Mother's Day Cake

I don't get a lot of chances to fully decorate a cake. Unless it is for a celebration, I prefer to eat my cake plain and simple. So of course, for Mother's Day, I took the opportunity to use my newly acquired cake decoration knowledge. Remember the sugar paste roses that I made, I've used them here. I've made a variation of what I've been taught, ie covering whole cake with fondant. You see, all of us do not like the taste of fondant. Too sweet for my taste! Even my kids who like sweet things find that fondant is too sweet. So what can I cover my cake with and still use sugar paste decoration? Well, I layered and covered the cake with white chocolate ganache. Only layering the top with a very very thin fondant to form a base for the cake topper. When I say very very thin, I mean like one mm thin.



After a long search for a chocolate cake recipe that I like, I've finally found it. It's a personal thing. Some might like it, some might not. For example, chocolate mud cake is too heavy for me. I like sponge cake and chiffon cake but that is too light and fluffy to decorate it with a topper. This is the recipe that I used. It is lighter than a chocolate mud cake. What's the verdict? Well, it was a hit with everyone.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mums around the world.

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Sugar Paste Roses

I am making some roses for the topper for a Mother's Day cake. This was inspired by a cake made by my cake decorator teacher. My cake decorator class is taught by an 80 years old woman. Yeah, you have read correctly. She is an amazing woman. She takes only 2 classes per week. She still makes cakes for customers whilst looking after her 90 years old husband who just recently has an operation. She has a perfect eye sight and a very good memory. I am just a bit more than half her age but my eye sight is deteriorating and memory is not as good as hers. That is why I need to document these steps.

Start of with coloring some sugar paste. The center of the rose is normally darker than the outer petals. So as you work your way to the outer petals, lighten the color of the sugar paste.


Start off with this and pinch the sides of the sugar paste to make a shape of a flag. This process is call flagging. Use a roller to thin the edges.


What just happened? It was pink and now it's white? This photo turned out to be the best. That's why I'm using it. There is no magic.


Then roll the "flags" to get this result. This has to dry for at least a day before proceeding.


For the next layer, use a cutter and cut three petals. Use modelling tool to shape the petals. Turn the tip of each petal slightly and glue it onto the center of the rose. Let this dry for at least 30 minutes before proceeding.


For the next layer use a bigger cutter and cut five petals. A spoons is useful to shape these petals. Glue the petals around the rose and slip the last petal inside the first petal on this layer.



Let the rose dry for at least 1 hour before putting on the calyx. Dust some color powder on the calyx to bring out the color. Steam the the flowers to bring it to live.

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