The Internet is chock full of inspiration. (Yes, I'm playing the part of Captain Obvious today.) It is so full of amazing ideas and tutorials and inspirational pictures that it makes you realize just how creative the people are who DO come up with new ideas, when there are so many incredible designs out there, just sitting there, waiting to be re-created!

I had kind of a rush cake request this past week; "rush" meaning that we didn't settle on a design till Tuesday for a cake that was needed for yesterday morning. Typically I work with people a few weeks in advance to settle on designs and flavors, which gives me lots of time to think through details and timing - especially helpful when you only bake and decorate during naptimes and bedtimes!

But for yesterday's cake, I simply found a few poker-inspired images on Pinterest last weekend, and this one by Cake Works Bakery in Wyoming was decided upon on Tuesday. I wasn't a big fan of the oversized red Rice Krispies treat dice on top, so I suggested going without, which I think turned out nice and clean.

At any rate, whoever said it first was right: Imitation really is the sincerest form of flattery. I love this cake and I was so pleased to get to re-create it. I love the subtle nods to poker, with the tiny suit shapes around the sides and the itty bits of silver dragee bling that celebrate the big birthday winner, as opposed to some of the more overt gambling cakes I saw, topped with big, bold roulette wheels and cigars and such. This one feels whimsical and lighthearted. Our five-year-old Stacey likened it to Alice in Wonderland.

I made those playing cards and the 40 cake topper out of modeling chocolate, which continues to be an indispensable medium in my baking toolkit! Those playing cards would have wilted and sagged like nobody's business if I had made them out of fondant or gumpaste. 

Even made out of modeling chocolate though, those cards were precariously balanced on the cake in a gravity-defying stunt, secured to the cake only by their slim edges making contact with the fondant. I have to admit that I worried about them surviving the drive all the way to the party yesterday. But (sigh of relief) I heard they made it no problem!

Thanks so much to my old work friend Denise for referring me to her sister-in-law!

Happy 40th birthday Rick, and may your house always be full!! (See what I did there?)

My friend Megan referred me to a fellow mom in her twins association to bake for her twin 8-month-old girls' christening. She was hosting 40 people so she wanted a simple pink buttercream cake complemented by 40 cupcakes. I later found out that the twin girls have an older (3 year old) sister and a fair number of cousins, so I'm guessing the cake was there for all the littles to tuck into while the grown-ups nibbled daintily on cupcakes.

I suggested decorating the cake with a a few scattered small, white fondant flowers. However, once I got started cutting out the flowers, I kind of couldn't stop. So the cake ended up with a blanket rather than a smattering.

The adorable little 6-inch round was made of chocolate cake filled with chocolate buttercream and surrounded with even more buttercream, this time in precious pink.

Each cupcake got its own flower to match the cake.

And to top off all this pink, flowery sweetness, my favorite detail was this S on one of the cupcakes, which I made out of pink and white layers of modeling chocolate (hey, there it is again!). The baptism day also happened to be the twins' aunt's birthday, so they surprised her with her own little celebration. So cute!

Congratulations to Erin and Laura and your family on your christening!