More Cake Attempts

I made up two chocolate cakes on Friday and froze them for moistness (tip!), before decorating them.  The first cake is a single layer chocolate cake and it turned out better than I had hoped design-wise, but the sides were a disaster (which is why you aren't getting to see them). 

This double layered chocolate cake is actually surrounded in chocolate chip shavings.  I grated the chocolate chips with my cheese/chocolate hand grater.  I used the wrong blade, so they were more "snow like" than I had envisioned.  It was a huge mess.  The icing hardened too fast, the shavings wouldn't stick, then the icing for the top started to melt.   It was one thing after another with this cake.  Oh well, I have a plan for my next attempt so stay tuned.

Placecards...

I was very nervous about this idea, but now I am super excited!!  Wouldn't these edible placecards be adorable at a bridal luncheon or a nice dinner?  Definitely unique, and surprisingly classy looking!  

Stars and the 4th

I'm a holiday girl, so I loved making Fourth of July stars!  Confehr gave me a set of star cookie cutters for my birthday, and I really enjoyed pulling them out today!  How fun and yummy!

Palm Trees

When at the beach, I found this amazing palm tree cookie cutter.  My first attempt burned the skinny palm branches, but this thicker version turned out wonderfully!

Dipped Doodles

Last night I made one of my favorites... Dipped Doodles.  These are snickerdoodle cookies dipped in white chocolate (or milk chocolate).  Someone made these in law school for a Transactions Journal function and I fell in love with them.  Such a great combination!

I made them for the office staff, and had great things said about them (which is always nice to hear).  I'm working on trying to get better pictures, but I fear that I am a baker and not a photographer.  Oh well, at least they tasted great!

Cookie Pops

Here is the latest creation - cookie pops!  As a birthday gift, mom got me this popsicle cookie pan which is seriously cool.  Then today I went to Michaels and just stood in the cake aisle dreaming of possibilities!  The weekly Sex and the City lunch is tomorrow and the cookie pops will be a surprise for the girls... they'll be the judge!  

A Monogram Cake

This was my first attempt at a double layered cake.  Also my first attempt at a monogram!  I fully realize that I definitely need to work on my cake decorating abilities, but Johanna recommended that I post a "first-try" so that when I become a pro, I can see the improvement.  

This cake was for Holli and Marc's first anniversary.  You can't see them, but there are little dots all around the side.  I do NOT like that the brown icing looks like poo.  Or that it was super runny icing, or that the cake itself kept falling apart.  Anyway, definitely a work in progress!

Cupcakes

Cute mini cupcakes that I made for Johanna and Curtis today.  I was experimenting with my icing tips.  Some definitely look better than others, but the colors turned out to compliment each other nicely!