Topsy Turvy Birdhouse Cake

My mother-in-law is an incredibly generous selfless woman so I knew I wanted to make her a special cake for her birthday.  She loves to garden and loves to feed the birds so I knew I wanted a birdhouse.  When my sister-in-law suggested a topsy turvy cake I decided to give it a try as I have always wanted to make one and have not gotten the chance. This cake has a bit of trick to it.  The top part looks as though it is sitting on top of the cake at an angle but it is actually sitting level on the bottom base which has been cut out to fit the top cake into it.  Once the cake was completed I went to bed stressing that the whole thing was going to collapse even though I knew that it was solid!  This cake was a strawberry mud cake and a banana mud cake with a chocolate butter cream and fresh strawberry filling.  The night was a fantastic night sharing a lovely roast dinner cooked by my father and sister-in-law, eating cake and watching the All-Blacks defeat France in a pool game of the rugby world cup.

Caramel Sundae Cupcakes

It's been awhile since I've done a post, not to mention one on cupcakes!  Spring is here and suddenly I have felt the need to tackle much needed chores around the house.  The mess just became too much for me and I threw my hands up and said 'Thats it! Everything is going!'  I didn't really mean that but I have had enough of all the stuff that we accumulate.  I am starting to live under the philosophy that less is more so anything not being used is going.  My husband was a little bit nervous but I assured him that he was still useful.  After all, there is a rather large deck being built that I need finished for my 30th.  By the end of last week my manic clean came to a slow halt and by Saturday I was ready to put my baking hat on again.

I have been eying up for awhile salted caramel cupcakes.  I love the combination of salt and sweet so the idea of these cupcakes sounds divine.  I got stuck in and made the caramel sauce and as soon as I tried it I started thinking peanuts (because I love peanuts) and then I started to think bananas, and then I thought how wonderful all of these would be in a cupcake.  And so became Caramel Sundae Cupcakes. I guess the salted caramel cupcakes will have to wait.

For the cupcake itself I made the one bowl chocolate cake into cupcakes.  You can find this recipe here.  This recipe makes approximately 30 cupcakes.  I made the mistake of filling them too much and only got 24.  Quite a few of the cupcakes spilled over looking much like mushroom tops.  I suggest only filling the cases 2/3 full.  Personally I would halve the recipe for these cupcakes as 30 is quite a lot and these babies are rich.

I then made the caramel sauce.  I found this recipe here.  I don't own a candy thermometer so I really had to guess on the colour of the caramel.  I think I slightly overcooked it but only just as the caramel really did come out super yummy.  If you don't want to make your own caramel you can now buy it already made from sweetened condensed milk.  Once the caramel was made and the cupcakes were cooled I used a round cutter and cut out a hole from the centre of the cupcake and then spooned a teaspoon of the carmel into it.  On top of the cupcake I cut up two bananas and put 2 slices on each cupcake.  I then spooned a dollop of buttercream icing and drizzled caramel sauce and crushed up peanuts on top.  As said previously these are ridiculously rich but crazy good.  They are really more of a eat with a fork cupcake.

Pirate Cake

This week I was sitting with my daughter while she was eating lunch.  "Don't play with your food please" I said as I watched her dipping her fingers in her yoghurt to eat it.  As I thought about it I started to laugh.  I play with food all the time! I had great fun playing with this pirate ship and especially loved my little pirate man.  This cake was for one of my daughters friends who had his party this week at McDonalds.  

Remember having birthday parties at McDonalds?  I had my fifth birthday there and remember playing games and feeling very important wearing a special birthday hat.  The birthday party was not quite what I remembered McDonalds parties to be but maybe it was crazy then too!  My daughter will certainly remember it and had a great day.  

Cupcake Boards

This week I finally came up with a fun and unique way to transport cupcakes.  Boxes and inserts for cupcakes in New Zealand are crazy expensive so I have been trying to think of a way to transport them like I do the cupcake bouquets.  So to test out my transporting method I made cupcakes this week for my cousin who is laid up with a badly broken leg.  He is at that really busy stage of high school and with summer just around the corner I can appreciate how frustrated he is to be sitting at home.  If it had been me in high school I would have been feeling incredibly sorry for myself!

I also had a request from my friend to make cupcakes for her Dad who loves fishing and loves Holdens.  I did a small replica of a Holden Manaro and a fishing lure as well as the letters D A D.

Fairies and Firetrucks

I had the pleasure to make these two birthday cakes this weekend for a friends twin 5 year olds.   I find that the more I decorate cakes the longer it is taking me because I am learning to slowdown, not cut corners and  create as close to perfection as possible.  If you knew me well you would know that I rush to do everything, have very little patience and care very little for perfection.  Cakes are so much more than a stress relief or a hobby.  They help me grow in areas of my life that I am lacking.