Provisions at Food 52

I’m so excited about the new kitchen shop over at Food 52! It’s been one of my favorite food sites for a while, but now, with the addition of an e-commerce platform called Provisions, I have yet one more reason to go there! Founded by former New York Times food editor Amanda Hesser and Le Cordon Bleu graduate Merrill Stubbs, Food 52 has always been filled with interesting recipes and gorgeous, clean photographs. They continue this approach with their products, offering items that are simple, minimalist, and rustic. Perfect accessories for fall entertaining! I was immediately taken with the cake box and the trivet, but, really, there are so many pieces that I love. I’ve posted more of my favorites below, but you can check out the full collection right here.

You can find more images after the jump.

Cookbook Excitement: Bake It Like You Mean It

Pastry chef and author, Gesine Bullock-Prado, is a woman after my own heart. Her cookbooks are always filled with recipes that are not only delicious, but visually exciting as well. Her new cookbook, Bake It Like You Mean It, is no exception. The book is completely devoted to unique, graphic, and beautiful cakes! Each chapter centers around a different kind of cake technique. You know those sweet and colorful rainbow cakes that have been popping up everywhere over the last few years? Have you ever wanted to make one of those, but have been just too intimidated to try it? Well, Gesine will show you exactly how to do it! In fact, her new book specializes in just these sorts of eye popping desserts. The kind that, when cut, reveal intricate layers of patterns and designs, such as hearts, checkerboards, helixes, and stripes. For more info on Gesine’s new book, click here. [Photos by Tina Rupp]

Hanna-Riikka Heikkilä's Cakes

I’ve always been a little bit in awe of home bakers who are always decorating their cakes in such original  and interesting ways. They’re not professional pastry chefs. They’re cakes are not necessarily perfect. They simply enjoy using food as a creative outlet and bringing joy to the people around them Hanna-Riikka Heikkilä is one of those people. A visual artist and art teacher by trade, she makes the most gloriously unique cakes for her friends and family in Finland. Each and every one of her creations is so vibrant and funky, like little pieces of art. It really seems to me that, as an artist, Hanna-Riikka has found an ideal base material in cake!

I asked Hanna-Riikka to share a little bit about her cake making process with dessert girl readers. Here is what she said:

When did you start baking?

I feel like I have always been baking. I was able to bake at home when I was little girl. That's when the first attempts to decorate cakes took place. I remember, when I was a young girl, my mother let me to bake my own cake. I decided to make it green and she let me to do it! It was very important to me. A few years ago, when my children were born, I started baking again. Luckily, in the cake shops, there are many kinds of decorative accessories that you can buy.

What inspires you?

I am a visual artist and art teacher so the biggest inspiration is art. Usually one sees very figurative cakes, but I am more interested in abstract cakes. Colors, different textures and combinations inspire me. Quite often I become inspired in a shop where you buy cake accessories---the colors they have and so on. Usually I use sugar paste on top. It is the most important thing in my cakes. But of course I want the cake to be delicious, too.

I want somehow to break the conventions of the cake world. I hope every cake I bake and decorate is a piece of art.

Hanna’s cakes really are incredible. I think my mouth was hanging open a little bit when I first saw them. I wasn’t even entirely sure that they were cakes! For more info on Hanna-Riikka, you can visit her blog, right here. (Thanks, Hanna-Riikka!)

You can find more cake pics after the jump.

Sachiko Windbeil's Cupcake Toppers

I’m loving these edible cupcake toppers by pastry chef Sachiko Windbeil. Originally from Japan, and now living in New York, Sachiko’s toppers (or as she calls them “cupcake accessories”) are sooo darn cute, like little pieces of art. Of course, we all know that, at the end of the day, a cupcake has to taste good, but a sweet little Blue Jay on top certainly doesn’t hurt! Seriously, who can resist those Bird Watching toppers?? And the gourds?? Adorable! I also can’t get enough of the colorful Easter Bunny toppers. So lovely. Actually, I think all of these toppers would look equally great on top of cake, too, if cupcakes aren't your thing. All of Sachiko’s toppers are made out of fondant and available on her Etsy site, right here.  ~Erin

Cake Decorating For Kids

One of my favorite memories from childhood was when I was given a chance to design my very own dinner plate! All the kids in art class were given a white plastic plate and markers and told to draw whatever their hearts desired and then, wallah, through some magical process, our childhood art was turned into a dinner plate that you could actually use! Okay, I’m a little fussy on the whole process, but I remember my design like it was yesterday (a girl and a bird and the words “sing with me”)! It was the first thing that I thought of when I saw this wonderful child-designed cake from Soutine. It’s such a fun idea for a child’s bday…let them create the artwork for their own cake. You could allow them to draw directly on the cake with frosting or with food markers on fondant. You could also have them put their doodles down on paper and then let a professional recreate the design. Such a cute and clever idea! To see more from the Soutine Bakery (NY), click here.

Embroidery Cake

I’ve never been very good at sewing. I’m the type of person who sews a button on a shirt and then watches as it falls off a week later. A needle and thread are not my friends. An embroidery cake, on the other hand, now that’s something I can get behind! You get all the fun of creating an embroidery pattern without having to do any of the actual sewing!

The floral design, which was created by Stephanie for her blog A Clockwork Lemon, is based on an actual embroidery pattern and uses jimmy sprinkles instead of thread! So lovely and creative! Normally, I wouldn’t just repost another person’s blog post, but this one was too special to pass up! To learn more, check out Stephanie’s post, right here.

Inspiration Board: Henna

When I first laid eyes on these gorgeous cakes by Rora Does Cake, I couldn't get over how breathtakingly unique they were. The detailing is so intricate and unusual, at first I thought they were inspired by lace patterns. After a little bit of research, I discovered that they were actually created using henna techniques, and it all started to make sense! It really is a great method to use as design element. The cake sort of becomes a blank canvas, making even the most ordinary dessert feel special!

Almond Banana Bavarian Tart by Foodaholics

Diwali Cupcakes by The Cupcake Place

The Mixing Bowl: Black and White Present (Mascarpone) Cupcakes by Tamar Levine and Jennifer Becker

One of the best things about having a website is that it gives you the opportunity to come across new and interesting work that you may not have otherwise seen. You get the chance to discover the work of strangers and, every once in a while, you stumble upon a little unknown something that is so fantastic and wonderful that it makes you do a little happy dance in your seat! This is exactly what happened a couple of months ago, when I was first introduced to the work of Tamar Levine, a fashion, portrait, and fine art photographer based in Los Angeles. After noticing that Tamar had graciously tweeted one of my posts, I checked out her website, and I was so happy that I did! Her photos are so feminine and retro and surreal . . . all things that I love. I want to live inside them or, at the very least, hang them on my wall!

Tamar, who created her Mixing Bowl contribution with the help of her friend and fellow photographer Jennifer Becker, definitely has a penchant for the girlie side of life, so it only makes sense the her recipe for Black and White Present Cupcakes would be not only be pretty but theatrical as well. Just like her photos! Unfortunately, I couldn't include all of my favorite Tamar photographs here, but there is a large selection of images on her website. You can check them out by clicking here. You can find the complete recipe and more photos after the jump. Thanks, Tamar!

Inspiration Board: Plaid

Okay, I know that it's a little out of season to be talking about plaid, but I love these plaid desserts too much to wait until Fall! Besides, today I feel like breaking the rules! Just think of this as a Fall 2010 preview! I love all of these designs, but I have to say that the pink plaid cakes is my favorite one in the bunch! Very cute! Check out all the plaid dessert below to find your favorite. [Above: Chocolate Plaid Pear Cookies with Gold Leaves by Diane Drake]


Pattern Cookie Rounds: Plaid by Whipped Bakeshop


Plaid cupcakes: Cookies and Cream by Happy Little Cupcakes


Plaid Birthday Cake by dancerina


Isaac Mizrahi 8" Tartan Plaid Cheesecake by Junior's ($44)

Book-Cut Cake

I’m a big fan of both paper-cut artist Su Blackwell and cake designer Kate Sullivan, so I was really excited to hear that Kate had created a cake based on Su's book-cut sculptures! (See pic at the end of the post for an example of Su's work.) The cake was designed by Kate as a thank you to the staff at her son's school. Such a great idea for a school party and it turned out so well! Great job, Kate!


Click here to check out Kate's blog and here to visit her Web site.