We wish you a Merry Christmas!

Oh Christmas time...  My favourite time of year.  My house is filled with the smells of cooking turkey, sounds of family and of course.... desserts!

This year, we decided to kick it up a notch.  We bought some new items for Christmas dinner and decided to make it a more traditional looking Christmas dinner.  Nice tableware, nice tablecloth, Christmas crackers, nice wine... and even a new gravy boat!  Oh yeah, Christmas was getting serious!  I even purchased a glass pie plate to make a new dessert I wanted to try out.  Who would have thought, little miss baker over here doesnt have a pie plate!  Who knew?

So what did I come up with, you ask?

May I present to you... the Apple Crumble Cheesecake Pie!  Yup... cheesecake pie. 

Essentially it is a apple crumble cheese cake in a pie crust.  It was yummy.  But in hindsight, I would alter the recipe if I was to make this again.  I would prefer a different type of crumble on top.  I would have enough pastry to do a big crust.  I didn't have enough pastry to make a pretty pie crust.

But, the taste was good and enjoyed by all.  That is all that matters!  It just might make an appearance again... sometime.

Seriously??? Goat Cheese & Cupcakes?

My darling pod spouse Kim has been bugging me for 3 years to make her a goat cheese cupcake.  Yes, that is what I said.  A goat cheese cupcake.  The thought was never appetizing to me as I am not a goat cheese lover, so I have never seriously entertained her request.

However, Kim's birthday is December 25th.  So every year, to make sure that she feels special on her Christmas birthday, I make her a special cake or some cupcakes.  So what better time than her birthday to experiment with goat cheese.

After some time on the internet, I was surprised to find out this concept was not that new.  It had been done... quite a few times, in many different ways.

So after some thought and consideration, I decided on my flavour combination and how I was going to create this goat cheese frosting.

The result, this lovely blueberry cupcake with a goat cheese/cream cheese frosting.  I was told that the cupcake was very flavourful and moist, and the frosting was like a cream cheese frosting, but with a kick!

A success.  Kim advised me that they now belong in her book of favourites!

Happy 29th Birthday Kimmie!

The Camper's Lifestyle

So I was asked quite some time ago to make a canoe cake. 

Again, I couldn't say no.  Well, the 3D canoe cake was scaled back a couple times due to party size.  And after much deliberation, we ended up here.

This is an 8" round vanilla bean cake with vanilla bean frosting.  Set amongst the camper's lifestyle.  This was created for a friend's husband who canoes through Algonquin every year. 

She was quite thrilled with this cake and I cannot wait to see it lit up with the candles in the fire pit!

Happy Birthday!!!!

Dufferin Entrepreneurs Trade Show

I was invited by a dear friend to attend the Dufferin Entrepreneurs Trade Show in November with her.  She runs a wonderful catering company called "Hands on Catering" and she thought my cupcakes on display would be the perfect compliment to her wonderful home cooked meals.

I was flattered by the invite and just couldn't resist!  30 dozen cupcakes and 3 days later... a success.  I never knew that I could have so much fun selling my products! 

It was truly an inspiring day and I look forward to more shows in the future! 

This is BJ - owner of HANDS ON CATERING!

And behind those cupcakes is Melissa... my one and only bestie!  No matter the task, this girls got my back!

Autumn Harvest

This 2-tier cake started out with an entirely different concept.  Someone had presented a Wilton cake design and asked me to make it using fall colours.

Unfortunately, after 4 hours of work with my bestie, we looked down at our decorations and thought... "ugh that's ugly!"

Luckily, my client was willing to allow me to use my creativity and I put together this beautiful fall colour inspired cake.  Clean lines and satin ribbon.  Beautiful fall flowers. 

It came together wonderfully and everyone was happy in the long run!

Top layer was carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.  Bottom layer, apple spice cake with maple buttercream!  Yummy fall flavours too!

"It's my Life"

It's my life.... it's now or never.... I ain't gonna live forever.... I just wanna live while I'm alive... It's my life!

So I was asked if I could make a 3D guitar cake.  At first I was quite apprehensive about this request for 2 reasons.  First reason - I was really busy and was hoping to take a step back from cakes for a while.  It's these big 3D cakes that take up all my time!  And secondly - I had never done a 3D guitar cake before.  I've done a piano cake, but never a guitar!

But the second reason that caused the apprehension is the same reason that... well... I just couldn't say no!

And it was a committment from there.

This cake was made from red velvet cake.  The arm and top piece are made from rice krispy treats. And as you can see, it wasn't very stury on it's own, therefore needed reinforcements under the arm.

This cake almost didn't fit in my trunk.  And this cake board was made myself from cardboard and tin foil because I couldn't find a cake board big enough!

I had planned to use a craft wire for the strings.  The cakes I had referred to online had the string made out of fondant and they didn't seem to lay too flat.  But unfortunately, the craft wire was just too thick and strong for the fondant.  Hence, the thread came out.  It worked perfectly!!!

And there you have it.  My very first 3D guitar cake. 

This was made for a fellow employee at my place of work and it was for her good friend's birthday party.  This friend is the lead singer in a Bon Jovi cover band... hence the title of this blog "It's my life!"

I have to say... I quite enjoy making these instrument cakes!  Maybe another one will make it's way to my schedule soon!

Bored to Blondie

Most of us often mistake down time and quiet for boredom.  We all lead such busy and hectic lives, we often don't know what to do with ourselves when we don't have anything to do.

This is exactly what I was faced with this rainy Friday evening. 

My weekly chores were done, things were prepped in anticipation of Thankgiving dinner tomorrow.  I even finished my layered pumpkin cheesecake that will be tomorrow's dessert.

And then I sat there thinking "now what?"  Why can't we just embrace the down time?  Why can't I be content lying mindlessly on the couch watching television?

So I decided to bake.  I wanted to tackle something new.  Something I hadn't done yet. 

I tackled the "blondie."  Brownie's lighter faired sibling.  Alter a brownie recipe, throw in some white chocolate chips and voila!  The Blondie!

It's sweet... boy is it sweet.  Maybe they're supposed to be that sweet?  I'm not too sure.  Anyone who knows me knows that I aim to not just make sweet products.  I aim for flavour. But this one... it's sweet.

So we'll see what the husband says... he tends to be the best judge.  Then we'll see what the group says (when I say group... you all know who you are).  Then I'll be able to decide if this recipe makes "the cut."

For the love of fondant...

So I made a birthday cake for a co-worker.  Joanna wanted a double vanilla cake because that is her favourite flavour.  She didn't know if she wanted the fondant "stuff", but it just covers a cake so nicely.
I asked her what her favourite colours are, what she likes... her response was "i don't know"

So she said she likes purple and yellow and flowers.  So that's what I came up with.  You can't see it, but there is also a cala lily behind the daisies.

So Joanna loved her cake and couldn't wait to take it home and enjoy her birthday party with her family.  She came back after the weekend and showed me pictures of her with her cake and raved about how much she loved it.

She then asked me what those little balls were around the bottom.  I told her they were fondant.  And she ate them all!  Joanna LOVES fondant.  Everytime I make her a cake her 2 requirements are vanilla and fondant!

So now, everytime I use round fondant balls as a trim for a cake, I think of you Jo!

Yoga Zen

This was my very first edible fondant person to place atop a yoga zen cake for Kiran!  And, this was also an eggless chocolate cake, filled with chocolate buttercream and raspberry filling.

Welcome to Blissful Bites

Hello and Welcome All to the Blissful Bites Bakery Blog.

Here you will find a blogging history of all my cakes and cupcakes and baking experiments.

I am new to the blogging world, but to be honest, I`m not really here to blog.  I`m here to showcase my baking!

I was on the hunt for a free website, but once you get all set up and go to post some photos, that`s when they try to hook ya for a monthly fee!  So, what better way to showcase my cake creations and tell the stories behind them, then through a blog!

So please feel free browse through all the pics and posts of some of the stuff I`ve created.

I will also be posting some of flavours and prices for cakes and cupcakes as well as all contact information!

Enjoy and happy reading!

Apple Caramel Crumble

The new and famous... apple caramel crumble cake.

This cake was made as a new creation... something new and tasty to try when fall was fast approaching.  What a great combo... apple and caramel.  The trick to this cake... it has whole chunks of caramel baked right into the batter.  That`s right... baked into it.

Needless to say, it`s been a hit!

Lady Bugs

Lovely lady bug cupcakes... lady bugs made from fondant and edible!

Pretty as a Flower

This cake has been done as pictured above, as a 2 layer cake.

It has also been done as a single layer 6 inch round cake.

This cake is decorated with non edible ribbon and fake flowers.  I haven`t quite mastered the delicate gumpaste flowers yet!

Salted Caramel

I am confessed Starbucks addict.  Many flavour combinations for cakes and cupcakes have come from Starbucks lattes.  This one... came from the salted caramel mocha.

A chocolate cupcake topped with salted caramel buttercream.  The salted caramel sauce was made from scratch and was to die for!  So delicious!

Christmas Cupcakes

Christmas Treats!!!!  Christmas tree cupcakes and christmas hollies!

Cupcake Pull a Part

This was my first cupcake pull a part cake.  Yup, that`s a full dozen cupcakes shaped like a turtle!

Purse Cake

My very first purse cake.

I already had another cake order that week, but how could I say no to a purse cake...

Again... the classic red velvet cake inside!

Piano Cake

Ahhh... the piano cake.

This cake took me 2.5 days to make.  It was the biggest cake I have ever made. 
The whole cake was red velvet.

It was a reported success! 

Thanks to one of my best customers... Nadia!

Pregnant Belly Cake

This was my very first fondant cake.  A baby shower cake for a friend.

Roses

The beautiful roses cake.

This was done a birthday.

The cake was a delightful rum and raisin cake... made with Dominican Brugal Rum.
The frosting between layers was a pineapple buttercream with chunks of pineapple.
And the frosting outside was a pineapple buttercream as well, minus the pineapple chunks.

Heaven

So I have been told that my red velvet is pretty darn delicious.  Well, combine that delicioius red velvet with a layer of new york style cheesecake in the middle and then wrap it in cream cheese frosting.
This cake has been quite the hit!

Cake Pops

My second cake for Miss Talon.

Princess Jasmine themed cake pops... covered in sparkly sugar.

Garden Pot Cupcakes

These cupcakes were created to celebrate my managers 60th birthday!

Each chocolate or vanilla cupcake was topped with chocolate buttercream and sprinkled with oreo dirt.  Roses and daisies were made by hand and topped each cupcake in it's own special flower pot!

Christening Cake

Christening cake.

Now this cake was so much fun to make because I got to spend the day with my BFF who helped me with this creation.

The bear on top is made from fondant and we named him Marvin.

Bottom layer was chocolate and the top was vanilla with a strawberry filling.

Baptism

Baptism Cake.  All decorations made from fondant.

Beach Cake

Classic vanilla cake decorated in a beach theme!

Unfortunately, the palm trees were not edible.

BFF's 30th

This was my first 3 tier cake.  A present for my BFF's 30th birthday!

All layers were vanilla, each with a different buttercream.  The top was just for Melissa.  Espresso buttercream!

Baby Shower - Rubber Duckie

This cake was a welcome to baby Sophie.

Bottom layer was mom to be's favourite... red velvet!
Top layer was classic vanilla.

Angry Birds

The Angry Bird!  Everyone loves Angry Birds.

This was a custom made chocolate cake, carved and covered in fondant.
This was served with 1 dozen cupcakes with matching angry birds flags.

Air Bender

One of my first cakes ever done... for Miss Talon.

Airbender theme.

This was a vanilla cake done with 4 types of cupcakes to represent air/water/air/earth.