3D Donut Cake Workshop! Yummy!

Something yummy's coming up! 3D Donut Cake workshop is scheduled for late January in NYC at an unbelievable price. Beginners and non-members welcome. Members, check out the details on our Meetup event page. Non-members send a message for the details. Got a cup of coffee?

Bake Sale!

Sweets graced the sweet table at a fundraiser to assist Staten Island families affected by Hurricane Sandy. The children of the affected families attend St. John Villa Academy.  The bake sale was the brainchild of professional baker Donna Balzano, Staten Island.

Yummy chocolate peppermint, pumpkin cupcakes, and mini gingerbread house were baked by Donna and assistant Samantha.  Donna piped her signature Swiss Meringue and Cheese Cake icing on the cupcakes; the melted snowman sugar cookies and ornament sugar cookies were made by Lynn Carbone and yours truly, respectively.

A close up view of my scratch sugar cookies.  The holly was made from fondant and affixed to the "ornament".  Then they were painted with luster dust. The tops of the cookies were painted with silver petal dust. Santa, snowman, reindeer, etc. are icing decorations picked up at Michael's. These are cute little decorations and really saved time.

These 6" reindeer cookies were a hit with the children.  The sugar cookies are covered with Wilton chocolate fondant. The antlers were cut with a poinsettia leaf cutter; bows were made from Fondarific fondant, the nose was also fondant but could easily be made with licorice jelly beans.

Ah! Chocolate!

This holiday tin of fudge walnut cookies are destined for a Christmas office party. Got milk?

December 2012 Cake of the Month

This scrumptiously sweet Snow Man Cake is the work of member master baker and cake artist Chef Janet Ben-Ami, owner Hey! Cookie in Long Island.

Another great holiday idea is this unique wreath made entirely of gingerbread and sweet edibles.

The Sweet Life!

Member Lisbeth is all smiles showing off her stunning topsy turvy cake with celebrity cake artist/instructor Colette Peters.

Rafael Longrono's Couture Wedding Cake Demo!

Rafael Longrono's 3 hr. Wedding Cake Demo fundraiser for those Staten Islanders impacted by Hurricane Sandy was awesome!  Rafael was very informative and shared a bunch of tips, hints, and specialty Dominican recipes. Yummy!  Rafael is very warm, articulate, and humorous.  He has a sweet future in cake artistry.

Bride of Frankenstein Doll Cake

An annual favorite, I'd share to share member Lisa Stock's Bride of Frankenstein Cake tutorial.  Enjoy!

Casting Call for Food Network's Halloween Wars!

Food Network's Halloween Wars Looking for Highly Skilled 3D Custom Cake sculptors! Casting for Season 3! Check it out!

Super Delicious is NOW CASTING Season 3 of FOOD NETWORK'S 'HALLOWEEN WARS'! They are looking for the most passionate and skilled PUMPKIN CARVERS, CAKE SCULPTORS, and SUGAR ARTISTS this country has to offer!

Are you COMPETITIVE? Do you LOVE a challenge? Do you want the opportunity to compete on a TEAM for the chance to win $50,000? For more information or to apply, email casting with your name, city, specialty, and why you'd be great for the show! Also send photos of yourself and your artwork.

HALLOWEENWARS3@SUPERDELICIOUS.NET

October 2012 Cake of the Month

Boo! Chef Janet Ben-Ami's haunted house cake is spooktacular! Check out Chef Janet's other amazing cakes on her website, Hey! Cookie.

Crumbs Bake Shop's Heavenly Cupcakes!

When I need a sweet fix and I don't have time to bake my own cupcakes or needle my friend Lynn to give me some of her scratch cupcakes, I just must have a Crumbs cupcake! They are fresh, soft, and full of flavor that it's hard to stop at just one confection!

These yummy Crumbs' dark chocolate cupcakes are food for the soul and remind me so much of my school days when mom packed cupcakes into my lunch box.

When I can't make up my mind on which flavored cupcake I want, I just purchase Crumb's cupcake sampler. I get two samplers when company is expected. The cupcakes are always a crowd favorite. I especially love the red velvet and devil's food.

Trending: Cupcake and Cookie Texture Tops!

Photos courtesy of Country Kitchen Sweet Art.

I'm crazy about cupcakes and cookies and love to experiment with new ways to decorate and embellish. What's really cool is that the texture tops are adaptable to cupcakes and sugar cookies! I can unleash my creative juices or get neat instructions and seasonal ideas from Country Kitchen Sweet Art:

Delicious and decorative way to embellish your sugar cookies with poinsettia, wreath, and ribbon cookie texture mats.

These scroll cookies are so elegant, they can be used for gifting, bridal shower favors, and a host of other special events! To take them over the top, I might "paint" them with edible gold or silver dust.

Get the kids into the holiday spirit by using food safe markers to decorate your sugar cookies and help them create their own cookie bouquet!

Imagine serving or gifting red velvet cupcakes embellished with these fondant roses! Country Kitchen Sweet Art's Cupcake texture tops make it possible to get professional looking results!

Not sure how to use the texture mats? Not a problem. Check out the tutorial on the Country Kitchen Sweet Art's website. {Scroll down the page for instructions}.

Country Kitchen Sweet Art's Yummy Caramel Apple Cider Cookies!

Photo courtesy of Country Kitchen Sweet Art

Fall always reminds me of hot apple cider, caramel apples, and warm cookies freshly baked from the oven. My friends at Country Kitchen Sweet Art created a yummy scratch caramel apple cider cookie recipe and tutorial on their website www.shopcountrykitchen.wordpress.com .

Fall is a great time for baking and I love baking cookies for gifting and snacking with a warm glass of milk.  Country Kitchen Sweet Art's recipe and tutorial are easy to follow, and you probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry. Try it and let me know what you think.

Fashion Week Couture Cupcakes!

This is fashion week in NYC. Celebrate with these fashionista inspired cupcakes designs by Bella Cupcake Couture!

A Slice of Cake Workshop!

This cake was designed by cake artist and instructor Zakia Hassan.

Join the NYC Cake Decorators for this fabulous "3D Slice of Cake" workshop on September 29th in the Bronx, New York. Only $62.10 per person for a 4hr. class!  You do not have to be a member of our group to join us. If interested, contact me asap!

A little Break.......

Hi everyone:

I took a little break from blogging due to the illness and subsequent death of a dear family member.  Thanks to everyone who sent a condolence or extended support!  I am fine and I am happy to get back to "all things cake"!

Hugs,

Dina

World's Most Expensive Cupcake!

Photo Credit: Bloomsbury.

Priced at $1,000.00,  "The Golden Phoenix" is reportedly the world's most expensive cupcake! Served on a 24-carat gold cake stand, the cupcake is decorated with edible gold and chocolate, and can be purchased at Dubai's Bloomsbury's Cupcakes in the Dubai Mall.

Happy July 4th!

Lobster anyone?  This delish lobster cake was created by Laura. It's sure to astonish your guests this holiday.

July 2012 Cake of the Month

This amazing 3D leopard cake was created by master 3D cake sculptor Chef Janet Ben-Ami.  Janet will be conducting a number of Demos for NYC Cake Decorators this summer. Some of the techniques scheduled are topsy-tuvy cake construction and chocolate modeling of shoes and figures.  If interested, please contact me.

Duff Launches Cakemix!

Duff Goldman has gone West to LA opening up Cakemix, a unique cake decorating store where the public can select from an assortment of ready made cakes and cupcakes and get to decorating! There's also a catering truck for parties and Charm City Cakes West Bakery next door. Ge the full scoop at Cakewire.

June 2012 Cake of the Month

Award winning International Member Michelle Wibow, owner Michelle's Sugar Art, is an extraordinary cake designer and cake sculptor from England.  Her very first cake was a plain sponge cake that she made at the tender age of nine. Fast forward, after graduating with a degree in architecture, Michelle enrolled in the National Bakery School in Southbank, London. In 2007, she began her custom cake business.

 Michelle reveals her decorating secrets in several videos on her website and Youtube, including the amazing suckling pig video downloaded here.

Bronwen Weber 3D Cake Class, Fall 2012

That's right, the NYC Cake Decorators Meetup is  "Marching to the Beat Of Our Own Drum" with  Celebrity Cake Artist, Bronwen Weber, November 3 and 4 2012!

Just in time for the holidays, we will be  sculpting/constructing our very own Three  Dimensional Standing Toy Soldiers complete with  adorable drums. If that's not enough Bronwen has  agreed to put a special twist on the design just for  the NYC Cake Decorators,  so the project we complete  will feature the soldier with one foot in the air, as if  in mid-march...how fab is that?

If you are interested in this class and are not a member of NYC Cake Decorators Meetup, please contact me and I will send you a link with more information about the class, tuition, and how to register.

"Next Great Baker" Casting Call!

TLC's Smash Hit NEXT GREAT BAKER Is At It Again! Are you a natural-born baker or cake artist? Can you make amazing masterpieces, crazy confections or over-the-top cakes? Could you be Season 3's Next Great Baker?

Think you or someone you know has what it takes to out-bake the competition? Then it's GO TIME ... apply for Season 3 NOW! TLC and Buddy Valastro (Cake Boss and Kitchen Boss) are back again, looking to launch the career of another promising baker.

The winner of Season 3 will take home a whopping grand prize of $100,000.00 and an opportunity to work at Carlo's Bakery. But the competition will be fiercer, the weekly challenges more cutthroat and the judging no-holds-barred.

Still think you got what it takes? Download the application here and e-mail it to NGB3Casting@highnoontv.com. Tell your story, and send recent photos of you & your work ASAP!

Casting Call for "Sweet Genius"!

Casting call for Season 3 of "Sweet Genuis" Ron Ben Israel's culinary show on Food Network. Pastry chefs, bakers, and those who have mastered sweets, if you have the personality and culinary chops, email to sweetgeniuscasting@gmail.com: Your name, age, contact info, photo, culinary resume, and paragraph describing yourself.

Good Luck!

Piñata Cookies!

Just in time for your Cinco de Mayo fiesta, these colorful  cookies have a sweet surprise inside. Check out how to make them in a cool DIY tutorial on  Geekologie!

Cinco de Mayo Free Cupcake Printables!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!  If you are still looking for cool ideas for your cupcakes, why not consider several free printable cupcake topper designs from Love Ceative Blog!

Cupcake Potted Plants

These cupcakes were baked by member Sachiko.

It's spring! The flowers are blooming and early veggies have begun to grow.  These yummy chocolate cupcakes are a great treat to serve at a garden party!

May 2012 Cake of The Month

This gorgeous couture cake was designed by member Marcia. Marcia is relatively new to cake decorating and looks for opportunities to improve her skills and push her creativity.

Sachiko's Micro Edible Cupcake Toppers!

What can be cuter than this micro sugar doggie cupcake topper hand crafted by über talented member Sachiko Winbiel. Look at that sweet expression. Sachiko's attention to detail is amazing!

Sachiko, originally from Japan, graduated from a vegetarian cooking school about four years ago. However, she soon discovered that her passion is playing with sugar, and she excels at creating tiny edible treats.

Sachiko's fun and whimsical creations are addicting.  Visit her business Cupcake Toppers & Towers to view more of her sweet creations and to order.

Paint the Town Pink: Cake Decorating Contest!

This pretty pink mommy to be cake was made by member Iva.

Shrewsbury, New Jersey is painting the town pink and calling all cake designers to enter "Cakewalk" cake decorating contest:

Sunday May 6, 2012

6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

Borough of Shewsbury Municipal Complex

419 Sycamore Avenue, Pinkbury

The contest is open to amateurs and prizes will be awarded for Most Creative, Most Delicious, and Best Use of Pink. Registration ends on May 2, 2012.  You will need to complete an entry form and mail or drop off to 

Paint the Town Pink - attn: Jennifer Robinson

40 Brady Road

Shrewsbury, NJ 07702

You can also send the completed entry form as a word document to cakewalksignup@gmail.com. You should be able to obtain an official Rules pdf from cakewalksignup@gmail.com as well.

Paint the Town Pink is a community-wide effort to raise awareness of the importance of annual mammography and to encourage women aged 40 and older to have an annual exam.

Free Issue of American Cake Decorating Magazine!

If you've ever been curious about American Cake Decorating Magazine, now is the time to try it for free! American Cake Decorating Magazine is offering one free trial issue for a limited time only. To subscribe. click here.

Baking & Cake Decorating Garage Sale!

These delicious cupcakes were made by member Roseann.

Looking for some cool cake stuff? What better way to get a bargain than to travel up to 107 Oak Hull Road, Ithaca, New York 14850  this Saturday from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. for a great cake decorating garage sale!  There will be tons of baking and cake decorating items from a former wedding cake business: vintage Wilton books, molds, separator plates, figurines, tools and more.  Any questions or directions contact Donna at 607-591-0999.

C.A.G. DOS April 22nd!

This beautiful cake was created by Chef Janet Ben Ami, Hey! Cookie

The Confectionary Arts Guild's first Day of Sharing in 2012 will take place on Sunday, April 22nd. Betty Van Norstrand and Diane Shavkin are scheduled presenters. To register or to obtain additional information, please click here.

Win a Free 3D Sneaker Cake Class!

NYC Cake Decorators will give one lucky reader an opportunity to attend Sweet Grace, Cake Designs upcoming May 20, 2012, 3D Sneaker Cake class for FREE!!!! That's right. Learn how to carve one of 3 cool sneaker cake designs shown in this post with Lisa Rochelle for free.

 All you have to do is comment leaving a tip or hint on how you save time and/or money in your cake decorating and sugar art on this post by 11:59a.m. [EST] Monday, April 30, 2012. Please leave contact information such as an email address, so I can get in contact with you in case you win. The prize is for class tuition only.  

The class location is Haworth, New Jersey which is 15 minutes from the George Washington Bridge and a quick ride from NJ Transit. Arrangements can be made with Lisa directly for pick up if traveling by train. Random.org will select the winner. Good Luck!

......AND THE WINNER IS.........SELINA!!!!!
Thank you to EVERYONE who entered the contest.  I read all your tips and hints and got a lot of great ideas that I plan to try out.

Diane's Chocolate Cut Out Out Cookies!

I just love chocolate and was so happy when Diane Shavkin graciously agreed to share her recipe for chocolate cut out cookies. Enjoy! Diane's Chocolate Cutout Cookies 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder 1/8 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup butter, softened 1 1/4 cups white sugar 1 egg (1). Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg. Gradually stir in the sifted ingredients to form a soft dough. Divide dough into 2 pieces, flatten and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours. (2). Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/8 inch in thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Dough is sticky so be sure to add more flour to the rolling surface as needed. Place cookies 1 1/2 inches apart onto cookie sheets. (3). Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

It's A Cookie!

Play and then eat a treat! This is what's in store for the lucky partygoers who play Chinese Checkers on this edible shortbread cookie board.  Candy coated chocolate covered peanuts are used as the "marbles".
For directions on how to make this unique "game", click here.  A template for the board itself can be found here.

Put On Your Easter Bonnet!

This bright and beautiful cake hat was designed by member Crystal. It reminds me of those elegantly flamboyant hats certain ladies wear to church, especially around Easter. I just love Crystal's edible butterflies and calla lilies. Her cake is just as happy and sunny as the weather is today!

Free Printable Cupcake Bunny Toppers at Skip to My Lou

I ♥  Skip to My Lou blog! It's so fun, creative, and packed with great ideas and free printables.  Easter is just around the corner and if you are still stuck for ideas on how to pretty up your delish cupcakes, you need to browse Skip to My Lou.

The sweet little bunny cupcake topper is just one of the neat ideas on the blog.  To download, click here. It's best to print on a good card stock and have plenty of toothpicks.  For further directions go to the website.

Cupcake Competition - Rockland County

If you are artsy and crazy about cupcakes this 2012 cupcake competition is for you!  The deadline to enter is Wednesday, May 2, 2012. For further information and top download the application, click here.