XBOX360 cake

Mu friend asked for Xbox cake - well this is how it ended up -but it was really fun.

The requested cake was to be chocolate heaven so I baked chocolate sponges and filled them with chocolate icing.

The cake had been shaped according to Xbox unusual shape- 3D.  Then covered with icing and chilled.

Colour fondant black and cover the cake.

Use thin stripes of fondant to make details of the cake - vents on top and side . front panel details. 

Back of the cake treat with details too. Make white fondant panel - poke holes in it so it looks like another vent. I played about a bit as the cake itself was very simple looking. I made bar code as well. And scart lead opening as well as opening for the ethernet cable etc.

Using icing stick all the loose fondant pieces on.

Pipe details on - i piped Xbox 360 on as well made in china at the back.

Use white and green fondant to use with letter cutter for happy birthday.

I also sprayed the cake with silver spray to give it more shine.

I used the green fondant on the bottom border to put some colour on the cake.

Izzy - Neverland pirate

This time I was approached for a girl pirate cake. I thought this to be good idea.

Bake two sponges - I made simple vanilla ones as the birthday girl was little picky . 

Allow cake to cool and prepare the decoration. Start with the research - look up some pictures. Colour your icing - fondant. Fill sponges with jam and vanilla icing. Cover the cake with icing too and chill in the fridge until ready to cover it with fondant.

Make individual pieces from fondant and start to make a picture .

Compare the sizes so the figure is not out of proportions.

Pay attention to details - hair , eyes...

I made starfish  out of fondant too - once you start to cut the cake it is nice to have a piece with something on it.

Allow the decoration to dry and cover the cake with fondant - I chose blue as the sea.

Place your decoration on the cake. I made a chest and some silver and gold coins too to write happy birthday on it.

 Make icing with different colours and pipe the details on - eyebrows, lines on eyes, chest and coins.

Pink and yellow cupcakes !

Bake chocolate cupcakes and treat them to pretty top!

Prepare buttercream and colour it yellow and pink. Add flavouring to it -lemon and strawberry.

Pipe it nicely and sprinkle it !

Then just eat it  !

Oreo cupcakes !

Few more cupcakes -this time vanilla and oreo! 

Bake cupcakes - chocolate ones so they compliment the frosting.

Prepare the frosting , then separate it into twos - one spike with vanilla essence the other with crushed oreo biscuits.

Make decorations - I used white fondant - I made flowers and butterflies.

Pipe the frosting on the cupcakes and cover it with fondant decorations.

Use some white sweets to finish the look!

Peppa pig 2

This was quick cake  - very short notice ! But the result was great ! 

Bake three sponges - vanilla ones and make frosting - lemon flavour.

Fill sponges with forest fruit and jam and frosting, then frost whole cake. Allow to chill .

Prepare fondant parts for a  cake . Make flowers, buttons, Peppa pig and number two.

Use glitters or spray if you want visual impact !

Leave fondant bits to dry and harden , prepare blue fondant to cover the cake.

Once the part are ready place them gently on the top of the cake. Hide the yellow border with butterflies, hearts and some buttons. 

Make the green border and stalks. Stick on the flowers then the rest of the buttons. Don't forget to prepare small amount of royal icing and imitate the cotton on the buttons.

Hello Kitty cake

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, flavours and colours 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 colours 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 !!!

Cinnamon and black cherry colourful chocolate cake

I was given these cherries and could not resist to bake again!

My little daughter was in helping mood so I decided to do something different.

I mixed up some sponge and separated it in two parts - 2/3 was mixed up with coco powder and a tea spoon of cinnamon and 1/3 was left as it was.

1/3 of mix was split into 3 and first 1/3 was splashed over the chocolate mix in the glass dish.

Second 1/3 was coloured purple and splashed over chocolate and white mix.

Third mix was coloured pink and splashed over the others.

Then the cherries came in. Take stones out and check they are meat free. The more cherries the more flavour.

Bake on gas mark 5 for 45/50 minutes. Check with the cocktail stick that the mix is baked.

Chill then dust with sugar.

Melt some chocolate and apply over the sugar.

Then eat!