New Year's Eve Cake Banner

Here is a cute and simple way to make a New Year's Eve cake...

Add a 2012 banner!

This was super easy and really dressed up this cake!

Another bonus was that I actually used some of my scrapbooking supplies
that I have been neglecting for about a decade...

What You Need:

Number stickers

Card stock circles in two sizes: 1 7/8 in. and 2 in.

Hole punch (rectangle shape)
Grosgrain ribbon

Wooden skewer

 Glue

  I attached my numbers to the smaller circles, which I then glued to the larger circles. I punched out 2 rectangle shapes at the top of each circle, and threaded my ribbon through. I cut my skewer in half, and tied the ribbon to the ends. To finish, I placed the skewers in the cake at an angle.

Happy New Year!

I linked up here:
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Christmas Wishes

Here is a Christmas wish from my family to yours.

We hope you have a beautiful Christmas,

filled with love, laughter and yummy treats! :0)

But most of all...
we hope your heart is filled with JOY
because of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

He is the best gift of all!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Cupcake Carrier

I found this fabulous idea on Pinterest, and I just had to share it with you!

It is a cupcake carrier made out of a gift box...perfect for delivering my Christmas goodies.

I made a cupcake version of my Andes Mint Chocolate Cake.

 

First, get some boxes. I found a package of three small gift boxes for $1 at Dollar Tree!
On the top of your box, measure a 2 1/4 inch square for each cupcake and mark the corners with a pencil.
 

 

Use an Xacto knife to cut an X from corner to corner, and bend down each point. 
Decorate or write a message on your box.

 

Place your cupcakes in the carrier, and you are ready to deliver!

Hope you are having fun making lots of Christmas treats this week. :0)

 And speaking of Pinterest, don't you just love it?!
I added a button in the right column, so you can follow me there.
Go click on it!

Red Velvet Bundt Cake

Bundt.

Every time I hear that word I imagine the family dinner from "My Big Fat Greek Wedding",
when the future in-laws arrive with a Bundt cake.

 "What is it?"
"It's a Bundt."

"Bonk?"
"Bundt."
"Bunnn...t?"
"Bundt!"

 (Look of dawning realization)
 "It's a cake!"

Red Velvet Bundt Cake

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk (OR 1 c. milk + 1 T. vinegar)
• 1 oz. red food coloring

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a Bundt pan really well. Place one cupcake liner in a cupcake tin. (You will use the cupcake for a garnish.) In a medium bowl, mix eggs with a wire whisk. Add oil, vinegar, vanilla, buttermilk and food coloring. Whisk together and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and mix on medium high until combined. Fill cupcake liner half full with batter, then pour the rest of the batter into your Bundt pan. Bake the cupcake for 20-25 minutes, bake the cake for 50-55 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 oz. package cream cheese
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup milk*

Let cream cheese and butter sit in mixing bowl until softened. Mix together. Add sugar, vanilla and milk. Pour over cooled cake.

* I added milk to my favorite cream cheese frosting, to make the consistency pourable.

Crumble the cupcake and sprinkle over the top of your cake. Done!

This cake is really yummy...take it to your next Christmas party and impress everyone.

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Snowman Cake

I live in the Sunshine State, where it never snows.

We don't get to have snowball fights or make snowmen on the front lawn around here.

I suppose we could go to the beach and make a snowman out of sand,

but that wouldn't be quite the same, would it?

However, I'm not completely ignorant about snow.

I have spent 7 winters living in Idaho and Utah - LOTS of snow there.

It is so beautiful, seeing the world covered with a blanket of white.

But given the choice, I would still rather live in Florida...
and make snowmen out of white chocolate.

 

Want to make a snowman cake?

First, melt some white chocolate chips or candy melts and put them in a piping bag.

You can add some red food coloring to make scarves & earmuffs, and melt some semi-sweet chocolate chips for the hats. These snowmen would be quite easy to make freehand, but I always prefer to have some kind of guide. So I printed out this cute guy in a couple sizes for my template.

When your snowmen have set up, flip them over.

 Chocolate covered sunflower seeds make great snowman noses! (I bought these on clearance after Valentine's Day, just knowing I would use them for something.) I picked out the ones that were small and round.

 Attach the noses with a dab of melted chocolate. Pipe on some eyes, mouths and buttons. I made each of my snowpeople a little different to give them some personality. :0)

See the cute little guy on the right? My daughter thought his earmuffs were headphones. He does look like he is enjoying some good tunes, doesn't he?

Next, make a fluffy buttercream snowdrift (Wilton tip #12) for your snowmen to stand in and arrange them around your cake. They would also make cute cupcake toppers. Enjoy!

I linked up here:
Once Upon A Weekend
Weekend Wrap Up Party
Delicately Constructed Friday
Sundae Scoop Link Party
Nifty Thrifty Sunday
Craft-O-Maniac
Create and Inspire Link Party
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30 Days Pity Party
I'm Lovin' It
Petals to Picots - Best of 2011
LilaLoa - Snowman Celebration 

This post was featured:

Andes Mint Chocolate Cake with Ganache

I am very excited to share this recipe with you today! It is SO delicious!!
My daughter even declared this one of her top 5 favorite cakes!
That is pretty good, considering how many cakes I have made.

Andes Mint Chocolate Cake

• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk (OR 1 c. milk mixed with 1 T. vinegar)
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup chopped Andes Mints

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of three 8 inch cake pans with wax paper and spray the sides of the pan with cooking spray. Bring some water to a boil and keep it simmering while you mix the other ingredients.

In a large mixing bowl combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Beat with mixer until combined.

Add 1 cup of the boiling water and carefully stir until it is mixed in. Beat for 1 1/2 minutes with mixer. Shake the chopped Andes Mints in a ziploc bag with a tablespoon of flour, until they are lightly coated. Fold the mints into the batter and pour into prepared pans. Bake for 20-23 minutes (until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean).

Mint Buttercream Frosting

• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 6 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• green food coloring
• 1/2 cup milk (may use less)

Mix butter, sugar, vanilla, peppermint and food coloring on low speed in large mixing bowl. Gradually add milk until you reach the desired consistency. Keep covered.

Decorating Tip: I used a cake decorating comb to make the ridges on the sides of the cake.

Ganache

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place the chocolate chips in a metal bowl. Heat cream over medium heat. Watch it closely and immediately remove from heat when it starts to boil. Pour over chocolate chips. Let stand for 1 or 2 minutes. Then slowly stir the mixture until all the chips have completely melted. Stir in the vanilla.

Allow the ganache to cool and slightly thicken before you use it. Let it sit at room temperature for a couple hours, or put in the refrigerator if you want to speed things up. Start pouring the ganache over the center of your cake, and slowly move outward in circles.

You can actually cut this recipe in half and still have enough to cover the cake. But you will love having leftovers to pour over ice cream, drizzle over cupcakes...so many possibilities! Cover and store refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

Please go make this cake! You will thank me. Your family will thank me. :0)

Enjoy!

 I share my recipes & tutorials at these fun link parties. 

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Autumn Leaves Cake

Yes, I realize that the stores are full of Christmas stuff.
There was Christmas music playing as I did my grocery shopping yesterday.

 But I'm not giving in!

My Christmas decorations are not coming out until after Thanksgiving.

And today I made this autumn leaves cake in lots of yummy fall colors...

Here is how you make the leaves:

First, put several colors of candy melts in piping bags.
I used Wilton decorating tip #3.

Make a leaf template (or print this one). I found a leaves coloring page online, and my graphic designer hubby removed the stems and sized them for me.

Tape your template on to a piece of cardboard, and tape wax paper over that.

Pipe the outline of each leaf.

Then go back and fill in each leaf with a contrasting color.

Pop them in the fridge so they can set up.

Carefully peel the wax paper off the leaves (they are a bit delicate) and arrange them on your cake. Then you could take your lovely cake outside for a photo shoot...

Happy Autumn!

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I linked up here:
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Delicately Constructed Friday 
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Weekend Wrap Up Party
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