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Kate's Cake Blog

Welcome to my blog page where I write about (often seasonal) specially shaped cakes, recipes, my experiences with new cake techniques. View our recipes page for a condensed version of the instructions and recipes. If you have any blog requests, please send them my way. Typically, this blog is updated on approximately the 15th of every month. Happy reading!

November 15, 2012 - Penguin Cake
Click here for short instructions

This will likely be my last blog for awhile, as I'll be tied up with a new little one soon. Nevertheless, in thinking about the upcoming winter holdiay season, here's a cute idea:

Penguin Cake

To make this cake, you'll need a Cake-Shaping Strip (look here about how to make one), heavy-duty aluminum foil, a sheet pan, prepared cake batter (see the White Cake with Chocolate Cream-Cheese Tunnel recipe below or use about 2 boxes of cake mix), dark frosting (use our Chocolate Buttercream Frosting recipe and dye it black or use about 2 containers of white frosting dyed black), fondant (see our Easy Marshmallow Creme Fondant recipe), our Fortune-Cookie Any-Shape Cookie batter and food dye.

First, make a Cake-Shaping Strip as described here using six sushi-mat segments. Orient a sheet pan vertically, and place two horizontal sheets of slightly overlapping heavy-duty foil on the pan. Shape the strip into a shape of a penguin, ignoring its wings and feet for now. After the strip is shaped, wrap the foil sheet around the strip. Cut the foil or use extra foil pieces where needed to wrap around the strip. Slide extra strips of foil under the legs and tail and wrap them around the cake-shaping strip.

Penguin Cake<

Now prepare your cake batter. I was trying to think up another black-and-white recipe. I haven't seen anything like this, but it turned out really good.

White Cake with Chocolate Cream-Cheese Tunnel
Ingredients:
2 boxes white chocolate mix, prepared as directed
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup chocolate chips, melted
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a pan with cooking spray.

2. Stir almond extract into the prepared white cake batter.

3. Spread half of the white cake batter in pan.

4. Mix together the cream cheese, melted chocolate chips, egg and sugar.

5. Drop large spoonfuls of the cream-cheese mixture on the spread cake batter, avoiding a 1/2-inch border from the edge of the pan.

6. Pour the remaining cake batter over the cream-cheese drops and spread the batter out smoothly.

7. Bake for about 50 minutes or until done.

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After baking, carefully remove the wrapped foil and then the strip. If any batter leaked through the strip, cut it away from the cake before trying to remove the strip. While separating the strip from the cake, you can insert a knife between the strip and cake to help with the process (if it doesn't easily peel off by itself).

Penguin Cake

Here's a part of the cake that will have people scratching their heads regarding how you did it. Time to make the wings and feet. It's not hard at all. Just make our Fortune-Cookie Any-Shape Cookie batter. Then preheat the oven as directed and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Spread the batter on the parchment paper roughly in the shape of the wings and feet. Bake the dough, and let the cookies completely cool. Now use a scissors to cut the cookies into the perfect wings and feet shape. For now, set the cookies aside. We'll be right back to them.

Penguin Cake

Turning to frosting, this cake requires black frosting, white frosting and white fondant. For the black frosting, I went with our Chocolate Buttercream Frosting recipe and dyed it black. For the white frosting, I used our Cream-Cheese Buttercream Frosting recipe. I left half of it white and dyed half of it orange. For the white fondant, I turned to our reliable Easy Marshmallow Creme Fondant recipe. I left half of it white, dyed about half of it red, and dyed just a little bit orange.

Turning back to those cookies: frost the top and sides of the wings using the black frosting and the top and sides of the feet using the orange frosting. Place them on a cookie sheet or tray lined with parchment paper. Put the cookies in the refrigerator until the frosting is cold. Since I was using a buttercream, I could use a trick that I shared with you before to smooth the frosting. That is, after the frosting was cold, I placed a paper towl over a portion of the frosting, rubbed my hand over the paper towel until it was smooth, and repeated this process for the remaining regions. Then I turned the feet and wings over, frosted the other side, cooled the cookies again and again smoothed out the frosting. Now, again - set the cookies aside as we turn to the cake.

White sections of the cake first. So roll out the white fondant. Apply a medium-thick layer of white frosting on the belly of the penguin, and then place the rolled out fondant on the frosting. Cut away edges of the fondant such that the fondant only covers the belly region.

Next, frost the rest of the cake with the black frosting. Use the smoothing technique described above to smooth out the "feathers" or keep them ruffled if you prefer.

Using some of the remaining white fondant, form two eye whites and place them on the cake. Make the eye centers using the black frosting.

Form a beak with the orange fondant and put that on the cake.

Turning back to the cookies: frost the back portion of the top of the feet with orange frosting, and use this to "glue" the feet to the cake. Similarly, frost the top portion of the back of the wings with black frosting, and use this to "glue" the wings to the cake.

Now roll out the red fondant. Cut out two thin strips and place the strips on the cake to look like a scarf. That should do it! Lots of steps, I know, but nothing is hard, and it is for the holidays after all:

Penguin Cake<
White Cake with Chocolate Cream-Cheese Tunnel<

 

 

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October 15, 2012 - Black-Cat Cake

Black Cat Cake

A fun cake for Halloween, or modify it a bit to just make a cute kitty cake. On our recipes tab, there's a fun chocolate-orange swirl cake recipe to add to the Halloween spirit. Click here for more details about how to make the cake.

 

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August 15, 2012 - Wedding-Dress Cake

Wedding-Dress Cake

Make this cake for a weding or shower. Or even for a special high-school dance. Find delicious white-chocolate recipes for the cake, fondant and frosting on our recipe tab, and click here for more details about how to make the cake.

 

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July 15, 2012 - Police Car Cake

Police Car Cake

make this cake to amuse a young polceman fan or for a sign of thanks to your local law enforcement. Or decorate the cake as you please to make another ype of car cake. Click here for more details.

 

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May 15, 2012 - Butterfly Cake

Baby Carriage Cake

This cake was inspired by my daughter, who loves "Futterflies". Easily shape the cake using Cake-Shaping Strips. Then add whatever colors, lines and decor you (or your kids) come up with. Add on two eyes, and you have a beautiful butterfly cake! Click here for more details.

 

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April 15, 2012 - Baby Carriage Cake

Baby Carriage Cake

It seems to be that time of year - either someone just had a baby or there's a baby shower. This cake could even be an announcement cake. Make the carriage easiliy using Caking-Shaping Strips, and make a baby's head using Cake-Shaping Clay. The coconut frosting is delicious and gives the carriage a soft look. Click here for more details.

 

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March 17, 2012 - Time-Flies Airplane Cake

Airplane Cake

This cake helped to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the blog. I like the idea of a 'Time Flies' theme, though I'm sure that it could also be used for little boys' birthdays and pilot celebrations. Making the body of the plane couldn't be easier using Cake-Shaping Strips. All of the wings were made by making specially shaped fortune cookies. Click here for more details.

 

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March 1, 2012 - Rainbow Pot-of-Gold Cake

Rainbow Pot-of-Gold Cake

Treasure at the end of the rainbow - and in the rainbow. The cake is filled with peanut-butter cups, and the pot of gold is filled with Rolo's. And colorful sprinkles are used for the rainbow. Make a wish!

 

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February 15, 2012 - Shamrock Cake

Shamrock Cake

The classic St. Patrick's Day image. And to bring the festivities to a new height, some chocolate-mint cookies are tucked away in this cake and as a topping. Make a wish ... for more cake! Click here for more details.

 

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February 1, 2012 - Star Cake

Star Cake

Celebrate an achievement or a special person with this star cake. Make the cake extra tasty by adding a can of crushed pineapple to a cake mix instead of water. Click here for more details.

 

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January 15, 2012 - Double-Heart Cake

Double-Heart Cake

Celebrate Valentine's day (or an anniversary, wedding or other holiday) with a cake that symbolizes the meeting of two hearts. A red-velvet cake will add to the spirit and deliciousness. Top it all off with some cream-cheese buttercream frosting and simple decorations. Click here for more details.

 

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January 1, 2012 - Football Cake

Football Cake

Ready ... set ... bake! This cake is really simple and delicious. Both the cake and frosting can be made with Nutella. The recipes are both on our recipe tab, or click here, and the blog entry has them too. The frosting's also simple. By simply using a paper towel, you can quickly make a smooth and evenly textured frosting surface. So, while this cake might be the center of your football event, you'll have plenty of time to prepare other football-party snacks or even watch the pre-game. Click here for more details.

 

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December 15, 2011 - Christmas Stocking Cake

Christmas Stocking Cake

This cake has it all: cake, pie (filling) and cookies. First, make our easy Cherry Pie Cake batter. Pour the batter into a stocking "cake pan" formed using a Cake-Shaping Strip. Decorate the cake with red frosting and white frosting or whipped cream. Then stuff the "stocking" with any goodies you have around the kitchen: cookies, candies, candy canes, etc. Click here for more details.

 

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December 14, 2011 - Candy Cane Cheesecake

Christmas Tree Cake

No decorating needed! Just dye half of a cheesecake batter red, and make red and white stripes within your candy-cane shaped "pan" (formed with your strip). Tasty, elegant and fun. Click here for more details.

 

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December 1, 2011 - Santa Claus Ice Cream Cake

Christmas Tree Cake

It's Santa! On the Christmas table. Always known to bring a fun surprise, this time he's brought ice cream! That's right ... make an ice cream cake (with layers of blondies and ice cream). And top it all off with a whipped cream beard and hat trimming. Click here for more details.

 

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November 30, 2011 - Christmas Tree Cake

Christmas Tree Cake

Some simple decorating tricks will make this specially shaped cake look even more impressive. Stick some pretzel sticks into the cake to look like limbs. Add some cranberry ornaments and dust the tree with powdered-sugar snow. Click here for more details.

 

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November 15, 2011 - Christmas Gingerbread Man Cake

Christmas Gingerbread Man Cake

This is such an easy, festive cake. Just make a cake in the shape of a gingerbread man using your Cake-Shaping Strip. Then pipe on some facial features and buttons, and you're done. You can also add a few ingredients to a yellow cake mix to make a gingerbread cake. Click here for more details.

 

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November 1, 2011 - Thanksgiving Turkey Cake

Thanksgiving Turkey Cake

Start with a base cake (in the shape of a turkey's body, head and neck) made using your Cake-Shaping Strip. Add some frosting. Add some chocolate-covered pretzel-stick legs. Add some pure-chocolate tail feathers. And there's your turkey. Want more elaboration? Click here.

 

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October 15, 2011 - Ghost Halloween Cake

Ghost Halloween Cake

A simple, but classic, Halloween figure. This is a very easy cake to shape, given that I doubt any of your guests will contend that any shape doesn't REALLY look like a ghost! Then just decorate it by covering it in our easy fondant recipe or white icing. Now your guests can ooh (and aah) over your cake!

 

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October 1, 2011 - Witch-on-a-Broom Halloween Cake

Witch-on-a-Broom Halloween Cake

A scary, but delicious, cake to accompany Halloween festivities. The iconic witch flying on her broom through the Halloween night. But this time, she's bringing along a Mexican chocolate (chocolate cinnamon) cake and ganache. A unique way to prepare for the Halloween goodies.

 

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September 15, 2011 - Moorish Idol Cake

Moorish Idol Fish Cakee

The Moorish Idol has striking black and white colors. Rather than attempting to make black frosting, use crushed chocolate-sandwich cookies! In the same spirit, add some cookie chunks to cake batter, and make a white-and-chocolate swirled cake.

 

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September 1, 2011 - Fruity Painter's Palette Cake

Painters palette Cake

Rather than painting a bowl of fruit - why not use a bowl of fruit to make "paint"? This cake is packed full of fruit, and the paint on the top is homemade jam. Add all of that to this unique design, and you'll start to feel as though you are a great artist!

 

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August 15, 2011 - Apple Cake with Apple-Butter Cream-Cheese Icing

Apple Cake

Apples - a celebration of fall, a great fruit, and teachers. So pick your reason for making this eye-appealing and delicious cake. I can't rave enough about the apple-butter cream-cheese frosting. And this home-made apple cake is so packed full of fresh apples, you won't feel bad for indulging. Click here to read and see more details.

 

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July 21, 2011 - Stegosaurus Dinosaur Cake

Stegosaurus Cake

This cake was made for a little boy's birthday. It was even better received than the accompanying ice-cream cake! Cake-Shaping Strips were used to make the base of the cake. Height was added to the body by topping the cake with a dome cake made using a KitchenAid mixing bowl. The plates on the back are just hardened chocolate (formed by melting chocolate chips and oil, spreading the mixture on wax paper, and cutting the plates out). The hardest part was deciding - what color was a stegosaurus? Click here to read and see more details.

 

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July 15, 2011 - Christmas-in-July Snowflake Cake

Snowflake Cake

This cake was inspired by a Southern-Living contest for the best snowy icing recipe. I used a coconut white-chocolate ganache to ice this cake. Then I added some edible glitter, mini marshmallows, piped frosting and coconut for extra decoration. This cake might be on the dinner table again in, hmm, six months from now. Click here to read and see more details.

 

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July 1, 2011 - Strawberry Cake

Strawberry Cake

This cake couldn't revolve more about strawberries: a strawberry shape, a strawberry cake flavor, and a strawberry icing. To be fair, the cake and icing are actually strawberry-banana - so delicious. The pour-on icing makes this impressive cake quick to prepare. Click here to read and see more details.

 

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June 15, 2011 - United States Cake

United States Cake

Whether for the fourth of July or for a geography class, this cake will fit the bill. The special shape will allow even simple decorations to suffice. If you're ambitious, try to pipe on the borders of all the states! I wasn't up for that challenge. Click here to read and see more details.

 

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June 1, 2011 - Father's Day Blue-Ribbon Cake

Father''s Day Blue-Ribbon Cake

A ribbon-shaped a cake:a versatile cake design that may be used for many occasions. But what a better occasion to use it than to flatter your dad? I rolled out blue and white decorating clay to cover this cake, almost as you would use fondant. The ribbon perimeter was also formed out of the decorating clay. Click here to read and see more details.

 

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May 15, 2011 - Graduate Cake

Graduate Cake

A special day deserves a special cake. Several small efforts make this cake stand out. After shaping the cake with the Cake-Shaping Strips, it was on to decorating. The gown portion of the cake was covered in Chocolate Decorating Clay, and the face portion was covered Peanut Butter Decorating Clay. The nose, arms, and sleeves were fully formed out of the decorating clay. The cap was formed by spreading melted chocolate chips and a small amount of oil on wax paper, and cutting out the cap shape. The diploma - well that was just a sheet of paper and a twist tie. Click here to read and see more details.

 

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May 1, 2011 - Mother's Day Heart Cake

Mother''s Day Heart Cake

A classic cake - a heart-shaped cake with a smooth, white fondant layer. Extra hearts, sprinkles, and flowers give life to the base cake, and piped writing tells Mom that this special cake is for her. Click here to read and see more details.

 

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April 17, 2011 - Bonus Blog: Easter Egg Cake

Easter Egg Cake

Please let the kids help decorate this Easter Egg! It's so much fun. Just apply a base layer of frosting or fondant, and then add any sorts of edible decorations (e.g., using frosting, sprinkles, etc.) that the little artist desires. This blog shows how to make this cake extra festive by tie-dying and flavoring the inside of the cake. Click here to read and see more details.

 

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April 14, 2011 - Spring Flower Cake

Spring Flower Cake

When the flowers finally start to bloom after a long winter, it's time to celebrate. Bring some spring-time to the table with a flower-shaped cake. Cake-Shaping Strips allow you to make a cake in the shape of any flower. Your botany is probably better than mine. Nonetheless, click here to read and see more cake details.

 

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March 31, 2011 - Easter Bunny Cake

Bunny Cake

You'll never believe how quickly this cake comes together. The secret is in making the frosting fur. After you've made a bunny-shaped cake using a Cake-Shaping Strip, apply a thick layer of frosting. Then repeatedly place a flat edge of a table knife into the frosting layer and lift up. Click here to read and see more details.

 

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March 17, 2011 - A Basketball Backboard Cake

Backboard Cake

My very first blog post. It was a fun one. The base cake was made in a backboard shape using a Cake-Shaping Strip. The ball was made by baking cake batter in a small oven-safe bowl. The rest was just standard piping! Click here to read and see more details.

 

Pictorial Blog-Entry Index:

Penguin

Black

Wedding

Police

Butterfly

Baby

Airplane

Pot-of-Gold

Shamrock

Star

Double-Heart

Football

Christmas

Candy

Santa

Christmas

Gingerbread

Turkey

Ghost

Witch

Moorish

Painters

Apple

Dinosaur

Snowflake

Strawberry

United

Father's

Graduate

Mother's

Easter

Spring

Easter

Basketball


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