Monsters University Tin Can Party Cakes

This post is sponsored by Monsters University. All opinions and ideas are 100% my own.

With Halloween creeping up on us and all the parties the kids have coming up in the next week, I thought it would be fun to throw a party of our own, Monsters University style...ooh scary! But not just any Monsters-themed party, a viewing party! 

We just love the Monsters Inc. movie in our home and we practically ran to the theaters to see Monsters University when it came out this summer. So we were more than jazzed to find out it was finally being released in a Blu-ray Combo Pack on October 29....just in time for Halloween, y'all!

I thought I'd make some fun Monsters University Tin Can Cakes in Mike and Sully colors for cute party decor and food all in one!

These are so easy to make! And so cute too :-)

Just grab a white box mix and make as directed on the box or use your own trusty recipe and divide the batter between two bowls. Color one bowl lime green like Mike and one bowl aqua blue like Sully. Then wash and rinse out two 15 oz tin cans with lids removed.

Spray them with non-stick cooking spray and fill them each with batter a little over half full. Place your tin cans on a baking sheet in case they overflow while baking. Bake at 325 degrees for about 25-30 minutes. You will want to use a butter knife or something long to check for doneness. 

Once they are done, you will want to let them cool for 30 minutes to an hour before using a butter knife or a bread knife to pop them out.

To frost, use a basic buttercream (or even a store bought frosting) recipe and divide the frosting between four bowls. One you will color aqua, one purple, one white and a leeetle bowl black...I changed my mind from the picture above and decided to use white instead of lime green for Mike's cake as I liked the contrast better.

Then cut your tin can cakes into 3 pieces, slicing off the rounded top, and alternate layers with frosting. YUM!

I made the top of Mike's look like one huge eyeball!

And I made Sully's look all fuzzy by using a star-tip!

Remember, you can get your own copy of Monsters University when the Blue-ray Combo Pack is release on October 29th or you can pre-order the movie online too!

Follow Disney Pixar's Monsters University on Facebook :: Twitter :: Pinterest

 XOXO,

Penelope's Circus Party

So, I thought I would post some pictures from Penelope's little Two Year Birthday shin dig we had last week. It was a very simple Circus-themed party that we literally threw together in a few days. Unfortunately, I am never very good at taking pictures of the completed party look before everyone gets there so there aren't a whole lot of pictures of the before...mainly during the party and well, that's just gift opening mayhem and the like, so not really too exciting for y'all.

Anyways, so what I did for some Circus decor was to buy some of those fun red and white plastic popcorn containers from the dollar bins at Target. I filled them with unpopped popcorn kernels so that they wouldn't tip over and then I placed a few "Cotton Candy" sticks in them.

Do you likey? The Cotton Candy sticks are made of crumpled up pink tissue paper that I glued on some larger wooden dowels. Simple and pretty, just the way party decor should be!

We also had lots of colorful streamers around the place in primary colors...orange, blue, red, yellow and green. That helped get the Circus theme going as well. And, then of course we bought lots of balloons cause what's a circus without balloons!?!

For some light appetizer-ish food, we had peanuts in the shell and cotton candy and then we had hotdogs and chips for the meal...which was a lunch by the way :) We put the food in these nifty little red and white paper popcorn containers. I found them at Hobby Lobby for only a few dollars...love that! I also found some matching hotdog paper plates/liners there too...sorry no pictures of them!

I wanted Penelope's cake to be Circus-themed too, so I made her an Elephant cake where the elephants looked like they are walking trunk-to-tail like they do in the circus.

We had the party outside on what was said to be the hottest day of the year. So this picture of the cake isn't the best...it's looking a little melty! I made the elephants using marshmallows and toothpicks, aren't they cute!! The eyes are just dotted on from a black food writing pen.

Here's a close up of the Momma elephant...

and of course a close up of the little Baby elephant...

And, I just had to include another picture of Penelope and all her balloons. She had so much fun running around with them, it was priceless to see her big grin!! It was a great way to burn off all that cotton candy sugar insanity too!

Okay, so that's it! Hope you enjoyed a little peek at Penelope's Circus Party!

Have a great day!

A Wacky Birthday Cake {and Fluffy White Frosting}

So, here is the recipe for the birthday cake that the kids and I made for their Grandpa Sam's 69th birthday this past weekend. It is a really yummy chocolate cake that uses no eggs or dairy (the cake, not the frosting) so if you have allergies to either this is a great tasting cake to try out. I know, that finding egg or dairy free recipes that actually taste good can be hard to find but seriously, this one is a winner!!

And no, we don't have any of these allergies (that I know of anyways) I just like to find and try recipes like this for the pure fun of finding them! Weird, I know. Wanna know a little random fact about my hubby and I? Our wedding cake was an absolutely gorgeous and great tasting vegan cake...yes, they do exist! I just wish I still lived near Washington DC so I could visit the bakery that made ours for us...so good! If you live near DC you MUST buy something devine at Sticky Fingers Bakery, you will not be sorry!

Anyways, here's a look-sie at the cake we made:

Pretty, huh?

The kidlets with Grandpa Sam

Celebrating in style!

Wacky Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cup white sugar

8 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp cider vinegar

12 tbsp vegetable oil

2 cups water

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cocoa together in a large bowl. Make a depression in the center and add oil, vinegar and vanilla. Then, pour water over everything. Mix until just combined with a fork. Pour batter into two greased round baking pans and bake for 30-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes in pan and then invert cakes onto a cooling rack to cool.

Fluffy White Frosting

1 cup white sugar

1/3 cup water

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

2 egg whites

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp almond extract (I added this cause I like the flavor but if you want add it dead last to see if you are happy with just the vanilla flavor, if so then just omit it!)

In a saucepan, stir together sugar, water and cream of tartar. Cook over medium-high heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture is bubbly.

In a medium bowl, whip egg whites, vanilla and almond extract until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar mixture while whipping constantly until stiff peaks form. This will take 7-10 minutes.

First, mix the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt...

**FYI**don't use a small bowl like I did here! You'll definitely want a LARGE mixing bowl for this recipe!!

Then, add in your wet ingredients and mix until just combined with a fork.

Pour batter into your greased baking pans and bake for 30-40 minutes.

Let cool on a cooling rack completely before frosting!!

While your cake cooling, mix your sugar, water, and cream of tartar over medium-high heat and stir until bubbly.

While you are waiting for the sugar to dissolve and the bubbles to form, whip up your egg whites, vanilla and almond extracts...

until soft peaks form like these.

When your sugar syrup gets a bubblin' take it off the heat...

and slowly add it to your soft-peaked egg whites...

until you get stiff peaks like these.

Then frost your cake with that awesome-ly fluffy frosting you just made.

And don't forget to lick the bowl!!!

What a beauty!

Chocolate-y Birthday Goodness!

More Please!

Homemade Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting...YUM!

Are you guys getting sick of all my food posts lately? I just can't help it, being able to eat again is AMAZING! I think I can truly say it, "Goodbye morning sickness...Hello food!!" Yeah, I've been feeling pretty good these past two weeks. I hope I am finally into my 2nd trimester "Good" phase!!!!

So, I was totally in the mood for cupcakes today. My kidlets are always in the mood for cupcakes too so it was the perfect choice for my naptime baking this afternoon. I just LOVE this recipe for vanilla cupcakes from Billy's Bakery via Martha Stewart. It makes the best homemade cupcakes, they really are soooo good! They don't take long to mix up and bake so you get to eat them quickly...this always earns recipes an extra star in my book!

I decided to frost them and turn them into a football design. Cause that is just what you do, right!?! I think every Super Bowl party needs to have one of these on the buffet table next weekend, what do you think?

Me likey, it's just cute...and every party needs some cute!

Okay, here's the recipe....and remember, they are soooo good! Make them today!

Billy's Vanilla Cupcakes

1 3/4 cup cake flour

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes

4 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line your cupcake pan with liners. In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix on low until combined. Add butter, mixing until just coated with flour.

In another bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and vanilla. With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down sides of bowl before each addition. Beat until ingredients are incorporated...DO NOT OVERBEAT!

Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until toothpick comes out clean. About 17-20 minutes. (Mine took a bit longer than 20 minutes!)

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

**Nestle's Chocolate Lover's Frosting recipe is my go to chocolate frosting recipe, I think it's super yummy! You can find the recipe on the back of the cocoa powder can too so you will always have it in your pantry...if you like to have cocoa powder on hand, that is!**

Easy and Yummy...you definitely need to try these!!!

Remember, cut your butter up nice and small.

Add your butter in and mix just until all the butter pieces are coated with the flour mixture.

Then, whisk together your eggs, vanilla and milk until nice and combined. Then, add to your dry ingredients in increments until just incorporated.

Fill your cupcake liners about 2/3 full.

Bake for about 20 minutes...YUM!

Let cool on a cooling rack...oh boy, I can't wait to try one!

Oh yeah, light and cake-y...the way every cupcake should be!

But wait, I think we need some frosting on these babies.

I like to frost my cupcakes with Wilton Tip #21, it gives you that nice "frosted swirl" look. I just cut a tip from a corner of a ziploc bag, place the tip inside said corner, add frosting to bag and voila you have yourself a piping bag for cheap!

Yup, just what I thought...chocolate frosting makes everything better :)

And, lots of chocolate frosted cupcakes makes my weekend a whole lot better :)

And, turning those chocolate frosted cupcakes into a football for Super Bowl Sunday next weekend is just cute! Who said footballs can't be cute!?!

TOO CUTE!

Three Years Big!

Yup, that's right, my little baby boy Noah is 3 years old today...well, technically at 11:59 pm tonight but who wants to wait until then to celebrate and for only 1 minute! He seemed to have a blast today as at this age he very well knows it's his birthday. For the past few weeks he has been singing the Happy Birthday song on repeat and every night he has been wanting to call one of his grandparents, uncles or aunts to sing Happy Birthday to them just cause he knows how. Good times.

And, just so you know, Noah was in full force today since the minute he woke up, wanting his Cookie Monster and Elmo cakes that I had promised to make him the night before as well as a much promised toy garbage truck that he picked out OVER a month ago. We let him open the garbage truck this morning to appease him and then he had to wait for his party to open the rest...AND eat his cakes (we thought that was a good compromise, what do you think?) Anyhoo, so here are some pictures from today...enjoy!

The last known picture of Noah as a Two Year Old! **Tears**

Here are the Elmo cupcakes I made for his par-tay. He wanted both an Elmo cake and a Cookie Monster cake...this kid is so demanding, I tell you ;) I made Elmo cupcakes instead of two cakes though...I mean c'mon, who wouldn't want all these crazy mini Elmo's sitting at their party table? You can see in the picture that I made some with CRAZY lookin' mouths so they didn't all look the same, individuality...it rocks.

And here's the Cookie Monster cake that Noah just had to have...all decked out with cookies and eating cookies too. It's not Cookie Monster without the cookies, right!?!

The Birthday Boy surrounded by his Sesame Street underwear pals.

Blowing out the Big #3!

We may have done this a few times...he REALLY likes blowing out candles.

Family photo opp...3rd Birthday Fun!

Ripping into presents...here come the felt goodies :)

Whew, now I'm pooped, hope you all had a great day too!

G'night!

Linking to Poppies at Play