Pumpkin Cheesecake with Caramel Sauce

I decided to try my hand at making a real cheesecake and chose a flavor fit for the season - pumpkin!  This one I found while surfing the web at Taste of Home. I have to say it turned out quite tasty.  

I also wanted to try my hand at making real caramel sauce to drizzle on the top. This turned out to be fairly simple but you do have to pay close attention to the recipe and have everything ready as it goes fast.  

For my first attempt this turned out really tasty.  The one thing that I had to change was the baking time.  At my altitude, 7600 ft it took about an hour and 20 minutes to bake. I watched it very carefully and checked every five minutes to make sure I didn't over bake the cake.  Otherwise I didn't change anything else in the recipe.

I used some of the ginger snap cookies to decorate the top and I used real whipped cream whipped to almost butter but not quite so that I could  pipe it in nice swirls around the cake.

Click on any of the highlighted links above for the recipes. Let me know what you think.  Please leave a comment.

Rustic Sunflower Wedding Cake

I made this cake for a wedding up in the mountains.  It is the Butter Cake recipe I made for my grandson's birthday.  It has a Chocolate Ganache filling in three layer cakes stacked into three tiers.  I made a small topper on the left for the Bride and Groom to take on their honeymoon. I used Butter Cream Icing.  The bands around the cake are navy blue ribbon with a burlap and lace ribbon on top of that.  The flowers are real.

Corn Cob Cake Design

A friend of mine called me yesterday and asked if I could make a last minute cake for his wife's birthday this Friday.  I usually like at least a weeks notice.  I like to put the cake in the freezer for a day or so before decorating. This makes it easier to work with when covering with fondant. Also if I have to do some carving it is so much easier than trying to work on a crumbly cake. I told him I would give it a try.  He said he wanted a corn on the cob on top because his wife collects Shawnee corn dishes. I had all the ingredients and I forged ahead and this is what eventually emerged.

I made the chocolate cake that I did for my son's wedding and used a raspberry rhubarb jam for the filling.  I made the homemade marshmallow fondant recipe that I usually use when making cakes that I know have to travel some distance. It was an 8" round double layer cake. 

I didn't have a plan in mind I just started with the corn cob.  I think it turned out pretty good.  I make these daisies a lot so it didn't take long to get them done.  I used petal dust to give them character. I also have a leaf form cutter which makes it super quick.  

I will tell you that if I keep making cakes I need to invest in a sheeter for rolling out fondant.  I'm getting to old to roll this stuff out by hand, but I am sure it gives my arms a good work out.