Baked a Cake

It’s been a while since I last busted out the piping bags (so much so that I only had one left – mental note: buy more piping bags) so I thought it was about time I brushed up on my skills. While I’m ok with buttercream, piping with a teeny tiny number 2 tip and royal icing was a bit of a different story, although I was pretty happy with the result. 

As any Caker knows, sugar flowers and rainy weather do not mix. What started out as a great week to reacquaint myself with my love of sugar flowers soon turned to a saggy mess with the arrival of the severe storms we have just experienced in Newcastle.  

This past week, my other fabulous workplace, Cactus, celebrated it’s 21^st birthday and to celebrate I thought I would make a sugar flower succulent crown to top a cute little cake, complete with rainbow sprinkles (what party is complete without rainbow sprinkles?)! 

I just love being asked to play a part in special occasions! 

You may remember the adorable flower garland buttercream cake that I made for Alice’s 1st birthday a few posts ago? Well, Amelia and her mummy were guest’s at Alice’s first birthday and asked me to create this cute little ombre cake and sweets for Amelia’s first birthday.

Hot cross buns (and bunnies),
Hot cross buns (and bunnies),
One a penny, two a penny,
Hot cross buns.

I just loved this sweet little cake for a sweet little girl's 1st birthday!

Last week I had the pleasure of making a fun pirate themed cake that also let me brush up on my airbrushing skills. My lovely Cacti friend Lizzie asked if I could make a cake for her big brother’s surprise 60th birthday party – the pirate theme was absolutely perfect for Mikey, a mad sailor with a heart of gold, and perfect for this baker/decorator, who had been wanting to make a pirate cake for ages.

Happy World Nuttela Day! That's right, that delicious, chocolatey, hazelnutty spread that we all love has it's own special day where the world celebrates it's awesomeness. Tell celebrate I decided that the perfect recipe would be one from the chocolate-loving, over-indulgent Domestic Goddess herself - Nigella Lawson's Nutella cake. 

This simple, gooey, fudgy cake (complete with a whole jar of Nutella - yes it really is amazing) is just the thing for a nutella nut but isn't too rich for those not so chocolate obsessed. 

Welcome back on board Baked a Cake for 2015, this is your captain speaking. Can you believe that we are almost in February already?!

Well as you can tell by the lateness of my January post, I can't.
With the dates on the calendar flying by I keep thinking that I have days and days left in January but alas, I don't.

This year to get myself motivated and to build on my skills I have decided on focusing a new caking skill each month and hope you will join me on my journey this year again. 

With only two more sleeps until Christmas, it is time to introduce to you, my 12th and final cake for the year. This month I wanted to make something Christmassy but not typically Australian. 

Last Friday the Boy celebrated his 28th birthday. We have a tradition in our household to try and out-do each other with the birthday cakes that we make each other each year, and after the cake he made for my birthday, I knew I had to bring something pretty special to the table. Queue a delicious chocolate cake iced with salted caramel cream cheese icing and piled high with sticky salted caramel popcorn!