Many of you may have read about my aunt Kristin in past posts. She is a true lover of food and cookbooks. In fact, she supplies me with a great number of the books that fill my shelves. That is saying a lot considering I own hundreds of them.
In addition to the books, she sends me articles and pictures of food, mostly pastry. She has been a constant source of inspiration. Her birthday is coming up and because she lives in FL I can’t be at the party. In my stead I sent a cake to the party. My father, who lives just blocks from me, carried the cake on his lap during his flight to see her. When I handed over the cake, all nestled safely in a cake box, my dad said “can’t you pack it with pop corn or bubble wrap?” I took a deep breath and said “No, dad you can’t pack a cake with bubble wrap!” LOL!
Happy Birthday Kristin! I love you bunches and hope the cake got to you in one piece and everyone enjoyed it!
To make Kristin’s cake you will need:
sponge cake ( I used this cinnamon sponge, but left out the cinnamon.)
Filling: I used 1 cup of the mocha buttercream and added 1/2 cup toasted coconut and 1/2 cup toasted pecans. I sandwiched the filling between the 3 layers: cake, filling, cake, filling, cake!
ganache:
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons strong coffee (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound bittersweet chocolate
7 tablespoons unsalted butter
In a medium sauce pan heat the cream, coffee and vanilla to a gentle simmer. Turn off the heat and add the chocolate and butter. Cover the pot and let sit for 5 minutes. Gently whisk to combine, until totally smooth. (If your ganache ever “breaks,” or separates all you have to do is blend it with a hand blender (Immersion Blender)for a minute or two. Or you can use your food processor and pulse a few times until the ganache is shiny and smooth again. Just don’t panic, it can be fixed! Let the ganache cool to room temperature.
Once the ganache is cooled you can spread it on the cake just like any other icing, see how here.
Piping the flowers: I used the remaining ganache to make the roses. I put it in my stand mixer with the paddle attachment and let it whip on medium speed for about 2 minutes or until it seems to thicken slightly.
The ganache may set up too much to pipe after sitting for a while. To continue to use, just heat slightly over a double boiler to soften slightly. To pipe the flowers you will need these cake decorating tips:
a Wilton 125 rose tip to pipe the roses, see how here.
a Wilton 366 leaf tip to pipe the leaves between the roses. Place all of the roses first and then fill in the blank spaces with the leaves.
an Ateco Tip – Plain – Size 2
* Kristin called to say she got the cake in one piece (Thanks Dad!!!) and it is so beautiful she can’t cut into it and wants to have it bronzed! Hehehehe. Really, she hasn’t cut into it! OMG!
Hi Zoe…beautiful cake, I’m shocked it made it through security….they get real suspicious with food and something that beautiful could have been taken from him then eaten in the back room by the TSA people.
I don’t know if I’d be able to bring myself to cut into it either. It looks so dreamy!
Zoe, That cake is amazing! If your dad is ever headed to NC I wouldn’t say no to a beautiful chocolate cake with roses on it. 🙂
Gorgeous, just gorgeous!
What a stunning cake!
Wow great job on the roses, they almost look real!
absolutely stunning!
What a great niece you are. Your dad sounds pretty awesome too for carrying this cake on the plane. I’m nervous about any sort of transport. Transporting through the plane (and security) would be very nerve wracking.
What a stunning cake!
I can hardly BELIEVE that you managed to get that cake to Florida! It looks unbelievable.
WOW That cake is an absolute stunner!! Your aunt is a lucky lady;)
Thanks Nana! xo z
absolutely beautiful!!!
Thank you all for the lovely notes! They did finally eat the cake. I was really beginning to wonder! LOL!
Zoë
I happy to hear the cake got there without damage – it’s gorgeous! Thanks for sharing the recipe and all the wonderful tips too.
What a gorgeous cake! Wish I had some for breakfast.
That is absolutely gorgeous! I hope it looks as good when it arrives in FL!
wow zoe, what a gesture! beautiful!
That is one perfectly gorgeous cake! I’m sure your aunt was thrilled!
I can’t believe your dad carried this on his lap and it made it in one beautiful piece! It’s stunning. Chocolate roses — perfect! Lucky aunt.
Hi Zoe!
Stunning cake what a beautiful and so yummy gift, impossible to see it in one piece…;) is a great temptation!
Gera .:. sweetsfoods
It’s beautiful! You should make her another one in something sturdy and inedible so she CAN have it bronzed!
What a beautiful elegant cake! Hope your aunt enjoys it…if she can cut into it!
Absolutely beautiful cake! I can believe she hasn’t cut into it!
Beautiful. Funny I just baked my aunts birthday cake too. Your roses are perfection.