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).

Quick red birthday cake

A new (cake baking) year has begun, and I have a great many cakes planned (optimism is a virtue, or?). So to get things going I kicked the year off by bringing a birthday cake to the office, I'm afraid that Mr. Eddie Spence would not be impressed by the piping work, but it tasted absolutely wonderful (chocolate, hazelnuts, butter, sugar, eggs, 25g (!) of flour and an orange/ginger syrup).

Christmas cake 4 - 2013

...and this one was for my friends next door:

Christmas cake 3 - 2013

This was for my cousin and his family:

Christmas cake 2 - 2013

It didn't snow this December, but my friend Henriette and her son (my Godson!!!!) and the rest of her family deserved a snowy Christmas cake:

Christmas cake 1 - 2013

Have I mentioned before, that I really love Christmas?