Honey, Vanilla & Lavender Beehive Macaron Cake!

One of the perks of our job is that when either one of our birthdays makes its way around we end up creating a hell of a cake for ourselves! This Honey, Vanilla and Lavender Beehive Macaron Cake is by no means an exception. To celebrate Krystle’s (the Welsh half of Juniper Cakery) 28th birthday we set to work designing, baking and decorating this impressive beehive inspired macaron tower. 

Beehive Macaron Cake by Juniper Cakery

The cake itself is vanilla filled and iced with a wildflower honey buttercream whilst the macarons that adorn it are honey, vanilla and lavender flavoured. The bottom tier is covered with gold painted fondant ‘sequins’.

Beehive Macaron Cake by Juniper Cakery

Being Welsh, an outdoors-y woman and harbouring a life-long fascination with bees this was an obvious cake for Krystle. We took inspiration from beehives, botanical illustrations, anything and everything golden and glamorous and full bouquets of seasonal blossoms to design this cake.

Beehive Macaron Cake by Juniper Cakery

Beehive Macaron Cake by Juniper Cakery

After affixing the honey, vanilla and lavender macarons to the cake tower we embellished them with handmade ivory sugar gum paste roses and leaves, gold painted fondant bees and soft lavender hydrangea blossoms.

Beehive Macaron Cake by Juniper Cakery

The ‘sequin’ tier took an excruciating amount of work and time to create! For a while we kept spotting fondant sequin cakes doing the rounds on various blogs and online magazines from across the pond and we had been itching to re-create this! It took the both of us over 10 hours to make!

The cake board was fun to decorate too! The large hexagon shaped board was covered with a cream fondant then embossed with a honeycomb pattern, brushed with gold lustre dust and dotted with gold painted fondant bees!

Beehive Macaron Cake by Juniper Cakery

The top of the macaron cake tower was finished with a gum paste finial that was then hand painted gold. The design was influenced by pollen, floral petals, the abdomen of a honey bee and by the finials that perch atop historical buildings.

Beehive Macaron Cake by Juniper Cakery

We added a little bit of fun by attaching some gold painted fondant bees onto a few blossoms as well as clustered onto the macarons.

Beehive Macaron Cake by Juniper CakeryBeehive Macaron Cake by Juniper Cakery

This cake took so much time and effort to create, but it was worth it! This cake is the perfect combination of both of our personal styles. It incorporates our love of nature, food (of course!) and even architecture.

Beehive Macaron Cake by Juniper Cakery

 

Mother’s Day Tutorial: Daffodil & Rose Adorned Cupcakes!

Instead of a bouquet of flowers for Mother’s Day (March 30th in the UK) why not give our recipe and tutorial a try and create a gorgeous floral collection of delectable cupcakes? We’ve created some ever so sweet daffodil and rose cupcakes for you to re-create at home! Perhaps the only thing better than a lovely bundle of flowers is a batch of floral decorated cupcakes?

How to create sugar daffodil flowers and roses…

Daffodil and rose adorned cupcakes by Juniper Cakery

Cupcakes adorned with daffodils and roses by Juniper Cakery

To create an abundant bouquet feel we clustered a few daffodils together atop of each delicious cupcake! Instead you can mix roses and daffodils together or keep it simple with a single flower nestled into the buttercream of each cake.

Floral decorated mother's day cupcakes by Juniper Cakery

Cupcakes with roses and daffodil sugar flowers by Juniper Cakery

Why not add adorable fondant ladybugs, caterpillars or butterflies nestled in between your sugar blossoms for a fun collection of garden themed cupcakes?

How to make sugar daffodil cupcake toppers…

You will need…

Fondant rolling pin
Mexican flower foam pad
Icing sugar to dust
Flower foam pad
Ball tool
Veining tool
Plain stamens
Tylo powder
Yellow fondant /sugarpaste
Darker yellow/orange fondant / sugarpaste
Edible glue
Tapered 6 point star tool
Blade tool
Cocktail stick

Learn how to create a sugar daffodil by Juniper Cakery

Step one: Using a Mexican flower foampad create a hat-like shape from yellow fondant / sugarpaste. To do this roll out a ball of fondant over the largest hole in your mexican flower foam pad. When you carefully tease this out you should be left with a flat rolled out fondant… but with a tapered or tube-like shape on one end.

Create a gum paste daffodil by Juniper Cakery

Step two: On the completely flat side use the 6 point side of your tapered star tool to indent a 6 point star in the centre of the fondant. This will mark where each of your six petals will separate.

Tutorial on how to make a sugar gum paste daffodil by Juniper Cakery

Step three: With the blade tool carefully cut the fondant with the cuts matching up to the points of the indentation made with your 6 point tapered star tool. These will become your petals.

Tutorial for a sugar daffodil flower by Juniper Cakery

Step four: Add detail by using the veining tool to draw lines on the petals. Shape, thin and ruffle each petal tip using your ball tool and flower foam pad. Then pinch the tip of each petal to create shape. Use a little edible glue to secure each pinched tip if needed. Set aside.

Gum paste daffodil tutorial by Juniper Cakery

Step five: To create the ruffled centre roll out some darker yellow / orange fondant into a oblong shape. Thin and ruffle the edges using your ball tool and flower foam pad. 

Sugar daffodil tutorial by Juniper Cakery

Step six: Loosely roll up the oblong shaped fondant and pinch one end. Cut some of the pinched of section if necessary. Take your taper star tool and indent the middle of the base of the ruffled section just made. Dab a little edible glue on the indentation inside the ruffled piece.

How to make a sugar daffodil flower by Juniper Cakery

Step seven: Take some stamens, fold them and using a cocktail stick push them into the indentation inside the ruffled section.

How to make a sugar daffodil by Juniper Cakery

Step eight: Add a little edible glue onto the middle of the petal section that had been set aside and attach the ruffled middle. Hold until set.

How to make sugar rose cupcake toppers…

You will need…

Fondant rolling pin
Flower foam pad
Ball tool
Lavender coloured fondant / sugarpaste
Olive green coloured fondant / sugarpaste
Icing sugar to dust
Rose petal cutters
Cocktail stick
Tylo powder
Edible glue
Rose leaf plunger cutter

How to make a sugar rose by Juniper Cakery

 Step one: The night before you begin your roses you need to prepare your buds! Take a small amount of fondant / sugarpaste mixed with tylo powder and form into a ball then taper into a bud shape. Take a cocktail stick and add edible glue to one end. Push the edible glue covered end into the base of the cocktail stick (just past half way) and leave to harden overnight.

Step two: Roll out your fondant / sugarpaste thinly on a surface dusted with icing sugar. Using the largest rose petal cutter cut out a petal from the fondant. Using your ball tool and flower foam pad thin and ruffle out the edges of the petal.

How to make a gum paste rose by Juniper Cakery

Step three: Dab some edible glue onto the bud. Attach the petal with the tip of the petal over the top of the bud. Carefully wrap the petal around the bud forming a peak at the top and ensure your bud overlaps down one side.

Tutorial on how to create a sugar rose by Juniper Cakery

Step four: Next cut two petals using a petal cutter a little longer than the bud. Thin and ruffle out the edges of the petal. Attach around the bud of your rose whilst carefully curving and shaping the edges of the two petals.

Learn how to create a gum paste rose by Juniper Cakery

Step five: Now cut three petals using the same petal cutter used in step four. Using edible glue arrange these around your growing rose. Remember to overlap each petal slightly and place alternatively to the layer before. Carefully curve and shape the edges of the three petals.

Sugar rose tutorial by Juniper Cakery

Step six: Now cut five petals using a larger petal cutter than the one used in step four. Using edible glue arrange these around your growing rose. Remember to overlap each petal slightly and place alternatively to the layer before. Carefully curve and shape the edges of the five petals.

Step seven: For the rose leaf roll out some olive green fondant thinly and use a medium rose leaf plunger cutter to cut out a leaf.

Cupcakes topped with gum paste daffodils and roses by Juniper Cakery

After piping your cupcakes with buttercream nestle your blossoms atop each one and enjoy!

 

Happy St. Patrick’s Day: Black Velvet Cupcake Recipe!

On St. Patrick’s Day it’s tradition to knock back a bit of a tipple (or hundred) and who are we to break with tradition. To celebrate we decided to share our recipe for our lovely Black Velvet Cupcake; a baked treat that takes it’s name and flavour from the Guinness based cocktail! It was invented in London in 1861, but it utilises that deliciously famous Irish stout from the Emerald Isle so we thought this would be a recipe befitting any St. Patrick’s Day shindig. Our infamous Black Velvet Cupcake is a lovely dark chocolate cake infused with Guinness before being swirled with a creamy champagne buttercream; two boozy elements in one recipe!

St. Patrick's Day Guinness and Dark Chocolate Cupcake Recipe by Juniper Cakery

St. Patrick's Day Guinness and Dark Chocolate Cupcake Recipe by Juniper Cakery

St. Patrick's Day Guinness and Dark Chocolate Cupcake Recipe by Juniper Cakery

For some handy and lovely champagne essence visit our e-store to pick up a bottle! It’s a great thing to have when whipping up small batches of champagne infused treats.

We adorned our Black Velvet Cupcakes with emerald coloured white chocolate piped into sugar sand sprinkled shamrocks. Why not topple gold wrapped chocolate coins on top, swirl a little green buttercream atop or simply dust with cocoa for a wonderful treat. 

Whatever you plan on doing for St. Patrick’s Day (whether celebrating or not) we hope you enjoy a wonderful time!

 

Fairy Tale Recipe & Tutorial: Shooting Star Cupcakes!

This week we’ve put together a wonderfully adorable fondant / sugarpaste tutorial on how to create some bright shooting stars. These are perfect for baby showers, kids’ parties, birthdays or themed events. We’ve also included a recipe for deliciously sweet and tangy lemonade cupcakes which are sure to be a hit with all ages!

Shooting Star Cupcake tutorial by Juniper Cakery

Shooting Star Cupcake tutorial by Juniper Cakery

Shooting Star Cupcake tutorial by Juniper Cakery

Fondant Shooting Star Decor

You will need…

Yellow fondant
Black fondant (optional)
Sprinkles (optional)
Ball tool
Scallop tool
Icing sugar to dust
Fondant rolling pin
Star cutter
Cling film
Water
Paintbrush
Edible or non-toxic cake decorating glitter (optional)
Melted white chocolate

step02

Step one: Roll out some yellow fondant to a thickness of approx. 7mm and sandwich this between two pieces of cling film before cutting out your star shape. The cling film on top helps create clean, rounded edges whilst the cling film under the fondant prevents the shape sticking to the surface.

step3

Step two: Carefully shape the star into a chunkier shape by rounded the tips with your fingers.

step4

Step three: Add cute facial details with a ball tool and scallop tool. At this stage you can add eyes with springs, sugar pearls, balls of fondant etc.

step5

Step four: Create the shooting star’s tail by rolling out ‘ropes’ of fondant that taper off.

step6

Step five: Create three ‘ropes’ to form the tail and arrange. Glue these together with either water or melted white chocolate. Once dry attach the tail to the back of the star with melted white chocolate. Then you can add edible glitter, lustre dust, sprinkles etc!

To assemble your Shooting Star Cupcakes pipe your lemon cupcakes with the freshly made lemonade buttercream (we used a disposable piping bag fitted with an 828 piping tip) then carefully nestle a shooting star atop each once set. Place on a tiered cupcake stand amidst star shaped confetti for a playful and tempting display!

Shooting Star Cupcake tutorial by Juniper Cakery

 

Roses, Cosmetics and Jewels Birthday Cake!

Here’s a lovely and bright cosmetics bag cake with a vintage twist that we created for a friend’s daughter! We were asked to design and make a polka dot make-up bag cake fit for an 18th birthday with a slight vintage feel, a tassel and a fresh colour palette. We were, otherwise, given creative license so with the previous requests we settled upon a cream, turquoise, gold and coral pink colour scheme paired with hand made roses, pearl jewellery, a quilted and sugar pearl studded board and vintage inspired cosmetic pieces. 

Cosmetics and Jewels Cake by Juniper Cakery

Cosmetics and Jewels Cake by Juniper Cakery

Above is a close-up of some of the details of the cake including the gold fondant tassel, pearl necklace (complete with an ornate clasp), nail polish bottle, pearl ring, brooch, small parfum bottle and a lipstick inspired by the Estée Lauder Signature lip-colour in ‘Portofino Coral’.

Cosmetics and Jewels Cake by Juniper Cakery

The cake itself is a lovely soft and moist chocolate fudge cake with silky smooth chocolate fudge buttercream frosting. It’s then smothered with a milk chocolate ganache before being iced with fondant and decorated.

Cosmetics and Jewels Cake by Juniper Cakery

We loved creating the vintage inspired jewels, make-up items and sugar roses as well as hand-painting aspects of the cake in gold! They all help to lend a more grown-up and elegant feel to the cake whilst combined with a bright and fun colour palette.

Cosmetics and Jewels Cake by Juniper Cakery

Cosmetics and Jewels Cake by Juniper Cakery

Above is a photograph of the side of the cake capturing the gold fondant tassel and pearl necklace. We added stitching detail, a lovely pearlescent sheen to the fondant pearls, and a  glowing hand-painted gold shimmer, 

Cosmetics and Jewels Cake by Juniper Cakery

Cosmetics and Jewels Cake by Juniper Cakery

This cake was such fun to create! We loved adding the sweet yet fun little touches of jewellery, old fashioned style cosmetics, a personalised name plaque, etc. 

 

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