Latice Cake with Roses

Another fun project, the "Latice Cake with Roses" Next time I would make the latice with piped white chocolate. I brushed the inside of the cake with a Mocha/Marsala syrup, the cake tasted like a Tiramisu, it was a nice combination.

The Troll Doll Cake

As soon as I saw her, I knew she was the one I will make the star of my next cake. Since I'm a big science fiction fan vintage style, low budget, B-movies, I was looking for some inspiration and she was it! No Barbie could play this part... So I baked several layers of cake and mixed some buttercream frosting and set to work.

This cake is part of an exercise to practice piping, the prep time took practically all day 7-8 hours and the decoration the following day, a couple of hours, in all about 10 hours. Because the doll inspired me so, it was a joy to assemble, just like when I work on one of my sculpture. I love to work with the design aspect and brainstorming the colors, when it all comes together it's magic!
I'm very pleased with this cake, I'm thinking about getting the whole line of these troll dolls to play with...

My daughther's Sweet Sixteen Cake

This month was so busy, but I still found the time to make my daughter's sixteen B-Day cake. Of course I had plan this a month ahead of time and every week did some preparation for the cake. When the day finally came to assemble the cake, I had so much fun putting it together!
Of course the guests came shortly afterwards and, well within a few hours the cake was disassembled and destroyed by me, everyone loves to eat it too.
Fortunately, I had time to take a few pictures.

The cake was a yellow cake with strawberries and cream filling, the icing was vanilla buttercream, garnished with handmade chocolate roses, fresh strawberries, chocolate shavings and handmade chocolate strawberry ganache truffles.

What will I make next? cakes are fun... another cake.

Plum Cake

Here's a plum cake I made a few weeks ago after I went plum picking. The cake is made with Hazelnuts, which I toasted and ground medium/fine, the aroma of the cake while it bakes are just divine, it smelled like something I remembered from my childhood in Europe, like something you can find in the bakeries over there.
One thing I loved is that because plums are so abundant, this cake uses plums inside the cake and outside, you can't have too many plums.
This cake also keeps very well and even tastes better the next day. Oh, and by the way I also made the cake stand, thought it goes well with the plum cake.
It's still plum season so here's the recipe:

Hazelnut Plum Torte
1 1/2 lbs Italian Plums
1 C Sugar
3/4 C Hazelnuts, toasted and finely chopped
1 1/4 C All purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon Baking powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Cinamon
1/2 teaspoon Freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
1 1/2 stick or 3/4 C Unsalted butter, softened
3 Large eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla

Preheat oven @ 350 F, butter and flour a 9 inch springform pan.

Quarter and pit plums. Coarsely chop half of the plums and in a bowl toss with 2 tablespoons sugar. In another bowl combine remaining plums with 2 tablespoons sugar. On a baking sheet in middle of oven lightly toast hazelnuts until fragrant and inside are golden, 10 to 15 min. Remove skin by rubbing the nuts and grind fine in food processor.

In a bowl whisk together hazelnuts, flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat butter and remaining 3/4 C sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition, and beat in vanilla and flour mixture until batter is just combined.

Drain chopped plums in a sieve, pressing on fruit, and pat dry with paper towels. Stir plums into batter and spread evenly in pan.

Drain quartered plums in sieve, pressing out on fruit, and arrange, skin sides up, over batter. Bake torte in middle of oven 1 hour and 20 min. or until golden brown and a tester comes out clean. Cool torte in pan on a rack 30 min. Remove side of pan and cool completely.

Delicious with a side of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!