Christine’s Test Kitchen

06/01/2026

I spy with my little eye… a cake to go with those cupcakes! 🌊🐚🌺

Ruth did an excellent job with transport and setup for her daughter’s birthday cake! Thank you so much for sending photos!

Pictured: Three layers of 7-inch round orange creamsicle cake with orange cream cheese filling, accompanied by a dozen orange creamsicle cupcakes. Decorated with graham cracker “sand”, white chocolate seashells, and handmade fondant plumeria flowers.

05/29/2026

I didn’t have time for a photo session today, but I’m loving how these cupcakes turned out!
🥰😍🤗 🌊🌺🐚

05/22/2026

Great news! I just registered to sell refrigerated baked goods in Texas. Here’s our first scratch-made strawberry shortcake!

Leave the baking and dishes in my kitchen while you celebrate!

Ordering: By referral only, please contact me directly. Openings available after June 12th.

To make your own, here’s the recipe link:
https://scientificallysweet.com/strawberry-shortcake-cake/

05/17/2026

Birds up! Time to celebrate Alberto on his UTSA graduation. Congratulations, Berto! 🤩👏👏

Alberto’s Graduation Cake
Pictured:
Three-layers of 8-inch round vanilla cake filled with a fresh made strawberry reduction and covered in mock vanilla swiss merengue buttercream.

Recipes:
- Cake: https://divascancook.com/best-vanilla-cake-recipe/
- Filling: https://sugargeekshow.com/easy-buttercream-frosting/
(reduce extra, remove seeds with sieve, and add a little cornstarch slurry near the end for added stability)
- Frosting: https://sugargeekshow.com/easy-buttercream-frosting/

- Edible Image: Sheer Celebrations
https://maps.app.goo.gl/qRmYDHTKt5zEfv1t6?g_st=ic
- Fondant: Satin Ice (8.8 oz Navy, 4.4 oz White)
https://amzn.to/4dNimAh
- Board: O’Creme
https://amzn.to/4dNimAh
- Color: Americolor Soft Gel Paste (Orange+super red) and (Royal Blue+black). Use immersion blender stick to quickly deepen color.
https://amzn.to/3RKrxsI
- Assembly: Me and a little Wilton Dab-and-Hold
https://amzn.to/4dfi314

05/16/2026

These cupcake toppers and cake were so unique and fun to make for this grad celebration. Congratulations Dr. Garza on your achievement!

Pictured:
- Three layers of 7-inch round vanilla cake and a dozen chocolate cupcakes, both covered in vanilla mock swiss buttercream.
- Decorations are handmade with fondant, tylose (cmc) powder for strength, and a little edible adhesive.
- Cupcake toppers are white chocolate melted into discs covered in edible sugar images. Place the cut image (face down) in a silicone mold, then pour melted chocolate on top. Place in fridge for about 15-20 minutes, then remove from mold and store discs in a dry place.

Shop:
- Edible images and TMP silver luster dust from Sheer Celebrations (San Antonio, TX)
https://share.google/C7C4pKQKl74hJZ7G2
- Cupcake liners: Party Hippo (Amazon)
https://amzn.to/493KVa2
- Cake drum board: Cakebon 12”
https://amzn.to/4nBioPc
- Fondant: Satin Ice (Michael’s) and Cake Craft (Walmart)
- Edible adhesive: Wilton (Amazon)
https://amzn.to/4uSIbVx
- Color solution: The Sugar Art (Buy Direct or from Sheer Celebrations)
https://www.thesugarart.com/products/the-color-solution
- Oreo mold to make discs: https://amzn.to/4nAF5mv
- Circle cutter for toppers, 2”: https://amzn.to/49Av0Ac

05/15/2026

Graduation week activated! 🤩

04/26/2026

I did a thing this week! Here’s to celebrating a first birthday Where The Wild Things Are. I’m loving the gold from Oh Sweet Art! too.

Pictured:
Three Layers each, one 8-inch round and one 5-inch round. Larger cake is yellow/chocolate marble cake with caramel buttercream encased in chocolate fudge buttercream and chocolate shards. Smaller cake is vanilla with fresh-made strawberry reduction filling and vanilla mock swiss buttercream. Crowns are made of fondant with tylose powder and gold luster dust (mixed dust with lemon extract for painting).

Links:
Oh Sweet Art! Crown Gold Highlighter Dust - https://ohsweetart.com/product/crown-gold-2/

Making Chocolate Shards:
https://youtu.be/-gB5WO4WiTU?feature=shared

03/16/2026

Doing a little spring break cleaning and maintenance! Gotta make sure everything is tip top before things get busy again.
🧽🫧🪛🔨🔩⚙️

03/01/2026

Making and decorating cakes after long workdays is not for the weak…But when your friend turns 50, you want to be the one bringing the cake!! 🙌🥳 And I got to have some too!

Happy Birthday, Art Guillermo Jr.! We had so much fun celebrating with you. Laissez les bons temps rouler! 💜💚💛

Pictured: Three layers of 5” and 7” round chocolate cake with mock swiss buttercream (with a dash of caramel flavor) and orange creamsicle cupcakes with orange cream cheese buttercream.

Recipes:
- Chocolate Cake Sponge (2 batches): https://www.flourishingfoodie.com/blog/triple-layer-chocolate-cake-with-salted
- Mock Swiss Buttercream (1-1/3 batch): https://sugargeekshow.com/easy-buttercream-frosting/
- Creamsicle Cake (1 batch): No link, ask me later

Products:
- Cake drum: https://amzn.to/3P9UblJ
- Cupcake liners: https://amzn.to/4qZy2E1
- Saxophone Topper: https://amzn.to/4l8hXe6
- Music Note Topper: https://amzn.to/3N8pKMg
- Music Note Ribbon: https://amzn.to/4aXzGjo
- Musician Accents: https://amzn.to/4l2TYg3
- Edible Gold Leaf: https://amzn.to/4uhYvzI
- Cake Colors: Americolor Gel (Leaf Green + Electric Green, Royal Purple + Electric Pink, Lemon Yellow + Electric Yellow)

02/12/2026

TEXAS SHEET CAKE, but in miniature form.
I can’t believe it has already been four years since I made these. They were so tasty!

Y’all, I’m feeling a little more Texan this week, now that I made my first Texas Sheet Cake (well, they’re bite-sized… but close enough).

Test Kitchen Trial: Texas Sheet Cake Bites

Taste Testing:
This recipe is currently in my TOP 3 favorites from the Test Kitchen reviews (up there with French Apple Cake and Salted Caramel Cupcakes). I love the small portion size, moist chocolate cake, and I think I may even prefer this poured icing versus a piled-high buttercream. In my opinion, the chocolate icing was sweet but not overly rich (didn’t need a glass of milk to wash it down). It was hard to stop eating these little bites, but it didn’t leave me feeling guilty since it was less cake than I would’ve had with a traditional cake slice.

Approach & Observations:
I followed the recipe, with a few minor adjustments:
- I used a buttermilk substitute (mixed white vinegar with milk, see instructions linked below).
- I reduced my powdered sugar by about 1/4 cup.
- I used unsalted butter for the cake and salted butter for the icing.
- I used a small (1.5 QT) sauce pan instead of a medium one.
- It took about 2 minutes longer to bake my bites since I poured a little more batter in mine and they were baked in a silicone tray.
I made 48 mini cakes and had to abandon the rest of the batter (didn’t want to be late for the party). I think I could’ve made another 12-24 cakes with the remaining batter (a little goes a long way).

Baker’s Tips:
- Use a small cookie scoop to divide the batter into your mini muffin pan.
- Use a silicon pan for easy release (I still sprayed mine with Pam Original canola blend cooking spray).
- Since this recipe has a poured icing, it can be a little messy. I baked my cakes without a paper liner, poured the icing on top, then placed the cakes in a mini cupcake wrapper for easy handling.

Recipe Links:
Kitchen Fun with My Three Sons, Texas Sheet Cake Recipe: https://kitchenfunwithmy3sons.com/wprm_print/49203
Buttermilk Substitute Instructions: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/how-to-make-buttermilk/

Tools:
Silicone Baking Pan (may also be available at your local Texas HEB grocery store): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077YSW18K/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_navT_a_BT9TRR98A3YBZRC785P4