Beer Mugs Cake Pops
Beer Mug Cake Pops
Beer Mug & Glass Cake Pops
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Beers for Dad
I had a go at some beer mugs and beer glasses for Fathers Day. Although the colouring is a little bit off, they worked quite well. Apologies for the smudge on the lens.....would you believe it was chocolate!! Did someone get a bit too close with their macro photography, perhaps??
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Houses & Robots
I made some houses for a friend who has recently moved into her brand new house. I initially didn't like the way they looked after I had piped on the windows; but they quickly grew on me. These were going to be my first test at posting some via Australia Post but they had an upcoming trip out this way which meant I could hand deliver them instead.
And I did some robot testing for a job I need to do at the end of October. I'm pretty happy with how they look, except for the fondant antennae. I will have to make these a bit more in advance and not be so impatient with letting them dry!
House Cake Pops
And I did some robot testing for a job I need to do at the end of October. I'm pretty happy with how they look, except for the fondant antennae. I will have to make these a bit more in advance and not be so impatient with letting them dry!
Robot Cake Pops
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Simple Drizzle and Sanding Sugar
I believe my chocolate piping skills are finally improving. I am managing to get more chocolate onto the cake pop rather than onto myself, which has to be a good thing! I really like the look of the simple drizzle done in a coordinating colour and I can see these becoming a favourite of mine.
These were also my first attempt at a Red Velvet cake flavour. I'm not sure that I really get the whole Red Velvet fanfare. To me it tastes a bit like a chocolate cake that isn't quite chocolatey enough. They do look amazingly fantastic when you bite into them though, so perhaps that's what it is all about.
These were also my first attempt at a Red Velvet cake flavour. I'm not sure that I really get the whole Red Velvet fanfare. To me it tastes a bit like a chocolate cake that isn't quite chocolatey enough. They do look amazingly fantastic when you bite into them though, so perhaps that's what it is all about.
Simple Drizzle Cake Pops
Sanding Sugar Cake Pops
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Delta Cream Cupcakes
I've done some more baking. I've made Lemon Curd Squares (from Donna Hay magazine number 51) and although I had some drama getting it out of the pan, it was yummo!
I've also came accross some Oreo cupcakes on Bakerella's blog - you can find her recipe and gorgeous pics here. I changed mine to use Delta Cream biscuits, to keep it a little Aussie.
While mine are definately not as pretty as hers, they tasted fantastic. My major discovery was the icing recipe - Bakerella used shortening, which we don't have access to here, except for Copha, soooooo I tweaked a recipe I found in my Whoopie Pie cookbook (by Angela Drake) and came up with:
MARSHMALLOW ICING
1 packet white marshmallows
4 tbs milk
100g copha
1 cup icing sugar (maybe a bit extra)
Melt the mallows and milk in the microwave, allow to cool to about room temperature.
Melt the copha in another bowl and allow to cool slightly. Beat the icing sugar into the copha and then beat in the mallow mixture. You can add more icing sugar, if required.
I didn't really think it would work because the copha is so, so solid in it's original form, but it worked amazingly. It was quite white (until I added the cookie crumbs to it, which I wish I'd left out!) and it was reasonably easy to pipe (a bit messy to try and spread on) and it stays soft but ends up quite stable to touch.
Mmmmmmm.
I've also came accross some Oreo cupcakes on Bakerella's blog - you can find her recipe and gorgeous pics here. I changed mine to use Delta Cream biscuits, to keep it a little Aussie.
While mine are definately not as pretty as hers, they tasted fantastic. My major discovery was the icing recipe - Bakerella used shortening, which we don't have access to here, except for Copha, soooooo I tweaked a recipe I found in my Whoopie Pie cookbook (by Angela Drake) and came up with:
MARSHMALLOW ICING
1 packet white marshmallows
4 tbs milk
100g copha
1 cup icing sugar (maybe a bit extra)
Melt the mallows and milk in the microwave, allow to cool to about room temperature.
Melt the copha in another bowl and allow to cool slightly. Beat the icing sugar into the copha and then beat in the mallow mixture. You can add more icing sugar, if required.
I didn't really think it would work because the copha is so, so solid in it's original form, but it worked amazingly. It was quite white (until I added the cookie crumbs to it, which I wish I'd left out!) and it was reasonably easy to pipe (a bit messy to try and spread on) and it stays soft but ends up quite stable to touch.
Mmmmmmm.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Transformers
Last week I felt like I was lost inside a cake making, chocolate coating, icing piping time warp.....the only trouble was the rest of the world didn't get lost in there with me! Wish I could freeze time; that's the power I would have if I ever get asked by some random wish-giving genie.
My Transformer Optimus Prime cake worked a treat. I was incredibly happy seeing it evolve and I learnt a couple of tricks along the way. My favourite was using a frozen buttercream transfer. I'd read about it previously and, once I'd spent an incredibly long time drawing up the template (stupid robot hands!!), I decided there had to be an easy way to transfer that to the top of my cake. The previous two times I have cut the paper design into sections and physically drawn around it onto the top of the cake; and then piped over it. I watched a couple of video tutorials and, although I am not too keen on the "whole" design being done as a transfer (it ends up looking too one-dimensional for me), I thought it might just be the solution I was looking for.
Basically, you stick some baking paper over the paper design and secure the whole thing to something solid, like a chopping board. You then pipe the outline (I used black buttercream) onto the baking paper and put it in the freezer. I would leave it there at least a few hours, mine was in there for a day. When you're ready to put the design onto the cake you, quickly, remove it from the freezer and flip the baking paper onto the top of your iced cake. Press it down gently (but use something like a spatula as otherwise the buttercream begins to melt from the warmth of your hands) and then carefully pull the baking paper off. Voila!!!
It's not a completely "clean" outline, like it would be if you just piped it on directly, but it's pretty cool. You can just touch up any areas that didn't transfer properly. This saved me sooooooo much time and I will definatley be using it from now on.
From this.......
to this.......
The other thing I figured out is to use a couple of pieces of styrofoam as a guide when levelling the top of the cake. I needed something about an inch high and my styrofoam was exactly that. I covered it in packing tape to make sure I didn't contaminate the cake and then I rested the flat surface of the knife against that while I was cutting. Levelling cakes is not something I usually do....such a waste of good cake, in my opinion....but I wanted to make sure this one looked a bit professional!
My coordinating cake pops were a hit too. They were supposed to be orange with blue piping and grey with red piping. If you need to use any shade containing red, other than pink, it's best to buy the melts already coloured - as you can see, mine are a little on the feminine side of the colour spectrum! I've also improved my chocolate piping skills - I discovered that the more melted chocolate you put into the piping bag, the easier it is to use!!
My Transformer Optimus Prime cake worked a treat. I was incredibly happy seeing it evolve and I learnt a couple of tricks along the way. My favourite was using a frozen buttercream transfer. I'd read about it previously and, once I'd spent an incredibly long time drawing up the template (stupid robot hands!!), I decided there had to be an easy way to transfer that to the top of my cake. The previous two times I have cut the paper design into sections and physically drawn around it onto the top of the cake; and then piped over it. I watched a couple of video tutorials and, although I am not too keen on the "whole" design being done as a transfer (it ends up looking too one-dimensional for me), I thought it might just be the solution I was looking for.
Basically, you stick some baking paper over the paper design and secure the whole thing to something solid, like a chopping board. You then pipe the outline (I used black buttercream) onto the baking paper and put it in the freezer. I would leave it there at least a few hours, mine was in there for a day. When you're ready to put the design onto the cake you, quickly, remove it from the freezer and flip the baking paper onto the top of your iced cake. Press it down gently (but use something like a spatula as otherwise the buttercream begins to melt from the warmth of your hands) and then carefully pull the baking paper off. Voila!!!
It's not a completely "clean" outline, like it would be if you just piped it on directly, but it's pretty cool. You can just touch up any areas that didn't transfer properly. This saved me sooooooo much time and I will definatley be using it from now on.
From this.......
The other thing I figured out is to use a couple of pieces of styrofoam as a guide when levelling the top of the cake. I needed something about an inch high and my styrofoam was exactly that. I covered it in packing tape to make sure I didn't contaminate the cake and then I rested the flat surface of the knife against that while I was cutting. Levelling cakes is not something I usually do....such a waste of good cake, in my opinion....but I wanted to make sure this one looked a bit professional!
My coordinating cake pops were a hit too. They were supposed to be orange with blue piping and grey with red piping. If you need to use any shade containing red, other than pink, it's best to buy the melts already coloured - as you can see, mine are a little on the feminine side of the colour spectrum! I've also improved my chocolate piping skills - I discovered that the more melted chocolate you put into the piping bag, the easier it is to use!!
Decepticon Cake Pops
Autobot Cake Pops
Transformer Cake Pops
The birthday boy was totally impressed with it all, so that's a success as far as I'm concerned.
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