Hugs & Kisses Cake Tutorial - Jillibean Soup

Hello blogging friends!

As a kid my Mom would let me add designs or words onto the top of meatloaf with ketchup before putting it in the oven. This was usually just a smiley face or a Hello. Years later I am still playing with my food! Today I want to show you how you can use a Jillibean Soup digital cut file to decorate a cake (or brownies as I have done here) for Valentines Day ... or any day really when you want to tell someone you care! I have sent messages on the tops of cakes to friends battling cancer to make them laugh or just to offer encouragement. Heck, if you don't bake you could even do this with store bought brownies or cake!

Here's how you can make one too! Once you have decided on a design, you may need to alter it slightly to prevent the insides of letters from being discarded. Look at the O's in the XOXO. Marcia used the knife utility to cut away a portion of the O at the top and bottom so that the middle of the O would stay connected. She also did this for the larger loops in the S's and the K. A tip for using the knife utility ... Make your design bigger, then cut out the parts you don't want before sizing it as needed to fit on the top of your cake. Cut it out of any cardstock you have on hand in your stash. (I like to use colored cardstock, since I use mostly black and white on my layouts.)

After you have baked your cake and it has cooled down, place your stencil on top. Pour some powdered sugar into a sifter (or in a pinch use a strainer with small holes). Sprinkle powdered sugar evenly over the top. Then remove the stencil. A wet brush works really well at picking up stray pieces of sugar.

And here is the finished result ...

Supplies:
Jillibean Soup
Digital Cut Files: Hugs and Kisses / Design ID #276708

Other: Silhouette Cameo, cardstock, Brownie Mix, Powdered Sugar.

Are you ready to give it a try? I would love to see your cakes if you do!

Have an awesome rest of your week.

~Marcia