Kiddie Buffets

         We are now gearing on adding a budget friendly pastry package to cater your most loved little one's birthday needs and it all started by acquiring a Ferris wheel cupcake stand.

         When I turned 18, I planned my own debutante's party, from the roses, the giveaways and the cake design and eventually, my cousin asked me to plan her debutante's party as well the month after.  I guess, I have always been a hands on kind of girl ever since then. So when I had my first baby girl Athena, birthdays was like heaven to me. On her first birthday, even though we celebrated it in McDonald's I still got to insert my stuff. Then on her second birthday, I decided to have it on our home.  I selected a theme for her in accordance to her favorite cartoon character strawberry shortcake.

          But back then, themed birthday parties are not common, so it was not really like a big deal.   People were just happy to see her strawberry shortcake cake, her strawberry shortcake giveaways, the house decorations and even my daughter's dress is strawberry shortcake themed.  the most rewarding part though is the twinkle in my daughter's eyes signaling how happy she is with her birthday.

So when my other daughter also had her second birthday, I also did a Hello Kitty themed party.  By this time, themed birthday parties are slowly catching the vibe.  I opted on utilizing cupcakes instead of cake to be the center of attraction in her kiddie buffet table and I utilized some of her Hello Kitty collections and my cousin made balloon sculptures as gifts.




My other cousins saw what I did with my daughter's birthday party that they too wanted themed parties for their children. The beauty of having a big family is that you have a lot of cousins who would be willing to help out with the set up and perhaps, also because I came from a family of artists, I was lucky to have a cousin who is a balloon artist as well.  Here are the results:

 

I then began a pure pastry buffet, not all of them are themed since I do accept small orders if the client wants to include balloon sculpture, they'd have to talk to my cousin so she can offer her own packages for it as well.  I also accept buffet consignment from other event coordinators but I do keep a collection of stands and jars as well as a chocolate fountain.

Here are some samples of my Kiddie Buffet:

 

For more information about the Kiddie Buffet packages please visit our facebook page:

SO! ZOE.. Cupcakes

Themed Cakes

When I first started making cakes and doing some frosting designs, I thought piping cupcakes was the hardest thing but as soon as I do them on a regular basis, I found it rather very rewarding if I get to accomplish a cake design that I first thought would be impossible for me to do.

Considering that I am using frosting as opposed to fondant with which has a lot of molders available in any baking supplies company, designing a cake using butter cream is a lot like sculpting, you really have to start from scratch. It will require your time and your patience so you better make sure that prior to making your themed cake, you have thought about the design first and how you are going to maneuver your way into creating your cake design.

Tinkerbell Cake

My youngest daughter had asked for a tinker bell cake for her third birthday so I started searching for a design which I believe I can achieve or at least find a way to achieve. My engineering and drafting skills were tested here, after all this would be my first layered cake and my first ever garden cake. Once I found a perfect design (you've got to love Google here) I set off to find my fairies luckily, Disney character toys are all over the metro so I was able to find them. I was also able to find chocolate stones in a local supermarket so I set off with doing my design. The mushrooms are hard to find but, luckily, I found some colorful mushroom erasers in a local school supplies shop so rather than waste more days hoping to find edible mushroom gum paste, I opted on using these instead. Having not made a layered cake before did became a minor setback as covering the entire cake with green frosting is not easy as it looks, the smoothing part of it is a bit of a challenge but I did it and was so proud of myself not to mention that my daughter loves her cake very much.

Adventure Time Cake

My cousin, after seeing what I did with the Tinkerbell cake, then asked me to make a cake for her son.  The theme she wanted was cartoon network's adventure time. I used my thinking cap to make this cake and I must say, boy! was I glad that I listened during when our drafting teacher thought us about dimension analysis.

For this cake though, rather than using my ever reliable red velvet or carrot cake recipe, I decided on making a chocolate cake.  Now, I have been experimenting on different chocolate cake recipes and I was not sure how this new chocolate cake recipe, I recently found, would turn out.  At first, I was a bit afraid that the cake would fail as the batter is very runny but by luck, it turned out to be perfect.  The taste was divine that I am already using the same recipe for my chocolate cakes.  I found some adventure time cupcake toppers in the shop where I get my baking supplies from and I used a licorice candy for my letters. I had the idea of making a checkered design from our checkered cake and there you go, Finn and the adventure time candy people.

I have made other designs as well without the aid of a cake topper (or at least the cake topper is not really the main reason for the cake to become a themed cake, ha ha ha!!!).  Here are a few cakes that became a rewarding challenge for me.

So Zoe Themed Cakes

Guitar Chocolate Cake

Super Girl Red Velvet Cake

Superman Choco Velvet cake

Doll Cakes

Chocolate Cake with Buttercream frosting

My eldest daughter wanted a spectacular cake for her birthday and it is a great challenge on my part. Before I prepare for it, I asked her what theme she wanted and automatically she said "Frozen".

I scoured the internet for inspirations.  I checked if there are any cake designs that is feasible for a non professional cake baker like me. The layered cakes available in google often display fondant cakes, which I do not have the necessary equipment to make it a realization. The frosting layered cakes was rather to much for my meager skills, like I said in my previous articles, I never had any professional proper education when it comes to baking, Google was my teacher apart from my little exposure to baking when I was still in Ireland, so hmm.. not a good idea....

Then, I stumbled upon an Elsa doll cake during one of my Google searches and I wondered if it is actually possible for me to make it. I studied the structure of some doll cakes and also checked some of my cake molds if I have the necessary equipment or if I needed to buy some new ones.

Chocolate with cream cheese

I thought, I should practice before I would actually make it and luckily one of the employees of the company I am working is having her birthday and the team wanted to surprise her. My colleagues paid me to bake a cake for her so since she is also special to our team I decided that this is my chance to actually make a doll cake and gain confidence in forming my doll.  The cake was well received so I am very happy and my confidence level in making doll cakes are increased.  Now I have another cake decorating technique to add on my list! Weeee....

Carrot Cupcakes, cream cheese and
cinnamon sugar snowflakes cookies

My daughter wanted a chocolate cake for the Elsa doll and carrot cupcakes to bring to her school so she can also celebrate with her classmates so I thought why not top the cupcakes with cinnamon sugar snowflakes cookies for a real "Frozen" theme.  Her classmates loved it and are asking for some more. Until next birthday then....

Mangoes in a Velvet Cake

Mango Velvet Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Filipinos pride ourselves with having one of the sweetest mangoes in the the world.  Before only the mangoes of Guimaras Island were allowed to get in the US market but now, US have allowed importation mangoes from other Philippine Islands as well which is very good considering the fact that in general Philippines mangoes all over the island do have export potential, take one for example, Cebu's very own Guadalupe Mangoes. When you go inside any supermarket in Cebu, you'll see a lot of people from other countries buy dried mangoes, mangoes in chocolate, mango juice or any other mango product and for us to finally be able to share how sweet Cebu Mangoes are gives you this sense of pride.

Mango Cakes are not really as popular as red velvet cakes or chocolate cakes but a Mango Velvet Cake? Hmmm, that is something else, ain't it?

During my father's birthday, I was able to make this mango velvet cake and somehow it turn out nice and I definitely am keen on making it again if opportunity permits..

Them Carrot Cakes

Back in Ireland, everytime there is a gathering or a celebration may it be a co-worker's or the resident's birthday or anything that is worth celebrating, every house would prepare some food to bring to one house where the occasion is to be held.  And if it calls for a cake and if it is carrot season then sure enough there would be a carrot cake. Also, when there is an open day where the community can sell arts and baked products carrot cake is a popular cake to sell.  This is not only happening with our community but also the neighboring communities as well. One Japanese co-worker is an expert with this along with her famous japanese delicacies like sushi.

At first, I was not really into carrot cakes.  I just did not fathom the idea of putting an ingredient that is not usually added on desserts  but I do am curious as to how it is made.  I never made a carrot cake back in Ireland nor have I tasted one since everytime someone bakes it there is always another one baking the traditional chocolate cake so I often opted for chocolate cakes as opposed to the carrot cake but when a cousin of mine who works in a hotel mentioned about carrot cakes and how much their hotel is charging for it, I decided to make my own version.

I was so happy that my number one fans, my two lovely daughters found carrot cake delicious and my eldest wants this cake for her 7th birthday also even my number one critic, my mother requested that I make a carrot cake for her birthday and it was well accepted by her Zumba friends, in fact one of them even said that she would like to order one for our fiesta celebration this May after her stint in Australia, I just hope she remebers about her order.

Red Velvet Round Cake and Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cherries on top on the sides

After my mother sort-of bragged to one of our house tenants about my little business venture, the tenant's nephew came to me one night and asked how much my cakes cost and that he would like to order. I gave him some choices but he just said which one looks big? I said they are all in the same size, my most salable are heart cakes but I do have round cakes and square cakes as well. So he ordered a round Red Velvet Cake.  The cherries did not turn out as I expected it to be because apparently, they are not seedless but so far it is still good though.

Green Velvet Heart Cake

The buyer asked me if it is possible to make a golf themed cake, and  I was like OMG!!!  I haven't had any training nor did I attend any pastry school.

I just learned to bake from my more than a year stint in Ireland and then after that I learned a thing or two about the art of baking and eventually now I am selling few cakes and cupcakes here and there.

But I  also want the challenge so here it is, I browse for some ideas.  At first, I thought of golf clubs and golf bags but that would need molders which I  do not have and fondant which I have no experience using.  Then I realized, if I can't make any golf equipment then why not make a golf course instead!!!  It is still within the theme of golfing is it not?

Buyer's request also include gummies so there it is, they are actually blue grape gummies which I turned over to look like trees.  I used mini Oaties cookies as rocks and then for the sand, I used up a Filipino delicacy "POLVORON".  I added some green and yellow M&Ms for decoration as well.

Mini Cupcakes - A little goes a long long Way

Red Velvet

Making mini cupcakes is not as easy as it looks. From changing the quantity of ingredients to finding what topper would fit these bitesize pleasure.

In this picture: 

Mini Cupcake - Red Velvet 

Frosting - Pink Swirl Vanilla Buttercream

Topper - Sugar coated gummy bears

These mini cupcakes were enjoyed by my cousins and relatives during our grandmother's death anniversary.

Chocolate

I don't usually make chocolate cupcakes, that's my aunt's specialty but she does not make mini cupcakes so here we go.
In this picture:

Mini Cupcake - Vegan Chocolate
Frosting - Vanilla Buttercream
Sprinkles - Chocolate chips and Gold beads
Topper - Mini Chocolate Biscuits

Chocolate

I also made another variation as per request of the buyer.

In this picture:

Mini Cupcake - Vegan Chocolate
Frosting - Chocolate Hazelnut (Nutella) Buttercream
Sprinkles - White speckle beads (snow effect) and Silver beads
Topper - Mini Chocolate Biscuits


These cupcakes were perfect gifts for a dear husband's birthday...

For more pictures of our products please click on the pages of this site, I hope you'll find something you might like...