I need taste testers! Anyone?

This has been one of the longest weeks I've had in a while!

First off, being unemployed is extremely frustrating! Frankly I don't know how much longer I can stand it! To be honest this past week I just wanted to quit, quit it all. And you know start collecting cans on the street. And that my friends is what rejection after rejection does to me.

But that was a momentary lapse of judgement. I'm back and ready to hit the ground running!

Tonight, I took a break from job searching/applying and did something super fun, premature but fun! I decided to go on craigslist and browse the bedrooms for rent in SF. It is SO exciting looking at "my future home" (or for at least the next 2-3 years). I can really just imagine being there and learning even more amazing things about the culinary world and myself for starters. And if that makes ANY sense is what helps me to keep going on this endless job hunt (which is Part I of my so-called master plan).

This week I also did another video with my awesome cousin, and my grandma who stopped by to watch and in turn ended up being in the video! :) I'm saving this video forever, FOREVER.
If you haven't watched it please do! I'm posting it below:



Also, follow me on twitter: TdashCakes (t-cakes)

So this past week, was my dear friend Wing's birthday! She's been in Minnesota, and came back to SoCal for a few weeks (then she's off to St. Louis!). Well she absolutely loves, loves, loves Nutella--- really who doesn't? So I did a spin on a Nutella cupcake. I combined a few recipes from a couple of really cool blogs I found:

http://confessionsofacookbookqueen.com/2011/05/guest-post-nutella-cupcakes

http://pieceofcakeblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/living-spoon-to-jar-to-mouth.html

So the final cupcake product turned out to be a Nutella Cupcake, with buttercream, drizzled over chocolate ganache and almonds! :) Check out the blogs above if you have the chance!

Also, I've been looking for taste testers! Really, because after video shoots or my experiments in the kitchen I am left with a TON of leftovers. So if you are ever in the TC area let me know!

Thanks! Happy Sunday everyone!

I'm on You Tube! Holla!

Thanks for watching!

NEW UPDATE: My twitter name has changed to: TdashCakes! Follow Me :)

Have a great week everyone!

Thank you my readers!

Hi my dear family, friends, and fellow readers!

I just want to say THANKS for all of the support you have given me! It means a lot when you give me advice, tips, and just encouragement to reach for the stars. I'm not as confident as I should be, but your support does SO much :)

Alas, my campus job ends tomorrow. I wave goodbye to my home for the past 5 years and look ahead to the path of uncertainty. It's going to be interesting that's for sure.

For everyone who has a twitter (yes, I joined!) you can reach me at: CakeNThings. I will tweet about cool baking things, tips and such for starters. So follow me! I also have a youtube channel coming soon, I'll give you more information on that later. Special shout out to: my cousin Chrissy who came up with an awesome name. YAY!

This week I made: Kahlua Brownies, Red Velvet Goodbye Cupcakes, and Cupcake Pies. What a way to end June right? Here comes the pictures!

Small goodbye flags, in the only languages I know: English, French, German, and some Spanish! :)

 My toppings! Sprinkles and some Hi-Chew. Quite Yummy!

 I actually didn't want to use fondant because its way too expensive and tastes icky (if you ask me). So I was super smart and thought of that chewy candy, rolled it and cut it into hearts and spades. Quite cool right?

 You can see the candy cut out of the spade! 

 Crazy story! These cupcake pies didn't turn out the way I wanted it to. Long story short, my frosting solidified while I napped. So it turned out into a big mess. Note: If you are ever trying to do this project make sure you use a stabilizer in your frosting like meringue powder! Otherwise on a hot, sticky day it will droop like crazy.

 Those are skittles!

I think I'm going to be baking on a budget starting tomorrow. Flargh. This will be interesting but fun no?

Happy early July 4th everyone! SF here I come! HOLLA!

The results are in...

I am surprisingly chipper, but perhaps that's the Coke talking. haha :)

Recently one of my mom's really good friends, decided to help me out and take some pictures of my cupcakes. How thoughtful! So I'm posting my favorites right here:

SO the results are in! As a part of my last week at CSULA, I will be doing a farewell cupcake. It'll be super chocolately goodness. Maybe I will make goodbye flags...who knows? Oh and some Kahlua Brownies! Yum. Well there is more to come next week! So stay tuned! Holla!

Congrats Class of 2011!

Here we go!

I actually want to dedicate this post and these cupcakes to all my amazing friends/co-workers who graduated this June! 2011, whoo hoo! :) Congrats and I wish you nothing but SUCCESS in the future and I know you'll do all great things.

SF, here I come again! Have another great weekend everyone :)

Fondant Toppers!

Hi everyone! Happy June :) Summer is almost here and honestly I can barely tell. haha Although the warm weather will be oh so NICE!

This past weekend I was able to make some green fondant toppers for a baptism party. It was quite festive! I really loved the colors Chartreuse-green and blue. Although initially I couldn't get the shade of Chartreuse just right, I think the blue (ish teal) and white went along with it quite nicely. Some things just work out like that.
Since I made about 125 toppers, blending in the colors were exhausting! I like to call it massaging the fondant in five different colors before it turned a somewhat pretty Chartreuse color. Are you still with me? :) So here are the pictures! Enjoy.

A close up! :)

See how they match? 

My many shades of "Chartreuse" =)

A closer look...

The Final Display! So Beautiful! YAY :)

 So I have to hand it to Naomi, her camera does take better pictures. Great zoom quality! Thanks! Anyway if any is curious how I cut the cross, it was actually very simple. I used a diagonal plastic sandwich cutter. Interesting I know, I was browsing around the Dollar Tree and there it was. heh :)

On a side note, I do have an interview tomorrow! My very first kitchen test, here goes nothing! Have a great week everyone! holla.

Some things in life are just worth the wait.

Drum roll please...

I've made my decision! I'm going to DVC to pursue a Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate. I also plan to get another certificate in Restaurant Management (who knows when it might come in handy anyway? :) It's interesting because DVC was ultimately my first choice, but I struggled with it because it meant a big life changing move to NorCal. With all the expenses and the fact that I would be living on my own for the first time in my life was a big issue. A part of me wanted to take the easy way out and just go to a local school so I could commute from home which would ultimately be easier to handle. But after many weeks of researching and late nights I came to the conclusion to what I really wanted, what I really needed. A program that would suit my needs and interests but also help me get to where I want to be in life, to become a Pastry Chef Extraordinaire. So in the end, DVC came out to be the best choice. The only con I would say is I start in Fall 2012. Part II of my plan is to work and save for the next year (yes, that means cutting out coupons :) and hopefully I will have enough saved to reach my destination.

Well I couldn't very well leave this post without mentioning what I spent my entire weekend doing (well almost...). Since I get the pleasure of working with a good high school friend of mine, I decided that for her birthday that I would go out with a bang and make her a island theme cake. I originally got this idea from the super fancy FoodNetwork Magazine (so their idea, I just executed it! heh)

It's a Coconut Cake filled with whipped cream and coconut buttercream frosting :) The skewers are made with strawberry and dried white peaches (whoo hoo Trader Joe's!) The plate is really cool too! It is a Hawaiian flip flop (which matched the card too hehe). Sometimes it just really all works out.

Here's an aerial view of the cake...

Pretty Cool huh? :)

Cheers! Have a wonderful week everyone. And a have a Happy Birthday Naomi!