When you’re expecting a new addition to the family, there’s nothing quite like the moment you find out the gender of your little one.  Will there be pink tutus or snakes and snails in your future?   The days of waiting until the actual birth to find out the sex of your baby are long gone.  Most couples choose to find out ahead of time and many plan fun ways to share their big news with friends and family!  I’m loving all of the creative gender reveal ideas and parties we’ve been seeing lately and this one absolutely takes the cake!  Literally!  Well, I guess technically it is a cupcake, but you get the idea.   We’re definitely inspired by these clever Gender Reveal Cupcakes, created by Cream & Flutter.

A few thoughts from Trisha Sutton, co-owner of Cream & Flutter and proud mom-to-be:

“Around here, when there’s something to celebrate, we turn to cake.  Our family and friends have been “patiently” waiting to find out the gender of Baby Sutton.  I am currently 24 weeks pregnant and we finally got the news.  To make the big surprise even more delicious, I decided to hand out gender reveal cupcakes!  So I whipped up a batch of dark chocolate cupcakes, filled them with the appropriate color of vanilla bean cream filling, topped them with a layer of rich chocolate ganache, and finished them off with a charming (and mysterious!) little question mark.”

How adorable, right?  Just think of how delighted your friends and family would be… they get to share in your exciting news AND enjoy a cupcake!  How could that get any better?

A very special thank you to Trisha and Amanda from Cream & Flutter for sharing their ingenious Gender Reveal Cupcakes with us today!  Best wishes and congrats to Trisha on her new little man.  I have a feeling he’s going to be quite the baker!

We’re starting off the week with a fabulous giveaway that will have all of the cakers (and wanna be cakers) jumping for joy!  This giveaway makes me think back to my wedding, when I first became interested in cake design.  As the bride-to-be, I spent hours looking for ‘the perfect wedding cake’ and soon wanted to try my hand cake decorating.  Only, I had no idea where to start!!  So I took a class at a local bakery and it was… well… let’s just say I was very underwhelmed by the knowledge shared.  To create the best cakes, you need to learn from the best!

Well, now it’s easier than ever to learn from the best!  Sharon Zambito is a world renowned and much sought after cake designer, instructor and owner of Sugar Ed Productions.  Her work has been published in national magazines such Grace Ormonde Wedding Style and she has appeared twice on TLC’s Ultimate Cake Off!  Sharon has been inspiring cake designers for years with her designs, techniques and instructional videos.  Like I said, if you want to create the best cakes, you need to learn from the best!  So when Sharon Zambito offered to sponsor a giveaway, we jumped at the chance!  And you’ll soon be jumping too because one lucky Half Baked reader will win a $100 shop credit to Sugar Ed Productions to spend on any of Sharon’s cake decorating DVDs and supplies!!!

Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, Sharon has an instructional DVD for you.  Learn everything you need to know from Successfully Stacking your cake to covering it in Flawless Fondant, or going Totally Topsy Turvy.  Maybe you need to start at the beginning with her Back to Basics, baking for cake decorating series.  And of course you’ll need the tools and supplies shown in the videos!  Who couldn’t use a fondant smoother, bench scraper or some new cutters?  Our winner will have a ball spending their shop credit on any of Sharon’s DVD’s and supplies!

Visit Sugar Ed Productions and Leave a Comment below telling us which instructional DVD has your name on it!   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, August 14th at midnight CST. A winner will be chosen randomly and announced on Monday, August 15th . The winner must claim their prize before Friday, July 19th 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.  $100 credit does not include shipping.  Winner will need to pay for shipping, or include the shipping in the $100 credit. May not be used in combination with a sale or any other specials.

Good luck everyone! Enjoy your window shopping at Sugar Ed Productions!

Things have changed so much over the last ten years when it comes to weddings, parties and cakes.  The only rule is that there are no rules!  Anything goes and it’s all about incorporating your own personal style into the event.  That includes the cake and yes, even the cake topper!

That’s why we love these handmade paper cake toppers from Concarta.  Each and every sculpture is hand crafted using acid free paper, a variety of cutting tools, and archival quality glue.  Whether your style is traditional, trendy or preppy, every last detail of your wedding ensemble will be captured in these darling cake toppers.  From the dress and veil to his tuxedo and tie, even the bride’s hair and bouquet!  The artistry in each creation is simply amazing!

A few thoughts from Gwen, the talented artist behind these cake toppers, about her inspiration and creation process:

“I just love paper and find it to be an inherently elegant material with an incredible range.  I do particularly enjoy making the dresses, as each one is different and requires an approach tailored to its specific details.  Some dresses can be “draped”, while for others, I engineer little flat patterns with appropriately placed “seams”.  A lot of the work is simply putting in the necessary time and patience – making tiny riffles, making tiny ruffles and then turning those tiny ruffles into flowers and THEN applying those ruffled flowers to a dress in a particular pattern…sometimes there are a lot of steps!”

Aren’t they too charming for words!!  I was completely entranced by all of the incredible paper toppers on the Concarta Blog.  Hop on over and spend a minute (or hour) browsing these amazing creations.  Brides, you can purchase them at the Concarta Etsy Shop.  Enjoy!

With kids heading back to school, it’s starting to feel like summer is almost over.  I’m not sure if I’m quite ready for that!  So I thought we’d bask in the sun just a little bit longer with a party that is all about sunshine!  From the sun streaming down on a gorgeous day in Hollywood Hills to the vibrant color scheme of hot pink and golden yellow.  Not to mention the sweetest little sunshine of all, Madison, the birthday girl!  Sent over to us by Auntie Monica, this party is both cheerful and bright!  Featuring a candy buffet to make you drool, check out this My Lil Sunshine 1st Birthday Party.

How adorable are these cookies by The Cookie Jar?  I absolutely love the little sprinkles on the ‘cupcake icing’!  And the candy buffet is truly over-the-top fabulous!

Along with the gorgeous dessert bar and cookies, guests were treated to a brunch and a signature mimosa bar, where they were able to toast and indulge!  And of course, there was the breathtaking view to enjoy as well!

Don’t you just want to jump into these photos?  What an amazing day, in every way!  A very special thank you to Monica for sharing this My Lil Sunshine 1st Birthday Party with us!

Vendors & Credits:
Party Planning & Styling: Platinum Events & Productions
Personalized Paper Goods: Shindig Parties To Go
Cake: Gigi Bobb
Photography: Jill Birkmann
Cookies: The Cookie Jar
Couture Tutu Set: Strawberrie Rose

Today’s featured cake is all about candy.  Literally!  It is covered in candy and is most definitely eye candy for you.  I must warn you though.  If you love peanut butter and chocolate, the cravings produced by this cake might just take over…. you may find yourself rummaging for change and heading to the snack machine!  Between the dark chocolate cake, chocolate ganache, and an entire case of peanut butter cups, this cake is a Reese’s lover’s heaven!  Feast your eyes on this indulgent Peanut Butter Addiction Cake, created by Jennifer White at Cup A Dee Cakes in Georgia.

A few thoughts from Jennifer about this cake:

“The bride and groom asked for a very plain cake with lots of peanut butter cups. The cake itself was two tiers of a 3 layer dark chocolate cake with a layer of ganache, a layer of peanut butter buttercream and finished with chocolate buttercream.”

A few more thoughts from Jennifer about the design:

“For the peanut butter cup “decorations” we used a case of large, two bags of medium sized and two bags of mini’s. There were several imperfect candies that never made it to the cake! We started with a pattern, which you can see if you look hard, but ended up just using every space available to squeeze in more peanut butter cups.”

Oh my goodness, that looks delicious!  Somehow my whole wheat toast topped with organic nut butter did not do it for me for this morning… I want a piece of this cake!!  A very special thank you to Jennifer for sharing her outrageous Peanut Butter Addiction Cake with us. You can see more of her lovely cake creations on the Cup a Dee Cakes website and blog.

Vendors & Credits:
Cake: Cup A Dee Cakes

Did you know that Saturday was National Cheesecake Day?  Oh my, how could we miss an entire day devoted to cheesecake?!?  Everyone loves cheesecake!  New Yorkers make it extra tall and decadently delicious.  In Chicago, sour cream is added to the recipe to keep it creamy.  Philadelphia cheesecake is known for being lighter and creamier than New York-style cheesecake and it can be served with fruit or chocolate toppings.  The St. Louis version features a gooey butter cake, with an additional layer of cake topping on the cheesecake filling.  No matter where you’re from or how you like it, grab your fork and get ready to celebrate with this Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake recipe!

Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
Makes 16 servings

20 chocolate wafer cookies
2 tablespoons butter
2 packages (8-oz each) cream cheese, softened
2   packages (8-oz each) 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
1-1/2   cups granulated sugar
2/3   cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1   teaspoon vanilla extract
4   large eggs
2   packages (6-oz each) Driscoll’s Raspberries
2   ounce bar of semi-sweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Place cookie wafers in a zip-top freezer bag or double bag. Crush with fingers or roll with a rolling pin or food can to make about 1 cup fine crumbs.

Melt butter in a saucepan or medium bowl in the microwave. Stir in crumbs until evenly blended with butter.

Press crumbs firmly on bottom of 9-inch spring-form pan. Bake 5 minutes. Cool.

Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

Beat cream cheeses in a large bowl of electric mixer until smooth. Beat in sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla, starting on low speed then increasing to high, until thoroughly mixed.

Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping bowl well after each addition. Gently stir in 1 cup raspberries. Pour mixture into pan.

Bake 60-70 minutes or until just barely set in center. Edges may crack slightly. Turn oven off and leave in oven 1 hour with door ajar. Remove from oven and cool completely.  Cover and chill at least 8 hours. Run a knife around edge and remove rim.

Top cheesecake with remaining raspberries. Hold chocolate bar over cheesecake; firmly slide a sharp vegetable peeler along edge of chocolate allowing shavings to fall on cake.

{Recipe courtesy of Driscoll’s, Photograph courtesy of Driscoll’s. Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.}

Half Baked is thrilled to announce another great addition to our growing list of sponsors.  If you’re craving sugar that’s both sweet and adorable, then look no further than The Sugar Chic.  These charming cookie favors are a unique and delicious way to add a little sugar to any event!  Just look at these darling summer cookies {summer’s not over yet!}.  There’s still time for a little fun in the sun!  From ice cream to swimsuits, baseballs and flip flops, The Sugar Chic has the perfect cookie for summertime fun!

This classic butter cookie is made with simple, fresh ingredients to produce a slightly crunchy, soft centered texture. All cookies come individually wrapped in a clear cellophane bag and tied with a satin ribbon. You can even request a personalized tag!

How adorable our these little owl cookies? They would be absolutely perfect for a woodland themed birthday party!  I love the use of texture and all of the little details.  And these wedding cookies would make a lovely favor for a bridal shower or as a place setting at a wedding.  What about the high heels and cupcakes?  Sounds like the perfect girls night out!

No matter what the event, The Sugar Chic can create just the cookie for the occasion!  Why not have them send some sugar your way?  You can see more of these clever cookie creations on The Sugar Chic website and Facebook Page.

A special thanks to The Sugar Chic for partnering with us! Welcome to Half Baked!

Don’t you ever wish you could stop in and smell the sweetness at the cake shops we feature?  If you only lived closer… or could plan a cake crawl across the country.  Well, our new Field Trip Series is going to bring your favorite cake shops right to your door.   Or well, at least to your computer screen!  And we’re starting today with an amazing cake boutique located in Toronto.  The perfect marriage between an artist and a pastry chef, Cake Opera Co. is the baby of Alexandria Pellegrino and Jessica Smith.

Cynthia, of Cynthia Martyn Events, recently grabbed her camera and spent an afternoon basking in the beauty and decadence of Cake Opera Co.  And we are thrilled that Cynthia was kind enough to share her stunning images with us!  Honestly, prepare yourself…. because you are about to take a trip to the land of bold and daring cakes!

You can just tell by the window display that there is a treasure inside!  The ladies of Cake Opera Co. definitely have a flair for dramatic, over the top cakes!

Macarons you ask? We say oui oui!  I absolutely adore this Macaron Tower.  Can’t you just imagine it as the centerpiece for a Paris themed bridal shower or birthday party?  Talk about a showstopper!

Why stop at cake when you could indulge in their macarons, chocolate tablets, meringues, cupcakes, marshmallows, nougats or butter cookies?  It’s a good thing this is a virtual tour because I would have to try one of each!  It all looks sinfully delicious!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little field trip to a truly exceptional bakery, Cake Opera Co!  Look for more stops in our Field Trip Series coming soon…. which cake shop should we visit next?

A very special thanks to Cynthia Martyn for the inspiration for our new series and for sharing her stunning images with us.  You can catch up with Cynthia on her website and blog.  And of course, thank you to Cake Opera Co. for inspiring us all!  It’s a cake revolution!

Vendors & Credits:
Cake: Cake Opera Co.
Photography: Cynthia Martyn Events

Today’s cake is so fabulous that I did a little leap when I first saw it!  And then again when I started writing this post!  I have a little obsession with the color grey, only to be followed by my love of black and white.  While some tend to think of these colors as boring, this cake begs to differ.  Talk about striking!  Honestly, I’m not sure why I’m even rambling on because by now I’m sure you’ve caught a glimpse of the cake and are swooning over it as well.  The geometric pattern in black and white is so eye catching and definitely makes a statement.  We’re absolutely loving this Black & White Petals Cake, created by Allison of AK Cake Design in Portland.

A very special thank to you to Allison for sharing her stunning Black & White Petals Cake with us today. You can see more of her incredible cake creations on the AK Cake Design website and on their Facebook Page.

And don’t forget that we’ve got a great giveaway going on right now…. someone’s going to win a pink KichenAid Mixer!!  Have you entered yet?

Vendors & Credits:
Cake: AK Cake Design
Photography: Altura Studio

There’s no better way to start a Monday than to give away a fabulous prize!!  It’s time for us to announce our lucky winner of the pink KitchenAid Mixer!  Someone is going to be whipping up something sweet very soon…

Thank you to everyone who entered!  A very special thank you to our generous sponsor, Del Webb, for offering up such a fabulous prize!

Happy Monday everyone!