Yesterday we announced a fabulous KitchenAid Giveaway, just in time for the holidays!   But now it’s time to get back to the cakes.  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 fifth cake in our series comes to us from Erica O’Brien, owner of Erica O’Brien Cake Design located in Hamden, CT.  You probably remember Erica from previous features on our site (like this ruffles & lace design or this winter white design).  We’ve been crushing over Erica’s designs for several years now.  And with good reason.  Her refined style and knack for elevating current trends into elegant designs consistently has us gushing.  And today’s cake is no exception.  It’s beyond gorgeous and it’s The 5th Cake of Christmas!

Erica builds on the concept of a DIY Christmas and these oh-so-popular kraft tags to create a serious show-stopper!  A base of snowy white is dressed with traditional mistletoe and white berries.  Creating a wintry scene so elegant, so refined, so perfect for what comes next.  Edible kraft brown gift tags, hanging by a delicate string of gold.  Lightly shaded and stamped with a sentiment meant for Christmas.  Peace.  Love.  Joy.

Ultra tailored and perfectly precise, this little gem lets the simple beauty of the holidays shine through.  And to be honest… it makes my heart skip a few beats!  Oh let us count the reasons to L.O.V.E. this cake!

Erica O’Brien shares a few thoughts about her design:

“My interpretation of the Christmas theme for this cake was pretty literal, so I adorned the three tiers with edible sugar sprays of American mistletoe and winter berries.  I had some metal alphabet stamps from another project, and thought an edible replica of the DIY hang tags that are so popular right now would be a perfect way to to incorporate a DIY nod to Christmas.”

Seriously, those tags are truly incredible!  And definitely worthy of your favorite pin board.  Love the concept.  Love the execution.  Love everything about them!  Let’s steal another look at the entire cake, shall we?

Thank you, thank you to Erica of Erica O’Brien Cake Design for inspiring us with her elegant take on a DIY Christmas.  And to Brooke Allison Photography for the gorgeous images!

I hope you’re loving all of the cakes in The 12 Cakes of Christmas!  If you missed any, you can see them HERE.  And remember that we have an incredible giveaway going on right now.  One lucky reader will win a KitchenAid Stand Mixer for you… and a KitchenAid Hand Blender for your best friend!  If you haven’t taken a moment to enter, now’s the time!  Enter HERE!

VENDORS & CREDITS
Cake : Erica O’Brien
Photography : Brooke Allison Photo
Inspiration Image : Wreath
Inspiration Image : Bottles & Tags

**** WINNER UPDATE.  This giveaway is now closed.  Our lucky winner is… Elyse who said “Everything!  I would first love to make cookies and cakes with my daughter.” on December 10, 2012 at 4:45 pm.  Congratulations Elyse!  Please contact me by Thursday, December 20th to claim your prize.  Enjoy! ****

Now that we’re officially in the holiday spirit and The 12 Cakes of Christmas is well underway… I think it’s time for a little giveaway.  Don’t you?  We’ve partnered up with our friends at KitchenAid again to bring you another fabulous contest!  One that involves both giving and receiving.  This year you’ll be the ultimate baker and the ultimate gift giver!  Because one lucky reader will win a 5 quart KitchenAid Stand Mixer for you!  AND a 5-Speed KitchenAid Hand Blender for your best baking friend!!  It’s twice the prizes and twice the fun!  It’s twice the Ho, Ho, Ho!

Are you squealing as loud as I am?!  Seriously…. talk about an amazing prize!

I absolutely love my KitchenAid and use it for everything!  For 12 years now, my classic 4.5 quart mixer has seen me through thick and thin.   I cannot even begin to count the endless batches of cake batter and icing it has endured over the years.  Not to mention cookie dough, pizza dough… I could go on!  So I am quite thrilled for our soon-to-be winner of this gorgeous 5 Quart KitchenAid Stand Mixer!

And in the true spirit of the season… it is better to give than to receive!  Our lucky winner will be able to share this prize with their best baking buddy!

Whether that’s Mom, Aunt Carol, or your best friend!  It’s your gift to give!  It’s a 5-Speed KitchenAid Hand Blender!!  Stainless steel blades and five different attachments will have your best buddy blending, chopping and shredding with ease.  It can even froth milk for espresso drinks (now we’re really talking!).  Just think of your bestie happily frothing up a peppermint latte for you… as a way of saying thank you!  For sharing your amazing prize!  Oh what joy!

**** WINNER UPDATE.  This giveaway is now closed.  Our lucky winner is… Elyse who said “Everything!  I would first love to make cookies and cakes with my daughter.” on December 10, 2012 at 4:45 pm.  Congratulations Elyse!  Please contact me by Thursday, December 20th to claim your prize.  Enjoy! ****

HERE’S HOW TO ENTER :

1. Sign up to follow Half Baked – The Cake Blog on Facebook
   
2. Sign up to follow KitchenAid on Facebook
   
3. Leave a comment below telling us what you’d mix up with your new KitchenAid products!

Giveaway ends Monday, Dec 17, 2012 at midnight PST.  A winner will be chosen via random.org and announced here, on this post, on Tuesday, Dec 18th.  Winner will be notified by email and must claim their prize within 48 hours or a new winner will be selected.  This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.  Promotion open to new and existing Facebook Fans.  Winning is conditioned on liking both Facebook pages.  Prize includes one KitchenAid 5-Quart Artisan Stand Mixer, provided by TheCakeBlog.com, valued at $429.  And one KitchenAid 5-Speed Hand Blender with attachments, provided by KitchenAid, valued at $129.  Prizes may not be shipped until Jan 2013.  Void where prohibited.  Only one (1) entry per person.  Must be a US resident and at least 18 years old to enter. 

Our newest cake series, The 12 Cakes of Christmas, is in full swing!  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 fourth cake in our series comes to us from Stevi Auble, owner of Hey There, Cupcake! located in San Diego.  You probably remember Stevi from this gorgeously snowy cake we featured last January.  I’m thrilled she’s joining us today and celebrating the wonder of winter, once again!  With a design that is elegant. sophisticated. and exquisite.  It’s undeniably beautiful… It’s The 4th Cake of Christmas!

Inspired by this incredible image from Chanel, Stevi’s design is a subtle yet spectacular ode to winter whites.  Perfectly polished with just the right touch of drama.  Extra tall tiers and a soft frosty blue create the perfect stage for a delicate lace pattern.  But the real stars of this show are the flowers!  Oodles and oodles of delicate, frilly, flowers.  Rivaling Chanel’s magnificent paper wall.  Over 100 individual handmade rice paper flowers to be exact!  This winter white beauty is both sophisticated and chic!  And I bet you’re dying to see it…

Stevi of Hey There, Cupcake! tells us more about the inspiration behind her design:

“I have had this inspiration photo tucked away for some time just waiting for a good excuse to use to recreate in cake form.  I am a sucker for texture and contrast as well as lightly tiptoeing around any given theme, so while this cake may not be “in your face” holiday, I was hoping to just invoke that feeling of wintery wonder that seems to creep in this time of year.”

Stevi of Hey There, Cupcake! shares the scoop on her technique:

“The cake is covered in die cut rice paper sheets and over 100 individual handmade rice paper flowers.  The gumpaste branches were added to slightly roughen up the softness of all of those papery thin textures.”

This design is seriously stunning!  The extra tall tiers are statement-making.  And the abundance of magnificent white-on-white flowers creates a feast for the eyes.  This design is holiday indulgence at its best!  Thank you, thank you to Stevi of Hey There, Cupcake! for inspiring us with her spectacular take on winter whites.  And to Nicole Benitez for the gorgeous photography!

I hope you’ve enjoyed the first four cakes in The 12 Cakes of Christmas!  If you missed any, you can see them all HERE.  The holiday fun continues on Monday…  Happy Weekend everyone!

VENDORS & CREDITS
Cake : Hey There, Cupcake!
Photography : Nicole Benitez Photography
Inspiration : Chanel