Monday, November 23, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Photo courtesy of Iva, member NYC Cake Decorators Meetup

It's been a great year full of wonderful experiences and I am grateful for the members of NYC Cake Decorators Meetup, and the followers on NYC Cake Decorators Facebook, Twitter, and this blog. In behalf of NYC Cake Decorators Meetup, I wish you all a warm and wonderful Happy Thanksgiving Day!

If you still need ideas for your holiday dessert, try this scrumptious pumpkin cupcake recipe.

Ingredients for Pumpkin Cupcakes:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin

Frosting

  • 3 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1 8-ounce package cream cheese
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 350º and line a 12-cup muffin tin with bake cups. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Set the mixture aside.

  2. In a separate mixing bowl, stir together the oil and sugar. Whisk in the eggs and stir in the vanilla extract.

  3. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and gently stir the mixture until well combined. Explain to your child that she should stir only until she can no longer see any pockets or streaks of flour.

  4. Stir the pumpkin into the batter until it is thoroughly combined. Spoon the batter into the lined muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle of one cupcake comes out clean. Let the cupcakes sit in the tin for 10 minutes and then remove to a rack to cool thoroughly.

  5. Meanwhile, make the Cream Cheese Frosting. In a medium-size mixing bowl, beat together the confectioners' sugar, cream cheese, butter, and lemon juice until smooth.

  6. Frost with a star tip or to make a more decorative design, frost smoothly with an off-set spatula and then hand-mold pumpkins from fondant or white candy clay colored with orange food gel. Makes 12 cupcakes.


Dina

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Meetup with New Jersey Cake Decorators Club

Photo Courtesy of Dina Gandy, Organizer, NYC Cake Decorators Meetup

A Love Birds Bas Relief class was held in partnership with the New Jersey Cake Decorators Meetup on Saturday, November 21, 2009. NJ cakers were shown how to create their own love birds step-by-step. It was really a lot of fun networking with a great bunch of folks and special thanks to Stephanie for her scrumptious brownies. Live in New Jersey? Contact Carmen, Organizer, New Jersey Cake Decorators Meetup for information on how to join their fun and educational group!

Ring in the New Year with Your Own Designer Bag Cake!


Come Join the NYC Cake Decorators Meetup and award winning cake designer Irene Likokas (Adven 68 on Cake Central) and create your own designer handbag cake! Contact Dina, Organizer, NYC Cake Decorators Meetup for more details. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Saturday, November 14, 2009

141st Annual Salon of Culinary Art Exhibition

Photo courtesy of member/instructor Irene Likokas.

This elegant shoe and pillow cake was one of five showpieces entered into the 141st Annual Salon of Culinary Art Exhibition by award winning member Irene Likokas (Adven 68 on Cake Central). Check out Irene's other amazing cakes at her website The Painted Eye. Irene is scheduled to teach a designer purse class for members in January 2010. For more information, contact Dina, Organizer, NYC Cake Decorators Meetup.

Monday, November 2, 2009

November 2009 Cake of The Month

Photo courtesy of member Amelia Monis

How about this amazing stocking stuffer? The Cartier Watch cake was created by member Amelia Monis. Amelia was bitten by the cake decorating bug in 2006 after taking a class with master decorators Debbie Brown and Colette Peters. Amelia is crazy about cake! She wakes up thinking about cake designs and goes to sleep thinking about her next cake decorating project. Her passion is evident in the superb attention to detail in her Cartier Watch Cake. Amelia is sure to be snapped up as an instructor for NYC Cake Decorators next "Best of the Best in NYC Cake Decorators" event. Check out her other fabulous creations at Amelia Cakes and her blog Sweet Alchemy by Amelie.