a cupcake a day keeps the blah's away...

ok there might be something to this baking my way through the Martha cupcake book. I LOVE this book, i also have the cookie version which i will eventually go to town with also. This week i have already tackled 2 of the 175 recipes. the orange vanilla bean cupcakes (note to self master the art of candying oranges for next time, bitter oranges kinda ruin the whole thing lol)& the Boston cream cupcakes. I swear i really wish i could bake every single day,even though i am nearing that anyways, think if i did people might really start thinking i have a serious problem. I am at the point that even though i was joking (sorta) about the Robbin hood of cupcakes thing, the idea is kind of appearing, everyone loves receiving something baked right??? My family seriously love me right now, usually when i bake something intricate looking, it's usually to give away or take with me LOL. They're currently on cloud 9 with the fact that the cupcakes for now are staying put, hopefully that will last for a while, but i am secretly plotting to spread the cupcake love (stay tune).

the best christmas ever

OK i know shoot me for mentioning the C word, but still playing catch up. I was very lucky this year and got lovely chapters gift cards, they have in fact been the main reason for this blog. i went to town getting new baking books. and i have an ever increasing "i really want these to" list, but alas the cards ran out. I invested in 2 new fondant books, and caved and got a couple of Martha bibles. I am a blog addict and a few mentioned Debbie brown, so i am now the proud owner of her 50 easy party cakes(thanks for Mr Dino and madame ladybug) and her enchanted children cakes. I have to admit that i look at these two books daily (ya i have no life) trying to find a reason to work my way through each of her creations. of course this is only to help me build my skills of course.

I have to say Martha.'s cupcakes and Martha's cookies have been both a pleasant surprise and a curse...i go to bed, dreaming of some of those dang cupcakes, wishing that i could work my way through her books more effectively...there would be nothing wrong with making a cupcake recipe a day right? i could be the robin hood of baking and feed the masses by delivering lil treats in the middle of the night :-p

then came #2 and # 3

so i am so playing catchup on this blog thing. I have been busy on the baking front, and really wanting to improve on my first mess ( i swear i am my worst critic). short and sweet this time around. these two cakes were two very special "just because" cakes. there should definitely be more of those in my book. The dinosaur was a pig, i ain't no sculptor, and Mr dino proved it. Unfortunately his neck couldn't take the heat, and mr dino was sporting a permanent bowe by the time a very special little man could see it. My sweet DD got the ladybug, minus antennas (no licorice around) and she was NOT happy on missing out on the dino action. both cakes were a new recipe for butter cake from the whimsical bakehouse by Kaye Hansen & filled with cookies and cream filling (i could live on this stuff) covered in ganache. i went all out for these two loves :-). They are both covered in satin ice fondant, i have to say, if it weren't for the price i would switch to using it ALL the time, so easy to work with, it actually made these two cakes look smoother then they should be ;-p.

the first of many

I set up this blog, to document to just what extent i have a baking problem. Since the first step is admitting there's a problem i should be well on my way. Since chrismas i have had it in my head that i can so teach myslef the art of fondant...come on how hard can it be right? and if i get awesome, what a great way to make at least some of my addicition pay for itself. this is attempt number one with MMF (marshmallow fondant...love love love the stuff)..gotta say it put a serious dent in my " i think i can attitude". it's a 4 layer vanilla butter cake with strawberry preserve & italian chocolate buttercream..the only way is up surely from this disaster.