‘Cake Art’ and not ‘cake baking’ is how I would like to express
my recent foray into the world of baking. An exquisite presentation to an
exquisite meal has always been my idea of perfect cuisine. Baking couldn’t have been different. Ever since
I have started baking or rather creating art through cakes as that is how I would
like to put it, I just look out for the slightest of opportunity to dig my
hands into making one.
Easter meals are always special. And like any new baking
enthusiast I just had to make the eggs-in-a-nest cake. And since I had some
beautiful fresh strawberries with me I also thought of baking up a plush
fruit-cake-ice cream dessert for the evening. Apart from tasting wonderful it was
also a feast for the eyes. And of course the dazzling photography by my husband
just lifted up the splendor of my dishes to an altogether different level.
Crafting the eggs-in-the-nest cake was the most exciting for
me. I baked a small round chocolate cake
and scooped out slightly deep some of it in the middle to create the hollow for
the nest. For the nest, I used vermicelli cooked in sugar syrup till it was
just done. Overdoing the vermicelli could have made it soggy. The eggs were
made out of fondant by hand. A little branch with a couple of leaves added to
the beauty. The fondant used here is a marshmallow fondant made at home. It’s just
simply a marshmallow and castor sugar mix. I usually make quite some amount of
this dough and keep ready in the fridge.
After assembling the cake I put it onto this beautiful fairy
stand that my husband had bought from London on one of his office tours. The cake
nest with the fairy behind just lifted up the grandeur of the whole dish and
completed the Easter look beautifully.
For the fruit-cake-ice cream dessert, I simply baked a
classic chocolate sponge (yup! Chocolate again….everyone at home loves
chocolate). Once cooled, I took a knife and made slits randomly on the cake. After
that I simply poured one whole brick of melted vanilla ice cream over it. This had
to be done little by little as the cake wouldn't suck the semi liquid ice cream
all at once. Once that is done, I then took the strawberries and crushed them
slightly and mixed a handful of castor sugar into it. Just poured the plush red
strawberry mix onto the cake…
Sprinkled a few juicy and syrupy cherries on top
and voila!!!!!
We had a gorgeous dessert ready.
What was the most satisfying was both the sweet treats
vanished in minutes.
And there I was…wondering already….when would I bake the
next cake?!!!!!!!
Well! I didn’t have to wait long. A couple of days later my
son was completing 9 months. And that was reason big enough for me to create a
cake gift for my beloved son.
This time I tried my hands on a red velvet cake for the
first time. And it turned out good. With a simple butter cream filling, I designed
a book cake with fondant. I also used modeling chocolate to make a model of my
son. Modeling chocolate is nothing but a mixture of chocolate and corn syrup. The
corn syrup helps in making the chocolate pliable so that you can carve it into
whatever shape you want.
I also learnt quite a bit while baking this cake. Red velvet
is quite a soft textured cake and hence needed to be refrigerated before
carving. And regarding modeling chocolate I was not quite happy with what I did….but
I am sure I will better myself with practice.
After creating three back-to-back sweet bites in a week, I was
very satisfied….I felt like as if I had quenched my thirst for some time.
I guess I can sit back for some time now and do some book
surfing on cakes or watch ‘fabulous cakes’ on TV…..before I embark on another
creative journey.
Adios friends…..till we bake again!
