Graduation Cake

Hi All,

I hope everyone enjoyed there long weekend. I sure did

I was asked to make my Red Velvet Cake for a friend of a friend for her Graduation this weekend. The cake as mentioned is a Red Velvet Cake with an Orange buttercream frosting it is topped with dark and white chocholate curls. the ribbon matched her graduation colors. I was pretty happy with the result as was she.

xxoo

Cupcakes

Who does not love a gorgeous fresh cupcake?. Simple always works for me Vanilla in flavour with a soft yummy buttercream frosting.

My next atemp will be Gingerbread cupcakes with a yummy vanilla frosting. I think these will be the perfect Xmas treat, but I am not waiting 8 months for that so with a few practice runs in between I think I will be making these for Xmas in July.

Anywho I was doing a little searching on the net today for ideas, and I found some really gorgeous decorated cupcakes so I thougt i would share. xxoo

Some Recipes

Hi Guys,

I have had a few requests for the Swiss Meringue Butter cream and Chocolate Ganache that I do.

This Butter cream is a good recipe and flavors can be adapted to a wide variety of choices. (lemon, orange curd, purees etc or fresh grated rinds etc) Its not a sweet butter cream so if you want it sweeter you could increase the sugar. or even whip in some pure icing sugar towards the end.

I Added fresh raspberries to the mix which was nice. here is the link There is also a video that was handy

Chocolate Ganache

Ganache really is very simple and basic to create and you can increase the chocolate and cream to your liking. for my parents cake i used

2 x 220g blocks dark chocolate
1 3/4 cup cream

Break chocolate up in a large bowl and set aside
Pour cream into a medium saucepan and gently bring to boil
pour hot cream over chocolate and leave for 5 Mins
Mix until combined and refrigerate until firm

You can then use this mixture as it is to spread on cakes etc. or you can GENTLY whip it to get a fuller consistency.

* be careful not to over whip as this will cause it to seperate and have a grainy consistency

My parents Birthday Cake

Well another friday night was spent constructing icing and decorating a cake. thsi weeks was a triple layer mud cake with Raspberry Swiss Meringw buttercream covered in whipped choc ganache decorated in my chocolate butterscotch balls and fresh raspberries.

Thsi was my first attampt at chocolate ganche and as yummy as it was next time i wont be whipping it or maybe not as much.

It was WELL recieved by all. A very rich cake but yummy and moist and just divine. These pics are not that great but iw ill upload the real ones tonight..

I really need to start taking proper pics of my cakes sliced..

Chocolate Balls Recipe

1 Packet sweet Buiscuits crushed (arroowroot, malt o milk etc)
1 Tin Sweeteend Condensed Milk
1 Cup Dessicated Coconut
2 Tablespoons Cocoa
Approx 2 Tablespoons Liquer. Scnapps, Baileys, Rum etc

Mix all ingreedients in a large bowl until well combined. roll into balls no larger than a teaspoon and roll in extra Coconut or cocoa. chill in fridge until firm.