DIY Cake Banner

Here is how I put together the banner for the cake I made for my husbands birthday.  It was really easy to make and actually looked really cute (even though it was lopsided). 

Now, it's not the best looking banner, that's for sure. I ran out of twine and (being the procrastinator that I am, well, just been busy), I didn't have time to run out and get more. So, the banner ended up being slightly lopsided, but it fit nicely with the theme I was going for with the cake.

What you need:

• Colored paper (not construction, as it will be harder to fold)
• Tacky Glue
• Twine
• Coffee mixer sticks (or any stick really)
• Sharpie/pen
• Scissors

1. Draw out a triangle shape on a piece of a paper and use that as a guide to cut out more.
2. Fold your paper in half, so that when you cut you can get a long diamond shape, that's been folded over. Cut out as many as you need, in whatever color you like.

3. Write out your message on the small banner pieces you've just cut out.

 4. Add a dab of tacky glue on the inner side of the banner shaped pieces and fold them over the twine. 

5.  Attach the twine to the sticks, so that the banners fall nicely. I ran out of twine, make sure you have enough, so you can stretch out the words nicely and neatly. Cut off the excess twine on the sides.

Funfetti Cake Avec Loads of Sprinkles

It was my hubby's birthday over the weekend (so many celebrations all at once...yay) and I wanted to make a fun looking cake and decided upon a funfetti cake with lots and lots of sprinkles.  I thought it tasted really good and the hubby really liked it. 

The recipe is adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction, with some changes per my liking. 

The recipe listed here is for a one layer cake.  I wanted to make a two layer cake, so I made two separate batches of the cake, I was worried about doubling the recipe all at once (did that a few times for other cakes and it didn't turn out well). I am also currently addicted to my cream cheese frosting, so I had to make that frosting for this cake.  Omg, fabulous frosting! 

Cake Ingredients

1 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg (room temperature)
1/4 cup plain yogurt
3/4 cup milk
1 tbsp imitation vanilla
1/3-2/3 cup sprinkles (logged shaped, not nonpareils) - I felt 2/3 cups was too much.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting 

Sliced strawberries (to use as filing between layers)
1/2 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar)
1 tsp imitation vanilla
2 tsps cinnamon

Cake Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Spray a 9-inch round baking pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl: mix together flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside. Melt butter in the microwave or over the stove. Whisk in the sugars vigorously, getting out any brown sugar lumps - mixture will be gritty. Whisk in egg, yogurt, milk, and vanilla until combined. Slowly mix in dry ingredients until no lumps remain. Batter will be thick. 
• Slowly stir in sprinkles, but do not overmix because the sprinkles will bleed their color. Just slowly fold the batter over itself a few times.
• Pour batter into prepared cake pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Cover loosely with aluminum foil (loosely to avoid the top from sticking to the foil). My oven required me to bake the cake for another 40 minutes, but every oven is different) Bake for another 20-40 more minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool.

Frosting Directions: 

• In a medium bowl, combine the butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. 
• Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. 
• Frost the cooled cake. 

I wanted to make the cake look youthful and fun, so I decided to make a banner to add to the cake, rather than write on the cake. The banner got smooshed a bit during transport, but I think it turned out well. I'll post more on how I made the banner later.

The Best Delectable Carrot Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

I love carrot cake.  I don't know if I love it for the carrots or that amazing cream cheese frosting, but I love it.  It's also my brother's favorite cake, and so, it was only appropriate that I would make it for his 26th birthday (yes, our birthdays are very close).  Now, I have tried various "Best Carrot Cake" recipes out there, some that are too oily, too dry, too moist and just plain terrible.  This time, I decided I would take parts of various recipes I have tried over the past few years and make my own, and to also make a frosting that you normally don't find on a carrot cake (I have Sprinkles Cupcakes) to thank for that.  I am, if I haven't mentioned it enough times, in love with their carrot cake cupcakes, and well, very much in love with their frosting.  So, I decided I would try to come up with something that tasted as close as possible to theirs as I could.  And, well, I think i've found it.  If you've been following me for a while, you will know, I am a very harsh critic of my cooking and baking and I don't always love, if ever, my own cakes or food.  But this cake is by far the BEST carrot cake I have EVER HAD!  And, I mean EVER!  Now, I know everyone has their versions of this cake (there are a handful out there) and everyone always tweaks things to their liking, but let me tell you, this recipe is perfect.  I've tried this cake with coconut and pineapple and all sorts of other additions, but I think I have found the perfect mix of ingredients! :)

So, here it is:

 The Very Very Best Delectable Carrot Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

 

Cake Ingredients

4 eggs - room temperature

1 1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce

1 cup white sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

2 tsps imitation vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsps baking soda

2 tsps baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsps ground cinnamon

3 cups grated and finely chopped carrots

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

4 cups confectioners' sugar

1 tsp imitation vanilla

2 tsps cinnamon 

Cake Directions:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. 
• Grease and flour 2 round cake pans - I sprayed mine with Pam.
• In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, applesauce, sugars and 2 teaspoons of vanilla. 
• Mix in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. 
• Stir in the carrots. 
• Fold in the walnuts. 
• Pour into your prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. 
• Let the cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool
  completely.  

Frosting Directions: 

• In a medium bowl, combine the butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. 
• Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. 
• Frost the cooled cake. You can also store the cake in the fridge overnight wrapped in saran wrap.  It tastes much better after a night of cooling. 

Note: In the past, I've always just added the grated carrots straight to the cake mix, but this time, I decided to chop them even further in my food processor and it made the cake taste so much better. Something about not have long strips of carrots I think added to the wonderful texture of the cake.

 

 

I used sweetened coconuts shavings and almond chips to decorate the cake, instead of adding them to the cake mix.

 

 Hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as I did.

Bon Appetite!!

One Year Older

I know I haven't posted in a while and yes, you're complaints have been heard :D I've just been so busy and lazy and well...sorry :D

So yesterday was my birthday...and it was one of those birthdays that I really wanted to skip.  Turning 29 is not something you really want to celebrate, especially when you feel that you haven't gotten to where you want to be with life (I know people are rolling their eyes right now...it's all relative ok people...sheesh!).  All last week I was in this daze of denial about turning one year older, and when it actually hit me, I broke down crying.  So depressed and frustrated with myself and bla bla bla.  It's kind of pathetic I know.  Yes mother, I know, it's not the end of the world. Yes, I know...this is just the beginning of life...bla bla bla...you're going to tell me that when I'm in my 50s too, but when you remember turning 21 thinking, wow, you're such a grown up now, and then the years pass by and you're one year closer to being 30, it's just this weird horrible feeling.

Anyways, so I decided there was no point in feeling sorry for myself.  It's going to happen...just don't think about it and move on.  So about 2 weeks ago I decided, enough is enough.  I'm going to do something for me this year that I really want.  I've been so lazy about working out and I've been feeling so ucky in my own body, it's time to change.  So I've officially (I think I've done this, I've officially thing a few times and haven't stuck with it), but this time I'm dead serious.  I don't care how long it takes for me to look how I want, I'm going to eat healthier and exercise more and get TONER. I've been to Pure Barre every other day over the last few weeks, I've been eating salad for dinner, really holding back on the sweets (oh it's been so hard) and although I don't look any different (I ask my husband every night..."do I look thinner, do I look toner" he's so annoyed, haha :D)  but I feel better and I feel my muscles are tighter and as though my body is sucked in.  It's this weird feeling I can't explain.  I've tried to stick with pure barre before, but it was so hard with timing and then my injuries acting up that I kept getting lazy.  But, this time around, I'm more focused and really being careful with what I can and can't do.  I've also been squeezing in cardio time at the gym, so it's been really good.  

Yesterday I woke up feeling kinda whatever about my birthday and just decided I wouldn't think about it at all.  And it was actually nice.  I woke up to a lovely text from a friend, got a few ecards and phone calls from family, a stream of sweet texts from friends throughout the day, and most importantly a phone call from my little boyfriend (my husbands nephew who is 4) wishing me a happy birfday. His little sweet voice made my day and made me so happy, nothing else could spoil it.  The hubby surprised me with a night out that ended with a tea picnic at the beach (it's exactly what it sounds like) :D, and I got a lovely pair of pearl earrings (so spoiled!).  All in all, it was a lovely day (minus work and this stupid stats class I just had the urge to take...idiot!). So turning 29 hasn't been all that bad as long as I don't really think about it :D haha! 

I also realized while I was writing out the date on my agar plates in lab that I will only be 29 on April 29 once in my life.  Weird thought...but something worth celebrating :)

  

Yes, I had pizza last night.  So what :D  

I'll be having salad tonight...sigh.

Hubby surprised me with my favorite cupcake from Sprinkles - carrot cake.  I savored every last bit! It was so windy at the beach though, it was hard to keep the candle lit. 

Birthday Celebration

I got no work done this past weekend, which always makes my week even more hectic, but, on Sunday I went to a birthday lunch for a friend in dowtown Brea.  I'm not the type of person to be really excited about trying something new (it usually doesn't go well when I do).  I usually avoid it as much as I can and go for safe options, especially if I'm really hungry, but I thought I would be brave this time and go with the flow.  I'd never been to Bruxie's before and I was actually very surprised at how good their food was.  A definite must for all.  I will definitely be coming back here again!

Yes, sandwiche's in a waffle.  It was amazingly good...who would have thought!  

Albacore Tuna Melt with cheddar cheese, lettuce and tomatoes.  Quite delicious!

Waffle fries

Irish Nachos - waffle fries with homemade cheese sauce, sour cream and chives

We went to Farrell's for a birthday ice cream surprise.  

We stood in line for 45 minutes (in the cold) to have ice cream :D The ice cream was good, but the main reason we went there was because of their song and dance accompanied by sirens and drumming for those celebrating their birthday (or any event really).  It was really great and I think the birthday girl had a blast!  

 Yes, grown women like to color too!

There goes my diet :D woohoo!

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to my bestest friend and husband.  

Cake was made by my mother-in-law! It was really really gooooooood.  I HAD 5 PIECES! 

Pure Barre help!!

My 28th Birthday

As i've gotten older I've started to care less about my birthday (so I tell myself).  Who cares if no one remembers, who cares if I don't get anything, it's really not that important...bla bla bla, but when my birthday arrives, I get all excited and start to have expectations.  Isn't that terrible?  My birthday was on Sunday and my brother was visiting and my husband had planned a few things for me.  I was really excited about all of them and really looking forward to spending some time with family.

The plan was to go out for breakfast, then to the park for a picnic, then meet up with some friends for bowling.  Sounds boring to most people, but I rarely have time to do things with my husband and brother.  Well, the breakfast plan didn't happen and I was a bit disappointed (actually very disappointed).  I was looking forward to a nice breakfast but we went to bed so late that no one woke up in time.  Oh well...but the picnic was great.  It was very casual, relaxing and just what I needed.  It was just me, the hubby, the brother, brother-in-law and father-in-law (mother-in-law was out of town) and the weather was perfect.

It was really funny to watch a bunch of men plan a picnic.  They tried really hard but they forgot quite a few things, it was a bit unorganized but I still enjoyed it and appreciated everything that they did for me.  It was very sweet and heart felt.  My husband worked very hard to make it perfect.

I got tons of really awesome gifts and I was very surprised by all of them.  I felt a bit spoiled that day and it was actually a nice feeling...I just wish my parents were there to celebrate with me and then I would have felt complete.  As you can tell, my pictures are better quality.  What does that mean you ask? I got a new camera.  YAY!  Now lets try not to break this one!

First picture with my new camera.  Isn't it beautiful.  Isn't the hubby wonderful?

Bling bling :)

The hubby made tuna fish. 

These little guys came for a visit.  They came right up to the picnic blanket...I think they wanted food.

We had issues with the candles.  I of course was helping put candles on my own cake...they're guys, what do you expect ;)

Super cool bowling shoes!

My brother lying on the floor because he lost! So embarrassing let me tell you.

Hubby's got some skill!

I have none...

 Pizza at Pizza Hut afterwards.  

Coffee at Pete's

My birthday outfit!

It was a great day...I was sad that it had to end and that I had to go to work the next day, but c'est la vie!