Halloween Owl Stencil Cake

 

 
Have you ever tried using a cake stencil before?

You can even make them yourself...it is super easy!

This Halloween Owl Stencil Cake would be great for a Halloween party.

Black sanding sugar creates the silhouette of an owl on the moon.
My cake is an 8 inch round; you could also use the stencil on a 9 inch cake.

For a cake surface that would crust and not stick to my stencil,
I made this buttercream frosting:

Basic Vanilla Buttercream

• 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 6 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• approx. 1/3 cup milk
• orange food coloring gel

After your cake is frosted, print and cut out the owl stencil below.

Just right click on the image and choose "Save Image As".

With your stencil ready, lightly mist the cake with water in a spray bottle.

(This will make the sanding sugar stick to the buttercream frosting.)

Center your stencil on top of the cake and lightly press down the edges.

I put my black sugar in a salt shaker for easy application.

Be sure to make the layer of sugar thick enough so you don't see the frosting underneath.

Slowly and carefully lift the stencil off the cake:

 First, use a toothpick to lift up the edges of the stencil.

If possible, get an extra set of hands to help.

Lift it straight up and don't let the extra sugar slide off!

Whoo Whoo!


 I share my recipes and tutorials at these fun link parties.

Another fun Halloween cake...

Welcome Great Pumpkin Cake

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Pumpkin Crumb Cake

  
What does this Pumpkin Crumb Cake make you think of?
Autumn? Trips to the pumpkin patch?

It makes me think of New Jersey.
That's right, and it also makes me feel nostalgic...

because I will always associate crumb cake with visiting my grandparents in New Jersey.

When I was a child, my family made annual road trips from Florida to New Jersey.
During our visits, my grandfather would always get pastries from his favorite bakery
one morning while the rest of us were still sleeping.
He would bring home what my grandmother called "crumb buns"...
but were essentially cake.

Crumb cake for breakfast! You can see why this is a good memory.

I love to bake with pumpkin this time of year,
and combining it with a crumb topping just seemed so perfect.

Both the cake and the topping include that amazing foursome of spices:
ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.

Get ready for some fantastic flavor!

Pumpkin Crumb Cake

adapted from Vanilla Sugar Blog

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Ingredients

Pumpkin Cake

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup sour cream

Crumb Topping

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup unsalted butter (melted)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9X13 cake pan.

For the Crumb Topping: In a medium bowl, mix both sugars, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and flour. Add the melted butter and stir with a fork to form large crumbs. Set aside.

For the Cake: Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the sugar and mix well. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix in the vanilla, pumpkin and vegetable oil. Alternately add the flour mixture and the sour cream, ending with the flour mixture.

Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Add the crumb topping by dropping clumps of it on to the cake. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool on a rack.

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Enjoy! 

 I share my recipes and tutorials at these fun link parties.

More pumpkin goodness...

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes 

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

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Cinnamon Banana Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

 

Imagine combining the flavors of cinnamon rolls and banana bread.
Can you taste the cinnamon, banana and cream cheese frosting all mixed together?
Are you drooling yet?

That is the flavor of this cake...
Cinnamon Banana Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting!

This recipe was inspired by a bag of cinnamon chips in my pantry.
I started brainstorming new ways to use them and came up with this fantastic combination.

The cinnamon chips really add a kick of flavor to the banana cake,
and the (seriously yummy!) cinnamon cream cheese frosting is the perfect way to top it off.

All you banana bread and cinnamon roll fans are going to LOVE this cake!

Cinnamon Banana Cake

by Bird On A Cake

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Ingredients

Cinnamon Banana Cake

• 1 1/2 cups mashed very ripe bananas
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar (packed)
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs (room temperature)
• 1 cup buttermilk (or 1 c. milk mixed with 1 T. vinegar)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup cinnamon baking chips

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 oz. package cream cheese (softened)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions

Cinnamon Banana Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of three 8 inch cake pans with wax paper, and grease the sides.

In a large bowl, mix together the bananas and both sugars. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add oil, buttermilk and vanilla; mix until well combined.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture; combine well. Stir in the cinnamon chips.

Divide batter equally into prepared pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to cool on a rack.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

In a large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla. Gradually add the sugar, beating until fluffy. Mix in cinnamon.

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 Enjoy!

 I share my recipes and tutorials at these fun link parties.

Sunflower Cupcakes made with Oreo Cookies

My kids will go back to school in one week, and I have such mixed emotions.

First of all, I'm SO excited!

I'm ready to get back to a real routine and a little less chaos.

But I'm also nervous and worried.

My oldest daughter is starting high school, after 3 years of home school.

My younger daughter (who is autistic) is entering the craziness of middle school.

My son (also autistic) will be part of a typical class for the first time, in 1st grade.

So my feelings are a bit confused!

Whether you feel excited or nervous,

either emotion is a great reason to make these easy Sunflower Cupcakes...

If you aren't ready for your kids to go back to school, make these cupcakes.

They will distract you from worrying and make you feel better!

If you are excited that your kids are finally going back to school, make these cupcakes.

It's time to celebrate!!!

What You Will Need:
A batch of cooled cupcakes
A decorating bag fitted with Wilton #32 tip
Yellow buttercream frosting
Oreo Cookies

First, fill the decorating bag with frosting.

 Spread a thin layer of frosting on your cupcake.

 Pipe petals all around the edge of your cupcake.
To form a petal, hold the tip slightly about the cupcake surface.
Squeeze the bag until the frosting forms a large dot.
Stop squeezing and pull the tip up and away to form a point.

Divide an Oreo cookie in half, and press half on top of your cupcake.

Pipe another layer of petals on the outer edge of the Oreo.

 Smile and eat a Sunflower Cupcake. :)

Enjoy!

I share my recipes and tutorials at these fun link parties.

More flower cupcake tutorials...

Perfectly Packaged Rose Cupcakes

Pretty Flower Cupcakes 

Easy Cherry Limeade Cupcakes

One of my all-time favorite drinks is Cherry Limeade.

It's such a fabulous flavor combination!

Today I am sharing a simple and delicious cupcake version. :)

The Cherry Limeade Cupcakes I have seen combine lime cake and cherry frosting.

I decided to do something different...

I made cherry cake full of maraschino cherry chunks, topped with tangy lime frosting.

DELISH!

I also wanted these cupcakes to be quick & easy, so I started with a cake mix.

So here is my version...you are going to love it! 

Cherry Limeade Cupcakes

by Bird On A Cake

6050215

Ingredients (18-20 cupcakes)

Cherry Cupcakes

• 1 box white cake mix
• 1/2 cup maraschino cherry juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup oil
• 3 eggs
• 10 oz. jar maraschino cherries (cut into quarters)

Lime Frosting

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/8 cup milk
• Stemmed cherries for garnish
•  green & yellow food coloring gel (optional)

Instructions

Cherry Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, cherry juice, water, oil and eggs. Mix until well blended. Fold in maraschino cherries. Pour batter into prepared liners and bake for 18-20 minutes.

Lime Frosting

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add 2 cups of the confectioners' sugar; mix well. Add lime juice and milk. Mix in the remaining confectioners' sugar. Add just a dab of the green and yellow food coloring gel. Keep covered.

Pipe frosting on the cooled cupcakes and top with a stemmed cherry before serving.

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Enjoy!

I share my recipes and tutorials at these fun link parties.

I also have a fabulous recipe for Maraschino Cherry Cake from scratch...you can find it here.

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