Joybug Bakery

A Wedding

2011-11-09T17:13:00.000-08:00

When a dear friend of mine asked me to create her wedding cake, I was honored. Hers was easily one of my favorite designs to date, not only because of the obvious emotional investment I had with her cake, but also because she gave me free reign over the design.

To help save some money, we created a unique cake that was a three-tiered beauty - consisting of two faux bottom tiers, and a top tier of deliciously moist carrot cake, with a rich cinnamon cream cheese frosting. I covered all three tiers in ivory fondant, and then painted the cake with an edible gold shimmer paint. I tinted some gum paste to match, and created about a million flower petals, to give it soft, delicate petals flowing down the cake.

The guests were served cupcakes, and I created fondant lace disks in the four different colors of the bridal party to top each flavor of cupcake. They are (from left to right): chocolate cupcakes with Kahlua buttercream; almond cupcakes with rapsberry buttercream; chocolate cupcakes with chocolate espresso ganache filling and chocolate mousse buttercream; and red velvet cupcakes with vanilla bean filling and frosting.

Carnival!

2011-11-09T17:06:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of creating Carnival-themed cupcake toppers for a family reunion. As visions of sequins, feathers, and masks danced in my head, I created four very unique toppers for them to choose from. Each mas was piped with different colors and designs, and hand-painted with luster dust to make them sparkle.

Can you guess which ones they chose?

Simple Cupcakes

2011-11-09T17:03:00.000-08:00

Just another picture of some simple cupcakes. Red velvet, with vanilla bean cream cheese filling and frosting; and chocolate banana pudding cupcakes - banana cupcakes, with rich chocolate buttercream, and a Nilla wafer and banana on top!

A Sweet Baby Shower

2011-11-09T16:45:00.000-08:00

We threw a co-worker a small baby shower before she went on maternity leave. After two boys, she was so excited to have a little girl to dote after.

I thought it fitting that she should get a frilly cake! I covered a red velvet cake in ivory fondant, and sprinkled white sugar crystals on top of it. I then made small, thin strips of pink fondant petals to create the flower. I was pleased with the results!

Carrot Cake

2011-11-09T16:41:00.000-08:00

I love carrot cake. I realize I may be in the minority with this one, but I love the spiciness moist goodness that is carrot cake. Slathered in delightful cinnamon cream cheese frosting, and it is absolutely heavenly.

A-Mazing Cupcakes!

2011-11-09T16:35:00.000-08:00

I stumbled across these cupcakes completely by accident. While brain-storming for an upcoming baby shower, I wanted to give the mom-to-be a cupcake flavor that was unique. It was a summer shower (yes, I know I'm late in my posting), and I had strawberries coming out my nose in my house. As I was munching on a barbequed peach (if you haven't tried this, you must), and slicing up some strawberries for my kids, it hit me - one of my most favorite classic desserts is cobbler. All year long, there are various fruits that can be thrown into this comforting sweet treat. Why not combine the strawberries and peaches, and make a cobbler cupcake?!

Behold, the peach-strawberry cobbler cupcake, with cinnamon cream cheese frosting, and brown sugar sprinkled on top. And blue sprinkles to match the colors of the baby shower.

Bowling Birthday Party

2011-11-09T16:25:00.000-08:00

A friend's little boy was having a birthday party at a bowling alley, and asked if I could create a cake that would fit with that theme. I had so much fun coming up with this one! They only wanted a small personal cake for the birthday boy, and cupcakes for his guests. I made bowling pins and balls out of fondant for cupcake toppers.

Cupcake flavors (from left to right) are: banana cupcakes with honey-cinnamon cream cheese frosting; chocolate cupcakes with chocolate buttercream; and lemon cupcakes with lemon cream cheese frosting.

Baby Shower for Liam!

2011-11-09T16:16:00.000-08:00

A fun cake for a friend's baby shower.

1st Birthday Smash Cake

2011-06-05T14:57:00.000-07:00

Our family grew by two last summer when we added two foster children into our clan. On Payton's first birthday, we wanted to give him a safari-themed birthday party, and this smash cake was just for him.

Everything Coming Up Roses

2011-06-05T14:51:00.000-07:00

A customer ordered some cupcakes for Mother's Day. Nothing fancy, just some delicious cupcakes. I wanted to do something to make them special, so I frosted them using a slightly different technique - rather than frosting from the outside-in, I reversed the direction, going from the inside-out. Thus creating an effect that looked like roses! And what mother doesn't want a dozen roses for Mother's Day?!

Batman and Robin Party!

2011-06-05T14:44:00.000-07:00

Oh, how I love little boys! My boys celebrate their birthdays together. Their likes and interests change rapidly, but their obsession with the old Adam West Batman and Robin series has stuck for nearly a year now. For their birthdays, all they wanted was Batman and Robin cake pops. I was happy to oblige!

Lady Bugs!

2011-06-05T14:36:00.000-07:00

I love Spring - the way the weather slowly changes, my favorite flowers coming to bloom, the warm (but not hot!) weather that just SCREAMS for you to sit and soak up. I couldn't resist making some lady bug cupcakes to celebrate the coming of Spring!

A Princess Party

2011-06-05T14:31:00.000-07:00

Easter!

2011-04-19T10:20:00.000-07:00

I do love Easter. Next to Christmas, it is my favorite celebration of the year. I also love spring, with the weather starting to turn, my favorite flowers in bloom, and little things being born everywhere you look. Makes me feel like a kid again!

Some of my favorite Easter memories are dying eggs with my mom and sister, and the baskets my mom always creatively put together for us. The eggs were always a huge mess, and I swear I had vinegar-smelling stained fingers for days. But they were just so much fun to do! Peeps might have been one of my favorite treats, along with the Cadbury eggs. So I decided to get a little creative with the Easter treats this year. Rather than going out and buying a bunch of candy (which would only be thrown away later), I made my own sweets!

Another Ruffle Cake

2011-04-19T08:23:00.000-07:00

A surprise birthday cake for a friend. Chocolate cake, with rich espresso chocolate ganache, and chocolate mousse buttercream.

Maple Cupcakes

2011-04-19T08:21:00.000-07:00

I love maple. I'm talking REAL maple, not the cheap syrup from the supermarket. Not that there's anything wrong with those. I have very fond memories of drowning my pancakes and waffles in gobs of cheap syrup. Yum.

These, ladies and gents, are maple cupcakes, inspired by a hankering I had for some maple something-or-other. I pondered whether or not to add bacon on the top...But since I didn't have any on hand, I really didn't feel like going out to the store just to get some bacon!

Maple cupcakes with maple cream cheese frosting. So divine!

Circle of Hope Breast Cancer Fundraiser

2011-03-28T13:26:00.000-07:00

A friend from the MOMS Club in Castaic, CA asked me to participate in a fundraiser over the weekend for Circle of Hope. Because this is a cause that is very near and dear to my heart, I jumped at the chance to help this group of moms raise money for this charity. Here are some pictures of the cupcakes and cake pops that they sold.

Pink cake pops were red velvet, with cream cheese frosting, dipped in pink white chocolate, and drizzled with white chocolate. I used white dusting sugar to give them an extra something special. White cake pops were chocolate espresso, with chocolate Kahlua buttercream frosting, dipped and drizzled with white chocolate, and dusted with pink dusting sugar.

Chocolate cupcakes with a mini peanut butter cup baked right inside, and peanut butter cream cheese frosting. Because the fundraiser was for a breast cancer charity, I wanted to stick with the pink theme, so I rolled pink fondant on top of a lace impression mold, and used a circular cutter to cut the disks out of it. Then I dusted them with shimmery luster dust to give it a sparkle.

Red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. I made the pink ribbon out of fondant, and used edible glitter to make it sparkle. Too bad it didn't come out in the picture!

And my favorite - strawberry lemon drop cupcakes, with lemon drop frosting and fresh strawberry sauce drizzled on top! That's right, lemon drop - like the drink! I had a few extra cupcakes leftover, and ate them for breakfast as a muffin the next morning! The Vodka really enhanced the strawberry and lemon flavors in the cupcake and frosting. So delicious! I sprinkled pearlized sugar dragees on top.

100% of the proceeds from our donation went to Circle of Hope. Thanks to MOMS Club for inviting us to participate in such an important event!

Wedding Cake

2011-03-23T13:45:00.000-07:00

White lace wedding cake with white garden rose, and pink fondant accents

St. Patty's Day Cake Pops

2011-03-16T11:57:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Norwalk High School for using Joy Bug Bakery to provide cake pops for their fundraiser!

Lemon cake pops, tinted green. White chocolate with green drizzle, and green chocolate with white sprinkles. Enjoy!

Another Wedding Cake

2011-03-16T11:51:00.000-07:00

I hand-painted the gold detail on this cake. This one was a lot of fun to do. I wanted the gold circles to have a hammered look, so I used a round tool to press the divots. The lighter green strips were rolled on an impression mat for their design. For the darker green strips, I used a small paring knife to give it a ribbed look.

Rustic Cakes

2011-03-10T11:26:00.000-08:00

Here at Joybug Bakery, we receive many inquiries for cakes. While my passion is with designing and creating unique wedding cakes, I felt we needed to be able to come up with some designs that would fit in our more frugal clientele's budgets. I have seen a technique around quite a lot lately, and started asking questions. After taking an AMAZING class with a friend of mine, she helped me perfect the ruffled buttercream technique pictured below.

Chocolate Mexican Cake

2011-03-10T11:25:00.000-08:00

I was asked to create a unique cake for a birthday get-together. Nothing fancy - just something tasty. I can do tasty! I decided on my no-fail chocolate cake, which I filled with a rich chocolate chili ganache frosting, and then frosted the outside of the cake in chocolate ganache. The cake had so much flavor, and just the right amount of punch to it with the chili. It was a huge hit!

A Sampling of Flavors

2011-03-10T10:52:00.000-08:00

These cupcakes were for a sampling I did. Brown sugar cupcakes, with a chocolate peanut butter ganache filling, peanut butter cream cheese frosting, and a caramel sauce drizzled on top. We also have chocolate espresso cupcakes, with chocolate ganache filling, chocolate Kahlua ganache frosting, and cocoa nibblets. The feedback? The best cupcakes they'd ever tasted!

Cake Pops

2011-02-20T20:13:00.000-08:00

I love how crazy my clients go for cake pops (alternately called "Galie-pops" by friends and family!). Cake pops can be a fun alternative to cupcakes. They are cake crumbs rolled into a ball, poked with a stick, and then dipped in colored white chocolate. They can be drizzled with more chocolate, covered in sprinkles - or left alone, which is just fine, too! Cake pops are perfect for just a little something sweet, when you don't want a whole cupcake or a cake. After all, who can resist bite-sized cake on a stick?

White chocolate can be colored to match the colors in your event. We hand select ribbons to coordinate as well.

Cupcakes

2011-02-19T17:44:00.000-08:00

Red velvet and chocolate cupcakes, with small fondant flower accent. Which is your favorite picture?

Thanks to my friend JC Salazar for the pictures! (Isn't he AMAZING?!)

Wedding Cake

2011-02-19T17:28:00.001-08:00

There's nothing like having creative freedom in the cake designing business. I wanted to create something simple and streamlined for this cake, yet I wanted each tier to be different from the next. I had found a ribbon in a beautiful shade of purple, and based the cake's design off of that. How lucky was I to have found some hydrangeas in the same shade?!

Cupcakes

2010-10-06T14:58:00.000-07:00

When a friend asked me last-minute to provide a dozen cupcakes for a bridal shower she was hosting, I had a moment of panic. A bridal shower! Those are special momentous occasions! I decided on simple, yet flavorful buttermilk cupcakes, which was paired with a rich chocolte ganache frosting. I didn't have a lot of information to go off of, only a black and red color scheme. I chose a gauzy red ribbon to wrap around the cupcakes, and sprinkled some pearlized sugar dragees on top of the frosting. To give them an extra feminine flair, I added a small fondant flower to each cupcake. The results were beautiful and simple cupcakes that made the bride oh so happy!

You Ain't Nuthin' But a Hound Dog...

2010-10-06T13:45:00.000-07:00

How can you say no when someone asks you to make a cake with The King on it? The palm trees and coconuts were waaaaaay too much fun!

Wedding Shower Cookies

2010-09-30T14:46:00.000-07:00

My first cookies, for a bridal shower. I'd like to think I've come a long way!

Hold Me Closer, Tiny Dancer!

2010-09-30T14:44:00.001-07:00

My daughter, Hannah, danced for three years, until her real love - soccer - took hold of her heart. I still hear Lionel's song in my head. She was my inspiration when I did these cookies - and they got her stamp of approval.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache Frosting

2010-09-30T14:43:00.000-07:00

For the chocolate-lover who just likes things simple. Super moist and flavorful chocolate cupcakes, with a rich chocolate ganache frosting on top. Why? Because! A girl's got to have chocolate!

Zebra Print Gift Box Cake

2010-09-30T14:42:00.000-07:00

A popular design, and a favorite of mine in the novelty genre. Zebra-print cake!

Everybody Was Kung-Fu Fighting....!

2010-09-30T14:40:00.000-07:00

My kids love Mixed Martial Arts. They train at a local dojo, and all the kids there really got into Kung-Fu Panda. I decided to surprise them with a panda cake one day.

Animal Cakes

2010-09-30T14:39:00.000-07:00

This cake turned out to be one of my all-time favorite novelty cakes. I had the most easy-going parents come in, wanting a cake for their son's first birthday. The theme was barnyard. They didn't have any special requests - just that it fit in that theme. After discarding more drafts than I cared to count, I came up with this cake. And giggled every time I thought about it. I mean - she has udders! And a cow bell!

I love frogs. They're just so cool and fascinating. I decided to make a frog out of fondant. And then I decided my frog needed a pond to live in. A pond isn't complete without lily pads and flowers, right? Right?!

Bunny Cake

2010-09-30T14:38:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine came to me when she was creating a baby shower on a buget. She wanted to incorporate the bedding pattern and colors from the nursery, and really wanted a special bunny to be recreated on the cake somewhere - the same bunny that was the centerpiece for the shower decorations. I came up with this:

Chocolate and vanilla fondant, with fondant bunnies, birds, and dragonflies to match the pattern on the bedding. I created an extra-special cake topper that was an exact replica of the bunny being used in the party.

Wedding Cake

2010-09-30T14:37:00.000-07:00

Buttercream wedding cake, with swirl detail. Simple, yet beautiful!

Rubber Ducky!

2010-05-10T23:03:00.000-07:00

I learned about piping gel and painting with real silver flakes the same morning. The result was this oh-so-cute duck. The tub was made out of two jumbo-sized cupcakes placed side by side, which was then covered in white fondant. I added some blue dye to the piping gel, and texurized it to make it look like water in a tub.

Dodgers Hat Cake

2010-05-10T22:51:00.000-07:00

Because I am such a huge Dodgers fan...I couldn't turn this one down. Think Blue!

Whimsical Cake

2010-05-10T22:45:00.000-07:00

I was asked to make a high school graduation/prom cake, with champagne glasses and bubbles on it. I twisted some wire, and rolled balls of fondant in shimmer dust to give it a sparkle effect. The silver balls, silver stripes, and silver top tier all had to be hand-painted with real silver flakes. I have to say, it was much fancier than any cake I ever recieved in high school!

Baby Shower Cookies

2010-05-10T21:52:00.000-07:00

Carriage Cookies

Rocking Horses

Baby Feet Cookies

Cherry Blossom Wedding Cake

2010-05-10T21:44:00.000-07:00

To create the cherry blossoms for this cake, I wrapped florist tape around wire, then curved it around the cake. The gum paste blossoms and orchids were hand-dusted to match the colors of the wedding party.

Little Lamb Baby Shower Cake

2010-05-10T21:29:00.000-07:00

This cake was designed to match the baby shower invitations. I was absolutely in love with the little lamb I made for the topper. I used fondant to shape the body and head, and then piped royal icing all the way around to creat the look of the wool. I loved this one!

Barbie Cupcake

2010-05-06T23:03:00.001-07:00

Matel came out with a retro design to celebrate Barbie's birthday. In honor of that, a friend asked me to make her mom a special mini-cake for Mother's Day. I piped Barbie's silouette with black royal icing, and then drew her name. It was a fun challenge!

Strawberry Cupcakes

2010-01-03T19:02:00.000-08:00

For the strawberry lovers! These cupcakes are seasonal, because we only use fresh strawberries in them. I tried frozen once, and the outcome left something to be desired! Sure makes a wonderfully refreshing summer treat!

Mocha Cupcakes

2010-01-02T18:08:00.000-08:00

Espresso cupcakes with mocha Swiss meringue frosting!

Soccer Cupcakes

2009-12-14T13:43:00.000-08:00

My kids get to have the coolest cupcakes at their end of season soccer parties. I rolled whit fondant to shape the balls, then cut out black fondant to add the detail. The grass is just buttercream that I colored green. They were thrilled!

I also had the opportunity to make some cupcakes for a grand opening event for the Long Beach Futsal Indoor Soccer arena. Thank you to the Caparelli family for letting me help them celebrate their big day!

Christmas Cupcakes

2009-12-01T21:43:00.000-08:00

Santa and Rudolph faces were cut out of fondant then decorated with white melted chocolate of different colors. Rudolph's nose is a red hot

Rudolph and Clarisse cupcakes were covered and decorated in fondant. Pearlized sugar dragees were used for Clarisse's polka dots!

Snowflake made out of white chocolate

Ornaments made out of fondant, and detailed with white chocolate

Snowglobe made out of fondant and hand-painted detail.

Thanksgiving Cupcakes

2009-11-15T14:13:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving cupcake - to give you something to be thankful about! Fondant leaves, rolled sprinkles, and fondant turkey (with a candy corn nose!)

Popcorn!

2009-11-11T16:12:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I get a little bored. Sometimes my creative GENIUS gets hold of me, and I just let it do its thing. Behold: "popcoron" cupcakes. To create the popcorn, I cut up mini white and yellow marshmellows, and stuck them together with a little buttercream. I then stuck them on frosted mini cupcakes.

Who's got the movie?

Monsters!!!

2009-11-11T16:08:00.000-08:00

Playing with some ideas for a montser-themed baby shower. Which ones are your favorites?

Vanilla Horse Cupcakes

2009-11-08T17:27:00.000-08:00

My first venture into the wonderful world of all things novelty was following a request from a friend to provide cupcakes for her daughter's Western-themed birthday party. I wanted to come up with something different, something that was sure to please a bunch of 9 year olds, and something decidedly WESTERN. So I got some wafer cookies, some white and milk chocolate, some peanuts and some pretzles, and went to work. What I came up with was this:

I piped the milk chocolate on the wafer for the mane, and the pretzle for the tail. I also added some spots to the horse's "torso". I tried to find the Circus peanuts candies, but had to settle for regular old peanuts - but I was trying to make the entire cupcake edible. Who wants to have to pick off a peanut shell from the top of a cupcake?! Regardless, the birthday girl was beyond excited, so I'd have to say overall, it was a job well done. Not bad for my first attempt!