Circles and Flowers Cake

Here is a delicate design using both fondant circles and gum paste flowers. A pretty design so nice for a mom or sister!

Chicken Pox Cake

My dear friend spent a week caring for her youngest son when he had the chicken pox.  He got better.  Then her husband got it - eek!  Then, when all seemed well, her oldest son woke up with the dreaded spots.  It was to have been a fun week with school plays and a vacation, but all those plans were shelved and my friend was in tears.  I tried to bring a smile to her face in the best way I knew how,... by baking!

Chocolate Mint Cake

This simple but beautiful cake combines the classic flavours of chocolate and mint! Chocolate cake and mint buttercream, covered in mint green tinted fondant and enhanced with simple satin ribbons make this cake gorgeous and delicious!

Whimsical Flower Cake

I made this cake with some leftover batter and frosting.  It was such a cute design, one I had been hoping to try out.  I used fondant and gum paste to make these whimsical and colourful flowers and then placed them on the top of this cake frosted in Swiss Meringue Buttercream. I dropped it off to a dear friend's house, where the kids playing outside followed the cake to the front door like a parade! The cake was sliced up and eaten quickly!

Ballerina Slipper Cake

Little Sydney is turning 6 and her friends will be joining her at her dance school to help her celebrate! Her mom wanted an extra special dance-themed cake to make the day complete.  I handmade these adorable ballerina slippers made of gumpaste and fondant and made matching flowers to decorate the rest of the cake.  I placed the cake on this (rentable) cakestand that I embellished with an all-pink tutu. I think Sydney will be thrilled!

Carrot Cake



This super delicious cake, Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, was made for a young soul turning 82. The carrots were made of fondant and brushed with a little cocoa "dirt" to give them that fresh picked look, without the fresh picked taste! Mmm!

Meringue Flowers and the Cake Show

A few weeks ago I had the privilege to learn the art of meringue flowers from the great Wendy Kromer, who was guest teaching the Bonnie Gordon School. Afterwards, I decided to put a cake showing off my newly acquired skills in the Cake Show, held this past weekend in Toronto.

And so here is the cake I made and exhibited at the show. A beautiful 4-tiered cake, covered in white and pink meringue flowers and leaves, with the bottom tier covered in a brown sugar meringue basketweave.

The idea of covering a cake in meringue flowers and decorations really appeals to me. It has an organic look I really love and the crunch and taste of the meringue is so wonderful. They are beautiful decorations your guests will really enjoy eating. An added bonus is that these decorations are both gluten and dairy free.

Jack Skellington Cake

Sugar and spice

and everything nice

that's what little girls are made of

Sunshine and rainbows

and ribbons for hair bows

that's what little girls are made of

But, wait just a minute!

Sometimes girls are sweet and nice and want a cake with a skull on it for their birthdays! 

Helen was turning 17 and it wasn't so easy to come up with a design.  Flowers and pink just wouldn't do.  I thought she must have been joking when I heard the words "skull" and "black", but when I suggested the following design, she seemed quite taken with it.  Without a doubt a lovely young lady, even without the rainbows and ribbons for hair bows!  Happy Birthday!

Handy Manny

With children growing so fast, you would think children's programming could stay the same forever, after all, there is always a new audience coming along.  But change they do, as illustrated by the show Handy Manny.  In my girl's time, it was Bob the Builder (he was the guy with the talking work-vehicles like Muck and Roley).  Now it is Handy Manny, he is a guy with talking tools like Stretch and Dusty.  And, a favourite of Doreen's nephew, who turned 2!  Happy birthday little man!

Ribbon Roses Cake

Charlie is a chocolate lover.  When her mother approached me for her 14th birthday cake, she told me it  had to be all chocolate.  Even a layer of fruit preserves would be considered too healthy!  So, chocolate it was - Chocolate Butter Cake with Whipped Milk Chocolate Ganache!  I added these adorable ribbon roses, made out of 50/50 gum paste/homemade fondant, in Charlie's favourite colour.  Happy Birthday Charlie!

Star Cupcakes

With their blue stars and dark brown cupcake wrappers, I think these cupcakes have "little boy" written all over them!  And actually, most anyone would love to eat these!  My Yellow Cupcakes, a swirl of my Vanilla Bean Buttercream and topped with homemade fondant stars and a silver dragee.  So sweet!

Easter Cakes

I have three wonderful options to make everyone happy this Easter.

First is my Truffle Egg Nest Cake. This super tall 6" cake is a rich chocolate laced with espresso powder for a subtle mocha flavour. It is layered with a whipped ganache and then topped with a shiny dark-chocolate glaze. Inside the milk-chocolate nest are bittersweet-chocolate truffle eggs, coated with milk-chocolate tinted a sweet blue colour and brushed with luster. This gorgeous cake feeds 8 to 12.

Next up, is my Billowy Bunny Cake.

This sweet bunny's marshmallow and cotton candy exterior is hiding a delicious carrot cake, smothered in cream cheese frosting! Yum! Chocolate-covered coffee bean eyes, a jelly bean nose and tiny strips of yellow licorice finish off this cutie! Feeds 8 to 10.

Finally, my super-sweet Chick Cupcakes.

Sitting on a bed of Mike & Ike candies, these chicks are hiding a delicious vanilla cupcake and vanilla-bean buttercream under their toasted coconut exteriors.  Licorice eyes and almond beaks make these adorable chicks any child's favourite Easter dessert!

40th Birthday Cake

My friend's husband was celebrating his 40th birthday on St. Patrick's day.  We decided he would enjoy something very chocolatey with some fruit, so we went with my Chocolate Cherry Cake, a deliciously rich Chocolate Butter Cake, each layer brushed with a Kirsch syrup.  Then filled with a Dark Chocolate Ganache mixed with Kirsch-soaked Cherries and frosted in Whipped Dark Chocolate Ganache. 

Boy's Polka-Dot Cake

Inspired by my polka-dot cake, a mom asked me to make a boyish version for her son. The top tier was for the kids, with Chocolate Butter Cake and Swiss Meringue Buttercream under the delicious fondant.  The bottom tier was for the grown-ups, with White Butter Cake, Swiss Meringue Buttercream and tangy and sweet Lemon Curd in between the layers, covered with more delicious fondant.

Gum Paste Roses Cake

A friend came to me with a special request. She wanted a beautiful cake for a birthday celebration and one last delicious indulgence before starting a diet. Inspired by my cupcakes with the gum paste flowers, she gave me some freedom to create something beautiful. I, in turn, was inspired by a beautiful small cake I had once seen in a wedding book - cakes that did double duty as both cakes and centerpieces. 

I crafted beautiful pink roses, smaller light green and white roses, as well as buds and leaves and sweet little bell flowers out of gum paste.  Almost forgotten are the flavours of this cake - which were delicious Chocolate Butter Cake, Chocolate Ganache Filling and Vanilla Bean Swiss Meringue Buttercream. I think the tiny vanilla bean seeds add real character to this cake.

Double Chocolate Cake

About five years ago, my beloved husband had to give up dairy.  Truthfully, it is cheese he misses the most, because lucky for him, he doesn't have much of a sweet-tooth!  However, he is human, and walking in on "all baking, all the time" must have its challenges.  So the other day I remembered this recipe.  A healthier chocolate cake, made without dairy, but with heart healthy dark chocolate and topped with a rich and shiny chocolate glaze!  I whipped it up and my heart did a little pitter-patter when Shawn said: "This. Is. Awesome!"  What can I tell you, I was born to please!

Mandelhoernchen

I lived in Kitchener for almost 10 years and during that time was a somewhat frequent visitor of the famous Kitchener Market.  In addition to the fabulous meats, cheeses and produce, there were a number of really great bakers, including many German ones, in homage to Kitchener's heritage, of course.  One particular stand I would frequent each week carried these wonderful Almond Horns, which I think I must have eaten as a child in Holland.  The outside was crunchy, the inside chewy, dipped in delicious chocolate,.... mmm!  I haven't had any that even faintly resembled those gems since leaving Kitchener in 2001, believe me, I've tried to find some! 

So, the other day I was checking out some sites on the web and found a blog that had a recipe for Mandelhoernchen - yes, the elusive Almond Horns (thanks for sharing, Gesine).  I was so excited.  I could almost taste them and quickly printed off the recipe and practically ran into the kitchen.  Now, I must admit, my first attempt (with store-bought marzipan) did not pan out, but I wasn't giving up!  So, I made my own marzipan (almonds and sugar), added the rest of the ingredients - basically more almonds and sugar and this time success!  I dipped the ends in chocolate and look at these beauties!  They are every bit as tasty as the "bächer" used to sell me in Kitchener! 

Good news for those of you with food issues - this is one of my recipes that is made without either wheat or dairy.  And a special thank you as always to my dairy-free husband for taking the snapshots.

Fondant Cake

Here is a pretty cake I made for no particular reason.  I was inspired by a picture of a cake and wanted to practice with fondant.  I love the end result, although I think the colour of the fondant makes you think this cake is covered in marzipan, which wouldn't be a bad thing,...  It's final design makes me think of 1970's wallpaper, macrame and quilting.  It is not what will come to mind when you eat it of course, but it shows that inspiration can come from anywhere.

Caterpillar Cake

This hungry little guy will delight young children and book lovers too!  My Butter & Sour Cream Vanilla cake/cupcakes, decorated with Swiss Meringue Buttercream and Fondant make this caterpillar oh so cute!  (thanks to Coco Cake Cupcakes for the inspiration...) Enough cupcakes and cake to serve 28.  This cutie can also be made with miniature cupcakes and a proportionally smaller head.

Bell Flower Cupcakes

Pretty vanilla cupcakes, iced with pink vanilla bean buttercream and each topped with a handmade gum paste flower. Made for a loving husband to give to his beautiful wife. Also perfect for mothers and brides and pretty little girls. 

Madeleines

These Madeleines are a traditional small cake originating in the Lorraine region of France. Soft and delicate, they can be flavoured with nuts or citrus, sometimes cardamom. These wonderful cakes were flavoured with orange zest and just melt in the mouth.

Polka-Dot Cake

This fondant covered cake is simply perfect for any girl's birthday, although everyone will enjoy it! Your favourite flavour cake and filling will work for this cake, but for the record, it was vanilla butter cake and lemon curd filling. Yum!

Classic Wedding Cupcakes

There is just something special about having your very own (cup)cake to enjoy and savour.  These cupcakes show how they can be made and served elegant and sophisticated.  These beauties will wow your guests both when you serve them and when they taste them.  Here, a mix of vanilla and rich chocolate cupcakes, all topped with a lovely swirl of vanilla bean Swiss meringue buttercream are served with fresh fruit.

Rose Garland Wedding Cake

I made this cake for a bridal shower, but I think it would be equally lovely for a real wedding or a special occasion birthday. The cake, my wonderful White Butter Cake, had a Raspberry Filling and was covered in White Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream. A custom rose petal garland and a beautiful single rose on the top made this cake extra special.

Shawn Wilcox Photography

A special thank you to my beloved husband who patiently takes pictures of my cakes for me.  He has a lot of talent, and while food is his least favourite subject to photograph, he does so anyways! 

If you are interested in checking out his favourite subjects to photograph, check out his blog at:

shawnwilcoxphotography.blogspot.com

It's really great!

Butter Crunch

                         thank you to Shawn Wilcox for the photo of the "Butter Crunch"

                                                                                     
A perfect gift is a beautiful box or celophane bag of "Butter Crunch".  As with all my products, this one is entirely handmade, from cooking the sugar until it reaches the hard ball stage, roasting and chopping the almonds and tempering the chocolate, you will be hard pressed to find anything like this made entirely of natural ingredients or made fresh just for you.  As always, this product will be beautifully packaged and ready to give.  E-mail me to discuss pricing.

Beautiful design. Impeccable taste.

Welcome all to the Sweet Handmade blog. Sharing the joy of all things sweet is my goal. I hope to make your next special occasion extra wonderful with the addition of a Sweet Handmade cake or dessert. Contact me!