Thank for the Likes Cupcake Giveaway!

Hello all you followers! I thought it would be nice to give my local fans a giveaway, and another cookie giveaway to my long-distance fans.

I will be starting this giveaway on September 1 and it will run all month long. I am super busy in September with my anniversary coming up and another wedding to attend to in New York.

Get a head start on your valid entries. Refer at least 2 people to like my Facebook page, Kat's Bakes and gain more entries. You MUST be able to prove the referral. Have them mention it on my page or let me know yourself.

Good luck and thanks for all the support!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

It's a Girl! [Not Mine]

I love it when people ask me to make cupcakes for the special occasion, or even just a work celebration. I feel honored and it gives me an outlet to be super creative.

This time, I have for you some "It's a Girl" cupcakes for a coworker who just had a baby girl. He has been away from work, so tomorrow (Monday), he is hopefully going to be super surprised and super happy with the end result. Here are some pictures of my creations.

You can also see the full album on my FB page. Please go like it and support Kat's Bakes.

The Icing on the...Cookie!

Hello everyone! It's been a month now since my last post, but I have some wonderful pictures and an article to share with you! How would you like to learn to ice the BEST looking cookies around? I can show you how! Click on the Cookie link on the left side bar. Here are some pictures of what I designed.

Long time, no see!

Hey everyone! It's been a while, yes, but that's because I had been waiting for my Register article to come out and I was also moving from my apartment into a house. Please click on, save, and try my published recipes. They are at the top left corner of my blog. In case you missed it on Facebook, here are a few pictures taken by the very awesome J. Eason for the article that just came out.

Bacon. Maple. Geniuses!

Not gonna blab too much on this since I hope you guys will be reading my upcoming article on these bad boys! Here is a sneak at the fun I had this weekend.

Be sure to check out J. Eason Photography on Facebook and her blog.

Orange you glad I used BANANAS instead?

So, considering the amount of space I have in my small apartment, banana CUPCAKES turn out a little better than...let's just say bigger cakes. Here are my pictures from tonight. Mine are awful. I am waiting for Jaime's genius pictures to be taken tomorrow.

Boredom = Creating

I love to bake but I don't always have the energy to, or the inspiration. This weekend is not one of those weekends. I only had a plan to make cupcakes on Sunday, but today, look what I did!

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie

Buttermilk Biscuits with butter!

Edit to Shortbread Article

It has been brought to my attention a small piece missing from the instructions.

• Add sugar to flour in the first step.

View the article: Shortbread

Almost Easter!

Hey everyone! I want to start off by saying how much I appreciate everyone who follows my blog and my FB page. The contest will end this weekend and I'll be able to announce the two lucky winners by Sunday. Cookies will be shipped out the following week, giving me plenty of time to create your favorite delights!

On another note, please be on the lookout for my latest article for Easter! It's full of cuteness and apparently some people can't get enough of it! Thanks again, and stay tuned!

Waiting

Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't posted or baked anything in a while. We're searching for a new place to move. I am looking for a place that has a bigger kitchen so I can improve my creations and make even BETTER things! I'll keep you posted on the move! Wish me luck for some of the properties we're trying to rent!

Talent

Our powers combined!

Please visit J. Eason Photography for fantastic pictures! She has done wonders with my cupcakes. There will be more in the future!



Visit J. Eason Photography on Facebook!

Visit J. Eason Photography on Facebook! 

It's so easy being green...when you've got GREEN Velvet Cupcakes!

What can I say? I'm tootin' my own horn! These babies came out PERFECT! I guess after the whole wedding cake "situation" I wanted to prove to myself that I still had the touch. Well, I DO! Also, an early thanks to a new friend, Jaime, for coming out later today to take pictures. My babies are being photographed for the first time *professionally*. Anyway, I won't blab on any longer. Get ready for some pictures!

Buttercream Frosting 

Buttercream Frosting 

Buttercream Frosting

Buttercream Frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting

Chocolate. Guinness. Heaven.

I'll keep it short and sweet as the pictures speak for themselves. This is one of my favorite cupcakes to make and eat. The decadence of the chocolate followed by the smooth flavor of Guinness stout. YUM! Stay tuned for my next article coming out later this week! I'll tell you how I make these beauties!

Deuce Beauties: Giveaway: 2,200 Followers feat. Essie Spring Colle...

Deuce Beauties: Giveaway: 2,200 Followers feat. Essie Spring Colle...: WOO HOOOOO! 2,200+ followers?!  You guys are the greatest. As always, thank you so, so much for your continued support and feedback. This bl...

As long as they're happy...

So, I have to admit...my first wedding cake was definitely a challenge...especially since the happy couple requested cream cheese frosting. It may taste great, but it is awfully difficult to decorate with and it melts and smooshes so much quicker than regular butter cream. In any case, this was the task at hand and I did it because I love my friend. Here is how the first step looked:

The crumb coat is always the ugliest, but it makes the rest of the frosting glide on easier. For better or for worse, here is how the second step turned out:

TJ helped me out by researching ways to help smooth out the surface after the frosting has been applied. It worked for the most part, but this girl needs to purchase some better tools. After this had time to harden, I added the "final touch" to the cake. Blue ribbon. Originally, I wanted to use my wide piping tip, but it seemed too big and I didn't want half the cake to be blue.

The bride wanted a simple design with not too many designs, so I listened. At the last minute, there was no cake topper, but thankfully, the wedding planner [like any good wedding planner] came up with some nifty last-minute touches. Extra flowers to the rescue! Here is the final product.

Overall, it turned out okay--tasted great! I have learned some to-dos and not-to-dos during this experience, and I'll only get better with time. I had a great time at my friend's wedding, and I know she was happy to have me make her cake. Love you, Mrs. F.!

FINALLY! A giveaway!

*UPDATE* Congratulations to my local and long-distance winners! I will email you soon to get details and you should have your cookies by the end of next week!

Hey everyone! Since I've had such success with my blog for the past two weeks, I wanted to reward those who loyally follow this and my FB page. I'll be giving away 2 dozen cookies of your choice. I can only send these out in the US. Please pass this along, and in one month, someone will be receiving some delicious sweets!

Wedding Cake -- Part 1

Cream Cheese Frosting. Need I say more? Tomorrow, I make the cake and slice into layers.

Trial and....argh...

Whenever I make a new product for a customer, I always do a test cake to make sure I work out all the kinks before the final product is to be delivered. This week, I'm supposed to make a wedding cake for Saturday. I had everything planned out in my head and I wanted to do the sample cake. Fortunately, I found some kinks that I need to work out, and I'll have my final sample cake done by tonight.

Always remember, do a trial run before you make something for a special event. Make sure you have plenty of time and materials. It's always better to make way more than you need than to just run out of something.

Find the (NOT ENOUGH) TIME

Whenever you don't have enough of it, you really need more time. When I was at work today, we were offered more overtime for work. Of course I jumped right on it, but I also had to think about the TIME I already committed and the TIME I would have to do anymore this weekend. I have several obligations this weekend, but I also have an obligation to my husband. He was okay with whatever my plan was, but I wanted to be thoughful and confirm final plans.

I don't have TIME to bake anymore. I don't have TIME to do my nails anymore. I always seem to have TIME to work. I'm doing 28 hours total this week, ending on Sunday. This is going to be a fantastic paycheck, but...was it worth my TIME?

If you remember nothing else from this post, please remember, there is always...