

It’s always a coincident that my cousin’s birthday falls on the same day as when I was busy baking the two-tier cake for my MIL. Last year was the same, her birthday happened to be the day I was trying out on fondant recipe. Looking back, it has been more than a year now that I have been working on cakes and fondants!

I had to confess that I did not bake a proper cake for her this year. It was with the left over cakes that I cut out from the two-tier cake for my MIL and stacked up into a mini cake enough for one.

Packed and ready for delivery

I do hope she liked this last minute surprise gift! Happy Birthday Zhi Lynn.

Ribbons & Bows: Two-Tier Cake for MIL

I am on a mission again…

This time, I try to challenge myself to the next level! To bake a two-tier cake for my mother-in-law’s upcoming 60th birthday. It will be a surprise birthday celebration for her. Same goes to this cake, a surprise to all!

This will be the first time I am baking such a big cake, so Google up for some tricks and tips to equipped myself with knowledge from preserving moist in a cake to staking tier cake and even decorating ideas.

Now common issue I always encountered….Colors and designs! Well, I wanted the cake to be simple yet elegant. Thus, cute figures are out from my list. Since I had not had the chance to try out ribbons and bows design during the last baking, so I figured this is just the perfect timing to test this out. I have the rough design in mind now, but what would be the perfect color? My MIL is bold yet is a loving wife and a devoted mother so I suppose dark brown and pink with white would perfectly match her character.

Then the final decision is the flavor of the cake. I found a great recipe on Moist Yellow Cake. Sounds like a great recipe and I believe it goes well with whipped cream and blueberry filling.

Finally, here is the outcome of my one and a half day hard work. I hope she will love this cake though I had to admit my skills is not perfect, still long way for me to reach up to those professional level *grin* 

To my MIL…Happy Sweet Birthday. May you be in good health and continue to stay pretty.

Happy Mother's Day

Tomorrow is Mother's Day...and I wanted to bake something special for my mom-in-law. I figured that a simple bow/ribbon from fondant paste would perfectly decorate the cake I had in mind. 

But to my unfortunate...as I went into the store I normally go for my cakes ingredients, I was dumbfounded for a moment as the main ingredient to fondant paste was sold out. Knowing that I would be in short of time to look elsewhere, I had to think quick or I need to trash my thoughts of baking a cake for Mother's Day. Then, it suddenly struck me that I had always wanted to bake a carrot cake. I took out my PDA phone for the recipe which I had been saving for quite some time now and quickly grab for the ingredients that I am still lacking of at home.

So, it's Carrot Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting...(again, I failed awfully on the frosting and decorations...hehehe).

A slice of the cake, anyone? *grin*

To all mothers and mothers-to-be out there, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY...to those are not mother's enjoy celebrating the day with your mother.

Surprise farewell Gift

Surprise…surprise!

This is a surprise farewell gift to my dear friend a.k.a my twins who will be leaving the company soon. It is with a bittersweet feeling to see her leaving us… I am sad that she is leaving the gang but then, I feel glad that she found a much better job elsewhere. So I am happy for her too.

Anyway with help from a trusted comrade, we tried to give her a surprise by leaving the cupcakes on her desk, yet somehow we failed even before dropping off the cakes! See the word ‘tried’? Well, it seems that she managed to catch us in the act when I dropped the cakes to the comrade early in the morning. It is just by mere seconds that we might have missed her, but unfortunately she came to work just in time to witness that! Ha! But then again, I am happy that she loved the cuppies and the little-no-so-surprise-anymore surprise on Monday morning *grin*.

Resting on bed of flowers

Enjoying her sweet times

Carefree

Relaxed

I thought of this sweet girl as the topper to represent her. Just look at how the girl is enjoying her sweet moments while relaxing on bed of colorful flowers...that is exactly what I am hoping for my 'twins' in her new endeavors.


So farewell YL…I wish you best of luck in your new adventure and best wishes.

 Full view

~Cheers

Moo-Moo Cuties

Aren’t these two little Moo-Moo cuties adorable? 

So as to the recipients too. This Moo-Moo couple is a long belated wedding gift for my uncle and his dear wife. Though they have been married for a while now, but it’s just recently that they took their wedding photos…and that actually triggered me to make them a bride and groom topper in the shape of cow. Why the Moo-Moo then? That is because they were both born in the year of cow!

The handsome groom

The pretty bride

I had their initials and bright colors cut-out flowers to go along with the topper. 

Groom's initial with a little bow tie

Bride's initial with little flower

Simple decor

To my uncle and his dear wife...I wish both of you happiness and happily ever after!

Happy Birthday Ashley

January 10th, 2010 - The birthday of my baby niece who now has grown to be a young little girl. Felt just like not long ago that she were brought to this world, but she turned 8 this year. She is getting prettier and better in talking. In fact, she actually asked for Power Puff girls figurines to go with her cakes after knowing that she will be getting a special birthday cake, but this time I had to admit that I got a little lazy to make her fondant cuppies.

Instead my mom insisted on making a new recipe she learned...Cream Cheese Cake with Fruitty fillings. That does sounds interesting (yummy), hence I gave in. Mom will be baking the cake while I hold the responsibility of decorating the big cake with whipped cream. The birthday girl has few requirements...she wants chocolate rice on the side of the cake, butterfly/flower on top and sugar silver balls. Now this is something new to me. I never decorate with creams before. Gosh!

The Cream Cheese cake turned out great but my decorations failed miserably *LOL* Oh well, at least I gave my best...but I guess I better stick to my home-made fondants. Felt that is a lot easier to work on than creams decorations!

So Ashley....HAPPY 8TH BIRTHDAY to you. Promise will bake you some cuppies with cartoon figurines next round.

Not an easy task to get the chocolate rice to stick on side evenly

Chocolate characters on top with the sugar silver balls as requested

Love,

Small little gesture...

I had these two little tortoise as a small token of appreciation to my good friend who is nice enough to let me use her apartment (and air-conditioned usage) to keep all of the cupcakes (for my hub's cousin wedding) prior to the wedding day.

Knowing that there will be many guest going in and out of the groom's house, I had to find some place else to keep my cake (safe) till the morning of wedding day. Coincidentally, this good friend of mine owned a unit within the same block...definitely the perfect hiding place for my little precious *grin*

So YL...thank you for allowing me to use your house *smile* Hope you enjoyed the cake (though not much)

Cheers~