Well, I didn't blog for 3 months... but I did accomplish other things in the interim. I did a lot of baking. And, I took a cake decorating class. Since I already knew how to whip up delicious cakes and frostings, I thought I should try my hand at decorating my confections. It turns out that I can now make my cakes either beautiful or delicious. I learned that I DO NOT like typical decorative 'buttercream' frosting. It's a combination of horrible for you processed shortenings, powdered sugar, and artificial flavorings. In Erica language: GROSS. So basically I can now make a cake that looks pretty and will hold up to warm temperatures, but tastes like every other store bought cake. OR, I can bake a cake that tastes heavenly, is made with real ingredients, looks pretty, and melts above room temperature. With that said, here are some pictures of delicious cakes and decorated cakes.
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| Dark Chocolate Cake with an Orange Curd Center & Dark Chocolate Ganache Frosting, topped with Dark Chocolate dipped Candied Orange Peels - and yes every bit of this is from scratch and might seriously be the most decedent wonderful thing I have ever tasted. |
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| Detail of candied orange peels - not exactly pretty, but oh my they are delicious! |
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| Homemade Strawberry Shortcakes with a Honey Scented Whipped Cream |
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| Pre-class Cake Balls |
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| 1st try at making 'buttercream' roses |
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| My 2nd shot at 'buttercream' florals was definitely more attractive | |
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| I was happy with the look of this cake. |
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| Flower Basket Cake in all it's glory | |
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| Blackberry, Lemon, Ricotta Muffins - Post-class and maybe not as perfect looking as frosted cakes, but I might be in love with this recipe. |
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| White Roses Single Layer Wedding Cake - Serves 18 |
