We’re just getting started with our holiday cake inspiration, The 12 Cakes of Christmas. 12 days of festive cakes to make you merry, shared with us by some of today’s top cake shops. Whether it’s a winter wedding, an elegant cocktail party or an open house, every occasion deserves a great cake appropriate for the season. And our 2nd Cake of Christmas would definitely steal the show!
An enchanted forest comes to life in the form of cake. With hand-painted winter landscapes and delicate fawn figures, today’s cake from Cake Opera Co. is a snow covered fantasy. Prepare to get lost in this magical world of elegant birch trees and glittering deer….
And because two cakes are twice the fun, this design has a stunning counterpart. Elegant quilting, ruffled flowers and willowy branches dusted with silver snow…
This extraordinary pair is truly magical! The ladies of Cake Opera Co. take cake artistry to an entirely different level. I’m just captivated and in awe of this exquisite cake duo. The painted scene alone is dreamy, let alone the entire display! Could you image this as the centerpiece of your holiday event?
A huge thanks to Jessica and Alexandria of Cake Opera Co. for sharing their Wintry Enchanted Forest Cakes with us today. I could totally get lost in this sugar-coated winter wonderland! Tomorrow, the fun continues with cake #3 of The 12 Cakes of Christmas!
Vendors & Credits:
Cake: Cake Opera Co.
Photography:Â 5ive15ifteen Photo Company
This is, by far, my favorite time of year. The excitement, the buzz, the joy of the holiday season! I’ve been wanting to do this segment for several years now and am thrilled to see it finally come to life. I asked some of my very favorite bakeries and cake shops to send over their best cakes of the season. Well, ask and you shall receive!! I feel like a kid on Christmas morning each time I open my inbox to find a new, beautiful cake! Honestly, it has been quite a challenge to narrow it down to just 12. But that’s how the song goes, right? There might not be a partridge in this pear tree… but there will be 12 days of festive holiday cake inspiration that will definitely leave you merry! It’s 12 bakers baking…. it’s The 12 Cakes of Christmas! Ho, Ho, Ho!
I can’t think of a better way to kick off The 12 Cakes of Christmas than with a whimsical cake from one of my very favorite cake shops. We all know them. We all love them! They’ve been creating fabulous cakes for happy customers and inspiring cake artists for years now. Which is why today’s post is even more exciting! We have a brand new design to share with you today!! Never been seen before, I present to you…. The 1st Cake of Christmas. A Gingerbread, Candy Cane Fantasy created by Pink Cake Box.
Anne Heap and her team at Pink Cake Box have a signature style that I just adore…. Playful and fun yet modern, clean and and precisely done. Polka dots and stripes. Gingerbread men and candy canes. I think Santa himself would approve of this cake!
Could this cake be any cuter? Forget the sugarplums, this cake will be dancing through my head on Christmas Eve. It’s a present, all wrapped up and ready to eat! And since it is the season of presents and giving…
Pink Cake Box is making it easier than ever to spread some holiday cheer this year. Just hop on over to their website and vote for favorite Pink Cake Box cake from 2011. For every 2 votes placed, Anne will donate $1 to Icing Smiles, a non-profit organization that provides custom celebration cakes to families impacted by the critical illness of a child. Easy, fun, done! Plus, you’ll be automatically entered to win a free $150 gift certificate towards one of their cake decorating classes. Place your vote HERE!
A huge thanks to Anne and her team for sharing this merry little cake with us! It’s a ginger man, candy land DREAM! Tomorrow, the fun continues with cake #2 of The 12 Cakes of Christmas!
Pink Cake Box:
Website: www.pinkcakebox.com
Be a Fan: Pink Cake Box on Facebook
Tweet: Pink Cake Box on Twitter
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Our cupcake contributor, Lauren of Crave. Indulge. Satisfy, is bringing cupcake merriment to all! Enjoy!
Happy December! It’s beginning to look at lot like Christmas at my house. The tree is up and decorated, Christmas songs are playing all day and my holiday baking “to do” list is about a mile long. To kick off the baking I thought it would be fun to combine my favorite seasonal drink, hot chocolate, with the always popular peppermint candy to create a festive cupcake. I am thrilled with how delicious and adorable these Hot Chocolate Cupcakes with Peppermint Buttercream turned out and hope you enjoy them as much as we did.
These cupcakes are your basic chocolate recipe with the addition of a prepared cup of Hot Chocolate mixed in. The magic happens when you add the peppermint buttercream on top. The combination of chocolate and peppermint is absolutely perfect together, not to mention it gives you some fresh breath!
To add some extra cuteness on top, garnish with homemade peppermint bark, which is a staple sweet in my house each Christmas. The bark is super easy to make and you will have plenty left over after topping the cupcakes! So you can certainly package up the bark and give away as gifts. If you don’t want to hassle with the extra step of making the bark, you can easily buy some already made at the store.
You should definitely add these cupcakes to your holiday baking list! Your friends are sure to go crazy if you show up to a party with a batch of these! I guarantee I will be making them several more times before the month of December is over!
Hot chocolate Cupcakes with Peppermint Buttercream
(makes 20 cupcakes)
For the cake:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 packet Hot Chocolate mixed with 3/4 cup warm milk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pans with cupcake liners.
- In bowl of stand mixer combine dry ingredients: flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients: eggs, hot chocolate/milk mixture, vegetable oil and vanilla.
- Beat on medium speed until well combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
- Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter.
- Bake for 16 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Let cupcakes cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to wire racks to finish cooling.
- Once cupcakes are completely cool frost with Peppermint Buttercream and garnish with Peppermint Bark.
For the icing:
3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
6 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/4 – 1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
- In bowl of stand mixer beat butter until creamy.
- Gradually add in confectioner’s sugar one cup at a time, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.
- Add milk until you reach desired consistency.
- Add peppermint extract and mix well.
- Place icing in piping bag fitted with a large round tip and frost cupcakes.
- Garnish cupcakes with Peppermint Bark and white nonpareils (optional).
Peppermint Bark:
12 oz Chocolate Bark
12 oz Vanilla Bark
20 mini candy canes, crushed
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper.
- Melt chocolate bark in microwave safe bowl for 1 minute. Continue to microwave at 15 second intervals until melted. Pour melted chocolate onto prepared baking sheet and spread evently with a spatula. Let chocolate harden for about 30 minutes.
- Melt vanilla bark in microwave safe bowl for 1 minute. Continue to microwave at 15 second intervals until melted.
- Add peppermint extract to melted vanilla and stir. Pour melted vanilla overtop of hardened chocolate and spread evenly with a spatula.
- Sprinkle crushed candy canes ontop of candy bark.
- Allow bark to harden for about 30 minutes before breaking into pieces. Garnish cupcakes.
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!
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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. |
