Happy Halloween!  Today is a day for thrills and chills as the ghosts, goblins and ghouls make their appearance.  I thought we’d take a moment to enjoy this hauntingly fun day with something a little different.  Frightfully eerie with his long, black hooded cloak and his pale skeletal figure, this guy is creeeeep-y!  Be afraid, be very afraid.  We all know who he is and exactly what he wants.  He’s The Reaper and he’s come for…. the CAKE!  Enjoy this humorously dark Grim Reaper Cake by Jamie Hoffman of Yuma Couture Cakes.

Jamie shared a few thoughts  about her creation:

“The reaper was constructed with many thin and ripped sheets of fondant draped over a wire armature that I constructed.  The inside was hollow to make it as light as possible, but it was still very heavy.  Once it was all set up and dry, I airbrushed it black. The hands, scythe and cake are all hand made from gumpaste, and painted with edible markers and gel color. The message on the front of the tier (which was a 12″ round for scale) was etched in over the black airbrushed surface, with q-tips and vodka.”

Make no bones about it, that little skeletal hand is amazingly frightful!  Good thing this Grim Reaper has his eye on the cake because he is spooooky!  A huge thank you to Jamie Hoffman for sharing her eerie Grim Reaper Cake with us.  He is the perfect Halloween treat!

Hope your Halloween is brewing with fun.  While you eat, drink and be scary… remember to be safe!  Happy Halloween everyone!

Vendors & Credits:
Cake: Yuma Couture Cakes

Halloween is almost upon us!  I’m sure there will be great sights and frights over the weekend, as little ghosts and goblins start to appear.  So I thought we’d wrap up with week with some of my favorite Halloween sweets, styles and treats for the year.  From gothic glam to wicked fun and creepy-crawly things that go bump in the night… it’s a Black and White Halloween Round UP!

Add a touch of gothic glam to your Halloween with these black and white glamorous finds:

1. Nothing says Halloween glam like black lace!  THE original black lace cake by the Cakegirls still reigns supreme in my book.  Replicated many times in many ways, it instantly became a classic.  {Sending a little love out to Mary and Brenda who are working to bring their business back to life after a fire destroyed their shop.  We’re all anxiously awaiting the return of THE ultimate Cakegirls!}
2. Put down the knife and grab a paintbrush to create these bold, graphic pumpkins.  Learn how to make your own black and white painted pumpkins HERE at Country Living.
3. It’s not too late to BOO your neighbors!  Don’t worry, Halloween BOO-ing is a good thing!  Download this ultra-glam, black and white BOO sign HERE at The TomKat Studio, for FREE!

Ready for a little wicked fun?  These bewitching Halloween treats will leave you spellbound.

1. Every cupcake needs a costume, and this one definitely seemed to be a hit!  Had to include our Cupcake Liner Witch Hats that went viral on Pinterest.  So break out your scissors, extra baking liners and get started!  Find our super easy tutorial HERE on Half Baked.
2. A witch’s spells are pulled from her book and transformed in to a captivating paper wreath.  Created by Southern Belle’s Charm for a Bewitching Halloween Party by Frog Prince Paperie.  See the enchanting dessert table and wickedly mod cake HERE.  See the entire party HERE.
3. Once again, we’re mesmerized by the clever craftiness of Sweet Sugarbelle.  These witch-y cookies have us charmed!  Learn how to make these Leggy Little Witch Cookies HERE.

It’s not Halloween without some creepy, crawling things that go bump in the night…

1. These pitch-black macaroons by Les Madeleines look sinfully good.  Created for an playfully fun Itsy Bitsy Spider Party by Bump Smitten.
2. Long legged spiders dusted onto black whoopie pies, served up on a cobweb… it doesn’t get much better than these creepy-crawly treats created for an Itsy Bitsy Spider Party by Bump Smitten.  See the full party HERE on HWTM.
3. Eerie little eyes are watching you… BOO!  These black and white cookies by Glorious Treats are frightfully fun!  Learn how to make these elegant but spooky Halloween goodies HERE.

Hope you have a spook-tactular Halloween weekend filled with adorable costumes, delicious treats and some good frights!  Happy Friday!

Well hello there again everyone!  This is Jessica Kirkland from Pen N’ Paperflowers Studio and Design… back for another little bit of guest blogging for Carrie here at Half Baked.  (You might remember the needle felted acorn tutorial I shared here last Fall?)

I’m honored to have been asked by Carrie to put together a post for you showcasing The Pastry Pedestalâ„¢ – a patent-pending mechanism I designed to creatively display petite pastries of all types.  Since launching The Pastry Pedestalâ„¢ in May, we have shipped them to over 12 different countries and have sold out completely on two separate occasions.  It’s been an exciting adventure to say the least and I’d like to share with you today just what they are all about and how easy they are to use.

My very favorite component of The Pastry Pedestalâ„¢ is the fact that you can personalize them for ANY event you are having simply by adding a 2.75″ round decorative paper to the underside of the lucite round.  Not only that…you can also get even more creative by adding decorative beading or trim to the edge of the round for added dimension and that extra “wow” factor.

Today, I chose to show you a super easy way to create a centerpiece using The Pastry Pedestal Starter Kitâ„¢.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• brown paper bag
• sugar
• 2.75″ round circle punch (if you want a to personalize The Pastry Pedestalâ„¢)
• Decorative Paper Rounds (Halloween printables found here or just use scrapbooking paper, cardstock or wrapping paper you have on hand)
• 1 Small Bag of orange Sixlets (I picked mine up from JoAnn Fabric & Crafts)
• fabric or ribbon of choice
• cupcake or pastry of choice
• The Pastry Pedestalâ„¢ Starter Kit

Instructions:

1. Take your flat brown paper bag and rip the top portion of the bag off. (approx. 2.5″ piece) No need to be careful.
2. Open your torn brown bag
3. Crumple the torn brown bag into a tight small ball. The more wrinkled it looks – the more old it will appear and we are going for a vintage-creepy Halloween look for this centerpiece.
4. Open the now-wrinkled bag and fold over the top edge of the bag about 1 or 2 inches.
5. Fill wrinkled brown bag with sugar almost to the top. (leave about 1 inch for step 6)
6. Top sugar with orange sixlets to cover sugar completely.

Now you need to prepare your pastries for placing on The Pastry Pedestal™.  {TIP: Chilled pastries are easier to work with.}  I chose to use mini chocolate peanut butter cupcakes (go here for the recipe).

1. Pierce the bottom of the cupcake or pastry of choice using a toothpick or wooden skewer.  You’ll only need to insert it about one 1/2 inch into the bottom and then remove.
2. With The Pastry Pedestalâ„¢ already assembled, the pre-pierced cupcake is ready to be mounted onto the The Pastry Pedestalâ„¢ where it will sit securely.
3. With the cupcake in place, insert the rod of The Pastry Pedestalâ„¢ into the sugar filled, candy-topped brown bag.
4. Repeat this process until you have a “bouquet” of mini cupcakes.
5. Finish the centerpiece off by tying a decorative piece of fabric or ribbon around it.

It’s super cute and SO easy.

Don’t have a brown paper bag at home?  How about recycling a tin can and using the same process. (I used a large recycled crushed tomato can).

You can also switch up the decorative paper rounds underneath to change up your theme.  I decided to use some lined kraft-like wrapping paper I already had from a previous Rustic Popcorn Bar photo shoot in which I had displayed popcorn balls on The Pastry Pedestal™.  Changing up the paper gives the overall display more of a Fall-feel and then I simply wrapped my tin can with a strip of burlap.

I also swapped out the mini cupcakes for regular sized cupcakes just to show you the difference in the displays you can achieve.  However, mini cupcakes are one of my favorite things to display on The Pastry Pedestal™.  So I changed the finished look again by removing the burlap from around the tin can and using a Fall-festive scrap of fabric instead. (replacing the regular cupcakes with my favorite minis).

No time for baking?  I’ve got you covered!  There are many prepackaged commercial items that work well with The Pastry Pedestalâ„¢ .  For instance, these Oreo Cakesters were SO easy and perfect for a Halloween centerpiece.

I hope you’re inspired to try out this simple centerpiece idea – and if you do, I hope you’ll come back here and share your results.

Check out The Pastry Pedestalâ„¢ Facebook Fan Page for ongoing styling ideas…a lot of which are from creative customers showcasing the creative things they’ve done using this versatile and innovative way to creatively display your petite pastries.  There are also how-to videos on the website as well as ordering information for those of you that just HAVE to have these for your next event. *wink*

Hope you all are inspired…

Thanks for inviting me to guest-blog for you Carrie…it’s always a pleasure and an honor!!

With Halloween right around the corner, we’re kicking it into high gear for the next few days with some frightfully fun features!  Starting today with a Bewitching Dessert Table, shared with us by Paula of Frog Prince Paperie.  This enchanting display features one wickedly modern Halloween cake!!  With an orange harlequin pattern and a sleek black and white witch silhouette, this cake is simply charming.  The shadows dancing in the background, the witch on her broom flying through the night….  can’t you just hear her cackle floating in the air?  Prepare yourself.  This Bewitching Halloween Cake by Contemporary Cakery has me absolutely spellbound!

Paula shared with us a few thoughts about this cake:

“For our Bewitching Party, I was really fortunate to gain the services of Andrea from Contemporary Cakery in Jacksonvile, Florida.  It is always amazing to hand over a set of graphics for ‘inspiration’ and see what other talented artists create from them.  Andrea dreamed up all sorts of witchy desserts for our table!

The two tiered cake was a perfect reflection of the party with the harlequin pattern in shades of orange and the witch in the white frame was nothing short of amazing. The black and white frame really made it pop!”

More from Paula of Frog Prince Paperie:

“On the main dessert table, Andrea treated us to tiny pumpkin chocolate chip cakes shaped liked pumpkins and covered in vanilla cream cheese frosting and fondant. The perfect little faces really brought on the smiles. She did a twist on a traditional red velvet and created black velvet whoopie pied with sugared bats on top. The kid favorites were the spider pops–they were frightening AND friendly enough the little and big trick or treaters loved them!”

I’m captivated by this whole display, but especially the cake!  It’s preppy, modern and wicked fun all at the same time!  And for some reason, it has me singing… Ooh-hoo, Witchy Woman… she how high she flies! Ooh-hoo, Witchy Woman… she’s got the moon in her eyes!

A special thanks to Paula of Frog Prince Paperie for sharing this Bewitching Halloween Dessert Table with us and to Contemporary Cakery for the amazing Halloween cake inspiration!

Vendors & Credits:
Cake:   Contemporary Cakery
Paperie and Styling:  Frog Prince Paperie
Photography:  Heather Stine Photography
Photo Editing:  Jill Luecht Photography
Baked Goods:  Contemporary Cakery
Sugar Cookies:  JP Creatibles
See the Full Party Here:  Frog Prince Paperie Blog

Today is one of those rare occasions… when I share one of my own cake designs.  I primarily write about cake now, but occasionally I get the opportunity to design something new.  I’ve been dying to post this for months, but I had to see it with my own eyes first!  I am tremendously honored to have a second cake featured in BRIDES Magazine! Really?!?  Yes, really!  Back in September, I shared a cake I designed for BRIDES Most Beautiful Cakes of 2011.  I truly did not think it could get much better than that moment, until the editor contacted me about a second cake!  This time, the request was to create a design inspired by the oh-so-popular chevron pattern to be featured on their ‘White Hot’ trends page.  And it’s finally here, in print!!  My Zippity Zigzags, Chevron Cake!

Really?!?  Can someone pinch me please?  After the initial shock wore off and several late nights of sketching later, I sent over 5 different designs.  Each design unique but all inspired by chevrons.  Maria, the editor, helped me narrow it down to one final design which, of course, was by far the most challenging to create!  A two-tier round cake featuring extra tall tiers with a detailed chevron pattern flowing across the tiers from bottom to top.  The colors… teal, sky blue and deep orange.

I must say, it is definitely easier to draw a perfect chevron pattern on a sketch than to create one on a round cake!  Let alone to have the pattern flow across two tiers seamlessly.  It doesn’t seem that tricky except that the top tier has a smaller circumference than the bottom tier.  I know, that makes my head hurt too!  My math skills were definitely put to the test on this cake.  It’s actually somewhat of an optical illusion that the chevron pattern looks the same on both tiers, because it’s not.  It’s two separate patterns.  The angle of the chevron on the top tier had to be sharper than the bottom tier so the zigs and zags would align correctly.  I’d like to think my high school geometry teacher would be proud.  But in reality, he’d probably give me a B on this cake because my angles were just a tad off.  The back doesn’t line up quite as perfectly as the front.  But hey, every cake has a back, right?

Each individual fondant ’tile’ is hand cut, trimmed and aligned.  I wanted the fondant ‘ fashion’ flower to mimic a flirty, felt flower.  Sort of like the one on your favorite belt or hair accessory.  I loved this flower so much that I used the same technique on my daughter’s first birthday cake (stay tuned for pictures of that cake, hopefully to be featured sometime before she turns two…).

I could not feel more honored and blessed to be a part of this feature.  I would be remiss if I didn’t say a few thank yous, starting with my husband.  He took on extra daddy duties so that I could squeeze this project into an already crazy schedule!  Many thanks to Maria and the other editors at BRIDES.  I will forever be grateful for the amazing opportunities to be featured in your publication, all three of them!  {Yes, if you’re keeping track, there’s another fun surprise on the horizon.  More on that coming in December!}

And I’ve said it before but I have to say it again.  Half Baked wouldn’t exist without the many cake designers who allow me to showcase their work on a daily basis.  They provide us all with such great cake inspiration and this process only reminds me of the time and effort involved in every one of their creations!  I can only hope my words do your designs justice.  And last but not least, a huge thanks to all of you, for allowing me to share a bit of my work with you today.

Be sure to pick up a copy of the November issue of BRIDES Magazine to see all of the zippity zigzag, chevron inspiration!

	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.

This week we’ve been exploring a current cake trend for 2011, cake trios!  When it comes to styling a display, everything simply looks better when grouped in threes.  Cake included!  Three individual cakes, each uniquely designed, arranged together in one cohesive display.  Varying heights, textures and techniques come together to create the perfect trifecta of cake!

We’re wrapping up the week with our third lovely cake trio.  After all this talk about the perfection of threes, it only seemed appropriate to feature 3 cake trios!  Today’s featured trio is a vintage yet elegant display by Cocoa & Fig.  Together with a group of Minnesota-based talent, Cocoa & Fig created this display for an inspiration shoot full of natural charm.  Set in a restored school house on a local farm, the theme was Heavenly and so were the cakes!  United by their textured buttercream icing and surrounded by picturesque desserts and flowers , we’re totally crushing on this Rustic Buttercream Cake Trio…

Laurie from Cocoa & Fig shared a few thoughts with us about this display:

“We were thrilled to be part of this ‘heavenly’ photo shoot in collaboration with some of the best Minnesota wedding vendors. The setting for this shoot was a country farm and old schoolhouse – the perfect backdrop for our rustic styled cakes and desserts which included Rhubarb Galettes, Berries and Cream Shooters, and Lemon Meringue Tarts, along with a trio of rustic buttercream iced cakes.”

Oh how I love the layered texturing on this two-tiered white beauty!  Simple, natural and oh-so-elegant.  Delightful little daisies are the perfect touch to finish off this rustic look.

Three beautiful buttercream cakes surrounded by rustic tarts and mini desserts… what is not to love about this charming cake trio?  From the pink ruffle cake perched on a dainty white stand to the Rhubarb Galettes and Berries & Cream Shooters, this entire display is just heavenly!

I hope you’ve enjoyed our trend segment on cake trios! Be sure to check out the first two featured cake trios if you missed them earlier this week (find the posts here and here)!  And remember that we have a great photo canvas giveaway going on until Sunday!   A very special thanks to the talented Laurie and Joe of Cocoa & Fig for sharing their Rustic Buttercream Cake Trio with us today.  Happy Friday everyone!

Vendors & Credits:
Cake: Cocoa & Fig
Photography: Brandon Werth
Event Design: Chelsey Paul
Floral Design: Munster Rose
See the Full Photo Shoot Here: Brandon’s Blog

Yesterday, we introduced you to a current cake trend for 2011… cake trios.  Three individual cakes, each with their own design, working together to create a perfect display of cake harmony!  Varying heights, textures and techniques are unified by a common thread to create one cohesive display.  And honestly, it’s hard enough to resist one cake let alone three!

Well, we’re continuing on with this trend today featuring a lovely trio of cakes created by Andrea Boudewijn, chef and owner of Superfine Bakery in Los Angeles.  These three cakes, in varying shades of mocha, cream and chocolate, are tied together by their fashion-inspired adornments.  Flirty sugar ‘fabric’ flowers edged in 24K gold mixed with gold buttons give this trio a great vintage vibe while remaining completely edible.   Proving yet again that three cakes are better than one, check out this charming Mocha Cake Trio…

Andrea of Superfine Bakery shared a few thoughts with us about her charming cake trio:

“Brides are looking to create new and different ways of displaying their cakes, so I’m finding more of them receptive to the “deconstructed” cake — one that is expressed as a multiple cake table (I’ve done up to six cakes on one table) or one that is expressed as a coordinated trio, like this one.”

A few thoughts from Andrea about the design:

“The love note ribbons were inspired by a real couple’s love notes!  The one on the smallest cake reads ‘I’ll love you forever,’ and over on the chocolate medium cake reads ‘You’re the bomb, babe.’  I think every couple should be represented in some personal, romantic way on each cake, so this was our solution.”

Inside the darling exterior was almond cake soaked with coffee rum and layered with chocolate ganache and mocha buttercream.  Does that not sound delicious?!?  Yet another reason why three cakes are better than one!  A huge thank you to Andrea of Superfine Bakery for sharing her delightful Mocha Cake Trio with us today!

Vendors & Credits:
Cake: Superfine Bakery

When it comes to styling a display, three is the magic number.  Everything just simply looks better when grouped in threes.  Perhaps it’s the balance created when three unique objects are arranged together in one cohesive display.  And when it comes to cake…  if one is good and two is better, then three is a trifecta!  Over the next few days we’re going to explore a current cake trend in the wedding and party scene, Cake Trios!    Three individual cakes, each with their own design, working together to create a perfect display of cake harmony!  It’s doesn’t get much sweeter than this!

Today’s featured Cake Trio is a charming display created by Emily Lael Aumiller, founder and owner of Lael Cakes in Brooklyn.  With peaches and cream as the inspiration, Emily created these beauties for the Martha Stewart Weddings website.  In shades of peach, cream, coral and gold, these three cakes play so nicely together.  Varying heights, textures and techniques are unified by the soft color scheme to create one eye pleasing display.   Prepare to swoon over this charming Peaches & Cream Cake Trio…

Emily of Lael Cakes shared a few thoughts with us about her stunning cake trio:

“Each of the designs were fabricated in unique methods — combing different approaches to sugar sculpture and pastry application.  While each have their own place as individuals, as a trifecta I think they have an incredible way of tying together the same theme and aesthetic!  As a bonus Jen Huang and Sierra & Juliet from Poppies & Posies assisted me in making the shoot come to life!”

Each one of these cakes is a stunner, all on its own.  Put them together and you have style perfection!  A very special thank you to Emily of Lael Cakes for sharing her amazing Peaches & Cream Cake Trio with us today.  We love, love, love it!  {Yes, three times the love!  Love, love, love!}

Vendors & Credits:
Cake: Lael Cakes
Photography: Jen Huang
Floral & Styling: Poppies & Posies

**** Winner Update: This giveaway is now closed.  Our lucky winner is… Nicole who said “I would put onto canvas a picture of my daughter that we took this weekend sitting in the grass looking up into the sky.” on October 17th, 2011 at 9:54 pm.  Congratulations Nicole!  We hope you love your custom photo canvas! ****

We’re starting off the week with another fabulous giveaway!  This week’s giveaway will make a lovely addition to anyone’s home.  We all have photos that are special to us… wedding photos, family vacation pics, new baby portraits, snapshots of great moments.  Wouldn’t you love to take that favorite photo and turn it into a stunning work of art for your wall?  Well, one lucky Half Baked reader will get to do just that!  Thanks to our generous sponsor, Easy Canvas Prints, you just upload your favorite picture and they take it from photo to canvas.  And this week, one lucky Half Baked reader will win a 18″x24″ Custom Photo Canvas!!

Here’s How to Enter:

Visit Easy Canvas Prints and Leave a Comment below telling us which favorite photo you’d turn into a canvas!  Earn an extra entry by doing any of the following.  Please leave a separate comment for each of your entries.  Maximum of 4 entries per person.

• Sign up to follow Half Baked on Facebook
• Sign up to follow Half Baked on Twitter
• Sign up to follow Half Baked via RSS
• Post about this giveaway on your blog – include a link to this post
• Post about this giveaway on your Facebook – include a link to this post
• Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter – include a link to this post

Giveaway ends Sunday, October 23rd at midnight CST. A winner will be chosen randomly and announced on Monday, October 24th . The winner must claim their prize before Friday, October 28th or a new winner will be selected. You must be 18 years old and either a U.S. or Canadian resident to enter. Maximum of 4 entries per person.  

Good luck everyone!  Happy Monday!

The  moment I saw this cake, I was smitten.  It’s not hard to see why… this crisp and clean design wooed me with its simple elegance.  I’ve always been a fan of the less-is-more school of thought.  And when a fresh white background meets soft natural elements like billy balls and branches, you have one impeccable pair.  From its charming bird silhouettes to its eye catching grey and yellow color scheme, we’re loving this Birds and Billy Balls Cake by Intricate Icings!

Oh my goodness!  I absolutely adore these two little birdies… look how their little heads align as if they were puzzle pieces fitting together.  Ah, the symbolism of a new couple coming together to form one union.  Okay, back to the cake!  Loving the dainty dashed scrollwork as well!

You’re smitten now too, right!  Rachael Teufel and her team at Intricate Icings have captivated us once again with their lovely work!   Be sure to check out more of their charming cake creations on the Intricate Icings website and blog and right here in our Top Tier Directory.  You can also catch Rachael on the upcoming Food Network Challenge, Halloween Ghost Story Cakes, on October 23!

A special thank you to Rachael for sharing her lovely Birds & Bill Balls Wedding Cake with us today!

Vendors & Credits:
Cake: Intricate Icings
Photography: Beth Photography