3 for the Price of 1

A grooms cake, wedding cupcakes, and a retirement party, Oh my!

The last week has been jam-packed with so many events, the end of a long school year, and all of the packing/moving that's taken place.  I've had a lot of fun doing three totally different events, and now I can take a breath for a few weeks!



Cake Number 1: Denver Broncos Cake

Event: Rehearsal Dinner

I had the honor of making cupcakes for Taryn's bridal shower, and I was so excited when I heard from her about a surprise groom's cake for her now-husband Toby.  He's a huge Denver Broncos fan so I had a fun time dreaming this one up.  I even caught sight of a picture of him holding the top tier, kissing it. Mission Accomplished :)

Cake Number 2: Cupcakes in Annapolis

Event: Wedding

Anna is a good friend from JMU who came to me right after she got engaged requesting cupcakes.  She was married in Annapolis in a beautiful ceremony, and when we arrived for setup the reception hall was so impressive!  Her uncle made the most incredible stand for the cupcakes, and her cutting cake had a handmade topper that was designed to look like Anna and Mike.  Definitely a wedding for the books!

Cake number 3: Beach Cake


Event: End of Year Luncheon

Last year I made a cake for Shannon, the Administrative Assistant at my school. I was so excited when she asked me to make the cake for the end of the year luncheon.  Even though the luncheon is a celebration of the end of our school year, we are also saying goodbye to a fabulous principal. Joanne, (who so kindly gave me my job!) is retiring this year so we've had a fun time celebrating her as our year comes to an end.  She loves the beach, and since it's a natural symbol for summer we decided to use it as our cake theme!

JMU cupcakes for a new alumni!

This post comes with a bit of history.

My dear friend and sorority sister, Lisa gave me one of the greatest gifts when I graduated. Her grandmother is a phenomenal quilter and collected all of my JMU shirts (and memories!) for a t-shirt quilt.  The final result was so stunning, and to this day it has been one of the most special gifts I've ever received!

Lisa recently became a JMU alum herself, and I knew I had to do something special for her.  Along with a few fun surprises, I thought I'd bake some JMU cupcakes for our celebratory dinner together. I was so excited to decorate cupcakes that were meaningful for both of us!

Mario Birthday

I was asked by a coworker to create some cupcakes for her non-dessert eating boyfriend.  She told me, "He doesn't really like sweet things, but he loves Mario and Taco Bell... can you help?" After a few google searches I had the perfect idea. Unfortunately, it didn't involve Mario visiting a Taco Bell, but the outcome was fun and colorful none-the-less.  I heard he ate the whole cupcake and even liked it! Bonus points for me.

This last little guy was a surprise for his mom since it was a celebration of birthdays and mother's day.  So cute :)

Chocolate Wedding Cake

I can't get enough of this rose cake, and it seems like I'm not alone! I was so excited when my most recent bride Leah mentioned it at her tasting. I also have another excuse to use this design in August for a friend's wedding. Leah and her new husband Jimmy were so fun to meet with back in February, and I've looked forward to her wedding ever since. They were married at the Top of the Town in Arlington, which has the most incredible views of DC. It was definitely worth the ride to the 14th floor, cake in hands.

They only needed a small cake to cut into, and they went straight for the fudgy chocolate. I loved the way the textures can be seen... it's a very dainty cake at 2 tiers, but it has a lot to say!

The time has come... cake pops!

I was told by a colleague at school that I should give up trying cake pops. "They're already popular. They'll come and go," she said. "You need to find something that nobody has heard of yet and make it big."

I listened to her for a little bit, sticking to my comfort zone of cupcakes and fondant. It was last month for my birthday though, that my mind was changed. My (soon-to-be) sister in law sent me a kit for cake pops. If you know anything about me, I LOVE kits! It included the ingredients, the foam block, sticks, and even a how-to book with tons of pictures. It was time... cake pop time.

I kept the decor simple for round one and focused on the inside. We "accidentally" bought too many girl scout cookies this year, (I can't say no to the families of first graders when they're selling things). I ran a box of the Savannah Smiles through a food processor and mixed them in with the lemon cake, and raspberry buttercream. The result, needless to say, was quite tasty.

Here's my close up account of cake pop test #1!


You'll need a few things first: Candy Melts (from Michaels/AC Moore, Etc.) and some fun embellishments, such as sprinkles or dragees.




You'll also need the craft supplies for stability: Candy Sticks and a foam block.




Here are my ingredients: One box of cake mix, prepared according to package, 1 batch of buttercream frosting (in this case, raspberry), 1 box of crushed Savannah Smiles, just for fun.




Now that you've gathered the ingredients, it's time for step 1: smush it all together! This is the fun part. Use your hands and get messy! When it's well blended, roll it up in plastic wrap and refrigerate until it's a bit firmer, about 1 hour.




Step 2: use a small scoop to roll the dough into balls. Once you've done this, refrigerate them for another 30 minutes.




Step 3: pre-poke holes in your foam so that you're not trying to jam a melty- ball of cake into it later. I alternated between 3 and 2 holes on each row to make room for all of the sticks.




Step 4: Dip the sticks into the melted candy coating and poke them into the cake. Give them time to set and harden. This will ensure that the stick will stay put when there is more weight on top.





Step 5: Dip the cake balls into the candy melt, sprinkle them while they're still wet, place them on the block to dry.




Voila! Cake Pops!

New supplies for Cakes by Casey

In the past week or two I've had a great time "expanding the business." I made a list of all the things I might like to have to be more organized, or more successful, and went to the internet to make it happen. Thanks to several sites such as Zazzle and Vistaprint I now have a few new fun things!

Here are some of my new finds-


Pink Boxes!







Box Labels


And finally... Flavor Lists and Pricing Guides!







Feel free to contact me for copies of either. I have digital versions as well as hard copies that can be mailed.

Enjoy!

Onesie Cupcakes... Thanks Pinterest!

I've been waiting to post this until I gave away my last "batch" of onesie cupcakes. I sent a box to my soon-to-be Sister In-Law who is expecting her first baby this spring, and rolled up a second set for a close high school friend's shower this past weekend.

As much as I'd love to take credit for these sweet creations, it was no doubt a pinterest find that inspired me. I think I've found my newest baby shower gift for all of my friends that will be needing fun baby clothes in the future!






Check out the tutorial here.

Enjoy!

Wedding Shower Cupcakes

I'm so excited about this event because it not only gave me the chance to reconnect with a JMU friend Dara (sister of the bride for whom this was held, and bridesmaid), but it also gave her sister Taryn a reason to contact me about a groom's cake! I love it when I can make something for the same client/family twice!

These cupcakes were modeled after some that we had both eyed on pinterest, but after a few tweaks they took on their own personality. They were fluffy and romantic, and perfect for a girly afternoon.

Flavors pictured: Lemon cake with raspberry buttercream, and yellow cake with whippy vanilla frosting.

Kayla and Joey's Wedding Weekend

I can't think of anything more romantic than a Valentine's weekend wedding. Kayla and Joey are the sweetest couple with so many great ideas. I really enjoyed getting pictures from them with ideas throughout the cake process, and for each decision they were so laid back. It was a perfect team to have as clients! After 180 regular cupcakes, and 180 mini cupcakes for each guest (cool idea!) their wedding dessert was complete.






Cupcakes for the happy couple!






Featured Flavors:
Yellow Cake with a light chocolate buttercream
Funfetti Cake with a whippy vanilla frosting
Red Velvet Cake with a cream cheese buttercream