Smile for the Camera!

The face of sweet success.

  IT WORKED! You have no idea how excited and relieved I am that this worked! *happydance*
Everyone loved the cakes and not a crumb was left in the end!

  I really have not much else to say on this subject other than that. I'm still just completely ecstatic over that smiley face.

 I am definitely going to make it again.


Here are pictures of the 3 cakes.

Patchwork Cake (had the smiley)

Chocolate Strawberry Delight

Apple Blossom Basket

=)

Donald Duck

                                                   Cake 2 of 5 is done!

I'm really excited to deliver this cake!

  It's a Lemon Cake with White Chocolate ganache-like frosting covered in Fondant. (the easel is made of wood dowels)
  Mirjam, the person this is for, loves art and especially Donald Duck! She's a great artist and her duck versions of other people are really quite amazing. I'll see if I can get a photo up of one of her works sometime.
  I have one regret with this cake recipe... I can't eat it (eggs) or else I would make myself some cupcakes. D=  It's a fabulous fabulous recipe. The lemon-iest cake, such strong flavor! Luckily I can eat the delicious leftovers of the frosting. =)
  I've gotta say, if you ever get the chance to 'paint splatter' a cake, do it! It's a blast. You may come out of it a bit colorful but that's half the fun!

Lemon Cake
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Zest of 1 large lemon
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice.

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C)  Butter, or spray with a nonstick spray pan. 

Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract and lemon zest.

  Add the flour, baking powder, salt and lemon juice. Mix only until combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with an offset spatula. Bake about 40 -45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Recipe from -> joyofbaking)

---White Chocolate (ganache-like) Buttercream
1 cup butter (softened)

12 ounces white chocolate (melted)

2-3 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Using a mixer blend butter and vanilla together. Melt chocolate and add to the butter+vanilla. Blend the sugar into the mix. Will be a thin consistency. If wanting it thicker stick it in the fridge for an hour or so.

(Recipe from -> foodandwine)

(I'm not exactly sure how much sugar I used, quite a lot more than the original recipe called for, {1 cup} It all depends on what consistency you want)

---

Enjoy! =)

5

 That is how many cakes I will have made come Wednesday October 11th. It's probably a record of cakes for others. Not counting that crazy giant cake I made last year for the Eagle Tv anniversary. (Six extra large sheet cakes!)

  I've already made one of those cakes, that being the Sugar+Dairy free one from my last post. 

  The second will be for my dear friend Mirjam who's birthday is this Thursday. I'm not completely positive how this one is going to look, though it is definitely going to have an art+duck theme. Now as for the other 3...

  At Among Mongolia, where my dad works, each month they have day where all the birthdays of that month are celebrated and since we are leaving for Japan to visit my sister soon they chose this next wednesday to have their little celebration. There are over 50 employees working there, thus giving reason to the three other cakes. These three I haven't a clue of what to do with them yet but one thing I do know I will do... A hidden smiley face in the middle to surprise them when they cut into it! I'll use the same method that IAmBaker used for her St. Patrick's Day Cake.

  Even though I'm not completely set on anything except the flavors and random smileys, I'm getting quite excited about the rest of these 7 days since I'll finally have something to do during the day!

This is that giant cake I spoke of.
(right) Me. (left) Natalie.