So, I have a tendency to make lofty plans for myself that include a complete disregard for how much time is actually in each day. I forget that I can’t get 8 hours of sleep, work 8 hours, and still have time to complete 293 hours of baking, DIY crafts and social activities all in one day. As a result, my brilliant plans to blog twice a week have gone completely out the window.
I am re-thinking my aims for this blog. I have changed the tagline from “The sweetest blog around” to “real stories of a modern housewife”. Basically, I don’t want to feel pressured to create some marvelous baked treat every week to share, but I still want to be able to blog on a regular basis. This was my brilliant solution.
This time, however, I do have a marvelous baked treat to share:
Photograph by Moxie Blue Photography
http://moxiebluephotography.com/
Has anyone else fallen in love with My Little Ponies: Friendship Is Magic? If not, proceed directly to Netflix and watch it. NOW! Do not continue reading this post as you will not properly appreciate this masterful creation. I hear you neigh-sayers (pony pun intended) who think you are too good for MLP. I have anticipated your resistance and have compiled a short list as to why this show is amazing:
- MLP’s creator, Lauren Faust, was a story artist for The Powerpuff Girls and head writer for Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends.
- Two words: SONIC RAINBOOM! You know you want to find out the awesomeness the name suggests.
- Star Trek fans? John de Lancie (who played Q in Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager) appropriately does the voice for the mischievous Discord in season 2 of MLP.
- Derpy Hooves.
- Nobody throws a party like Pinkie Pie.
Obviously when I saw a request on facebook from Moxie Blue Photography to create a cake for a Brony-themed birthday party, I jumped at the chance! The party was for her son’s 4th birthday.
Since the birthday boy’s favorite pony is Applejack, I focused on her for the cake. Since she runs Sweet Apple Orchard, I made Sweet Apple Cinnamon Cake and Apple-Barrel Cupcakes. In addition, I made Cutie Mark Cupcakes to represent the Mane Six!
(all photographs by Moxie Blue Photography)
The Applejack figure on the cake was purchased from Amazon.com. She is also a spoon! However, she didn’t come with her trademark cowboy hat, so I fashioned one out of polymer clay.
I used a compilation of recipes to create each magical confection.
The Sweet Apple Cinnamon Cake and Apple-Barrel Cupcakes consisted of cinnamon cake and apple filling from Craving Chronicles, Hershey’s caramel drizzle, and Swiss buttercream from Sprinkle Bakes. I baked the cake in a 6-inch circle and 8-inch square pan (with enough batter left to make 6 cupcakes and 12 mini cupcakes). I cut out a second 6-inch circle layer from the square layer and used the salvage to create the hay bale. I also cut out the centers of the cupcakes so I could fill them with the apple filling.
The Cute Mark Cupcakes were a vanilla cake and vanilla frosting from a Better Homes and Garden magazine I purchased a long time ago at the super market:
I dyed the cupcakes to match the bodies of each of the Mane 6 and the frosting to match their mane’s. The cutie marks were made from fondant. They were filled with a simple recipe I use for Chocolate Mousse: take instant chocolate pudding and mix with 1.25 cups milk, fold into about 2 cups of fresh whipped cream. I suggest making the whipped cream from scratch – cool whip with not work well for this.
And there you have it! This is without a doubt my favorite cake I have ever made!
Sweet Cuppicakes 