Cake Endeavours

 A coworker of Mr. T's asked me to make this 10" blueberry cheese cake with blueberry topping.  I couldn't make this one in the Instant Pot as a 10" pan does not fit.  The old fashioned way for this beauty, in the oven, in a bain-marie.  However, I did try a different method by putting a pan with water on the rack underneath the cheesecake instead of actually setting the cheesecake in the water.  It worked really well.  It did crack but I knew I was putting a topping over it so it wouldn't show. Fresh homemade blueberry topping to finish off the cheesecake!

 I love getting to do a sweet cake like this for a first birthday!  For this 6" three layer vanilla cake it had salted caramel butter cream filling.  Mr. T was on a roll delivering cakes this week. All the decorations were made using cutters, which makes it go much faster.  I love the clouds.  They are such fun. 

 I love being able to help make pandemic birthdays a little brighter with a custom cake.  Especially for Keaton, who I can believe is already 12 years old!  Not sure how that happened.  Thankfully, Miss E schooled me on Fortnite as I had never heard of it before. This cake was a 6" three layer vanilla cake with butter cream filling.  Tried some wonky stripes for the first time.  Also got to use my drip cutter that works so much better than trying to drip icing over the edge.  I don't seem to have luck with that! For the cake topper I printed out the Fortnite sign and laminated it and then fussy cut it out.  This way Keaton could have a keepsake if he wanted.  Same with the Marshmello character, who I have no idea what he is or does.  Ha! To top it off, in case there wasn't enough sugar already, I added lots of sprinkles.

 Sonya's mom sent over the Super Mario figurines to add to the Princess Peach cake.  Miss E was all over them.  Super Mario is always popular in our house. This 6" three layer vanilla cake was filled with fresh strawberry filling. Almost like a strawberry shortcake.  It's a classic combination. I haven't done a Super Mario cake in so long.  It always fun to do OG Super Mario.

I was so happy to be able to celebrate Vickie's birthday with her in person and to make her cake for the outdoor celebration.  Thank goodness for good weather!   Triple layer chocolate cake with salted caramel butter cream filling.Yum!  To finish off the cake I added some homemade caramel sauce then sprinkled with edible gold dust for some extra glam.

 This cake was to celebrate my cousin's birthday and her new job in New York.  Vanilla cake with salted caramel filling.  The beautiful flowers were added post delivery so my cousin was kind enough to send me a picture of the finished product before they cut into it.  Naked cakes are perfect if you're not a big fan of icing.  I like doing them because you don't have to worry about some crumbs getting mixed into the icing! :)

 I brought this cake up to my parents' trailer for dessert.  Made in the Instant Pot as there is no other way to do it!  It is so fool proof.  I know I say this every time, but I really can't stress it enough.  If you've ever been intimidated about making a cheesecake, you can't go wrong with doing it in an Instant Pot.  There are lots of step by step instructions and recipes on Pinterest and YouTube.   I beefed this one up with some chopped mini Reese Peanut Butter Cups.  Chocolate and peanut butter are such a beautiful pairing.   We are so fortunate to be able to visit with my parents at their trailer outside.  It's so nice to be able to get away from the city where you can almost forget that there is a pandemic going on.