Teen-age boy cake

There is no point to even pretend that parents of teenager know what he or she would like never mind to know what sort of cake would they like.

I find it easier to simply ask. When I did I was told precisely what should I be making with a tint of attitude of course. But I get it - there is nothing worse than be embarrassed in front of your teenage friends…

There was also an educational part to it – I’ve learned about current must have gave of the week.  So I found an image from games promo pictures on the web and printed it out.

 

Then it was just the case of baking 3 circle shaped sponges which I left their natural color. Buttercream was prepared as directed in my other posts but colored blood red for effect. Sponges were glued together with red buttercream and raspberry jam.  Once cake is ready compare picture and cut out 3D shape to the cake.  This game is called Gear of war – so that is why the gear shape. The circle on top will be for a skull.

Cover the cake with buttercream and allow chilling in fridge whilst getting your ready to roll icing colored. I did not want to use already colored icing as it seemed too simple – but it is optional. Once you achieved color similar enough roll it out and cover the cake.

Shape the top of cake and side of cake to match 3D shape. Using sponge color the icing simulating blood using red food color. Use black food color to cover inside the circle on the top. Unused icing turn into skull shape – I did pointy teeth just for the fun of it. You can make it as realistic as you wish. Cover skull with red food coloring to match the cake allow drying then transferring it on the top of the cake.

 

Use red food color with double cream if used for really effective thick “blood”.

Hard boiled - trick or treat !!!

Fast little treats. It is easy to do. All you need are some boiled sweets and some silicone forms – I have small silicone molds for cupcakes and Halloween forms for skeleton and pumpkin.  I got some already colored sweets and some clear sweets which can be colored with food coloring for more dramatic look.

 

 

I bought some lemon sherbet sweets by mistake but it works too. Get whatever flavors you like only shape will change.

Place your silicone forms on flat baking tray. Place sweets in forms. More sweets for bigger shapes. Put food coloring on clear sweets and watch it change its color. I decided to place fewer sweets into bigger form which created an empty place.

For girls something more settled like hearts and stars.  Use flat baking tray to shape liquorish to make circle pendant. Place smaller circle inside and several boiled sweets in space between.  Let sweets melt in oven. It only takes 2/5 minutes at 180/200 degrees. Once melted remove from oven and allow cooling.

Take a ribbon and draw it where the gap is.  That is interactive and everyone will like it.

 

 

 

 

Pop cakes

I was introduced to pop cakes by my friend Monika. She has done fantastic job on her ones and I wanted to try it too. Honestly, it is not a rocket science but my first lot did not work out. .. As I said before no one is perfect.

Anyway …

 

What you need is a sponge.  When Hello Kitty cake was made there was some waste creating the shape. This “waste” could be used to make pop cakes.

Take the “wasted” sponge and crumble it until completely broken. Used left over buttercream and mix it with crumbles. The mass should be pliable but fairly solid not runny. (Some people like to use jam of soft cheese, mash banana or add a drop of alcohol – obviously not for children. But it is nice to be aware of alternatives.)

 

 

Place mixture into the fridge for 10-20 minutes for icing to harden up so is it easier to create the shapes.

Cooled down mixture divide into small parts and shape as needed – the easiest shape is spherical – ball shape. I did some Hello Kitties as well. For that I made little oval shape and created little ears.

 

 

Place it back to the fridge and get your chocolate melted. Place chocolate to deeper bowl – it will help to cover pop cakes with it.

Use Pop cake sticks to poke chilled Pop cake and dip it in melted chocolate. Twirl Pop cakes so excessive chocolate drops back into the bowl. Decorate whilst chocolate still warm. It is advisable to stuck Pop cake straight way possibly in to polystyrene block. Leave it to cool down. I had some silver spray for decorating so I used it once cool.

 

Enjoy!!!

 

 

Birthday cake for Girl - Hello Kitty !

To stay on budget when preparing for a b day party is more than a miracle especially as there is always something else that seems to be needed…

Cake is the thing everyone is looking forward to so it needs to be just right.

My little one wanted themed cake but find one for so many people would be costly. Also I wanted something more individual, flavors and colors of her choice. She picked Hello Kitty and this is how it ended:

Internet search engine found fairly nice picture. I took a paper the same size as was my large rectangle baking tin. There were some minor modification made but it still remained recognizable shape. The paper was cut out ready to be put over baked sponges. The recipe I use is mostly the same.

Each sponge : 3 eggs, 200 g of flour, 200 g of butter, 200 g of sugar, 1 table spoon of baking soda, 3 spoons of water.

Basic buttercream: Icing is 75 g of butter with 175 g of icing sugar with 1 tea spoon of vanilla essence and 2 table spoon of milk.   

One sponge is covered by jam, other with buttercream. Glue sponges together and cover them with paper template. Cut around the template to get 2D shape of cake. Using sharp knife cut into cake to create 3D effect.

Cover the cake with jam and put into the fridge until ready to be covered with icing. Choose colors to mix the icing. Cover cake section after section until complete covering is achieved.  To complete Hello Kitty look mix black icing and follow the contours of icing to create cartoon look. Don’t forget the whiskers. I also used fairy dust .

Decorate the Kitty with beads and butterflies.

That should do !!!

Getting busy...

Firstly  - find yourself grateful receivables  - These are people who will appreciate cake in any shape, colour and flavor  - I work with people  - and they are often my target - birthdays , celebrations, public holidays etc.

Then choose a theme and size - you don't want to have too much cake left over and certainly you don't want to miss someone out.

This cake was made for Someone from St Lucia...

This is simple cake - but for Someone who couldn't go back home to St Lucia it was enough.



So how did it all started?

With Internet search of course. I found the map of St Lucia and printed a copy as a reference. Then check for ingredients making sure I had everything I needed including food colouring and grease proof paper:

For sponge

3 large eggs

200 g of sugar

200 g of self-raising flour

200 g of butter

3 table spoon of water

1 table soon of baking soda

For butter cream

75 g of butter

175 g of icing sugar

2 table spoon of milk

orange grated peel at least 1 table spoon

Other

50 g of raspberry jam

1 kg of ready to roll icing

food colouring - blue , yellow and orange

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees or gas mark 4. Then start mixing softened butter  with whole eggs. Add sugar, baking soda and flour. At last add water . Mix until smooth. Place mix into round tin lined with grease paper. Place in the middle of pre-heated oven. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown. 

Bake second sponge. 

Prepare butter cream whilst waiting for sponges to cool. Mix softened butter with icing sugar. Add milk for creamier texture. Then add orange grated peel for taste - the more the tangier. Place butter cream into fridge until it becomes stiffer.

Check your sponges - they should be fairly flat , if not use long knife and cut top of the cake off. Once    happy with your sponges and cream, spread jam on the top of one sponge and butter cream on other. Stick them together. Cover your cake with butter cream. Place in fridge and prepare your icing.

Your ready to roll icing needs to be knelled to become playable. Part small icing to colour yellow and tiny part to colour orange. The rest will be coloured blue. I used yellow and orange liquid food colouring   and blue colouring was powder based , but I am sure that liquid colouring would be good too. Blue icing was knelled only until marble effect was achieved. Roll out blue icing and cover the cake.

Tidy up the sides of the cake. Cut the excess icing off. Roll out yellow icing and create St Lucia shaped island . Mark several towns on icing island - reference with print out. Using left over butter cream glue island onto the cake. If you feel brave use the rest of butter cream to create latitude and names of cities. I used it to mark the age and date of birth.

  

And that is it !!!



The Beginning...

It is always satisfying doing something for others, especially if those others are loved ones, having complete control about what is being created ., making the flavours and colours of choice . All this is possible if you do it your self.

Baking doesn't have to be difficult. Home baking can be fun. Like everything else, it is easier if you have some system in place. Make sure you have all ingredients for recipe, make sure you have all utensils needed, make sure you have enough time and plenty of fantasy to complete your masterpiece. There is so many fantastic products on market - so why not to take a full advantage of them?

It is always useful to have some reference material - draw a picture, print a picture, find out about likes and dislikes of person you are cooking for - favourite colours and flavours, possible allergies.

Home baking is always original  - no two cakes are the same! With every new cake your confidence grow and results are better! Don't give up when things go wrong, take your time, have a break, vent up a little but try again. No one is perfect  (and a lot of things can be hidden)  ....

It has been a year from my very first cake and it is great to see others surprise and compliments on my work. Don't worry if you use a short cut  - not every one has a time to do everything from scratch. The idea counts.