2016 has been such a big year with SO MUCH happening!

Probably the biggest highlight was being invited to demonstrate my skills at the Sydney Cake Bake and Sweets Show back in June.

I had already booked my place in the dessert table showcase and volunteered to to some demos for the Australian Cake Decorating Network but this was the icing on the cake (or cookie!)

Not just a spot at the front of the classroom chatting away to a room full of baking enthusiasts while wearing a head mic but I was first on too - rocking the new range of fondant from Dr Oetker on my trademark milk and cookies and fairy bread sugar cookies!

I am so lucky to have become great mates with some of the country's finest suppliers and personalities, from cookie cutter makers to teachers far more talented than I will ever be. We all support each other and have so much fun on these crazy cake weekends!

Once again I called on Mary from Sweet Finesse Event styling to help me out with my table - great job!!

The sweet cookie set I put together for my ACDN demos where I not only shared my skills and fondant know-how with my audience but also the importance of colour and balance when putting your cookie set together

On the back of CBSS I was approached by the team at Dr Oetker to develop a cookie recipe and shoot some picture tutorials for their website - how lucky am I??

I recreated my SUMMER and MAGIC themed cookie sets which can be found on the

Dr Oetker Website

Find the recipe and the tutorials below

http://www.oetker.com.au/au-en/readytoroll/ready-to-roll-icing.html

Yours in cake

Savvy x

Once again I had the pleasure of creating some stunning pieces for Sweet Finesse Event styling for a recent baby shower.

We had a dream team working on the most stunning dessert table set up at Oatlands House. A beautiful celebration that incorporated white and gold with a touch of pale blue and a dash of a

giraffe theme amongst the gorgeous florals.

It was requested that a peony be used to top the cake, which was modelled on a similar version by JK Cake Designs, Sydney. It was then up to me to design cupcakes and cookies to complement the theme.

Each cupcake and cookie design had similar characteristics but was a little different. I incorporated soft embossing, flowers and hand painted gold flourishes and brooches for and elegant touch.

At the time I didn't own a brooch mold that I found suitable to off to spotlight I went in search of the perfect ornate button to cast my old mold from using silicon.

Take time to look though the shot by Kirri Garvey of Captured by Kirri, they are truly amazing!

Savvy x

Credits

Styling - Sweet Finesse Event Styling

Cake, Cupcakes and Cookies - Savvy Cakes

Photography - Captured by Kirri

Flowers - Floranectar Flowers

Strawberry Towers - Doms Strawberry Delights

Desserts - Copper and Cocoa

Printables - Giggles and Grace Designs

Footed Cupcake Holders - PS Made With Love

Props - Stylish Touch Prop Hire, Sweet Heavenly Events and Party Hire, Elegant Tea Time

Want THE BEST tasting vanilla cake recipe?

Here is one I found on a cake forum years ago (like before Facebook had Groups!)

It is versatile and makes a great base for other flavours (omit the vanilla and add two mashed bananas for banana cake HEAVEN!).

It holds colour really well for rainbow cakes - the ones I shudder when I get asked to make!

I use this recipe at markets and for workshops and it's always a winner!

Also makes perfect cupcakes and freezes beautifully.

It's known as

VANILLA SOUR CREAM CAKE and it's delish!!

Combine in mixer -

300g Plain flour (sifted)

330g white sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 pinches salt

70ml milk

150g softened butter

225ml sour cream

2 tablespoons vanilla essence (if your'e using the paste then 2 squirts from the tube).

Once combined add in 2 eggs and 1 egg white and mix.

I bake at 180*C which will do around 20 cupcakes for about 22 minutes or a 7 inch cake (at a nice 3 inch-ish height) which takes around 1 hour.

This is such a delicious and easy recipe. Just make sure if you freeze your cakes that they are airtight!

Have a go, you'll love it!

Savvy x

photo courtesy of Little Rag Dolls Photography, Madhatter Kitchen Tea styled Sweet Finesse Event Styling

Keeping two very different twins happy is always a challenge!

This year we just happened to find a sale at city lolly store Happy Lab and all agreed this would be a great idea for birthday cakes.

Both girls chose a colour scheme and I added the rest!

I wanted something bright and colourful to represent summer but I also wanted to give it some spunk, so added in monotone patterns and metallic silver and gold.

Pinterest came in handy with a tutorial on DIY balloon garlands and I found a blue prop fishing net cheap on Ebay.

Happy birthday to my two most precious reasons to celebrate! Can't believe you're 8 already!

Come and have a go at the trendy drizzle cake - Savvy's own HOT MESS

The twist on this design is that you not only learn to create a very cool cake but you are also introduced to the art of cookie decoration at the same time!

Pretty cupcakes are back! So popular, learn to emboss, create simple flowers and other techniques which can be applied to so many facets of decorating.

Ruffles are for those students a little more experienced. There are so many ways to ruffle! Learn several ways to achieve gorgeous results and choose one to apply to your cake!

Dates will be sceduled soon or book your own one on one session at a suitable time.

Its time to learn in 2016!

Love Savvy x

Lastmonth I got to create a cake and cupcakes for Mary of Sweet Finesse Event Styling. Mary and I have worked on a few projects together now so I can almost guess her style- she tends to fill her spaces very well without it ever being too much for the eye!

Needless to say all the stops were pulled for this amazing set up to celebrate little Isaac's first birthday!!

Mary asked me to create a four tier novelty piece featuring a stack of circus elements - plinth, drum, ball and top hat and matcing cupcakes starring clown themed toppers, tickets and sweet "number 1's" on scalloped discs. Sweet Finesse always produces a high standard, so the challenge was set!!

The images were captured by Little Rag Dolls Photography and the backdrop was designed by Giggles and Grace.

Enjoy x

Some new workshop dates have just been released. After much thought the designs were decided upon.

These incorporate maximum learning outcomes with what is on-trend.

In Spotlight on Ruffles, after ganaching and covering cakes like a pro, students will decide upon a colour scheme and learn how to prepare and apply the perfect ruffle. We will cover the many different ways to achieve this look as well as the many ways they can applied. Horizontically, vertically and rosettes!!

Woodland Deer is best for the least experienced of decorators. Learn how to simply cut and punch shapes to create a beautiful design. Leaving flower placement and colour scheme up to the student to tailor their design to male or female.

Fathers Day is a one-off class right before Fathers Day to create a fun, edible gift or table centrepiece for Dad's special day! Learn to create collar, tie and buttons.

Lastly Pretty Cupcakes is a great session to attend to learn a myriad of new and varying skills. Gain the knowladge to make ruffles rosettes, rolled roses. Learn to make perfectly formed tiny boys and pearls and also tricks to embossing fondant perfectly! This is possibly the most relaxing of workshops and would be a great choice to do with a friend!

I have taught in the past an absolutely loved it so I am so excited to be able to share my skills (some self-taught) with those who want to learn. Although I have undertaken professional training, I have developed my own SAVVY way of doing things. CAN'T WAIT!!!!

Check out the Workshops tab on the website for dates

Back in June I created this dessert table for my husband's 40th birthday celebration.

I set myself the challenge of keeping it "blokey" and a bit more grown up than the usual table.

The black and white colour scheme throughout represents the New Zealand All Blacks - hubby's favourite team (he's a Kiwi!) and perfectly matches the chalkboard art "deli-style" look I wanted to achieve.

I purchased personalised wine and used them on not only wine bottles but beer bottles too.

Savouries like nuts, crackes and breadsticks were added to suit as well as chocolate mud cupcakes, cookies and macarons.

The beer tap birthday cake is inspired by a similar cake by Faye Cahill Cake Design.

Credits

Cake, cupcakes, cookies and styling by Savvy

(props etc for hire on www.savvycakes.com.au)

Beer and Wine labels by Smart Party Planning

Backdrop posters sourced on Etsy

Macarons by Moreish Macarons

This recipe came about when I derived it from a similar recipe for coconut and lime cupcakes.

If you prefer a plain coconut flavour you can leave out the pineapple.

It works really well as a cake rather than cupcakes, is fine under fondant and tastes FABULOUS with white chocolate ganache.

The Recipe

In the mixer...

250g softened butter

2 teaspoons coconut essence

4 tablespoons tinned crushed pineapple

1 1/3 cups white sugar

4 eggs

2/3 cup milk

1 1/2 cups desiccated coconut

2 1/2 cups sifted Self Raising flour

Once combined, scoop the batter into a lined cupcake tray using a 1/4 measuring cup - this will ensure even cupcakes and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180' celsius for 25.

Makes around 25 cupcakes.

Generally if I have two trays in the oven at once I like to rotate them halfway throught he baking process. This ensureseven cooking.

The Icing

In the mixer....

4 cups sifted icing sugar

50g softened butter

6 tablespoons pineapple juice (strained from the remaining crushed pineapple)

Once mixing, add milk for consistency

As the cupcakes have quite a lot of coconut flavour, I tend not to add anymore coconut to the icing, however if you want to add it, go ahead!

***TIP*** If you would like you icing to be a little firmer, replace 20g of butter with copha or other similar shortening. I find this really helpful in the summer months, particularly for outdoor occasions etc

Set up a piping bag with a nozzle and pipe the icing on in a circular motion moving upwards.

To keep the cocktail theme, I like to decorate with colourful straws and paper parasols etc.

Enjoy x

I must admit I don't really enjoy the baking. I know it seems a little odd but I really didn't get into cakes for the cooking. It's the art that I love.

However, I am a little obsessed with crazy flavoured cupcakes and beverage flavoured cupcakes.

Crazy Strawberry. Pina Colada. Coca Cola. Champagne.

Some recipes I've found online and have tweaked a little.

Sometimes I take a basic buttercake recipe and throw in the "special ingredient" and hope they turn out.

Here's the Crazy Strawberry recipe which has been tweeked from the AWW butter cake cupcake recipe.

These come out perfectly pink and are fabulous for little girls tea parties where all things pink and strawberry flavoured are just a must.

Crazy Strawberry Cupcakes

Combine in mixer

1 cup sef raising flour

1/2 cup white sugar

90g softened butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

2 eggs

2 tablespoons milk

AND

1/2 - 2/3 a sachet of strawberry jelly crystals (I used lite aeropane jelly, as it was tin the pantry!)

Divide your mix evenly into a lined cupcake tray and bake for 20 minutes on 180 degrees celsius.

Once your dozen cupcake are cool, brush with sugar syrup. This will keep them moist for longer and makes them nicer to eat!

To Ice

Mix

2 cups of icing sugar mixture

30g softened butter

and remaining jelly crystals

Add milk to acheive the right consistency

I like to pipe the icing on using a star tip - the plastic Loyal brand ones are my fave - but you could also ice with a knife and decorate with sprinkles.

Enjoy!!

Love Savvy x