Cupcakes

I couldn't stop baking tonight so made some cupcakes for Riley's day too - just in case!

Riley Allen's First Birthday

I had so much fun making Riley our favorite carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. The polka dots are made with fondant. This was my first time working with fondant...it's like playdough for big people. The photos below are of the cake's secret ingredient and the inspiration behind the cake design (the party napkins and a picture of a plate I found online). I also found I love working with butter much better than vegetable shortening. I'm ready to venture into the world of real good fat.

A rose is a rose

Today we practiced making roses. It's hard work squeezing icing from a pastry bag! I loved the way the roses looked on my chocolate icing but the stems were a different story. (not shown in photo) This cake came home for us to sample. Since it was our last cake in our first cake course, I figured we should try it and share it with friends.