Cupcakes2Delite went international to celebrate Canada Day last week. Thank you Jeanne for your order of these Rich Red Velvet Cupcakes, a perfectly themed flavour to celebrate Canada Day. Inspired by the pictures of the red maple leaf against a weathered wooden background, I added these sugar paste leaves to grey wood-embossed discs and then added them to vanilla cream cheese swirls dotted with tiny red pearls.
After returning from a wonderful family visit to England and Ireland, it is time to get back to my other sweet life of baking and blogging. It is appropriate then to start with a travel themed cake that I created before my sojourn in the northern hemisphere.
Debbie gave me so much inspiration with all the careful thought she had put into this special cake for her daughter’s 21st Birthday Cake. Not only did I have a number of photos of Steph with her family and boyfriend but I had the exciting theme of her upcoming trip to Greece and the islands they were planning to visit to translate into a sugar story.
The beginning of this story started with a sugar figurine of Steph with her sweet smile and gentle face. Steph’s other passion in her life, her yoga, I captured by popping her silky dark hair into a pony tail and dressing her in stylish yoga shorts and top. Once she was on the cake, I added a casual sling travel bag over her shoulder.
While researching images for the Greek Islands, I came across the themed touristy slip slops available and thought they would be the perfect way to incorporate Athens, Santorini, Mykonos & Los. The slip slops were easy to cut out of blue sugar paste to which I added cut out edible images reflecting the 4 islands. Black embossed sugar paste straps completed each slip slop before I added them to the cobble-stoned cake board. Painted blue sugar fences, flower pots and bright bouganvillia and golden sugar sand completed the bottom tier of this cake as I tried to capture the warmth and charm of these beautiful islands.
Steph’s ticket into adulthood I added as an embossed travel tag along with a Greek flag to the top of her cake.
As her family, and the time they treasure sharing wonderful adventures and activities, is so important to Steph, I added her family looking on at her from a blue wooden-shuttered window. The window opposite gave a glimpse into the love she shares with Blake who would be sharing her Greek adventure with her.
It was a pleasure to create this story for Steph’s celebration and even more of a pleasure to experience her excitement on seeing her cake so carefully thought out by her mom. I felt so chuffed when she exclaimed “….and that is me on the cake”!
As the door opens onto the next chapter of your life Steph, may it be one that is filled with great adventures, tremendous fun and remarkable memories!
Charlize celebrated her 18th Birthday in lavish Louis Vuitton style this weekend and her cupcakes were made to match the theme and colours of her birthday celebration. I made a variety of small Louis Vuitton handbags, scarves, shoes and logo discs which I popped onto Louis Vuitton logo flowers for Charlize’s cupcakes. The creamy vanilla and decadent chocolate iced cupcakes were the perfect colour palette for these sugar paste decorations. Thanks to a last minute visit to Laeeque Bakeware in Overport, Durban on Wednesday, I found the a perfect handbag mould with the elegant Louis Vuitton handbag. Thanks Nadim and your staff for excellent service and I will definitely pop in on my next trip to Durban.
Have fun Charlize being 18 and thank you Vanessa for such a fun order. My best reward was to wake up to Vanessa’s thank you message this morning…
“Thank you for having such an awesome talent . . . your cupcakes were just the best . . . they looked absolutely stunning. . . (smiley faces)”
John celebrated his 50th in gold and navy style and Janita ordered these cupcakes for his special day. Simple but fun 50’s and gold pearls specially coloured to match the cupcake holders were quick and easy to do for this celebration.
Janita’s thank you on Monday morning: “Lisa, thank you for John’s lovely and tasty cupcakes. And the photos!”
Inge’s excitement over her cake and cupcakes was contagious as she explained to me her idea to present each of her & Mike’s guests with a cupcake in a jar. We met for the first time choosing the glass jars that were to hold her delightful wedding favours. This tall elegant bride was so relaxed with the ideas I showed her and it was easy to then take Inge’s excitement and translate it into this simple but elegant naked wedding cake and these pretty cupcakes in a jar.
The cream ruffled flower was a perfect topping for this naked cake which would not have been complete without the hearts hugging each other close at the base of the cake and resting on the fun swirl embossed cake board.
It is always fun being left to do a variety of cupcake decorations and for Inge and Mike’s wedding I included the kissing hearts, the wood embossed heart with its tiny partner, embossed flowers and ruffled flowers. I popped the vanilla cupcakes with apple buttercream swirls and chocolate chip cupcakes with vanilla swirls into the jars, added loads of pearls and beads to clink daintily in the jars and then closed the flip top lids to keep the cupcakes safe for their trip to the wedding venue.
Inge’s initial response to seeing the photos of her cake and cupcakes was to tell me that … her heart was so happy and the beautiful thank you message after their wedding made my day:
“I cannot say enough thank yous – the cake you made me was absolutely delicious it was so so beautiful and Mike was so impressed. The cupcakes were a winner and I would recommend you to everybody. Everyone was raving about them, they even had cake for breakfast! Thank you, thank you so much.”
Happy Birthday Tracy and so pleased you enjoyed these cupcakes with your family. I know how you love fondant iced cupcakes, so I made half your cupcakes with fondant domes decorated with the always beautiful Crystal Candy Lace. The Valentina Lace Mould was a perfectly elegant choice for these cupcakes. I completed the gift box with six buttercream swirled cupcakes with rolled roses and tiny pearls.
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