Welcome to May’s Bake & Bloom

There’s something truly special about May. The weather is finally changing, the flowers are beginning to bloom , seeds are planted and have sprouted in my vegetable garden, and the longer days seem to bring a fresh burst of energy and creativity into the kitchen.

With brighter mornings comes earlier starts( this time of the year I often am up baking at 4 am ) warm ovens, and the excitement of a new season of baking.

“Thank you for your patience with this issue —an unexpected family emergency delayed this month’s edition, but I’m so happy to finally share it with you.”

This month’s Bake & Bloom theme is centred around beautiful sweet bakes inspired by my Mother’s Day treats — elegant treats, floral touches, and heartfelt desserts designed to celebrate the special people we love most.

While these creations were perfect for Mother’s Day gatherings, they can easily be adapted for birthdays, teachers year end, bridal showers, garden parties, or any special occasion that deserves a little sweetness.

So grab a cup of tea, and settle in to enjoy this month’s collection of baking inspiration, decorating ideas, and seasonal treats created to bring beauty and joy to your table.

Inspiration Projects :

I offered both of these trending treats as Mother’s Day orders. Simple, yet elegant, and require basic skills to create .

Image 1 : A beautiful floral piped cupcake inserted into a flower template to create a stunning floral display.

Image 2 : A flower cookie on a pretty stem template.

Both projects can easily be recreated with a printer and basic piping skills - let’s look at how I created these 2 edible stunning treats.

Flower ( cookie on stem )

Using this template, copy and paste onto a white piece of card-stock,

adjust the size : our template was 5 inches - for the cookie, the overall height will be taller so take into consideration the cookie height when determining your overall height .

Tip : you can find an array of different designs & patterns online , I created this template from Chat GPT.

Using the Land o Lakes sugar cookie recipe, cut out and bake your preferred flower cookie cutter shape

https://www.landolakes.com/recipe/9613/sugar-cookie-cut-outs/

Keep your flower cookie relatively small so that it is proportionate to the overall size.

Using royal icing , flood and outline your cookie with your preferred colour and design . We kept our design simple ! Let your royal icing thoroughly dry .

Tutorial for flower piping using royal icing : https://youtube.com/shorts/UdpnLAtGL0M?si=dSsZXeHq9539unsx

For the card-stock , I added an additional piece of cardboard cut out in the same shape and glued to the back of the printed card-stock to add stability..

I then cut a circular piece of parchment paper the same size as my cookie (tad smaller) and glued it to the card stock where the cookie will be placed -(ensure that no glue gets on the top of the parchment paper).

Once the parchment paper circle has dried , I then put a dollop of melted chocolate on the top of the parchment circle, then placed the cookie on top of this ( gently press cookie into place), the chocolate glues the cookie in place and minimizes risk of the paper sticking to your cookie .

Once completed, place the finished cookie flower in a clear cookie bag and tie the bag closed with a pretty ribbon. These turned out adorable, we received so many compliments on how pretty they looked ( and of course tasty ).

Floral Cupcake

Cupcake floral template - another image I created using Chat GPT , feel free to copy , paste and adjust to the size you want , again print on card stock. The cupcake opening needs to be 3 inches for a standard cupcake to be inserted.

You can also purchase pre made designs from Etsy . This image was designed for a standard 8.5 x 11 sheet of card-stock .

Flower piping tutorial for beginners :

https://youtu.be/DVVBFFbH9aw?si=D_2s3Pc9xe5mKojb

Experiment with buttercream colours to add interest to the overall look of your cupcake flower . Neatly cut out the circle for cupcake insertion , fold the 4 edges of your card stock so that it provides height .

Depending on the size of your completed project, you can package these treats in boxes that have clear lids ( I ordered mine off of Amazon ) .

Use your favourite cupcake recipe! Our Mother’s Day treats were available in I vanilla, pistachio and strawberry flavours.

Tip : A simple way to create a delicious pistachio flavoured cupcake is to add pistachio pudding .

Yum,

I’ve used this recipe before and the cupcakes are moist, and the pistachio flavour : delicious .

https://www.thelittlekitchen.net/pistachio-pudding-cupcakes/

Vegan Brownie Cookies - A perfect Vegan treat , sure to please !

https://pastrybysaloni.com/eggless-brownie-cookies-vegan-friendly-fudgy-no-chill/

Who doesn’t love a good Brownie anything ? These brownie cookies maybe Vegan but they are delicious !!!

Simple Vegan Baking Tips

• Replace eggs with flax egg, applesauce, or aquafaba
• Use plant milk like oat, soy, or coconut
• Keep bakes moist with vegan yogurt, applesauce, or banana
• Use vegan butter for better flavor and texture
• Don’t overmix or cakes can turn dense
• Add vinegar + baking soda to help cakes rise
• Chill cookie dough for thicker cookies
• Use good vanilla and chocolate for better flavor
• Check baking early so treats don’t dry out
• Test recipes first before making for others
• 

Our recipe of the month : If you love Nutella like I do, then you simply have to try this recipe .. I made this a while back and it was eaten all in one day .

My husband and his work crew have the pleasure of trying all of my baked treats including all my new recipes, and I can safely say this passed the taste test .

https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/nutella-swirl-pound-cake/

Summer is fast approaching and with that comes challenges with the heat in our kitchens .

Here are some fun tips for summer bakes including suggestions on kicking up those summer treats a notch!

Pssst !

I’ve been working on a special project these past few months that I can now share ..

Introducing the Bake & Bloom Cake Shed! 

I’m so excited to give you a little peek at my charming new Bake & Bloom Cake Shed — a whimsical little spot where sweet treats and beautiful bakes will soon be available for purchase on select dates!

Think freshly baked goodies, seasonal treats, surprise sweet boxes, and special bakery offerings ready for pickup.

This is just the beginning, and I can’t wait to share all the delicious details with you!

 Opening dates, featured treats, and ordering information will be announced soon — so stay tuned..

As This Month Comes to a Close

It’s been so much fun sharing some of our favourite recipes, our Mother’s Day treats , decorating inspiration, and a glimpse into the world of Divine Design Cakes by Kerry with you. As always, I hope this month has encouraged you to try something new, create something beautiful, and enjoy the simple joy that baking brings.

As I write this, I’m currently in my hotel room overlooking the stunning beauty of Istanbul, Turkey. I am incredibly inspired by the culture, scenery, and of course, the incredible desserts.

During my time here, I’ll be exploring traditional Turkish bakes and sweet treats, gathering flavour inspiration and ideas that I hope to bring into next month’s Bake & Bloom with Turkish-inspired desserts and exciting new flavours.

Thank you for being part of this baking journey with me. I can’t wait to share what I discover and bring a little taste of Turkey into our next edition of Bake & Bloom .

Until next time ,

Kerry

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