then they started coming in...

so the journey of making baked treat continues...

after my first fondant cake order, one of my good friends from high school ordered too after seeing the photos i posted in facebook. it was her daughter's first birthday and guess what the theme was... Hello Kitty! she said she was fine with the same design that i did, but her having a creative bone in her decided to send me a different one a couple of days after.

and since this was the second time i did it, there wasn't as much stress (...and panic attack) like the first one. i though it was even a simpler design but everyone else thought that it looks better. and without further ado, here's how it turned out:

yeah, maybe this one really looks more neat than the last one. but one thing is for sure, both of them were made with much love and sweat.

and then a couple of weeks ago, a colleague asked me to make the cupcakes for her son's baptism. she just wanted some that will go well with blue, white, and teddy bears. it was up for me to decide on the flavors. and since i have my housemate acting as a "liaison," she told me to make red velvets and salted caramels. i had thoughts of what to do but i had to brave what stuff it will require me to.

 it was a week long prep, but it was all worth it. i guess i'm getting the hang of this fondant stuff that i made little teddy toppers for my red velvet, and then i just had to get some of those teddy grahams to go with my salted caramel. and guess what? it came out a success!

 

 

 

we all had to fix the dessert table as it was poorly set up by the events place. we had to make do with what we have and make it as pleasing as it can get. and fortunately enough, we were able to pull it off even before the guests arrived.

it turned out pretty well since my friend gave me more than what i charged her for. she said it was for the effort that was put through the cupcakes and for fixing the desserts. she was just expecting simple bears and what i did was more than what she and her hubby was expected. another happy customer for me! so happy she's booked me for her son's birthday 9 months from now. :)

well, this journey never ceases to amaze me of what i can do. it just brings out whatever is in me whenever i make my creations, and trust me, my heart goes into each and every baked treat i make. and i will be thankful to our Creator for blessing me with this talent.

i finally did it!

fondant --- i guess this technique is every aspiring baker's dream (and nightmare).

i've often wondered how it's like to make them. some years back, a friend asked me if i can bake her a dozen cupcakes with a simple fondant topper. So I did, it was quite a task since I didn't have the tools yet back then. But I guess, they turned out pretty fine.

 

fast forward a few years, one of my peers ordered cupcakes for his life partner's birthday and particularly wanted them to made of fondant. and again, i was lucky enough to get a positive result.

it has been just cupcake toppers. until one of my good friends asked me to bake the cupcakes for his daughter's baptismal. four dozen pink and purple red velvets to go with the pink & purple theme which he and his wife liked very much. 

a couple months after, he then ordered spongebob theme for a nephew's 2nd birthday. much to my surprise, they looked pretty cute.

right after the event, my friend texted me that our next project would be his daughter's birthday and i just agreed since he was already a repeat customer. little did i know, that would open up an entirely different experience. he wanted fondant toppers for the cupcake, along with a CAKE! a FONDANT cake. i told him that i'm quite hesistant coz i haven't made one AT ALL but my friend was so supportive and he thought i'll be able to pull it off.

so after weeks of research, consultations, and preparations, the week of the event came. i started making the toppers which happened to be a breeze. i kinda had a project plan in mind just so i can finish on time. but i guess, since it was my first time, anything that could go wrong, went wrong. i had to have a panic attack at 3 o'clock in the morning (..thanks God for an amazing boyfriend and an awesome housemate/friend for helping me get through that). i had to stop, rest, and sleep for a couple of hours just to reset and refocus. after recharging, i started working on the project again. and much to my surprise, it was the prettiest project i've made so far.

so i guess all the effort, sweat, and tears were all worth it. everyone who saw it loved it. it was such a lovely feeling. plus, i got soft bookings for orders from a couple of friends and peers. a couple of weeks after, i had the chance of making another hello kitty cake.

i am just thankful for the God-given talent that i might have. i have no formal training, but then i was able to pull these projects off as best as i can. i guess it was God who's always by my side whenever i make these creations.

so i'm thinking, i guess it's time for me to save up for those fondant lessons. :)

matcha fulfillment

so i've been baking on and off for quite some time now. sometimes i'd bake just because i want to, sometimes i'd bake 'coz, apparently, there are those who trust me with these little creations for special moments in their lives.

 

lately, i've been baking at least once a week to try out some recipes, and maybe because i'm just plain happy and inspired. i've also updated my "portfolio" in my facebook account with photos of items i've baked in the past, mostly cupcakes.

 

i've tried out some recipes that i haven't baked yet.. luckily, all of them turned out not just edible but also a success. as to what these are, i've been joining the band wagon of trying popular flavors like salted caramel, coffee, to name a few. of course, it wouldn't be complete without MATCHA (japanese green tea).

 

i've been wanting to bake green tea cupcakes for as long as i can remember. but just like any other green tea afficionado would know, it's hard to find one you can use for baking. i tried searching sellers via google but to no success. but in one of my visits to chocolate lover , i found that they have them in large packs that costs around Php950-1,000. until one of my friends recently went to japan and i literally begged him to find me one while he was there. and so he did. (to those who'll ask me how much it was, all my friend had to say was that it was expensive. other than that, i wouldn't know)

i was so giddy to try it out as i've been waiting to grab a pack of green tea for at least 3 years. i googled for a quick and easy recipe and here's how they turned out:

 

 

they are one of, if not, the best recipes i have baked. they were really yummy. i am now paying it forward and sharing to those who are green tea lovers like me:

 

Matcha Green Tea Cupcakes

from www.matchasource.com

 

Ingredients

• 24 cupcake papers or 1/2 sheet pan / 350 degree oven 
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 
• 2 cups sugar 
• 2 large eggs 
• 2 large egg yolks 
• 3 cups all-purpose flour 
• 2 teaspoons baking powder 
• 1/8 teaspoon salt 
• 1 cup milk 
• 2 tablespoons matcha tea 

Directions

Beat butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds. Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs/egg yolks one at a time, beat for 30 seconds between each. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Add to batter and mix to combine. Mix matcha in with the milk. Add to the batter and mix until combine. Scoop batter into prepared into cupcake papers. Bake for 22-25 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean. 

 

Matcha Cream Cheese Frosting

from Oshii Treats Original

 

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temp 
• 8oz cream cheese 4 cups powdered sugar 
• 1 tablespoon milk 
• 2-3 tablespoons matcha powder (depends on how much green tea taste you like) 

Directions

In a electric mixer combine your butter and cream cheese and beat on high until smooth about 3 minutes.Add in your powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until full incorporated, adding in your milk to help thin it out.Mix in your matcha powder and whip on high until mixed throughly and fluffy about another 3-4 minutes.