Posts filed under 'Chocolate'
Heart of Gold Wedding Project – wedding cake and cupcakes in yellow and gold colors featuring chocolate hearts brushed with edible gold luster dust on the cupcakes and large chocolate hearts and marzipan daisies on the cake. Price available upon request.
love is the only gold – Alfred Lord Tennyson
This is the latest wedding cake and cupcakes I made for a friend. She was excited because she was finally settling down with the man of her dreams. She sounded so in love—aww!
We ran through all her requirements for the cake and cupcakes. For the cake: large yellow hearts with their names on them, check; yellow daisies made of marzipan, check; a sprinkling of gold dragees, check; gold ribbons, check. For the cupcakes: swirled whipped cream frosting, check; chocolate heart brushed with edible gold dust as topper, check; sprinkling of gold dragees, check. Gold box with acetate cover and sticker label, check. Devil’s food chocolate as flavor for the cake and cupcakes frosted with whipped cream tinted yellow, check. Delivery date, April 2, check. Wait, make that April 8. Oops, documents, clearances, permits needed for the wedding are not yet complete so make the date April 18. Whoa!
I already calendared the original date and when it was moved, my schedule was still fine. But when the date was set on April 18, I was faced with projects bunched up together. As in due dates on two consecutive dates. I asked my friend if she can move her date a week after but it was a no-go as it was the only time where their immediate family members were available. Oh dear, where are Santa’s elves when you need them?
Fortunately, there’s the freezer. As I mentioned before, unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen successfully so that’s just what I did. Once thawed, they’re like freshy-baked, retaining their flavor and moistness. Just wrap each cupcake with cling film and put in air tight containers before storing them in the freezer. I haven’t tried freezing frosted cupcakes yet but most bakers attest that they can be done. I am not going into that territory just yet.
On wedding day, the couple graciously asked me to stay and celebrate with them but unfortunately I had to go and finish my other project. Dang it! I was looking forward to that juicy and tasty Max’s fried chicken at the reception but oh well.
As all weddings are, it was a happy occasion. I got the chance to exchange stories with G._’s sister L._ who was also my classmate in elementary and high school. The cake and cupcakes were actually L._’s gift to her sister, with brother D._ pitching in as well. How generous of you, L._, and D._ !
G._ later reported to me that their guests enjoyed their wedding favors—the cupcakes. As for the cake, the couple loved it but sadly, it got smooshed because one waiter carelessly put it in a—gasp!— plastic bag as the festivities came to an end! It was in its box allright but it was unceremoniously dumped in the plastic bag along with other wedding gifts … ¡que horror!
Despite that unfortunate event, the newlyweds and their families found humor in it—they spooned the smooshed cake from the box and said it tasted as delicious as ever. This sure is one hell of a story for the grandkids. 
Thanks G._ and M._ for making me a part of this wonderful and truly unforgettable moment in your lives.
May 9th, 2011
Alice in Wonderland Cake Project – cake and cupcakes featuring Alice in Wonderland characters. Price available upon request.
into the rabbit hole
Persistence is a quality that my good friend M._ knows too well. And it was that trait of hers that pushed me to try new things while working on this project.
Her adorable daughter A._ was turning seven and the theme she chose for her party was Alice in Wonderland. M._ emailed me some photos of sample cakes. They were pretty. They were tiered. They were made with fondant. I can do pretty, I can do tiered but I cannot do fondant. It’s not that I don’t know how to work with it; I just am not a fan of that medium.
When it seemed that M._ was leaning towards those types of cake, I told her that she might have to look for another baker as I’m really not fond of fondant. For a moment there, I thought I had been a fool for saying that. M._ certainly thought so. Miss Persistent wants my cakes and she will have them. Sir, yes sir! Into the rabbit hole I go!
I suggested to M._ my go-to celebration cake: devil’s food chocolate cake filled with bittersweet chocolate ganache and covered in chocolate glaze. I had planned on making chocolate images from the Disney movie. She also sent me photos of cupcakes with characters from the movie as toppers such as the Mad Hatter’s hat, the White Rabbit’s pocket watch, teapots, flowers and crown. And then it hit me—I can use marzipan to mold these toppers!
Marzipan is a mixture of almond meal and sugar. It is delicious to eat on its own and is also classified as a confection item. It is pliable, can be colored, rolled, cut and molded into different shapes and can be used to cover cakes just like fondant. You can make your own or buy it ready to use. I get mine at Santi’s Deli. When I took a short cake decorating course under Leni Reynoso, we were taught how to make marzipan using ground pili nuts. It was delicious—I love pili nuts!—but the nuts were not finely ground. So if you are planning to make your own, make sure that the nuts are ground to a very fine consistency. Learn how to make homemde marzipan here.
I decided to make the hat, pocket watch, mushroom, teapot and teacup and roses. Taking a cue from the cardmen’s song (“we’re painting the roses red”), I made half of one rose red and the other half, white. With toppers such as these, I don’t think I’ll hear any “off with her head!” screams.
Also included in the mix were my Glittering Flowers and Bees in the Garden cupcakes.
After several studies (whew!), I picked the red queen, white rabbit, mad hatter, chesire cat and of course Alice as the chocolate cake decorations.
Usually, I just lay on chocolate images on top of a cake but I thought of making them stand this time. I had been slaving away with this project anyway so why not try something new. I attached a stick each on the backs of Alice and the name plaque with white chocolate. Fortunately, they stayed upright throughout the celebration.
I left the party early because I had another project due the following day. But according to my friends who were there, the cupcakes were a hit. Thanks M._ for your faith in me and for letting me be a part of your special celebration.
May 8th, 2011
Thriller Cake Project - cake and cupcakes inspired by the late great Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” MTV. Price available upon request.
cause this is thriller, thriller night ….
Happy new year everyone!
I am so behind my posts. I was away the whole month of December ’til the second week of January to celebrate a very important family reunion (my parents’ golden wedding anniversary). Though I sadly turned down several cupcake projects 
, the time I spent with my family was more than enough to compensate for my 39-day hiatus .
It was a good thing that when I returned, I was back to my mixer, baking pans, bowls, measuring cups and ingredients the second day after I arrived home. I was jetlagged still and woke up at 2 am. So I just started prepping for an order to be delivered that very same day. It is so good to be back in our kitchen and start the new year with a cake order! But I digress. Let me just move on to the story of how this Thriller cake project came about.
When I met up with some of my high school classmates last November, our class president and my sorta namesake R._ asked me if I can make her son’s birthday cake and cupcakes. Young M._ is turning seven and he had a specific theme in mind—Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Wow, R._, your kid has style!
I thought of making werewolf cupcakes since Michael Jackson turned into one in the music video. I found the instructions on how to make them here.
As for the cake, I thought of making a graveyard with headstones and zombie hands crawling out from the dirt.
The headstones are actually cookies and the hands are marzipan. The dirt is crushed Oreo cookies.
During delivery, I thought I would not make it in time as I was stuck in a ridiculously snarled traffic. I started to get worried but after I squeezed my way out of the jam, I felt that the “powers that be” were with me and that everything will turn out fine. And I was right.
M._’s delight and wonderment over his birthday cake and cupcakes were priceless. And that is all that matters.
Thanks, R._ for letting me be a part of your son’s special day.
January 18th, 2011
teacher’s pet
I made these cupcakes for MM who thought of a creative and delicious way to honor her children’s teachers during this past teacher’s day. Yes, I know this post is waaay too late but I was having trouble with my web host, so there.
Anyway, MM gave me the details to put on the label and one of them read: From Bumblebee Joshua. Later on when MM got the cupcakes, she explained that her son was in section Bumblebee in his kindergarten class. And of course bees abound where the flowers are so my Blooming Garden cupcakes were the perfect partner for my Buzzy Bee cupcakes as MM added them to the gift array. I bet Joshua and his brother earned extra points from their teachers!
November 23rd, 2010
Basketball Cupcakes – dome-shaped cupcakes decorated like a basketball, frosted with slightly sweetened whipped cream tinted orange and piped with semisweet chocolate markings. Price available upon request.
alley-oop time
This was my first time making basketball cupcakes and I debated in my mind how to decorate them. Do I make separate toppers or just decorate straight on the cupcake? As I am partial to chocolate, I thought of making chocolate toppers. Alas, I did not have enough time as I was given less than a week’s notice by E._ so I just decided to turn the cupcakes into edible basketballs.
My chocolate butter cupcakes are a perfect fit as they bake into a dome, unlike my devil’s food which have flat tops. I tried a creme ivoire topping (a white chocolate glaze courtesy of Rose Levy Beranbaum) and tinted it orange. I also tried a whipped cream topping. I told E._ that the whipped cream topping will most likely appeal to the children who will attend the party. She texted me back and said that the cupcakes were for grown ups. Oops, my bad. E._ must have been smiling (and probably laughing as well) while texting that message to me. Anyway, I suggested another flavor that I knew will be a hit with them: mocha with bits of chocolate coffee candies. So I made one batch chocolate butter and one batch mocha. Yum.
Later on, I found out from M._ who picked up the cupcakes that the desserts were for E._’s boyfriend who was celebrating his birthday. Thanks, E._! I’m sure your party was fab!
November 22nd, 2010
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