Barnyard Farm Birthday party theme

Down on the Farm Cake from my book, Complete Photo guide to Cake Decorating

Cupcakes with green piped buttercream grass with purchased adorable pre-made figurines.

Barnyard two-tier cake

Farm Animal Cookie Bouquets

Quick and Easy Cupcakes with Plastic Picks

Quick decorated cookies with edible frosting sheets

I’ve always loved cute animals, especially sweet little farm animals. When ever I am in the mood to create animals, I instantly seem to think that chubby pigs, cuddly lambs, and sweet little chicks are the way to go. The cakes, cookies and cupcakes above are some farm creations I have made in the past. Complete instructions for these projects can be found on Country Kitchen SweetArt’s website.

My Book, The Complete Photo Guide to Cake Decorating, is Now available!

Complete Photo Guide to Cake Decorating

I’m so happy with how my book turned out! I worked with a great publishing company, and Linda, my editor was so easy-going and helpful. I hope more books are to follow! I must give my mom a great big thanks for all her help and support on the book. Also, Bruce, my husband, was my biggest cheerleader (cliché… i know…but true!) He was super supportive of the hours that it took to complete this book. The book can be ordered from Amazon, or from Country Kitchen SweetArt. If ordering from Country Kitchen SweetArt, you receive my fabric texture set free, which is a $14.95 value!

SWAK Valentine cookies, candies and cake

SWAK lips and valentine love envelope cupcakes

SWAK envelope sheet cake

SWAK lips and Valentine love envelope cookies

SWAK kiss candy sucker bouquet

Valentine’s day love notes and kisses are great symbols for Valentine’s Day! I love the SWAK theme and have seen it all over stores this Valentine’s day. I had fun coming up with this theme and these four treats were super easy and fast to decorate. The cupcakes were piped with buttercream icing and accented with rolled fondant details. The lips were molded from a candy mold. The envelopes were cut from a rectangle metal cutter. The sheet cake was covered in fondant and accented with cut rolled fondant letters and candy molded lips. The cookies were decorated using thinned royal icing (flood icing). The sucker bouquet was created with red candy coating using a lip sucker mold. Complete instructions for these treats can be found on Country Kitchen SweetArt’s website.

LOVE Blossoms Valentine theme cakes, candies and cookies

LOVE blossoms square buttercream cake

Close-up of Rolled Fondant Flowers

LOVE Blooms Valentine's Day Cookies

LOVE blooms Valentine's Day cupcakes

LOVE caramel chocolate candies

Large crunchy chocolate bark bar with LOVE

This collection of Valentine’s day treats are created using edible frosting sheets in red, pink and white as well as chocolate treats with “LOVE”. Rolled fondant flowers with the edible frosting sheets adorn the buttercream iced square cake. The heart shape cookies are simply iced and decorated with the edible frosting sheets. The caramel-filled candies are molded, and when released, decorated with piped chocolate white dots and a rolled fondant letter. The LOVE bark bar was painted red and pink first, then filled with chocolate and candy crunch. After the bark was released from the mold, white dots were piped around the edge.

Simon’s Construction Birthday Party Cake

This cake is a cake featured in the gallery section of my book, Complete Photo Guide to Cake Decorating. I also created some cookies to coordinate. Simon (my son), now wants this cake for his birthday. He’s never been “into” construction toys, but I guess since it has his name on, he thinks it should be the cake for his birthday! The cake board is covered with red fondant and textured with my brick texture mat. The bottom tier has wood panels created with a wood texture mat and rolled fondant. The top tier is covered with yellow fondant and has cut strips using black fondant. The hard hat, hammer and orange cone was hand molded. The nails were cut using the opening of tip #6 and grey fondant. The fondant was painted with silver luster dust. “Simon” was cut using the cricut cake.

Construction Theme Birthday Cake

Road Sign Sugar Cookies

Santa clothes cake with snowflake cake and cookies

Chocolate panel cake with snowflakes and Santa's Clothes

This collection of treats is from my book “Complete Photo Guide to Cake Decorating”. I am so excited! I just heard that I may be receiving a copy any day! It is officially out February 1. (Preorder on Amazon.com or Country Kitchen SweetArt) This cake is covered with chocolate panels using light blue chocolate and snowflake chocolate transfer sheets. The decorations are created with gum paste and PME’s gum paste Santa cutter. The snowflake cookies were made with my snowflake cookie cutter texture set using light blue fondant and piped royal icing designs. The Oreo cookies were dipped in light blue chocolate and decorated with piped run sugar accents.

Santa face and polka dots

This collection of treats celebrates jolly, ole Santa Claus in the classic Christmas colors. The santa face embellishments are pre-made royal icing pieces that make decorating quick and easy. Instructions for these treats can be found on Country Kitchen SweetArt website.

Santa Claus two-tier cake

Top of the cake

Santa face cupcakes

Green and Red with white polka dot dipped Oreo cookies

Santa Face Sugar Cookies

White chocolate present truffles

Cookie Pumpkin Bowl with Marbled Leaves

This pumpkin cookie box was created with Nordicware’s 3-D pumpkin pan. The cookie dough was rolled and then formed into the sprayed pan. After the bowl was baked and cooled, I covered it with orange rolled fondant and added rolled fondant accents. The sugar cookies inside the box were iced with run sugar icing. This project was one of ten of my projects that were featured in “1000 ideas for decorating cupcakes, cookies & cakes.” Whenever I need some inspiration, this is my go-to book! It is full of beautiful confectionary projects from around the world.

Pumpkin Cookie Box with Marbled Leaf Cookies

1000 Ideas for decorating cupcakes, cakes and cookies.

Skeleton Fondant-Covered Cake with Glitter Spiders

This cake was baked in a skeleton pantastic cake pan, and then covered in fondant. The cake board is fondant that has been textured with my texture mat from the floral set. The spiders are hand molded and glittered with disco dust. The chocolate cookies are decorated with fondant. The lettering was created with the cake cricut. Complete instructions for this cake can be found on Country Kitchen’s Website.

Skeleton Cookie Bouquet

Sydney’s Eleventh Birthday Party

Peace was the theme Syd chose for her eleventh birthday.  That lucky girl had 3 birthday parties; one with her friends, one with relatives, and one with just our family.  It was also Lily’s (the puppy we gave my dad for Christmas last year)  first birthday.   This cake was my favorite from Sydney’s parties.  The cake will be featured in my Hand Modeling book (coming in 2011 — if all goes as planned!)  The peace sign on top the cake is made out of chocolate using a silicone peace cake pan.