Happy New Year

It's hard to believe that 2010 will come to an end tonight.  

Smashing Cake Designs would like to say thank you to all of you that made 2010 a great year for us.   Several cakes were created allowing us to take part in your special celebrations by designing the cake for you to remember.

We are looking forward to 2011 and all the exciting news it will bring.

Here is a small review of a few personal favorites in 2010.

 
Happy New Year!

Santa got stuck!

This cake was made for a Christmas Party today at a daycare.    I didn't make the delivery so I didn't get to see the reactions, but I hear everyone loved it.   

The chimney is cake and Santa is made from Rice Crispy treats.   

Ginger Bread House 2010

After making a Gingerbread house last year my son has been asking to make one for about 2 months now so we finally broke open the box this weekend and made this years house.

I helped him with most of the icing work as this icing was to thick for him to deal with.   He had the fun job of placing all the candies on and sprinkling lots of icing sugar and coconut every where for the snow effect.  

Melting Snowman Cookie Tutorial

Well, this has been one very busy month.   I have had a few cake orders (which I still need to post some pictures of), workshops and tons and tons of bark orders to fill.

So with all the work in the kitchen this month I fell behind on getting a Christmas Tutorial ready for you.   So I am going to forward you to the blog of an amazing cake decorator in the States.    She has a tutorial on her site for making these cute melting snowman cookies.   You could also turn these cookies into cupcakes which I did last year.

So hop on over to Truely Custom Cakery

Here are the cupcakes I made last year.

Princess Cupcakes

This order was for 50 cupcakes with Princess for a little girl turning 1.   Loved the colours, her mother requested.  They are so bright and pretty.  

Chocolate Treats

Say Merry Christmas this year with Chocolate.    We are busy making 40 plus pounds of chocolate treats this week.   With our Christmas Bark, Chocolate Lollipops, Holiday Snowflake Cutters and Milk Chocolate Gingerbread Men we can help you with those little gifts for family, friends, teachers, hostesses, etc.

Contact us today info@smashingcakedesigns.com  to place your order.

Spaces still open

This Sunday is the fondant candle workshop for any last minute planners still wanting to attend.

To allow for delivery of the tips and couplers Wednesday is the deadline to sign up for the cookie decorating workshop being held on December 14th.    

Please see past posts for information on both workshops or e-mail us at info@smashingcakedesigns.com

Christmas Cookie Decorating Workshop

Join us Tuesday December 14^th at 80 Bradford Street in Barrie to learn how to decorate cookies like a pro.   Workshop times will be 11:30am-2:30pm OR 7:00pm – 9:30pm.

During the workshop you will decorate about 2 dozen cookies using 6 different cookie designs.  I will teach you about working with cookie icing and how to get the perfect consistency each time!

Each participant will receive 4 icing tips and 4 couplers to take home and continue creating.

Pre-payment of $30 must be submitted via e-mail transfers or cheques (at least one week before workshop) to info@smashingcakedesigns.com   Upon receipt of payment you will receive my favorite cookie and icing recipes so you can pre-make them before class.

I am suggesting all participants buy the Wilton Cookie Cutter 12 or 18 piece set from Wal-Mart which retails for $4.97. This will ensure we are all decorating the same cookies during the workshop.

I only have 6 spots for each workshop so sign up early.   Please be sure to indicate if you are signing up for the day or evening session.

Bark pre-order special is coming to an end

Wow, where did November go?    You may recall earlier this month I had posted a pre-order special for the Christmas bark.   If you pre-ordered prior to November 30th you received 3 boxes of bark for $25 (regular price $10 each).

Since this month totally slipped away from me and I forgot to send everyone a reminder I will extend the sale by one day since those of you who subscribe to the blog won't receive your e-mail until December 1st.    So pre-order your bark today and save before the prices go up December 2nd.

Each package of bark is nicely packaged making great gifts for teachers, co-workers, friends. school bus drivers....the list could go on and on.  

Flavors include:
Holiday Bark - peppermint
Festive Bark - orange flavored chocolate with cranberries
Toffee Bark
Cookies n' Cream Bark

Also we still have spaces open for anyone wanting to take the fondant candle workshop.

I will also be posting information soon for a Christmas cookie workshop, so watch for those updates.  

Cold One

Here's a nice cold one for those beer lovers out there. 

This is a chocolate lovers dream with a chocolate cake, chocolate icing wrapped in chocolate fondant.

A weekend date added for the fondant candle cake workshop

After posting the information on the Fondant Candle workshop, I received a high request for a weekend workshop.   So here it is:

Workshop will be held at the Jarrett Hall on Horseshoe Valley Road – Oro-Medonte on Sunday December 12^th from 1pm – 4pm.    Pre-payment of $50 must be submitted to hold your seat.  I accept e-mail transfers to info@smashingcakedesigns.com or please send an e-mail to arrange other payment options.  

Once your seat is confirmed you will be e-mailed about a week prior to the workshop with a list of items required.   Such items will include, fondant, roller, fondant mat.   You can make a real cake or a dummy cake for the purpose of this workshop.

I will supply the candle, plate and specialty tools required. 

Please fell free to pass this workshop onto anyone you know that may be interested in attending.    

You do not need fondant experience to attend this workshop as I will show you how to over the cake and create the details.  

Simple Floral Birthday Cake

This weekend was my Mother-in-laws birthday.   So we headed up to her place for lunch and cake of course.    It was fun to just make a simple pretty cake as I don't get to do those very often.  

First Fondant Workshop

Here it is, the ever awaited introduction into fondant workshops. 

I have limited space for this beautiful Christmas Candle Cake, so sign up early.    Workshop will be help in Barrie on Tuesday December 7^th from 11:30am – 3:00pm.   I will consider an evening class if there is enough interest.

Pre-payment of $50 must be submitted to hold your seat.  I accept e-mail transfers to info@smashingcakedesigns.com or please send an e-mail to arrange other payment options.  

You will be e-mailed about a week prior to the workshop with a list of items required.   Such items will included, fondant, roller, fondant mat.   You can make a real cake or a dummie cake for the purpose of this workshop 

I will supply the candle and plate.  You will have use of my tools to make the holly leaves and candle indent.   

Please fell free to pass this workshop onto anyone you know that may be interested in attending.   

 

Same Cake Different Version

Back in July I made a In The Night Garden cake for my kids birthday.   While I have now make 3 In The Night Garden Cakes.

The one for this weekend didn't need to be a large, so we eliminated a tier but was still able to accomplish the same look and feel of the cake design.

Fundraising Event

Would you like to support RVH and have a chance to win a $100 Smashing Cake Designs gift certificate?   If you live in Simcoe County and have children between the ages of 6 months and 6 years please check out the Our Children of Simcoe County web site.  

You purchase a ticket for just $20 which includes your photo session, wallet prints and a year book with all the children.   Each ticket also is a ballet to win some free prizes donated by local companies.   

Call Munros Furniture today to purchase your ticket and book your photo session.  

Another Candle Workshop

I have had a few requests about doing a workshop with the fondant Christmas Candle.   Right now I am trying to gather numbers to see how big of a space I would be looking at renting to complete this workshop.   If this is one you would be interested in please let me know by commenting with your e-mail address or e-mail me so I can forward finalized class details to you.  

Date and location is TBD based on numbers.  I am looking at Halls in the Barrie, Orillia and Oro-Medonte area so it will be within one of those areas.   If you could also let me know if daytime, evenings or weekends work best then I can go with the majority of people.  

You don't need fondant experience to take the class, I will show you how to cover a cake with fondant.   You will however need to bring your own tools (rolling pin, fondant mat or silicone mat to roll fondant on, and a few other common kitchen tools).

 

Bark contest winners

We would like to thank everyone that entered into the Bark give away.   We would like to congratulate Lee and Amanda as our 2 winners.  

We also want to thank everyone that come out to the arts & crafts show this weekend.   We had a good time and met lots of great people.   It was fun to watch everyone sample the bark as they tried to decide which flavour was their favorite.   

Don't forget about the pre-order sale of the bark where you can save $5 before November 30th when you order 3 boxes for just $25.    I have several Mothers pre-ordering boxes now to receive them in mid-December for Teacher gifts.  

Christmas Candle

Have I mentioned that I LOVE Christmas yet?  I love the bright colours and endless cake ideas that this season brings.  

Here is a sample cake I have made up for the Craft Fair this weekend.   This cake can be made in a variety of sizes which is great for accommodating different sizes of dinner parties.  

  
Here are a few more treats you can find when you visit us at the Craft Fair this Saturday.

Arts & Craft Fair

Come join us this Saturday at a local Arts & Craft sale.   We will be selling Chocolate Bark (at a great show special price), Light Bulb Lollipops, Chocolate Pretzels, Snowflake Cutters.......ummm a chocolate lovers dream.

You can find us along with other vendors selling stained glass, portraits, calendars, cards, scarves, jewelry, pewter.    Check off a few of those Christmas gifts and visit us at 3883 Line 8 North, Oro-Medonte, between Horseshoe Valley Road and Warminster Side Road.  

Date Change for Candle Workshop

The Candle Cake Decorating workshop has been re-scheduled for Wednesday November 24th.    All other details remain the same.  Please see the post a little further down the first page of this blog for all the information and a picture of the cake you will make. 
 

Yummy give away and pre-order sale.

What is your favorite kind of Bark?   I did a lot of taste testing this weekend and must say I love all 4 of our Bark flavors and can't decide on a personal favorite. 

Holiday Bark,  I can say has the most enjoyable scent of all.  You open a bag of this bark and  can almost taste the mint and chocolate combination before taking a bite.

Cookies n' Cream, is just that a delicious creamy chocolate combination that melts in your mouth.

Toffee Bark has a nice crunch to it with a hit of toffee flavoring throughout.  

Festive Bark is an orange flavored chocolate mixture with Cranberries for added colour and flavor.  It reminds me of the orange chocolates found at Christmas time with the added bonus of cranberries.  

Smashing Cake Designs will be making bark an annual treat you can purchase each November and December.  You can also order bark and have it shipped to a friend with a personal gift card included.   


Bark will be retailing for $10 per box.  However if you pre-order your bark before November 30th, you can enjoy a bulk rate of 3 boxes for $25.    These make great teachers gifts, hostess gifts and stocking stuffers.  


Would you like to win a box for free?   I will be giving away 2 boxes of bark. Winners will be announced Sunday November 14, 2010.  Local winners can arrange pick up of the bark or you can have it shipped anywhere in Canada.   Here's how to enter both contests:
1) Post a comment below stating what you think your favorite flavor would be, be sure to include an e-mail address for contact purposes. 
2) Become an active follower of this blog.   To become an active follower you must enter your e-mail address in the bar in the top right side where is says "subscribe"  you will then a receive an e-mail from Feed Burner to activate your subscription.  Click on the link in the e-mail and you are now an active follower. 

Good Luck!

Christmas Lights

I love driving around in December looking at Christmas lights.   I remember doing it as a child with my Mum and I now love taking my children out and see their eyes light up.

Another way to light up the eyes of a child is with candy of course.   This year I will be making and selling these chocolate light bulb lollipops during the Christmas season.   These make great stocking stuffers for kids and adults alike.   It's also a nice treat to hand out at Christmas parties to all the guests. 

I will be appearing at a few Christmas craft shows over the next few weeks where you can get your hands on some goodies.    I will post all the info on the shows shortly.   If you can't make it out to a show you can certainly place an order for any of the Christmas treats.    I can also ship a package of these lollipops :) 

Animal Baby Shower

Some of you may recall a Birthday Bash give away I did back in June.   For commenting on the blog or becoming a new follower you were entered into a draw for a gift certificate.   Marcia was the winner of that draw.

As soon as I announced to Marcia she that she was the winner of the certificate she knew she wanted to use it for a family members baby shower later in the year.   Well this weekend was the shower and this is the cake design Marcia and I came up with.

Congratulations again Marcia and it was a pleasure making this cake for you and your family.

     

Snowy Candle Cake Decorating Workshop

If your hosting Christmas dinner this year or having a dinner party over the holidays, you don't want to miss this workshop.   Place this candle on your table as the centre piece then serve it up for dessert!    This also makes a great birthday cake for someone that loves candles, just don't add the snowflakes and you can use it all year round.

You don't need any previous cake decorating experience to attend this class.  I will walk you through every step.

Workshops will be $25 per person. Once workshop payment is received you will be sent a small supply list and baking instructions.  E-mail payments will be accepted at info@smashingcakedesigns.com or send an e-mail to us for other options.

Workshops will be held in Barrie, ON on November 24, 2010 at 10am-12pm  OR 7:30pm-9:30pm.

Please sign up by e-mail before Monday November 21, 2010 and feel free to pass the workshop details onto your friends. 

Space is limited so sign up early to save your spot. 

BOO!

Well Halloween is this weekend and this is my last Halloween themed cake for this year.   I forgot how fun Halloween can be.   I still have so many other ideas in my head for cakes, so hopefully I will get to work through a few of them next year.

Happy Halloween!

 

Halloween Cookies

I made up 5 dozen Halloween cookies to package up for the kids at daycare and to send to son's school this week.    It's hard to tell in the picture but there is a little spider on the web cookie. 

Halloween Toffee Apple

Yummy!!  Doesn't this cake make you just want to take a big bite?   Today I was able to enjoy being a student in one of Andrea Sullivan's workshops.   She has amazing sugar skills and I love being able to learn new tricks from her and always walk away with an amazing cake.

This cake was so much fun to make and I can see changing it up slightly for different designs and seasons.  

All the candies on the board are hand made and edible.

Happy Birthday James

This was a fun little cake for a special little guy turning 1.    This little guy has had lots of challenges in his first year, but he was a strong little man and after a much needed surgery he is doing terrific.   It's great to see him playing and just being a little kid, so I couldn't think of a better cake for him then a fun toy.

 

Pans for sale

UPDATE

My cake pans are overflowing and taking over the kitchen.   I have am no longer using the following pans and have decided to offer them up at low prices to anyone needing a few cake pans.

All of pans are Wilton.
6x8" Oval $3 - Sold
8" Circle $3- Sold
10" Circle $5 - sold
12" Circle $8 - sold
6" Square $3 (have 2 of these) - sold

Character Pans: 
Nascar #2105-1350 $6
Lion #2105-1012 $6 - Sold
Ghost/Pumpkin #2105-3070 $6 - Sold
Kid Fire Fighter #2105 - 2077 $10
Fire Truck #2105-2061 $10 - Sold

Pumpkin Shaped pie pan $3 - Sold

Cupcake Carrier - holds 12 cupcakes, 24 minis or a 9x11 cake.   $10- Sold

Please e-mail julie@smashingcakedesigns.com  if you are interested in purchasing any of these items.  You must be able to get to Barrie to pick them up.  If you are attending the workshop on October 27th - I can hold the items for you to pick up at that time.

Pumpkin Patch Princess

This cake was made for a little girl celebrating her birthday pumpkin patch style.   Her cake flavour of choice was Cookies n' cream with vanilla icing.  

Gobble, Gobble

My son was over the moon to see these cookies this morning.   I told him I would make a special treat to send with him for Thanksgiving, so he was thrilled that Mommy came through.     So 20 little turkeys are being enjoyed today in a JK class

Scarecrow

I have been wanting to make a Hay Barrel cake for some time now.   Of course a barrel of hay on it's own would be pretty boring so I had to make a scarecrow and a few pumpkins to liven up the cake.   I have fallen in love with this little guy, he has brought a smile to my face over the last few days while he has been drying on the counter.  

AHHH

Okay, so I am over the moon excited right now.    I am a member of the Canadian Cake Decorators Guild...you can find their info down the right hand side of my blog to go check them out.    They held a raffle today for a Cake Safe.   I bought my 4 tickets 2 weeks ago as this has been in my long wish list of products to have.

I just found out that I am the lucky winner of this $500 valued Cake Safe.   WOOHOO

So I will be going on a little road trip soon to go pick it up and can't wait to play around and finally be at ease while I make cake deliveries. 

Would you eat it?

Okay so my step father and I have lots of fun teasing each other all the time.   At a family birthday party in August he was teasing me about what kind of cake I should make for his birthday.   I shot off with a quick response saying he would get a piece of S***  He of course laughed and said "Ya, right.  I dare you" 

So I thought about it for about a week and thought he deserved much more then one piece.   So below is his very delicious Banana Cream Cake.

Happy Birthday Gerry!! 

If you are a little twisted like I apparently am, this would make a fun cake for a Halloween Party.   Rather then cake, have it all cupcakes underneath and see how many party goers are brave enough to dig in :)

Halloween Cake Pops Workshop

Make these fun treats in time to send with kids to school for Halloween or for Halloween parties taking place over the weekend.

Once you learn how to make these, you will find yourself making different themes throughout the year.

Workshops will be $25 per person. Once workshop payment is received you will be sent a supply list and instructions for baking your product at home. E-mail payments will be accepted at info@smashingcakedesigns.com or send an e-mail to us for other options.

This workshop will be running Wednesday October 27, 2010 at 10:00am – 12:00pm OR  7:30pm - 9:30pm at 80 Bradford Street, Barrie ON

Please sign up by Friday October 22, 2010 and feel free to pass the workshop details onto your friends.

Oreo Cookie Turkeys Tutorial

Make these cute little treats for Thanksgiving.  Little ones just love these guys.
They are easy to make, but give yourself a couple of hours to complete them. 

To start out you will need:
Oreo Double Stuf (the regular ones will not allow you to put the candy corn in)
Whoppers
Candy Corn
Resse Mini Cups or you can get mint and caramel for those with nut allergies
A pipping bag with a number 3 tip and some icing (you could also put a small hole in a baggie with icing)

Each turkey requires:
10 Candy Corn
2 Cookies
1 Mini Cup
1 Whopper

Use a bit of icing to attach your 2 cookies together.  I suggest doing all your cookies first so the icing can harden a bit before you start attaching stuff to the cookies.

 Take 6 candy corns and push them gently into the cookie.  You may need to put a little bit of icing into the cookie first so they stick better.
Put a bit of icing onto the bottom and back of the mini cup and apply to cookies.

 Cut the tips off of 2 pieces of Candy Corn. Set the tips aside as you will need them later.

Attach the 2 Candy Corn you just cut as feet, using a little icing as glue.
Attach the Whopper onto the cup by putting a little icing on the bottom and back of it.  Yow will need to hold it in place for a few seconds.

 Take the remaining 2 Candy Corns and attach them to the top of the mini cup on either side of the whopper as arms.
Take one of the little pieces that you cut off for the feet and attach it to the whopper as a beak.   Then use your icing bag to make 2 little dots as eyes.

  Put a little bit of blue food colouring into a bowl and use a tooth pick to add blue eyes to your turkey. 

 Your finished!  Watch the kids faces light up as they enjoy these little guys. 

Good Morning!

Well I was thrilled to wake up this morning and visit my favorite cake decorating website Cake Central to find my beach themed cake was sitting in the 4th spot for most favorite cakes of the day.  

I am often in awe of the top cakes on this board as they are absolutely stunning, so having one of my cakes make the board (for the second time) is a HUGE pat on the back.  

Yes, I took a picture of my computer screen.

Beach Cake

This cake is for a 50th Birthday Party.   The theme of the party is elegant beach theme.   The customer send me a inspiration board of pictures that they were as a guideline for decor.   This was perfect!  I was able to truly understand the feel of the party and design the cake accordingly.

This cake would also be perfect for a beach wedding.  

 

Happy Anniversary

It's hard to believe that a year ago my little brother got married.   I made the wedding cake for them and found it only fitting to make a small anniversary cake for them as well.   

Happy Anniversary!