20 November 2009

Lovely layers ...

So I recently had another request for a kiddies birthday party ... a tiered cake ...

Guess where my head went?

Pink Cake Box Cake

Thank goodness that wasn't the request ... in fact, the cake was for a small birthday party, so it didn't need to be over the top - there were only going to be five of them after all.

I was still stressing a little (!), until it was suggested that the bottom tier be a normal sandwich cake, the next level a mini cake, and the next a cupcake ... I loved the idea!

And how easy!

I was also asked to make brownies with strawberries (because something had to be healthy!) and a batch of cupcakes.

My kind of party!


This one I was looking forward to ...
And when I was told the birthday girl wasn't a particularly girly girl ... well, I think I didn't really listen!!!!

Check out the cupcakes that became the inspiration for the cake!


See what I mean - pink bows!
You can't get more girly!




Now I could have gone the whole rolled fondant route - and perhaps I will for the next one I do ... but we went with chocolate.
Yummy chocolate.

What I have learnt over time with all this cake baking ... is something they call crumb coating ... it will save your life, I promise!

You see, you bake your cake.
You can use the recipe featured in Let Them Eat Cake.
However, I used Nigella's recipe for Victoria sponge, which is essentially double quantities of the cupcake recipe which you can find on Icing Innovation. Although you do need to add a teaspoon of baking powder if you make it in the food processor.

Once it's out of the oven and cooled, i brush the edges with a pastry brush, to lose the excess crumbs.
Then, you ice it with a very thin layer of your icing - normally butter icing in my kitchen!
Then, put it in the fridge.
And wait.
Take it out about 20 minutes later, and if you touch the icing gently, you'll feel it has hardened a little.
Then, ice away as you want for your finished cake ... and ... no crumbs in sight in the icing!!!!
Fabulous.
You heard it here!

Because the mini cake that was to be the second layer was so small, I didn't bother with putting supports into the base cake ... I hope I don't get a call this afternoon to say it's collapsed!!

When I'd iced the bottom cake and mini cake, and put them both back in the fridge for another 20 minutes, I put them all together ... and then I piped around the edges to hide gaps ...

And then I put all the little sprinkles on - this was hard work because the icing wasn't essentially wet anymore, so a little pressure made it work.

And the final touch (and fast becoming my every time final touch) was edible glitter.

What do you think?
I loved it!
I didn't want to let it go!


Gorgeous.
So gorgeous you must see more photos.



Here's a close up...

And a really close close up...


I want this cake for my birthday next year!

I hope you like it!
Keep reading!
Nicky

1 comments:

Firenze said...

Oh good lord those brownies look fantastic!
Helen

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