Today we're diving head first into the holiday season with this amazing dessert table created by Bird of Bird's Party which features her Candyland Christmas Collection. This whimsical display features red and white stripes, oodles of candy canes, gingerbread men and rockin' robins. It's a winter wonderland full of Christmas spirit and sweet treats! I just love the use of red and white stripes to tie the whole display together. Even the white plates are lined with striped paper adding a ... Continue Reading
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2022 Gift Guide for Bakers
This post contains affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy. Thanksgiving is just one week away! As we celebrate a day filled with family and friends, we count our blessings for yet another wonderful year. Turkey and pumpkin desserts will flow and the holiday season will be underway. So today I’ve rounded up some of my favorite tools which will certainly be put to good use over the holiday season. I love using #18 to bake bacon in the oven. Yes, you can bake bacon and it's the best ... Continue Reading
Penguin Cake
Penguin Cake - a sprinkle coated penguin cake that is too adorable for words! A new cake decorating tutorial by our contributor, Erin Gardner. This precious little penguin cake is the perfect treat for a winter birthday or small holiday celebration. The idea for this guy was born from my sprinkle girl cakes. I imagine they’re all hanging out together in some fabulous sprinkle universe. Just like his sprinkle girl cousins, your sprinkle penguin cake can be customized in a number of ways. ... Continue Reading
Hazelnut Nutcracker Cake
Hazelnut Nutcracker Cake - a brown sugar nutmeg cake with hazelnut praline buttercream and gorgeous swag buttercream piping. A new cake recipe by our contributor, Tessa Huff. Christmas always brings feelings of nostalgia and child-like wonder. And as I revel in the memories of my childhood around the holidays, it is always visions of sugarplums, snowflakes, and waltzing flowers that dance in and out of my mind. Whether in the ensemble or just a spectator, The Nutcracker has always been ... Continue Reading
Sueded Buttercream with Sprinkle Snowflakes
Sueded Buttercream with Sprinkle Snowflakes - how to make a suede like texture on a buttercream cake plus the prettiest sprinkle snowflakes. A new cake tutorial by our contributor Erin Gardner. I’m going to share with you a little bit of my journey down the rabbit hole to sueded buttercream, because it’s a good one. It all started while watching a YouTube tutorial on how to “bake” concealer. (I know, I know.) Basically, it’s when you heavily dust your freshly concealed under eyes with a ... Continue Reading
Meringue Kisses
Meringue Kisses - melt in your mouth mini meringue cookies that are light as air, naturally low calorie, dairy free, gluten free and soy free. These little meringue kisses are so adorable and so yummy. Crunchy on the outside yet slightly soft on the inside, they melt in your mouth like a little ray of sunshine. Coming in at only 26 calories per cookie, these treats are naturally low calorie, fat free, dairy free, gluten free and soy free. Despite all that, they're delicious! Bag them up ... Continue Reading
Cream Tart Tree Cake
Cream Tart Tree Cake - shaped like a Christmas tree, this holiday version of the popular cream tart number cake has gingerbread cookies layered with cream cheese frosting and is topped with meringue kisses, chocolate, sprinkles and more gingerbread cookies! We're officially kicking off our holiday content! And it only seemed fitting that the most popular cake trend of 2018 make an appearance in our line up. The cream tart number cakes that took over Instagram and Pinterest this year are ... Continue Reading
2018 Holiday Gift Guide for Bakers
Thanksgiving is just two days away! As we celebrate a day filled with family and friends, we count our blessings for yet another wonderful year. Turkey and pumpkin desserts will flow and the holiday season will be underway. This year my family is finally within driving distance of extended relatives for the first time in TEN years. Grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins all within reach, which is such a blessing. Our house is the official destination for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years ... Continue Reading
Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
Snickerdoodle Cupcakes - cinnamon sugar cupcakes topped with delicious brown sugar buttercream. A holiday cupcake recipe inspired by the classic Christmas cookie, created by our contributors, ellenJAY. We’re sure your holiday to-do’s are a mile-long by now, and you’re in the process of whipping up all your family-favorite holiday cookies and cakes to share with friends and neighbors. We’ll we’re here to suggest one more recipe for you to add to this year’s holiday baking list. Our ... Continue Reading
Sprinkle Ornament Cake
Sprinkle Ornament Cake – how to make sparkling ornaments for cakes and cupcakes using chocolate, cookie cutters and sprinkles. All that glitters is my sparkly sprinkle appliqué Christmas ornament cake! I’m giving this technique the fancy title of “sprinkle appliqués”, but it couldn’t be easier to make. I’ve used this layered sprinkle idea to create gorgeous cake flowers and other elegant shapes, like in the Lux Layers cake in my book, Erin Bakes Cake. With my sparkly ornament ... Continue Reading
Snow Globe Cookies
Snow Globe Cookies - Learn how to decorate sparkly, snow globe sugar cookies for the holidays with a simple step-by-step tutorial by our contributors, Mary and Brenda Maher of Cakegirls. When you're an enthusiast baker, like we all are, Christmas is game time and our time to shine. Occasional baking suddenly becomes daily baking and the idea of sharing our favorite recipes and honed skills brings joy to our hearts. In order to fit it all in, we made a better plan. Instead of making ... Continue Reading
White Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes
White Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes - delicious white cake speckled with candy canes, topped with red and white swirled buttercream and white chocolate ganache. A new holiday cupcake recipe by our contributors, ellenJAY. The moment the candy canes stare you in the face when you enter the grocery store, you know the hustle and bustle of the holiday season has begun and it’s time to start the holiday baking! So throw a few boxes of those red and white candies in your shopping cart the ... Continue Reading
10 Thanksgiving Cupcakes
The Thanksgiving holiday seems to be overshadowed more and more each year, as Black Friday mania pushes us into the Christmas shopping season earlier and earlier. I know, I know. We're guilty as charged with starting winter holiday content early this year. But in an effort to give Thanksgiving its proper dues, we're paying tribute to flavors like pumpkin, sweet potato, cinnamon, apple and pecan once more today. I mean seriously, is there any reason to rush past something as amazing as toasted ... Continue Reading
Marbled Chocolate Leaves
Marbled Chocolate Leaves – how to make marbled leaf toppers for cakes and cupcakes using chocolate coating and cookie cutters. A new tutorial by our contributor Erin Gardner. I look forward to the arrival of fall colors every year. Living in northern New England means that somewhere around mid-September the leaves turn from shades of green to a rainbow of jewel tones. It’s spectacular, truly. Sometimes, though, I’m in the mood for something a little different. The addition of a little ... Continue Reading
Decorated Sugar Cookies
Decorated Sugar Cookies - vanilla bean sugar cookies with a simple glaze icing for easy yet thoughtful gift giving. A holiday sugar cookie recipe, sponsored by Bob's Red Mill as part of their Made with Love, Baked with Bob's campaign. I know 99% of our posts are focused on cakes or cupcakes, but did you know that my love of baking actually started with cookies? My very first memories of baking were created in my grandmother's kitchen, helping her make cookies. Even though I was young, ... Continue Reading
Valentine’s Day Gift Guide
Valentine's Day is quickly approaching and it feels like we just wrapped the December holiday season. When it comes to Valentines gifts - some go big, some go small, some don't go at all. If you're in favor of gifts, it can be a challenge to come up with that something special after just exhausting all of your gift ideas for loved ones back in December. So I wanted to share some ideas to help spread the love around this year - I think we could all use a little more love right now, don't you? ... Continue Reading
Candy Snowflakes
Candy Snowflakes - how to make crystal-like snowflakes using hard candies and cookie cutters. A new tutorial by our contributor Erin Gardner. Make these shimmering candy snowflakes to dress up a winter themed cake for your next holiday dessert spread or for your little princess who just can’t “let it go”. Stick to my icy crystal and blue palette or use candy colors that match your party’s decor. Keep this melted candy technique in mind for other projects as well. Any metal, heatproof ... Continue Reading
Chocolate Gingerbread Cupcakes
Chocolate Gingerbread Cupcakes - nostalgic gingerbread spiced cupcakes, topped with chocolate ganache, silky chocolate buttercream, gingerbread cookie crumbles and a chocolate dipped gingerbread cookie topper. A new holiday cupcake recipe, sponsored by McCormick®. Christmas is less than two weeks away. I repeat, LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AWAY! I don't mean to shout but can you hear the panic through my capital letters? How can it be mid-December already? Every November I tell myself THIS will ... Continue Reading
Chocolate Covered Pretzel Cupcakes
Chocolate Covered Pretzel Cupcakes - chocolate cupcakes topped with salty chocolate pretzel frosting, chocolate ganache and a chocolate dipped pretzel topper. A new cupcake recipe by our contributor, Lindsay Conchar. These Chocolate Covered Pretzel Cupcakes are a delicious combination of chocolate and pretzels that are perfect for all lovers of sweet and salty! Plus, the festive holiday pretzels make them perfect for this time of year! I have so many memories as a kid of shopping for ... Continue Reading
Holly Gift Box Cake
Holly Gift Box Cake! Learn how to make this festive gift box cake that looks just like a present with a simple step-by-step tutorial by our contributors, Mary and Brenda Maher of Cakegirls. This is certainly the season for making cookies. Lots of 'em. But that doesn't mean there's not room for a spectacularly decorated Christmas cake, especially if it'll make a great centerpiece at the next holiday party. That's where this textured Holly Gift Box Cake comes in. Part mistletoe, part ... Continue Reading
Hot Chocolate Cake
Hot Chocolate Cake - hot chocolate infused cake with homemade marshmallow fluff frosting, silky chocolate buttercream and chocolate shavings. A new layer cake recipe by our contributor, Olivia Bogacki. It’s December!! The BEST month of the year, amiright? So much to look forward to, including all the delicious baked goodies that will no doubt be coming your way this holiday season. Festive cakes and cookies, traditional homemade treats, and cozy warm beverages to help get you through ... Continue Reading
Peppermint Red Velvet Cake
Peppermint Red Velvet Cake - bright red cake with white chocolate peppermint buttercream. A new layer cake recipe by our contributor, Tessa Huff. Let’s give a toast to twinkly lights, rustic wood-burning fireplaces, too many marshmallows in our hot cocoa, and unapologetically festive, pink cakes! It truly is the most wonderful time of year, and I vow to spread holiday cheer across the lands with one swirly layer cake at a time. Who’s with me? In all seriousness, as the weather grows ... Continue Reading
Birch Log Cake
Birch Log Cake! Learn how to make this wintry, birch cake that looks just like a natural birch branch with a simple step-by-step tutorial by our contributors, Mary and Brenda Maher of Cakegirls. Around this time of year the snow starts falling and baking season begins. As a baker, this means dozens of cookies and lots of seasonal cakes. Sometimes it's fun to bake up your family's traditional recipes and sometimes it's fun to mix it up a bit. Well, in this case, we used the classic ... Continue Reading
Sweet Potato Cake
Sweet Potato Cake - a sweet potato cake with marshmallow frosting, drippy maple glaze, chopped pecans and cinnamon. The food world has a serious love affair going on with sweet potatoes. And why not, they're delicious and healthy and everything you want a super food to be. Stepping in as a healthy alternative in just about every recipe you can image. From sweet potato fries to sweet potato chili, sweet potato burgers - they're baked, boiled, mashed and smashed! One quick Pinterest ... Continue Reading
Lemon Bundt Cake
Lemon Bundt Cake - easy lemon pound cake recipe that packs a powerful lemon punch, topped with a relaxed cream cheese glaze and candied lemon slices. Another holiday is almost upon us and I don't know about you, but it feels like Christmas was just yesterday. I love going all out for holidays, but sometimes reality sets in and you have to timebox your projects a tad. You know, so you can actually spend time with your family celebrating the holiday! If you can relate to life being on ... Continue Reading
10 Wintry White Cakes
The chill of January is officially here. As arctic air makes its way across the country, wreaking havoc with cold temperatures, ice and massive amounts of snow.... we're sharing a little taste of winter that everyone can enjoy. With soft whites and muted greys, today's line up celebrates the beauty of winter. From white-on-white texture to the shimmering iridescence of geodes, these wedding cakes are as pristine as freshly fallen snow. So bundle up, grab a mug of hot cocoa and enjoy these 10 ... Continue Reading
How to Bake with Alcohol
Our contributor, Summer Stone of Cake Paper Party, is back today with a new baking science experiment.... The holiday season is upon us and we could all use a little inspiration for our wintry cake flavors. Alcoholic beverages add just the right flavor profile to warm up and dramatize the season’s best cakes. Forget the boozy, insipid fruitcakes that often come to mind this time of year and see how alcohol works as the perfect flavor enhancer you have been looking for. Alcohol ... Continue Reading