Decorated Cakes I've made this year

This year was quite a year for decorated cakes. I usually love to make someone a cake as their birthday present instead of an actual gift. I'm still planning on doing a Christmasy themed one closer to the middle of December, maybe a christmas present box (ideas?). I thought I would share my cakes of 2014  with you all for inspiration and to just keep you up to date.

I made this cake for my brother's birthday. As you can see, he's a Lord of the rings fan. The base is a dark chocolate mud cake, covered in fondant and the piping is buttercream (if I were to do it again I would use royal icing as it is too thick)

This cake is in the shape of a monster hat which I made for a friend who constantly wears this identical hat. It is a white chocolate base, everything else is fondant except the white piping which is royal icing.

 This cake is my birthday cake, I had a neon lights birthday party, So i thought it suited the theme. Is it sad to make your own birthday cake? Pfffft no. The base is a dark chocolate mud cake, covered in black fondant and drizzled over the top is  royal icing coloured with neon food colours.

For my second brother's birthday this year I made him a glock cake, since he is a police officer. He thought it was pretty funny. The base is a chocolate mud cake and the icing is chocolate ganache coloured black (except for the white, which is white chocolate) 

 For a friend who is a Stargate fanatic I made him a Stargate cake. The base is a chocolate mud. The grey icing is butter cream and the details are fondant and royal icing.

This cake is a simple chocolate mud cake and I have just piped on a henna style pattern with royal icing.

Hopefully this inspired you! I hope you're all having a lovely week and good luck in your own cake decorating endeavours! 

Infinite x's and o's

Elena 

Sunday baking: Chocolate Fondant

During the short time I was an apprentice pastry chef making all sorts of cakes and pastries, I had never made a chocolate fondant. Which seems like one of the most popular desserts and one everyone is raving about so I thought I would give it a go at home.  A word of warning, it is a deceptively simple dessert.

I had been putting it off for a long time, which seems silly but yes, I am afraid of the chocolate oosy middle cake. Why? Well, aside from the fact it originally came from a kitchen mis-hap where the chef under-cooked the cakes but served them anyway, they are incredibly hard to make. One minute over-cooked or under cooked and it's a disaster, which I found out today. 

I made four of them and only baked one a time so I could get the timing right. The one I photographed was my fourth cake and my only hope. The first three were.... well, lets leave that in the past shall we.

I worked out that the baking time is exactly 13 minutes and you have one minute to get it out of the mould before it's over-cooked because it will continue to bake in its ramekin. 

Since it was my first time making a chocolate fondant, I followed a recipe I found on-line. You'd be surprised by how many completely different recipes there are on this "simple" little cake. I figured I would follow the direction of the food goddess herself,  Nigella.  (click on her name for the recipe)

Hope you're all having a fabtastic day. So question, Is there something you're afraid to bake/make?

Infinite x's and o's

Elena