ThePurpleSpatula

I’m on holiday for a week till next term starts. I’m looking forward to Intermediate. But for now, I can’t wait to just relax!

This class was challenging, fun and will more than likely be the main cause of my diabetes. Cake decorating has always been something I’ve wanted to get more involved in. A smooth finish and even piping can raise a cake to another level, without resorting to fancy ingredients or over-the-top decorations. Learning a few different techniques from different chefs on ‘finishing’ a cake was also great. Ultimately I think the key is to be confident and not fuss over it too much. I’m quite pleased with how my cakes turned out.

This was also my first time tasting, making and working with Italian Buttercream. Basically a meringue made with sugar syrup then whipped with butter, its a wonderful stable frosting that is a breeze to work with. It takes easily to various flavourings and tastes great. Its not heavy and sickly like I expected but very light and almost mousse-like with a velvety butteriness. I added chocolate and hazelnut paste to mine and made two cakes. Do you think anyone would pay money for this?

Apologies for the crappiness of the pictures, we were being hustled out of the kitchen. Still hoping for a better camera at some point.

I have finally defeated my arch nemesis the evil sponge cake. I’ve been baking for a few years now and not once have I managed to make a sponge cake that didn’t get used as a frisbee. Even in school earlier this semster when we made genoise sponge, mine was more biscuit than cake. And I genuinely believed that sponge cakes were to forever be my kryptonite. Until today. I’ll let the pictures do the talking.

Really, could this week get any better? A great dinner with classmates last night at a sichuan hotpot restaurant. And tomorrow N is coming to visit!! I don’t think I can get any happier.