Birthday cupcakes for my sister in law.

I called my sister in law and asked what type of cake she would like for her birthday. She said cupcakes, and if I wanted to try a new recipe than I could.

I did chocolate mudcake cupcakes, topped with fondant toppers of dragonflies and ladybirds. My daughter told me that I had to have some glitter things in there also, for Aunty Shell.

So I made these and they are chocolate mudcake cupcakes, with chocolate hazelnut buttercream and fondant cupcake toppers.

Happy Father's Day.

I asked my Dad what he wanted for Father's Day, and he said cake.

This cake is a first for me in so many ways. It is a new recipe that will be used again, it is the first time that I used a shaped tin, buttercream was used instead of ganache (never again on a shaped cake), and using red fondant.

I was in tears trying to cover it and then had to go into damage control. I was pleased with it in the end, but getting to the end, was such a relief.

The cake is a vanilla buttercake with vanilla bean buttercream.

I asked my hubby what he would like and his answer was "Macarons".

Third attempt and was so happy with how these turned out.

Pistachio macarons with hazelnut ganache.

Macarons.

I have been eyeing off Macarons for a while. I finally give in and cooked a batch of macarons.

My first attempt was going great until it came time to heat the sugar syrup and I discovered that my candy thermometer was not working. So I plowed on and these where the end results.

Strawberry macarons.

My second attempt went heaps better. I went and got a new thermometer and off I went. They need to be cooked for a little bit longer.

Passionfruit macarons.

I have been reading up a bit more on macarons and have discovered that I had not been folding it for long enough.

I also tried a new white chocolate recipe and made some cupcakes. These white chocolate cupcakes are covered with strawberry buttercream.