Happy 1st Birthday!

Not quite finished, but getting there.

Zebra Inspiration!

I love printed tops, this is just to show my appreciation for Zebra prints! Fondant tourta with chocolate and cream.

Tourtes for girls!

Fondant covered rose topped Cream & chocolate Tourta

Tiffany Blue Blossom tree tourta - cream & chocolate

Princess cushion with butterfly details - the message was later written in chocolate for the client.
Strawberry & chocolate cream flavour tourta

Happy Birthday Eleni!

I really love all the cherry blossom cake designs out there, and wanted to experiment for myself with this kind of style for a birthday tourta for a friend.
I used a strawberry cream & chocolate tourta covered in fondant tinted with blue and a little green for that 'Tiffany' Blue colour, chocolate ganache for the tree and branches - piped through greaseproof paper (i like to diy).

The flowers were made a day earlier and left to dry/harden. For the large flower i used 3 different sized heart shape cookie cutters to make the petals which were thinned out at the edges and left to harden a little in a cupcake holder! I started with the outter edges of the flower, using larger pieces of the flower petals and a little water to hold/glue them together then smaller petals. I probably should have done it the other way around but hey ho, it still turned out ok!

et voila!

Easter bits

With Easter fast approaching, it was time to bust out some Spring style cakes. We thought an Easter basket filled with eggs would be a nice idea along with little ladybirds leaving a trail around the tourta. Easter wouldn't be Easter without an Easter bunny tourta, so here's my first attempt at cutting shapes out!

Penguin Iceberg Tourta

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIDDO!

Happy Valentines Day & Happy New Year (Tiger)!

Have a Happy Valentines Day!

Valentines Cakes: Part 2

Τούρτα Αγίου Βαλεντίνου - Valentines Day Cake part 1

We've been doing a series of cake hats lately - it seems this is what they want here, so in the lead upto Valentines day, here is a krema chocolada capello with fondant icing.

More Valentine's Day tourtes to follow on Thursday!

Cakes galore!

Chanel Cambon in Orange!

This is my 2nd attempt in making a designer purse bag, this time i did the quilting effect after i'd laid the fondant over the cake. What did i learn this time around - the layer of fondant needed to be just a few millimeters thicker! Anyhow, i still love it!

Another attempt at fondant decorating...

Well, i guess it didn't turn out too bad... but practise is the way forward from here. I made this spotty & stripy gift box style cake... again without proper tools, but overall i'm happy with it.

Carrot cake is just one of our favourites here at Paradise, but i must admit when i saw the picture and recipe for the Hummingbird cake, i just had to try it out. This one is made with Bananas and Pineapple and has a similar take on the traditional carrot cake.

Hummingbird cake

Prep time: 25 mins
Cook time: 25 mins
Serves: Makes 10-12 slices

Ingredients

• 300g caster sugar
• 3 Eggs
• 300ml sunflower oil
• 270g peeled Bananas, mashed
• 1 tsp Cinnamon, plus extra to decorate
• 300g plain flour
• 1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 100g tinned pineapples, chopped into small pieces
• 100g chopped Pecans, or walnuts plus extra to decorate

Cream cheese frosting

• 600g icing sugar
• 100g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 250g cream cheese, cold

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/Gas 3.

2. Put the sugar, eggs, oil, banana and cinnamon in an electric mixer or use an handheld electric whisk and beat until all the ingredients are incorporated (don't worry if the mixture looks slightly split at this stage).

3. Slowly add the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and vanilla extract and continue to beat until everything is well mixed.

4. Stir in the chopped pineapple and nuts by hand until evenly dispersed.

5. Line the based of three 20 cm cake tins with greaseproof paper. Pour the mixture into the tins and smooth over with a palatte knife. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and the sponge bounces back when touched.

4. Leave the cakes to cool slightly in the tins before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

5.For the cream cheese frosting Beat the icing sugar and butter together using an electric mixer until the mixture comes together and is well mixed.

6. Add the cream cheese in one go and beat until completely incorporated. Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy at least 5 minutes.

7. Place one cake on a stand and spread about one-quarter of the cream cheese frosting over it with a palette knife. Place a second cake on top and and spread another quarter of the frosting over it. Top with the last cake and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides. Finish with pecan nuts and a light sprinkling of cinnamon.

From The Hummingbird Cookbook, published by Ryland Peters & Small
Recipe & image via UKTV Food.

Coconut Cupcakes!

image via: http://jodilynndesigns.com

As a lover of all things coconut, i just had to find the perfect cupcake recipe. I have since sourced 3 different recipes, let the experimentation begin.

This recipe comes from Ina Garten's "The Barefoot Contessa" cookbook, which features recipes from her hugely successful New York take-out store, also named The Barefoot Contessa.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 large eggs
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 7-ounce package flaked sweetened coconut, divided
Cream cheese icing

Line 16 muffin cups with paper baking cups, and set aside. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, and set oven racks at top and lower middle levels.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar and butter on medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Turn the mixer speed to low, and add the eggs one at a time, beating 1 minute after each. Beat in the vanilla and almond extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and beat again briefly.

Add the flour mixture and the buttermilk alternately to the butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Fold in only 1 1/3 cups of the coconut.

Fill each muffin cup almost full with batter. Bake in a 325-degree oven for 11 to 14 minutes on the top and lower-middle racks of oven, then reverse the positions of the two cupcake pans (putting the one from the top on the lower middle rack and vice versa), and bake another 11 to 14 minutes or until the cupcake tops are golden and a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

Allow the cupcakes to cool completely, and then top them with cream cheese icing. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. If you want to freeze these, store them unfrosted in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 weeks.

To serve unfrosted cupcakes that have been frozen, allow to thaw at room temperature for about 1 hour before serving, then ice and serve them. Makes about 16 cupcakes.

Coconut Cupcake a la Caked Crusader

Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:

125g self raising flour
25g desiccated coconut
115g caster sugar
125ml buttermilk - or milk with a table spoon of either lemon juice/white vinegar - mix and leave for a few minutes.
1 egg
1 teaspoon coconut extract
65g unsalted butter, melted

For the coconut icing:

280g icing sugar
70g desiccated coconut
1000g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1-3 tablespoons hot water


How to make:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan oven 160°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.
• Line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases.
• Combine the flour, coconut and sugar in a bowl and make a well in the centre.
• Into the well pour the buttermilk, egg, coconut extract and melted butter and mix until all the ingredients are combined.
• Spoon the mixture evenly into the paper cases.
• Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cupcakes comes out clean. Mine took 18 minutes.
• Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before removing the cupcakes and leaving to cool completely on a wire rack.
• You can make the cupcakes a day in advance if you store them in an airtight tin. Make the icing on the day though.
• Now make the icing: place all the ingredients, except the hot water, in a bowl and mix together.
• Add just enough hot water to make a spreadable consistency.
• Spread the icing over each cupcake and decorate according to taste – I used wafer roses.
• Bask in glory at the wonderful thing you have made.
• Eat.

Ok, the bake off is on for the best tasting coconut cupcakes - i've sourced another yummyliscious recipe:

For the cupcakes

• 2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unsifted flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups superfine sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup sour cream (do not use low-fat or nonfat)
• 1 cup lightly packed sweetened flaked coconut

For the frosting

• 12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 5 tablespoons (1/2 stick plus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream (may substitute coconut milk)
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 5 1/2 cups unsifted confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/2 cups lightly packed sweetened flaked coconut

Directions:

For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 standard 12-cup muffin tins with paper cupcake liners.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg on a sheet of wax or parchment paper.

Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer or a hand-held electric mixer; beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add half of the sugar and beat for 1 minute; add the remaining sugar and beat for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating on medium speed for 45 seconds each time, then add the vanilla extract. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Reduce the speed to low. Alternately add the sifted mixture in 3 additions and the sour cream in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the sifted mixture. The batter will be smooth and moderately thick. Add the coconut, beating on low until incorporated.

Divide the batter among the cupcake liners, filling them slightly more than half-full. Bake for 18 minutes (start checking at 15 minutes) or until the cupcakes have risen and completely set. A wooden toothpick inserted in the center of a baked cupcake will withdraw with a few moist crumbs attached.

Cool the cupcakes in the pans on wire cooling racks for 15 minutes, then transfer the cupcakes to the wire racks to cool completely.

For the frosting: Combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer or a hand-held electric mixer; beat on medium speed for 1 minute, until creamy and well incorporated.
Add the vanilla extract, heavy cream and nutmeg; beat to combine, stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed. Reduce the speed to low; add the confectioners' sugar in 3 additions, beating between additions until thoroughly combined.

Use a flexible palette knife to spread the frosting as thickly as possible on top of the cooled cupcakes, creating a generous 1- to 2-inch cap on top. Sprinkle the frosted surfaces of the cupcakes with the coconut.

Recipe Source:

Adapted from "Baking by Flavor," by Lisa Yockelson (Wiley, 2002).

Coconut pound cake with buttercream

I have been searching for the perfect coconut cake recipe for a long time and have managed to find the mother of all sources for coconut anything at The Caked Crusader - more like Cake saviour me thinks though.

Here is The Caked Crusaders recipe for the yummiest coconut cake ever!

Ingredients:
For the cake:
225g unsalted butter
225g caster sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
115g desiccated coconut
225g self raising flour

For the buttercream:
225g icing sugar
115g unsalted butter, softened
3-4 tablespoons desiccated coconut

1 glace cherry to decorate, optional

How to make:

- Preheat oven to 180°C/fan oven 160°C/350°F/ Gas mark 4 and line either an 18cm round tin with greaseproof paper.
- Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Don’t skimp on this stage as I think it is the foundation of success. Take a tiny piece of the mix and place on your tongue. Press it to the roof of your mouth – if it’s gritty the mix needs more beating. When it’s smooth you can move to the next stage.

• Beat in the eggs, then the coconut, then the flour.
• Spoon into the cake tin and bake for about an hour or until a skewer comes out clean. Mine took about 1 hour 10 minutes but it’s probably worth checking on it after about 45 minutes as ovens vary greatly.
• Leave to cool for 10 minutes in the tin and then remove from the tin and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
• For the buttercream, cream the butter and icing sugar together until very smooth and spread onto the top (and sides if you wish) of the cake.
• Immediately after, sprinkle on the desiccated coconut.
• I tend to make the cake the day before I want it, and then make the buttercream on the morning of the day on which the cake will be served.
• Bask in glory at the wonderful thing you have made.
• Eat