Friday Faves: October-ganza

I'm not sure when it happened, but we're already about to start the third week in October. Craziness. I've been busy at work between my pastry cook day job and some new wedding cake plans but I've managed to squeeze in lots of Fall activities for some inspiration in between:

Favorite October Activity: Apple Picking

I headed to Carter's Mountain Orchard last weekend outside of Charlottesville on a hunt for cider donuts and freshly plucked Jonagold's. I have big plans for apple sauce, apple butter and possibly some caramel apple cider cupcakes.

Favorite October Aroma: Roasting Butternut Squash

Last night I roasted a perfectly ready butternut squash with rosemary, sage and a libery apple. It made my whole house smell like Fall while it baked away for an hour. Now it's a puree that is destined to become a delicious soup. Don't worry- more on roasting squashes later, especially of the pumpkin variety.

Favorite October Breakfast: Blueberry Almond Steel Cut Oats

In keeping with the Fall foods theme, there's nothing like waking up to a warm and creamy bowl of steel cut oats made with almond milk, homemade summer blueberry jam and even a few chocolate chips.

Favorite October Flavor: Figs

I'm loving the figs that keep rolling in from late summer and this chocolate, olive oil and fig mini cake from Food Network Magazine looks amazing.

Favorite October Cake: Ghost Mallows

Such an original fall cake idea to stuff a cake with homemade ghost marshmallows complete with a little ghost family on top. I love the contrast of dark chocolate on white marshmallow, and how the figure can still be seen in each slice.

Happy October weekend, go outside and enjoy it!

Friday Faves

My weekends are a little different now that I'm officially living in Virginia for the next six months while I'm completing my externship for pastry school. Yesterday  was my "Monday" and I'll continue working all weekend as the restaurant life goes. But I'm more inspired than ever so I still wanted to take a moment and share a few of my favorite pictures from this week, that you can enjoy on your hopefully relaxing Friday. It's no big secret that I love Fall and all it's flavors, textures and cooler weather. So prepare yourself for a Fall overload now that it's actually here:

Favorite Fall Cake: Subtle vs. In your face Fall

I couldn't pick so here's two. I love how earthy but romantic the first one is because that's exactly how this season makes me feel. The second one would be a fun update on my caramel apple cider cake, or even my chocolate cinnamon pear cake.

Favorite Fall Cake Stand: Planter style

What a perfect way to recycle empty pots and planters now that the weather is cooling down. These would be great for a fall baby or bridal shower.

Favorite Colors: Autumn hues, what else.

Favorite View: White Oak Canyon, Va

I went hiking this week in Virginia for the first time in years and I'm just falling in love with this state all over again. Can't get enough of those beautiful baby blue mountains!

Friday Faves

I'm headed into my last weekend here in Hyde Park, NY for a while as I'm gearing up to move back to Virginia for five whole months! Smack in the middle of my program here is the externship portion. Externship is basically an 18-week long on-the-job class. We apply to them from a long list of sites approved by the Culinary Institute, and then you're on your own to get one just like a job. I'm crazy excited to be heading back to my roots in VA and it's gotten me feeling so inspired lately about so many things:

Favorite cake stand: Antique-y

I love how the different edges and colors of the plates contrast, but still seem to just fit together. This dessert stand is just so pretty and sweet, just like some of my latest dessert bar items.

Favorite Birthday Cake: Sprinkles

I found this gem on Pinterest this week and fell in love. Such a clean design but still fun and creative for a birthday. I think the reverse would be awesome too, with the number in sprinkles and white around.

Favorite Cupcake: Caramel Apple Cider

I'm starting to get SO excited about my favorite food season of the year- Fall. These cupcakes were part of a fall flavors series that I wrote a few years ago, and they're still one of my favorites. It's an apple spice cake topped with fluffy cream cheese frosting and a whiskey caramel drizzle. 

Favorite Book: Cooked by Michael Pollan

I can't put this baby down. Michael Pollan makes me wish I had majored in Anthropology in college. The guy just gets it and he goes on the craziest adventures in the name of food. Definitely recommend!

Favorite View:

This is what my backyard currently looks like. When I move back to VA for externship I will definitely miss being this close to the Hudson river's beauty.

Friday Faves

Just in time for another weekend, here's a few of my favorite things that I found inspiring this gorgeous week in the Hudson Valley:

Favorite Summer Wedding Cake: The Naked Cake

There's something so crisp and summery about the way a naked cake topped with fresh cut flowers and juicy berries looks. I love this trend in general because I love seeing the colorful layers of a cake, but also because baring all in summer seems especially appropriate.

Favorite Instagram: 

Of my favorite breakfast and my favorite mag. Berries I picked from this farm last weekend, greek yogurt, museli and honey plus Bon Appetit's best restaurants edition made my morning.

Favorite Song: Burn- Ellie Goulding

This week (today!) I'm taking my 2nd term practical in pastry school and it's for all the marbles. Needed a little extra push and having this song in my head helped me through. Also Ellie Goulding is just the sh!t. This song will definitely be making it on my next wedding cake day playlist.

Favorite Quote: TJ

See above. Always persevere. 

Friday Faves

Sometimes I wonder where people went for inspiration before Pinterest. No but seriously- I was a cake decorator long before Pinterest was born, but now that I have it it's hard to imagine my work life without my precious database of beauty and crafts. I've found Pinterest to be an invaluable tool when it comes to both brainstorming and communicating with a client. I frequently find myself on idea overload when designing a cake, and it can be hard to explain what I'm thinking. Pinterest helps to communicate ideas visually instead of verbally so that I can . Brides can post pictures to the same board that I created for them and leave comments on what they like or don't like. It's the perfect way for me to access and share ideas for cakes, and now I'm going to share my favorite finds and what I'm currently digging here each Friday:

Favorite cake:

This spring-y tiered cake from Confetti Cakes that combines the smooth, flat surface of fondant and the 3-D pop of gumpaste hydrangeas. I love how they're coming out of the sides of the cake instead of the more traditional way of sitting on the ledges in between the tiers.

Favorite new technique:

The idea of painting pretty flowers on fondant from Amelie's House. Opposite of the 3-D gumpaste, this type of flowering makes the cake look like it's covered in wallpaper. Although the flowers still have depth, the surface of the cake remains smooth and is more transportable.

Favorite cake stand: 

This natural beauty cake stand from Sarah's Cake Stands. If money were no object, I'd have 50 of these bad boys. All of her cake stands are the perfect pedestals to showcase desserts and layer cakes. 

Favorite DIY idea:

This is an AWESOME IDEA for a dessert display from Simply Sweet Weddings. It's cost effective, it's chic, it's functional. I may have spent last weekend scouring antique stores for a step ladder...

Favorite Quote:

 And lastly, this quote from the lovely Julia Child. I think we could have done some serious damage together over a piece of cake. It just doesn't get any better!

Hope your weekend is off to a creative start! Follow me on Pinterest for more inspiration and to see what cakes I'm bakin' up lately.