C...is for Cake!

I'm sorry it's been a while. I've been having some serious laptop issues with downloading pictures. Anyway, I have now completed Advanced Pastries and Showpieces! It was absolutely my favorite class I've taken and the one I was most looking forward to. I really like the artistic side of it and being able to create things with my own designs in mind. I also got to help out on some pretty cool outside projects.

In this class we spent one week each on three different stations: Cake, Sugar, and Chocolate. Not a bad combo right? I spent the first week on cake. That station also makes 2 desserts for the restaurant at school. I found two of my new favorite desserts and probably some of my favorite things we've made. #1 Individual Baked Alaskas made with homemade ice cream. Pretty perfect. And I also really loved Pear Tiviers. It's amazing I haven't put on 20 pounds. Such a sucker for sweets!

We also had three cake projects. And I will put the pictures below, but please be kind...These were my first attempt at any of this! But I was happy with the results and quite a few of my projects have been put in the schools permanent display!

This was my first cake...a birthday cake. It's just a simple one tier with decorators buttercream. The base has piped shells, the top piped scrolls, frosting roses/petals, and of course piped Happy Birthday. Sorry the pictures aren't very good quality.

This was my next cake..a wedding cake! Three tiers of the same cake/frosting. It has a basket weave bottom and top layer, and swiss dot center, shell borders, with yellow buttercream roses. The basket weave is a little tricky at first, but once you get the hang of it, it is super easy! Here is an upclose shot.

My last cake was a fondant covered cake. The flowers are handmade crysanthemum/water lilies that were a LOT of work! Each flower had 8 layers of petals! I hand painted the leaves to make them look more lifelike and coordinated the whole thing with brown ribbon that has topstitching in blue. Making flowers is so fun!! I love working on cakes. I like the small detail work and making everything just perfect.

A close up of one of the flowers.

D...is for Dessert!!!!

This week I started my Baking class and I absolutely LOVE it!! It is so relaxing to me, and really natural. In some ways, a lot like what my days would be like if I wasn't going to school...making cookies and cakes.
We have 3 rotations in baking and I have spent my first one in Desserts. Basically I make all the desserts for the restaurant at school, plus all the cakes for the advanced baking class to decorate, and then a bunch of other things to feed the school during morning break. Initially I was a little worried because I got put in a group I didn't feel very confident in, but we divided out the work and do it individually and it has made a huge difference. Chef said today that he thinks my work is "top notch" and "some of the best work he has ever seen from a student." I sort of feel like it's things I have been making since I was 15, so it's no biggie! I mean how do you screw up cookies? Apparently it happens.
Some of the delicious things I've made this week are: creme brule, chocolate creme brule, angel food cake, devil's food cake, strawberry rhubarb pie, apple pie, oatmeal rasin cookies, chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, snickerdoodles, pie crust, lemon pound cake, cheesecake, orange-cranberry sorbet, vanilla caramel ice cream, coca-cola cake, and a bunch of other things I can't remember.
When we make a recipe, we also make A LOT of it. Like 10 dozen cookies at a time or 15 - 8"and 10" cakes. So big quantities and everything has to be measured very precisely. I think one of the things I'm most proud of making this week is the Coca-Cola cake. Chef asked me to make it for the advanced pastry Chef's Wife for her birthday....no pressure right? He also added that he had made the recipe 2 times and once it was great and once it was a total disaster. Luckily it turned out PERFECTLY! I was really happy. : )
I love Baking...I think it is my Happy Place.