All posts by Melissa

Tiffany Blue and White Quilted Cake

Celebration Cakes

Tiffany Blue Quilted Birthday Cake

Here is a pretty, simple, and elegant birthday cake I made for a birthday.  Shira’s mother in law ordered the cake to celebrate her birthday.  She wanted it elegant but didn’t want it to look too much like a wedding cake.  We agreed that making the cake in this Tiffany blue color would be the perfect idea.  I quilted the tiers and added edible pearls for extra glam.

Gum Paste Fantasy Flowers

I had a kind of flower in mind to add to this cake.  I really wanted to add cabbage roses like the ones seen in this purple ruffle cake.  So I made them and allowed them to dry.  Then Shira’s mother in law called and decided she really loved these fantasy flowers that I had made for this black and white engagement cake.  So I started over and made these instead.  I really like how they look on this cake, and they are fun to make!  I just use different sized scalloped round cutters to form the bottom layers.  Then I used any flower cutters I could find to fill in the center.  I added a few edible pearls that I colored blue to match the cake.  Simple and gorgeous!  Happy birthday Shira!

Gumball Machine Cupcakes

Cupcakes and Muffins

Gumball Machine Cupcakes

I thought of this idea for a gumball machine cupcake a while ago.  I have seen similar ideas around, but nothing exactly like this.  Let me explain with lots of pictures how I made these cute edible favors.

Vanilla Cupcakes

I started by baking vanilla cupcakes in these cute individual paper liners.  I love these cupcake cups by Paper Eskimo.  These paper cups can be baked right on a baking sheet, no need for a special cupcake pan.

Royal Icing Topped Cupcakes

Once the cupcakes were cooled I covered the tops in royal icing and turned them directly onto these silver cardboard disks.  They are like tiny little cake boards.  I found them at my local craft store.  I allowed the icing to dry for a few hours to make sure the cupcakes were good and stuck.

Cutting Holes In Cupcake Cup Bottoms

I used a craft knife to slice holes into the bottom of the cupcake cups.  Then I poked a dowel through the slits to make the holes a little larger.  The final step is to fill a Christmas ornament with gumballs and fit it upside down into the hole of the cupcake.  I ordered my ornaments from Oriental Trading and didn’t realize they were very small.  The opening in the ornament was super tiny, and I couldn’t find gumballs small enough so I used candy coated chocolate Sixlets.

Wrapped Gumball Machine Cupcakes

They looked super cute all wrapped up!  Wilton sells these treat bags with the silver board and a ribbon (I used silver twist ties instead) in a great little pack.  Everyone loved these cute little party favors and I can’t wait to make them again.  They can be made with any color cupcake cup and filled with any colors of candy to match every party color scheme!

{Video} Tips On Forming Perfect Hamantaschen

Tutorials and Videos,

I have always loved shaping hamantaschen for the holiday of Purim.  There is something so calming about trying to create perfect little triangles.  I have to say, I think I got my method down to a science.  In this video you can see how I fold the circles and pinch just the seams.  If you want my no-fail recipe, you should try my recipe for classic hamantaschen.  If you are more adventurous, I have a great recipe for peanut butter and jelly hamantaschen and pina colada hamantaschen as well.

Here are some tips I can offer on forming good looking hamantaschen.

  • I like to roll my dough out directly onto a floured piece of parchment paper so I can transfer the whole sheet onto a baking sheet as soon as the hamantaschen are formed.  It’s a lot less handling of the dough.
  • Make sure to use enough flour when rolling out your dough, or the dough will stick and the cookies will lose their shape when you try to work them into cute triangles.
  • I don’t use water or egg wash to keep the hamantaschen together, I just keep pinching the seams until they are sealed.  Try not to pinch the corners, just the top seams.
  • Use a pastry bag and straight round tip (or ziplock bag with the corner snipped off) to fill the hamantaschen.
  • Do not overfill the hamantaschen with filling. The filling puffs in the oven and will bust your perfect little triangles open.  Use about a teaspooon or two, but it really depends on how large your round cutter is.
  • For a medium sized hamantaschen, I use a round cutter that is 2 3/4 inches in diameter.  Anywhere from a 2 inch to a 3 inch round cutter will yield nice sized hamantaschen.
  • Be gentle with your dough.  Try not to stretch out your circles of dough or your hamantaschen can look misshapen.

If you have any questions or other tips, let me know in the comments!  Happy Purim!