Cute as a Button First Birthday Party! {Fondant Cake}

This party idea was cute as a button! 

No. Really... it was a cute as a button party.

This theme was really fun and the buttons were way fun to make!

It was for a first birthday party. Very fitting.

I did a big fondant cake, button cookies, and cupcakes.

To make the button cookies, simply make round rolled sugar cookies (recipe found HERE). The button is made of a fondant circle so just use the same cookie cutter to cut out the fondant and then poke button holes using the end of a decorating tip. Wet the back of the fondant slightly so it becomes slippery and then put it on the cookie and tap down lightly. Allow to dry and it will stick very well.

The cupcakes and cake were made of yellow cake (the BEST ever yellow cake recipe found HERE) and yellow vanilla buttercream frosting with little decorative fondant buttons. Awwww,,,,, fer cute.

To get the ruffles, use a petal tip with the small end facing out. Spin the cupcake while applying even pressure to your pastry bag and move the tip up and down. When coming back around to where you have already piped the icing just continue on top of that layer and continue the ruffles until you come to the middle. Take a few tries doing a ruffle before going to your cupcake. 

To get the plain swirl use a large round tip (I think this one was a half inch) and starting in the middle of the cupcake cover the whole bottom in a swirl and then continue on top of that swirl and then again once more. Top it with a few cute buttons and done. Magnifique!

 Now for the big boy. The cake.

So I am no master of fondant but I got 'er done and you definitely can to if you choose to go this route. Here are a few tidbits for you to make sure it goes as smoothly as possible. I have seen many different methods of applying fondant so here is how I did it.

First off, bake your cake. This one was a 4 layer 8 inch cake. I actually did 2 purple layers and 2 white layers alternated so you got a pretty surprise when you cut into it. Then layer it up with frosting in between the layers. Cover the whole cake in a crumb coat and stick it in the freezer if possible or else just the fridge will do. Get it really cold so the buttercream doesn't smear easily. You are now ready to put fondant on your cake.

 I used Satin Ice white fondant that comes in tubs of different sizes. It's kind of pricey so you can also make your own but it's messy. I'll have to try it again sometime to see if it's worth it. I only did it once and it was back before I really got into baking seriously. Anyway...

When tinting your fondant use water-based concentrated food gel (also called icing food coloring). You can always add more but you can't make it lighter unless you have enough to add more white fondant, so keep that in mind. You can get gel coloring at craft or baking supply stores. Walmart actually has some too in their specialty baking section by the wedding stuff. These (see below) are the colors I used (Violet, Soft Pink, Electric Yellow). Poke a small hole or indent into the fondant ball and then fold it over on itself so the color doesn't get all over. You might want to use gloves if you don't want your hands to get dyed. Knead the fondant until the color is evenly dispersed. Try to do it fairly quickly and don't let the fondant sit out because it dries out VERY quickly. This is the bane of my existence with regards to fondant. I think it is the toughest part of using fondant. So just try to work quickly. When you aren't using it, put it in an airtight bag or container.

 

 I bought this fondant mat to help me measure how big I needed to roll my fondant and it was definitely a good purchase. When using these it is recommended to rub the top with a very small amount of shortening to "season" it and make it more non-stick.



This was a big cake (I know...this is no wedding cake but for someone with next to zero fondant experience, this definitely made things trickier than it would have been had it been a smaller cake.) You want to measure the top and sides of the cake to see how large the diameter of your fondant circle needs to be. Add about an inch on each side to give yourself some wiggle room and find that number on the mat. You don't need to roll the fondant in a perfect circle but you need to cover that line around the whole mat. Make sure you have plenty of fondant to work with. That will also make your life easier. You can use the extra that you cut off for something else... like the buttons. Fancy that.

So, when you are rolling it out, do so very quickly or else you will get what is called elephant skin on your fondant. This is where the top of the fondant dries out and as you try to handle it it streches and looks like elephant skin like so.

Picture located HERE

 Roll it pretty thin but not so thin that it will tear when handling (decide based on your own comfort level). I rolled it too thin the first time and it tore so I kept it a little thicker the second time. I would recommend watching a few youtube videos before you try so you don't destroy your fondant. Some people use shortening on the fondant to keep it from sticking. I did not do that but maybe it would have made it easier. I'll try it next time.

Fondant is actually really fun to work with aside from the frustration that can occur so it would be really fun to be really good at fondant because it so pretty and I really like the look of it.

So form your fondant ball into a smooth ball and flatten it slightly and start rolling it out. You don't want any creases on top so make sure there aren't any before starting to roll. Roll it out quickly until it is as thin as you want. Now you can roll it up on your rolling pin or just stick your arms underneath it (I did this) and transfer it to your cake. Make sure you set it down right where you want it to stay. Get the middle of your fondant onto the middle of the cake. You can't slide it around on the cake.... it will likely destroy your cake (Having it frozen helps). You have to lift it off completely and then reset it if necessary. If you get buttercream all over your fondant and then have to completely start over... that's not good. You need to scrape off as much of the buttercream as possible, especially if the color of the buttercream will change the color of your fondant. What I am trying to say is do it right the first time.... and do it quickly. :) Easier said than done. It takes practice to do a good job.

So now quickly smooth the top of the fondant on the cake so it is level. Sometimes the buttercream will get distorted and smooshed so just make it level now that the fondant is in place. You can use your hand/fingers or a fondant trowel but just make sure to keep it light so you don't get dents and divots. Those will be there forever. :) now quickly smooth over the sides. You can make the corner sharp or smooth. It's up to you. I kept this one smooth and I like it a lot. Now on the sides lift the bottom of the fondant very slightly away from the cake and take your other hand and smooth the fondant onto the side of the cake. Go around the cake continually smoothing the fondant lower on the cake until you reach the bottom. This is the hard part. I always get wrinkles. You can smooth them out after they are there. Again, they are there forever. I need to practice more and then I can give you tips but until then I will have to refer you to youtube. Luckily....many fondant cakes have thick ribbons on the bottom because they just look beautiful so that hides most of the wrinkles. 

Lucky me. :)

So now place your ribbon on your cake. I like to use long pins. Just take them out before you cut into the cake and eat. :) You should be taking off the ribbon too... unless you made an edible one.

Now you are ready for the fun part! The buttons!

The buttons on the cake were the funnest and easiest part of the whole process. I separated my fondant into 3 balls and dyed them different colors. I used a mini fondant roller with a spacer (the little rubber band like thing that keeps the thickness even when rolling) to roll out a sheet of fondant. I then actually just used my icing decorating tips to get the different sizes of holes and designs (using both the small and large ends). I even used the "hair/grass" tip for a fun decorative button. That's it! I left them on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper for them to firm up a bit before I man-handled them onto the cake.

 

They will not harden. That's where gum paste comes in...

 

If you want to make a decoration that hardens and can "stand up" on a cake like this number 1, then you need to involve gum paste. Gum paste hardens when left out. Fondant just gets chewy and becomes less elastic but will not harden enough to stand up on its own. You can use all gum paste or do a 50:50 mix of fondant and gum paste. Ether should work fine (depending on the humidity in your local area so make it ahead of time just in case. This is usually not eaten so it will last until you destroy it or the elements do.) I mixed the fondant and gum paste together and then tinted it to the color I wanted, rolled it out to a thickness where I wasn't worried it would accidentally break and then cut it. I drew a number 1 on a piece of paper the way I wanted it and then cut it out, placed it on top of the rolled out fondant and used a knife to cut it out. Be careful cutting on the fondant mat. It is not meant to be cut on. Once it was cut out I just let it harden overnight. Voila!

One thing you actually don't see in the picture above is that when I was cutting out the number 1, I left a piece on the bottom that would let me stick it into the fondant so it would stand straight up. Kind of like so.... :)

I love paint. :)
 Use a knife to cut a small slit into the cake and then insert the number 1. When you are ready to place your buttons, slightly wet the back side and apply it to the fondant. Smooth it out.You can place them however you want to. Cake is done!
With regards to refrigeration. I personally do not have experience because I have not refrigerated my fondant cakes. However, I have heard that Wilton fondant does not refrigerate well while Satin Ice does. It depends on the humidity of your fridge as well. Refrigeration right after you put on the fondant can prevent bulges and allow the cake to keep its shape but may also produce sweating. Bulging can definitely be an issue in fondant cakes. So if it is a really important cake then you may want to give it a trial run in your own elements and conditions first.
So there you have it.
Awww....

The perfect party theme for your cute little button.

Graduation Desserts {Cupcakes, Cake Pops, Candy}

 IT'S GRADUATION TIME!!

WAHOO!!!!

Congratulations to all you graduates out there! Way to go!

It seems like just yesterday that I was walking across the stage to collect my own diploma before getting sprayed with silly string. Oh the memories.

Those were good times and now those good times are all for you.

So, why don't you reward yourself for all that hard work with a little somethin' somethin' that was perfectly designed for YOU!

Graduation desserts of course!

These desserts are sure to start your new life of freedom off with a BANG!

First Up:

Graduation Cupcakes!

We grab our graduation cap, our diploma, throw in a few cupcake toppers and we are set for a Graduation Partay like no other!

Super Cute. Super Easy.

So to make the little graduation caps you are going to need some chocolate squares (Ghirardelli filled squares), mini Reese's peanut butter cups, small roundish candies (mini m&m or sixlets), some red Ripp Rolls or other stringy candy and some melting chocolate wafers.

First cut your Ripp Rolls into long thin tassles however long you want them to be. You can "fray" the end of the Ripp Rolls quite easily by pulling apart the little ribs for an extra cute touch. Unwrap all of your chocolate candies. You may want to refrigerate or freeze them for a short time so the wrappers don't rip the sides of the chocolate off of the candy. Melt some wafers in the microwave in a good ziplock baggie until just melted. Snip off a small tip of the corner. Place some of the melted chocolate on the bottom of the Reese's cup then place the chocolate square upside-down on top (so there is no writing on the top) and press firmly but gently. Repeat and allow all to dry. If the chocolate is clogging up the tip then just microwave it for a few seconds to remelt the chocolate. Use the chocolate melt to draw a thin line from the center of the chocolate square to the edge. Place the small candy in the center and lay the candy tassle along the line and allow to hang over the edge {Take a look at the pic}.

These are pretty heavy so I would wait until you are at the event to put them on the cupcake if you want to transport them. They may slide or shift on the frosting while transporting.

  

I make my cupcake toppers on Microsoft Publisher. I made the template a while back and now all I need to do is just change up the colors and details and voila! Instant deco.

I use a 2 inch round punch for the circles. All the other details are printed on the cardstock.

After I print out a sheet of these circles and punch them out, I attach them to lollipop sticks with a small round sticker on the back. You can just use tape (no one looks at the back!)

Then just insert into the middle of the cupcake!

If you have a lid that is going to go on top of your cupcake carrier box then you might want to wait to put the toppers in the cupcake until you set them up at the event so they don't get smashed.

{Would it be useful if I made a windows publisher cupcake topper tutorial?}

Look at these cute little diplomas! These are my favorite little topper for the cupcakes.

These were also super easy to make! Surprise!

Get a sheet of parchment paper (I use sheet pan sized pre-cut parchment paper sheets because it makes me feel rich when I use them and it makes things go faster and easier.) Cut the sheet into little rectangles with the width being however long you want your diplomas. Don't worry about them being perfectly straight. You won't even notice any problems when you roll them up. My rectangles were about 2" x 3".

 So here is a tip that made my life easier once I discovered this. If you cut your rectangels so that one side is slightly narrower than the other and you start rolling with the slightly longer side, you can grip the diploma much better to roll it into its tube. I really can't explain much better than that without actually showing you. Give it a try. Hopefully it makes sense. :)

Once you roll it small enough, use a long enough piece of tape to go all the way around the diploma. Tape does not stick to parchment paper so you have to put the tape all the way around to the other side where the tape is. Secure tape to tape.

Once you have all of your little diplomas rolled and taped, tie a small piece of twine or string around them. Then place them on your cupcake. So perfect!!

HERE is the recipe for my delicious red velvet cupcakes.

 As you can see, I placed my cooked cupcakes inside these red tinfoil liners.

I love them. Do it.

 So there really isn't anything quite like a delicious Pirouline.... hazelnut specifically.

They are so rich and delicious, I would not mind getting these every Christmas. =D

Don't they just look like little diplomas?!

 

 

Just tie some twine on each Pirouline and you got a diploma.

Easiest (and cheapest) diploma you will ever earn. Guaranteed.

Mmmm.......ghhhaaa.....are you drooling yet?

These were also one of my favorites of the spread. So tasty. So cute.

.

The graduee, Kevin, had some of my Rock Pops back from THIS post and had to have them for his graduation party and so a "Spark of Genius" cake pop was born just in time for graduation.

{Check out the link for a tutorial}

I used watermelon pop rocks....funny, they came in a green pouch.

It worked out because the theme color was red.

Yes, they pop in your mouth and not in the chocolate. :)

{I think there must be some chemical reaction going on because the pop rocks seem more ferocious and explosive when on a cake pop....dunno. Eat at your own risk. Ha.}

 Along with some delicious baked goods we had some red themed candy.

 Kevin loves cinnamon flavored candy so of course some Hot Tamales were in order along with some chocolate covered pomegranate seeds and red vines.

 And the table.

I didn't make these cute favors but wanted to include them in this post because they were so fun.

 These are mini Hershey bars wrapped in custom wrappers and topped with a custom tag.

Here is the other side. Cute huh!?

 

 I also did not do these beverage covers but they look so great!

Congratulations Kevin!

Thanks for letting me do your graduation desserts!

It was a blast!

 Again, Congrats everyone who graduated!

Now go somewhere and make a difference!

Tres Leches Cupcakes with Dulce de Leche Frosting

Tres Leches.

Yeah. We've all heard of it.

That one cake soaked in three types of milk.

So what?....Sounds soggy to me.

Well, that was my thinking before I had a Tres Leches cupcake.

It amazes me how many things I try that I assume I will not like and then they go and blow my mind.

Boom. Mind blown.

Just goes to show I can't trust my gut anymore. I give up.

So anyway, these are real good. I have already gotten a birthday dessert request for them.

See here.

Don't those look great!

They are Tres Leches Cupcakes with a Dulce de Leche Drizzle.

The three milks in this are sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and coconut milk.

I love the combination of flavors in this cupcake. It just works.

I was worried that the cupcake was just going to be soggy but since it was refrigerated, it wasn't soggy at all, It has a good texture. The dulce de leche drizzle on top of the dulce de leche buttercream frosting really compliments the cupcake flavors and creates a wonderful ensemble.

Again, it just works. :)

Try them! You won't be disappointed! 

Enjoy.

{PRINT RECIPE}

Cupcake Vending Machine by Sprinkles

This is just crazy enough that I had to post about it.

A Cupcake Vending Machine.

That's right, folks.

Sprinkles has done it.

Sprinkles was the first cupcake shop that opened up (at least that we know of).

Here is the article that I just read.

The {pink} 24-hour Cupcake Vending Machine will be restocked day and night to provide freshly baked cupcakes for whenever your craving pangs you. Even at 3:00 in the morning!

If this can be executed properly then this could be an amazingly delicious success for mankind. I know many a people who NEEDED a cupcake in the wee hours of the morning.

So if you live in a Sprinkles zone, you should go give it a try and tell me how the experience was.

I am super curious to know.

Not only can you satisfy your sweet tooth but you can satisfy your pooch's too!.

The vending machine will also dole out doggy cupcakes

{Which I really think they have no choice but to call them "pupcakes". Teehee.}

Additionally, they will also sell mixes and apparel.

As if a cupcake vending machine isn't enough, Sprinkles is going into the Ice Cream business. They will be serving fresh gourmet ice cream along with brownies and other baked goods.

Sounds delicious.

So there you have it.

Go get your cravings satisfied and let me know how it goes!

German Chocolate Cake

Dies ist ein dang guter Kuchen!

{Translation from German: This is one dang good cake!

We have a winner folks. This will definitely be getting posted to the "favorites" page.

I made a German Chocolate birthday cake for one of my family peeps and all who tasted it, raved about it.... all except the 5 year old, but that's ok. We'll let it slide this time.

I learned a bunch of new techniques while preparing this cake and honestly it was very easy to do, however, it does take a long time. This here is a 4 hour cake, my friends.

{I felt pretty good about making it in 4 hours since the recipe said it would take closer to 5 ;D }

Making this cake was full of a lot of firsts for me.

First time toasting coconut and pecans.

First time using a cake level.
First time using baker's chocolate.

First time using a simple syrup.

It was great! And, again, so easy!

German Chocolate Cake

Yields: four 8-inch round cake layers; about 16 servings
(or two 4-inch round cake layers, two 8-inch round cake layers and 12 cupcakes.)

For the cake:

 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used baker's chocolate)

 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped (I used baker's chocolate)

 6 tablespoons water

 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

 1 ¼ cup + ¼ cup sugar

 4 large eggs, separated

 2 cups all-purpose flour

 1 teaspoon baking powder

 1 teaspoon baking soda

 ½ teaspoon salt

 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the filling:

 1 cup heavy cream

 1 cup sugar

 3 large egg yolks

 6 Tbsp (3 ounces) butter, cut into smallish pieces

 ½ teaspoon salt

 1 cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped (haha....don't forget to chop them)

 1 1/3 cups coconut (unsweetened or sweetened) toasted

For the syrup:

 1 cup water

 ¾ cup sugar

 3 teaspoons rum extract

{This makes quite a bit and you definitely won't use all of it so you could only make half or just save half in another container for later use. I would separate it before you use it on the cake so you don't get crumbs in it.}

For the chocolate ganache:

 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

 2 tablespoons light corn syrup (to make it shiny and pretty)

 1 ½ ounces unsalted butter

 1 cup heavy cream

{Adapted from David Lebovitz's Recipe}

Make your cake:
1. Prepare your cake pans with non-stick spray and/or line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper. I just used non-stick spray and the cakes slid right out. Preheat the oven to 350°.

2. Melt both chocolates together with the 6 tablespoons of water. Use either a double-boiler or a microwave. {I use the microwave} Stir until smooth, then set aside until room temperature.

Wait a second... what is this "baking chocolate" you speak of?

Baking chocolate is simply cooled and hardened chocolate liquer (mixed with some fat, often lecithin, to produce a solid) that may or may not have added sugar, lecithin, and vanilla (giving the different "bittersweet", "semisweet" and other types of baking chocolate.) It contains 50-58% cocoa butter. Traditionally it is not sweetend with any sugar so it may also be known as "unsweetened chocolate", or "cooking chocolate". Hmmm.... interesting.

The coolest thing about baker's chocolate is that it comes individually wrapped in 1 ounce portions.

I thought this was awesome!

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and 1 ¼ cups of the sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the melted chocolate, then the egg yolks, one at a time.

4. Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. (P.S....I never sift)

5. Mix half of the dry ingredients into the creamed butter mixture, then the buttermilk and the vanilla extract, then the rest of the dry ingredients.

6. In a separate metal or glass bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold soft, droopy peaks.  I use a hand mixer. Beat in the ¼ cup of sugar until stiff peaks form (peak of mixture stands straight up without bending/curling).

7. Fold about one-third of the egg whites into the cake batter to lighten it, then fold in the remaining egg whites just until there’s no trace of egg white visible.

8. Divide the batter into the prepared cake pans (or cupcake tins) filling about half full, smooth the tops with a little shake or tap on the counter, and bake for about 45 minutes for 8 or 9-inch pans, 20 minutes for 4-inch pans and about 15 minutes for regular cupcakes. As always, test using a toothpick inserted into the center. It should come out clean. You may have noticed I often like to very slightly "undercook" my cakes so they finish cooking on the counter to ensure moistness but this cake will have so much moisture added that you don't really need to worry about the slight undercooking. Cool cake layers completely.

While the cakes are baking and cooling, make the filling, syrup, and ganache icing.

To make the filling:

1. Toast the coconut flakes and pecans by placing on a cookie sheet (I put them on the same tray) and bake at 350 degrees. (By-the-by, I used sweetened coconut because I couldn't find unsweetened. I really don't think it made a difference) Bake the pecans until they become aromatic, about 5 minutes. Toast the coconut until all is light brown, about 8 minutes. Stir them to prevent burning and get even browing. I removed the pecans before the coconut was done. All ovens are different so go by the smell and color more than the time. The aroma of coconut may make it a little harder to smell the pecans so pay attention and don’t scorch them. Once done, allow them to cool on the baking sheet.

Sorry about the awesome gold hue, these pictures were taken quickly
and at night....I shoud look into that

2. Mix the cream, sugar, and egg yolks in a medium saucepan. Put the butter pieces, salt, toasted coconut and pecan pieces in a medium bowl.

3. Heat the cream mixture and cook, stirring constantly until the mixture begins to thicken and coats the spoon (a candy thermometer will read about 175°.)

4. Pour the hot custard immediately into the pecan-coconut mixture and stir until the butter is melted. Cool completely to room temperature. (It will thicken.) Yeah....so I forgot to chop my pecans before pouring the custard into them. I just spread it all out on an old baking sheet and chopped them in the goo. It worked out just fine. 

To make the syrup:

1. In a small saucepan, heat the sugar and water until the sugar has melted. Remove from heat and stir in the rum extract.

To make the ganache icing:

To be perfectly honest, I was so confused about the concept of "ganache". I did know it was basically hot cream poured over chocolate. However, I thought it was supposed to be really thin and runny so you could dip things in it or pour it over goods but then I saw it used on desserts where it wasn't runny....I was just befuddled by the whole situation. After doing this cake I had a sort of "ah ha" moment. It came when I stuck my ganache in the fridge and it changed consistency... I feel kind of stupid for not realizing it before but apparently ganache can really be any consistency depending on how you treat it.... the temperature you use it at and how much cream you put in it. If you want a runny ganache.... add more cream or use it warm. If you want a really thick yummy rich ganache (but still soft) like the one in this recipe, "fridge it" to a spreadable consistency. If you want it fluffy like a frosting then once it is cool, just whip it! If you want it fudge like.... add a little less cream. Ah ha! It all makes sense now! I am going to experiment with this in the future because I likes me some ganache. :)

{FYI: Ganache is the French word for a mixture of equal parts (by weight) of heavy cream and chocolate. This results in a pourable ganache that will stay very soft when set. Adjust your consistency according to this reference.}

1. Place the 8 ounces of chopped chocolate in a bowl with the corn syrup and 1 ½ ounces of butter.

2. Heat the cream until it just begins to boil using the microwave or stove. Remove from heat and pour over the chocolate. Let stand about a minute then stir until smooth. I recommend putting it in the fridge to help it thicken quicker, however, don’t leave it in so long that it turns almost solid (this one will). Keep an eye on it and take it out of the fridge once it is at spreadable consistency. It will take a very long time and may not even thicken enough at room temperature…. Don’t know. I didn’t wait long enough to see...

To assemble the cake:

Remove the cake layers from the pans and cut cake layers in half horizontally. This is called "torting". I used a cake level for the first time and LOVE it. It was so nice and easy to make even layers. Having even layers is great for making sure your stack of cake doesn’t start leaning or become lopsided.

This is the one I used. I am sure any kind would work and it was only a few bucks.

Set the first cake layer on a cake board. Brush well with syrup along the top and sides. Don’t worry too much about making the cake soggy. A good slathering will be fine. I recommend using a brush that is only used for desserts (or at least a silicone one that is easily washed) so your chocolate cake doesn’t taste like the garlic marinade you used for dinner yesterday.

Spread ¾ cup of the coconut filling over the cake layer, making sure to reach to the edges. Set another cake layer on top.

Repeat, using the syrup to brush each cake layer, then spreading ¾ cup of the coconut filling over each layer, including the top.

{I used two 4-inch round cake layers and torted them just in half to make the cake above}

{For the above cake, I used one 8-inch round cake torted in half}

To make the cupcakes, cut a cone shape out of the top of the cooled cupcake and eat the scrap for quality assurance purposes. Repeat for all cupcakes. Continue quality assurance monitoring as long as necessary. Save the rest of the samples in a baggie for later. Brush the entire top of the cupcake and inside the hole with the rum syrup. Spoon in the pecan/coconut mixture until it reaches the top. You can even make it look similar to the cakes by covering the whole top of the cupcake if you want.

Using a large spatula, ice the sides of the cake with the chocolate icing. When I was ready to ice the cake, my ganache was at the perfect consistency having put it in the fridge. Pipe a decorative border of chocolate icing around the top, encircling the coconut topping. Use whatever tip you want. I used a medium sized star tip.

I used the same piping tip to do the decorative borders shown above and below.

The chocolate ganache is absolutely delicious on this cake and I recommend using a bunch! Use all of it, however, if you do have more than you want, drizzling it over some yummy vanilla bean ice cream is always advised. Mmmm....

For the cupcakes, I used the same tip and just did a swirly S-shaped design along the border of the cupcake. Cute!

So as I said before, I made a tall 4-inch cake, an 8-inch cake and 12 cupcakes. I knew this recipe was a success when I came home from work the next day and all but 2 cupcakes were MIA .... due to 1 person.... over 1 day.... I just couldn't do it.

Enjoy.