Baking overload

This hot weather we have been having had been so wonderful - though not ideal conditions in any sense for baking, storing or transporting any type of cakeage...

Though all my friends and family all seem to be cancerian babies, all with birthday's within days of each other... ! So it has been late night and early bakes for me to avoid the blanket of heat that fills my kitchen throughout the afternoon...

This week and weekend was a baking baking marathon... 2 birthday cakes, 1 celebration cake, 1 banana loaf cake, 6 mini berry tarts and 1 large tart filled with crème patissière and topped with strawberries...all within 5 days! Though in my baking frenzy, it looks like I forgot to take a picture of my passionfruit/ white chocolate mousse cake... eesh !
No wonder I had to take a slacky sleepie Monday off... Yay !

Though amid all this baking crazyness, there has been a casualty... For some reason,my lovely Nikon SLR has decided to rebel and refuses to work. Well, actually, it does work, it just doesn't want to lock in the SD card in its slot. No reason, it just won't lock? Anyone else had this problem before? I have had to send my baby away to be fixed... :( Hope she gets better soon...

Baked with Love (Part II)

Back in November 2008, I got my first ever commission for a birthday cake... and we have come full circle - this time I made a cake for Uncle Flavian - Auntie Mina's other half... :) What a lovely garden party they threw, taking full advantage of this beautiful weather we have been having !

The brief was a straightforward blackforest gateau,though as usual, I always do things a little bit differently, so put a very gentle almond undertone throughout just to bring out the cherries and add another dimension to the flavours.

Three sponge layers - 2 chocolate, 1 of chocolate almond, 2 fillings (smooth dark chocolate mousse dotted with juicy dark cherries, and some equally juicy sour cherries to cut through the richness; a second layer of red cherry mousse, filled with whole cherries and chocolate shards for a little textural crunch!) and a subtle almond cream to top it all off.

Worried that the look was slightly out of season, I finished it with an elegant floral chocolate surround, homemade chocolate cherry cups and decorative two tone chocolate decorations and gorgeous fresh picola cherries... As usual, the devil's in the detail !