How to Transfer an Image to Fondant

Today's tip is short and sweet, but incredibly useful.  I often get asked how I make my birthday banners and this is one of my favorite ways to do so.  I love this method because it does not require expensive tools like special printers and inks.

First, print your message or image out on a piece of paper using a regular printer.  If you are transferring words, you will need to print it as a mirror image (my printer settings called it 't-shirt' printing).

Trace the image onto a piece of parchment paper using a graphite pencil.  

Turn the parchment paper over and place it onto your fondant.  Lay your pencil on it's side and scratch over the entire image.

Mind Blowing!

Paint over the pencil marks using gel or powdered food colors mixed with a tiny bit of vodka.  Use a pizza cutter to cut the fondant into a banner shape.  Easy!

If you don't feel comfortable using non-toxic materials on cake, you can also use a projector or an edible image printer to transfer designs instead.  :)

Flower Cookies and Packaging

Spring has sprung... Yes!  If you live in the Seattle area like me you will understand when I tell you that I  keep my umbrella, sun tan lotion, coat and sunglasses all at the ready.  A girl's gotta be prepared especially since I never know what's going to happen each day.  

While cooped up during the rain, this is what kept me busy -  Flower Cookie Favors for my twins kindergarten teacher.  They were a major hit with the parents and kids alike!

Here's how its done...

Using a wilton tip 2 pipe the white edges of the cookies with royal icing.

Thin out your royal icing with a little water, color and fill the cookies using a piping bag and tip 2.  While the icing is still wet pipe the purple dots and they will blend right into the cookie.   After the icing is dry pipe a white circular center with your thicker royal icing and sprinkle with white sprinkles. 

On to the cookie packaging. I used a couple different types of scrapbook paper for the tops of my bags. Cut the paper to the size you want, fold it in half.  Also fold the top your plastic bag two times and staple the bag shut on each side.  Staple your scrapbook paper to the bag and glue on a bow to hide the staple.

Flower Cookie Favors -  So Easy!

How to Make Rose Cake Pops

You will not see real roses growing in my backyard.  Nope.  You will, however, see overgrown shrubs, thorny weeds and about 20 mole holes that are going to be the death of me.  

Since the only green thumb I can be accused of having would come from a food dye mishap, I'm just going to stay in the safety of my kitchen whipping up cake pop roses.  

Here we go:

Start by mixing your cake and a little bit of buttercream together.  Add more buttercream as needed.  I'm firmly against canned frosting.  Please make homemade buttercream (it's not that hard!), or if you are lazy like me you can use liquid coffee creamer instead of the buttercream.

Working with cold cake pop filling, roll out a strip of the filling using a small rolling pin or just use your hands to flatten it out.   If your filling is sticking to your surface, spray it with a little pan spray.

Beginning on one side, roll up the strip of filling.  You can then mold it with your hands until you have the perfect rose shape.

Insert a pop stick that has been dipped in candy melts into the bottom of the rose.  Refrigerate the pops.

Before dipping, make sure your candy melts are a thin consistency.  Use paramount crystals or shortening to thin out your chocolate if needed (paramount crystals do not leave a yucky taste like shortening does).  Allow to dry.

Wrap curling ribbon around the pop stick starting at the bottom and tying off at the top.

Glue a piece of styrofoam into the bottom of a basket, insert the rose pops and cover the styrofoam with crushed chocolate cookies.

I'm loving my rose cake pops!! I think they will be an early Mother's Day gift to myself.

Icing Smiles Castle Cake for Carla

My newest cake for Icing smiles was definitely fit for a princess.   It makes me feel so good to be able to donate to such a worthy cause.  

And here's the princess herself!  Carla is awaiting a heart transplant.  I did get to meet her and let me tell you she is one of the sweetest and cutest little girls that I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.  

I took a few pictures while creating this special cake and thought I would share.  

I ended up changing the layout of the castle after I took this picture, but I used rice cereal treats and cardboard wrapping paper tubes covered in plastic wrap to create extra height and the turrets.

Using gum glue I applied dots of fondant in different colors to the cardboard tubes.

 Ice cream cones were used for the top of the turrets.

For support I used bubble tea straws.

The turrets were stabilized using dowel rods and candy melts.

The very tops of the turrets were made with sugar cones and a strip of fondant that was wrapped around it and glued with gum glue. 

Hope this helps in creating your own castle cake.  And another thank you to Icing Smiles for connecting the birthday girl, Carla, and I!!