{Cake} Edible Images

Edible images are pictures, logos, etc printed on rice paper using edible ink. They are fast becoming my best friends when making cakes or cupcakes that require a picture or logo on them.  Here are a few examples of the cakes where I used an edible image.  Below that you can find links to the vendors I ordered them from.  I had great experiences with them so I'm sure you will too.

Vendor used for photo edible image:   http://stores.ebay.com/Art-Design-Gifts

 Vendor used for Lakers logo edible images: http://stores.ebay.com/Art-Design-Gifts

Vendor used for Raiders logo edible image: http://www.abccakes.com/

{Recipe} Sugar Cookies, REGULAR, with NO EGGS, NO DAIRY and NO EGGS

I have recently found alot of different variations on the sugar cookie.  I decided to include a traditional recipe along with two others that cater towards those with food allergies.  So have fun making them for the ones you love, whom normally wouldn't be able to eat them.  Such a relief right?

Traditional Sugar Cookies
This recipe makes about 30 cookies
Ingredients
* 3/4 cups butter, softened
* 1 cups granulated sugar
* 2 eggs
* 1/2 tspn vanilla extract
* 2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
* 1 tspn baking powder
* 1/2 tspn salt

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2) In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour.
3) Roll out dough on floured surface or on a large piece of parchment paper to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
4) Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven.  Cool completely before removing from cookie sheets.




Sugar Cookies without Eggs
Ingredients
* 1 lb. butter (4 sticks)
* 2 cups sugar
* 3 cups flour
* 1 tspn baking soda
* 1 tspn salt

Directions
1) Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
2) In large bowl, cream together butter and sugar.
3) In a seperate bowl sift dry ingredients together and then mix into creamed mixture.
4) Roll into small balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
5) Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven until lightly browned. Cool completely before removing   from cookie sheets.



Sugar Cookies with no dairy and no eggs
Ingredients 
* 1-3/4 cup flour
* 1/4 cup granulated sugar
* 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
* 1/4 tspn baking powder
* 1/8 tspn salt
* 3/4 cup vegetable oil
* 1/3 cup applesauce, smooth
* 1/2 tspn vanilla extract


Directions
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) In large bowl mix flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder and salt.
3) Slowly mix in the vegetable oil, applesauce and vanilla.
4) Roll into balls and place on greased cookie sheet.
5) Bake in preheated oven 7 to 8 minutes until edges are golden brown.

*Note: if you plan to roll and cut, allow to chill for atleast 1 hour

{Cake} Simple decorations for any occasion

A very simple technique for using fondant to decorate your cakes is to use cutters.  Cutters can be found in virtually any size and mold.  They can be found at your local crafts store or over the internet.  These cakes were decorated using Wilton's Circle Cutters and marshmallow fondant, made by yours truly :-)   You can see the fondant recipe here.

The cake above was made by first covering it in buttercream.  There are two reasons why you want to cover it in buttercream.  First, it helps insulate the moisture and taste of the cake.  I mean who likes cake without the frosting, right?  Second, it helps to bond the fondant decorations, keeping them from falling off the cake.  The second step is to roll out your fondant and cut out the circles using your cutters.  These are the ones I use... they are made by Wilton.

For the cake above, I used the smallest cutter to make the small circles on the sides of the cake.  And for the top of the cake I used the middle circle.  The middle circle is just big enough to hold a letter inside of it but not to big that it overwhelmes the cake.

This next cake, above, was made using the middle cutter.  The same size was used all around and I was able to create an overlapping effect on top of the cake.  The same marshmallow fondant recipe was used.

Any questions?  Feel free to email me at janet@theprettylittlecakeshop.com

{Cake} Planes, Trains, & Automobiles

Just made this cake for recent 1 yr old birthday boy. 

I was asked to match the characters in this party theme and make the characters on the cake a little more 3D than usual....

It was fun but a challenge none the less.  All the characters on the cake as well as the scenery such as the mountains, railroad tracks and street were made out of fondant.  The cake itself was covered in my "famous" buttercream which can sometime betray me by becoming difficult to completely smooth out when I'm trying to decorate but it is so damn good that I always use it regardless because I think I'll be forgiven for the imperfection once the customer tastes how good it is.
So, close your eyes and imagine the cake alongside the party decor....