I made these mini cupcakes the other day, when some family was dropping by for a cup of coffee. Chocolate chip cupcakes with chocolate buttercream and sugar sprinkles on top. They tasted really great. I will share the recipe for the delicious chocolate buttercream with you.

Chocolate buttercream:

100 grams soft butter
100 grams chocolate
100 grams icing sugar
4 pasteurize egg yolks (use only pasteurized egg yolks)

Carefully melt the chocolate and stir in the soft butter.
Add the pasteurized egg yolks and sift in the icing sugar and whisk by hand until smooth and no lumps appear.

Perfect for cake filling, crumb coating and cupcake swirls. If you have any questions regarding the recipe please write.

Happy Caking

Louise

I have made these colored sugar sprinkles by using this recipe from Martha Stewart. Use the sugar sprinkles on your cupcakes, cookies or ice cream to make an easy and colorful decoration.

A tip: you can put the sprinkles in a jar and tie a bow around and you will have the perfect little gift for a passionate home baker.

Happy Caking

Louise

I have been working on a cake for a birthday party the last couple of days. The person have her own yarn shop so what would be better than to make a knitting basket cake

I have used Patchwork Cutters to make the Basketweave emboss and used my indispensable sugar gun to make all the strands of wool.

I can highly recomend to use that tool because it makes strands, ropes and borders much easier to make.

I have paintet the basket with brown powder dust mixed with clear alcohol and I have used some barbecue sticks to do it as knitting needles.

Happy Caking

Louise

I found this link on flickr to this new Wilton: Giant cupcake cake pan from Sur La Table. I think it looks so sweet with such a huge cupcake cake with jumbo sprinkles on top. I hope that the pan will be avalible in European stores too.

Happy Caking

Louise

The cake on the left is made by Caroline and is covered with rolled fondant. The cake on the right is made by Irene and is covered with butter cream and decorated with fondant accents. It can be a bit tricky to make Whimsical cakes, but I think you both have done a fantastic job. I hope that Caroline’s and Irene’s cakes will inspire others to try making these fun cakes.

Happy Caking

Louise

Elisa Strauss the woman behind New York city’s famous bakery Confetti cakes have written The Confetti Cakes cookbook. It takes you on a spetacular journey through some of the bakerys most famous cake designs and delicious recipes.

You will be guided through: Equipment and techniques, Basic recipes, Cookies, Cupcakes, Mini cakes and Cakes. All illustrated with beautiful photos and some very detailed drawings on the “how to’s”. In this book you will find great inspiration for all kinds of creations and occasions.

Another great thing about this book is that you will find some fantastic cake ideas for both genders. For the guys cakes like: The Pool ball cupcakes, Baseball hat cake or the Wine bottle cake is obvious possibilities. For the girls, Elisa shows you how to make the most adorable Teacup mini cakes, beautiful Crystal cupcakes and finish off by showing how to make her famous Shoebox cake with a stylish sugar stiletto.

I have really been inspired when reading the book. Confetti Cakes is busy on a new book due in fall 2008. It is called: Confetti Cakes For Kids and I think it will be worth waiting for.

Buy the book here:

Confetti Cakes UK
Confetti Cakes US

Happy Caking

Louise

My sweet danish cake friend Ulla-Britt have made these two beautiful cakes. The first cake is a three tier wedding cake in white and purple colors with monogram and bows. I love the idea that she have placed the cake on a mirror board. It gives a good effect to the cake.

The second cake is a “hat box cake” with a Louis Vuitton inspired purse cake on top. She have made this cake design two times in different color schemes. What I like so much about Ulla-Britts cake designs is the way she often mix the shapes together. It gives a new dimension to a cake when doing that instead of just using the same shape for the whole cake. Both cakes are covered in rolled fondant.

Happy Caking

Louise

I found these cute monster cupcakes on CakeCentral. They are made by Jennifer and she told me that she have used buttercream icing and Wilton tip #233 (grass/fur) to make the fur.

The eyes is also buttercream icing and are made by using Wilton tip #12 (round) and the pupils with Wilton tip #2 (round).

I think they would be perfect for a space themed birthday party, or maybe just for fun?

Happy Caking

Louise

These beautiful decorations is called “chocolate transfers” and was made by one of my flickr friends Julie. She have told me that she found the inspiration from the book Whimsical Bakehouse written by Kaye & Liv Hansen.

Julie is great at making these chocolate transfers and have recently started a small home business called sugarcoatedlove from where you can buy handcrafted sweet treats for all occasions.

If you would like to try making chocolate transfers yourself. You can get the book from one of my cake book stores. Also I have found out that The Whimsical Bakehouse will publish a brand new book next year called: Little cakes from the whimsical bakehouse. So there is something to look forward to for all your whimsical bakehouse fans.

Whimsical bakehouse US
Whimsical bakehouse UK

Happy Caking

Louise

PME have made an edible lustre spray that you can use on cakes, cupcakes, icings, sugar flowers, fondant, chocolate and cookies. It comes in the colors: Pearl, Gold, Bronze, Red, Blue and Green. I have bought a pearl spray myself today and it looks fantastic. You can also get it at Global Sugar Art.

Happy Caking

Louise