Pink and gold celebration cake

I'm moving house which is quite a big thing after living in the same place for 16 years and has not left me a lot of time to post here on the blog.

Eeeek, the stuff I have accumulated over that time ...... It was hard at first but it actually feels good to let go of so many of those things.

So to celebrate (and use up some of my supplies so I don't need to move them) I decorated a cake.

Ok y'all know I pretty much make a cake to celebrate the opening of a letter, but that's a good thing right?

This cake is fondant covered with edible gold then rough buttercream, sixlets and pearls and a single macaron up on top.

It's elegant and beautiful but still a bit fun and you aren't quite sure what is hiding inside. (I recommend either Cookies and Cream Cake or Strawberry Layer Cake)

Because my gold was not on transfer sheets it is a bit textured, which looks great with the added layers of buttercream applied with an offset spatula.

This cake is perfect for hiding any little imperfections on the cake while still managing to look perfectly put together.

Anyhoo I best go pack some more boxes and take some stuff down to charity.

Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author of the Children's cookbook Sweets on a Stick: More Than 150 Kid-Friendly Recipes for Cakes, Candies, Cookies, and Pies on the Go! Published in the USA in 2011 the book is still available at Amazon and many online bookstores.

Affiliate links may earn me money and contribute to supporting this blog.

Original ideas, photography and recipes Linda Vandermeer please do not reuse without permission except for non commercial purposes where you may use 1 image, give credit and link back to original post.

Yummy gingerbread cranberry muffins. Mix, mix just as fast as you can.

You better run, run just as fast as you can if you want to get some of these gingerbread and cranberry muffins. 'Cause they smell pretty delicious while they're baking and I like to eat them when they come out of the oven and are still warm.

But seriously don't stress, they are so easy that you can whip up another batch in no time so if they all get snaffled up.

I made up these gingerbread and cranberry muffins for the kids lunch treats yesterday and then I decorated the left overs for afternoon tea.

At this time of year it's easy to go into sugar overload and my kids diet has not been as great as I would like it. They have been having way more fast food than I would choose for them when they are out at other activities. We normally eat pretty well with lots of vegetables and I've noticed they are pretty tired and cranky at the moment.

But y'know sometimes I want to give them a treat and although I did decorate a couple super fancy for the photo's the actual muffin are wholemeal and have fruit in them so I didn't feel too guilty when I served them up.

Gingerbread Muffin (makes 12) recipe adapted from Sweets on a Stick
I send these to school unfrosted but for special occasions you can add the simple cream cheese, butter frosting (recipe below). Gingerbread decorations and sprinkles are optional, make your own or see the links before for easy pre-made versions (see aff. links at end of recipe).

2 1/4 cups wholemeal self raising flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 cup olive oil (I use light which means light flavour not lo-fat)
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1/3 cup treacle
1/4 cup brown sugar lightly packed
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 160C (325F) and line 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases.

Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix by hand until combined.

Spoon mixture into paper cases.

Pop in oven for around 23 minutes they are done when a skewer comes out clean.

Allow to cool on wire track.

You can eat while still warm

Simple Cream Cheese Butter Icing

30g cream cheese
30g unsalted butter
3/4 cup icing sugar, sifted

Mix together all ingredients until light and fluffy.



Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author of the Children's cookbook Sweets on a Stick: More Than 150 Kid-Friendly Recipes for Cakes, Candies, Cookies, and Pies on the Go! Published in the USA in 2011 the book is still available at Amazon and many online bookstores.

Affiliate links may earn me money and contribute to supporting this blog.

Original ideas, photography and recipes Linda Vandermeer please do not reuse without permission except for non commercial purposes where you may use 1 image, give credit and link back to original post.

It's an amazing day to bake, laugh and live

I haven't been posting very much lately as I've been spending all my time with the children over the past few months as we go through the process of a marital separation.

Life goes on, we are doing well considering the situation and focusing on a the amazing aspects of our life.

I have been baking but mostly comfort food: cookies, cinnamon rolls, banana raspberry muffins, making and decorating cupcakes with the kids.

I have plans to make macarons this week, some gingerbread cookies and maybe a Christmas cake, although you might remember in the past I am more for the anti-fruit cake variety.

These are images I took for the latest issue of 'Tickle the Imagination' magazine where I share 10 fabulous reasons to bake up some fun with your kids.

Kids wear aprons by Greengate similar available Simply Sweet Home

I also share a recipe for a healthier donut to make with the kids which is baked in a donut pan instead of fried and has a banana muffin base. It's a great alternative to all those super sized treats that are around at the moment.

Tickle the Imagination magazine is available online here and at selected newsagents and outlets.

Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author of the Children's cookbook Sweets on a Stick: More Than 150 Kid-Friendly Recipes for Cakes, Candies, Cookies, and Pies on the Go! Published in the USA in 2011 the book is still available at Amazon and many online bookstores.

Affiliate links may earn me money and contribute to supporting this blog.

Original ideas, photography and recipes Linda Vandermeer please do not reuse without permission except for non commercial purposes where you may use 1 image, give credit and link back to original post.

Extra entry and Last days to enter to win this cute geometric mould

EDIT this competition is closed the winner is - Felicity
Prize has been claimed and sent.

There are just a couple of days left to enter to win a geometric silicone mould here on the Bubble and Sweet Blog so you can make your own gorgeous chocolates.

It's easy, just click onto the rafflecopter giveaway below and just click to enter the giveaway. If you like me on Instagram as well that's another entry.

Plus if you comment on this blog post you can have an extra 2 entries. The comment wont show up straight away, but you can enter once you make the comment and press enter.

Good luck everyone

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author of the Children's cookbook Sweets on a Stick: More Than 150 Kid-Friendly Recipes for Cakes, Candies, Cookies, and Pies on the Go! Published in the USA in 2011 the book is still available at Amazon and many online bookstores.

Affiliate links may earn me money and contribute to supporting this blog.

Original ideas, photography and recipes Linda Vandermeer please do not reuse without permission.

Free video how to make easy no bake ghost treats for Halloween

These no bake ghost cookie truffles for Halloween are so super easy you are going to love them.

Click on the picture above to see the whole video on youtube

One of my top 5 posts ever, it is always a hit at this time of the year so I whipped up a quick video to show you how easy it is to make them.

Or if you are more of a written instruction type person here is the link to the original post: CLICK HERE

Related Recipes
Oreo Tuffle Pops recipe
Tim Tam Truffle Pop recipe

If you like this recipe check out my 10 fun Halloween Foods to Make post CLICK HERE

Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author of the Children's cookbook Sweets on a Stick: More Than 150 Kid-Friendly Recipes for Cakes, Candies, Cookies, and Pies on the Go! Published in the USA in 2011 the book is still available at Amazon and many online bookstores.

Affiliate links may earn me money and contribute to supporting this blog.

Original ideas, photography and recipes Linda Vandermeer please do not reuse without permission.

Win this amazingly cool geometric chocolate mould

EDIT this competition is closed the winner is - Felicity
Prize has been claimed and sent.

How super cool are these geometric shaped chocolate covered Oreos.

Yup and so easy to make as well, although I did have to trim the cookies a little bit to fit, but that worked out ok I just used the chunks in the next batch.

Anyhoo I have an extra mould still in it's packaging that I did not use and seeings a I am having a clean out at my house I am giving it away to a lucky reader.

Just enter via the rafflecopter below, extra entry for following my instagram account :) Open worldwide see terms and conditions on rafflecopter for other details.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author of the Children's cookbook Sweets on a Stick: More Than 150 Kid-Friendly Recipes for Cakes, Candies, Cookies, and Pies on the Go! Published in the USA in 2011 the book is still available at Amazon and many online bookstores.

Affiliate links may earn me money and contribute to supporting this blog.

Original ideas, photography and recipes Linda Vandermeer please do not reuse without permission.

Swan Princess Birthday Party

It's party time again around here and Bubble celebrated with a swan princess party with a pretty mint, gold, white and black theme.

It was a low key event with just a few friends so I decided to have it indoors and turned my creative craft space into the dessert table which worked well and ended up being a great decision as the weather threatened rain as the party was starting.

Party Decorations

OK I know you all want to know it, where did I get that amazing green feather garland 'cause it's pretty gorgeous, and let me tell you even more so in real life. I picked it up at Lark to decorate Bubble's bedroom with and when it arrived it just begged to be used for my party table seeings as it matched the plates I bought perfectly.

Yup, I saw these plates online a little while back and I had to make them mine. They might be some of the most awesome paper plates I have ever seen. No I am not being paid to say this I just like to share this stuff so y'all can have pretty parties too. I bought them from Lark, they are made by Bash Party Goods.

The honeycomb balls were from discount dollar stores they were a couple of dollars each for the large ones and the smaller ones were in packs of 3 for the same price.

I made the swan pinata which involved the (humane) sacrifice of a unicorn pinata, I will do a post with a few progress pictures shortly.

I also made my own glitter dipped balloons by spraying adhesive glue spray to gold balloons and then sprinkling glitter onto them.

A few hours before the party I popped out for coffee with a friend and afterwards found those multi sized gold glitter dots at a discount store down at the local shop which were perfect placed randomly on the wall either side of the garland. The whole pack of dots cost $2.50 and if I don't keep them the kids will use them for craft so it's pretty much win win.

The geometric mint vase holder/ tealight holders were from the reject shop, and the cake stand and candy jars I have had for years.

Party Food with links to my recipes on this blog

We had an elegant mint green colour butter cream cake which was actually a chocolate layer cake filled with cookies and cream (CLICK HERE FOR CAKE RECIPE).

 It was decorated with edible gold edged macarons (including a couple of empty macaron shells on the side of the cake) and some stars of buttercream piped randomly with a #195 tip. I stacked filled and decorated the whole cake in under an hour which was a lovely change for me.

Macarons in a matching mint shade (CLICK HERE FOR MY MACARON RECIPE) for the party table and as I made them myself I was able to make a variety of sizes to decorate the cake with.

Simple swan cookies in mint and white decorated with a little edible gold leaf which once again were quick to make (CLICK HERE FOR MY COOKIE RECIPE and how to add gold leaf to cookies).

We had chocolate covered Oreo's in ombre shades from black through to green with a little edible gold leaf. There was matching candy sixlets and bon bons.

Funny side story the whole reason I went for a swan party was to make choux swans after I got the Retro Baking (The Australian Women's Weekly) and I didn't end up making them or the really cool cake pop idea I had.

Yup this is my creative space room all dressed up to party.

CLICK HERE for details and more pics from when I renovated it

Finally I picked up some bunches flowers from the grocery store for under $30 for the lot and split them up between glass jam jars and one larger vase to fill up the spaces on the table and yay now I have fresh flowers for the rest of the week.



Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author of the Children's cookbook Sweets on a Stick: More Than 150 Kid-Friendly Recipes for Cakes, Candies, Cookies, and Pies on the Go! Published in the USA in 2011 the book is still available at Amazon and many online bookstores.

Affiliate links may earn me money and contribute to supporting this blog.

Original ideas, photography and recipes Linda Vandermeer please do not reuse without permission.