Cute and Easy Cake and Party Planning Tricks

Great Gatsby themed party table at the Confetti Fair

Glitter, sparkles, cute cookie cut-outs and colour themes were aplenty at the Confetti Fair on Saturday. The Confetti Fair (Brisbane) gathered party planner extraordinaries and cupcake aficionados to share their wisdom on cake decorating, sugar spinning and flavour combinations. Each company had set up a table of sweet delights arranged in tantalising towers that had you instantly feeling like Willy Wonker was behind its invention. Craft mums and sugar-high girly girls sifted through polka dot cupcake liners and pastel pink paper straws to stock their (inevitably overflowing) pantries.

Glamour Gold Theme

Apart from being quite startled at the enthusiasm some have over discussing the multiple uses for mason jars (which in case you didn't know is THE essential party server), I learnt what the heck is fondant icing and how you manhandle the stuff at home to create some pretty impressive edible flowers to make even Martha Stewart proud. There was also a fabulous retro caravan that had been converted into a portable bar so that straight after the 'I DOs' you can fetch a drink at the end of the aisle and get the party started.

Sweet Dreams baby shower table by Kara

I'm pretty sure I inhaled a fair bit of glitter, which was sparkling through the air. That glorious sparkly stuff adorned jars, trays, cups, spoons and was even worked into macaron shells (I assume that last one was edible glitter but I didn't test the theory). Cake pops shaped in lips had me especially excited as they doubled for props in obligatory selfie shots.

A party-planning guru led a workshop on hosting ideas (I think she is famous, she party plans with Tori Spelling so that's pretty legit) and I thought I would share her super easy and quick ideas with y'all (Kara's a southern belle and referenced hunting super casually, if you know what I mean).

Milk jars topped with a decadent cookie for a take on 'milk and cookies'

1. GLUE AND GLITTER

Basically you can whack some PVC on anything, cover with glitter and you have glitzed up your party instantly. What I learnt that is amazing about this idea is that soak the item in water, and the glitter and glue washes right off! You can cover the first third of your glasses with glitter for a chic look, coat the outside of your cake display or glitter the handle of your cutlery. When done, you can simply soak the items in the sink with some warm water and they are back to their boring old selves. Genius.

2. PICK A THEME AND STICK TO IT

Do you dream in themes? Well party planners do. Get your creative socks on and think up a look or feel for your party. Baby Shower = Sweet Dreams. 30th = Gatsby. Little Girl Birthday = Princess (obviously). Engagement Party = Rustic Chic. You get it? Anyway once you have a theme you pick a colour scheme, which should consist of a main three colours. Think white, with accents of lilac, blue and yellow for a baby shower. Bold red and green with accents of yellow and gold for a Mexican fiesta. Pink, gold glitter and pearl white for my birthday... naturally. For more ideas, and an excuse to lose hours of your life, look up Kara's website.

Valentine's Day Picnic Party

Paper straws

Pink and Gold Theme

Signature Cocktails

3. CAKE, CAKE, CAKE

Okay so Julia Child said a party without cake is simply a gathering and she was right. You absolutely cannot have a party without a cake, it is just not right. Macarons are great and all and really pretty but when it comes to the sweet pièce de résistance you need a glorified sugar and butter creation (or stevia and coconut oil copy if you are a skinny sweet eater).

Rustic Cake at Kara's Rustic Chic Table

Arrow Cupcakes

Heart Cake Wreath Topper

Make your cake spectacular by cutting it into layers and icing it, covering it with edible pearls or making your own fondant shapes. It sounds like a job required for someone super talented but it actually isn't that difficult. Plus there are heaps of cute cupcake toppers and cake toppers you can buy these days.

Kitch Cupcake Toppers

Heart-shaped cut outs filled with icing

Another tip is to bake the cupcake and then cut out a small shape like a heart and fill it with icing. So simple, even a baking virgin could handle the task.


4. FINISHING TOUCHES

Cute little tricks can really make your guests nod in appreciation of your creativity and admiration of your domestic goddess ways. 

Here's a few quick and easy ideas to inspire you:

• Serve punch with mis matched tea cups
• Freeze edible rose petals in ice cubes for girly drinks
• Cover balloons with lace cloth and fasted with ribbon to add a soft touch 
• Use a stamp to print messages or shapes onto paper napkins to personalise 
• Hang up paper decorations to transform your space
• Set up a photo booth by hanging a coloured piece of material against the wall for a glamorous backdrop
• Spray glitter basically on anything - and be prepared to see said glitter for weeks to come
• Candles, candles, candles
• Did you know you can buy a metal stamper? Means you can print on your own cutlery to make a special gift - ooh DIY project!
• Make up gift bags or take home boxes for guests filled with lollies and novelty items

Make your own cupcake station

Skinny Olympic Torch Cupcakes

Celebrate the London Olympics by making these gorgeous Olympic Torch Cupcakes, inspired by Stasy.com. These cupcakes have been modified to be healthier versions of the original recipe but still as pretty. If you have been watching Masterchef lately, you may feel a little more confident than usual to tackle the sugar shards. Confident or not, give this trick a go because the impressive sugar shards make all the difference to create the 'fire' effect and all your friends will deem you uber-talented. Let your creativity run wild!

Happy Birthday Clueless

The defining moment in my young teenage life was watching Clueless on video for the first time. Suddenly my future was clear, I needed to be exactly like Cher. An obsessive desire for a mobile phone, knee high socks and Jeep Wrangler ensued. I wrote with fluffy pens, used 'whatever!' and 'as if!' in my daily vernacular and played "I wanna be a supermodel" on rotation. I can now say with some confidence I am past my Clueless obsession, but I still have the movie poster framed in my apartment. There is just some things you can't let go... To celebrate the movie's birthday, let's look at some of the best lines from the cult film.

Cher: Miss Stoeger, I would just like to say that physical education in this school is a disgrace. I mean, standing in line for forty minutes is hardly aerobically effective. I doubt I've worked off the calories in a stick of Carefree gum. 

Mel: Do you know what time it is?
Cher: A watch doesn't really go with this outfit, daddy. 

Cher: I feel like such a heifer. I had two bowls of Special K, 3 pieces of turkey bacon, a handful of popcorn, 5 peanut butter M&M's and like 3 pieces of licorice. 

Amber: Ms. Stoeger, my plastic surgeon doesn't want me doing any activity where balls fly at my nose.
Dionne: Well, there goes your social life. 

Cher: Would you call me selfish?
Dionne: No, not to your face. 

Josh: Hey, James Bond, in America we drive on the right side of the road.
Cher: I am. You try driving in platforms. 

3 easy steps to make candied rose petals

Taken from http://photos.weddingbycolor.com 

Vogue Living has a beautiful blog and spending a quiet Friday evening traipsing their site, I found this gorgeous post on how to make candied rose petals. 

As a tribute to one of America's best-known restaurants Chez Panisse on its 40th birthday, David Prior showed how to make candied rose petals, which adorns many of the restaurants beautiful desserts.

How to make candied rose petals:

1. To produce candied rose petals gently pluck the individual petals from unsprayed roses. 

2. With a soft-bristle paintbrush, carefully paint with egg whites.

3. Cover in fine organic sugar. Leave candied petals to dry on a rack.


Serve them the Panisse way, atop a Rose Geranium Pavlova.

This recipe appeared as part of ‘Organic Uprising’, a story by David Prior on pages 63 to 69 of Vogue Living Sept/Oct 2011.

Oktoberfest German apple cake recipe

My husband and me in German attire

I went to Oktoberfest with my friends, and whilst I am sure it wasn't as exciting as attending the festival in it's original birth place, we had a great time. I took home this sweet momento - although I heard from a reliable source that it tastes rather like cardboard. Click here for my low-fat gingerbread cookie recipe to make your own cookies for the season. Although, I do like this one for decoration :)

To celebrate the German holiday, here is a recipe for a delicious traditional German apple cake.










German Apple Cake - taken from All Recipes

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 cups apples - peeled, cored and diced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9x13 inch cake pan.
2. In a mixing bowl; beat oil and eggs with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat well.
3. Combine the flour salt, baking soda, and ground cinnamon together in a bowl. Slowly add this mixture to the egg mixture and mix until combined. The batter will be very thick. Fold in the apples by hand using a wooden spoon. Spread batter into the prepared pan.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes or until cake tests done. Let cake cool on a wire rack. Once cake is cool serve with a dusting of confectioners' sugar.

            

Marie Antoinette party themes