Wedding Cake Massacre

You guys, it's been three weeks since I've been in a classroom.  Three weeks!?!  I haven't had time to miss it because, trust me, I'm getting plenty of quality bake time at my externship - which I love.

But I also just realized I never shared the beautious joy that was the wedding cake I made.  It was a huge project and one of the most social.  Oh, I made everything myself, but when you're sitting around making fake flowers by the dozen, there's not a lot else to do but chat with your neighbor.  I should note that I never had to bake an actual cake for this project; it was constructed on foam blanks because it took about 8 days from start to finish and a real cake wouldn't have been able to withstand that.

Without further ado:

And it came to pass that there was to be a wedding cake, and that cake would have three tiers, and each tier would be layered in fondant, and each layer would have a focus flower and each focus flower would beget a filler flower.

And it was good.

How sweet it is (for now)

I am halfway through my very last class at Giant Corporate Cooking School.  There are only two projects left to realize before I walk out those doors for the last time ever and just keep going.  The reality is beginning to set in and I know I'm going to miss it.  But I'm also chomping at the bit to move onward to other things. 

But here's what I've been doing:

My super girly princess torte: yellow sponge cake with vanilla buttercream and raspberry jam covered in marzipan and topped with a giant marzipan rose.  Not my thing, both on the cake and color palette front, but it is what it was supposed to be.

Croquembouche: a traditional French wedding cake made up of cream puffs dipped in caramel and stacked on top of each other.  Legend has it that famed pastry chef Antoine Carame came up with the idea to torment future pastry students.  Or maybe it was when he witnessed marrying couples kissing over mounds of sweetened buns, the idea being if they could do it without knocking any over they would have a prosperous future.  

And hey, does that rose at the bottom look familiar?

Reduce, reuse, recycle people!  Besides, who eats the marzipan decorations?

Penguins on a Cake

For your viewing pleasure, I present my Penguins of Madagascar cake:

You can see where I broke the cityscape cocoa painting an hour before I had to present the cake.  I did my best to glue it back together but unfortunately royal icing needs about 24 hours to dry.  I'm actually really proud how it turned out; while definitely not the best cake, nor the most professional looking, it is clearly penguins.  They're so much cuter than I thought they would be!  Especially Rico:

But who doesn't like a guy with a healthy appetite and a mohawk?

Breakfast of Champions

I was originally going to title this post, 'stuff I've eaten for breakfast and you haven't', but that seemed clunky.  

Here's the damning thing about the plated desserts class - at the end of class you have this (allegedly) beautiful creation and you're just supposed to toss it.  It seems like such a waste - and it's breakfast time.  Problem?  I see only viable solutions.

Anyway, here's a photo gallery of stuff I have actually made and eaten for breakfast - recently:

Chocolate mousse and meringue cake wrapped in chocolate

Spiced and baked pineapples with brandy snap and coconut sorbet

Apple tart

Flourless chocolate cake with chocolate mousse in a chocolate cup

Lime-hazelnut meringue with chantilly cream

Poached pear with mascarpone mousse and brandy snap

I didn't eat this:

I just love it.  I think it looks like a goldfish eating someone's brain.  Zombie fish, attack!