I am officially signing off for a few days to spend the holidays with my family. But before I go, I thought I’d leave you with a quick recap of our holiday cake series…. it’s been 12 days of festive cake inspiration here on Half Baked. Hopefully it has inspired you to holiday cake greatness and made you very merry! It’s 12 bakers baking…. it’s The 12 Cakes of Christmas! Ho, Ho, Ho!
The 1st Cake of Christmas…Â A Gingerbread, Candy Cane Fantasy created by Pink Cake Box.
The 2nd Cake of Christmas… A Wintry Enchanted Forest created by Cake Opera Co.
The 3rd Cake of Christmas… A Scottish Tartan Ruffle Cake created by Maggie Austin Cake.
The 4th Cake of Christmas… A 3D Santa Penguin Cake created by Amanda Oakleaf Cakes.
The 5th Cake of Christmas… A Gold & Navy Winter Wedding created by Sharon Wee Creations.
The 6th Cake of Christmas… A Snowy Winter White Cake created by AK Cake Design.
The 7th Cake of Christmas… A Mini Merry Snowman DIY created by Miso Bakes.
The 8th Cake of Christmas… A Santa, Penguin, Snowman created by BunsInTheOven Cupcakery.
The 9th Cake of Christmas… A Snowy, Sugar Flower Scene created by Lael Cakes.
The 10th Cake of Christmas… A Winter White Houndstooth Cake created by Erica O’Brien.
The 11th Cake of Christmas… A Ruffle Christmas Tree created by Bubble and Sweet.
The 12th Cake of Christmas… A Nutcracker Cake created by The Pastry Studio.
A very merry thank you to all of the talented designers who shared their incredible cakes with us! Â Â Be sure to check out additional designs from these and other talented cake artists in our Holiday Cake Gallery.
May your holiday season be full of love, joy and laughter… and many, many sweet treats!
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
When I was little, my family had a tradition of going to the ballet at Christmas time. What a treat to put on a party dress and spend the night oohing and awing over the gorgeous sets and costumes… the graceful dancers gliding across the stage. It’s a magical event and a memory that is held dear by many little girls and boys. So, today’s cake definitely speaks to the little girl in me! What a perfect way to conclude our holiday cake inspiration, The 12 Cakes of Christmas.
A Christmas classic is reinterpreted in this incredible cake by Sherri Meyers and her team at The Pastry Studio. Gold damask and ornate scrollwork come together to capture the glorious mood of the ballet. Topped with a red bow, this show-stopping design wraps up our holiday cake inspiration. It’s the 12th Cake of Christmas…. a festive and oh-so-glam Nutcracker Cake!
Sherri shared a few thoughts about her incredible cake:
“This festive Nutcracker cake was created for a beautifully talented ballerina performing in The Nutcracker this holiday season. When creating this design, I knew it had to be rich is color and style. I immediately thought of using a metallic gold and a heavy damask pattern. My client wanted a touch of color so we decided to add pearl balls to the top layer to bring in the colors of the Nutcrackers.”
A Ho, Ho, Ho and huge thank you to Sherri Meyers and her team at The Pastry Studio for sharing this incredible Nutcracker Cake with us today! Just like the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Land of Sweets, it is a beautiful finale to our dreamy, holiday cake inspiration.
I hope you all have enjoyed The 12 Cakes of Christmas here on Half Baked. I know I did! So many talented cake artists inspiring us to holiday cake greatness! Such a fun way to celebrate the holidays and the beauty of cake. Thank you to all of the amazing bakers who shared their cake creations with us. You can find all 12 cakes from this series in our Holiday Cake Gallery, plus additional designs from cake shops across the globe. Enjoy!
The Pastry Studio:
Web:Â thepastrystudio.com
Be a Fan:Â The Pastry Studio on Facebook
Tweet:Â The Pasty Studio on Twitter
Top Tier Directory: Full Listing
Our holiday cake inspiration, The 12 Cakes of Christmas, is quickly coming to a conclusion. We’ve showcased a wide variety of holiday cakes, varying in style and created by talented cake artists across the globe. Some cakes were from well-established bakeries, some from today’s hottest cake designers and some from fresh talent breaking onto the cake scene. And to make it even more interesting, today’s cake is from a talented lady best known for her cookies and sweets on a stick. But she can also make one impressive Ruffle Tree Cake!
You may have seen the green version of this cake floating around Pinterest earlier in the month…. I know I did! It’s was absolutely lovely and caught the eye of many avid pinners! Today, I’m thrilled to share the grown up, elegant version created in shades of cream and gold. Filled with latte cake and white chocolate ganache, today’s cake from Linda Vandermeer of Bubble and Sweet is incredible! Layers of frills topped with a single gold star, this Ruffle Christmas Tree Cake is the 11th Cake of Christmas!
Linda shared a few thoughts about the inspiration for her design:
“I love the look of ruffle cakes and for my daughter’s birthday party I had made a 3 tier ruffle cake and had so many requests on how to make it I felt I needed to do some type of tutorial for my blog. By the time I got around to doing up the tutorial I was already in Christmas mode and I thought my kids would enjoy the fun shape of a 3D Christmas tree. I had seen quite a few contemporary crafty (non edible) trees around made of ribbon and material and decided to make the cake along that theme.”
Isn’t it just dreamy? I love the soft romantic ruffles with the small pop of gold. It may only have one gold star at the top, but I think it deserves 5 stars! Don’t you?
A huge thank you to Linda at Bubble and Sweet for sharing her elegant Ruffle Christmas Tree Cake with us! You’ll be very happy to know that Linda has written up a tutorial on how to create a ruffle tree of your very own! You can find it on her blog, HERE. See you back here tomorrow for The 12th Cake of Christmas! Ho, Ho, Ho!
Bubble and Sweet:
Website:Â bubbleandsweet.blogspot.com
Be a Fan:Â Bubble and Sweet on Facebook
Tutorial:Â How to make a Ruffle Tree Cake
Today is going to be a two-post kind of day. Because well… it’s crunch time! Christmas is a mere 5 days away and there’s lots of baking and wrapping to be done! But while you bustle around with last minute holiday prep, take a moment to pause and enjoy something beautiful. Like the next cake in our series, The 12 Cakes of Christmas!
Imagine yourself in a smart wool coat wrapped with a fabulous scarf. Now imagine that same look… but on a cake! We’re bundling up with another winter beauty that is both sophisticated and sharp. Houndstooth checks with a warm white-on-white pattern adorn the top and bottom tiers, allowing this geometric pattern to shine without being overbearing. Complete with scarf-inspired pom poms, this Winter White Houndstooth Cake by Erica O’Brien is cozy chic.  It’s The 10th Cake of Christmas!
Erica shared a few thoughts about the inspiration for her design:
“For this cake, I used a winter white color palette. I wanted to give the cake some texture, and the houndstooth reminded me of warm woolen coats. The pompoms were inspired by those found on winter scarves, and the star design was based on a Christmas ornament that I love.”
A classic winter pattern reinterpreted on a cake! I’m a sucker for geometric patterns on cakes and I especially love how the Houndstooth gives this design a great sense of texture. With the detailing on the pom poms and the star, this cake is all about texture. Such a delightful way to do white-on-white!
A very merry thank you to Erica O’Brien for sharing her charming Winter White Houndstooth Cake with us today. It is cozy chic and perfectly suited for a winter wedding or an elegant holiday soiree. Stay tuned for Cake #11 coming later today! Now, get back to your hustle and bustle…
Vendors & Credits:
Cake: Erica O’Brien Cake Design
Photography: Ashleigh Taylor Photography
Okay, so I know I’m not the only one who isn’t quite ready for Christmas. If you’re still getting your goodies and sweets together, I have one last DIY project for you today. It’s incredibly easy and quick but with impressive results. I did this project from start to finish {including photos and clean up} during nap time on Sunday. So when I say quick, I mean quick!  Ice cream cones get a coating of shimmering, sanding sugar and… Voilà ! Sparkling Christmas Trees! An elegant decoration for your holiday cakes and cupcakes. Or simply arrange numerous trees on a cake stand or elegant serving tray for a festive centerpiece.
Here’s what you’ll do….
Sparkling Christmas Tree Toppers
Tools:
Ice Cream Cones (various sizes)
Candy Melts (white)
Sparkling Sugar / Sanding Sugar / Sugar Pearls
Instructions:
- Melt white candy coating in microwave as directed on package. Stir until smooth.
- Dip ice cream cone into melted candy. {I found it easiest to roll the cone on its side since my bowl was not deep enough to dip straight down.} Let excess candy drip off.
- Sprinkle with sanding sugar, sugar pearls or sprinkles of choice. {I found it easiest to place the cone onto two fingers to hold, so as to not leave any finger marks}. Sprinkle, sprinkle, sprinkle until all areas of the cone are covered.
- Set onto parchment or wax paper until hard. This is a good time to touch up any areas you missed. They firm up nice and quick and will actually be quite solid once set. Place on top of a cake or cupcake for super easy decoration!
TIP: Sprinkle the cone over a bowl so that your extra sprinkles go back into the bowl, so you can reuse. If you use waffle cones, be sure to break a little bit off to even out the bottom, so that the cone will stand up on its own, before coating.
Whether they top off your delectable homemade goodies, pretty up some store bought sweets or provide a Christmas activity for the kiddos… I hope you enjoy these ice cream cone Sparkling Christmas Trees! Up next, the conclusion of our 12 Cakes of Christmas series. Cake #10 coming soon!
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Carrie Sellman is the Founder & Editor of The Cake Blog. Her work has been published in BRIDES Magazine, The Bride and Bloom, on DIYnetwork.com, TLC’s Parentables and more. Read more about Carrie on her bio page. |
The forecast for today’s post is snowy with a pop of sunshine. That’s because cake #9 in our 12 Cakes of Christmas series is here! A wintry scene gets a dose of cheer with delightful sugar flowers. From myer lemons and sage leaves to vibrant red poppies, today’s cakes are a bright spot in the midst of Winter. Created by Emily Lael Aumiller, owner of Lael Cakes in Brooklyn, these Snowshine Flower Cakes will have you smiling!
Emily created these beauties for a photo shoot at the Poppies and Posies studio. Transformed into a mystical winter wonderland, Emily’s delicate sugar flowers emerged from a snow covered ground. With it’s own little red bench and wintry forest, this striking design features red poppies, bittersweet berries, drumstick flowers, and geranium foliage.
And because two cakes are twice the fun, ‘Cake #9′ is actually a pair. I simply couldn’t choose a favorite between these two… so I thought we’d share both! This next cake just speaks to the cook in me. Lemons brighten any dish, and these sugar myer lemons definitely brighten this design. Not to mention the incredible pink tulips and unexpected sage leaves.
Aren’t they just incredible?!? I love the contrast of the cold snow with the warm, inviting flowers and fruit. What a wonderful way to wrap up this week of snow themed cakes. Next week The 12 Cakes of Christmas concludes with cakes 10 to 12. Plus one more DIY project for those last-minute party planners out there.
A very merry thank you to Emily at Lael Cakes for sharing her delightfully snowy, sugar flower cakes with us today. Be sure to check out additional designs from Emily and other talented cake artists in our Holiday Cake Gallery. New designs are added daily. Happy Friday everyone!
It’s almost the end of week two in our holiday cake series, The 12 Cakes of Christmas! We’re featuring some of the best cakes of the season, shared with us by talented cake artists across the globe. Today’s cake traveled far to be here with us today…. all the way from Malaysia. Good thing it’s bundled up in scarves, hats and a serious layer of cuteness! I actually squealed when I found this cake in my inbox. Created by Sheryl Ong from BunsInTheOven Cupcakery, The 8th Cake of Christmas is oh-so-charming! Inspired by Christmas cookie tins… this adorable Santa, Penguin, Snowman Cake will have you squealing too!
Okay, I know you’re squealing! This cake is almost too cute for words. Each tier is a charming cake all on it’s own. Mr. Snowman with his intricate knit scarf. Jolly Santa with his rosy cheeks peeking out from behind his beard. Mr. Penguin with his stocking cap and dotted eyes….. the detail on this cake is incredible!
Sheryl shared a few thoughts about the inspiration for her adorable design:
“The inspiration behind this cake is a collection of stacked cookie tins I chanced upon while Christmas shopping. There were so many gorgeous designs that it was impossible for me to pick just one. There were variations of Snowmen, Penguins, Santas and I wondered why couldn’t I have one with a combination of all 3. In the end I went home without any purchases (I am a very fickle shopper…hahaha) but in my mind I knew that I could have my own version of the stacked cookie tins, even if it’s only cake.”
We are incredibly glad that Sheryl chanced upon those cookie tins because they inspired her to greatness. Every time I look at this cake, I spot something new to love about it. Talk about attention to detail! Such a delightful design from a cake artist we’re sure to follow and love!
A special thanks to Sheryl from BunsInTheOven Cupcakery for sharing her whimsical Santa, Penguin, Snowman Cake with us today! We are obviously quite smitten with it. I have a feeling that all of you will be crushing on this cake too! Cake #9 is up tomorrow… see you then!
BunsInTheOven Cupcakery:
Website: www.bunsintheoven.my
Be a Fan:Â BITO on Facebook
Tweet:Â BITO on Twitter
Thumpetty Thump Thump! With a corncob pipe and a button nose, and two eyes made out of…. chocolate chips? No wait, that’s not how the song goes. But that’s how this pint-size snowman is bringing a big dose of merry today! Our Christmas cake inspiration continues The 7th Cake of Christmas. A jolly DIY cake from Miso Bakes! This adorable little guy is much smaller than he appears. Made from 4″ and 6″ rounds, this Mini Merry Snowman would be a great activity to share with your little ones. He’s made of cake but the children know how he came to life one day….
Mini Merry Snowman
Here’s what you’ll need:
Four 4-inch Cake Layers
Four 6-inch Cake Layers
Bag of Coconut
Chocolate Chips
Two Skewers
Mitten Cookie Cutter
Sugarpaste / Fondant (orange, brown and red)
Six dowels
Royal Icing and Additional Embellishments {optional}
Here’s what you’ll do a few days before:
- Cover skewers with brown sugarpaste. Leave an inch at the top uncovered for the mittens.
- Roll out red sugarpaste thick. Cut out a pair of gloves or mittens with cookie cutter. Slide on to skewer. Leave out to dry. {Optional: use white royal icing to pipe on fun details like stripes, snowflakes and dots.}
- Roll orange sugarpaste into the shape of a carrot. Slide in a toothpick so it can be attached to the face. Leave out to dry.
- Bake cakes.
- Make icing.
Here’s what you’ll do the day of:
- Stack, fill and cover the 6-inch layers in white icing. Repeat for the 4-inch layers.
- Carefully cover the icing with shredded coconut.
- Insert dowels into the 6-inch cake and stack 4-inch cake on top.
- Roll out sugarpaste about 18″ long. Cut into a strip for the scarf. Use only one red strip for a solid scarf. Or add a smaller strip of white (on top of the red) for a striped scarf. Wrap around ‘neck’ of snowman. {Optional: add small red berries and green holly leaves for an extra touch}.
- Insert carrot nose.
- Use chocolate chips to create eyes, mouth and buttons.
- Insert arms last or after transportation.
If you want to be a rock-star mom, prep several of these cakes and let your little ones assemble their own snowman. Kids of all ages would enjoy covering the snowman in coconut and adding the eyes, nose, arms and scarf. Older children would enjoy piping the mitten details as well. What a fun alternative to the traditional gingerbread house! And in the end, you’ll have your own hillside of snowmen.
A huge thank you to Miso at Miso Bakes for creating such a fun tutorial for us! Hope you enjoy creating her super cute, Mini Merry Snowman with your family and friends!
It’s week two of our holiday cake series, The 12 Cakes of Christmas! We’re featuring festive and wintry cakes from talented cake artists across the country. And this week, it’s is all about the snow. Five new, inspiring designs… some are elegant, some are playful, some come with instructions! And all of them come with snow!! Cake #6 is up and it’s an incredible, wintry delight!
The beauty of freshly fallen snow is captured in this pristine and purely elegant design, created by Allison Kelleher, owner of AK Cake Design in Portland. The subtle glimmer of a snowflake, the bright glow off the fluffy blanket of white. This incredible Winter White Cake will have you singing… Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!!
Allison shared a few thoughts about her Winter White design:
“I wanted it to be light and airy – reminiscent of snow but not actually mimicking it. The white blossoms are subtly shaded to add a little more depth and movement. And the red ribbon breaks up the white a bit – also making the cake more festive for the holiday season.”
During the few years we lived in the north, I was never a huge fan of the snowy winters…. the shoveling, the ice, the cold. But this, this is snow I can love! The beauty of white glittering snow blanketing the ground… in the form of an elegant cake. Whether you love the snow or you’re a Winter wimp like me, I think we all can agree that this cake is spectacular!
A special thanks to Allison of AK Cake Design for sharing her Winter White Cake with us today. It would steal the show at any winter event! The white snowy goodness continues on tomorrow with cake #7 and through the remainder of the week! Let it Snow, Snow, Snow!!
Vendors & Credits:
Cake:Â AK Cake Design
Be a Fan:Â AK Cake on Facebook
Photography:Â Melissa Tomeoni of soulmatesphoto.com
We’re wrapping up the first week of Christmas cake inspiration with a stunning design that would be fit for any winter event. Gold, navy and white creates an elegant and warm color palette, not to mention eye catching. It’s not exactly 5 GOLDEN RINGS, but this 5-tier golden beauty by Sharon Wee Creations is our 5th Cake of Christmas. And it’s incredible!! Prepare to swoon over this richly romantic Gold & Navy Winter Wedding Cake…
Sharon shared a few thoughts with us about her inspiration for this design:
“The design was inspired by the bride’s colour palette and the flowers cascading down the font was based on the fabric flowers from her dress. I loved how even though there were different patterns on all the tiers, it all just came together and matched so well.”
I could not agree with Sharon more! Ever since I laid eyes on this cake, I’ve been dreaming of a gold and navy Christmas! Such an elegant and modern color palette that would be fitting for any time of year but especially winter and around the holidays. And this cake is simply divine!
Special thanks to Sharon for sharing her incredible Gold & Navy Winter Wedding Cake with us today! It spectacular!! I hope you are enjoying our 12 Cakes of Christmas series… the merriment continues next week with cakes 6 through 10! Some are elegant, some are playful and some come with instructions!!
Oh! And if you haven’t already entered, Sunday is the last day to enter our Crate and Barrel Giveaway!! One lucky reader will take win $150 to Crate and Barrel! Enter, enter, enter! {HERE} Our winner will be announced on Monday. Happy Friday everyone!
Sharon Wee Creations:
Website:Â sharonwee.com.au
Be a Fan:Â Sharon Wee on Facebook
Tweet:Â Sharon Wee on Twitter
