Half Baked is excited to announce the newest addition to our Top Tier Cake Directory! If you’re a lover of cake or a loyal Half Baked reader, you’re probably already familiar with this very talented lady.  If you’re a bride-to-be or party planner extraordinaire in the Kansas area, now’s the time to listen up!  Rebecca Sutterby has been baking since grade school, creating cakes for happy customers for years and inspiring us all along the way!  Her work has appeared on TLC, Food Network, BRIDES Magazine and more!   Today, I’m truly honored to welcome Rebecca and her cake shop, Sugar Creations, to our cake directory!

Rebecca opened Sugar Creations in 2002 after discovering her talent while creating a cake for her son’s birthday.  Almost 10 years and oodles of cakes later, Sugar Creations will grow again with a new store location!  Rebecca and her husband are renovating an old cafe in Uniontown, Kansas, with the hopes of opening their new shop in late 2012!

Rebecca specializes in wedding cakes but also happens to make the most amazing party cakes.  With clean lines and a whimsical flair, her children’s cakes are over-the-top adorable! Get ready to ohhh and ahhh… and then hop over to the Sugar Creations website, Flickr and Facebook Page to see more of these incredible cakes!

I could not be more thrilled to have Sugar Creations as part of our Top Tier Cake Directory!  Show them a little love and check out their full listing in Top Tier.  A special thanks to Rebecca Sutterby for joining us.  We can’t wait to see more of your spectacular work!

Quick Reference Links:
Website: www.sugarcreations.com
Be Inspired: Sugar Creations on Flickr
Be a Fan: Facebook Page
Top Tier Directory: Full Listing

4… 3… 2… 1… 0?? To help us prep for the upcoming holiday baking season, Summer Stone is here to share some insight on how eggs affect our cakes…

How many eggs exactly does it take to make a great cake? In a traditional 9-inch, two-layer American butter cake, four eggs seem to be the typical number found in most recipes, but other butter cake recipes call for anywhere from 2 to 6 eggs. So what number of eggs is really best?

First, let’s take a look at the role that eggs play in the characteristics of a cake. The inherent complexity of an egg, lends itself to a diverse number of roles in the cake’s final product. Here are the major duties eggs perform:

• Structure – Eggs are a major structure provider and give a cake firmness, lightness and stability.
• Aeration – Beaten eggs help to incorporate air into a cake batter and therefore aid in leavening.
• Emulsification – Emulsifiers in eggs bring fats and liquids together into a smooth batter, allowing for a moist cake that does not seem greasy.
• Flavor – Eggs play a significant role in the final taste profile of a cake.
• Color – The golden hue of egg yolks adds soft yellow pigmentation to both batter and cake.
• Moisture – Eggs are 75 percent liquid which can thin a batter a great deal.
• Fat Provision – Egg yolks are a good source of fat which can contribute to moistness and tenderness to the cake.

Knowing all of the facts about the functions of eggs in cake, it seems like it would be easy to determine how adding or subtracting a couple of eggs from a recipe would affect the final cake product; but unfortunately it is difficult to say which roles are the most significant and how other ingredients, with cross-over jobs, react when eggs are added or taken away. To get a real feel for what will happen we have to move beyond theory and into the oven.

Let’s take a look at what actually happens when you disrupt the egg balance in a cake recipe. I baked 5 eight-inch cake layers, each with a different number of eggs added, in order to get a feel for how egg volume variation contributes to changes in the overall cake. Each cake layer received 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4 eggs (approximately equivalent to a cake recipe with 0, 3, 6, 9 or 12 eggs). Differences were noticeable immediately after the batters were mixed. The eggless batter was extremely thick in consistency and very pale in color while the 4-egg cake was more golden and thinner in consistency.

Once baked, taste was also a factor in the differences between the egg-varying cake layers. The layer with no eggs had a noticeable raw flour taste and was excessively sweet. The cake layer with four eggs was markedly eggy tasting like a baked custard or bread pudding. All three of the moderately-egged layers were pleasant tasting.

The most significant variance between the layers was their structure. The no-egg layer was short, dense and compact and had so little structural integrity I could barely remove a piece from the cake without if falling apart. The one-egg layer was still rather dense and compact but held together when cut. The two-egg cake layer was greater height and lighter texture with even more structural strength. The three-egg layer was even taller and lighter than the two-egg cake, but the egg structure was reaching the limits of its usefulness and the cake began to take on a slightly spongy texture. The four-egg layer was short, dense and rubbery (if you have ever had a génoise or chiffon cake fall you will know exactly what I am talking about).

Overall, changing the number of eggs in your cake recipe can alter the properties of your cake. Too few eggs will yield a cake that is overly compact and doesn’t hold together will. Too many eggs can leave you with a spongy or rubbery mess. But egg volumes can be manipulated to lighten the texture of a cake or add strength to a cake that needs to be carved. Try varying the number of eggs in your favorite recipe to determine “eggsactly” what works for you.

Today we’re turning up the spotlight on another wedding trend as it exists in the world of cake.  Succulents!  These sleek and sophisticated desert flowers are sprouting up everywhere, even on cakes. Naturally occurring in a variety of fresh tones, with a complex leaf structure that is both captivating and full of character, succulents add a contemporary floral touch to a cake design.  And whether they’re fresh succulents or hand crafted from sugar, no one knows how to work them into a design like the Sweet & Saucy Shop in Long Beach, California.  If you’re not already a fan of Sweet & Saucy, you will be now!  Prepare to get lost in their world of polished and modern Succulent Cakes!

This design steals my heart and most definitely warrants a close up… two great trends on one cake!  Chevrons and succulents!  Loving the grey and white with the little pop of green succulent.

Melody Brandon, owner of the Sweet & Saucy Shop, shares her thoughts about succulents on cakes:

“I do have to say that I love the succulent trend. Of course as all trends go, succulents on cakes can be over done and not original, but on the other hand I do see a lot of cakes that feature succulents that are amazing. I really love the idea of doing all gold or silver succulents instead of the typical green. I also like seeing various succulents being used rather than always the typical basic succulent style.”

I have to completely agree with Melody!  Whether fresh or sugar, green, gold or white… I’m loving succulents as an accent ‘flower’.  What do you think?

A huge thanks to Melody and the Sweet & Saucy Shop for the amazing cake inspiration!  They have a way with cake and dessert tables that tickles me pink!  Honestly, I could click through their wedding cake gallery and blog for hours.  Be sure to hop on over to the Sweet & Saucy Shop and see for yourself… but be prepared to stay awhile!

Vendors & Credits:
Cakes:  Sweet & Saucy Shop
Photography {Chevron & Succulent Cake}:   Meg Perotti
Photography {Fresh Succulent Cake}:  Jack Wittbold
Photography {White Succulent Cake}:  Max Wanger

I’ve been dying to share this shower with you for months!  You may remember that back in JUNE, I mentioned that my family was hosting a baby for my sister who was expecting her first child.  My sweet little niece, Addison, was born in July and is now almost four months old!  It’s about time for me to share this shower!  It debuted earlier today on Hostess with the Mostess (yay!) and I’m thrilled to share some additional images and details with you now.

For those of you who are loyal Half Baked readers, you might recall how excited I was about my little sister’s wedding.  Numerous inspiration boards, a bridal shower, photos from the actual day… well fast forward almost two years and my sister was becoming a mommy!  Of course we were going to throw her a shower!  It was a fun collaboration of efforts between four of us, all living in different cities.  My older sister, the two grandmothers-to-be and myself.  Planning everything from afar can be tricky but with countless phone calls, emails and photos exchanged, we somehow managed to pull it off.  Best of all, we were thrilled to celebrate Ashley and welcome Baby Bray with this Elephants on Parade Baby Shower.

After much discussion, we decided to base the theme on the baby bedding for the nursery.  It’s a fun and vibrant combination of elephants and polka dots.  We wanted the shower to be inspired by the nursery but with our own modern twist.  The color scheme was black and white with pops of pink.  We incorporated numerous different patterns with big dots, little swiss dots and stripes.  And of course – oodles of elephants!!

I designed the invitation and we went from there.  The elephants, with their long trunks and polka dot ears, are my rendition of the elephant on the crib bedding.  The back of the invite featured black and white polka dots with a pink stripe reading ‘Welcome Baby Bray’.  (My sister kept the baby’s first name, Addison, a secret until her birth.)

Guest arrived to a front porch lined with black, white and pink flag bunting and a welcome sign featuring the whimsical black elephants.  Little did they know, but those black elephants were on parade inside the house!  From the desserts to the presents and games, elephants everywhere!

Cupcakes were topped with charming fondant toppers by Brittany at Edible Details who recreated our elephant and polka dots perfectly!  Aren’t they just adorable?  My favorite picture from the whole shower is my sister holding a cupcake over her baby bump!  Only my sister would be willing to put up with me zooming in to get just the right picture!

My older sister, Jennifer, crafted a coordinating diaper cake which created a playful centerpiece for the living room along with much discussion about it’s fabulousness!  We had such a hard time getting a good picture of it but let’s just say that many of the guests thought it was a real cake!  Additional flag bunting wrapped the front table where guests dropped off their gifts while signing the baby book and grabbing a matching name tag.  A plush toy elephant and soft blocks, custom made by Little Sidekick in funky black and white fabrics, added an extra touch of decor and a gift for my niece to keep!

Of course, I designed the cake with it’s sassy cupcake liner flower. {A tutorial on how to make this flower is coming your way soon…}  Additional desserts included meringue cookies, cream puffs, mint truffles and cheesecake shooters (recipe here). Lime Tea Punch and lemon water was served to wash it all down.

To help balance the sugar rush, we served up portions of mixed nuts and white cheddar popcorn in paper cones.  Baby Addison’s Grandpa even got into the shower spirit and made custom stands for the popcorn cones.  Like I said, this was a team planning event!

It was such a great day, showering Ashley with love and well wishes as we welcomed her sweet baby girl.  A huge thank you to Jennifer, Sheila and Sunny for all of their help with this shower.  From the countless planning emails to the shopping, baking, sewing and crafting…  I think we make a pretty good team!

Thanks to Jenn at Hostess with the Mostess for featuring our Elephants on Parade Baby Shower!  You can see and read more about it in her post HERE.

VENDORS & CREDITS:
Party Styling:  Carrie Sellman of Half Baked
Invitation & Paper Goods:  Half Baked on Etsy
Fondant Cupcake Toppers:  Edible Details
Decorated Sugar Cookies:  The Cookie Jar
Diaper Cake:  Jennifer Niehoff
Plush Elephant & Baby Blocks:  Little Sidekick
Cake:  Carrie Sellman of Half Baked

	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.

Okay, what’s not to love about today’s featured cake goodness?  It combines so many fun trends into one little bite of sweetness.  It’s got cake + a stick + the charm of a donut….  Oh my!  I’m not sure if it gets more adorable than this?  Created by Molly Bakes and featured in her new book, Crazy for Cake Pops, you’re going to love these incredibly cute Donut {Cake} Pops!

{Recipe and photo courtesy of Molly Bakes and Ulysses Press.}

Donut {Cake} Pops
makes 20 pops

Ingredients:
20 medium cake balls, chilled
1 (14-ounce) bag light brown candy melts
½ (14-ounce) bag white candy melts
Edible sprinkles, to decorate

Equipment:
Medium ball tool

Take the cake balls and flatten them to form a donut shape. Next take the ball tool and gently push it into the center of the donut to make a dent. Make sure you make enough of a dent for it to show through when the pop has been dipped in the candy. Chill for 10 minutes.

Melt and mix together the brown candy melts and three-quarters of the white candy melts to create a caramel color.

Dip the end of each lollipop stick ¾ inch deep into the melted candy and insert a stick through the side of each donut about halfway in. Leave to set. Dip the donut pops in the candy and tap off the excess into the bowl. Place in a polystyrene block to dry.

In a separate bowl, melt the rest of the white candy. It’s important that this is runnier than usual so add an extra drop of vegetable oil. Now take the teaspoon and drizzle the candy around the dent of the donuts. Shake on the sprinkles as you go. Place the pops back in the polystyrene block to dry.

Enjoy!

When I designed the MILKaholic Baby Shower for our friends, I had no idea the overwhelming response it would receive!  Obviously, I liked the concept but I was completely flattered by how many of you liked it too!  It debuted on Hostess with the Mostess and has since been featured on TLC’s Parentables, LilSugar and Kara’s Party Ideas.  So many of you have left kind comments and inquired about everything from the invitation to the food labels, milk bottles and painted canvas backdrop!  Well, I’m very excited to announce that the full MILKaholic Baby Shower Collection is now available!!

All of the paper goods are now available on Etsy in our Half Baked Prop Shop!  You will find everything from the invitation to the the thank you notes, not to mention everything in between!  Favor tags, fancy food labels, the milk bottle labels (be sure to check out our milk bottle DIY here), flag bunting and more!  You’ll be able to purchase all of the printable paper goods needed to recreate this shower!  Just insert the food, guests and a MILKaholic!

The custom painted MILKaholic canvas is now available at djDecor!! My friend, Diana Johnson, is the artist behind djDecor and I’m thrilled that she’s offering the MILKaholic canvas in her Etsy Shop!  Diana is an extremely talented painter and I know she will do a knock out job on all future MILKaholic orders!  In all honesty, her version is much nicer than mine!!  Be sure to check out some of her other custom paintings while you browse her shop.  {I loved the canvas she created for my daughter’s first birthday party as well… can’t wait for you to see that one!}  She’s also accepting orders for other coordinating pieces, all based on the MILKaholic theme!

This has been a long time coming and I’m just over the moon to be able to offer this to you!  Now… go shop!!

MILKaholic Baby Shower Collection
Printable Party Collection: Half Baked on Esty
Custom Painted Canvas: djDecor

	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.

Our contributor, Miso of Miso Bakes, is back with an Autumn cake perfect for Thanksgiving…

We welcomed Autumn into our homes and gardens last month, but we were only able to feel and smell her presence this past week.  This year, I almost felt as though I had to pry Summer’s fingers off our trees and grass and constantly remind her that it’s time for her to start moving the party down to the southern hemisphere. Like always, she stormed out with a big attitude and therefore, we had a few days of scorching hot Indian Summer while Autumn was unpacking and settling down.

I am eagerly waiting for Autumn to run around in our backyards and leave her fingerprints on every bright green leaf she finds. I feel and smell, but now, I crave to see her. Unfortunately, the trees on my street are still green as green can be. Perhaps she is quite shy this year. To break the ice, I made an Autumn Leaves Wreath Cake for her.

To make the cake you will need:

- Bundt Cake
- Leaf Cookie Cutter
- Rolling Pin
- Colored Fondant or Gumpaste
- Food Coloring Pen (Optional)
- Petal Dust (Optional)

1.  Tint sugarpaste to liking. Cut out leaves.

2.  Flip leaves over on a rolling pin until it holds its shape but is still soft enough to reshape if needed.  Outline and vein with pen if desired.

3.  If you would like, you can make multi-colored leaves by rolling out bits of different colored sugarpaste together.  Cut with cutter.

4.   If you prefer, you may accent and give depth to the leaves by dusting parts of it with petal dust before gluing them onto the cake.

5.   Using water or melted white chocolate, glue the leaves onto the cake. It is best to do so when the leaves are still malleable.

6.   You’re done!  Use the colorful cake as the centerpiece to your Thanksgiving table (November 24th is Thanksgiving Day in the US this year) or at any of your Autumn festivities this year!

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!  Embrace what’s left of Autumn as Winter tells me she’s on her way!

	Miso Bakes Miso is a monthly contributor for The Cake Blog. She is a talented pastry chef with a big passion for cakes. Read more about Miso on her bio page.

Today we’re taking another look at a trend that’s popping up in all aspects of design, including cake!  Whether it’s pages pulled from a classic book, old newspapers or love letters, vintage typography is everywhere.  Yesterday we featured an amazing wedding cake by The Caketress where alternating tiers were made to look like pages from a vintage book.  Today’s example is slightly more subdued, with just a small accent of vintage paper.

This lovely inside-out cake was created for a reception full of charming rustic touches like burlap table runners and tree stump pedestals.  Little hints of vintage typography were woven throughout the entire event.  An old family typewriter replaced the traditional sign-in book and book-paper flowers were intermixed with the fresh flower arrangements.  And then there was the cake!  Layers of carrot cake and cream cheese icing stacked tall and topped with a drizzle of caramel.  On top were two book-paper flowers.  Shared with us by Meredith Carlson Photography, you’re going to love this Vintage Paper Flowers Cake from the Labor of Love Bakery in Las Vegas.

The bride, Jana, shares with us a few thoughts about her cake:

“I saw a round cake with the sides exposed on the Martha Stewart Wedding website and thought something similar would be great with the rustic theme of our wedding.  The paper flowers were also inspired by Martha Stewart, but to make it more unique to our wedding, we used pages from old books to make the flowers.  My sweet friend Roseanne ended up making tons of paper flowers that went all along the long table, and at the last minute, my mom took a few to put on top of the cake.  My dad and (at the time) fiance made the cake stand from a tree trunk, and it was just perfect!”

I love that the bride’s mom added the paper flowers to the cake at the last minute.  Good call mom!  They were the perfect finishing touch.  Besides the charming paper flowers, doesn’t this cake just look delicious?!?  From what the bride and the photographer both tell me, it absolutely was delicious.  I can just envision a smaller version of this cake for Thanksgiving, can’t you?  Carrot… or pumpkin… or even spice cake.  It would be perfect for any Fall event.

A huge thank you to Meredith Carlson for sharing her lovely images with us.  And to the bride, Jana, for sharing her charming Vintage Paper Flowers Cake with us today.

Vendors & Credits:
Cake: Labor of Love Bakery
Photography: Meredith Carlson Photography
See the Entire Wedding Here: Meredith Carlson’s Blog

Today we’re taking a look at another trend in cakes that is gaining popularity….only, I’m not sure what to call it.  After much debate, I’ve finally given it the label of Vintage Book Typography.  Wait, vintage what – what?  Yes, you read that correctly.  Typography is the art of arranging letters in order to create visible language.  Whether it is printed, cursive or calligraphy, UPPER CASE or lower case, the written word is both powerful and fascinating!  And I absolutely love how it is popping up in all aspects of design, including cake!  Whether it’s pages pulled from a classic book, old newspapers or love letters, vintage typography adds a uniquely romantic feel to any design.

Our first featured design was created by the talented Lori Hutchinson, owner and artist behind The Caketress in Toronto.  This elegant 5-tier wedding cake is simply stunning!  Alternating tiers are made to look like written text pulled from the pages of a novel.  Gorgeous gumpaste flowers include both soft, romantic pink blooms and ranunculas made of ‘vintage book pages’.  As an unexpected touch of whimsy… hidden among the flowers is a little book mouse!  From the tiers of scrolling text to the book mouse’s smart little glasses, you’re going to love this Vintage Book Typography Cake!

Lori shares some thoughts about this cake she created for her clients, Liz and Nick…

“They wanted their cake to be romantic but with a quirky twist. Their reception was at Bellvue Manor, The Library room.  So their decor was surrounded around a novel theme.  For the pumpkin flavored cake, we designed it to look like written vintage pages.  The gumpaste ranunculas-like flowers also look like they were made out of book pages.  I added cute book mice hiding in the floral bouquets for an unexpected playful twist.”

So whether you agree with my name for this trend or not… I think we all can agree that this cake is a winner!  It’s a perfect example of how to include written text into a cake design.  A huge thank you to Lori Hutchinson of The Caketress for sharing her stunning Vintage Book Typography Cake with us today.  Just like a good book, I’m captivated and can’t look away!

Intrigued and want to see more?   Watch for more examples of this vintage book, newspaper, written text, typography-inspired cake trend in upcoming posts!

Quick Links for The Caketress:
Website:   www.thecaketress.ca
Blog:   thecaketressblog.com
Follow:   The Caketress on Facebook

Our cupcake contributor, Lauren of Crave. Indulge. Satisfy, is helping us transition from Halloween to Thanksgiving!  And she’s bringing along the pumpkins…

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to start thinking about a special dessert to accompany your big turkey feast!  During the fall my pantry is always stocked full of pumpkin as my go to ingredient.  I have about 12 cans on hand right now!  Pumpkin is such a great ingredient that can be used in a variety of recipes.  So this year, why not branch out from the standard pumpkin pie or pumpkin bread and mix up a batch of Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting.  I guarantee all of your turkey day guests will just gobble these right up!

These pumpkin cupcakes are smacked full of fall flavors featuring cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.  The cupcakes are paired with a cinnamon cream cheese frosting which is the perfect compliment to the cinnamon flavor in the cakes. I guarantee you won’t just be eating one of these at a time. Afterall, Thanksgiving is a time to indulge in all your favorite foods…so save room for dessert!

If you are worried about having too many things to whip up for your holiday meal, these cupcakes are super moist and can be made a day ahead of time. I do recommend waiting to make the icing until the day you plan to serve.  I love how you can see the specs of cinnamon throughout the icing, not to mention the taste is amazing!  I hope you are inspired to try these Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese this year!

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese
recipe by Lauren Kapeluck
(makes 30 cupcakes)

For the cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pans with cupcake liners.
2. In large bowl combine dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
3. In bowl of stand mixer cream butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until creamy.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Add dry ingredients and milk, alternating until well combined. Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary.
6. Mix in pumpkin puree.
7. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter.
8. Bake for 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
9. Let cupcakes cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to wire racks to finish cooling.
10. Once cupcakes are completely cool frost with Cinnamon Cream Cheese icing.

For the icing:
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
4 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon

1. In bowl of stand mixer beat butter and cream cheese on medium speed until well combined.
2. Gradually add in confectioner’s sugar one cup at a time, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.
3. Add vanilla and cinnamon and mix until combined.
4. Place icing in piping bag fitted with a large round tip and frost cupcakes.

Hope you enjoy this pumpkin inspired recipe! Wishing you and your family a wonderful holiday season!

	Lauren Kapeluck Lauren is a monthly contributor for The Cake Blog. She is a self-taught baker and lover of all things sugar. Read more about Lauren on her bio page.