Making a cake for the child is probably the most satisfying art form. Not only is it a pleasurable thing to plan about, nevertheless, but you and your guests also get to eat the outcomes of a joyful effort.
Generally, a cake book can display how familiar and easily-obtained ingredients can be used with a variety of bought trimmings to produce wonderful cakes. But a chance to think outside the box and produce an eye-catching birthday cake can offer plenty of contrast in flavor and texture. The following cake ideas can render realistic-looking cake icing effects to produce a child’s birthday unique.
Pastel Perfection
You’ll need:
1 ready prepared deep sandwich cake 2 egg whites Squeeze of lemon juice 125g powdered sugar, sifted 1 teaspoon cornflour Red, green and yellow food coloring 155ml heavy cream 1 tablespoon milk 90g or 1 cup desiccated coconut Lemon curd (method below) 3 piping bags fitted with star-shaped tubes
Procedure:
Begin with the meringues. Preheat oven to 240 degrees F. Using a whisk or possibly a hand-held mixer, beat the egg whites with all the freshly squeezed lemon juice until stiff. Gradually add powdered sugar until meringue stands in peaks. Using a metal spoon, fold in cornflour smoothly.
Divide the meringue mixture equally between 3 bowls. Tint one bowl with pale pink from a few drops with the red coloring, one bowl pale yellow, and remaining meringue pale green. Line a baking sheet using a non-stick baking paper. Do not grease the sheet. Pipe or spoon 12 mounds of meringue mixture in alternate colors onto the prepared sheet. Bake for 1- 120 minutes until meringues are crisp and dry. Set aside to cool down the on the wire rack.
To complete decoration, whip cream, and milk together in a bowl until thick. Spread around sides of cake having a palette knife. Spread coconut on the piece of foil. With one hand together with cake and the other underneath, carefully turn the cake on its side and roll in coconut until sides are evenly covered. Reserve the remaining coconut in the dry bowl. Spread the surface of cake smoothly with lemon curd then dust lightly with remaining coconut. Finally, give a border of pastel-colored meringues.
Chocolate Cake Dream Cake
You’ll need:
1 ready prepared deep sandwich cake 110g (3 oz) strawberry jam 315g (10 oz) milk chocolate 13 firm strawberries with stalks, washed and dried 110g (3 oz) plain dark chocolate 12 rose leaves 155ml heavy cream 1 tablespoon milk Piping bag with large star-shaped tube
Procedure
Melt milk chocolate. Spread about 2/3 in the melted chocolate over top and sides of the cake with a palette knife. Leave until fully set. Using the back of the knife, mark the top in the cake to make 12 equal portions or slices, but do not slice. Meanwhile, dip 12 from the strawberries into remaining milk chocolate until half-covered. Leave to put or until chocolate is firm.
Melt plain chocolate brown then brush melted chocolate over tops of leaves. Set aside setting or until chocolate is firm. Very carefully pull leaves faraway from chocolate. Make more chocolate leaves than you may need in the case of breakages. In a large bowl, whip cream with milk until thick, by using a whisk or hand-held mixer. Transfer to a prepared piping bag and pipe 12 swirls around the edge of the cake. Decorate with the half-dipped strawberries and chocolate leaves. Place the plain strawberry inside the center.
Enjoy new chocolate birthday cakes.
