Order up: Stephen's First Birthday

Last weekend I had an order due for my cousin Erica. It was her son Stephen's first birthday party and the theme was Sesame Street.


The order:
50 Cupcakes: Decorated as Elmo, Oscar, Grover, Cookie and Big Bird. 25 Vanilla, 25 Chocolate with butter cream icing.
1 giant cupcake for Stephen to enjoy


I did some research to look for pictures to see what techniques I liked best. I decided that I was going to use Oreo cookies for the mouth so they would have a smooth finish, along with candies for the eyes and noses.

I started the baking on Friday night when I got home from work - all went smoothly and the cupcakes turned out exactly how I wanted them. Then it came time to make the frosting and start coloring to match the characters.


I can honestly say that I enjoyed making these cupcakes so much! They were so much fun to pipe the "hair" on, and turn them from regular cupcakes into the characters. I started with Oscar first, then moved onto Elmo, then Grover and Cookie. I did Big Bird last - he probably presented the hardest challenge...making that beak was rough! I think I have some ideas for how to make it next time (if I have to make them again!)


All in all, it was a success. I received messages from Erica and my aunt saying how they loved the cupcakes and they tasted great too!

Pictures can be found: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.115390331875592.23739.112047062209919

Up next week, Minnie Mouse and a variety pack!

First Order = Signed, Sealed, Delivered!

Last week we received our first "official" order! To say I was excited was beyond words.

A co-worker of mine, Sandy, requested that I make her "a giant cupcake that I can eat all to myself" She has repeatedly told that "this is your gift child, and you need to take it and run with it". So I did. Her two requests were chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting, didn't matter how it was decorated.

With Easter coming around the corner, I decided to make her a basket of flowers. I started with the base and used the basket-weaving technique on the bottom, then added a star border, and rope piping at the top:

Once the base was complete, it was time to move onto the top. Earlier in the week, I made flowers from royal icing in a blue color, so I made pink and purple icing to add accent flowers. I piped grass along the edges, above the rope as part of the base of the cake. Next I used a star tip to add pink and purple flowers. Then placed the royal icing flowers, added the centers to the flowers and added more grass :)

The finished product took a train ride from my house into the city where it was delivered to Sandy this morning! I hope she enjoys the giant cupcake as much as I did making it!

Looking forward to sharing more photos and stories with you!