When it comes to styling a display, three is the magic number.  Everything just simply looks better when grouped in threes.  Perhaps it’s the balance created when three unique objects are arranged together in one cohesive display.  And when it comes to cake…  if one is good and two is better, then three is a trifecta!  Over the next few days we’re going to explore a current cake trend in the wedding and party scene, Cake Trios!    Three individual cakes, each with their own design, working together to create a perfect display of cake harmony!  It’s doesn’t get much sweeter than this!

Today’s featured Cake Trio is a charming display created by Emily Lael Aumiller, founder and owner of Lael Cakes in Brooklyn.  With peaches and cream as the inspiration, Emily created these beauties for the Martha Stewart Weddings website.  In shades of peach, cream, coral and gold, these three cakes play so nicely together.  Varying heights, textures and techniques are unified by the soft color scheme to create one eye pleasing display.   Prepare to swoon over this charming Peaches & Cream Cake Trio…

Emily of Lael Cakes shared a few thoughts with us about her stunning cake trio:

“Each of the designs were fabricated in unique methods — combing different approaches to sugar sculpture and pastry application.  While each have their own place as individuals, as a trifecta I think they have an incredible way of tying together the same theme and aesthetic!  As a bonus Jen Huang and Sierra & Juliet from Poppies & Posies assisted me in making the shoot come to life!”

Each one of these cakes is a stunner, all on its own.  Put them together and you have style perfection!  A very special thank you to Emily of Lael Cakes for sharing her amazing Peaches & Cream Cake Trio with us today.  We love, love, love it!  {Yes, three times the love!  Love, love, love!}

Vendors & Credits:
Cake: Lael Cakes
Photography: Jen Huang
Floral & styling: Poppies & Posies

With my daughter’s first birthday party so recently behind us, I’ve had first birthday mania on the brain for months now!  First birthdays are such a special celebration, marked by laughter, family and cake!  So it’s only fitting that today’s post is all about birthdays and cake, featuring a precious first birthday cake AND a giveaway!  A treat for everyone involved… I’m thrilled to share a cake created by one of my very favorite cake designers, you’re going to flip over this little guy, and someone will win a fab prize!  Sounds like the perfect way to start off a new week!

Today’s post features THE most adorable first birthday cake, created by the uber talented Elisa Strauss of Confetti Cakes.  Elisa created this cute and cuddly little owl for her daughter Sophie’s first birthday.  With it’s corduroy-like textures and amazing stitching details, this cake is oh-so-darling!  I’m guessing this is just the first of many extraordinary cakes for Miss Sophie… the perk of having an accomplished cake designer like Elisa as your mother!  And while the rest of us strive to create cakes as flawless as this one, today’s giveaway will put you one step closer to that goal!  That’s right, one lucky Half Baked reader will win a copy of Elisa’s book, Confetti Cakes for Kids! So many great design ideas and techniques to help you create THE most adorable cake for the special kiddos in your life.

Really, could Sophie’s first birthday owl be any cuter?  The little flowered wings, corduroy pocket, pint sized bow and coordinating smash cake… oh my goodness!  Not to mention those owl eyes, complete with flirty little lashes.  Looks like Elisa’s months of planning paid off with a picture-perfect cake creation.  Yes, that’s right.  Months!  A cake like this doesn’t happen overnight!  Elisa shares with us some insight as to her planning process:

“Perhaps it’s only my fellow cake designers who can understand the stress (I put on myself) for my daughter’s first birthday cake. In fact, my husband jokingly reminded me TWICE that he ordered a sheet cake, NOT a sculpted cake (a.k.a. cake that will take days to bake, sculpt and decorate) but OF COURSE I was not going to serve a sheet cake at my own daughter’s first birthday party.

So the stress actually started months ahead of time deciding on a design. I finally chose an owl because we affectionately coined the phrase for my daughter “owl eyes” for when she should be sleeping in her stroller but we see her bright large eyes looking back at us.”

Leave a Comment below telling us how you’d put this book to good use!  Earn an extra entry by doing any of the following.  Please leave a separate comment for each of your entries.  Maximum of 4 entries per person.

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Giveaway ends Sunday, October 9th at midnight CST. A winner will be chosen randomly and announced on Monday, October 10th . The winner must claim their prize before Friday, October 14th or a new winner will be selected. You must be 18 years old and either a U.S. or Canadian resident to enter. Maximum of 4 entries per person.  

Good luck everyone! Happy Monday!

Our contributor, Miso of Miso Bakes, is sharing some helpful tips to put extra buttercream to good use.  Enjoy….

Don’t you hate it when you have awkward amounts of tinted buttercream left over?  Most always it’s a tad too much to toss, but not enough to store in a tub.

So, what do I do?  I plop the buttercream onto a piece of plastic wrap, tightly fold the saran wrap into a small purse, date it, and place it in one huge freezer zip bag along with the other ‘awkwards’ until ready to use.

Or, sometimes, I pipe the flowers out, freeze them on a tray, and carefully place them in an air tight container in the freezer until ready to use. I ice the cake as I normally would and place the frozen flowers right onto the cake.  Because the flowers are small I have never had problems with condensation, but if you do, gently blot the flowers with a paper towel.

The small blocks of tinted buttercream or the flowers come in great use when you have to whip up a cake or dessert last minute for an unexpected guest, or if you just want to throw a cake together for your family on a lazy weekend. This is also a great way to use up a few random cake layers or scraps you have sitting around.

The same applies for sugarpaste flowers. I like to freshly make them for important cakes, but I when have one or two extra sugarpaste flowers left over, I cut the stem off and keep them in an air-tight container and carefully place them onto the ’scrap’ cake along with the buttercream flowers.

Cute, right? : ) The sugarpaste flowers add a nice touch to the cake, don’t you think?  Just because a cake is iced in buttercream, it does not mean you have to only use buttercream to decorate your cake. The same applies for fondant cakes as well! Play around with the mediums and you’ll end up with a product that will make your heart smile!

Happy Caking,
Miso

Miso is a regular contributor for Half Baked. She is a talented and upcoming cake designer with a big passion for cakes. Read more about Miso on her bio page.