Nursing School Graduation

I know quite a few nurses-  some family, some friends, and some just the sweet people who were there for me when I had my kids.  These people deal with a lot of things most of us couldn't even imagine facing at work.  So if someone graduates nursing school with the heart to help others in that way, I say they well deserve a cake to recognize their efforts!  Heck, cupcakes too.  They've earned it.

For this nursing school graduate, I made a scrubs shirt cake decked out with a stethoscope, name tag (with he graduates name on it), scissors, and pen.  The cake was vanilla with buttercream icing.  There were both chocolate and vanilla cupcakes as well.  Each cupcake had a little handmade chocolate topper on it - either a band-aid or a stethoscope with heart.  A great way to say congratulations and a pre-thank you for the hard work ahead.

Apple Bridal Shower

It's always fun when I'm presented with a new concept.  This person was ordering a bridal shower cake for her sister.  The theme of the wedding (and the shower) was green apples.  I had never heard of this before, but was very interested in the idea.  The colors were navy blue and obviously apple green.  Never thought I would be asked to make a giant apple cake, but you just never know what to expect!

The leaf and stem were made out of melting chocolate, so completely edible.  And of course, there were cupcakes to go along with the cake that I forgot again to photograph.

Minnie Mouse 1st Birthday

My niece turned 1 year old today, and her mom threw her the most awesome birthday party to celebrate!  Everything was pink, black, and white.  There was tons of pink candy on all the tables and the kids were even given Mickey and Minnie ears to wear.  A party this cute and coordinated calls for a cake to match.

The cake was vanilla with cream cheese icing.  I ran into a bit of a pickle with the mouse head.  See, I don't work with fondant, and I have learned from experience that black buttercream icing may only be used in minimal amounts for piping.  Never cover a cake with it - it tastes bitter and leaves people with stained mouths which is not flattering.  So, solution - I iced this in white, then covered the entire thing with black sprinkles.  I loved the extra sparkle it provided.  Though I will admit, I think there was still a stain risk.  So I warned those in charge and we opted to serve the bottom tier first, and the top only if necessary.  Black is still my nemesis.

Oh, and because each 1st birthday requires a special birthday boy/girl piece of cake, I made a mouse on the side, just for her.  Ears on both cakes were made of sugar cookies!  There were also chocolate cupcakes to boot, but you'll just have to imagine them in your mind.

Tinkerbell Cupcake Cake

This was my first-ever cupcake cake.  They've received a bad rap by some, but understandably they can be done rather poorly.  This one was easier because it didn't require any particular shape.  And honestly, cupcakes are so much more convenient with little kids.  Teach the lesson of patience another time and give the kids their cake - pronto.