Football cake - with Real Madrid and Barcelona figurines

My nephew, the ever lovely Theodor, turned 7 and like all other boys he just loves Messi and Ronaldo so a foot ball cake it was:

I borrowed the my brother's recipe for the grass-mat cake: three thin vanilla sponges, one layer of crushed macaroon, vanilla custard and a thick strawberry syrup and one layer of wiped creme and strawberry syrup. Covered in nougat and green marzipan.

The football is the usual chocolate cake (chocolate, nuts and butter and not much else) - baked in a bowled (two of those) and the two halves were "glued" together with an orange syrup. All covered in nougat and marzipan.

....and the figurines (meaning to represent Real Madrid and Barcelona - Messi and Ronaldo to be more exact) were made out entirely of sugar, and happily ended their days in the stomach of the birthday boy....

Ladybird cake

I have no idea what the common denominator is between off-shore contracts and ladybirds, but last week when I attended a course on the first topic, I found my self thinking that I'd be fun to do a lady bird cake:

and so for afternoon tea with my brother-in-law and his girlfriend I made this cake.

It's was a layered cake, with strawberry syrup, whole strawberries and chocolate mousse. Covered in marzipan.

We eat one half - the other half when next door to our cake-loving neighbors.

Sugar balloons and oriental string work

I was invited to a party to celebrate my friend Karin, who turned 40 and had just become a doctor of philosophy - all of which called for a cake. I came up with this:

The balloons were made with great difficulties and burned finger tips! 3 part isomalt and 1 part water. Heat it up to 165 Celsius. And blow air in to the sugar with a copper straw and a rubber pump.....

The oriental string work worked like a charm.

The cake it self was chocolate, hazelnut, orange zest, ginger syrup, egg, caster sugar and a little bit of flour, covered in nougat and marzipan.

I used baking trays size 16cm, 22cm and 27cm (the last one probably should have been a size 29cm for a more harmonious look).