Cake makers and decorators - I need your help!!

[SaintDeliasprotegee]

I'm making a birthday cake for MIL's 70th birthday. I'm having the party at my house and will have loads to do on the day (party is a lunch in the garden) so I need to do the cake beforehand (would love to do a summer fruits gateaux with cream and stuff but I'm sure it would go too soggy if I make it beforehand). What I was thinking of was a chocolate fudge cake then decorated with lots of summer fruits, I was thinking of possibly making the fruit look frosted (sugar and egg whites...I'm not sure of quantities??)
Basically any tips, recipe, help would be brilliant - thanks

[SaintDeliasprotegee]

Where is everyone? Mrs B, Comeoveneer, anyone??!!

[SaintDeliasprotegee]

bump again.

[seeker]

I would make the sponge, then transport the elements - cake, fruit and cream - separately then put it all together just before you serve it. Don't forget the edible glitter!

[seeker]

Sorry - misread. Why not just nip into the kitchen and chuck all the elements together while everyone's having a pause after the main course?

[ComeOVeneer]

If you want to eat the fruits you may want to consider using meri-white instead of real egg whites (the fruit can be done several days ahead). Meri-white is a powdered egg white substitute that can be bought from most cake making suppliers. You need extra fine sugar and egg whites/egg white substitute. The qunatities aren't exact depends on now much fruit you are doing. Paint clean dry fruit with egg white using a pastry brush then dip in sugar to evenly coat.(put fruit on a tooth pick to do this to ensure no finger prints. Leave to dry either ona cooling rack or pierce toothpick into a sponge.

I would do a chocolate cake, filled and covered with chocolate ganache (heat double cream in a pan until just boiling, add broken up plain chocolate and stir until totally melted. Pour into a bowl and allow to cool. Put in fridge overnight. Next day whip up. Then fill and cover cake. Then I would cover sides of cake with uneven sections of chocolate higher than top of the cake to create and "bowl" that the fruit can be piled into, and serve with cream. Will look for a picture to show what I mean.

HTH.

[ComeOVeneer]

Look here

The chocolate shards are shown on the square cake (2nd picture), but look at the first picture with the round cake and berries.

You can buy chocolate cigarellos like the first picture again from a cake making store if you want, or make the choc shards yourself.

To make the chocolate shards, melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Spread the melted chocolate evenly over a tray lined with cling film and refrigerate for 1-2 hours, until set. Once set, break the chocolate into shard-like pieces. You need about 300g of chocolate. If you want you can either use one kind of chocolate, or make milk, and plain, and white shards, or swirl plain and white cho together to create marbled shards.

[SaintDeliasprotegee]

Thanks seeker - I know what you mean but I really don't want to have anything to do with the cake on the day just want to produce to admiring comments

ComeOVeneer - that sounds good! Thanks for the tip about the egg substitute. I think I do need that photo for the chocolate bits, don't really understand what you mean I've just had a search but I can't find a photo of what I'm hoping it will be like. What is the proper name for sugar coated fruit?

[SaintDeliasprotegee]

That does look amazing! Ok, so happy with chocolate thingys around the edge. I would like the fruit to be sort of spilling over (think horn of plenty effect). Do you think it would be better sugar coated or not? Also where on a cake like this can I put some sort of - congratulations you're 70 type things? Maybe pipe it onto the board?
Also when you whip the ganache up do you spread it over the cake or will it be sort of runny and need pouring? So many questions I know!

[ComeOVeneer]

Whipped ganache has the consistency of buttercream, so you can spread it all over and use as a filling between layers, you can also put it in a piping bag with an icing tip and use it for swirls on cupcakes.

Personally I prefer unadulterated berries (I think sugar/frosted berries are best kept for christmas cake. Plus the sweetness of the choc cake and ganache is nicely off set by the tartness particularly of raspberries.

I would opt for messaging on the board either piped with dark brown royal icing, or cut out in dark brown sugar paste using a cutter set, again from a sugar craft shop such as here

[ComeOVeneer]

You can make the fruit cascade over the side by using the toothpicks, or special wire (like florists use).

[SaintDeliasprotegee]

Right, thanks. Will pipe message on the board and use natural berries (I am still a bit tempted by frosted if I'm honest but will test out the effect first before I make any decisions) BTW the cakes on your profile are absolutely amazing

[SaintDeliasprotegee]

Can't I just dangle it over the edge (bunches of redcurrants etc)?! I have used wire in cakes before but I live in fear of people accidently getting a bit in their slice of cake when it's served up.

[ComeOVeneer]

Yes, I was thinking more if youwanted a curved cascade of all kinds of berries from the top down the side to the base, although pehaps you are only thinking of one tier in which case it won't be that high. TBH I would remove the fruit cascade before serving otherwise someone will end up with more than their fair share of fruit.

[SaintDeliasprotegee]

TWO TIERS?!! I'm not Delia yet missus!
Right, well I shall see what I can hash together for the day. How far ahead do you think I can make the cake/decorate the cake (party is on a Saturday)?

[ComeOVeneer]

Make cake on Thursday and prepare ganache and chocolate for shards. Refridgerate ganache overnight. Friday make cshards and whip ganache, cut cake, fill and coat and cover with shards, top with berries and keep in fridge overnight until Saturday.

[seeker]

PLEASE DON'T FORGET THE EDIBLE GLITTER!

[ShinyPinkShoes]

What about Nigella's Chocolate Raspberry Heart ? It is the loveliest cake I have ever made and perfect for serving with cream and berry fruits

[SaintDeliasprotegee]

Edible glitter - check

Right, I may need cake recipe now! Usually when I do choc fudge cake I do

6 1/2 oz SR Flour
1 1/2 oz cocoa
8 oz butter
8 oz sugar
1 tsp baking powder

Then just smother in choc fudge icing (evap milk, vanilla essence, cocoa, icing sugar) which is delicious!

I'm not sure this will work with the ganache...what do you think? Also may need to buy round tin...curses...only have large square tin. Nevermind I'm sure dh won't mind me adding to the cake tin mountain that cascades down on him everytime I ask him to reach one for me

[SaintDeliasprotegee]

SPS - that does look droolsome
DH say it is 'food porn' though and I can't cook food porn for my MIL as it is rude (don't ask...I shouldn't let him read over my shoulder)

[ShinyPinkShoes]

I made it for a friend's birthday and had SO many people ask for the recipe.

It's been the biggest hit of any cakes I've made.

LOL @ Food Porn

[ComeOVeneer]

Seeker what is with the shouting about edile glitter?

[ComeOVeneer]

edible

[seeker]

Because I think it's the most important part of a cake and I wasn't sure SaintDelia had got my earlier message. I don't usually shout, but edible glitter is VERY IMPORTANT!

[seeker]

We have had glittery broccoli chez seeker!

[SaintDeliasprotegee]

I probably won't be using it on this cake.

but I used it on dd (aged 5yrs) birthday cake