It’s time for another fabulous fashion-inspired post!  For more than a year now, we’ve been swooning over cake designs inspired by glamorous gowns.  And we all have come to know and love the ‘from dress to cake‘ concept.  But you may not realize that our very first ‘from dress to cake’ post featured today’s baker.  The talented Rachael Teufel, of Intricate Icings Cake Design in Erie, Colorado.  Ever since that very first post, we’ve enjoyed watching Rachael take dresses of all styles and turn them into stunning cake designs.  And today is another gorgeous example, complete with ruching, flowery frills and the actual dress!  Get ready to fall in LOVE…

Rachael of Intricate Icings gives us the scoop on this cake:

“We created this gown inspired wedding cake for the Martina Liana trunk show held at The Bridal Collection.  The trunk show offers brides a chance to see a larger selection of gowns by a particular gown designer and it is an opportunity for us to show off our cake designing skills using these same gowns as inspiration.  When looking at Martina Liana’s collection, I was drawn to a gown that featured overlapping layers of fabric, know as ruching, with floral accents on the hip and shoulder.”

Rachael of Intricate Icings shares her techniques:

“The bottom tier of cake was first carved into the shape of the skirt then layered with modeling chocolate ruffles.  The top tiers were covered in fondant, then textured to mimic the ruching fabric.  I used modeling chocolate petals in an overlapping fashion to recreate the look of the gowns floral accents. Towards the bottom of the cake there a few more single petals accented with sugar pearls.”

Ummm… please hold on a second while I pick my jaw up off the floor.  Talk about a showstopper!  Traditionally, the flower girl has always been the sweetest little thing in white next to the bride.  But she might have a run for her money with this cake.  It is incredible!  This dress-inspired design deserves its own role in the bridal party.  Perhaps it can be the ‘flour girl’.

A very special thank you to Rachael of Intricate Icings Cake Design for inspiring us with another From Dress to Cake transformation!

VENDORS & CREDITS
Cake:  Intricate Icings Cake Design
Photography: Allee Photography
Gown:   Martina Liana style 413
Bridal Salon:   The Bridal Collection

Our contributor, Tessa Huff, is back with another tempting cake recipe….

Spring is the season for brunching.  Good friends, daffodils, pastries, and mimosas- there is no better way to celebrate renewal, bright blooms, and warmer weather.  Amongst the danishes, donuts, and other sweet treats, cake does not seem to make many appearances on the brunch menu.  But what not bring cake to the breakfast party?  Coming from someone who believes a nice layer cake is appropriate for all occasions, lets break the boundaries and eat cake for breakfast!

Whenever I make pancakes, they are never ready all at the same time, especially when serving a crowd.  I typically serve my guests the fresh, warm pancakes, while I either snack on the oddly-shaped ones in the kitchen or eat alone once everyone else is served.  With this Blueberry Breakfast Cake, everyone can enjoy the nostalgic flavors of blueberry pancakes all at once.

For this recipe, I deconstructed one of my favorite brunch food items and used the flavors to create a new dessert.  It uses all of our favorite early morning flavors that leave us feeling warm and fuzzy all day.

A blueberry-studded buttermilk cake serves as the base for this creation, with a sprinkle of cinnamon for a touch of warmth.  Fresh or frozen blueberries will work, but keep them frozen to prevent bleeding in your cake batter.  I was inspired by the luscious pats of butter and ooey syrup found atop stacks of pancakes for the filling.  The browned-butter is slightly nutty and pairs wonderfully with the addition of pure maple syrup.  Since the buttermilk cake is on the heavier side and browned-butter filling is fairly rich, the final cake is iced with a light, cinnamon whipped cream frosting.

BLUEBERRY BREAKFAST CAKE
a recipe by Tessa Huff

3 cups all purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
4 eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 cups blueberries, frozen

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare 3 X 8” baking pans.
2. Sift dry ingredients and set aside.  Toss frozen blueberries in a separate bowl with just enough flour to lightly coat and set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter on medium-high speed with a paddle attachment.
4. Add sugar. Mix again until light and fluffy (about 3-5 minutes)
5. With the mixer on medium-low, add the vanilla and eggs, one at a time.  Turn mixer off and scrape the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
6. With the mixer on low, carefully add about half of your dry ingredients until just combined.
7. While the mixer is still running, stream in the buttermilk.
8. Add in the remaining dry ingredients and mix until combined.
9. Removed the bowl from the mixer and gently fold in the blueberries.
10. Divide batter evenly between the three cake pans and place in the oven.  Bake until a wooden skewer comes out clean or with little crumbs from the center of the cake, about 20 minutes.  Rotate pans halfway through baking.
11. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack before inverting.

for the Maple Browned-Butter Filling

3 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2-4 tablespoons milk

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Continue to cook until the butter becomes an amber brown, about 10 minutes.  Stir frequently to avoid burning the butter.  Once browned, remove from heat and cool.  After the butter has cooled, stir in the remaining ingredients.  Gradually add in the milk and adjust amount according to desired consistency.  Use immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container.

for the Cinnamon Whipped Cream

2 cups cold whipping cream
3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Using the whisk attachment, beat the cream mixture on high until stiff peaks form.  Be careful not to over-mix.  Use immediately.

	Tessa Lindow Huff Tessa Huff is a professional cake designer and lover of all things art and design.  She particularly enjoys creating edible decorations, sugar flowers, and unique flavor pairings with fresh, seasonal flavors. Read more about Tessa on her bio page.

Get ready to set sail with today’s helping of nautical inspiration.  I’ll admit it.  I am obsessed with any and all things nautical.  I know many of you are too!  There is something so fresh, clean and downright summery about the nautical look.  The crisp red, white and blue color scheme paired with stripes is always a classic.  And I’m especially fond of decorating with woven nautical rope.  Whether wrapped around a hurricane vase or lantern, a little touch of rope adds charm and texture.  So needless to say, I did a rope-loving dance when I saw today’s cake!  Created by Kristin Kirkpatrick , owner of Fat Girl Cakes in Virginia, this design captures all of the great nautical trends.  Bold wide stripes come together with an anchor that is truly golden.  And ropes that you must see to believe.  Let’s take a look at this Classic Nautical Cake!

Kristin of Fat Girl Cakes gives us the scoop on her design:

“Late last year I met with a couple who were planning a nautical-themed wedding.  Since it was my first inquiry using that theme, I spent several hours researching molds, stencils, and motifs that are out there.  While coming up with cake possibilities for them, the one idea I really hoped they would choose was doing a tier covered in fondant rope.  When the couple chose another baker I was heart-broken, not because they went with someone else, but because I couldn’t make that rope tier!”

More from Kristin of Fat Girl Cakes :

“Fast-forward a few months and one of the venues where I am a preferred vendor contacted me to make them a cake for their bridal open house.  The theme… you guessed it… NAUTICAL!  One of the coordinators sent me a picture of the traditional decor and red, navy, and gold striped table linens there were planning on using, and I knew I was finally going to make that rope tier I had been dreaming of.  I ran it by the coordinator to make sure she was on board, and she said to go for it!”

I’m so glad Kristen had the opportunity to bring her rope tier to life.  Because it is incredible!  And the gold gilding on the anchor is such a great addition, providing contrast and a nice metallic pop.

A very special thank you to Kristin Kirkpatrick of Fat Girl Cakes for sharing her Classic Nautical Cake with us today!  Your seaworthy design is just stunning!

VENDORS & CREDITS
Cake:  Fat Girl Cakes
Photography:  Kitt Creative