This one's for the chocolate lovers out there.
This was a biggie. 14", 10" and 6" round tiers were stacked and covered entirely in white and dark modelling chocolate pleats and accented with dark chocolate roses to recreate this wedding cake by San Francisco artist Richard Festen. I've never covered a whole cake with chocolate before but I was surprised that it turned out to be such a wonderful material to work with. As an added bonus, it tastes fantastic.
A close up shot reveals the intricate roses sculpted from chocolate. It was a big project but I'm happy to have had to the chance to work with new materials on such a gorgeous cake design.
Congratulations to the bride and groom!
-Danielle
I love experimenting with different cake covering techniques. Fondant can be applied beautifully by smoothing, pleating, draping - and the list goes on. By far my favourite look though is one that most resembles delicate fabric: ruffling.
Thin strips are textured with the end of a paintbrush and applied with sugar glue to the outside of the cake. The gradient effect happens subtly; every two-three layers is a different shade of grey. It's a very fun (though time-consuming!) technique to dress up a simple occasion cake.
-Danielle
For the longest time I've wanted to try something truly modern and different, with a traditional touch. This cake afforded me that very opportunity.
A truly simple way to add impact to a cake is to incorporate different heights into each tier. Taupe fondant was applied to the outside of the cake and accentuated with a white gumpaste rose with falling petals. A minimalist approach to decorations is a great way to showcase the drama of unequal tiers.
Splendid indeed.
-Danielle
Combining two of my favourite things (delicious food + delicious food) has never been so fun.
Class Sugar Cookies
(yields 20 cookies)
Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
2.5 cups flour
pinch of salt
Directions:
Heat oven to 400F. Combine butter and sugar and mix until incorporated; add eggs one at a time. Continue mixing, add vanilla. Slowly add flour and salt until dough forms. Put in freezer until no longer soft and dough becomes easy to roll (about 30 mins).
Lightly flour the work surface and rolling pin. Remove dough from freezer and carefully roll until 1/4" thick. Cut out desired shapes (in this case I used a Wilton cupcake cutter) and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Put baking sheet in freezer for about 10 minutes - this will help the cookies retain their shape in the oven. Slide baking sheet into oven and cook for 8-10 minutes or until bottom begins to darken. Allow to cool, then decorate with piped royal icing and modelling chocolate.
- Danielle
