Easter Basket Cake
I love Easter. It's a time where my love for chocolate in baking can be justified. This Easter I decided to host a party at my place. It was a lovely time to get together. But more than that, it was also an excuse to make lots of my favourite things: finger food. I love making all those small and fiddly things, finding new ways to miniaturise classics. Everything from mini tandoori pizzas to tiny burgers, lamb korma on mini papadums and gow gees... the list went on. But my favourite is and always will be the desserts. I shall do a follow up post later of all the mini desserts, but for now I will turn to the sole item that was not mini: the cake.
This is one I had been wanting to do for a while. I was just waiting for the right time of year to do it. A cake that looks like a basket. Hopefully. In fact, I would be wrapped if you looked at it and thought it was just a basket.
Here is what it looked like pre-eggs. It is a moist chocolate cake, covered in chocolate buttercream and then marshmallow fondant. I attempted to make the surface look like it was straw covered, but the jury is still out on the success of that part.
I used my sugarcraft gun for the 'cane' basket solely to get it evenly sized, but the same effect can be achieved by rolling two thin cords of fondant and wrapping them, around one another.
The eggs are all home made. It's so much more fun that way - besides, it's cheaper and yummier, too! I wrapped them with raffia and placed them on top.
Here's some inside action, just in case you somehow weren't convinced that it was cake:
The white chocolate marbled eggs have caramel fondant inside. The milk chocolate ones are peppermint flavoured with a marshmallow filling.
Gratuitously Large Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
2 cups (500ml) water
3 cups (660g) caster sugar
250g butter (chopped)
1/3 cup (35g) cocoa
1 tsp bicarb soda
3 cups (450g) self-raising flour
4 eggs, beaten lightly
Method
1. Preheat oven to moderate, grease and line your baking pan.
2. Combine water, sugar, butter, cocoa and baking powder in the largest saucepan you have (I mean, seriously large - bicarb soda expands, and you do not want to lose this all over your stovetop).
3. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil; reduce heat; simmer for 5 minutes. Transfer to a mixing bowl and allow to cool.
4. Add flour and egg; beat until smooth.
5. Pour into pan; bake for 50 minutes
Buttercream
Ingredients
185g butter, softened
2 1/4 cups icing sugar
2 tablespoons milk
Method
1. Cream butter until light and fluffy
2. Add milk and any flavourings (if making chocolate buttercream, blend cocoa with the milk before adding) and beat
3. Gradually beat in icing sugar until well combined.
x-posted here @ bakebakebake
This is one I had been wanting to do for a while. I was just waiting for the right time of year to do it. A cake that looks like a basket. Hopefully. In fact, I would be wrapped if you looked at it and thought it was just a basket.
Here is what it looked like pre-eggs. It is a moist chocolate cake, covered in chocolate buttercream and then marshmallow fondant. I attempted to make the surface look like it was straw covered, but the jury is still out on the success of that part.
I used my sugarcraft gun for the 'cane' basket solely to get it evenly sized, but the same effect can be achieved by rolling two thin cords of fondant and wrapping them, around one another.
The eggs are all home made. It's so much more fun that way - besides, it's cheaper and yummier, too! I wrapped them with raffia and placed them on top.
Here's some inside action, just in case you somehow weren't convinced that it was cake:
The white chocolate marbled eggs have caramel fondant inside. The milk chocolate ones are peppermint flavoured with a marshmallow filling.
Gratuitously Large Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
2 cups (500ml) water
3 cups (660g) caster sugar
250g butter (chopped)
1/3 cup (35g) cocoa
1 tsp bicarb soda
3 cups (450g) self-raising flour
4 eggs, beaten lightly
Method
1. Preheat oven to moderate, grease and line your baking pan.
2. Combine water, sugar, butter, cocoa and baking powder in the largest saucepan you have (I mean, seriously large - bicarb soda expands, and you do not want to lose this all over your stovetop).
3. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil; reduce heat; simmer for 5 minutes. Transfer to a mixing bowl and allow to cool.
4. Add flour and egg; beat until smooth.
5. Pour into pan; bake for 50 minutes
Buttercream
Ingredients
185g butter, softened
2 1/4 cups icing sugar
2 tablespoons milk
Method
1. Cream butter until light and fluffy
2. Add milk and any flavourings (if making chocolate buttercream, blend cocoa with the milk before adding) and beat
3. Gradually beat in icing sugar until well combined.
x-posted here @ bakebakebake