A basket (cake) of flowers!

Every August, my cousins and I would plan.. it was Aaji's (Grandmother) Birthday. 

I would go to my cousins home and my Grandmother lived just a few minutes walk from there.

We would buy a cake from Monginis and wait impatiently for midnight. 

10 minutes to midnight, we would start out and carefully carry the cake, gift and flowers and walk to her home, on the silent streets. 

As we entered the apartment owners community, we would start giggling and our eyes would twinkle with  anticipation at her surprise.  We would light the candle on the cake and stand outside the door.

At exactly midnight, we would ring the bell and wait breathlessly for her to open the door. And when she did, we would sing Happy Birthday To You.....  rather tunelessly as we were so high strung with excitement.

It was the happiest of times, we planned our midnight venture with great care and looked forward to it so much! Maybe Aaji knew or suspected our plan or later even waited for it, knowing that we would turn up, but the love and happiness in her eyes was a treat to behold. She always acted surprised and made her birthday memorable for us! 

We are all far apart now, my cousins and I and of course, these small surprises are history. 

But I am one lucky girl! I have friends ( and their parents) who are like minded! 

In April, K Auntie (whom I had not met before) and I put our heads together ( via telephone calls) and conspired to put together a surprise for her daughter and my friend Sonali's birthday. It was a hush hush plan and I got what Auntie wanted for Sonali, I had already planned on baking a cake. Though it was  rushed, the cake was delicious and we all enjoyed it.

Come June, Sonali and I put our heads together- this time to plan a surprise for Auntie (visiting Dallas), for her birthday. This time I  had ample notice and could plan carefully.

I made a 4 layer cake. I used box mix for the cake. The flavor was Orangesicle ( specially requested by Sonali). The frosting was my usual, heavy whipping cream and cream cheese
The flowers are all hand made-I made the flowers a day in advance so they would be dry and ready to place on the cake. I made them using Royal Icing (recipe follows)

I baked the cake as per the box instructions, in a 9 inch spring foam pan, which is very simple and fail proof.

Cool and level the cakes ( use a leveler or a sharp serrated knife)

Cut each cake in half, horizontally.

Brush the base cake top with a simple syrup of sugar and water.

Slather the top with a thick layer of frosting. you can also add some cut fruit, like strawberries, raspberries to the frosting ( I did not add fruit)

Carefully align and place the next layer on top, press down slightly.

Brush with sugar water syrup and top with a thick dollop of frosting.

Repeat with all 4 layers.

Spread a thin layer of the frosting all over and around the cake. This will seal in all the crumbs before you start decorating. Chill for 15-20 minutes before final decoration.

I used a Basket weave all around the cake

Here is a video demonstrating the weave. It needs a bit of practice. I used Wilton Star Tip (#21) for the weave)

ROYAL ICING:

4 Cups of  Powdered sugar / confectioners Sugar

3 Tbsp Meringue Powder

5-6 Tbsp Warm Water

Mix the confectioners sugar and Meringue powder.

Add water and beat all the ingredients together till the icing forms soft peaks ( about 6-8 minutes) in a stand mixer. It may take a bit longer with a hand held mixer.

I made apple blossoms (the tiny ones) and then went on to just using the 104 tip to make flowers that look like 'sadafuli' flowers  ( check the red flower on the extreme right) 

I used the round tip and the 104 tip to make Roses. 

The leaves are piped using the whipping and cream cheese frosting tinted with green and using the Wilton leaf tips.

The flowers are made using Wilton technique. 

Once the cake is assembled and you have done the basket weave, it it just a matter of placing the flowers artistically.

There is no end to the combinations that you can make with the flowers.

I chose to use the roses and the sadafuli type flowers on to and have the smaller blossoms cascading down the side of the cake.

I *must* mention one very important detail! My 5 year old was very keen to help me in making and decorating the cake. He stayed by my side all  the time and when I was weaving the basket around the cake he, very gently placed his small hand on my arm with a, "I want to help, Mumma"

At first, I admit, I was not very happy about this, specially as I was making this weave after ages and was unsure, but when I saw the expression of total sincerity on his little face and eyes aglow with excitement, I could not refuse and I am so glad I did not. 

The look of pure happiness on his face was so motivating, I would have willingly made another cake just to have him 'decorating' by my side, aching back be damned!

He also helped bring all the flowers (very carefully) from the table they were drying on, to help place on the cake. Take a look at the picture below, he has helped place a couple of roses, small and larger blossoms and not a flaw! I am so proud of my li'll man! 

The cake was a hit. The look on Auntie's face (as well as all the other guests) was my reward!

Without sounding a whiny wimp, I want to add, I wish my parents were here and I had made this cake for my Mom. She would have totally flipped! She always likes my decorations ( there is something to be said about a Mom's unconditional love, she flipped for all the initial cakes too, which as you can imagine were totally amateurish!)
My Dad has a very discerning eye and he too was all praise for my effort!  What more can a person want!
I wish.............

Wishing you all a Happy 4th. of July! Enjoy the long weekend with your loved ones and don't skip the sun block! 

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Mommy, I want a Cheese Burger Cake!

I have questioned, I have doubted, I have spent sleepless nights, shed tears  and laughed out loud, loved with all my heart and soul... for 5 years, I  have been up and down this roller coaster, every day and loved it.

The young 'un turned 5, so very quickly. From butter ball to a smart and handsome boy with a merry twinkle in his eye.

We celebrated his birthday in a quiet way at home as it was a weekday and the poor baby was unwell, a day earlier, he had 'water and sand day' in school and he caught the bug there. The nurse called me  from her office saying that he had thrown up and was running a temperature. I rushed to school, full of anxiety, he was sleeping in the nurse's office, curled up, looking tiny and his backpack on his shoulders and a paper crown on his head ( he distributed treat bags on that day as it was a holiday on his birthday and the teacher fitted him with the usual paper birthday boy crown and everyone sang the birthday song). 

I felt a stab of pain, looking at him, laying down on his side, the nurse could have had some sense and taken his backpack off his back! I gently lifted him in my arms and he hugged me  and lay his hot, fevered brow  against my neck and said,  "it was the Popsicles Mommy, they made me eku (throw up)".

A day later, on his birthday, he was better, but weak and no appetite. but he wanted to cut a cake! 

So when he was napping, I made a small cake, no fuss, and quick (we had planned a party over the weekend with his little friends and their families)

This was a simple layered Vanilla cake layered with whipped and cream cheese frosting and strawberry jam/ jelly, the chocolate words were made by melting candy melts, putting the melted chocolate in a piping bag and tracing the letters.

By the day of the party, he was fine and up to his usual antics! For once, I did not complain, well, not too much and only once threatened to 'cancel the party if you do not stop jumping from chair to sofa'. What can I say in my defense? I had a lot on my hands, with his illness, the party planning, prepping....

This year, he wanted a Cheese Burger Cake. Unlike most 5 year olds, who want a super hero cake, my sonny boy had cheese burger on his mind. we took inspiration from youtube- Rosanna Pansino, a video that my son watched, repeatedly, fascinated, first because of the cat and later for the cake.

The idea of the cheese burger had taken firm hold. I was happy, this is an easy cake to make!
Here is a look at the cake, just as I finished it, right in time for the party (minutes before the party, actually!)

I used 2 Butter cake (box) mixes.

The bottom of the 'bun' was baked in a 9 inch round pan as was the brownie 'meat patty'
The top of the Burger bun posed a challenge, the 2 quart Pyrex bowl was not big enough, so I used a 'Kadhai'(Indian wok) that I have. It was a perfect fit (whew!)

The cakes and the brownie patty were cooled. The cakes had to be leveled. The Frosting was my usual,whipped and cream cheese frosting.
The frosting is perfect for us, it has slight tanginess that is not unwelcome, it is mildly sweet and light and airy, unlike butter cream frosting that uses a high ratio of butter to sugar ratio (1:4), yikes!
The cream cheese gives it sturdiness and the frosting did not melt or misbehave in any way, despite the heat.

I used Wilton's Brown color and added it slowly to the cream to get a tan shade to resemble a bun.
I skipped the 'sesame seeds' on the bun as I could not find any candy coated sunflower seeds and felt no inclination to make any at home.

The 'lettuce, tomato and cheese' slices were fruit roll ups ( found in any grocery store), I used a leaf pattern cutter (from my Wilton kit) and pulled the leaf a bit to give it a lettuce-y look and round cutter (use any cookie cutter) to cut out the tomato slices.

Notes:

1. Bake the cakes and brownie a day ahead. chill in the fridge and then level. this reduces the crumbs
2. Brush the cakes (leveled side) with a simple sugar-water mix, to seal in the crumbs and keep the cake moist. don't overdo it.
3. Chill the mixer bowl and beaters in the freezer until you are ready to frost.
4. Pull out the heavy cream and cream cheese at the last moment.
5. Frost the round cake ( bottom part of the burger bun)  and place the brownie 'patty' on top. make sure the patty and cake are aligned perfectly.
6. Gently, place the 'lettuce leaves' under the brownie patty .
7. Alternate the 'tomato' and 'cheese' on the brownie and press the corners to make them stick ( they will stick as the fruit roll ups are - well, sticky)
8. Frost the top Bun, separately and use a big, flat spatula ( pancake spatula) to pick up the bun and VERY carefully place it on the brownie patty, aligning it perfectly, you get one chance to get it right! 
9. Top with candy coated sunflower seeds, this is optional.

The cake was a hit and most importantly, the Birthday Boy was thrilled! His eyes reflected the  happiness and I felt like I had won a billion dollar lottery!

Our guests made the party really special with their wholehearted participation and the love and good wishes they showered on the birthday boy (and the generous gifts they gave made him one happy boy!)

Here are a few pictures of the party I'd like to share with you all and a small flashback ( thanks to my Mom!)

The Venue ( left) and our little guests ready to play games (right)

Flashback! 

Enjoy the rest of the week! See you soon.

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A cake for a Birthday Princess

Every little girl is a princess, don't you think? And more so on her birthday. 

My son calls her Tai (meaning elder sister) and she turned 7, Sujata's little Princess is one year older.

A few weeks ago, our little Princess and I looked at several cake pictures on Pinterest and made 'expert comments' and she and I both liked one cake, instantly. We decided that I was going to make it for her birthday. 

I promised her, but I was a bit unsure... I mean, it is one thing to want to make a cake and another to nail it. you don't want a disappointed 7 year old on her special day.

Daunting as it was, I stuck to my plan and set out to make a Princess Doll Cake for our little Princess.

Barbie Doll Cake

The Prep:

I opted for a regular Barbie Doll from the store (The Dancing Shoes Barbie), instead of a doll insert. that way the birthday girl gets a new doll to add to her collection.

I used box mix for the cake, while I do have a very dependable Vanilla cake recipe, I was not willing to risk anything and 'better safe than sorry', right?

The frosting was Whipped cream and Cream cheese ( recipe below)

I made some Gum Paste Flowers and bought the decorating 'pearls'  to accent the cake.

For the Doll's skirt, I used round cake pans and a Pyrex bowl ( all 8 inch diameter) and a mini angel cake bundt pan.

Making the Princess Doll Cake:

Since I used the doll, and she is tall, the cake had to accordingly to be tall too, at least 8.5 inches.

Make the cake as per the instructions. I made these 3 ( 2 round cakes and one round, baked in a Pyrex 2 quart bowl)  as you can see in the picture below and a small angel cake bundt (not in picture).

Prep for the Doll's skirt

I made the cakes one day in advance. Once the cakes are cooled, level them, using a cake leveler or a serrated knife and take off the dome.

Alternately, you can use a strip of cloth ( an old thick kitchen towel) soaked in water and wrapped around on the outside of the cake pan while baking or buy Bake Even strips at any craft store, this will help bake the cakes with an even flat-top.

Prep the Doll, wrap the doll  waist down in cling wrap.This will keep her clean.

To make the Frosting:

To me,this was my real challenge. I like butter cream frosting for it's sturdiness and how easy it makes decorating. What I dislike, is how sweet it is.  even for a sweet lover that I am, I  clench my teeth at how-very-sweet it is.

I like whipped cream frosting because it is mildly sweet, feels light ( if you are eating cake, you are not counting calories!).

My concern is, whipped cream is not sturdy, it just does not hold shape as well and makes decorating a tad difficult and not so well defined.

My job therefore was to find a way to make the frosting sturdy.

Search revealed that gelatin is an ideal stabilizer, however, many of the party were vegetarians and so using this option was ruled out.

The other option was using pudding powder, but I was still on the look out and my search was well rewarded!

Prep the doll, level the cake and  make the whipped cream frosting

Source: Here 

1 (8 oz.) packet Cream Cheese (regular)

1/2 cup Confectioners sugar  I used a little more than the recommended 1/2 cup, I added about 2-3 tbsp extra)

1 tsp. vanilla Flavor ( Almond will work well too)

2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream

Food coloring ( I used McCormick Neon colors, a few drops of the blue)

Chill the bowl and the beaters in the freezer for about 10-15 mins before you want to make the frosting.

Once ready, pull out the cream cheese from the fridge and add it to the chilled bowl and add sugar. Cream the two until smooth.

Add the vanilla extract and mix it. With the beaters still going, slowly add the whipping cream and then the food color and beat on medium speed  till soft peaks form.

I doubled the recipe as my cake had to be about 8.5 inches tall

Cake decoration Work-in-Progress. Piping rosettes and  Gum paste flowers to accent the doll's skirt

To start working on the cake:

Using the leveler or a serrated knife, cut the dome cake in 2; horizontally.

Use a round cookie / biscuit cutter and punch out holes in the middle of the dome shaped cake, the bundt and one round cake. 

Leave one round cake as is for the bottom layer.

To keep the cake moist, I use a very mild sugar water solution. Using a pastry brush, apply the sugar water all over the leveled part, this also helps in locking any crumbs.

Place one 8 inch round cake as the bottom layer and 'paint' all over with the sugar- water solution, add a generous dollop of the frosting and spread it out evenly using an offset spatula.

Brush the second round cake with the sugar water and gently place it over the base cake. Apply a generous dollop of the frosting. 

Follow the same steps to place all layers of the cake.

The next step is to crumb coat the cake.Spread a thin layer of the  frosting all over the cake and place it in the fridge for a few minutes ( about 15 -20 mins)

All Done! 

To Decorate the cake:

Fit a decorating bag with Wilton's Tip # 18 (for slightly bigger rosettes, use tip # 21).

Fill the pastry bag with the frosting and pipe rosettes, beginning at the bottom and go around.

If there are any gaps between the rosettes,  cover them up, later, with stars ( using the same tip) 

Use decorations of your choice, I used  gum paste apple blossom flowers ( the bright green ones) that I made a few days ago and CakeMate-Perfect Pearls. 

These can be found in the Baking Supplies aisle.Use your imagination ! 

Keep the cake in the fridge until ready to cut. 

NOTES:

This is definitely my choice for frosting  on cakes, beats butter-cream frosting hands down!

It is very important to chill the bowl and beaters in the freezer before you set out to making the frosting. 

Alternately, you can take a big bowl, fill it half way ( or a bit less) with ice cubes and place another bowl on top and make the frosting.

You can also use fresh seasonal fruit to layer in the cake with the frosting.

The birthday girl and all the guests were very happy with the cake!  I am SO glad I tried it and it was a success!


I am sending this post to Cucina di Barbara (Barbara's Kitchen) and participating in the fabulous giveaway!

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