Pirate Ship - Talent Seems to Run in the Family

My sister sent me some messages last night on chat telling me she wanted to make a Pirate Ship cake for her boyfriend's birthday today.  The picture she sent me looked complicated but she was keen to go ahead.  So I gave her some advice and she surprised me with the fabulous job she did!

It seems this knack for cake decorating seems to run in the family!  I've asked her to be a Guest Blogger and write a post on how she made it for those of you who would like to try, so look out for that! : )

 

Side view

Back View

Front View

Surprise Birthday Cakes

Just before I left on holiday I got a request for 2 cakes from V who had arrived in Seoul just 2 weeks before.  It was her husbands birthday and she wasn't sure what the office culture here was like and whether there was going to be cake... well she was going to make sure there was going to be cake! : )  

I know what it is like to be arrive in a new office so I thought it was a wonderful way to surprise him to celebrate his birthday.  She also wanted another one for a smaller celebration at home the following day which was his actual birthday which fell on a Saturday. 

I've always loved the way the Hummingbird Bakery in London decorated their cakes so I attempted theirs simple swipes here to give the buttercream texture.  I think next time I won't be so gentle, and use a heavier hand to get deeper grooves and some nice light and shadow going.  It will make for better pictures too.

See what I mean about the pictures not turning out so well?  My camera had problems adjusting to the whiteness of the cake so the shadows weren't captured very well.  I am sure there are ways to get around it but I'm not sure how to adjust the settings on my camera. Seems like photography lessons are on the books for next year.

 When it came to the cake, she had a clear idea of what she wanted.  They both liked cakes that weren't too sweet and they enjoyed fruit toppings on cakes.  V's husband also liked apples and I incorporated that into the cake which was the one for celebrating at home and it was a Chocolate Chiffon cake (Cake No. 2) layered with apple and Italian Meringue Buttercream.

Chocolate & Apple Cake with Italian Meringue Buttercream, topped with seasonal Korean grapes and chocolate curls.

The first cake which was for the office was an Orange Chiffon cake layered with peaches and cream. I chose a selection of seasonal fruits to top the cakes.  I had some problems with the chocolate curls as the chocolate bar was either too warm or too hard.  In the end after a messy start and with some help from my Mom (hee hee) I got some nice curls going and that went on top of cake number 2.

Orange Chiffon cake layered with peaches and cream, topped with Mandarins and a selection of seasonal Korean grapes.

Ok, I admit I was a little excited about delivering the cake to the office.  It was a bit like receiving flowers when you're at the office (hasn't happened in a looooong time, Maddog if you are reading that's a hint!) except this time I am not the receiver but the delivery girl.  Weird huh?  It was a surprise afterall and it went without a hitch.

The cakes were eaten and people were happy.  My work there was done.

*New Flavour* Mocha Bye Baby

I love chocolate. Have you noticed? I love coffee too. I average 1 cup a day of this black gold liquid joy. So chocolate + expresso was always going to be a no-brainer for me. So when I discovered Mocha at Starbucks (that's where I used to frequent as a young coffee drinker). I was hooked. I like it hot, I like it cold and most of all I like it as a frappe.

On days when you don't feel like something too chocolaty nor something too strong in flavour as coffee, mocha is a good option to turn to. So it's only natural that I include this in my list of cupcake flavours. I make mine with espresso by Illy coffee. It goes really well with espresso Fluffy Frosting (aka seven-minute frosting) seen here in the picture below or paired with the creaminess of espresso Italian Meringue Buttercream. This will go into the 18+ section along with some other spiked goodies I will come up with later.

Ingredients: Flour, Eggs, Brown Sugar, Sugar, Butter, Cocoa, Sour Cream, Illy Espresso

Chocolate Buttermilk Layer Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

This cake is perfect for any occassion especially if it's for someone who loves chocolate. The buttermilk added to the batter yields a cake that is tender and moist. A combination of dark chocolate and cocoa gives you an inviting flavour of chocolate with every bite. The highlight of this cake, however is the chocolate cream cheese frosting. I have 3 words for it: "To Die For"!

The combination of the buttermilk and the cream cheese gives the cake a lightly sour edge that cuts the sweetness of the chocolate. With the frosting sandwiching each layer, you get a bit of frosting with every bite and makes for a cake that you just want more and more of.

Ingredients: Flour, Butter, Sugar, Eggs, Dark Chocolate, Cocoa, Cream Cheese, Icing Sugar, Vanilla

The cake pictured here is about 2kg, 5" in height and 8" in diameter and will serve 24 as you only need a small slice for each person. You can order the smaller version with only 2 layers and this will yield a serving of 12.

To order or for more details please email me at orders@buttersugarcream.com