A cute birthday bed cake

Since my daughter was so excited about her new bed which arrived on her 9th birthday, we decided to make a replica of the same bed but in an edible version! It took almost a whole day to bake and decorate the cake, but totally worth the effort!

Candy Birthday Cake

My little princess turns 8!

My daughter loved topping this delectable vanilla cake with lots and lots of M&M’s candies, protected by a kit-kat fence!

 

I cannot forget the smile on her face when I closed her eyes and walked her to the table spread with all the other yummy goodies!

Shirt cake

I had a lot of fun making this cake with my kids for Father’s day.

The finished cake was then wrapped in an actual shirt box …who could have imagined that there would be an edible shirt inside...it was such a wonderful Father’s day surprise!

A priceless Father’s day gift indeed!

  

Chocolate Truffles

Diwali (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diwali) is a traditional Indian festival of fireworks, lights and sweets. One of the best part of Diwali is exchange of umpteen varieties of sweets amongst family, and friends. Somehow indulging in sweets during Diwali does not even seem guilty!

My family is huge fan of dark chocolate.  Hence we decided to make these decadent dark chocolate truffles to complement the traditional Indian Diwali sweets.



We realized that the beauty of making truffles at home is that you can mix your custom flavors,  and control the intensity of each one of them. Flavored syrups, nuts, expresso, tea, cardamom, cinnamon..the list is endless!

Recipe

Ganache:
2 cups chocolate
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp butter

Tempering:
Dark chocolate

Step 1
Ganache (the soft truffle center)

• Chop good quality chocolate dark with sharp knife or use 60% chocolate chips
• In a pan bring 1/3 heavy cream just to a bare simmer
• Pour over chocolate,  and let it stand till the chocolate melts
• At this point, add different flavors
• Whisk until well blended
• Set it in the fridge for 3 hours
• After it is set, use a small melon baller to scoop out round balls of chocolate
• Use hands to roll it smooth

Work quickly so that they don't melt with the heat of your hands
Bit messy but fun!

Roll the truffle balls in coating of your choice: cocoa, toasted almonds, coconut etc. 
Refrigerate and Enjoy!

If you want some more adventure, go ahead with step 2.

Step 2 (optional)

Tempering
If you need to dip the truffles in chocolate coating, you have to temper it.
Tempered chocolate gives the truffle a smooth, shiny finish and a snap. Not to forget the professional look!

Temper chocolate as below.
http://www.ghirardelli.com/bake/chocolate_tempering.aspx
Dip the cocoa dipped truffles in tempered chocolate and lay it on the parchment paper.
Sprinkle some chocolate sprinkles, and luster dust. (http://www.amazon.com/Super-Gold-43-1233-Luster-Dust/dp/B0000VLH8S)   
Indulge in a guilt-free decadence. Watch it disappear right before your eyes!

A Book Cake

I enjoyed baking this cake for my friend's son's Annaprasana - ceremony of a baby's transition to solid foods.

It was the right time to flip the page and embark upon a new chapter in his life.
Bookmarked for easy reference!

Cake: Pound cake
Frosting: Simple buttercream topped with homemade fondant
Picture: Printed with edible ink on sugar sheet