bakery cook and tips: How to Make a Christmas Bunting Cake

To say that I have the best sister ever is an understatement. Totally.

She's way more than amazing! I could go on and on (yeah I love lists, don't I?) as to why she is the world's best sister but let's leave that for her birthday.

Anyway, for my Christmas gift this year from her, we're going on an island getaway!!! "Oh no, I'm not beach ready!" says my muffin top but I am bubbling with excitement!! Thanks, T__e_g! :)

I don't know about you but I am what they say a laid back vacationer. I am content to spread a beach towel on the white sand, sit comfortably and read (and enjoy a mojito if I'm feeling fancy). So instead of searching the web for the best of what the island has to offer, I am up over at Amazon searching for the best beach read this Christmas. Here are my choices (in no particular order) -

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Evertaster by Adam Glendon Sidwell
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

I not sure if you've noticed, but my current state of mind seems to scream that I'm totally gravitating towards books with food as the theme. Hmmm, I'm not sure if that means anything *wink*

Anyway, before we leave for the island in a few days, I made you a bunting cake - Christmas style. Here's a shot of the red bunting flags.

And what is Christmas with out giving gifts? Here are some waiting for Santa to pick them up for nice little kids all over the globe (and probably beyond? Who knows.)

And if you've been very good little boys and little girls who are really nice and patient enough to still be reading at this point, here is a little surprise inside.

Want to know how I made the cake? Today's you're lucky day because I'm going to show you how it's done, Bake Happy style.

How to Make a Christmas Bunting Cake

What we need:

Vanilla Cake

Your choice of buttercream or creamcheese frosting

Red Striped Straws

Red Striped Baker's Twine

Fondant Gift Toppers

Barbecue sticks

Red Wooden Beads

Red Construction Paper

Paste/Scissors

Here's how:

(1) Make the vanilla cake. I used Magnolia Bakery's recipe

Magnolia Bakery's Vanilla Cake Recipe
adapted from the The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 bottle McCormick Red Food Coloring
1 bottle McCormick Green Food Coloring

Sift together/dry whisk flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, slowly. Add a third of the dry ingredients, then half of the milk. Repeat till all is combined. Lastly, add vanilla.

Then divide the batter into two, coloring one red. In my case, there was more red than green (sorry po, tao lang :) )

And the other half green.

Bake in 7-inch round pans for 30-40 minutes or until done at 350F. Let it cool

(2) Make the frosting
(3) So, as I said, there were more red cake than green cake in my cake and luckily it worked on my favor since I get to divide the red cake in three parts and the green one in to two. Let's start assembing (Ohh.. this is where the fun starts!!!). Place a red layer as a base, then spread some frosting.

(4) Followed by a green one, then a red, then a green... you get the picture :)

(5) Until you come up with this. Then, cover the whole thing in frosting.

(6) Make the fondant gifts.
How to make Fondant Gift Topper
What we need:
Fondant in green, pink, yellow and blue
Silicon mold for ribbons

Create some ribbons from the fondant using the mold

Shape squares from the fondant.

Cover it with a thin fondant stripe resembling a ribbon

Top with the mold we made earlier.

Here are the mixed and matched gifts

(7) Poke two barbeque sticks onto the cake in a slanting position. They will be the guide for the straw.

(8) Now add the red striped straws

(9) Add wooden beads (luckily, I was able to find some at home bought at Divisoria a few years back), I don't know how I pulled it off but I attached the beads to the straws using red fondant. Tie the baker's twine to connect the two poles.