This is my favorite cake thus far! I have always wanted to decorate a cake with a bold color theme and the optical illusion pattern turned out so well with the shades of blue and white. The pattern itself was surprisingly not too complicated to do; though I did practice before I started on this cake. At first, I did not see the 3D cube effect on the side since I was so focused on the pattern of diamonds, but in these pictures the edges of each cube is clearly defined. The top star pattern was a unplanned design; I didn't want to do anything too elaborate that would take away from the sides of the cake. Overall, I think it fit in well with the overall theme of the cake and contributed to the modern edgy vibe I was going for!

Continuing with the geometric inspired cakes, I am hoping to decorate a cake using hexagons but also want to try some new techniques like painting fondant. Or maybe quilling? I'll keep you all posted, either way!

Hope you all had a great Monday and start to November 2019!

Marshmallows, anyone? Well, I suppose there are some of us out there who have considered marshmallows solely for the purpose of s'mores and rice crispies treats. But this childhood favorite sweet has its place in many parts of the desserts world. Above, I found a few ideas for marshmallow inspiration. While they all sound delicious, I think that the one I am most excited to try is the brownie s'mores cheesecake, #3. There's something about cheesecake that is always enticing, don't you think? The s'mores scones #7 sound really interesting too, has anyone tried a scone with marshmallows in it? The idea sounds interesting, but I wonder how it works, texture wise.

Hope August has been treating everyone well! As always, comments, questions, and suggestions are looked forward to.

I've been trying to move beyond floral inspired cakes, just for a change of design since most of my cakes thus far have been mostly floral designed. Geometric inspired cake designs are very popular and there are many interesting options. They really transform the look of a cake, making them seem more modern and just have a different vibe from traditional fondant cake designs. They has a edginess to them that's so fun and fresh, something I'd like to recreate this summer. All nine of the cakes are ones I'd love to recreate, each of their own unique spin on geometric patterns, some more classic like #s: 5-9, while others have a wild streak like #4 (that's such a fun cake..)

Hope everyone is enjoying the warmer months! As always, comments, questions, and suggestions are welcome.

Rice Krispies are one of my favorite sweet treats to make especially if there are many kids around. (Not that they won't finish otherwise!) But I have been meaning to try something besides the original in terms of presentation.

The Lego Rice Krispie Treats (#5) are just too cool and I think it would be so fun to actually build something with them! Maybe it would be a bit impractical, but it wouldn't hurt to try. The Flip Flops (#6) are are another favorite and would be perfect for a summer party; I really like the use of Gushers in making the straps.

The vase of flowers (#3) inspires numerous bouquets of edible flowers, so many possibilities!

I guess I should maybe make another batch soon..

Hope your Monday has gotten off to a good start and have a great week everyone :)

I always look forward to summer beverages, even though the temperature during this time of year is hardly my favorite. Above are some beverages I think would be nice to try this summer, some are light and refreshing like the Raspberry Peach Lemonade, while others are intense and on the heavier side, like the All-American Malt Milkshake (which is one of my favorite childhood beverages!) Either way, I think there's a bit of everything here to satisfy most of the summer beverage cravings for this year. I really want to try the Strawberry Lime Slush since that is one type of drink I have never made before and it looks really good.

Hope you all are having a great start to the week! Let me know in the comments below what your go-to summer beverage is!

So I think I've mentioned on the blog before that I enjoy decorating cakes with fondant. It is a hobby that started in 8th grade and one I have tried to keep up with. For an event we hosted last weekend, I decided to try out a new technique, marbling fondant. While quite simple, I was really worried I would somehow mess it up and end up with a cake that was covered in big blotchy patches of different colored fondant or a new scary color altogether. Thankfully, neither situation occurred and the cake turned out pretty well! (Well, I guess I'll have to let you guys be the judge of that) One thing I wish I had done was incorporate the white fondant more evenly into the marbling, because I think that would have resulted in a better pattern. That's something to remember for next time!

Hope everyone is having a great week!

The temperature is on the rise here and that means I can justify more cool sweet treats!

Growing up M&M cookie ice cream sandwiches were my favorite and definitely still one I reach for. But now, the varieties available are so unique and glam up ice cream sandwiches in a way I couldn't have imagined as a child.

Above are a few I either need to make or try sometime this summer. The churro one (#3) sounds good and it's always so cool to see the different ways people incorporate them into their desserts.  The duche leche inspired one (#4) is a great reminder of how we can take a relatively casual dessert like an ice cream sandwich and turn it into a glam dessert by incorporating flavors and elements from more traditional and classic desserts.

And if you like fun and more kid-oriented desserts, there are so many popular cookie and cereal based ice cream sandwiches (even one with rice krispies!). You could have them as part of a ice cream sandwich bar at a kid's birthday or other party.(That's an idea to keep in mind!)

What was your favorite childhood ice cream treat?

On a separate note, I am so so sorry for the lack of posts these past couple of months! This past term in school was especially hectic, with many unexpected situations that really limited my creative time. I hope to get back into the swing of things over the summer and make plans to have more posts on a regular basis during the academic year.

Hope you all are enjoying the days leading up to summer. Stay cool!

Hey guys!

Hope you all had a great weekend! Here in California, rain has been our constant companion!

As you can probably tell, potatoes are the star of the week. I had not thought much about potatoes recently until I watched a documentary about them during a class last week. The film was really interesting from a historical perspective but also reminded me of all the great dishes that can be made with potatoes. So I collected a few recipe ideas for myself and you all that we can make year-round!

#1 is of course garlic fries, a favorite here in California, especially in the North. #2, 4, & 6 are great as side dishes for dinner. And #3 is intriguing, I have never heard of mashed potatoes bites before. Have you? If so, let me know what you think of them (and if you have any recipe recommendations!)

Hope you all have a wonderful week!

Winter brings out the love of baking in a way no other time of year does. And who doesn't love cookies? I tried so many different types of cookies this past year and now I hoping to recreate some of them.

I tried Apple Pie Cookies a few weeks back and absolutely loved them! I am hoping these Apple Crisp Cookies (#1) are similar. Another flavor I have been enjoying lately is maple. Maple Pecan Scones are one of my new favorites,and think that these leaf cookies with a maple glaze  (#3) sound delicious! The others are a bit more classic, except for #5.

Hope 2017 is going well for all of you so far! It has been a wet winter in California!

And as always, comments, questions, and suggestions are welcome! Let me know what your favorite cookie recipe is!

I always associate the colder months with warm desserts, specifically apple desserts. Most of the desserts here are ones I have tried, except for The Churro Waffles with Apple (#4) Wouldn't they be great to have for a late morning weekend brunch?

The apple fritters (#5) are another favorite at home, especially at tea time. So, once again, I have found more recipes I need to try sometime this fall or winter.

Hope you all are having a great week! As always, let me know if you have any recipe recommendations!