The holiday inspiration continues with our newest cake series, The 12 Cakes of Christmas!  We’re celebrating twelve days of beautifully festive cakes, created especially to inspire you to holiday greatness!  Twelve talented bakers were asked to create innovative and elegant cake designs appropriate for both Christmas parties and winter weddings.  And along the way, we get an up close look at what inspires this talented group.  It’s 12 bakers baking…. it’s The 12 Cakes of Christmas! 

The eighth cake in our series comes to us from Sherri Meyers and her team at The Pastry Studio in Daytona Beach, Florida.  You probably remember Sherri from previous features on our site (like this pink ruffled cake or this retro candy buttons cake).  And we certainly can’t forget the incredible Nutcracker Cake featured last Christmas.  Sherri is back again this year with a golden treasure that glitters with excellence.   Sleek and seriously sophisticated, is cake is oh-so-fabulous.  And it’s The 8th Cake of Christmas!

Our 12 Cakes of Christmas series is not a literal interpretation of the twelve gifts of Christmas…  ie there’s no pippers piping or maids a milking.  But today’s cake does build upon this classic Christmas song.  There may not be a partridge, but this pear cake is ripe with beauty.  Sherri brings the golden glamor of the holiday season to life with shimmering goodness that is dazzling beyond compare!

Pop the Prosecco because this cake has us bubbling with delight!  Amidst the swirls of glimmering grommet-inspired buttons are pears gleaming with gold.  Its refined elegance is simply spectacular!

Sherri of The Pastry Studio tells us about her technique:

“This is our Golden Pear Cake inspired by a Chic Formal Affair with the Partridge in a Pear Tree theme.  We love the simple elegance of this design.  The cake is gilded in a metallic gold and silver edible paint.  The grommet dots are all hand cut and painted with a combination of metallics. The pears have a soft green base then painted in gold.”

Oh for the love of all that shimmers.  Let’s get a better look at these brilliant pears…

And the gorgeous metallic buttons?  At first glance, I’m thinking champagne bubbles floating to the top.  At second glance, I’m envisioning sequins softly shimmering.  At every glance, I’m enchanted and want more!

A huge thank you to Sherri Meyers and her team at The Pastry Studio for inspiring us with this gorgeous golden pear cake.  It is simply exquisite!

One quick note for all of the bakers out there…. did you know there is a Wild Card Spot open in our series!!  The 12th Cake of Christmas is open and up for grabs!  It’s a fun little competition open to any and all bakers who choose to submit a design.  So to all of the talented bakers who read and follow along…. now’s your chance!  Submit your merriest design to be considered.  Your cake may become The 12 Cake of Christmas!!  Email your photos or links to me at carrie@thecakeblog.com by Wednesday Dec 19th.

And at the risk of sounding like a broken record… have you entered our current KitchenAid Mixer Giveaway yet?  Today is the last day!!  Win a Stand Mixer for you and Hand Blender for your best friend!  Enter HERE now!

VENDORS & CREDITS
Cake : The Pastry Studio
Photography : Sherri Meyers

Our cupcake contributor, Lauren of Crave. Indulge. Satisfy., is here with a delicious new recipe….

It’s official…I am in full holiday baking mode at my house!  After a trip to World Market and discovering all sorts of adorable mint green and red baking tins, parchment paper and striped and polk a dot cupcake wrappers my mind has been going non stop dreaming up all sorts of sweet treats for the month of December!  I went to the store and stocked up on a variety of flavored baking chips, chocolates, sprinkles, confectioner’s sugar and candy canes!  I think my pantry is now fully loaded and ready to embrace the season of baking!  To kick things off I chose peppermint as the theme and created a fun Peppermint and White Chocolate cupcake that is sure to be a hit at your upcoming holiday festivities.

If you are long time follower of Half Baked you may remember the Hot Chocolate Cupcakes with Peppermint Buttercream I created last year.  I am a huge fan of peppermint this time of year, so I decided to stick with that flavor and do a spin off creating a completely different version of a peppermint cupcake.

This year the cake starts as a basic white recipe with Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips added, providing both a peppermint flavor and a sprinkling of red throughout.  These cupcakes are certainly festive on their own before any icing is added.  To complement the peppermint flavor I used a white chocolate buttercream.  The pairing of white chocolate and peppermint works so well together, although I’m sure you already know this if you are fan of peppermint bark!

To finish off the look of these cupcakes I crushed up some candy canes with a rolling pin and sprinkled them on top of the buttercream.  It’s the perfect little red and white peppermint treat perfect for you, your family and friends and even for Santa! S o this year instead of leaving Santa a plate full of cookies, I bet he would love it if you gave him some cupcakes and milk!

Peppermint Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream
recipe by Lauren Kapeluck
(makes 28 cupcakes)

For the cake:
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
5 egg whites
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pans with cupcake liners.
2. In bowl of stand mixer beat butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy.
3. Add in egg whites one at a time mixing well after each addition.
4. Add peppermint extract and mix.
5. In medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt.
6. Gradually add flour mixture and milk alternating and scraping down bowl as necessary.
7. Stir in sour cream and peppermint chips.
8. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter.
9. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
10. Let cupcakes cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to wire racks to finish cooling.

For the buttercream:
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
6 (1oz) squares white chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
6-7 cups confectioner’s sugar

1. In microwave safe bowl combine white chocolate and cream.
2. Microwave on high for 30-second intervals, stirring after each until chocolate is melted (approximately 1 1/2 minutes). Let cool completely.
3. In bowl of stand mixer combine butter and chocolate mixture.  Beat at medium speed until creamy.
4. Add vanilla and mix well.
5. Gradually add in confectioner’s sugar 1 cup at a time, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.
6. Place buttercream in a piping bag fitted with large round tip and squeeze a dollop on top of each cupcake.
7. Garnish with crushed candy canes.

Note : If you decide to garnish with candy canes, it is best to eat these cupcakes within a few hours of decorating as the candy will start to melt into the icing after sitting over time.

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season!  Enjoy!

	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.

The holiday inspiration continues with our newest cake series, The 12 Cakes of Christmas!  We’re celebrating twelve days of beautifully festive cakes, created especially to inspire you to holiday greatness!  Twelve talented bakers were asked to create innovative and elegant cake designs appropriate for both Christmas parties and winter weddings.  And along the way, we get an up close look at what inspires this talented group.  It’s 12 bakers baking…. it’s The 12 Cakes of Christmas! 

The seventh cake in our series comes to us from Jessica Harris, of the Jessicakes Blog.  You probably remember Jessica from previous features on our site (like this fashion fairytale cake or this ruffled china cake).  And I’m positive you’ll recognize Jessica’s hot air balloon cake!  It was pinned, and repinned and pinned again!  And rightfully so…  it’s beyond gorgeous.  Jessica is well loved for both her bold graphic style as well as her willingness to share techniques, tips and tutorials on her blog.  And I’m thrilled that she’s back today with another wow-worthy design!  Inspired by the true meaning of Christmas and shimmering with gold… It’s The 7th Cake of Christmas!

Jessica builds on her faith and the traditional Star of Christmas to create a scene glittering with brilliance.  Upon the dark night sky, a radiant star shines down from above.  Luminous rays, glowing with gold, glisten down.  The season of Christmas is upon us.  And Jessica captures that feeling, that Christmas joy… the true spirit of the season.  With beauty and elegance.  It’s simply stunning and will make you beam!

Jessica of Jessicakes tells us about her inspiration:

“When Carrie emailed to ask me to be apart of her 12 Cakes of Christmas I was thrilled!  I love love love Christmas!  There are so many wonderful things about Christmas!  As a mom, there is something so special about blessing my kiddos with fun gifts or seeing their faces light up when they walk out Christmas morning in their cute PJ’s with big eyes and smiles to see that Santa left them something!  I love spending cozy evenings together with my family to eat yummy food, play games and exchange gifts.  But, my inspiration for all of that, for the entire Christmas holiday, is firstly celebrating the birth of my Savior, Jesus Christ.  For God to send His only Son into the world to live among us, then to die for us, is the most beautiful gift and the inspiration for every moment of my life.”

Jessica of Jessicakes shares more about her inspiration:

“So, my cake was inspired by the Star of Christmas…for He is the Light of the World!  Set against a black background, His light is brilliant.  As it shines down upon us, we become His little cities on a hill (the dragees) that are meant to reflect His love, His glory and His grace!  I pray this holiday season, as we all celebrate Christmas, that we will remember Jesus as the Star of Christmas and that we would reach out to others and shine His love, forgiveness, kindness and generosity into their lives.  Merry Christmas!”

Oh Christmas joy!  Oh gorgeous Christmas cake!!  Let’s enjoy one more look at this glorious star…

A special thank you to Jessica of Jessicakes for inspiring us with her brilliant Star of Christmas!

Only five cakes left in our series, The 12 Cakes of Christmas!  You can catch cakes one through six HERE.  And remember that there’s only a few days left of enter our current KitchenAid Mixer Giveaway… who doesn’t want a new stand mixer for Christmas?  And a new blender for your best friend?  Enter HERE now!

And just in case you missed the announcement…. there is a Wild Card Spot Open in our series!!  The 12th Cake of Christmas is open and up for grabs!  A fun little competition open to any and all bakers who choose to submit a design.  So to all of the talented bakers who read and follow along…. now’s your chance!  Submit your merriest design to be considered.  Your cake may become The 12 Cake of Christmas!!  Email your photos or links to me at carrie@thecakeblog.com by Wednesday Dec 19th.

VENDORS & CREDITS
Cake:  Jessicakes
Photography :  Jessica Harris
Inspiration Invitation : Tiny Prints