Cake Fixation

Happy 2012

2012-01-01T21:41:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all from Cake Fixation. May you all have the best year yet!

Holiday Elf Cakes

2012-01-01T21:37:00.000-08:00

When my husband asked me to "Elf" his management team at work... I must admit, I was a little worried. It was like walking a tight rope between "real looking" & "real insulting" when deciphering how far back to take the receding hair lines or how much gray hair to add :) To my relief, they were good humored about it and seemed to enjoy their gifts. Whew...

A close-up of the Merry Elves.

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Gingerbread House - 2011

2012-01-01T21:12:00.000-08:00

This years gingerbread house was donated to the KidsQuest Museum's annual 'Gingerbread Lane' which was held at the Hilton Hotel in Bellevue.

I had the best time creating it! The house is completely edible except for the base and lighting. Since it is an Elf Bed and Breakfast it would not be complete without a dining area which can be viewed from the side of the house.

As it turns out I was given the "Judges Choice" award. Yay! Thank you KidsQuest for hosting such a fun event!

Planets and Princess Cake

2011-12-06T07:58:00.001-08:00

This Planets and Princess cake was the design chosen by the winner of the Microsoft Giving Campaign silent auction. The money went to the Treehouse, an organization that helps foster children. I was thrilled to participate in such a worthy cause.

Wine Bottle Cake

2011-12-06T07:49:00.001-08:00

This cake is a combination of my two favorite things... Cake and Wine! I was so excited to get started on such different shaped cake.

I used 6" rounds and stacked them as shown. Then I covered it in white chocolate ganache, covered it in green fondant and then hand painted it with a mixture of blue and black ink and a little vodka.

During the drive to it's destination it started swaying back and forth. Talk about giving a girl a heart attack! I'm happy to report that it did make it to its destination safely and the recipient was very happy with his cake.

Sports Cake

2011-11-16T07:53:00.001-08:00

This one was so much fun! It was made for a 40th birthday for a special guy who is the voice for the Inglemoor Vikings (he calls the games) and who is also a huge WSU fan. How cool is that?!

How to Make a Stroller Cake Topper

2011-09-10T21:04:00.000-07:00

I have made this type of cake design a bazillion times. I absolutely adore it but could do it with one eye closed and one hand holding a glass of wine. What had me really excited about making this cake again was the darling baby buggy topper which is totally new to me. I couldn't find any exact directions for this type of stroller on the web, so here it is! I hope you all enjoy.

Cut Styrofoam with a circle cutter. My Styrofoam was 7/8" thick so I glued two together. Using a ribbon cutter and a circle cutter, cut pieces of gum paste and cover Styrofoam. Dont roll your gum paste out really thin or else you'll see the bumpy Styrofoam through it. Glue the gum paste to the Styrofoam with gum glue.

Bend 18 gauge wire around a rolling pin as shown. Use gum glue to secure into stroller.

Bend 4 more wires and glue into Styrofoam for the canopy's support. Drape fondant over wires and cut to the proper size. Be sure to fold the fondant under on the front of the canopy and secure with gum glue. You may have to play around with it a bit to get it just right.

Decorate! I used a clay gun and frill cutter to create ruffles and a cute border. I also bent another wire for the handle.

Using circle cutters make 4 wheels and their backs. Sandwich them onto the wires with glue. My finishing touches were another brown border, a brown handle, baby blanket and baby made with a First Impressions Mold.

I absolutely love the way this turned out. I hope you love it too! If anyone makes one please feel free to share with me.

Dragon Cake for Icing Smiles

2011-09-01T08:46:00.000-07:00

I was contacted by Icing Smiles asking if I could donate a cake to their amazing organization. No question about it, YES! Icing Smiles is a nonprofit that provides cakes for families impacted by critical illness of a child. If you haven't already please 'like' their facebook page and/or donate!

I was told that Caleb loves dragons and he even mentioned that he'd like it to breathe fire. His mom also told me that he LOVES chocolate and doesn't get to eat it often due to chronic GI problems. So my goal was to make the best chocolate flavored fire breathing dragon cake Caleb had ever seen.

Judging by this picture I think I did it.

Topsy Turvy Volleyball Cake

2011-09-01T07:59:00.000-07:00

This topsy turvy cake was made for my own daughter's 13th birthday. Happy Birthday to Taylor!

Cake Push Pops

2011-06-29T09:40:00.000-07:00

Same delicious, made-from-scratch cake and buttercream now in a convenient push pop! I love these things.

My friend Kim (Sugary Goodness) gave me the idea to do these 4th of July push pops. They look like real fire crackers!

Pretty in Pink too. These are so much fun to make!

Safari Baby Shower Cake

2011-06-29T09:21:00.000-07:00

I think this is the cutest baby shower cake I've ever made! The just love the little monkey on top. All of the animals were modeled by hand using fondant.

Graduation Cakes

2011-06-29T09:15:00.000-07:00

I'm so glad school is out for summer. I feel like a Mom-Taxi during the school year so I'm really looking forward to doing absolutely NOTHING this summer (well, except for cake making of course!).

Here are a couple graduation cakes I did this year:

My client sent me this incredible photo. He graduated from the University of Washington and studied robotics. Wow!

This next cake was for a Seattle Pacific University Grad who loves photography. I printed out edible photos of her school, carved the grad cap out of cake and made the tassel out of gumpaste.

Cake Pops

2011-06-17T07:47:00.000-07:00

I'm so obsessed with making these little guys right now. They are really easy to make at home just visit the Bakerella blog for instructions.

Superhero Cake

2011-06-17T07:36:00.000-07:00

This cake was made for 4 kids who each have a favorite superhero: Wonderwoman, The Flash, Superman and Robin. The kids went crazy over it!

XBOX 360 Cake

2011-06-17T07:28:00.000-07:00

The newly designed version of the XBOX 360. So fun to make and completely edible!

Party Photos

2011-06-16T08:01:00.001-07:00

A couple months ago I made a cake for my friend Chenda and she sent me the best photos of the party. I have to say that the figure I made of Mike really looks like him. :) I love getting getting party pics!

Princess Birthday Cake

2011-06-14T21:41:00.001-07:00

This princess cake had it all! There was even a glass slipper, necklace and a ring on the back. It was definitely fit for a princess!

Chanel Bag Cake

2011-06-14T21:33:00.001-07:00

I have wonderful clients. Really. This was designed by the birthday girl's sister and husband. I heard that it was a major success!

Pink and Purple Baby Shower Cake

2011-06-14T21:27:00.001-07:00

I really loved making this cake. I think my favorite part is the giagantic bow on top!

How to Make an Owl Cake Topper

2011-04-27T20:35:00.000-07:00

Hello cake friends. Here is my newest tutorial: How to make an owl cake topper. Enjoy!

What you will need:

Powdered sugar for rolling out fondant (I use a shaker)
Gel food colors
rolling pin
tylose powder
circle cutters
small flower cutter
tip 12
exacto knife
fondant (purple, white, black, yellow)
small paint brush
lollipop stick
vodka (not shown)
styrofoam block (not shown)

First, push your lollipop stick into the styrofoam block. Brush a little gum glue (tylose powder mixed with water) onto the stick. Roll the purple fondant into a cone shape for the body and insert onto the lollipop stick. Roll a smaller ball of fondant for the head and pinch the ends as shown. Glue the head onto the body.

Dust your surface with powdered sugar and roll out more fondant (I used a lighter shade of purple) with a rolling pin. Use circle cutters and exacto knife to create the face and stomach of the owl. Glue to owl.

For the feet use a small flower cutter and trim as shown. Also, form the wings and beak and attach to the owl using gum glue.

For the eyes roll out larger white circles, black circles using a tip 12 and small whites for eyes, and glue to owl using gum glue.

Mix gel food color with a little vodka. Hand paint the design onto owls stomach. If you mess up you can erase your mistakes with a Q-tip that has been dipped in vodka.

Our cutie little owl is finished! I hope I have inspired you.

Easter Cake

2011-04-27T20:34:00.000-07:00

Yay! One of my favorite holiday cakes made the Sunday Sweets section of the Cake Wrecks blog. How nice! I hope everyone had a great Easter.

http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/2011/04/sunday-sweets-happy-easter.html

Cooking.com's Wacky Cakes

2011-04-27T20:33:00.001-07:00

I was so excited when cooking.com contacted me to be in their gallery of favorite wacky cakes. It is such a fun collection of cakes that you have got to check them out!

http://www.cooking.com/recipes-and-more/wacky-cake-photos.aspx

40th Birthday Cake

2011-04-27T20:33:00.000-07:00

This was made for a general contractor's 40th birthday celebration. I matched the tiling that is on the side of the cake to what is actually in my bathroom. The wood board is also made of sugar. I had a lot of fun with it!

Angry Birds Cake

2011-04-27T20:32:00.000-07:00

I love Angry Birds!! This cake was so much fun to make.

Birthday Cakes

2011-03-19T20:44:00.000-07:00

I love it when the same clients come back every year for their children's birthday cakes. These darling cakes were made for such a great family and I hope that I continue to make little MaiLy's cakes every year.

Cherry Blossom Cake

2011-03-19T20:43:00.000-07:00

I made this cherry blossom cake for a very sweet girl and later realized that she lives across the street from me. What a great way to meet my neighbor! :)

Damask Cake With Sugar Flower

2011-03-02T17:54:00.000-08:00

This cake was a donation to the Redmond Chamber of Commerce's Gala and Auction. The handmade sugar flower and board were decorated with Swarovski crystals. I was happy to hear that the auction was a success!

How to Make a Stork Cake Topper

2011-03-02T17:52:00.000-08:00

This little guy is a little more time consuming than some of my other toppers, but the extra time spent on him really paid off. He's just so darn cute!

Start by coloring your fondant with gel colors and knead in a little tylose powder. Cut out a small green patch of fondant for the stork to stand on and push an 18 gauge wire all the way down into your styrofoam. This wire will support the entire topper so make sure it is very long (mine went all the way to the bottom of a 4" styrofoam). Form the legs and feet as shown. Apply gum glue (a mixture of water and tylose powder) to the wire and insert the first foot and leg.

Wrap a thin wire (22 gauge) around the base. Attach the foot using another small wire (22 gauge). Insert and glue the leg onto the wire and glue the foot to the straight leg's knee.

Form a small body/neck out of white fondant, wrap another wire around the base and attach the body with a little gum glue. The new wire should help support the back of the body. The body needs to be somewhat small so it wont be too heavy for the wires.

Cut out wings using a leaf cutter and attach to the body with gum glue. My wings fell to the sides a little which just made it look even better. Insert/glue another18 gauge wire into the neck. Allow to dry for a few hours.

Form the head/neck out of white fondant and glue to the body. Mark your eye holes with the end of a paint brush and insert/glue another wire into his face for the beak. Allow to dry overnight.

Form the beak and glue onto the wire. Roll tiny black and white balls for the eyes and glue into place. Form the hat out fondant using a piping tip and bend the extra wire down.

Cut out the blue baby blanket and form the baby's body. Most of the baby will be covered so it doesn't have to be perfect. Just make sure he has 10 toes! Fold up the ends of the blanket and glue onto the wire and allow to dry as shown.

Add the final details like a bow tie, feathers and eyelashes. And Ta-Daa! Cute!!

Safari Birthday Cake

2011-02-10T10:19:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of creating this safari cake for the nicest family. 3 year old Alexandra requested that the cake have safari animals and a princess on top, in her words, "the princess will make sure the animals are ok". Awww.... I love fulfilling kid requests.

Diet Coke Can Cake

2011-02-07T07:53:00.000-08:00

I surprised my husband with this cake for his birthday last week. He drinks WAY too much Diet Coke so it was only fitting to make him this cake. He loved it!

Damask Wedding Cake

2011-01-26T15:33:00.000-08:00

This three tier damask cake was created for Bobbi Jo and Brian's wedding this weekend. It was such an elegant affair. I just love the damask print with the dark red roses. Gorgeous!

I also had the pleasure of creating her birthday cake back in 2009 and it is still one of my favorites.

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-25T17:52:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from Cake Fixation. I hope your day was filled with love and laughter!

Gingerbread Village at the Seattle Sheraton 2010 - VOTE and DONATE!

2010-12-06T08:23:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun today visiting the Seattle Sheraton's Gingerbread House Village display. Since moving to Seattle a few years ago, this has become one of my favorite family traditions. The edible gingerbread house creations are A-mazing! And what really makes it special is that all the proceeds go to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Where: Sheraton Hotel lobby, 1400 Sixth Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98101 (206) 621-9000

When: November 23, 2010 through January 2, 2011

Admission: Free. Donations are accepted on behalf of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Dont forget to VOTE for your favorite house and DONATE to JDRF!

This years theme is "Home for the Holidays".

HO HO! Home on a Houseboat-DLR Group

Home is where the Heart is-Master Builders association of King and Snohomish counties

Santa's Home at the North Pole - KMD Architects

Special Delivery from Home - Mulvanny G2 Architecture

Treehome for the Holidays - 4D Architects

Home for the Holidays to come - Callison

Owl Birthday Cake

2010-11-28T21:42:00.000-08:00

I'm seriously loving owls right now and this owl topper just could not be any cuter. I'll be creating a tutorial for these cuties soon so stay tuned. :)

A Quick and Easy Fondant Sheep

2010-11-28T21:16:00.000-08:00

I am all about taking shortcuts and making things easier on myself. So when I had three sheep to make for a cake I had to figure out a way to make them fast. Each one took a whole 5 minutes to make. So so easy!! These would look adorable on a farm animal cake, or even as a cupcake topper too.

You will need some black and white fondant. Knead in a little tylose powder if you want it to harden. Start with a square of black and use two toothpicks to make indentions on each side.

Roll out an oval shape for the sheep's body.

Using a wilton tip 10 make circle marks on the wooly body.

Glue the body onto the legs with gum glue (a little tylose powder mixed with water). Shape a tear drop for the head.

Pinch out the sides of the head to make ears. If your fondant is wanting to dry out rub it with some crisco.

I almost forgot to show the tail (as usual!). The tail is another small tear drop shape. Glue both the head and tail to the body as shown.

Use a food marker to draw on the eyes. It's easier to write with food markers when your fondant is dry. You could also use small black sprinkles or two tiny balls of black fondant for eyes.

My sheep heads wanted to fall off so I let them dry with their heads propped up on a little box. It worked perfect and I got them finished fast.

Have fun!

How to Make a Fondant Elephant

2010-11-20T21:42:00.000-08:00

Hi guys! I've been working on the cutest cake this week with elephant toppers and thought I'd share how I made them. They turned out adorable. Here's how I did it:

First color your fondant (I use Americolor gel). Knead in a little tylose powder to help it dry. Then roll out a tear drop shape for the body and insert a toothpick for stability. Roll out a log shape for the legs, cut them to the proper size with an exacto knife and glue them to the body using gum glue (a mixture of tylose powder and water). Using a piping tip make little knee marks on her legs.

For her head roll out a ball of fondant and pinch and pull it to form the nose. If the face is sticky dip your fingers in powdered sugar so they don't stick to the fondant. After you get a good nose shape, use a piping tip to mark a smile. Glue the head onto the body with gum glue. Using a toothpick give the elephant nostrils and little lines on the top of her nose.

For her ears roll out blue and white fondant and using a wilton tip 10 cut out dots and glue onto the white fondant. Next use two different size circle cutters and glue the circles together. Trim off the edge with an exacto knife. Scrunch up the trimmed side and you are ready to glue to the head.

Using the end of a paintbrush mark holes for the eyes. Roll out the whites for the eyes and tiny black pupils. Glue on with gum glue. To make the eyelashes roll out a skinny piece of black fondant and cut to size. Glue down.

To make the toes cut out dots by using a wilton tip 10. Cut the dots in half and glue to the elephants feet. For the tail roll out a skinny log shape and give it a white tip.

So easy, right? Hope you have as much fun as I did!

Fable 3 Cake

2010-10-26T21:02:00.000-07:00

Fable 3 for the Xbox 360 launched today and I provided the cake for the local launch party. As Fable 3 is all about choices it seemed only fitting that the cake consist of alternating layers of "Angelic White" and "Devilish Chocolate", filled with "Never a Bad Choice" vanilla buttercream.

The crown which was made of fondant and airbrushed with Kroma Kolors Gold not only represented a key part of the game but also made a fitting headpiece for the guest of honor.

Check out the video!

How to Make a Fondant Monkey

2010-10-12T07:41:00.000-07:00

Since I havent posted in a while I thought I would make it up to my readers with a monkey tutorial. The monkey is by far my most requested fondant animal to put on a cake. Here's how I make the little rascal.

Color your fondant two shades of brown - one light, one dark. I used americolor gels and FondX brand fondant. I also like to knead in a little tylose powder to my fondant to help it dry. Shape fondant into a tear drop for the body and a round ball for the head. Insert a toothpick to help keep it in place.

Affix the head onto the body with gum glue (I use a mixture of tylose powder and water). Roll out a small piece of the lighter brown fondant and cut out a flower shape using a wilton flower cutter. Remove 3 of the flower petals so you get the eye shape of the monkey. Form the mouth/nose by making a moon shape out of the lighter brown fondant.

Glue down the face pieces with gum glue.

Using the end of a small paint brush and plastic stick create the mouth and nose holes.

Using the end of your paintbrush mark two spots for her eyes. Roll out two tiny white balls and glue into the spots. Also add a tiny black dot for the pupil.

Make two ear holes and shape two little tear drops for the ears.

Using the end of a paint brush hollow out the ears.

Roll out a thin piece of the lighter brown fondant and use a larger flower cutter (wilton brand) to create the belly of the monkey and glue into place. I also added a little wisp of hair.

Roll out 4 sasuage shapes to create 2 arms and 2 legs. I like to use my exacto knife to cut out fingers and toes. Glue arms and legs onto her body. And don't forget her long curly tail like I did! :)

Voila! She's a cutie!

Food disguised as other food

2010-06-30T13:52:00.000-07:00

Check out our hamburger cake in the OC Weekly article entitled 'Food Disguised As Other Food'. Thanks for including us in a great slideshow of cakes!

New Alice in Wonderland Cake

2010-06-30T13:50:00.000-07:00

I have done a few Alice in Wonderland cakes this year, but this one is my favorite yet. For Allison's 13th birthday she requested that the cake reflect the colors and style of the new Tim Burton movie. I LOVE the look and darker colors of the Cheshire and the Mad Hatter tiers. The Queen of Hearts topper is handmade out of gumpaste. I imagine her screaming "Off with their heads!". I had the best time creating this cake.

I heard back from Allison's mom who said that people couldnt believe it was a cake! The birthday girl said that no one was allowed to cut into it. I hope she finally gave in. :)

Mad Science Birthday Cake

2010-05-23T22:02:00.001-07:00

This cake was made for Caleb's Mad Science birthday party this weekend. His mom wasn't exactly sure what she wanted... we thought maybe a huge beaker? or a rack of test tubes? So I scoured the internet for other science cakes and found exactly what Caleb was looking for.... An actual Mad Scientist on the cake! We ended up naming him Dr. Thorsten, which is Caleb's uncle's name. Very cute and so much fun to make.

Neutral Baby Shower Cake

2010-05-23T21:36:00.001-07:00

Our popular baby shower cake is back with a new color scheme. Pink or Blue they have no clue, so we went with a mix of pastel colors and topped it with a cute and colorful bow.

The mom-to-be emailed me to let me know that they LOVED the cake and it was very much enjoyed by all. I'm so glad I could be part of their special day!

Mardi Gras Sweet 16 Cake

2010-05-20T08:07:00.000-07:00

What a fun theme for a sweet 16 party! The birthday girl requested a mardi gras themed cake but also wanted to include her siganture red and black because that is all she wears. She also loves white chocolate and raspberry flavors so her mom and I came up with the most delicious flavor combination of white cake with white chocolate ganache and raspberry preserves. It was to die for!

MSN Article

2010-05-16T13:08:00.000-07:00

I recently had the pleasure of contributing to an MSN article entitled The Cake is Not a Lie: Game Food. Very exciting! Thanks for including us Emma.

Another Alice in Wonderland Cake

2010-04-26T08:05:00.000-07:00

Alice in Wonderland is such a popular theme this year. This 3 tier topsy turvy cake was created for Madeline's 13 birthday party. She requested all the fun decorations like the large singing flowers, 'eat me' cookies and White Rabbit which were all handmade out of gumpaste. I especially love the different flowers encircling the middle tier.

Baby Shower Cake

2010-04-26T08:04:00.000-07:00

I love making baby shower cakes! I know I've said it before but they are the cutest cakes ever! For this one my client and I were inspired by the mom-to-be's baby bedding. Inside was Red Velvet cake with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese. One of my fave's.

Barn Cake

2010-03-28T16:24:00.000-07:00

A super cute cake made for Coen's birthday party at Farrel-McWhirter farm in redmond. The barn on top is made out of cake and was handpainted. Fondant animals and balloons finished it off. This was a really fun cake to make!

Safari Friends First Birthday Cake

2010-03-28T15:28:00.000-07:00

This was my favorite cake this weekend. It was made to match the Safari Friends party supplies. I was also inspired by a design by Cake Lava (you have got to check out their blog! - seriously amazing!)

Giant Pinkalicious Cupcake

2010-03-14T17:24:00.000-07:00

This giant cupcake is based on the children's book Pinkalicious. It is by far my daughter's favorite book. It is a 'must have' for all little girls!

A Hunny-ful Birthday Cake

2010-03-14T17:22:00.000-07:00

One has a rumbling in his tummy...

the other is constantly bouncing...

who could they be?

think, think, think....

Tigger and Pooh, of course!

Annabella squealed with delight when she saw her cake. Hope you had a Tigger-iffic 2nd birthday!

Sweet 16 Cakes

2010-03-01T20:17:00.000-08:00

It's the birthday all young girls look forward to - their Sweet 16! A Sweet 16 party just wouldnt be complete without an over the top birthday cake. Here are a couple of my favorites that were created for Brenna, Kelsey and Stephanie.

Jungle Animal Baby Shower Cake

2010-02-14T16:53:00.000-08:00

Jungle animals were the theme of this baby shower. The proud grandma-to-be helped design this cake for her daughter's baby shower. It was a gorgeous set up with blue and yellow treats under the table and matching plates and napkins. It was such a beautiful shower!

Race Car Cake

2010-01-31T09:47:00.000-08:00

This race car cake was created for Nathaniel's 5 birthday party this weekend.

Inside was black and white cake and vanilla buttercream.

Baby Shower Cakes

2010-01-31T09:46:00.000-08:00

Baby shower cakes are one of my favorite types of cakes to make. I dont have nearly enough of them on my blog, so here are a few of my most popular creations.

Valentine's Day Cupcakes

2010-01-26T19:26:00.000-08:00

Spoil your sweetie with a 4 pack of our special edition Valentine's Day cupcakes.

Roller Skate Cake

2010-01-24T09:59:00.000-08:00

This cake was made for my cute little neighbor. She brought over a drawing of what she wanted AND helped me decorate it. She's a natural. :) Her party was held at the Bellevue Skate King on retro night. Groovy!

The skate has a rice crispy treat center and was covered in modeling chocolate and fondant.

More Birthday Cakes!

2010-01-16T14:49:00.000-08:00

This was created for Erik's 40th birthday bash at the Woodmark Hotel. They had a full bar and intended to party the night away. Now, that's my kind of party!

An Over-the-Hill cake for a 50th birthday party. My client requested tombstones encircling the tiers that had different over-the-hill sayings on them. My favorite was, "50 - the new forty". Cake flavors included Island White and Banana's Foster.

Pixar's 'UP' Gingerbread House - 2009

2009-12-14T09:57:00.001-08:00

Since my family and I loved the movie UP so much, I decided to recreate the movie out of gingerbread for the Port of Bellingham's annual gingerbread house contest. The title of my creation was 'Up and Away on Christmas Day'.

Figuring out how to elevate the house to make it look like it was floating was a daunting task! Luckily my ever-so-supportive-husband could point me to the right tools and do-dads that I would need from Home Depot. The rest was up to me in replicating the UP house and characters.

As it turns out, I won first place in the Professional division and the coveted People's Choice Award!! In addition to two large ribbons I won a San Juans cruise. The ribbons alone were enough to please me, but a cruise for crying out loud?!?! I'll definitely take it!!

Gingerbread House Display at the Seatte Sheraton

2009-12-14T09:10:00.001-08:00

Our trip to the Seattle Sheraton to view the Gingerbread house display did not disappoint! The theme this year is ‘A Reel Christmas’. As a proud owner of a leg lamp, I was thrilled to see my favorite Christmas movie ‘A Christmas Story’ recreated out of gingerbread. From ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ to ‘Polar Express’ we were awed by each gingerbread creation.

Since little Ralphie has a dear spot in my heart, my favorite vote went to ‘A Christmas Story’ created by the DLR Group. Fa ra ra ra ra, ra ra ra ra!

To DONATE to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and VOTE for your favorite house, go to http://www.gingerbreadvillage.org/

Where: Sheraton Seattle Lobby, 1400 Sixth Ave., downtown Seattle
When: Tuesday, Nov. 24 to Sunday, Jan. 3

Admission: Free. Donations are accepted on behalf of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Holiday Hours

2009-11-22T22:06:00.001-08:00

Cake Fixation will not be taking any orders for the month of December due to vacation. If you would like to place an order for 2010 please feel free to email me at stephanie@cakefixation.com. I will be checking emails periodically.

I hope you all have a wonderful winter holiday!

Ladybug Ladybug Oh So Sweet

2009-11-22T21:08:00.001-08:00

Firstly, I have the best clients ever! Erica sent me these pictures and said she did not want to cut into her cake because it was too beautiful. Isn't that so nice?

Ladybugs were the theme of this party. Look how adorable little Violet is eating her first birthday cake. She's cute as a bug! She got her own little cupcake and her mom said she loved the icing the best.

Even though this was a smaller sized cake, it is definitely one of my favorites! Thanks for sending the pictures Erica.

Party supplies were bought here - Ladybug Ladybug Oh So Sweet

Forza 3 Cake

2009-10-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of making the cake for the launch party of Forza Motorsport 3, a new racing game for the xbox 360. For inspiration of the design of the cake, I got a sneak peek of the game and it is BEAUTIFUL! Making a cake to match the sleek lines of the game was no easy task.

Inside was a red velvet cake with vanilla bean cream cheese filling.

Learn more about the game at www.forzamotorsport.net

First Touchdown

2009-10-20T20:41:00.000-07:00

It’s getting dark earlier, the leaves are changing colors, and my husband is nowhere to be found on Sunday. That can only mean one thing – it’s football season! I’m not exactly sure if footballitis is genetic or a learned behavior, but if my latest cake is any indication the symptoms start showing up at a very early age.

This football field cake was for a little guy named Jordan who may need to warm the bench for a just a couple more years before making it to the big leagues. Matching cupcakes were added so the PeeWees could get in on the action too.

Isn't he adorable? Jordan's mom wrote about us on her blog over at Clean Eating Mama. Check it out - http://www.thecleaneatingmama.com/2009/10/its-party.html

Halloween Cupcakes

2009-10-13T16:04:00.000-07:00

These cute and creepy cupcakes are sure to impress your guests on Halloween!

For special orders, please contact me. stephanie@cakefixation.com

Cupcake Recipe from 'The Cake Mix Dr. Returns!"

2009-09-24T10:13:00.000-07:00

I was recently asked to review the new book "The Cake Mix Doctor Returns!". I was so excited when my copy arrived. I opened the book to the beginning and was greeted to page after page of cakes, cupcakes and brownie pictures (in color mind you!). My kids and I all crowded around to figure out which recipe to make. It was a hard decision with recipes like Toffee Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting and the Smith Island Cake (it has candy bars in it... OMG!)

We finally settled on the Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream Frosting. Sounds heavenly, huh? So, we got to work mashing strawberries and pouring ingredients into the mixer. I must note that wearing a plaid strawberry top is essential when making strawberry cupcakes. :)

We followed the directions exactly as stated. This is how they looked after baking. I'll admit, they were a little odd shaped on the top. So after they cooled, I got out my little scissors and cut off any odd shaped edge. I topped them with a swirl of Lemon Buttercream frosting and a slice of strawberry. I'm very pleased with how they turned out. And they taste incredible!! This is my new favorite book. Thanks Cake Mix Doctor!

Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

For the cupcakes

28 paper liners for cupcake pans (2 1/2-inch size)

1 package (18.25 ounces) plain white cake mix

1 package (3 ounces) strawberry gelatin

4 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup crushed fresh strawberries (5 - 6 large strawberries)

3 large eggs

For the filling

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese at room temp

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 28 cupcake cups with paper liners and set the pans aside.

2. Make the cupcake batter: Place the cake mix, strawberry gelatin, and flour in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the milk, oil, strawberries, and 3 eggs and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are incorporated, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes longer, scraping down the side of the bowl again if needed. The batter should look well blended. Set the batter aside.

3. Make the filling: Place the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and 1 egg in a medium size bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the mixture is creamy, 1 minute.

4. Spoon or scoop a heaping 1/4 cup of cupcake batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it two thirds of the way full. (You will get between 26 - 28 cupcakes; remove the empty liners, if any) Spoon a generous tablespoon of the cheesecake filling over each cupcake.

5. Place the pans on the center rack of the oven. If both pans do not fit on one oven rack, it's fine to let a pan sit on the counter while the first batch of cupcakes bake. Bake the cupcakes until the tops spring back when lightly pressed with a finger, 20 - 25 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and plan on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes longer before frosting.

6. Meanwhile, make the Lemony Buttercream Frosting

7. Spoon a tablespoon of frosting on top of each cupcake and spread it out with a short metal spatula or spoon. Lemony Buttercream Frosting

1 medium size lemon

4 tablespoons (1 1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature

3 cups confectioners sugar, sifted

Milk or water, if needed

1. Rinse and pat the lemon dry with paper towels, then grate enough zest to measure 1 teaspoon. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice to yield 2 - 3 tablespoons.

2. Place the butter in a medium-size bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until fluffy, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and add the confectioners sugar and the lemon juice and zest a bit at a time, beating with the mixer on low speed until the confectioners sugar is well incorporated, 1 minute. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat the frosting until it is light and fluffy, 1 minute longer. If the frosting seems too stiff add a little milk or water to thin it.

Welcome Home Cake

2009-09-12T21:17:00.001-07:00

*Attention all men* When your wife goes out of town, surprising her with a cake like this when she gets home will earn major bonus points! This was created for a special girl returning home to Seattle. Her husband told me her favorite flowers were tulips so it was a definite must to put them on top.

He did report back telling me the cake was a huge success. Although he didn't go into detail about what "success" meant :)

How to make a sitting Spongebob Cake

2009-08-20T16:30:00.000-07:00

Since my son watches me make cake after cake for other little children, he was so very excited when it was his turn to pick a cake and enjoy it all for himself. He decided on a Spongebob cake and it HAD to have a crabby patty. I was more than happy to make it for him!

Here's how I did it -

I started by baking two 10 inch square cakes. I cut them in half and torted the layers.

I stacked the cakes and filled them with fudge and mint chip buttercream.

I cut my dowels to the proper height and inserted them into the cake.

On another cardboard, I repeated my stacking and fillings with my other 10" cake.

With a sharp knife, I cut down my cardboards to the same size as the cakes. I then stacked the cakes on top of each other.

I then carved the cakes to look like Spongebob by tapering the bottom section. Next, I covered him in buttercream and put him in the refrigerator to chill (about 30 mins).

Next, I used my melon baller to create Spongebob's bumpy edges. And who's going to know if you pop those extra little bites into your mouth. :)

I then pushed a sharpened wooden dowel through the middle of both cakes until it was no longer sticking out of the top. *If you are traveling with this cake be sure to push this center dowell all the way into a cake drum. (I use another dowell to help push it all the way through the drum.)

Next, was my favorite part - the decorating! I started by trimming the excess cardboard with an exacto knife and covered Spongebob in panels of fondant. After draping the fondant on the cake, I cut it to the perfect size with my exacto knife. Repeating on all sides. I used my ribbon cutter to make his pants and shirt out of fondant.

Using the end of my rolling pin, I pushed dents into Spongebob's body. I used round cutters for eyes and a clay gun make the edges. His mouth, feet and legs were all cut and formed by hand out of fondant. I rolled a log shaped piece of yellow fondant and inserted a skewer for his nose. I also used skewers to hold his arms in place. The crabby patty and other decorations on the board were hand modelled out of fondant.

Here is my handsome 4 year old son and his Spongebob cake. He's my sweetie!!

Western Cowboy Cake

2009-08-15T20:47:00.000-07:00

Howdy Y'all! Since I am originally from Texas, this western cowboy cake was right up my alley. I created it for the cutest little boy named Cooper. I just love how is mom coordinated the party favors and decorations with the cake. Adorable!

And as my wise uncle used to say, "Don't squat with your spurs on".

Alice in Wonderland Cake

2009-08-02T20:59:00.001-07:00

I'm late... I'm late... for a very important date...

No time to say hello - goodbye

I'm Late, I'm late, I'm late!!!!

Like the White Rabbit, this latest blog post is way overdue. The Alice in Wonderland cake below is one of the reasons why.

It was created for a special sweet 16 birthday party. To give it a Alice in Wonderland look, we decided to include Cheshire's face and Alice's ruffles. The White Rabbit topper was handmade with fondant.

Sssccchhhooool's Out For Summer!

2009-06-21T22:23:00.000-07:00

Fortunately, it’s not out forever but it is the recent cause for celebration. Most of the cakes that have gone out over the last 3 weeks have been topped with a graduation cap and/or diploma. While the graduation season is short there is a big variety of requests that come in this time of year. Here are my two favorites.

Interview with CakeSpy

2009-06-16T08:53:00.000-07:00

My favorite sweet treats blog, CakeSpy, did an interview on little ol' me! Check it out. http://www.cakespy.com/2009/06/batter-chatter-interview-with-stephanie.html

Sushi Cake

2009-05-10T09:34:00.000-07:00

Although I dont get to eat it as much as I would like, I love good sushi! Unfortunately, grocery store sushi doesn't fall into the category of "good sushi" and 9 times out of 10 that is ususually what I get when I ask my husband to bring me some home. So I was thrilled when I had the opportunity to make a sushi cake.

The sushi board was a vanilla cake layered with lemon buttercream and lemon curd. The california and spicy tuna rolls were made out of little bites of vanilla cake and lemon buttercream.

Here's the beautiful birthday girl with her sushi cake.

Mother's Day Cupcakes

2009-04-26T16:43:00.000-07:00

Easter Cupcakes

2009-04-07T11:07:00.000-07:00

Take a look at these adorable special edition Easter cupcakes. Flavors include Very Vanilla and Strawberry Lemonade.

Eeyore Cake

2009-04-01T23:20:00.000-07:00

Eeyore's guest appearance at Jessamyn's 40th birthday proves you're never too old for Winnie the Pooh and Friends!

Eeyore was a stacked chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream filling.

The client was great to work with and was kind enough to send me a picture and the following kind words.

Thank you so much for an AMAZING cake. I was blown away by how cute it was. Our family loves to watch Ace of Cakes on the Food Network and I would have to say that your cake was even better than the ones we have seen Charm City make. You made turning 40 a BLAST!!!

Fairies in February

2009-02-22T21:38:00.000-08:00

My favorite cake this week was a Fairy themed birthday cake for a new client. The wings took me a couple tries to make a set that worked, but I'm very pleased with the end result.

Valentine's Day Cupcakes

2009-02-07T09:53:00.001-08:00

Pink Tiered Cake

2009-01-28T16:03:00.000-08:00

Here is my newest cake creation that will be on display at Savory Moment. I think this would be a wonderful anniversary or birthday cake!

Xbox 360 Cake

2009-01-17T20:29:00.000-08:00

I made this cake for a very sweet neighbor who's husband is a huge Xbox 360 fan. I tried to make this one look realistic and I think I pulled it off. I took a few pictures along the way that I thought I'd share. Enjoy! First I made a pattern by tracing around a real Xbox.

Then I placed my pattern onto the cake and cut off the excess.

Because of the Xbox's concave shape, I had some carving to do.

Next, I gave it a thin layer of buttercream while trying to keep the edges sharp.

I didnt get a picture of the next step, but I covered the entire cake in white fondant.

Using a tip 10 I cut out a ton of little dark gray dots and placed them on the top of the cake.

Here I used a mini paint brush to guide the little dots into place. A dab of water helps as "glue". This is a very tedious step, but worth it in the end.

Here's the bottom of the Xbox. I cut my fondant into a strip and used an exacto knife to cut it down to the right shape.

I poked holes in the bottom using a cake tool called a cel pen.

Dont forget the feet!

For the front details I used my pizza cutter and knife to cut out the different shapes and glued them down with water. A circle cutter was used to create the power button.

If you have any questions on how to make your own XBox 360 cake feel free to contact me!

Game Cakes of 2008

2009-01-02T12:57:00.000-08:00

Here are my favorite game creations that I've done over the past year. I was asked to do a Street Fighter IV cake, but am also looking for other game cake recommendations for 2009.

Seattle Sheraton Gingerbread House Village

2009-01-01T14:22:00.000-08:00

Since I am obsessed with gingerbread houses, we decided to visit the Seattle Sheraton to view the amazing houses on display during the holidays. The houses were designed by local architects and baked by the talented culinary staff at the Sheraton. The theme was 'A Superhero Christmas'. We were in awe of all the houses but the Super Mario Nintendo was the favorite of our group. Enjoy the pictures!

Gingerbread house

2008-12-29T21:32:00.000-08:00

This is my huge gingerbread house. It was baked from scratch and is about 90% edible. Although, no one in my house dared to eat a bite. I donated it to the KidsQuest Museum in Bellevue. The house is on a lazy susan and spins to reveal the inside of the house...

I spent way too many hours wall-papering the inside of the house!!! I had so many more details planned, but ran out of time. Here's my favorite shot of the house.