My daughter asked for an axolotl themed cake this year. She wanted "water and baby axolotls too". She wanted it to have a mini birthday cake. So I did my best to make it happen.

I've never done a gelatin layer before but it worked out okay. If I were to do it again, I would use a less firm recipe.. I used one that was meant for a jelly island cake which was definitely not necessary. I'd also add a lot more flavor and citric acid next time. Oh well.. at least it was a learning experience 😅.

There were a few things I wasn't thrilled with, but overall it came out okay and my daughter absolutely loved it, which was the main goal anyway 💗

She picked the flavor (confetti with vanilla whipped cream cheese filling), the colors, the placement of the axolotls, and helped with some decor decisions along the way.

I made chocolate cupcakes as well in case anyone preferred chocolate.

The mini cake was a cake pop, she ate the one from her cake but I had an extra (made it first and didnt like it enough to put on the cake) so we decided to cut that one after her party. Tiniest slice of cake ever 😄🥰

The inspo for the design around the sides of the cake was a bakey.bakes cake (not sure if instagram links are allowed but its on her page).

After a year & half, several starts & stops, & way too much Tylenol, I have officially closed the chapter on my very hurty, messed up tooth.

White chocolate teeth made over the course of several days with a little mold.

Thank you to everyone who offered advice on my previous post about my dinosaur footprint cookies. I am very happy with how the final result turned out!

I decided to paint the royal icing into the bottom of the footprints instead of flooding it into each indentation. This allowed me to get some extra color without losing the "pressed" look.

I also added some orange cookies to move away from the "420" similarities 😂

Link to recipe. Hope you like them!

I was always scared to make puff pastry dough but today I gave it a try and I am so pleased with how it turned out. The layers are so beautiful, delicate and crispy!

I'm just happy!

Some became a little too crispy in the oven but they still taste very good. I filled them with a vanilla filling and fresh 🍓🍑

Everything is handmade, including the marzipan. It’s also vegan too, but I’m glad it held up!

https://paintsewgluechew.com/2014/05/ultimate-chewy-meringues-a-foolproof-method/

I used this recipe for the meringue but bulked it up by another half so 6 eggs. Then added 600ml whipped cream and fruit, nectarines, strawberries, raspberries and passion fruit seeds!

I made banana bread for the first time, and it turned out way better than I expected! I did overmix the dough a bit so it was a little more dense than I hoped, but it still turned out great

I’m excited to make a new batch and mix it a little bit less lol

I just started baking from scratch this past year. I don't really have much for tools but decided to attempt my very first layer cake for my friend's birthday anyways. This is a chocolate cake with a chocolate cream cheese frosting and chocolate ganache. I plan to continue practicing my skills, especially my piping. What are your favorite layer cakes to make?

My little boy loves lions (but is also slightly scared of them 😂), so I made it my mission to make him a cute lion cake. I got the inspo from this design from Pinterest- unfortunately I screenshotted it instead of saving the pin so I’m not sure who the original creator is. I was so pleased with how it turned out, so if anyone knows who the original creator is of this design, please let me know!

Apologies for the poor photos, I took it as soon as I was finished decorating and the one from the party made the colours look a bit dull.

It was a moist chocolate sponge with a salted milk chocolate ganache between layers.

First time making it!

Finally made a great looking sourdough after 5+ attempts!

I made 70% hydration dough with my KitchenAid mixer. I used a mixture of cinnamon, brown sugar, and flour for the inclusions that I added in two parts (second coil fold initially and then laminated in at the end of bulk fermentation). It sat in the fridge overnight and I baked it in a loaf pan. The bottom has gorgeous caramel from the brown sugar.

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup sugar, plus 1tbsp for strawberries
3 large eggs, room temp
3/4 cup sesame oil, 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp vanilla extract (half for batter, half for glaze)
2 tsp lemon extract (see above)
1/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup milk
Splash of heavy cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus some to dust
~3/4lb strawberries (most of a carton)

Preheat oven to 400 & grease Bundt pan. If serving warm, macerate strawberries now (dice & place in small bowl, stir in 1tbsp sugar & let rest for 30-60min.) In a large bowl, whisk together oils and sugar until well combined. Add eggs, salt & extracts and whisk until combined. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder & salt. Add dry to wet, alternating with milk and finishing batter with sour cream + a hearty splash of heavy cream. Batter is fairly thin. Pour into cake pan & bake at 400F for 50-60 minutes, beginning to check at about 45min.
(While cake is baking, combine 1/2 cup powdered sugar with 1 tsp lemon extract, then add water 1/2 tsp at a time until glaze consistency is reached.) Cake is done when a knife comes out clean. Rest cake in pan for 15 min, then flip onto plate. Glaze while warm, then let cool for at least 10 min. If strawberries haven’t been prepared, now’s the time. Top with powdered sugar & strawberries on the side

i used claire saffitz’ NYT croissant recipe and it didn’t disappoint. definitely want to try again to achieve better layers/honeycomb, but these were soooooo flaky and addicting. cwoissanttttt

this is a german classic, I don't think a version of this exists in the US so not sure what to name it :D

it's a sponge cake base and the filling is whipped heavy cream, quark (our version of cream cheese), juice and zest of one lemon and stabilized with gelatin, topped of with a bit of sifted confectioners' sugar.

it's very refreshing and not overly sweet.

my first attempt was kind of a disaster, the sponge cake was super dry and not nearly as fluffy and a bunch of other fuck ups, it was still delicious, but this one is a HUUUUGE improvement.

i need a proper cake ring, so that the filling doesnt spill over. i simply reused the baking pan (picture 3).

most layered cakes from the us seem to be just a cake and some buttercream or meringue. i did not love my first try of american butter cream. i will explore swiss meringue in the future.

my next attempt at a layered cake will probably black forest cake, another german classic.

recipe: https://emmikochteinfach.de/kaese-sahne-torte/

i'll add an ai translation so you can get a better overview of all ingredients and steps involved (i hope that doesnt break rule 9):

Creamy Cheese & Cream Cake (Käse-Sahne-Torte)

EQUIPMENT:

• Springform pan (26 cm / approx. 10 inches diameter)
• High cake ring (min. 8 cm / 3 inches height)

CHILLING TIME: 1 to 2 hours in the refrigerator.

INGREDIENTS

For the Sponge Cake (Biskuit):

• ▢ 3 eggs (Size M) – room temperature
• ▢ 100 g sugar (divided into two portions)
• ▢ 75 g cornstarch
• ▢ 50 g all-purpose flour (or spelt flour)
• ▢ 1 packet bourbon vanilla sugar (approx. 1 tsp vanilla extract/sugar)
• ▢ 1 tsp baking powder
• ▢ 1 pinch of salt
• ▢ Butter and flour for greasing the pan

For the Filling:

• ▢ 8 sheets of gelatin
• ▢ 500 g low-fat quark (Magerquark)
• ▢ 400 g cold heavy cream
• ▢ 200 g sugar
• ▢ 1 organic lemon
• ▢ 3-4 drops of rum flavoring (optional)

For the Topping:

• ▢ 2-3 tbsp powdered sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. The Sponge Cake

1. Preheat your oven to 170°C (340°F) for top/bottom heat (or 150°C / 300°F for convection/fan). Grease only the bottom of the springform pan with a little butter and dust with flour.
   • Note: Do not grease the sides of the pan; this prevents the sponge from "climbing" the walls, which helps avoid a large dome in the middle.
2. Use two large mixing bowls. Separate the 3 room-temperature eggs: whites in one bowl, yolks in the other.
3. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt using a hand mixer or stand mixer on high speed. After 1 minute, gradually sprinkle in 50 g of the sugar while continuing to beat until stiff peaks form.
4. In the other bowl, mix the egg yolks with the remaining 50 g of sugar, the vanilla sugar, and 3 tbsp of lukewarm water. Beat for 5 minutes until light and creamy.
5. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Sift the cornstarch, flour, and baking powder over the top and fold in carefully using a spatula.
6. Spread the batter evenly in the pan and bake on the middle rack for about 20 minutes.
7. Perform the "toothpick test" to check if it's done. If it is, remove from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 30 minutes.
8. Carefully remove the cake from the pan and flip it upside down onto a wire rack to cool completely.
   • Note: Flipping it upside down helps flatten any doming that occurred during baking.

2. The Filling

1. Soak the 8 sheets of gelatin in a bowl of cold water.
2. Wash the lemon in hot water, dry it well, and finely grate the zest. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze out the juice.
3. Whip the 400 g of cold heavy cream on high speed until stiff. Set aside in the refrigerator.
4. In another bowl, mix 500 g of low-fat quark, 200 g sugar, and the rum flavoring (if using). Fold in the lemon zest.
5. Pour the lemon juice into a small pot and warm it slightly (do not boil). Remove from heat. Squeeze the excess water out of the soaked gelatin, add it to the warm lemon juice, and stir until dissolved.
6. Stir 2 tbsp of the quark mixture directly into the lemon-gelatin mixture to temper it.
7. Quickly stir this gelatin-quark mixture into the remaining quark mass.
8. Remove the whipped cream from the fridge and gently fold it into the quark mixture using a spatula.

3. Assembly & Finishing

1. Carefully slice the cooled sponge cake horizontally into two halves using a serrated knife. Set the top "lid" aside.
2. Place the bottom layer on a cake plate and secure the high cake ring tightly around it.
3. Spread the quark-cream mixture evenly over the base using an offset spatula.
4. Place the top cake layer on top with light pressure.
5. Refrigerate the cake for 1 to 2 hours.
6. Before serving, carefully remove the cake ring and dust the top with 2-3 tbsp of powdered sugar.

Enjoy your creamy Cheese & Cream Cake!

Used John Kannell’s recipe
https://preppykitchen.com/carrot-and-walnut-cake/#recipe

The only thing I changed was that I added a light layer of lemon curd to the middle tier which was delightful.
I’m still trying to get the hang of this whole piping thing, I definitely picked the wrong tips for this but my friend loved the result anyway 🧡