Today’s feature is so adorable, its cuteness factor is off the charts!  Lovable elephants parade through a world of pink and grey polka dots with goodies of every kind.  From cotton candy meringues to precious elephant cookies and even hand-made chocolate peanuts!  Not to mention the delightful cake featuring stripes, dots and a darling topper.  A sweet little elly who will warm your heart…  his facial expression is priceless!  Prepare  to be smitten with this beautiful cake and all of the matching pretties.  Let’s take a look at this charming Elephant Birthday Party, created by Althea Heussner of Bakermama for her daughter’s 1st birthday.

Althea of Bakermama shares the story behind this party:

“I’d been dreaming about throwing the most amazing birthday parties for my future children for years.  I didn’t celebrate holidays and birthdays as a child, so I feel like I have years worth of missed parties and cakes to make up for.  One of the reasons I ever took that very first cake decorating class was because some day I wanted to be ‘Super Mom’ and would need to know how to make epic birthday cakes.  Therefor when it finally came time to celebrate my first child’s first birthday, I was ecstatic!”

More from Althea of Bakermama:

“The elephant theme was chosen because the meaning of her name (Ayla) and the symbolic meaning of the Elephant are both ‘strength’.  That, she loves watching Dumbo, and I just think they’re the cutest things ever.  I used the darling invitations I found from Swanky Press as my inspiration for the everything.  Bownanas sewed her the sweetest skirt and onesie to match, and I continued the elephant / polka dot theme throughout the dessert table with cake pops, hand-made chocolate peanuts, cotton candy meringues, cupcakes and hand-cut elephant cookies.  I made the banner and party favors using my Cricut machine.”

Seriously, could this cake get any cuter?  The sweet elephant topper is conveying so much through his shy little eyes.  Something along the lines of… “I love you… Happy Birthday… Please don’t eat me!”

From the invites to the cake, everything is simply precious!  A big thanks to Thea of Bakermama for sharing this delightful Elephant Birthday Party with us today!  What a wonderful celebration for your family and the birthday girl!

VENDORS & CREDITS
Cake, Desserts & Party Styling  :  Bakermama
Invitations  :  Swanky Press
Photograhy  :  Sylwia Ok
Birthday Outfit  :  Bownanas

Today’s cake is quite possibly one of the most gorgeous cakes to grace this blog.  I know, I know… that is a very big statement.  One hard to live up to considering all of the incredible cakes showcased over the years.  But I think you’ll soon agree!  So put your coffee down and have a seat because today’s cake may simply take your breath away!

As if a spectacular cake wasn’t enough, we’re also taking a peek into the mind of the talented creator.  You know how I love seeing the inspiration behind a design.  And I know you love it too!   So, it’s time for another fabulous From Dress to Cake post!  Really, can it get any better?

Inspired by a fabulous Vera Wang dress and a ‘Black Tie’ theme, Patricia of Yummy Cupcakes & Cakes created this ultra elegant and sophisticated design for a feature in Real Weddings magazine.  Swirls of ruffled rosettes provide a delightful contrast to the tailored appearance of metallic silver tiers.  White sugar anemones mimic both the grace of the ruffles and the small hints of black from the delicate ribbon borders.  Prepare to swoon as we go from dress to cake with today’s very Vera Ruffled Rosette Cake.  Let’s start with the inspiration….

Patricia of Yummy Cupcakes & Cakes shares the story behind her creation:

“I can’t remember the first time I came across the name ‘Vera Wang’… but I remember that I was mesmerized by the beauty of her designs!  And then I saw these dresses……. ideas started to form in my head and onto the sketch pad.

The opportunity to create this cake came a few months later, in February 2012, when I received an editorial callout from Real Weddings magazine for their Winter issue, which also happened to be their 10th year Anniversary issue and the theme was ‘Black Tie’.  I incorporated some elements from the style briefing supplied by Real Weddings into the original concept of Vera cake.  The issue hit the shelves at the beginning of July 2012.”

Patricia of Yummy Cupcakes & Cakes chats with us about her technique:

“The Rosette ruffles were quite tricky to do at the beginning.  I was trying different ways of sticking the ruffles to the cake, whether to use flower paste or fondant or mixed of both … I tried them all!  It took me several trials and errors to finally succeed.  When it comes to the sugar anemones, I wanted the flowers to have more movement and more volume.  Hence each petal was wired to achieve this.”

Let’s get a better look at these incredible ruffles and gorgeous anemones….

Oh, be still my heart!  This cake is simply magnificent!  A huge thank you to Patricia of Yummy Cupcakes & Cakes for sharing her incredible Ruffled Rosette Cake with us today.  You have us giddy with its gorgeousness!

VENDORS & CREDITS:
Cake  :  Yummy Cupcakes & Cakes
Inspiration Dresses  :  Vera Wang
Inspiration Bouquet  :  Martha Stewart Weddings

Today’s cake should probably be called ‘Sugar & Spice” because it reminds me of all things nice!  With soft pastels and swags of ribbons, this design is as sweet as it is girlie.  Jamie Hoffman of Yuma Couture Cakes was going for whimsical and colorful when she created this lovely design for a photo shoot.  Well, I think she succeeded!  The hand-painted gingham plaid is just too charming!  Paired with delicate flowers and dainty bows, this cake is a little girl’s dream!  It would be perfect for an enchanted forest birthday, a vintage tea or any delightfully ladylike occasion.  Let’s take in the beauty of this darling Gingham & Bows Cake!

Jamie of Yuma Couture Cakes shares a little about her design.

“For the topper, I took a styrofoam ball, and covered it completely in individually hand made gum paste ribbon and frilly type flowers.  I have always wanted to try my hand at a gingham like pattern, so I decided to go for it with this project.  I carefully painted stripes on two of the tiers with a flat brush, airbrush coloring, and a very steady hand.  Carefree fondant bows and ribbon adorn the other two tiers, and I brought the ribbon/frill flowers from the topper to all of the ledges of the tiers to tie it all together.  I had a lot of fun with this cake, and it pushed me to try to incorporate at least some amount of hand painting in all of my designs since then.”

I love how the swags of ribbon on the cake coordinate with the ribbon backdrop and the ribbon-like appearance of the gingham.  It all ties together (pun intended) perfectly.

From the hand-painted gingham to the graceful ribbons and petite bows, this cake is simply delightful!  A special thank you to Jamie Hoffman of Yuma Couture Cakes for sharing her precious Gingham & Bows Cake with us today! 

VENDORS & CREDITS
Cake: Yuma Couture Cakes
Photography:  Laurie Brown Photography