Is that a chartreuse rose?

There is nothing wrong with a chartreuse rose. Who says you have to make lifelike fondant flowers in lifelike colors? Is there a rule book somewhere that I am not aware of? I will make lime green roses if I want to make lime green roses.

Maybe I am just a little extra feisty after the week that I have had. You know those food network competitions where they build the huge beautiful chocolate sculptures and the clock is ticking down and the chefs are going to put the final touches on and the thing crashes to the ground into a million little pieces in what seems like slow motion? I can officially say I know how that feels. A whole quarter of chocolate work and nothing to show for it. I didn't even get a picture before it was destroyed by a too warm chocolate kitchen. It capped off a already crummy week and drained my resolve to keep a happy face on and work through the all the crap.

I don't think I have ever been more ready for the holidays than this year. Between the stress of classes wrapping up for good, a possibly totaled car, being sick every other week, all I want to do is be home with my family and friends, not worrying about real life for a while. Soon, I will be sitting at the dinner table surrounded by all my favorite people, eating delicious turkey, brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes and cheesy corn, drinking some beaujolais nouveau, and just taking it all in.

There is just something about sharing a meal with the ones you love to set everything right, if even just for a little while. When I get back from home, its back into cake making and work mode full force until after new years. I am actually very happy that I have quite a few side projects lined up, even though I am incredibly busy. The cakes and desserts that I make for freelance projects are always the most fun, and the ones that I can pour my creativity into. No matter how many hours I put in, or long, late nights I stay up working on a cake, it's pretty much always worth it in the end.

To give someone a original, delicious, and gorgeous cake that you designed and created with your two hands is one amazing feeling. And that feeling can mean a lot when other things in your life aren't going so well.

I hope everyone reading has an absolutely wonderful thanksgiving and has some time to spend with the people in their lives who make them happy. Or at the very least I hope you get to eat a lot of mashed potatoes. 

Triple Chocolate Ganache Torte

Actually, if you include the little chocolate jimmies around the bottom, it would be a quadruple chocolate torte, but who's counting anyway?

I am desperately trying to get caught up here on the blog and the other site I write for, Honest Cooking, before things get crazy and I start my pastry job. I have so many pictures of goodies that I want to share with all of you, but I am already having trouble finding time to sit down and get my writing on. I began my third quarter of school this week, and I can't believe how fast it is flying by. I have to say so long to all the tortes and cakes we have been focusing on for the first half of my schooling, and switch gears over to savories (meaning spending 4 hours mincing and julienning vegetables) and plated desserts.

We will get a sneak peek this quarter into the world of restaurant pastry production, and I can't wait. I have been pretty set that I want to be in a bakery and would never want to work on the line, but I am keeping an open mind and trying to soak up as much knowledge as humanly possible.

This chocolate torte was one of my favorites from last quarter, it was chocolate-ly, but not overly rich, and had nice strawberry surprise providing just a hint of fruitiness in the middle layer. The chocolate shavings on the top came from a really really thick hazelnut chocolate bar, but you can substitute smaller ones from any chocolate bar you have on hand. In class we used a 2-stage cake recipe with emulsified shortening, but since the vaseline-like fluid flex kind of squicks me out a little, I am going to give you my favorite devils food chocolate cake recipe instead.

Chocolate Ganache Torte
adapted from Zoe Bakes and Professional Baking

Cake:
3 cups granulated sugar
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/8 cups dark cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 cup hot coffee
1/4 cup amaretto liqueur

Butter and flour the sides of two 9" cake pans, and line bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and vegetable oil until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking until thoroughly incorporated after each addition. Add the buttermilk and vanilla and wisk to combine.

Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk just until combined. Add the hot coffee and amaretto and whisk until incorporated.

Fill each cake pan 2/3 the way full and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, and center springs back when pressed gently with your finger, about 35-40 minutes.

Let cakes cool completely before assembling.

Ganache:
1 1/2 lb. heavy cream
1 1/2 lb. dark or bitter sweet chocolate, chopped

Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat heavy cream over medium heat until it comes to a simmer, then pour over chocolate. Let sit for a minute or two, then gently whisk until smooth. Let ganache cool until it is a spreadable consistency. You can make this ahead of time and chill until ready to use. Just put the chilled ganache in a stand mixer and mix with the paddle attachment until it becomes soft and spreadable.

Strawberries:
6-8 strawberries, hulled and sliced thinly
1-2 tablespoons grand marnier
1 tablespoon sugar

Mix strawberries, grand marnier, and sugar in a small bowl and let sit at room temp for 10-15 minutes.

Assembly:
Slice each cake in half so you have four layers of cake. Place the first layer of cake on a flat plate or cake stand and spread a thin layer of chocolate ganache all the way to the edges. Place the second layer of cake on top, and again spread a thin layer of ganache to the edges. Arrange a single layer of strawberries over the ganache, and top with another layer of cake. Fill with ganache, and top the cake with the last layer. With the remaining ganache, cover the outside of the cake, if you find the ganache hard to spread at any point place bowl of ganache over gently simmering water for just a few seconds to help loosen it up.

Decorate as you wish with chocolate sprinkles and/or chocolate shavings. You could also garnish with a little cocoa powder and some strawberries. This would be made even better with a big ol scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Eclairs? Be still my heart...

**This post was originally published on HonestCooking.com, a brand new online food magazine, for which I am a contributor. The website launched in March, and it is a great new resource for recipes, travel, restaurant reviews and foodie opinion pieces. Check it out here!**

I had no clue that I held a secret, deep down, buried-in-the-depths-of-my-soul obsession with eclairs. I feel that this love/want/desire/need has always been there, waiting to be discovered, but I don't think I have been exposed to a serious eclair in the 26 years I have been on this pastry-filled planet.

People think I am insane when I tell them that I don't really like sweets that much. Then their jaws drop the rest of the way to the floor when I say I am just not that into chocolate. Then they practically faint when I follow that up with the news that I am in pastry school and I tend to spend my days making cakes and confections for showers and weddings, treats which I am not really tempted to eat. I know what tastes good, but just a taste is enough for me. The pleasure I get from sweets and desserts is the process, the ritual, the craft, and the art of making them, just not necessarily eating them.

It doesn't make any sense, I know, but there are important exceptions to my general ambivalence towards desserts, and one of those exceptions is shaped like a log, filled with pastry cream, and dipped in chocolate.

I have finally discovered what may be my perfect dessert. It starts with a neutral, fairly un-sweet pastry shell, which is similar to one of my great loves, the popover. Then you fill said shell with an amazing thick, rich, and refreshing pastry cream. I could stop here and be the happiest girl in the world. But adding just a very thin layer of chocolate ganache to the top takes it to pastry perfection. The chocolate adds just the perfect amount of sweetness, and coming from me, the typically chocolate-abstaining baker, says a lot to the importance of this component.

There are a few steps involved here, but each separate component is fairly simple and can be made a bit in advance if you aren't up for tackling the entire project in one go. My guess is though, once you start the process, you won't want to stop until you are biting into the creamy goodness that is the chocolate eclair. Try to save at least a few to share with others, you may win some hearts and make new friends. They are that good.

Chocolate Dipped Eclairs
adapted from Professional Baking by Wayne Gisslen

You will notice that I measure everything on a kitchen scale, even liquids and eggs. This really is the best way to measure ingredients for baking, as it is very dependent on precision. If you do not have a kitchen scale, you can visit this site for approximate conversions: Cooking Conversions.

Pâte à choux:

• 1 lb (454 grams) water or milk
• 8 oz (227 grams) butter
• .18 oz (5 grams) salt
• 12 oz (340 grams) bread flour
• 1 lb 4 oz (680) eggs

Combine liquid, butter, and salt in a saucepan, and bring mixture to a boil. Remove from heat and add all the flour at once, stir vigorously to combine. Return the pan to medium-high heat, and stir constantly until mixture dries out a bit, forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan.

Transfer dough to a stand mixer (you can mix it by hand, but you might get blisters on your hand like I did, just a warning) and mix on low speed until dough has cooled a bit. Turn the mixer to medium speed and add the eggs in 4-5 additions. Wait until each addition is completely incorporated until adding the next addition, you may not need to add all the eggs.

When the pate au choux is ready, you should be able to drag a finger through the dough, as deep as your second knuckle, and the two sides of the dough created by the drag should slump back together and touch. You should still see a parting line, but the the sides should touch. If they stay apart, mix in a bit more egg. If they completely blend back together, you may have gone too far, and then well, I don’t know what to tell you. You can do one of two things, start over, or use the dough anyway. If you decide to use the dough, they will probably spread out more than you would like. They will still most likely be delicious, but there probably won’t be as much room for the pastry cream, and that is a shame.

Transfer the paste into a piping bag fit with a large plain tip, and pipe three inch long lines onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes, then reduce the temp to 375 degrees F and bake until golden brown and cooked through on the inside. The best way to tell if they are done is to sacrifice one and break it open. It should have the consistency of a popover on the inside, hollow and still a bit moist, but not sticky or wet.

Pastry Cream:

• 2 lb (907 grams) milk
• 4 oz (113 grams) sugar
• 3 oz (85 grams) egg yolks
• 4 oz (113 grams) whole eggs
• 2.5 oz (71 grams) cornstarch
• 4 oz (113 grams) sugar (this is an additional 4 oz of sugar, to be used separately from the other 4 oz)
• 2 oz (57 grams) butter
• .5 oz (14 grams) vanilla extract

1. In a heavy saucepan, bring 4 oz sugar and the milk just to a boil. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together the yolks, whole eggs, cornstarch, and the rest of the sugar until completely smooth. Temper the hot milk into the egg mixture, then return the mixture to the pan over medium high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, and immediately remove from heat. Stir in the butter and the vanilla and mix until completely incorporated.

2. Pour into a shallow pan, and cover with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic wrap is touching the entire surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Chill for a few hours or overnight. Whip until smooth again before using.

Chocolate Ganache:

• 1 lb (454 grams) dark chocolate, chopped
• 12 oz (340 grams) heavy cream

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the cream just to a boil, remove from heat, add the chocolate and stir. Let sit for a few minutes, then stir until smooth. If all chocolate has not melted, place bowl over pan of gently simmering water and stir chocolate until completely melted and smooth.

2. When the eclair shells have cooled completely, take a star piping tip, and gently poke two holes in the bottom of each eclair. Pipe pastry cream into each hole to completely fill the eclair. Alternatively you can also use a bismarck tip if you have one, to pipe the cream into the eclair. Try to get as much cream inside as possible, trust me on this, you will thank me later!

3. After eclairs are filled, carefully turn each one over and dip the tops into the chocolate ganache. Place eclairs ganache side up on a baking sheet to set.

Valrhona Pots de Crème

I have this friend. She is a mom-to-be, a teacher, and an overall wonderful person, oh yes, and she is allergic to gluten. Why should this be important? Well, I suspect like many of you reading this, our get-togethers with friends have a tendency to center around food. We plan all our meetings around what we will be cooking, who's making what, and how many calories we can safely stuff into our bellies during the allotted time frame. It has been this way for years and years, since we all found an appreciation for good food and drink. You know, since we graduated from Funyuns and Mountain Dew to caramelized onion crostini and Sauvignon Blanc.

Maybe because I claim to know my way around the stove, or maybe because I am a total control freak, I have been in charge of the main meal for our bi-annual cabin weekends for the past four years or so. When my friend found out she had celiac disease, we all tried to cater to her special dietary needs throughout the weekend. The first year was a little rough. I found myself squeezed into a tiny five foot by five foot kitchen, preparing two pasta dishes and two gluten-free "pasta" dishes. I ended up with two potfuls of tomato flavored disintegrated gluten-free pasta mush, and about three hours of dish washing ahead of me. The next year I produced a three layer lemon pistachio gluten-free birthday cake, which tasted lovely, but was as dense as a brick.

Over the years, I have learned from these gluten-free disasters, and have changed the way I approach cooking for someone with a dietary restriction. Instead of picking a recipe, then adapting it to suit my needs, I now try to seek out naturally gluten-free foods to feature in my meals. Fresh vegetables, rich cuts of meat, cheese-laden potatoes, savory rices and grains...how hard can it be to plan a gourmet meal when you have all this at your disposal? Soon, it became a pinch to plan a completely gluten-free meal that we can all enjoy, with no substitutions, and no sacrificing.

This year, I finally applied this approach to dessert. Rather than making a tart shell or pastry with all kinds of crazy rice and spelt flours and xanthan gum, I sought out a dessert that was already gluten-free. I needed something that would be the crowning touch on a lobster dinner, something rich and decadent, where no one would miss a flaky, buttery pastry dough.

Enter Valrhona Chocolate Pots De Crème. These are really simple chocolate custards, just kicked up a notch or two with the addition of some of the best chocolate in the world. Featuring one single, amazing ingredient can be a great way of simplifying a dish when there are dietary restrictions at play. The taste of the Valrhona custard is so intense and deep, the gluten-free gal and the rest of the party, never even noticed the lack of flour that is usually so noticeable in american desserts. The most important part though was ending the meal with full bellies, happy hearts, and memories of time well spent with wonderful friends.

Dark Valrhona Chocolate Pots De Crèmeadapted from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice
makes 8 individual custards

1 1/2 cups (355 ml) whole milk
1 1/2 cups (355 ml) heavy cream
2/3 cup (1,56 dl) sugar
6 ounces (170 grams) dark Valrhona (or any other brand high quality) chocolate, chopped
6 egg yolks
1/4 cup (0,6 dl) Dutch-processed dark chocolate, sifted
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

In a medium sized saucepan, over a medium-low flame, heat the milk, cream, sugar, and chopped chocolate, whisking constantly, until chocolate is melted and sugar has dissolved, and comes to a simmer.
While this is heating, combine the egg yolks, cocoa powder, cinnamon, vanilla and salt in a large bowl.
Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).

Once the cream mixture is at a simmer, it's time to temper it into the egg yolks. Pour a small amount (about 1/4 cup) of the hot chocolate milk into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly. Repeat this process two or three more times, whisking constantly, until you have a hot, loose, liquid mixture. While whisking, slowly pour the remainder of the chocolate milk into the yolks, and stir until completely incorporated.

Pass the liquid through a fine mesh strainer into another bowl, or a pitcher for easy distribution into the ramekins. Arrange eight ramekins on a baking sheet and fill each one about 3/4 full with the custard mixture.

Place the baking sheet on the middle rack on your oven, and carefully pour hot water into the sheet pan, filling it as full as possible, without overflowing. Bake custards for 35-40 minutes, until they are set. They will have a uniform, even jiggle when done, meaning the center should move just as much as the outer rim when jostled.

I have found that the easiest way to remove the custards from the oven is to use tongs to remove each ramekin separately, then turn off the oven, leaving the sheet pan full of water in the oven until it is cool. This way you wont have to try to carry a large sheet pan full of 325 degree water across your kitchen.

Let custards cool for about 20 minutes, and then refrigerate for a few hours, or optimally overnight until completely set and chilled.

For best results, top with fresh raspberries and freshly whipped cream, and serve in good company.

A Sugar Flower Revelation

I sort of had a revelation this weekend. Nothing earth shattering, more so a bit of self-awareness that I hadn't realized before. At some point during the six hour long gumpaste-flower-making marathon I got to really thinking about how much things have changed over the past year or two, and ultimately how I have changed. My perspective on my work, new projects, and life in general has completely changed from a nervous, second-guessing stance, to a confident, fearless approach. Can I make a tiered, square fondant covered wedding cake, even though I have never done anything like that before? Sure, why not? Should I try my hand at making a flower out of gumpaste for a cake I am delivering tomorrow instead of purchasing a real flower to slap on top? Hell yeah, I think I can do that. No, I know I can do that.

Maybe I have been lucky, and all these projects that I have taken on (maybe some of them a bit foolish) have worked out, and worked out well. But maybe, just maybe, it's this new found confidence I have in myself that is responsible for me being successful all the new things I am trying. Letting go of the fear is paving the way for sturdy cakes, delicate sugar flowers, and new and exciting opportunities in the kitchen. I used to worry so much about completing a project on time, and completing it to my standards, that it would get in the way of my productivity and the quality of the product.

So where did this come from? It came from finally doing something that I feel great about. I got out of a field where I was always second guessing myself, and feeling like my skills weren't up to par. I didn't have the passion for product design that the job really requires, and that in turn affected my confidence with my work. I didn't believe that I could draw a beautiful spatula, for example, and therefore I couldn't, and didn't.

In the kitchen, I believe that I can make a beautiful cake. I believe that I can do something, anything, even if I have never done it before. I still have SO much to learn about pastries and cakes and decorating, but I believe that I will take it all in, and will be able to utilize all this knowledge in my new life in the pastry world.

It is really amazing what happens when you sit down to make about 35 layers of gumpaste chrysanthemum petals. I know I have talked before about baking being therapeutic, but I feel that way now more than ever.

Whew, thanks for letting me get that off my chest. Now for what you really came here for: the goods.

This cake and the macarons were made for my sister's very dear friend for her baby shower. She is due in March, and they held a lovely shower for her here in Chicago at the Drake Hotel. I went with some recipes that I know and love, which enabled me to focus on trying something new with the decor. I did a simple and delicious devil's food cake, with cream cheese frosting. The macarons are plain colored shells, some with chocolate ganache, some with lemon curd filling. Some citrus colored ribbons, and a gumpaste chrysanthemum tied it all together, and definitely made me look forward to spring.

You can find the recipes here:

Macarons
Lemon Curd
Devils Food Cake
Cream Cheese Frosting

Amaretto Brownies & Salted Butter Caramel Sauce (Gluten Free!)

I wish every weekend was cabin weekend...

Cabin weekend means good friends, great food, copious amounts of wine and beer, hot tubbing, and pontoon rides. Exciting news was shared between friends who had gone FAR too long in between visits. Raucous games of cutthroat bocce ball were played. There were too many smiles and laughs to count.

As usual though, the weekend mostly revolved around food, and there was disaster at almost every turn. More on that later, but one thing that did not get screwed up was the dessert. One of my best friends, (and brand new mom-to-be!!), has a gluten allergy, so it is always challenging to find a gluten free dessert that everyone will enjoy. Luckily, there is Tartelette to the rescue. If you ever need a gluten free dessert, please visit her site, she doesn't alter what she eats because of her intolerance, rather, she makes it work for her, and then is nice enough to share it with the rest of us.

Of course I edited the recipe slightly (I can't help myself, I had to add some booze) and I simplified it a bit. Instead of using a combination of hard to find, not to mention expensive, gluten-free flour substitutes, I used an all-purpose gluten-free baking mix. The texture of the brownies may have not been exactly like Tartelette's version, but they were still great. Moist and rich, we didn't miss the gluten at all. Topped with vanilla ice cream, and a salted butter caramel sauce, and heck, the brownie could have been missing for all I knew.

Dark Chocolate Amaretto Brownies & Salted Butter Caramel Sauce
adapted from Tartelette
makes about 20 3-1/2 inch round brownies

*I made the brownies in tartlet molds, and originally served them like that with a scoop of ice cream  and caramel sauce drizzle on top. If you want to make sandwiches like I did in the pictures, bake the brownies in a thin layer in two parchment paper-lined baking dishes and cut circles once they have cooled.

For the brownies:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
6 ounces dark chocolate
1/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
3/4 cup all purpose gluten-free baking mix (or all purpose flour)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup amaretto (or if you want to omit the alcohol, substitute 1/4 cup strong coffee)

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Brush 20 3-1/2 inch tartlet molds with a bit of melted butter, or butter and line a baking dish with parchment paper, set aside.

In a small bowl set over barely simmering water, combine the butter, chocolate, and cocoa powder. Whisk gently, until chocolate and butter are melted, and mixture is fully combined and smooth. This will only take a minute or two. Remove from heat, set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the "flour", baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the eggs, sugar, and vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed about 4-5 minutes. Add chocolate mixture and beat until combined. Add amaretto and beat to combine. Add the flour mixture in two additions and beat just until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.

Fill each tart mold about 3/4 the way full, and bake for 20-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (start checking around 15 minutes or so). Let brownies cool in the molds on a wire rack completely, then un-mold and store in an air tight container until ready to serve.

For the caramel sauce:

1-1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1 stick salted butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup heavy cream

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the sugar and the water. Simmer just until the sugar is dissolved. Add the butter, and let it boil until it turns a deep amber color. Remove from heat and carefully add the cream. Whisk to combine, and place back over medium-low heat and cook for about 30 minutes, until it has thickened and is nice and creamy.

Now get your vanilla ice cream out.

Grab a spoon...you know what to do.

Just go for it.

Stay tuned for some exciting news, a giveaway, and more recipes from cabin weekend!

My First, and Hopefully Not Last, Wedding Cake

It ain't perfect, but in my opinion, it ain't too shabby for my first attempt. This was my first time working with fondant, my first time making a multi-tiered cake, my first time handling a 60-year old vintage cake topper and attempting not to break it. Early on this summer, two of my friends from college asked me if I would be so kind as to make their wedding cake. At first I laughed...then I realized they were serious.

These two blindly trusted my baking skills, and I thank them for it. This was an amazing learning experience, starting from scratch, with only a few online video tutorials, back episodes of "Amazing Wedding Cakes" from WE tv on my DVR, and a giant fondant rolling pin to assist me in this endeavor.

I spent a few months planning for this thing. I met with the bride and groom to discuss what they were looking for in their cake (size, shape, flavors, buttercream vs. fondant, colors, decorations etc.). From there we decided on a simple, two-tier, small-ish square cake. They were serving a tiramisu dessert at the end of dinner (they did get married at the Italian American Sports Hall of Fame after all) so they wouldn't need cake for everyone, just those who wanted a little extra something after a night of dancing and drinking. Also, we wanted to keep it simple because they were using the cake topper that their grandparents used back in 1954, and wanted to keep the focus on that, rather than any fancy decorations on the rest of the cake (not to mention that I have no business getting fancy on my first cake). Look at this thing, how awesome is this cake topper?

I cannot tell you how relieved I was to drop the topper off with the cake. The groom was teetering on one leg, and the bride was chipped at the hip, and I did not want to be responsible for destroying a family heirloom. I think I was almost more nervous about dropping the topper than the cake itself. Luckily none of the above occurred and everything got there in one piece.

We did a tasting about a month out from the wedding day. I presented them with four flavors of cake and four fillings, and they were able to mix and match and decide exactly what their wedding cake would taste like. The groom picked flavors for one tier, a devil's food dark chocolate cake with amaretto buttercream, and the bride picked flavors for the other tier; a banana cake with a banana cream filling. Hows that for cooperation? Now came the fun part...the baking!

Since I am no expert at this yet, I will show you my pictures and walk you through my schedule instead of going into detail with recipes and methods. Someday I hope to show you an exhaustive, detailed, perfect to the T, explanation of how to make a wedding cake, but I fear we are a long, long way from that day. So for now, here goes.

The wedding was on a friday at 3:00 pm. I needed to drop off the cake by noon that day to have enough time to go back home, get ready, and be presentable with no visible frosting in my hair in my pew at the church before the ceremony started.

Two weeks before the wedding, I began baking the layers. Cake freezes wonderfully, as long as you wrap it up well. Two to three coats of plastic wrap and a final layer of tin foil will do the job. One week before the wedding, I made and froze the buttercream, and made the fondant. Two days before the wedding, I made the banana cream filling and refrigerated it. I also cut all the cake boards to size and cut the ribbons to the correct length.

Crunch time. The day before the wedding, I torted, filled, and crumb coated both tiers. I also put the final, smooth-as-I-could-get-it layer of buttercream on each tier and left them in the refrigerator overnight.

If you are using non-perishable fillings such as a buttercream or ganache you can fondant your cakes a day ahead and leave them at room temp overnight. Since I had the banana filling, I had to refrigerate them up until right before the delivery.

It is apparently not a good thing to put a fondant covered cake in the the fridge. Bad things will happen, or so I hear. I chose not to push my luck.

I also made a little stand for the cake topper with a small round cut out of cardboard, covered with a piece of ribbon.

The morning of the wedding I woke up around 6 am to finish the cakes. I let the tiers sit out at room temp for about 20 minutes before covering them with fondant so that the buttercream underneath would have a little give and I would be able to smooth it better. I rolled out my fondant with a generous amount of powdered sugar, and covered my cakes. I had a good amount of air bubbles, so I got out a sterilized needle and went to town. I chalk this up to it being my first time using fondant if you don't count the styrofoam 'cakes' I covered a few months back for practice.

Using a small amount of hot glue, I secured the ribbon around the base of each layer. I then stuck some plastic dowels into each tier of the cake, removed them and cut them to proper size, the replaced them back into their holes. This helped support the second tier and the topper, making sure it they didn't sink down into the layer below.

Then I held on for dear life in the back seat of the car, yelling at my boyfriend every few blocks to drive slower and more carefully (in reality, he was doing a fine job, I was just really tired and scared that we were going to hit a pothole and the cake would going flying into the back of the driver seat. It didn't).

The cake was delivered without a hitch, and about fifteen minutes later I was a happy little clam with a strong bloody mary in my hand. I firmly believe that if you successfully make a two tiered wedding cake in your two-bedroom apartment kitchen, you deserve to drink hard alcohol before noon.

The wedding was beautiful, the reception amazingly fun, and the cake, delicious. Of course I was in the bathroom during the cake cutting...that just figures. Its okay though, hopefully, in time, there will be many more couples cutting into one of my cakes.

Here are the wonderful recipes I used:

Chocolate Devil's Food Cake
Banana Cake
Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting
Banana Cream Filling
Marshmallow Fondant

Spring-ing

I think spring has sprung here in Chicago. Well maybe it is still in the process of springing, but close enough right?

This year it seems spring = wedding season. Not mine of course, but I am involved in one of my close friend's wedding festivities. This morning her bridesmaids threw her a shower, full of friends, flowers, presents, champagne, and way too much delicious food.

I was in charge of desserts and decided to make a few different items to cater to many people's tastes. It was also an excuse to purchase some super cute tartlet pans. For the fruit lovers there was a lime, coconut, and macadamia nut tartlet, and for the chocolate lovers: (including the bride herself) a chocolate truffle tartlet with raspberries. For the cookie lovers, I brought some green and pink macarons, to coordinate with her wedding colors.

Also, we were asked to decorate wine bags, with a bottle wine wine inside for the bride-to-be to guess who brought it. I may or may not have gotten a little ambitious here...but look at how cute my little sushis turned out :-) Me (unemployed designer) + craft store + too much time on my hands = sushi wine bag.

The shower was gorgeous, the bride was beaming, and the guests' tummies were full and happy.

Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Tartlets

adapted (barely) from Tartlette.com

This makes 6 5-inch tartlets or 8 4-inch tartlets.

The crust:

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup powdered sugar

3 egg yolks

pinch of salt

1 1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

The filling:

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brewed coffee, use a dark, flavorful roast for this

4 eggs

The ganache:

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

To finish:

1 1/2 pints of raspberries (or about 15 raspberries per tarts)

powdered sugar for dusting

For the crust:

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar together and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and salt and mix until incorporated. Add the flour and cocoa powder and mix just to combine. Turn dough out onto floured surface, and knead breifly just until the dough comes together, about 10-15 turns. Flatten dough into disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 350. Place your tart rings on a heavy baking sheet.

Roll out dough between two pieces of parchment paper until it is 1/4 inch thick. Cut out 7-inch rounds from the dough and press them into the tart pans. If there is not enough area for 6 rounds, re-roll scraps once and cut from there. If the dough tears while you are putting it into the tart pans (and it most likely will) just press it back together. Gently prick the tart dough with a fork all over the bottom surface, this will help the bottom from bubbling up too much.

Bake shells for 12 minutes, turning the pan front to back halfway through the baking time.

For the filling:

While the tart shells are par-baking, place the chocolate in a medium bowl and set aside. Heat the butter, sugar, and coffee in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Bring just to a boil then remove from heat and pour over the chocolate. Let sit undisturbed for 2-3 minutes.

Whisk the chocolate mixture until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time while whisking, until incorporated and smooth.

When tart shells have finished par-baking, remove them from the oven and gently press down the bottoms if they have bubble up at all. Divide batter evenly among tart shells, leave about 1/4 inch room from the top for the ganache. Bake for another 12 minutes until filling is set and cooked through.

Let cool completely then remove from tart pans.

For the ganache:

Place the chocolate in a medium bowl and set aside. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until just boiling. Pour over chocolate and let sit undisturbed for 2-3 minutes. Whisk until smooth, then add in the butter, whisking vigorously until smooth and shiny.

Divide evenly among tarts and smooth with an offset spatula. Let cool for about 5 minutes before adding raspberries.

To Finish:

Arrange raspberries in concentric circles on the tarts and dust with powdered sugar. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

These guys are pretty sturdy and can be made a day or two in advance, just keep them covered and chilled, saving the powdered sugar dusting for immediately before serving.

These were a huge hit at the shower. Poor little lime tarts were completely neglected next to these beauties (not to mention two flavors of macarons).

But its okay, that just left more for me to eat, and I will share them with you in the next post. Crap, I have to be in a swimsuit in two weeks...this isn't good.