tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21233934179912761822024-02-22T15:29:33.105-05:00Happy Cakes Bakes"A party without cake is just a meeting." -Julia ChildHappy Cakes by Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07942355304740894493noreply@blogger.comBlogger113125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2123393417991276182.post-6337105889490372122014-12-17T21:01:00.000-05:002014-12-17T21:01:05.123-05:00Adorable Penguin CakeI know we are gearing up for Christmas... and I really should be getting to my holiday baking. But, I wanted to share my newest video, an adorable Penguin Cake!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RgPQDKBQ3HQ/VJI0jiA1_iI/AAAAAAAABdw/D2Bswo9Ub3c/s1600/Penguin%2BCake%2BTitle%2BCard%2Bbrand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RgPQDKBQ3HQ/VJI0jiA1_iI/AAAAAAAABdw/D2Bswo9Ub3c/s1600/Penguin%2BCake%2BTitle%2BCard%2Bbrand.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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I think he is just too cute! My son agreed, he wanted to keep him forever and when we brought him to a family get-together several of the kids actually cried when we cut into the cake (my 5 year old son was one of them!).<br />
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My other favorite part of this cake is how quick and easy it is to make. I seriously but this together in under 2 hours (not including baking the cakes), which is really fast compared to some of the other cakes I make! If you want to make a cute 3D cake to impress at a gathering, this is sure to be it. No complicated carving, and not a ton of intricate pieces to cut out.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZigcS41nV6a55DpFt81rPWKT7BCgCTHTrUkl872DHFUyUS5ACms9tClJfkSUZuA6grVszRmC4pOFISsvi-RSjAtEGjb4en1xgblmu-8o7M-LaajScqzlTfUDEHKH1yX3fPPSV2XNuJz1p/s1600/Penguin+Cake+2W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZigcS41nV6a55DpFt81rPWKT7BCgCTHTrUkl872DHFUyUS5ACms9tClJfkSUZuA6grVszRmC4pOFISsvi-RSjAtEGjb4en1xgblmu-8o7M-LaajScqzlTfUDEHKH1yX3fPPSV2XNuJz1p/s1600/Penguin+Cake+2W.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnzd-9jpNrtrN6LW8Tx_9NS5kekbXwdumsU3RJB5_pzdo-RCmJaxSCEPIpvjW-77nxK-54RHr1GCUvT-kqUktmfumOhNtLEvOWHeyAHQQ4KGlJznyEjQBfBfdEsW8Keas5sAGQOUN_VAga/s1600/Penguin+Cake+W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnzd-9jpNrtrN6LW8Tx_9NS5kekbXwdumsU3RJB5_pzdo-RCmJaxSCEPIpvjW-77nxK-54RHr1GCUvT-kqUktmfumOhNtLEvOWHeyAHQQ4KGlJznyEjQBfBfdEsW8Keas5sAGQOUN_VAga/s1600/Penguin+Cake+W.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
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I hope you will give it a try... if you do, head over to my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HappyCakesbyRenee" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/HappyCakesbyRen" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and share a photo! I'd love to see your creations :)<br />
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Happy Caking :)<br />
~ReneeHappy Cakes by Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07942355304740894493noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2123393417991276182.post-29117053891138924262014-12-07T13:07:00.000-05:002014-12-07T13:07:19.722-05:00Gingerbread Wreath CookiesI just love this time of year! Today, I have another holiday video for you!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYw0c3Q2VIV60bwLHEWKZW2wzCgWhoCGiuMm4HSXB80yJODaLWUYcurIkv-_6IpAhbObJEG-_QOkgTllCJYSY17wWandirqgvAtIfoB-VghRssZGo54VDflyu9pSZ31FwtRcLRIi1R98_i/s1600/Gingerbread+Wreath+Cookies+Square.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYw0c3Q2VIV60bwLHEWKZW2wzCgWhoCGiuMm4HSXB80yJODaLWUYcurIkv-_6IpAhbObJEG-_QOkgTllCJYSY17wWandirqgvAtIfoB-VghRssZGo54VDflyu9pSZ31FwtRcLRIi1R98_i/s1600/Gingerbread+Wreath+Cookies+Square.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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Check out these fun, simple and pretty Gingerbread Wreath Cookies!<br />
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I was inspired by a cookie project I did with a family friend when I was a kid... used pumpkin seeds and made gingerbread mermaid cookies! Nowadays I buy them to use in homemade trail mix snacks. So, when coming up for a project for a Gingerbread Playlist Collaboration, I really wanted to use them somehow. I really love the slightly nutty crunch they give the spicy, snappy gingerbread cookie!<br />
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Be sure to check out the other gingerbread themed videos from some of my favorite dessert YouTube channels:<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.0"><span data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.0.$text0:0:$0:0">GINGERBERAD COLLABORATION PLAYLIST : </span><a class="" data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.0.$range0:0" dir="ltr" href="http://bit.ly/1w1Buy1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/1w1Buy1</a><span data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.0.$text1:0:$0:0"> </span><br data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.0.$text1:0:$1:0" /><span data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.0.$text1:0:$2:0">MONTREAL CONFECTIONS : </span><a class="" data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.0.$range1:0" dir="ltr" href="http://bit.ly/1yY42d0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/1yY42d0</a><br data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.0.$text2:0:$1:0" /><span data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.0.$text2:0:$2:0">PINK CAKE PRINCESS : </span><a class="" data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.0.$range2:0" dir="ltr" href="http://bit.ly/1ysnz2y" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/1ysnz2y</a></span><span data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3.0"><br data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3.0.$text0:0:$1:0" /><span data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3.0.$text0:0:$2:0">HAPPY CAKES BAKES : </span><a class="" data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3.0.$range0:0" dir="ltr" href="http://bit.ly/1CV9l1W" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/1CV9l1W</a><br data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3.0.$text1:0:$1:0" /><span data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3.0.$text1:0:$2:0">KRAZY KOOL CAKES : </span><a class="" data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3.0.$range1:0" dir="ltr" href="http://bit.ly/1AKCEj9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/1AKCEj9</a><br data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3.0.$text2:0:$1:0" /><span data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3.0.$text2:0:$2:0">JULIA M USHER : </span><a class="" data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3.0.$range2:0" dir="ltr" href="http://bit.ly/1CV9qmn" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/1CV9qmn</a><br data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3.0.$text3:0:$1:0" /><span data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3.0.$text3:0:$2:0">SUGAR CODER : </span><a class="" data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3.0.$range3:0" dir="ltr" href="http://bit.ly/1whuwbD" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/1whuwbD</a><br data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3.0.$text4:0:$1:0" /><span data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3.0.$text4:0:$2:0">HANIELA'S : </span><a class="" data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3.0.$range4:0" dir="ltr" href="http://bit.ly/1CV9B0R" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/1CV9B0R</a></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3.0">Happy Holidays!</span></span></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".zx.1:3:1:$comment550232135078979_571749959593863:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3.0">-Renee </span></span></span></span>Happy Cakes by Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07942355304740894493noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2123393417991276182.post-37849143790594019052014-12-03T12:39:00.000-05:002014-12-03T14:05:48.463-05:00Homemade Holiday Gifts: Chocolate Chip Biscotti<div style="text-align: center;">
It's that time of year again! Holiday baking season! I absolutely love the holidays... and since I was a kid, have enjoyed baking during the holiday season. My friends and family always receive little packages of home baked goods to enjoy. Today, I want to share my first Holiday video of 2014!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w_Ug_QleDrw/VH9KMHxe8sI/AAAAAAAABcE/Ccdmcrl5CxY/s1600/Choc%2BChip%2BBiscotti2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w_Ug_QleDrw/VH9KMHxe8sI/AAAAAAAABcE/Ccdmcrl5CxY/s1600/Choc%2BChip%2BBiscotti2.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
Check out these delicious Chocolate Chip Biscotti... perfect for holiday parties, office gift exchanges, maybe a cookie swap? Or, even just to have on hand when family or friends stop by to visit (they keep for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container!).<br />
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I hope you you're feeling as inspired for holiday baking as I am! Stay-tuned for all of the goodies I will be sharing this month!<br />
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Happy Caking :)Happy Cakes by Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07942355304740894493noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2123393417991276182.post-58078478703879860972014-10-23T13:24:00.000-04:002014-10-23T13:24:23.385-04:00Jack Skellington Candy ApplesHappy Halloween!! It has been a loooong time since I've updated my blog. But, I have been busy with so many things... It's about time to get caught up! <br />
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I've been spending a lot of time working on my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt7x-R__qoamGgpoACGbMRA" target="_blank">YouTube Channel.</a>.. if you haven't already, head over and subscribe to see all of my videos as soon as they're up! I have so many videos up, I'll be adding them here, but if you don't want to wait you can check them out instantly over on my channel!<br />
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Since Halloween is just around the corner... I wanted to start off with a post sharing my newest Halloween creations!<br />
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"The Nightmare Before Christmas" is one of my son's favorite movies (he just turned 5). In fact, I was helping out in the classroom a few weeks ago and one of the little girls asked me "Is his last name really Skellington?" He had been telling the kids in his preschool class that it was, lol!</div>
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So, my son is the inspiration for these candy apples. I started thinking of it months ago! I am so, so happy with how they'd turned out... I had never made candy apples before and was nervous that they wouldn't look nice... but they came out SO great! Watch my video to see how I made these fun, "Jack Skellington Candy Apples."</div>
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Ingredients:</div>
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3 Cups Granulated Sugar</div>
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1 Cup Water</div>
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1/2 Cup Light Corn Syrup</div>
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1 TBSP White Food Color: http://goo.gl/NxHCX8</div>
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Flavoring of your choice (I used Cinnamon Oil (http://goo.gl/nesvbL) about 1/4 tsp, if using an extract use about 1 tsp... clear extracts are better)<br />
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Stay tuned, next I will be posting my video for these adorable "Kawaii Halloween Treats!"</div>
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Until then...</div>
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Happy Caking :)</div>
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Happy Cakes by Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07942355304740894493noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2123393417991276182.post-73669497085334259772014-03-11T14:28:00.002-04:002014-03-11T14:28:42.943-04:00Irish Soda Bread Recipe!Today, I have a great Irish Soda Bread recipe to share with you! St. Patrick's Day is next week, and at my house we look forward all year to the boiled dinner, so we're excited! This recipe is a great bread to go with your St. Patrick's Day meal!<br />
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Check out the delicious recipe below!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="338" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/xLeWoeo7Atk?list=UUt7x-R__qoamGgpoACGbMRA" width="600"></iframe>)</div>
Ingredients:<br />
4 1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour<br />
3 Tbsp Granulated Sugar<br />
1 tsp Salt<br />
1 tsp Baking Soda<br />
4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter<br />
1 Cup Raisins<br />
2 Tsp Caraway Seeds (optional)<br />
Zest of 1 Orange (optional)<br />
1 Egg (slightly beaten)<br />
1 3/4 Cup Buttermilk<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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Happy Caking :)<br />
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Happy Cakes by Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07942355304740894493noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2123393417991276182.post-6489129221836200132014-03-04T09:45:00.002-05:002014-03-04T09:45:57.268-05:00DIY Simple & Elegant Wedding CakeThis weeks tutorial is a simple and elegant cake project! Perfect for the DIY bride, or anyone looking for a beautiful cake that is easy to pull off. The effect looks a lot like stenciling, but using <a href="http://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=http%3A%2F%2Fgoo.gl%2F3DsbAo&session_token=nfzIQ4X5wuu1qa4S3Vtl1QNaxch8MTM5NDAzMDUwNkAxMzkzOTQ0MTA2" target="_blank">Wilton Sugar Sheets</a>, you just trace, peal and stick! You don't have to worry about smudging your icing, handling a stencil while your try to stencil your design, or marring the surface your your perfectly smooth cake!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nBRMeXZ3raQ/UxXlTgdwwxI/AAAAAAAABWw/pW8YKVONZRI/s1600/DIY+Simple+&+Elegant+Wedding+Cake+W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nBRMeXZ3raQ/UxXlTgdwwxI/AAAAAAAABWw/pW8YKVONZRI/s1600/DIY+Simple+&+Elegant+Wedding+Cake+W.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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For my tutorial I used white sugar sheets on a light lavender buttercream... and I have included the link to the custom template I made in the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-gu5AlsWmo" target="_blank">YouTube description box</a>! But, of course you can use this technique for virtually any design... it might become a bit more tedious with a very intricate stencil/template though.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NCesFmebbaA/UxXlT_aGLCI/AAAAAAAABW8/TTLPnuCj5j0/s1600/DIY+Simple+%2526+Elegant+Cake+1W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NCesFmebbaA/UxXlT_aGLCI/AAAAAAAABW8/TTLPnuCj5j0/s1600/DIY+Simple+%2526+Elegant+Cake+1W.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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I also think this would be so beautiful if you painted the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=http%3A%2F%2Fgoo.gl%2F3DsbAo&session_token=nfzIQ4X5wuu1qa4S3Vtl1QNaxch8MTM5NDAzMDUwNkAxMzkzOTQ0MTA2" target="_blank">sugar sheets</a> with luster dust, or applied gold/silver leaf before cutting out the pattern.... I may just have to do that myself!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d5glQmS4C7o/UxXlZWMPeRI/AAAAAAAABXE/gmrjERxfb7c/s1600/DIY+Simple+%2526+Elegant+Cake+2W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d5glQmS4C7o/UxXlZWMPeRI/AAAAAAAABXE/gmrjERxfb7c/s1600/DIY+Simple+%2526+Elegant+Cake+2W.jpg" height="640" width="425" /></a></div>
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Check out my video below, and head on over to YouTube to find the complete list of products used, links to buy them and, of course, the link to download my template!<br />
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This project is part of a DIY Wedding Collaboration with some of my fellow dessert YouTubers. All of the projects are fantastic, so be sure to check out the entire <a href="http://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fplaylist%3Flist%3DPLX98sAmndWt1MIIlH487FGkGJYJi7Hmq4&session_token=nfzIQ4X5wuu1qa4S3Vtl1QNaxch8MTM5NDAzMDUwNkAxMzkzOTQ0MTA2" target="_blank">playlist</a>!!<br />
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Happy Caking :)<br />
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<br />Happy Cakes by Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07942355304740894493noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2123393417991276182.post-38874054845504010522014-02-26T15:22:00.000-05:002014-02-26T15:22:01.429-05:00Ruffled Petal Cake Tutorial!I am excited to share my latest video tutorial today! This "<a href="http://happycakesbakes.blogspot.com/2013/09/ruffled-petal-cake.html" target="_blank">Ruffled Petal Cake</a>" I made over the summer was one of my favorite cakes... and I've received quite a few inquiries for a tutorial...<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G3I725tQLb0/UkHR3hnlV3I/AAAAAAAABOI/afxSthiRQRI/s1600/Ruffle+Petal+Cake+10W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G3I725tQLb0/UkHR3hnlV3I/AAAAAAAABOI/afxSthiRQRI/s1600/Ruffle+Petal+Cake+10W.jpg" height="640" width="425" /></a></div>
Finally, I have the video to share with you... Take a look below to see how I made this different and elegant cake!<br />
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Hope you enjoyed it!<br />
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Happy Caking :)<br />
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<br />Happy Cakes by Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07942355304740894493noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2123393417991276182.post-37729610010723277812014-02-04T17:01:00.003-05:002014-02-04T17:01:54.178-05:00"Hot" Chocolate Cupcakes w/ Fudge Icing (Recipes!!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PHZX_c1GfE0/UvFbm0T-9hI/AAAAAAAABWI/gIyAwH_oHwg/s1600/Hot+Chocolate+Cupcakes+Title+1W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PHZX_c1GfE0/UvFbm0T-9hI/AAAAAAAABWI/gIyAwH_oHwg/s1600/Hot+Chocolate+Cupcakes+Title+1W.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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Today I have a recipe to add a little spice to your Valentine's Day! These "hot" chocolate cupcakes pack a little heat with a mixture of chili powder, cinnamon and cayenne! I know it sounds strange... but these cupcakes taste deliciously exotic. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b2EUTk0ersk/UvFek1sPVfI/AAAAAAAABWc/dCgQeZETiTA/s1600/Hot+Chocolate+Cupcakes+4W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b2EUTk0ersk/UvFek1sPVfI/AAAAAAAABWc/dCgQeZETiTA/s1600/Hot+Chocolate+Cupcakes+4W.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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I paired these spicy chocolate cupcakes with the most delicious and cream chocolate fudge icing... ever... seriously! This icing is truly decadent and intensely chocolatey. So, so yummy... Even if you don't care for spicy-chocolate, you <i>must</i>, at least, try this fudge icing!</div>
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Check out the video below:</div>
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<object height="338" width="600"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/G1Br7QfBtzE?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param>
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Cupcake Ingredients:<br />
-1 3/4 Cup All Purpose Flour<br />
-3/4 Cup Cocoa Powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark)<br />
-1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder<br />
-1 Tbsp Cinnamon<br />
-2 Tbsp Chili Powder<br />
-1/4 to 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper (more or less depending on how spicy you like it!)<br />
-1 tsp Salt<br />
-1 Cup Half & Half (room temp)<br />
-3/4 Cup Strong Coffee<br />
-1 tsp Vanilla Extract<br />
-1 1/2 Sticks Unsalted Butter (softened) <br />
-2 Cups Granulated Sugar<br />
-4 Eggs (room temp)<br />
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Fudge Icing Ingredients:<br />
-2 1/2 Sticks Unsalted Butter (softened)<br />
-1 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar<br />
-3/4 Cup Cocoa Powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark)<br />
-a pinch of salt<br />
-3/4 Cup Light Corn Syrup<br />
-2 tsp Vanilla<br />
-1 Cup Milk Chocolate Chips (go ahead and use semi-sweet or dark chocolate if you like!)<br />
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*These recipes make enough to bake and ice 24 cupcakes.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9kBVpaTvU94/UvFeDNyehGI/AAAAAAAABWY/bUtug4kD-18/s1600/Hot+Chocolate+Cupcakes+5W.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9kBVpaTvU94/UvFeDNyehGI/AAAAAAAABWY/bUtug4kD-18/s1600/Hot+Chocolate+Cupcakes+5W.png" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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I hope you will try this recipe (at least this fudge icing, seriously!), and enjoy! </div>
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Happy Caking :)</div>
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Happy Cakes by Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07942355304740894493noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2123393417991276182.post-57887456026000424072014-01-31T14:43:00.000-05:002014-01-31T14:43:14.595-05:00Closed Peony Center Tutorial!<div style="text-align: center;">
Several weeks ago, I posted my <a href="http://happycakesbakes.blogspot.com/2014/01/open-gumpaste-peony-tutorial.html" target="_blank">Open Peony Tutorial</a>... I've received such great feedback on it, so if you haven't seen it, check it out!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qZ7tdyPwedE/Us4H2KCt8QI/AAAAAAAABU0/GN0fIB_i1Cw/s1600/Open+Peony+3W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qZ7tdyPwedE/Us4H2KCt8QI/AAAAAAAABU0/GN0fIB_i1Cw/s1600/Open+Peony+3W.jpg" height="266" width="400" /> </a></div>
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Well, this week, I want to share a follow-up to that tutorial... how to make a closed center! </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KHG_c_VBChA/Uuv5fnUMoYI/AAAAAAAABV0/x7-whYy-_Ns/s1600/Closed+Peony+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KHG_c_VBChA/Uuv5fnUMoYI/AAAAAAAABV0/x7-whYy-_Ns/s1600/Closed+Peony+3.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
I typically use the closed centers when I want to make a smaller peony for a cake... I would add a calyx to the base and use this as the peony bud, as well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaKsZXIjeWfxhGEubK1CyIqNi9sedEZp6BWIbm6VINLa9AAOv3a91Kv4nzJr6y228jyRKfKdHbzmjkQWCoe3tFpGchBMyJLTRC_KI8W4UgDuKYgpAlpzux7BjqIny8hSlz1vdCiAPo2Jmm/s1600/Closed+Peony+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaKsZXIjeWfxhGEubK1CyIqNi9sedEZp6BWIbm6VINLa9AAOv3a91Kv4nzJr6y228jyRKfKdHbzmjkQWCoe3tFpGchBMyJLTRC_KI8W4UgDuKYgpAlpzux7BjqIny8hSlz1vdCiAPo2Jmm/s1600/Closed+Peony+1.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
Check out the video below to see how to make the closed center :)<br />
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Hope you enjoy and will trying making this beautiful flower!</div>
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Happy Caking :)</div>
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Happy Cakes by Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07942355304740894493noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2123393417991276182.post-8408325265425280952014-01-22T13:53:00.000-05:002014-01-22T13:53:47.259-05:00Donate with Causora!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y2Q6-q4Xmps/UuASsStmn2I/AAAAAAAABVg/gQgIk4VFDO0/s1600/Causora+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y2Q6-q4Xmps/UuASsStmn2I/AAAAAAAABVg/gQgIk4VFDO0/s1600/Causora+Logo.jpg" /></a></div>
Hi Everyone!<br />
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Today, I wanted to take a moment to introduce you to Causora, a new sponsor of my blog. I know they are not really related to baking, and typically only work with companies that are. However, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share this great cause and opportunity! <br />
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A little about Causora from their website:<br />
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="background-color: white;">YOU GIVE = YOU GET</span></span></h1>
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="background-color: white;">Support your favorite cause and get rewarded for it.</span></span>
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />Causora is a One-for-One giving platform that rewards donations.<br /><br />Our
mission is to help causes raise more funds by rewarding donations with
the support of our network of socially conscious merchants.<br /><br />We’re
a team of entrepreneurs, engineers, strategists, and general do-gooders
who are hoping to change the face of philanthropy. We love what we do
and hope you are equally impressed with Causora.<br /><br />Causora has created a new ecosystem that links donors, charities, and businesses.</span></span></blockquote>
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For every $20 you donate you will receive a $20 gift certificate as a reward! <br />
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<a href="http://curealz.org/about" target="_blank"><img alt="http://curealz.org/about" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZgYJCNIIOSU/UuARqWCZynI/AAAAAAAABVY/eiPvxizw-6M/s1600/Cure+Alzheimer's+Fund+Logo.png" height="66" width="400" /></a></div>
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I've decided to feature the Cure Alzheimer's Fund as my charity of choice. Just a couple of months ago, in November, my grandmother passed away after her struggle with the disease. It was heartbreaking to watch her go through it. She was always so proud of her large family and stood as our proud matriarch. So when she could no longer host the family parties, slowly lost her independence, and started to forget who her own children were it was painful for all of us, including her. I am hoping that by supporting the Cure Alzheimer's Fund on my blog I can help raise even a little, to fund research to fight the disease. You can read about the Cure Alzheimer's Fund <a href="http://curealz.org/about" target="_blank">here</a>. <br />
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If you are inclined to donate, you will find the donation widget in the right hand column. Any little bit will be appreciated!<br />
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Happy Caking :)<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">DISCLAIMER: This is a sponsored post. Causora reached out to me and asked me to feature their widget and write a post about them. I am being compensated for this post and will earn a small commission. However, all opinions are my own. </span><br />
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Happy Cakes by Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07942355304740894493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2123393417991276182.post-14446082629261618762014-01-08T21:50:00.000-05:002014-01-08T21:50:00.372-05:00Open Gumpaste Peony Tutorial!It's been a while since I've put out an in depth tutorial... Well, today I have a great one for you all! Recently I was asked to make a peony video, and that is what I am going to share today!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1fCYU0bEdqQSdT2MoV2MFJOAbwR-hun3bIg0O_O8rw93Qrv5cFlJiVJtlMqu_Gm3NL7tLUfET_za04u8m8ksM-2IzhNWrCKdYGOhmm8TOL_ToGYKQgxCWXeYMXBz9tEmkAqfYxCIZppCl/s1600/Open+Peony+3W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1fCYU0bEdqQSdT2MoV2MFJOAbwR-hun3bIg0O_O8rw93Qrv5cFlJiVJtlMqu_Gm3NL7tLUfET_za04u8m8ksM-2IzhNWrCKdYGOhmm8TOL_ToGYKQgxCWXeYMXBz9tEmkAqfYxCIZppCl/s1600/Open+Peony+3W.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
I love the look of the open-style peony! I think they are full, and beautiful and natural looking. They are beautiful, ruffley statement flowers for wedding cake (or any occasion!).<br />
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Take a look at my video, to see how I made this beautiful open peony!<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7YlcUxYbfU" target="_blank">How to Make an Open Gumpaste Peony</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7YlcUxYbfU" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7YlcUxYbfU </a></div>
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I hope you'll feel confident to give this flower a try! If you do, head on over to my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HappyCakesbyRenee" target="_blank">Facebook Page</a> and share your photos!<br />
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Happy Caking :)<br />
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<br />Happy Cakes by Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07942355304740894493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2123393417991276182.post-67089593225887709062013-12-19T15:13:00.001-05:002014-02-10T16:00:32.108-05:00Gingerbread Cupcake Recipe!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy Holidays! Looking for a great recipe to bring to your holiday gatherings? Today, I wanted to share my recipe for Gingerbread Cupcakes! It's a delicious holiday treat (also, great for any time you want a gingerbread treat!!).<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
-1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter (softened)<br />
-1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar<br />
-1 large egg (room temperature)<br />
-1 1/3 Cups All Purpose Flour<br />
-1/2 tsp Baking Powder<br />
-1/2 tsp Baking Soda<br />
-1/4 tsp Salt<br />
-1 tsp Cinnamon<br />
-1 tsp Ground Ginger<br />
-1/2 tsp Nutmeg<br />
-1/4 tsp Allspice<br />
-1/2 Cup Milk (room temperature)<br />
-1/2 Cup Molasses<br />
-1 tsp Vanilla<br />
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I topped my cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, with a little orange zest! So yummy! I'll have my cream cheese icing recipe coming soon!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A8aIvAIy1uY/UrNSHIzp5bI/AAAAAAAABTc/55W19Fqe8NU/s1600/Gingerbread+Cupcakes+4W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A8aIvAIy1uY/UrNSHIzp5bI/AAAAAAAABTc/55W19Fqe8NU/s640/Gingerbread+Cupcakes+4W.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
Rimmed with sanding sugar and topped with mini gingerbread cookies, these cupcakes are a cute dessert for holiday gatherings, or a sweet gift!<br />
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Happy Holiday Caking!<br />
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<br />Happy Cakes by Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07942355304740894493noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2123393417991276182.post-87323334601382085832013-10-30T13:03:00.001-04:002013-10-30T13:03:49.180-04:00Craftsy Flash Sale! (October 30th-31st)Happy Halloween!! I know I've been pretty absent from my blog and Facebook lately... I delivered my last cake of the 2013 Wedding Season a few weeks ago and I've been busy celebrating birthdays, tending to family matters, preparing for Halloween and the holidays and just generally being "Mom" for a while! I've got some tutorials, videos and recipes planned, but those will be a few weeks out. <br />
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But, I just heard about the Craftsy Flash Sale going on today and tomorrow in celebration of Halloween and wanted to make sure my readers knew about it! Be sure to check out the sale for a great deal on some of the wonderful classes offered on Craftsy!</div>
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<a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=458153&u=736042&m=29190&urllink=&afftrack=" target="_blank"><img alt="Craftsy " border="0" height="332" src="http://www.shareasale.com/image/29190/BL_Valentine_300x250_FINAL.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Happy Halloween!<br />
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...and Happy Caking :)<br />
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<br />Happy Cakes by Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07942355304740894493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2123393417991276182.post-32550992923904296892013-10-07T15:03:00.000-04:002013-10-07T15:03:56.744-04:00Apple Tea Cake Recipe!Hi Everyone... Today I am excited to share a recipe, perfect for fall! Here in New England it has been prime apple picking season... Pick-your-own is one of my favorite things to do with my son and we try to take advantage of whatever is in season during the summer. Last week we made it out to the apple orchards to pick a peck of Cortland apples! <br />
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This recipe has been handed down to me from a family member... I hadn't made it before, but I'm so glad I decided to try it! Apple Tea Cake, like a coffee cake, is a not-too-sweet crumb cake... perfect for enjoying with a cup of afternoon tea. It was a huge hit with my family and will probably become a staple through the fall!<br />
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<u><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Apple Tea Cake
Recipe:</b></u></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li>4 Lipton Tea Bags</li>
<li>1 Tart Apple</li>
<li>1 ¼ <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cups Sugar</li>
<li>2 Cups All Purpose Flour</li>
<li>½ tsp Baking Powder</li>
<li>½ tsp Baking Soda</li>
<li>12 Tbsp Unsalted Butter (softened)</li>
<li>2 Eggs</li>
<li>½ Cup Sour Cream</li>
<li>1 tsp Vanilla</li>
<li>Crumb Topping* (recipe to follow)</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ol>
<li>Preheat oven to 350°F </li>
<li>
In a medium bowl, pour 2 cups of boiling water over tea
bags, let steep for about 5 minutes.</li>
<li>Remove tea bags, add ¼ cup of sugar and stir to dissolve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add peeled, cored and rough chopped apples
and let stand about 1 hour.</li>
<li>After an hour, remove apple pieces and set aside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, reserve ¼ cup of tea liquid.</li>
<li>In a small bowl whisk together dry ingredients and set
aside.</li>
<li>Add sour cream & vanilla to tea liquid, and stir to
combine.</li>
<li>In a large mixing bowl (or in the bowl of your stand mixer) cream
together the butter and 1 cup of sugar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then, add eggs one at a time. </li>
<li>Next, alternate adding dry & wet ingredients, be careful
not to over mix!</li>
<li>Fold in apples with a spatula and then spread into a lightly
greased 9” spring form pan.</li>
<li>Evenly spread the crumb topping over the top of the batter, and
then bake about 1 hour (or until a toothpick comes out clean) in a 350°F oven.</li>
<li>Let cool completely on a wire rack before removing from pan.</li>
<li>Optional: sprinkle powdered sugar over the top!</li>
</ol>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b><u><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">*Crumb Topping Recipe</b></u></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li>½ Cup Brown Sugar</li>
<li>1/3 Cup All Purpose Flour</li>
<li>½ tsp Cinnamon</li>
<li>1 Tbsp butter (softened)</li>
<li>½ cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ol>
<li>In a small bowl, combine all ingredients (except pecans) and
blend with a fork until the mixture resembles crumbly, wet sand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li>Stir in nuts.</li>
</ol>
<br />
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I hope you will try this recipe... Enjoy!<br />
<br />
Happy Caking :)<br />
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<br />Happy Cakes by Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07942355304740894493noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2123393417991276182.post-76084208779772754342013-10-03T17:21:00.000-04:002013-10-03T17:21:07.227-04:00Pleats & Brooches Cake!Here is another of the cakes I did in September! I was excited to work on this one, I had designed a cake with diagonal pleats some time ago and never had the opportunity to make it. So, I was thrilled when my bride told me this was what she wanted!<br />
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I used a scribing tool to roughly mark out where I wanted the top line of the pleats to go. I added a little tylose powder to the fondant I used to make the strips with, to stiffen it up and make it easier to work with. Using my pasta attachment, I rolled strips of fondant to a #4. I trimmed the fabric strips to roughly 1.5 inches, it didn't need to be exact because the bottom edge would be covered with the pleat below. I moistened one side and folded the strip in half so the top edge was a nice rolled/finished edge and the bottom was the open seam. Starting from the top, overlapping my scribed line, I layered the pleats! When I got to the bottom border of the cake, I used an exacto blade to make everything nice and neat.<br />
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The brooches and topper were supplied by the bride. I love the sparkle they added to this otherwise "simple" looking design. It's hard to capture the sparkle of the "bling" in these photos!!<br />
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Thanks for looking!<br />
<br />
Happy Caking :)<br />
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<br />Happy Cakes by Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07942355304740894493noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2123393417991276182.post-90881386072138973462013-09-24T14:15:00.004-04:002013-09-24T14:15:52.657-04:00Ruffled Petal Cake!I made this cake a few weeks ago, for a wedding at the gorgeous <a href="http://saltwaterfarmvineyard.com/" target="_blank">Saltwater Farm Vineyard</a> in Stonington, CT.<br />
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When I was discussing the design with the couple, they were in love with a cake by <a href="http://www.cinderellascakes.com/" target="_blank">Cinderellas Cakes</a>... check out the fun, "shabby chic" styled bridal shower she created the cake for: <a href="http://astylecollective.com/2012/02/vintage-shabby-chic-sips-sweets-shower/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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My take is very similar... But, I tried to keep the ruffles a little thinner, so they would look like fabric or flower petals pealing away from the cake. <br />
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I loved the fashion flowers on the original cake, so I styled my own after them. The centers are just balls of gumpaste, on wire, coated with copper and gold disco dust. I used a peony cutter and left the petals un-textured, and fairly un-ruffled to give a nice contrast to the pleated and folding fondant on the cake. They almost look like paper flowers!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G3I725tQLb0/UkHR3hnlV3I/AAAAAAAABOI/afxSthiRQRI/s1600/Ruffle+Petal+Cake+10W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G3I725tQLb0/UkHR3hnlV3I/AAAAAAAABOI/afxSthiRQRI/s640/Ruffle+Petal+Cake+10W.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
So pretty and romantic! I brought the ruffles up over the edge of each cake, so it looks like one piece, with out any seems.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OEvcva_fN-Q/UkHR3IHQVII/AAAAAAAABOE/whM-zxONvsg/s1600/Ruffle+Petal+Cake+12W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OEvcva_fN-Q/UkHR3IHQVII/AAAAAAAABOE/whM-zxONvsg/s640/Ruffle+Petal+Cake+12W.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
The cake was set up on a rustic wine barrel, and later had some fresh flowers arranged at the base. So beautiful, this cake was definitely one of my favorites from the season!<br />
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I am making a list of ideas for my next video tutorials... if anyone would like to see a demonstration of the technique I used, leave a comment below!<br />
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Happy Caking :)<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JknDQZqVIIU/TZzH7oB1VgI/AAAAAAAAAEs/W5WwfJkXcsE/s1600/Renee.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JknDQZqVIIU/TZzH7oB1VgI/AAAAAAAAAEs/W5WwfJkXcsE/s1600/Renee.png" /></a></div>
<br />Happy Cakes by Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07942355304740894493noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2123393417991276182.post-21112889473945773252013-09-23T17:31:00.001-04:002013-09-23T17:31:35.548-04:00Cake in Transit!I am finally winding down from the busiest wedding season I've experienced yet! I am behind sharing my cakes with you all... And I really wanted to get some photos posted today, but even without cakes to work on, there don't seem to be enough hours in a day!<br />
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I WILL get some photos up this week... but today, I just wanted to let you all know about a product I have up for sale!</div>
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Several weeks ago, I posted this photo on my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HappyCakesbyRenee" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> as I was getting ready to leave for a delivery.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ainX-H0Z8ao/UkCurH7IusI/AAAAAAAABNc/bQqDX_wq_0E/s1600/1146878_579207755470921_2110237008_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ainX-H0Z8ao/UkCurH7IusI/AAAAAAAABNc/bQqDX_wq_0E/s400/1146878_579207755470921_2110237008_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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It's a magnet that I created at the beginning of the summer... I was sick of the frustration I felt when driving slow and cautiously with a cake on board. I'm sure you've all experienced it, going super slow around a corner, on a one lane street... breaking for bumps and slowly going around pot holes. Or being on the highway and in the SLOW vehicle lane, and being tailgated, when the person behind you could safely pass if they wanted to! Ugh, it was so frustrating and I felt like yelling out the window, "How would you want me to drive if this was YOUR wedding cake?!"</div>
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So, I created this design and got myself a magnet for my car. It says "back off," while still being lighthearted with the fun font :) And, I have to say, it has made a HUGE difference in my experience for cake deliveries! People tend to stay far back, or politely pass me if they can. No more evil stares and tailgating (well almost none). I would use this for any cake delivery, but I feel like people are more likely to be understanding if it's a "wedding" cake, so I chose my wording with that in mind.</div>
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It really is great, and I get lots of people passing me, smiling and waiving, or trying to peak in the window to see if they can catch a glimpse (they can't, I box all of my cakes for delivery). And, I have a magnet with my business name on the side of my vehicle, so it's a little marketing too!</div>
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Anyway... this was a long way of saying... people liked my magnet! People said, they wanted one! I know, I searched the web to see if I could find one before making my own. I only found a few and they weren't the image I wanted to portray so I made this. And, since I like it and so many of my followers liked it... I decided to find a source for fulfillment! </div>
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<a href="http://happycakesbakes.blogspot.com/p/shop_23.html#!/~/product/category=0&id=28153628" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WbxeHdpdX8zq5cBZE5yxs46MmXIfPSZSavQ26jRkwZry68XpAuL6rUiecdq-bwVFtq_U4r9fQzfnFyuD-OCfoYgPLaoDi635PPJq2sjb3qCDLngMK1Dbw6DSXAp_u-1F1Fj__dPuczHu/s400/Car+in+Transit+Magnet.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I am happy to announce that I've just posted this design for sale! You can buy it <a href="http://happycakesbakes.blogspot.com/p/shop_23.html" target="_blank">here</a> or by clicking the "<a href="http://happycakesbakes.blogspot.com/p/shop_23.html" target="_blank">Shop</a>" tab above or on my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HappyCakesbyRenee" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>! If you order one, I'd love to hear what you think! Does it ease the pressure during cake transportation?!</div>
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Happy Caking :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6mBv_QfMJXnQrBUBYxROhXF6_pkkwSQJilbi51EBMLlAbVFb1yrspJdq28NDITfAMheV_3JHJft8NDOYPUDtGprI6XCHYL6BHY7E8hNCUsUP7thEnwLGPVmuraCzw3DHEVDK8QQ_i1uRI/s1600/Renee.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6mBv_QfMJXnQrBUBYxROhXF6_pkkwSQJilbi51EBMLlAbVFb1yrspJdq28NDITfAMheV_3JHJft8NDOYPUDtGprI6XCHYL6BHY7E8hNCUsUP7thEnwLGPVmuraCzw3DHEVDK8QQ_i1uRI/s1600/Renee.png" /></a></div>
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Happy Cakes by Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07942355304740894493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2123393417991276182.post-29451989328813185452013-09-04T14:22:00.001-04:002013-09-04T16:17:52.018-04:00Cinderella Shoe Tutorial, Live on SugarEd Productions!!<b>Drum roll please.....</b><br />
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My much sought after isomalt <a href="https://www.sugaredproductions.com/members/photo-tutorials/Index.cfm?id=101" target="_blank">Glass Slipper tutorial</a> is now available! After I posted pictures of the <a href="http://happycakesbakes.blogspot.com/2013/03/cinderella-sweet-16-birthday-cake.html" target="_blank">Cinderella Sweet 16 Cake</a> I made back in March I was contacted many times about the instructions. And, I promised a tutorial would be forth coming...<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VawVFIFtcd8/UUh3mofcntI/AAAAAAAAA58/yxpmcwD6lxU/s1600/Cinderella+Sweet+16+Cake+13W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VawVFIFtcd8/UUh3mofcntI/AAAAAAAAA58/yxpmcwD6lxU/s640/Cinderella+Sweet+16+Cake+13W.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Well, in the spring I was contacted by Sharon Zambito (yeah... I know, crazy cool, right?!) about a new online sugar arts school she was launching this summer. She wanted to know if I was interested in being a contributor and would I put together my glass slipper tutorial for her. Umm, YES! Of course I would!!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uhthkSFIyfM/Uidz3qn1AkI/AAAAAAAABMo/O4CqyPLIJAI/s1600/SugarEd+Productions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uhthkSFIyfM/Uidz3qn1AkI/AAAAAAAABMo/O4CqyPLIJAI/s320/SugarEd+Productions.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.sugaredproductions.com/members/photo-tutorials/?id=101" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih9WaA3eOtzyaH3QccdydsyJQuc37vpskd4R0j63lBxuIzzYVIMq_uvjkrYF3IVolt9KDAkyQA28ukaZxHb7w8fXjTBWI3xDYBGpK2DumXwqO28t8E52Dz3pzxu74MD8eBBbfXtZlI1YUK/s400/1276720_10151784476020999_1080817339_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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It took me some time to fit it into my schedule, but I was able to get the instructions to Sharon over the summer... And guess what, <a href="http://www.sugaredproductions.com/" target="_blank">SugarEd Productions is now open</a> and my tutorial is featured on the <a href="http://www.sugaredproductions.com/" target="_blank">homepage</a> this week! I am so excited, I literally squealed when I saw she posted the link on Facebook to my tutorial!! (hence my over-use of exclamation points in this post, lol)<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Fo-b6ooRUzY/Uid0FzWV9XI/AAAAAAAABMw/mRvlxFQw7yY/s1600/SugarEd+Collage+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="326" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Fo-b6ooRUzY/Uid0FzWV9XI/AAAAAAAABMw/mRvlxFQw7yY/s400/SugarEd+Collage+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.sugaredproductions.com/" target="_blank">SugarEd Productions, Online Sugar Arts School</a> is a member only site chock full of awesome tutorials, recipes and videos. There is also an inspirational member gallery and a great community developing on the forums. I joined several weeks ago and I have been busy exploring the site in my free time (mostly between the hours of 2am and 3am, lol!).<br />
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<b>New content is added weekly! </b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fF8rzS_Oo2w/Uid0Xe_hBCI/AAAAAAAABM4/q039cCGrP7U/s1600/SugarEd+Collage+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fF8rzS_Oo2w/Uid0Xe_hBCI/AAAAAAAABM4/q039cCGrP7U/s400/SugarEd+Collage+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><u>Here are just a few of the
exceptional features waiting
for you:</u> </span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div align="left" style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">library of high
definition <b><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Cu0_VQZyPbOJPZUfp_HhBEUWr1bWSFrS75_vWAmMZJkG4EjLy8sXAAvFvNgLJyDPDRO2Ax9fg01T-jfhmhUYLXsRVTpqeS2-E3Mk6HXlmltHEGosoANiKPy6HFEFfZHUEcQKTBfMqRw=" shape="rect" style="text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" title="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Cu0_VQZyPbOJPZUfp_HhBEUWr1bWSFrS75_vWAmMZJkG4EjLy8sXAAvFvNgLJyDPDRO2Ax9fg01T-jfhmhUYLXsRVTpqeS2-E3Mk6HXlmltHEGosoANiKPy6HFEFfZHUEcQKTBfMqRw=">video
tutorials</a> </b></span></span>
</li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Cu0_VQZyPbMuRszLknnX54jV38M3eyF9FEtUkNYLe20bjLv_vwpHflNeidQlmSeKm_rl__p6wAkZEum_cZKdJv3r06ek8NYXdA-RQxIzNnJudtRIOCsDk3wClPAqPkzqJTCM3tsWfHVDPk_cMTxbxk7B5tSjmcds" shape="rect" style="text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" title="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Cu0_VQZyPbMuRszLknnX54jV38M3eyF9FEtUkNYLe20bjLv_vwpHflNeidQlmSeKm_rl__p6wAkZEum_cZKdJv3r06ek8NYXdA-RQxIzNnJudtRIOCsDk3wClPAqPkzqJTCM3tsWfHVDPk_cMTxbxk7B5tSjmcds">photo tutorial
library</a></b></span></span>
</li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">huge
printable <b><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Cu0_VQZyPbNhhPH8rSK6OzTeVYrQIPWPPT_tPDwOXBVQj5g6Lh-MCv8gT8oVYHhb7wJ5h9eI4ZhJ9_T76pRvKwz26iYEGjqZbFhTpmk_5rn-2Xd4mhDFzFtGKRTHqSAFYcjPdEv6ZDAQNDEEm7ho1Ox39IaD__zK" shape="rect" style="text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" title="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Cu0_VQZyPbNhhPH8rSK6OzTeVYrQIPWPPT_tPDwOXBVQj5g6Lh-MCv8gT8oVYHhb7wJ5h9eI4ZhJ9_T76pRvKwz26iYEGjqZbFhTpmk_5rn-2Xd4mhDFzFtGKRTHqSAFYcjPdEv6ZDAQNDEEm7ho1Ox39IaD__zK">recipe
bank</a></b> </span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">business,
photography and decorating </span><b><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Cu0_VQZyPbO9WcLnqMlRde5JjI5XlruDjX7D33zuE-OwtdBW5KmUdODpyASkk6_U9BmzxcKFOzLriCVQNBWec1K8finiiDCDqXcB8EPED7ViNK8wU7-wpGtaM-gtjYq3kuyFbDV9BOvVehhEUlR40WzTkrtUyD6-nAeJ-pgiE0g=" shape="rect" style="text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" title="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Cu0_VQZyPbO9WcLnqMlRde5JjI5XlruDjX7D33zuE-OwtdBW5KmUdODpyASkk6_U9BmzxcKFOzLriCVQNBWec1K8finiiDCDqXcB8EPED7ViNK8wU7-wpGtaM-gtjYq3kuyFbDV9BOvVehhEUlR40WzTkrtUyD6-nAeJ-pgiE0g=">articles</a> </b></span>
</li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>member </b><b>tutorials
and recipes </b></span></span></li>
<li>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">member <b><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Cu0_VQZyPbPYiRGCMlAmKNi1_in94usIHNNAR2A5sKgNu4HGx6W7N8zRy3w2g5uyk3UGcdfYzYvXBETPWLYqZWyPjfqnX1-3bkLQpgCz_MfPvEAynvVz1BdznrUsy6IWeERgH-tmP6BOOIRV1NKaH8RBoqZo18KxjnpgenmDvSQ=" shape="rect" style="text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" title="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Cu0_VQZyPbPYiRGCMlAmKNi1_in94usIHNNAR2A5sKgNu4HGx6W7N8zRy3w2g5uyk3UGcdfYzYvXBETPWLYqZWyPjfqnX1-3bkLQpgCz_MfPvEAynvVz1BdznrUsy6IWeERgH-tmP6BOOIRV1NKaH8RBoqZo18KxjnpgenmDvSQ=">photo gallery</a> </b></span></span>
</li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">professional
advice and <b>message
forums</b> (chat with Sharon Zambito and
other members)</span></span>
</li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">games,
contests and other interactive <b>activities </b></span></span>
</li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">valuable <b>resources </b></span></span>
</li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">special
SugarEd <b>store
discounts</b> for members
only </span></span></li>
</ul>
</div>
</blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8RsmkgBhbZs/Uid1FxZUUFI/AAAAAAAABNA/WZ1kSn-fxYU/s1600/SugarEd+Collage+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8RsmkgBhbZs/Uid1FxZUUFI/AAAAAAAABNA/WZ1kSn-fxYU/s400/SugarEd+Collage+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And, as if the phenomenal instruction by Sharon isn't enough, she even has <b>celebrity guest instructors</b>!</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWOzLpvci-NvCsi9CfZfp4IxNf-ZIylZlmjzf7vQiJtf5ZP687_xGteXm0_n5v1Q45Rsu85covv_YBYFafZs_W-50J94eBQxBlrv00_8jKFDtKi1Bhyphenhypheng2F1DlTGZC2GnFKEkmFPDojh-O-/s1600/SugarEd+Collage+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWOzLpvci-NvCsi9CfZfp4IxNf-ZIylZlmjzf7vQiJtf5ZP687_xGteXm0_n5v1Q45Rsu85covv_YBYFafZs_W-50J94eBQxBlrv00_8jKFDtKi1Bhyphenhypheng2F1DlTGZC2GnFKEkmFPDojh-O-/s400/SugarEd+Collage+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I am loving the content, and I know you all will too! If it's by Sharon Zambito, you know it will be superb, quality content! I am absolutely stunned and amazed that she asked little old me to be a contributor. I am SO excited to see my tutorial up, and glad to finally be able to share with all of you, who have patiently waited for me to get this together!<br />
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Go sign up for <a href="http://www.sugaredproductions.com/" target="_blank">SugarEd Productions, Online Cake School</a> to see my <a href="http://www.sugaredproductions.com/members/photo-tutorials/?id=101" target="_blank">Glass Slipper Tutorial</a> and <a href="http://www.sugaredproductions.com/photo-tutorials/?index" target="_blank">many others</a>!! <br />
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Happy Caking :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6mBv_QfMJXnQrBUBYxROhXF6_pkkwSQJilbi51EBMLlAbVFb1yrspJdq28NDITfAMheV_3JHJft8NDOYPUDtGprI6XCHYL6BHY7E8hNCUsUP7thEnwLGPVmuraCzw3DHEVDK8QQ_i1uRI/s1600/Renee.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6mBv_QfMJXnQrBUBYxROhXF6_pkkwSQJilbi51EBMLlAbVFb1yrspJdq28NDITfAMheV_3JHJft8NDOYPUDtGprI6XCHYL6BHY7E8hNCUsUP7thEnwLGPVmuraCzw3DHEVDK8QQ_i1uRI/s1600/Renee.png" /></a></div>
<br />Happy Cakes by Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07942355304740894493noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2123393417991276182.post-60174650627902364652013-08-22T21:41:00.000-04:002013-08-23T09:41:08.035-04:00Craftsy Photography Classes!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
A photo can make or break the presentation of a product. As cake decorators... as artists, it is incredibly important for us to have great photos of our cakes. But, it's highly unlikely to have access for a photographer to stop by and take photos for each creation. If it's a wedding cake, you can often get a picture from the photographer at the event. However, they are there to document the day for your couple... not necessarily to take a great photo to sell your product. Don't get me wrong, I love seeing pictures of my cakes done by the "pro's." </div>
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But, only I know what angles I want, what new technique I tried or detail I want to highlight. I am by no means a great photographer... I learn by trial and error (and of course YouTube!). Here is a picture of one of my early cakes and my early photography skills:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqlzbyUx3-iUBIMQxhP_g70_tqdw1vVgl3-br7OwK3mpe_N3sMJrctvxibBVr9K4m04BlU4EYGZj6rdNduDg3Tc3sYCMGi9tRNdMQ3QRQoD535k87fppF3oJjwgvntBfori5MI5xggELVO/s1600/Svannahs+1st+Birthday+Cake+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqlzbyUx3-iUBIMQxhP_g70_tqdw1vVgl3-br7OwK3mpe_N3sMJrctvxibBVr9K4m04BlU4EYGZj6rdNduDg3Tc3sYCMGi9tRNdMQ3QRQoD535k87fppF3oJjwgvntBfori5MI5xggELVO/s400/Svannahs+1st+Birthday+Cake+5.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>
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Eeek! I cringe to look at it! The wrinkles sheet, the dramatic shadows and sun streaks (and not it a good way), the corner where the sheet didn't fit the background. This is NOT a good photo! At least it wasn't in my kitchen with dirty dishes in the background! The poor photo distracts from the really cool cake... I really liked this cake, but the photos are so bad I don't want to have them on my website or facebook page and certainly not printed for my portfolio!</div>
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A few years and a few lessons later and here is another photo I took of a cake:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-omXfktOBqnU/Uha7VCP-oSI/AAAAAAAABMQ/4ejpl1wSvcs/s1600/Moroccan+Themed+Cake+1W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-omXfktOBqnU/Uha7VCP-oSI/AAAAAAAABMQ/4ejpl1wSvcs/s400/Moroccan+Themed+Cake+1W.jpg" width="303" /></a></div>
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This may not be the greatest photo, but this one is printed and proudly displayed in my portfolio, posted on my website and facebook... I think I even used it for some marketing materials. To me the difference is drastic and this photo can help me sell my skills and product, where the photo above looks sloppy and unprofessional!</div>
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All this to say... You don't have to be a pro photographer... but you should know how to take a "good" photo of your cake. <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?B=253536&U=736042&M=29190&urllink=" target="_blank">Craftsy</a> (which you probably already know I love) has several <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?u=736042&b=253536&m=29190&afftrack=&urllink=www%2Ecraftsy%2Ecom%2Fclasses%2Fphotography%3F%5Fct%3Dwberqbdql%2Dsbqiiui" target="_blank">photography classes</a> to help you do just that! I had no idea!! Click the banner below to see what they offer.</div>
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<center><a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=515714&u=736042&m=29190&urllink=&afftrack=" target="_blank"><img border="0" class="ltuilkbknisakjwnjswx" src="http://www.shareasale.com/image/29190/PHOTO_0008_250x250_ShareASale.jpg" /></a></div>
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At the very least, I think the <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?B=417433&U=736042&M=29190&urllink=" target="_blank">Shoot It: Product Photography Class</a> would be a great investment. I certainly plan to purchase it, when wedding season finally winds down! I'll be sure to let you all know what I thought of it :)</div>
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Happy Caking :)</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">DISCLAIMER: This post contains affiliate links, however all opinions expressed are my own.</span></div>
Happy Cakes by Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07942355304740894493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2123393417991276182.post-85633751954800898092013-08-05T13:33:00.003-04:002013-08-05T13:33:53.180-04:00Combed Buttercream CakeI delivered this sweet and simple wedding cake over the weekend...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKa9HZvaT8wOd-G37pe-VUbx7eG2cv2w6KUtaPVUXD3z9rXZLmCwECAYYtXwitakEHU12WfDu0YtSFbXsEq-xdyu8ttV-0Z1bS0ktf-CZ6Q6nUyVQ9nO8ZzXhaHa9Y06HGtDskyqQWVB0J/s1600/Combed+Buttercream+9W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKa9HZvaT8wOd-G37pe-VUbx7eG2cv2w6KUtaPVUXD3z9rXZLmCwECAYYtXwitakEHU12WfDu0YtSFbXsEq-xdyu8ttV-0Z1bS0ktf-CZ6Q6nUyVQ9nO8ZzXhaHa9Y06HGtDskyqQWVB0J/s640/Combed+Buttercream+9W.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<span id="goog_947975168"></span><span id="goog_947975169"></span>Simple combed Swiss Meringue Buttercream accented with fresh flowers! I always get nervous when delivering "naked" cakes, because I won't know what the finished cake is going to look like until I'm at the venue... The florist did the flower arranging for me and I think this collaborative effort turned out beautifully!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiym4zPhR5GgXvED3-12XWohajZonJY_y93xNk0p_wP_8Y-8vm0FzHw-DIw9uKS8AURz-tz6_1RhfqAUjiRPxbFET9MAXuN6ivpjmPS-jLHBSWn0FiPt74Iwq629gcYATxmTajsHvtCiyz4/s1600/Combed+Buttercream+1W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiym4zPhR5GgXvED3-12XWohajZonJY_y93xNk0p_wP_8Y-8vm0FzHw-DIw9uKS8AURz-tz6_1RhfqAUjiRPxbFET9MAXuN6ivpjmPS-jLHBSWn0FiPt74Iwq629gcYATxmTajsHvtCiyz4/s640/Combed+Buttercream+1W.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ToMNNv68R4M/Uf_fMaZmzjI/AAAAAAAABLU/FQvTOq8MX1g/s1600/Combed+Buttercream+4W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ToMNNv68R4M/Uf_fMaZmzjI/AAAAAAAABLU/FQvTOq8MX1g/s640/Combed+Buttercream+4W.jpg" width="426" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiaOtVL8Z8BMWOtLsDx1QGXhv3SkRZaUTUS4XQCGhajZkjlJbbNgDQFDOUNwZhVqKdFibh7kD2QftOMnOtqKTyTJ8QmpRjwo3eu_qUWuPSBITIYwGTgs89WHZvi6drb__XtV543_Dz_tbr/s1600/Combed+Buttercream+6W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiaOtVL8Z8BMWOtLsDx1QGXhv3SkRZaUTUS4XQCGhajZkjlJbbNgDQFDOUNwZhVqKdFibh7kD2QftOMnOtqKTyTJ8QmpRjwo3eu_qUWuPSBITIYwGTgs89WHZvi6drb__XtV543_Dz_tbr/s640/Combed+Buttercream+6W.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Sometime simple can be so elegant... Thanks for looking!!<br />
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Happy Caking :)<br />
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Happy Cakes by Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07942355304740894493noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2123393417991276182.post-6226533024786381652013-07-30T10:51:00.001-04:002013-07-30T21:35:43.437-04:00How I learned to decorate cakes...Recently, I received an email from someone asking how I learned to decorate cakes (specifically asking if I learned everything from <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?B=253536&U=736042&M=29190&urllink=">Craftsy</a>) and if I had any advice. My response turned fairly epic, because I wanted to be thorough... so I decided there might be other readers looking for advice! So below is my response! <br />
<br />
I've been baking all of my life. My mom
never baked, so I taught myself out of her cookbooks, and we had a
friend of the family who liked to bake so I baked with her a lot. When I
was little I would make cakes for my family member's birthdays and
decorated them with the start tipped-type patterns (press a cookie
cutter into the frosting and fill in with little stars)... when I got a
little older I found a recipe for marshmallow fondant, learned how to
make it and would decorate cakes with simple cut-outs... When my cousin
got pregnant, her sister asked me to make the shower cake "with her"
and it was a pregnant belly cake. It was the biggest project I'd done
and it came out pretty good! That's when my cousin suggested I take my
cake making a little more seriously.<br />
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I did a lot of
research online, home with an infant, I had a lot of time on my hands!
There are some great resources- <a href="http://cakecentral.com/">Cake Central</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/">YouTube</a>...
they were my most valuable resources at first. <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?B=253536&U=736042&M=29190&urllink=">Craftsy</a> has only been
around for about a year and a half- maybe two years now... so yes, I was
already experienced with cake decorating before I took any Craftsy
classes. I've taken the classes to learn specific techniques, or just
to see how some of the cake decorators I admire do things. I think
there are some great classes for beginners... even if you don't
want/need to make the entire cake they demonstrate you can take away
specific techniques you will use over and over again.</div>
<div>
If you want to get into cake decorating my recommendations are:</div>
<ol>
<li>If you are not already a baker, learn to bake! When I started
decorating I used boxed mixes, you can look up "WASC" recipe for a great
"doctored" recipe. However, they changed their formulas and when I
started my business I had to think about labels... I didn't want to list
a bunch of weird ingredients and chemicals, so I researched, experimented
and came up with my scratch recipes. Either way, it's up to you, but
you should have something reliable that tastes great!</li>
<li> Learn to get smooth buttercream... there are videos on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt7x-R__qoamGgpoACGbMRA">YouTube</a> (I have
one for <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XK1Pec79tXc&feature=c4-overview-vl&list=PL9C3YWqACvTYrAS4KWLGnwRoqHPi5ahgf">how to smooth Swiss Meringue Buttercream</a>) and tutorials all
over the internet. But, you should find a technique that suits your
icing recipe and practice until you have it perfected. It's one of the
things that will make the biggest difference in your finished cake. You
can have a cake embellished beautifully, but if the "canvas" behind it
is bumpy and lumpy there is nothing you can do to hide it. Of course,
it takes time to be able to get that perfect finish, but it's important
to learn it and not rush past it to other decorating techniques. Even
if you are going to cover the cake with fondant, you need smooth
buttercream because fondant will only enhance imperfections in the
buttercream finish.</li>
<li>If you want to make fondant
cakes, learn to cover a cake with fondant! And learn to smooth it
properly.... again, it takes time and practice to learn.</li>
<li> Once you can get a nice smooth buttercream and/or fondant surface then expand on to other techniques... </li>
</ol>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?B=253536&U=736042&M=29190&urllink="><b><u>Craftsy:</u></b></a>
I wouldn't bother with <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?B=253536&U=736042&M=29190&urllink=">Craftsy</a> until you can do that, they don't really
teach it. You can take a free class called "<a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?B=406019&U=736042&M=29190&urllink=">Modern Buttercream</a>" that
will teach you to make a recipe for Swiss Meringue Buttercream and teach
some simple decorating tips... Or a "<a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?B=494741&U=736042&M=29190&urllink=">Basic Fondant Techniques</a>" class. These would be a great way to get an idea
of what Craftsy is all about. They also have some great <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?B=493271&U=736042&M=29190&urllink=">free recipes</a> posted!</li>
<li><b><u><a href="http://cakecentral.com/">Cake Central</a>:</u></b>
<a href="http://cakecentral.com/">Cake Central</a> has been an invaluable resource for me. They have tons of
free recipe posted, with user reviews so you can decide which ones to
try. Galleries with beautiful cakes for inspiration. But, probably
most valuable are the forums.... There are threads upon threads with
tips for cake decorating. Check out some of the "stickies" in the "How
do I?" forum, for plenty of links to online tutorials.</li>
<li><b><u><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/HappyCakesBakes?feature=watch">YouTube</a>:</u></b>
I joke with my family that you can become a surgeon from <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/HappyCakesBakes?feature=watch">YouTube</a>. It
is a wealth of information for just about anything you want to learn!
Even before I found Cake Central I was watching <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/HappyCakesBakes?feature=watch">YouTube videos about cake decorating</a>. It's my first stop for anything I don't know how to do
(and not just cake decorating, changing a headlight, plumbing problems,
carpentry projects, etc...)</li>
<li><u><b><a href="http://pinterest.com/happycakesbakes/boards/">Pinterest</a>:</b></u> When I
started we didn't have <a href="http://pinterest.com/happycakesbakes/boards/">Pinterest</a>, but now I think it would be really
useful. People all over "pin" ideas and tutorials for cake decorating.</li>
<li><u><b>Books & Videos:</b></u>
My library didn't have a huge selection, but a lot of others do. Look
up any book you can about cake decorating and absorb the knowledge!<span class=""> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cake-Bible-Rose-Levy-Beranbaum/dp/0688044026/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375195707&sr=8-1&keywords=the+cake+bible">"<b>The Cake Bible</b>"</a></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cake-Bible-Rose-Levy-Beranbaum/dp/0688044026/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375195707&sr=8-1&keywords=the+cake+bible"> </a><span class=""><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cake-Bible-Rose-Levy-Beranbaum/dp/0688044026/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375195707&sr=8-1&keywords=the+cake+bible">by Rose Levy Beranbaum</a> is probably one of the most famous and most
thorough resources for learning to bake. As far as recipe books, I'm a
huge fan of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/CakeLove-How-Bake-Cakes-Scratch/dp/1584796626/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375195799&sr=1-1&keywords=warren+brown">"<b>Cake Love</b>" by Warren Brown</a>. Sharon Zambito, owner
of <a href="http://www.sugaredproductions.com/shop/categories.php?category=Instructional-DVDs">Sugar Ed Productions</a> produces some really great quality instructional
videos. I have not seen them, but many decorators swear by them!</span></li>
<li><span class=""><u><b>Online Memberships:</b></u>
Popping up all over are membership websites that give you access to
tips, tutorials and recipes. <a href="http://www.mycakeschool.com/">My Cake School</a> is probably one of
the longest running ones, and I've seen many new and innovative
techniques come from there. And coming soon, maybe even up already is
Sharon Zambito's new cake school <a href="http://www.sugaredproductions.com/">SugarEd Productions Sugar Art School</a> (I will
definitely be signing up!!).</span></li>
<li><span class=""><b><u>Experimentation:</u></b>
Don't be afraid to experiment... a lot of the techniques I learned, I
had to figure out on my own. That's how this field stays new and
refreshing. Most of the time you will design cakes with different
applications of the same techniques... but then someone will want to
achieve something new and new technique is born. One of the things I'm
most proud of is my <a href="http://happycakesbakes.blogspot.com/2013/03/cinderella-sweet-16-birthday-cake.html">Cinderella Slipper</a>... I really wanted it to be sugar
so it wold look like glass... but I had never worked with isomalt
before and I couldn't find any tutorials. So I experimented! And it
worked... I was even asked to make the tutorial for
<a href="https://www.sugaredproductions.com/">SugarEd Productions</a> (Sharon emailed me herself!).</span></li>
<li><span class=""><u><b>In Person Classes:</b></u>
A lot of the "masters" travel all over to teach. There are <a href="http://ices.org/">ICES </a>conventions, seminars at cake shows, and even just private classes
offered all over. Find a "master" you admire and check out their
website to see if they will be instructing anywhere near you. There are
also the Wilton classes offered at most crafts stores. I've never
taken one, but if you need to learn the basics, a lot of cake decorators
start there.</span></li>
</ul>
If, after practice, you think you want
to make your hobby a business. First do your market research and put
together a business plan so you will be fully prepared and know if you
have a market for your products. Then you will need to look into your
local rules and regulations. Some areas have cottage food laws that
allow you to produce from your home. Some areas require you to find a
separate commercial kitchen to work from. When you're ready reach out
to your local health department to find out what you need to do.<br />
<br />
And
"is it a big investment?" Well, that's tough... it
depends on how far/involved you want to get. Does it cost ME a lot...
honestly, yes. I'm still a new business and there are still lots of
tools I don't have. It CAN be very costly. But, a lot of us do our
best to utilize what we already have when designing cakes. You can
start small, especially if you are just a hobby baker. Get a set of
pans, some spatulas, a turn table and some pastry tips. I didn't start
out with the large collection of tools I have, but I buy new things as I
need them. Making custom cakes is not cheap, that is why it costs so
much. Ingredients aren't cheap, tools aren't cheap and most importantly
the time we put into learning and decorating isn't cheap! That's
probably not what you were hoping to hear, but so many people don't
realize the costs and time involved in making cakes. I don't mean to
scare you off... if you are just starting out and learning the basics it
won't cost you much. But, if you ever set out to make cake decorating a
legitimate business, be prepared that there is some investment. On top
of all of your tools, ingredients and your time you have your license
fees, business insurance and overhead. I rent my kitchen by the hour,
but even if you are able to bake from home under cottage food law you
have added costs for electricity, gas, water, etc...<br />
<br />
Well, I hope that gives you an idea of how I got here, and where to start if you want to get into cake decorating!<br />
<br />
Happy Caking :)<br />
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Happy Cakes by Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07942355304740894493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2123393417991276182.post-16506167490209665142013-07-24T10:36:00.000-04:002013-07-24T10:36:52.827-04:00Lace Applique CakeToday, I have another cake from my photo shoot with <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AllureBridal">Allure Bridals</a>, to share!<br />
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For this "story" I was sent a photo of a pretty lace covered green bridesmaid dress. I've been wanting to make a lace embellished cake for a while now, so I knew lace that would be the focus of my design!<br />
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Now, I just had to find the right lace to use! I ordered a few from cake supply stores, but they weren't "real" enough looking. I considered doing a brushed embroidery lace design... but knew I didn't have the time. So, that only left me with one options... to make my own lace mold.<br />
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Off to the fabric store to find some lace... In my area of New Hampshire we don't have a lot of big fabric stores... On one of my trips back to my home state of Connecticut I stopped in to a giant Joann-Fabrics and searched the entire store until I found a small display of lace appliques! I finally found something I thought would work!!<br />
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To make the mold, I used a technique similar to one I saw in the Craftsy class <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?B=490737&U=736042&M=29190&urllink=" target="_blank">Cake Design Made Simple: The Wedding Dress</a> with Rachel Teufel. But, I modified the process a little so I had more of a mold instead of just a lace press.... either way, it still meant hours of hand cutting around each applique!!<br />
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The inspiration dresses were more structured and less flowy... so I added a structured pleated band around one of the top tiers. I was tempted to add a bow... because I think everything is pretty with a bow... But, thought it wouldn't fit with the look I was after.<br />
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Fresh flowers were added to the top when the photographed this cake... but I wasn't there for the 2nd day of this 2 day photo shoot, so I don't have pictures. Rest assured, I will definitely share the finished photos when they are published!<br />
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Thanks for checking out my work! Take a look at the gorgeous table that my friend, Meena of <a href="http://www.5thavenueweddings.com/" target="_blank">5th Avenue Weddings & Events</a> created for this story!<br />
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I know... amazing, right? If you need a fantastic and creative wedding coordinator, look her up! She's in the New York area, but she travels!!<br />
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Happy Caking :)<br />
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<br />Happy Cakes by Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07942355304740894493noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2123393417991276182.post-55149243766417396002013-07-23T10:49:00.000-04:002013-07-23T10:49:45.566-04:00Buttercream SwirlsSo, this past weekend's cake was a simple buttercream cake:<br />
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It was pretty basic, with SMBC finish and swirls. Fresh flowers, provided by the florist as embellishment... My clients tend to come to me when they want fondant work. I somewhat specialize in fondant design with clean, elegant lines (or, so I like to think, lol!). So, it was refreshing to have this "easy" little order. <br />
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But, you know what they say... the easy ones tend to give you the most trouble! Back when I booked this cake in February/March, it was cold out. When I was told it was going to be a buttercream cake in August, absolutely no fondant... I asked the big question, where will the cake be displayed? Inside, out of the sun, it's pretty cool in there, they always put the cakes there... Okay, it was cold outside, I wasn't in a "summer heat" frame of mind at that point.<br />
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Cut to last week when I'm trying to make this "simple" cake and we were in a 100°F heat wave here in New England! Eeeek! Not good for <a href="http://happycakesbakes.blogspot.com/2013/02/swiss-meringue-buttercream-recipe-with.html">Swiss Meringue Buttercream</a>! It was so difficult to get the cake smooth, difficult to pipe scroll work while fighting the icing melting in my "hot hands." But I persevered and pulled it off!<br />
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Okay, time to deliver the cake! This made me glad I had put so much thought into my summer cake deilveries! I think I am going to make a video (during all that free time I have between the hours of 3am and 7am!) with my tips for summer cake deliveries! But, my saving grace for this sweltering delivery was dry ice! I packed the cake in a double thick, heavy duty cardboard box and put in some dry ice. Cranked the AC and drove 2 hours to the venue in a refrigerated SUV, lol! The cake made it there in one piece and even though the room was hot, the cake held up! <br />
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*For those of you who are wondering about using SMBC in hot weather, I still do not recommend it! The heat had begun to break on the day of this delivery, the reception was in the evening and the outside temp was going down. The room was very warm, but still only in the lower 80's by the time I delivered the cake. If it had been up in the 90's-100's, I would have asked the caterer to keep it refrigerated as long as possible.<br />
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So, there you have it... <a href="http://www.happycakesbyrenee.com/">Happy Cakes by Renee</a> does buttercream cakes too, no biggie!<br />
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I know this isn't a very exciting post, and I didn't have a ton of pictures of this cake... so, later this week I will share photos of another cake from my photo shoot with Allure Bridals! <br />
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Happy Caking :)<br />
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<br />Happy Cakes by Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07942355304740894493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2123393417991276182.post-87194244521397213322013-07-16T21:36:00.001-04:002013-07-16T21:36:37.483-04:00Purple Anemone & Scalloped Lattice Cake!Last week, I had the honor of participating in something so exciting and fun! I was invited by a friend, Meena of <a href="http://www.5thavenueweddings.com/">5th Avenue Weddings & Events</a> to participate in a photo shoot she was doing for <a href="http://www.allurebridals.com/">Allure Bridals</a>! <br />
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.....What?! <br />
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Yes, that's right.... I was asked to provide cakes, to be photographed and used in a new marketing campaign for the 2014 collection of a bridal gown company! Right, smack, in the middle of wedding season! But, I couldn't say, no!<br />
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At first, I thought I was just providing one cake... but nope... After committing to the project, we found out that they wanted to shoot 5 different "stories." With just two weeks notice, there was not way I was going have time to design, order supplies and execute FIVE different cakes! So, I said I could do 2 different detailed cakes... And, one plain white 3-tier cake that we could dress up for the other 3 stories....<br />
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Today, I'm excited to share the first of the cakes that were
photographed! The table, styled by Meena, for this story had beautiful
purples to to with the bridesmaid dresses that were photographed. I
designed this cake, fairly simply, with a purple color palate. <br />
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The tiers were painted with super pearl, to look like satin. The
contrasting scalloped pattern is a matte white (textured with tulle),
created with one of the new Onlays by <a href="http://marvelousmolds.com/">Marvelous Molds</a>- the "Scalloped Lattice" pattern.
I LOVE this new product, it makes decorating so easy and quick.... and
with the little time I had to pull off these cakes, I needed fast and
easy!<br />
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I did a petite trio of cakes for this set up... we were shooting at an abandoned mansion and set up on this beautiful sculpted table!<br />
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I used simple purple Anemones as accent... But, the beauty of this
simple design is the differences in texture and with the delicate,
lace-like scalloped pattern. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dNfbEBT8doU/UeXzdt04ZEI/AAAAAAAABJA/RIJKXNKtqF4/s1600/IMG_4129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dNfbEBT8doU/UeXzdt04ZEI/AAAAAAAABJA/RIJKXNKtqF4/s640/IMG_4129.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A photograph... of my cakes being photographed! So surreal!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I'll be posting photos of some of the other cakes I created soon! For now....<br />
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Happy Caking :)<br />
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<br />Happy Cakes by Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07942355304740894493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2123393417991276182.post-60467013335754675512013-07-03T11:43:00.000-04:002013-07-03T11:43:24.373-04:00New Product: Marvelous Molds Onlays!Hi Everyone! I wanted to tell everyone about this new product from <a href="http://marvelousmolds.com/">Marvelous Molds</a>! I was lucky enough to receive several of the new <a href="http://marvelousmolds.com/onlays">Onlays</a> to try out. Jackie from Cake Central reached out to me, to see if I would be interested in trying this brand new product from Marvelous Molds. I had no idea, at the time, what exactly the product was... but I did know that I'm a huge fan of the company and anything they were coming up with was sure to be innovative and fun! I was going to be short on time for their deadline, but of course I said I would make it work! Sadly, my cake did not make the cut for the <a href="http://cakecentral.com/b/marvelous-molds-silicone-onlays-contest?utm_source=cake-central-homepage&utm_medium=featured-content&utm_content=marvelous-molds-silicone-onlays&utm_campaign=contest">contest over on Cake Central</a>... but I'm a big enough person to admit that the contestants chosen are way better than what I came up with. I voted for my favorite! I encourage you to go check out the gorgeous creations!<br />
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Anyway... back to what I think of the Silicone Onlays. You've probably inferred already, that I'm a fan, lol! But, what I'm not sure I can convey to you is how wonderfully easy they are to use and how helpful this new tool is going to be in the future of cake decorating! I'm sure we've all stenciled patterns on cake... you have to wrangle the stencil with one hand, while trying to scrape on some royal icing (or buttercream with the other). Some inevitably squishes under the stencil and you have to go back and touch up... then completely wash and dry the stencil before continuing with the pattern. Or maybe, just think for a minute, how many hours we have spent painstakingly hand cutting a repeating pattern!<br />
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Well, Marvelous Molds' Onlays make such fast and neat work of getting patterns on a cake. Excitedly, I received the "Moroccan Lattice" Onlay, as part of my package. This beautiful pattern is really on trend right now, and I've been interested in making a cake incorporating the design, for quite a while now. I looked everywhere for a cutter, only recently have Marina Sousa's <a href="http://www.nycake.com/marinasousafancyleurcutterset.aspx">"Quatrefoil" cutters</a> been available.... So, when I received my package I immediately knew I wanted to use that as the focal design on my cake. I had so many ideas... but the one I felt I had time to pull off was a garden-y, vintage looking cake. <br />
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When it came time to use the Onlay, I was a little nervous, not having practiced too much with them... but they were incredibly easy to use! And so, so quick! I got the entire 8" round completed in 10-15 minutes, including rolling out the fondant! For comparison, just 2 days later I spend an hour to hand cut, then another 45 minutes to place the "double wedding rings" pattern on a client order. They even do have an Onlay for that pattern, too bad I would not have received it on time!<br />
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Basically, the new Marvelous Molds Onlays, are everything they claim to be. They work just like in the instructional video on their website. They are quick and easy to use and provide flawless, clean results. Ranging in price from $12 (for some of the ribbons) to $29 (for the larger all over patterns) I think these are a great value for money. They will save hours in decorating time, are strong and durable and have a variety of universal patterns, sure to be used over and over again.<br />
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I hope you will check them out... or at least head over to Cake Central to see the wonderful cakes created for the Marvelous Mold sponsored contest! Leslie Bruckman's art deco cake is jaw dropping!<br />
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Happy Caking :)<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">DISCLAIMER: Marvelous Molds, kindly sent me the product to try, but did not ask me to blog about them. All opinions are my own.</span>Happy Cakes by Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07942355304740894493noreply@blogger.com2