Pink Lady Birthday Cake

This is a cake I made for my friend Fran's birthday. Although she didn't make it to the party the rest of us enjoyed it. 

This cake is a Pink Lady cake so its fresh strawberry cake with a white port macerated strawberry filling and a light cream cheese icing.

Enjoy!

Krystle

Over the Hill Cake

This is a cake I made for my friend Thom. He was turning 40 so we decided to make it an over the hill cake. I  used green icing for the grass with my grass piping tip and then the chocolate cookies for the dirt. I also used some Milano Cookies for the gravestones. I piped on all the decorations on the side with buttercream. Around the edge of the cake it reads "Here Lies Thom, The Pretzel Baron" His last name is the same as a major pretzel chain so we thought it would be a laugh.

This is the most requested cake of Chocolate with Peanut Butter Frosting and it has Buttercream accents as that was used to pipe the decorations.

Enjoy!

Krystle

Flowery Cupcakes

These are cupcakes I made for one of my Wilton Method Course 1 Classes. 

These are chocolate cake with classic vanilla buttercream and piped buttercream decorations.

Enjoy!

Krystle

Green Dot Anniversary Cake

I made this cake for my friends Fran and Jim on their 20th Anniversary. 

This cake is a Pink Lady Cake which is Fresh Strawberry Cake with a White Port Macerated Strawberry Filling and A Cream Cheese Icing. It has Buttercream Roses and Hard Candy Pearls.

Enjoy!

Krystle

Tie Dye Cake

This is a tie dye cake I made for my friends Sherman's 50th Birthday party. He is big hippie and grateful dead fan so I took my inspiration there. This was the first time I made it so it was a little subdued but I have made one since that really brought up the color. I hope you guys like it.

This Cake is Chocolate with Peanut Butter Icing with fondant decorations.

Enjoy!

Krystle

Long time no post

Sorry guys, like with every blog I have ever done I got distracted and didn't post for a long time but I will try and make an effort to post some more. If not recipes at least pictures of all the cool cakes I have been decorating. Hope you guys enjoy all the photos and if you ever need a specialty cake in live somewhere close to me (which is now Richmond,Va) then give me a shout!

Enjoy!
Krystle

Strawberry Almond Pie

Every week we go to dinner on Friday night at a local restaurant that has old school homemade desserts. Since spring began I had been seriously jonesing for a baked fruit pie so every week I would ask what the pie specials were and every week I was told peanut butter and coconut cream, not what I was looking for. I decided if I wanted a fruit pie I would have to make it. So I started scouring the internet for a good strawberry pie recipe and all I found where alot of shortcut recipes for a cold cream pie and that is not what I was craving. I was looking for a crunchy crusted sweet and tart strawberry pie. I was originally going to make a strawberry rhubarb pie but alas no rhubarb in my grocery store so I decided to spice up my pie in a different way. I hope you enjoy this pie. If you are looking for a shortcut you can use store bought pie crust and it will still be yummy. 

First you need to make the crust. When you are making pie crust the most important thing is really cold ingredients. So cut up the butter in small cubes and freeze it for at least an hour. It will make a huge difference in the flakiness of the crust. 


Ingredients for crust
2 1/2 cups sifted ap flour, plus extra for rolling
2 sticks of ice cold butter cut in small cubes
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
6 to 8 Tbsp ice water


Place all the flour in the bowl of your food processor. (if you don't have a food processor you can cut the butter into the flour with your finger tips or a pastry cutter, however if you have warm hands like me don't try and use your fingers your crust won't be as flaky as it should) 
Add the salt and sugar and all of the cold butter an pulse to combine. Make sure you pulse it until you see little chunks of butter floating all throughout the flour some big some small slowly stream in the ice water while the food processor is still pulsing add until just coming together. 


Dump half onto a piece of plastic wrap and combine into a disc cover it with the plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 45 minutes to cool. Do the same with the second half. 


Now for the filling!


Ingredients
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup ap flour
1 TBS cornstarch
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 TBS vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
4 cups fresh strawberries hulled and halved
3/4 cup slivered almonds
2 TBS butter


Preheat oven to 425' F


Roll out one pie crust to fit a 9in pie pan with about one inch hanging over. Place into the pie pan without 
buttering, its not needed there is enough butter in the crust it won't stick


In a large bowl combine white and brown sugars with flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and both extracts. whisk to combine . Add strawberries and almonds to mixture and gently stir until all the strawberries are covered in the sugary dust. Pour into the prepared crust mounding it slightly in the middle. 


Roll the second crust to the same thickness as the first and cut into 1/2in strips. Weave strips into a lattice formation leaving the ends hanging over. Fold the end of the bottom pie crust over the lattice ends to seal them in then using your fingers create a fluted edge. 


Then baste pie with a little milk and lightly dust with sugar. (I used vanilla sugar for a little extra surprise)


Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until the crust looks golden brown and amazing. 
Cool before eating and serve with some lightly sweetened whipped cream and maybe a sprinkle of cinnamon. 


Enjoy!


Krystle