Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Donatello Cake

*~*  Happy Birthday Tori!!  *~*

Monster Truck Cake

*~*   Happy Birthday AJ!!   *~*

This fun three-tiered cake has oreo cookie dirt, pretzel logs, and a chocolate rice krispie treat rocky path!

Ladybug Cake and Cookies

First birthdays are so special, aren't they?   What a great time to gather friends and family and celebrate your baby's first year of life!  

My friend went all out in planning for her little one's 1st birthday party.  She had a lady bug theme, and went crazy with decorations, games, food, etc.  What a blast!

I had the pleasure of making the cake, cookies, and a cute little smash cake for sweet Mary.

~ Happy 1st Birthday Mary!! ~

Four Seasons Cake

One of our local news stations has a neat program.  Their meteorologist visits local elementary schools and teaches the kids about various weather-related topics.  As a thank-you, the school makes a "weather cake" for the staff at the weather station.  Later that evening, during the weather segment of the local news, the weather program and school are highlighted, with video clips from the day's fun activities.   AND, the cake that was given to the weather station is shown!  My cake was on t.v!    That's a first for me.  :)

Gigantic Orange Cinnamon Bun

I love homemade cinnamon buns, and this recipe is excellent.  What makes it even better is that you roll the dough into one huge bun!   Slice it into wedges and share it with friends.  Or your kids, because undoubtedly if they see you baking this, they'll want some too. 

Gigantic Orange Cinnamon Bun

Dough:

1/3 cup warm water

1/3 cup milk

1 Tbsp. active dry yeast

1/2 cup butter

3 Tbsp. sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3 cups all purpose flour

Filling:

6 Tbsp. butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. orange zest (zest from one orange)

pinch of salt

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

juice from one orange

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sprinkle yeast over warm water and set aside for 5-10 minutes until foamy.  In a small saucepan, heat together milk, sugar, and butter until butter is melted.  Set aside to cool slightly, until warm to the touch.  Whisk together yeast and water mixture, milk mixture, and eggs.  Add salt, cinnamon, and flour.  Stir until combined, then knead for about 5 minutes on a well-floured work surface until dough is smooth.  Alternately, knead in stand mixer with dough attachment on low for 5 minutes.   Place dough in a large buttered bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place to rise for an hour to an hour and a half, or until doubled in size.

Lightly flour your work surface, and roll the dough to a 10 x 15 inch rectangle.  Spread the softened butter over the dough.  In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar, white sugar, orange zest, and salt.  Sprinkle sugar mixture over the dough.  Roll up the dough from the long side.  Pinch seam and roll so seam is down.

With a sharp knife slice the roll lengthwise.   Coil up one of the strips of dough, doing your best to keep the layers of dough together.  Continue with the second strip of dough, creating a giant coiled cinnamon bun. 

Prepare a 10 inch springform pan, a 10 inch cakepan, or a round pizza pan or stone with nonstick baking spray.  Using a spatula (or two!), transfer the cinnamon bun to the baking pan.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Remove plastic wrap and bake cinnamon bun for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, orange juice, and vanilla to make a smooth glaze.  Pour over warm cinnamon bun.  Cool a little while before slicing.