Mummy Mocktails

This Halloween, my friends and I went to the MassArt Iron Pour before getting together for Halloween Mocktails. The metal smith class melts down scrap iron to make molds and quite a light show. Here are a few photos:

I made these mummies I had seen on one of the many blogs I follow (can't remember which one). Their base is pumpkin carrot with a cream cheese frosting. It was an excuse to try out some of my flatter frosting tips, and the really really micro round tips for the eyes. My friend Kim made some awesome vanilla spider cupcakes to compliment the mummies, and my mom brought all the do-dads to decorate pumpkins.

Pumpkin Carrot Mummy Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, Pumpkin decorated by Monica, Vanilla Spider Cake with Chocolate frosting by Kim

Midterms and ASB

It's mid semester and everyone I know is in hiding. I made a huge couple batches of these cupcakes for my Primer (orientation leaders) friends I haven't seen lately, as well as to contribute to the Alternative Spring Break groups bake sale. The cupcakes sold out, and I opened the eyes of coconut loathers; Sabrina...

I had to include this photo. I just love it, even if it is a bowl of unmixed ingredients.

Four or so dozen cupcakes

Pumpkin Carrot Coconut Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting and Coconut Flakes

Happy 1 Year Mondo!

Wednesday October 21 marked Mondo's 1 year anniversary since Mike brought him home as a tiny 3 inch baby. Now he's all grown up! A whopping 8 inches! Though there was no cake involved, I still had to post these photos. His orange coloring compliments all these pumpkin spice cakes I've been making. And he's my favorite little lizard guy.

January 2009 ( 5 months old)

October 21 2009 (1 year 2 mths)

Lisa's Birthday Bake Off

The end of last semester it was brought to my attention a teacher at school loves to bake. I have her this semester and we have challenged each other to a bake off, much to everyone else's enjoyment. So far it's been a slow start...

She baked a few weeks ago, and I had yet to make anything to bring specifically to class. Lisa's birthday happened to be this week and so I took the opportunity to bake FOR the competition.

I've never tried such a combination, but the results were fantastic. The cake was moist, while the frosting was the most successful cream cheese frosting I've made to date. I think I've found a recipe to keep, thanks Countryliving!

Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

Ginger Pear for Mom's Birthday

I made this ginger pear cake for my mother's birthday a few weeks ago. It's a ginger pear cake with a honey glaze filling and cream cheese frosting. This is probably the only cake I've made and not tried so far in this experience. My mother approved though, so we'll have to make it again sometime.

A small cake, I made this two layer in my 6 inch cake pan.

Ginger Pear Cake with Honey Glaze filling and Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Spice Spider Cakes

October is here! I made these pumpkin spice cakes from a pumpkin bread mix because the store was out of pumpkin puree. The cream cheese frosting is the homemade, with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. They are good, but a bit crumbly.

Pumpkin Spice Cakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Baking Date

I had a baking date with Megan tonight while everyone hung out at Mike's. We made pumpkin spice cakes from scratch, called it a night, and frosted them with Betty Crocker's cream cheese frosting. We colored the frosting for autumn and experimented with my frosting tips. It was incredibly hot with a full apartment, so our frosting became a little soupy, but still delicious!

We had tea from ghoulish mugs and Megan brought some super cute Halloween cupcake liners too.

Pumpkin Spice Cakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Thursday Mocktails

Senior year is getting crazy. My new years resolution is falling to the back burner. I find myself trying to invent time to bake. 

I did get together with some girlfriends last week for a bit of dinner. I couldn't bring anything besides cupcakes, so in between Flash CS4 tutorials and Design Research, I made some chocolate vegan cupcakes with vanilla butter cream frosting. Half with peanut butter cup cookies. Half dipped in ganache and topped with a strawberry.

They were definitely hurried. I piped on the frosting without waiting for the ganache to cool, resulting in sad looking tops. The wrappers also pulled away from the cake over night. I don't know if there was too much oil in the recipe (vegan) and they resisted the wax lined wrappers. Regardless, they tasted yummy!

Wish for some spare time soon so I can post more (detailed and attractive) treats.