Playing Catch Up

Hi All!

First off, I haven't blogged in a while but I've still been busy baking.

Recently, I've been using Instagram as more of a platform to share my baking, however, it was hacked... by a Russian porn girl.... how lovely (eyeroll!). So, tonight with the reinvention of my instagram, I decided to refresh my blog and share some work I've completed recently! I hope to keep up with it more, as I am a bit more settled in work these days and have more free time to bake, create and blog!

Please make sure to follow me on Instagram @onesweetbiteatatime -- my page may be a bit sparse now but I am going to work to rebuild it ASAP!

Cookie dough crumble cake!

Cupcakes for a 30th birthday party!

A tribal "Wild One" cake for a 1st birthday party with cake pops!

 

Princess cake pops for a 1st birthday girl!

Lots of babyshower cakes!!

Harry Potter cake pops for an adorable HP themed baby shower.  Aren't the baby Harry's so cute!?

 These were pearl cake pops in their shells for a nautical themed bridal shower.

 

A fall cake with rose gold cake stand made the perfect housewarming gift for a friend!

 

Rudolph was the perfect addition to our Christmas table this year!

And let's not forget the best team in the NFL!!! 

Monte Carlo Sweet 16

When Molly asked me to make cake pops for her sweet 16 party, I died!  First off, I can't really believe she is 16.  I used to push her on the swing set and take her for ice cream when she was a mere 5 years old... I watched her and her three sisters grow up while I spent many days and nights babysitting them through middle school, high school and even college.  I was so thrilled to do these for her big event! 

There is nothing I love more than a good theme party.  Molly gave me her colors of black and gold and said they'd be playing card games in her dance studio that they turned into a mini casino! I was loving it.. and instantly dice cake pops came to mind!

I had a lot of fun executing the display, Simple black and gold ribbon with card suit stickers helped incorporate otherwise bland white plates into the fun theme, and I stuck with the strict color pallet of white, black, gold and red. 

These were a mix of mint chocolate and vanilla.  I really like the little card suits, I've been wanting to buy this little tin of mini cookie cutter symbols and this order pushed me to finally order them!  My cookie cutter obsession continues.... 

Thanks for letting me add something special to your big day, Molly!

-Elena

Ok, I'm Back with Some Yummy Things...

I got married. It is the only excuse I have for not blogging in 6 months!

I took some time off from baking and blogging while we planned and successfully executed our wedding!  It was the best day ever and we are still floating on cloud nine from it even two months later!  The planning was easy but still exhausting and so we took a nice, long two week honeymoon to Iceland and the Netherlands! I didn't want to come home... 

Now we are settled back into every day life and I am back baking like a feign.  

My first project back from my little hiatus was a 2nd birthday for my coworker's daughter.  He said "give me something girly with pink" -- easily done!! I decided on butterflies of different sorts with a pink and purple theme.  I individually wrapped them and they handed them out to their family and friends as a party favor!  

Next up were my favorite little baby heads for my friend Liz's gender reveal party! Every time I make these little things I can't help but smile.  Each one comes out with it's own personality...and I always add a few criers in there--gotta give the soon-to-be parents a taste of what they're in for, right!? 

Next was a delicious lumberjack cake for my cousin Nick's 29th birthday!  What I thought would be a major challenge ended up being pretty easy.  This was vanilla bean cake with brown butter vanilla butter cream (say that five times fast!). When I googled for inspiration for this cake, I saw a lot them had been done with fondant and I wanted to stay away from it.. but I ended up texturing the buttercream into bark with a butter knife and I was super happy with the results! I also ordered a super cute ax lollipop mold and used chocolate to make the ax for the top! The entire cake was devoured in about five minutes! 

Also thrown into the mix this month was a simple and pretty blue wedding sampler for a couple who I have the pleasure of catering for in two weeks!

Lastly, some delicious cupcakes for my friend Becky. I had fun with these and discovered that pulverizing Oreo cookies in the food processor and then folding them into fresh vanilla buttercream makes for the most delicious butter cream in the entire world!  These were ice cream sundae, cookie dough, cookies and cream, and peanut butter crunch.  YUM! 

Working on two orders this week that I am excited for and can't wait to share! 

Elena

Births & Birthdays [Featuring the Ribbon Cake]

This weekend's baked goods revolved around new birth and birthdays! 

One of the best things about food is that it unites people.  People come together to celebrate milestones such as birthdays, baby showers, weddings... and food is always involved.  That's why when someone asks me if I can make a personalized dessert for them to present at their event, I am so extremely flattered because I know the intimate role food plays at gatherings. 

My first project was for a friend from high school, Kristine, who is expecting her first baby girl!  She asked for cake pops and baby heads, but gave me the creative freedom to come up with the rest! I felt like with spring on the way, flower and pastels would be the perfect mix! 

I love putting little flower headbands on them! And the crying babies are always my favorite.. Just trying to keep it real, right? They aren't angelic all the time!

My second project of the weekend came on Sunday when my family and I celebrated my Yia Yia's 87th birthday! My Dad asked me if I could make a cake, so I decided on a tall, three layer chocolate-peanut butter cake with a butter pecan butter cream.  I absolutely love chocolate peanut butter and I've made this cake before, knowing how moist and decadent it always comes out! 

 I chose butter pecan as the butter cream flavor because I wanted the taste to be rich, and bring out the peanut butter flavor in the cake, which it did! I found a new butter cream recipe that said to add 1 tbsp of light corn syrup for every cup of frosting, and wow what a difference! This butter cream was soft, smooth and creamy while still holding it's shape for piping.

I had wanted to try vertical butter cream ruffles for a while, and decided that this would be the cake I could experiment on, it being a family cake and all.  I used a Wilton 125 flower petal tip, keeping the fat end dug into the cake as I piped back and forth to create a ribbon pattern.

It did not come out perfect, and not as straight up as I wanted, but I have to admit I think this is pretty good for my first attempt! 

For the top, I decided to pipe flower petals to make one giant flower-like pattern!  I then created a flower out of fondant that I kept folding and pieced together. I thought the design was very simple but elegant.  I chose pink butter cream only because I had this cake plate tucked away and have been dying to use it!  

My Yia Yia loved it!

I really love this picture because it represents me and the relationship I have with my Yia Yia. Growing up I'd sit in this kitchen with her and she would teach me how to make all types of food and mostly desserts, from sugar cookies to greek pastries, and even how to steam milk for hot chocolate! She never cared if I made a mess... that was half the fun! And even if the cookies were ugly, she said they were beautiful!  Her skills in the kitchen are amazing, and at 87 she still cooks every single day for her and my Papou.  I hope to still be cooking at her age! I know her love for food has been instilled in me, and I am forever grateful! 

Yes, I consumed this whole piece, ice cream and all.. how can you not!? Worked out all week, ate healthy, and avoided every drop of alcohol all week, knowing I was going to consume this baby!! 

-Elena

My Rosette Birthday Cake

What a weekend!  

I started the weekend by finishing up some Valentine's Day orders! Cupcakes and cake pops for people who love other people and what better way to show it!

My good friends Kyla and Danny came for the long weekend and stayed with Louis and I! We got snowed in and spent Valentine's Day together and had a blast! The guys played video games, and Kyla and I just snuggled on the couch, chatting and drinking wine and reminisced about college. It was so nice to have them here to do nothing but relax!

Sunday we celebrated me turning 26. I am officially closer to 30 than 20 now.. But I am not scared! The amount of fun things happening in my life right now, and the amount of even more amazing things to come make me so truly excited for this age! I really can't complain.

To celebrate, a bunch of people I love came over and we made our way to my favorite chinese restaurant where we drank and ate.. Then went back to the apartment where the drinking and eating continued mixed with some dancing and a ton of laughing.  It was a blast! 

I celebrated by making my own birthday cake. Odd I know.. But I really wanted a delicious cake and the best way to get that is to make it myself. 

Holy hell, was it good! I took some maraschino cherries and chopped them up and along with their juice I mixed them into a 3 layer chocolate cake. YUM! Topped that off with cinnamon butter cream and it was truly heaven.  I had been wanting to do a rosette cake for a while! The difference with this style of piping is I used a closed star tip as opposed to an open star tip like I did with my original rose cake. The result was a more romantic rose with more whimsy. I like whimsy! 

I think these fun party plates and tablecloth from Target was the perfect addition to the cake! 

All in all it was a beautiful weekend! Louis completed it for me by having me open my gifts which were a gorgeous pair of  6-diamond stud earrings, and a new UE portable blue tooth speaker for my private dance parties! 

26 is so much fun already!  

-Elena