My Food Geek

A few weeks ago one of my co-workers asked me if I could make her a birthday cake. There was much discussion on what kind of cakes, flavors, toppings, icings, decorations, everything. Conversations went on for what seemed like hours before we decided on a cake, and then at the last moment, the cake changed again. After many google searches, it was settled and I was to make a cake that was inspired by this cake. We settled on a price (a bargain because I’m a nice guy) and a pickup date. I gathered the proper ingredients and off I went.

Cakes like this usually aren’t my thing. I usually concentrate on more of a French styled gateau or at least something with more of a European flair. I’m not trying to be a food snob, it’s just what I’ve been taught. This is the first time since culinary school that I’ve willingly used rolled fondant as an ingredient. In the past I’ve got up on my soapbox about how rolled fondant is just a bland, sugar, mess. Most people don’t eat it so why bother putting something like that on the cake. I may have changed my view, just a little bit.

The covering went on easily and stayed nice and smooth, the flowers and decorations were easily made in advance, and everything went together very nicely on the last possible day so things didn’t get all nasty. The guts of the cake were basic chocolate chiffon on the bottom and vanilla chiffon on the top. I used real chocolate buttercream on the bottom and vanilla buttercream on the top. I was told the vanilla chiffon was the better of the two but they were both good.

I really would consider this more of a WOW cake than a gourmet cake but I could have probably added some more extras to the actual cakes. Things like fruit purees or liquored soaking syrups would have elevated this cake to the next level, but the basics I used were what was requested. I made sure I used the best swiss method buttercream I could find using both real butter and real chocolate when the recipes called for it.

A few weeks back I saw this picture on a fellow blogger’s site.

Chris, the fellow blogger, got her hands on about 50 of these mini brioche molds for an amazing deal. She happened to obtain these tins just about the same time I was making my kitchenaid brioche. In a flash I shot off a comment on her blog and begged asked nicely if she could grab some for me in exchange for a small reward. I was a little bit surprised when I got a response from her. Chris said she’d try and pick some up for me and would mail them to me if she could find them. I honestly thought she was just being nice and I would never see anything in the mail, even though she requested my address.

About a week and a half ago a received a mysterious package in the mail. In the package was the mini brioche tins, some fancy pastel-colored measuring spoons, recipe cards, and a Christmas card. I was amazed! Not only by the package but by the kindness a fellow blogger had for me.
Chris, I owe you: pretty much anything I can get you from the Boston area is yours!