Late August cookies - Fishing, Ice Cream & Back to School

Last lazy days of summer

These cookies were made using Sweet Sugarbelle's sugar cookie recipe and royal icing recipe. ALWAYS my go-to recipe for cookies and RI - I use real vanilla extract in the cookie dough and add artificial vanilla to the RI. To me, both of these are no-fail recipes, always with excellent results.

French Vanilla Cake - Cake Decorating Isn't for Sissies!

This is my first fondant covered cake. The flowers are fondant and gum paste/fondant.

Michaels Course 3 - Gum Paste and Fondant - week 3 we covered a square cake and learned how to make daisies and mums. 

The cake and buttercream icing are made with Nielson Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla. The fondant and gum paste are Wilton. We used the 20" wide glide rolling pin and the roll-n-cut mat to roll out the fondant for the cake.

Rolling fondant takes some serious muscles! I swear, my arms were aching the next day - I couldn't believe it. Cake decorating is not for sissies! 

Snowflake Sugar Cookies

These are the snowflake sugar cookies that I made for an order - they were for the staff of the Christian Elementary School my cousin's kids attend. They were picked up and delivered Dec. 21st. I hope they were well received. The first cookie order - obviously I was nervous and concerned whether they would be "good" or "good enough."
The cookie recipe and royal icing recipe came from the cookie Queen, Sweet Adventures of Sugar Belle. She has the most awesome resources on her website complete with tutorials. I also got some great advice/tips from Lime Juice Sweet Treats.
The links provided should give you all the info you need to make these yummy treats - of course you can make all kinds of amazing cookies using many different cookie cutters and decorations. Roll, cut and decorate!

Dark Chocolate Cake

3 Layer Dark Chocolate Cake with Strawberry Buttercream Filling and Vanilla Buttercream Frosting 

2 cups boiling water

2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Ruddy Red cocoa powder from Bulk Barn)

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened

2 1/4 cups white sugar

4 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I use Nielson Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla) 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 ºF. Grease 3 - 9 inch round cake pans, then use parchment circles, grease and flour. In a medium bowl, pour boiling water over cocoa, and whisk until smooth. Let mixture cool. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture. Spread batter evenly between the 3 prepared pans.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool.

Sugary Birthday Buttercream Frosting
1 cup unsalted butter
6 cups icing sugar
120 ml whipping cream
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon water
pinch of salt
Beat the butter and icing sugar in an electric mixer on low for about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla, water, whipping cream & salt, and whip on high speed until fluffy & smooth - about 4 minutes. If consistency is too thick add more water 1 tsp. at a time. (I will credit whoever this recipe is from when I find the source as I cannot find it at the moment.)
For the strawberry filling - I pureed fresh strawberries and added it to a small amount of the frosting.

I smoothed the frosting after chilling it for 20 - 30 minutes, with a paper towel. Video of method here.
Once the buttercream icing has crusted, lightly place a plain, white, smooth paper towel (like Viva) on the area of the buttercream needing smoothing. Then gently rub the paper towel. The natural heat from your hand help's smooth the frosting under the towel. How cool is that?