"Love is like a good cake..."

"...you never know when it's coming, but you'd better eat it when it does!" - C. Joybell C.

Thursday and Friday we were back in our cake module. I much prefer making cakes over making pies. It's been interesting to make all these different pies and tarts, and I have to say, the lemon one... was amazing. But I don't particularly enjoy making, or even eating, pies. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy a good slice of pie on occasion! Cakes, on the other hand... Cakes are much tastier, and more impressive looking. And besides, decorating is kind of my "thing," so I've been right in my element with the cakes.

Thursday we made this strange little confection called a Paris-Brest. It's made of pâte à choux (the stuff used to make cream puffs and eclairs). Choux pastry is much... softer than I had expected. We put it in a pastry bag and made big circles which we then baked. Then cut the top off the bigger circle, fill with creme, stuff the smaller circle inside, cover with lots more creme, then pop the top back on. Voila! Paris-Brest. I'm anxious to try it. I'll be bringing mine home next week, and sharing a picture then. We also whipped up a chocolate genoise, a white genoise, and some butter cream to be used the next day.

So Friday we just mounted our 2 genoise cakes, but the decorating had to be very precise, so it took a bit of time. It still seems amazing to me that all we did was decorate 2 cakes, but alas... So with the chocolate genoise, we built a black forest cake - yum! This involved slicing the cake into 3 layers (I'm getting pro at this), making the most delicious chocolate mousse ever for the first layer, and then Chantilly cream for the other layer and to cover the cake. Then we covered the sides and top with chocolate shavings, and piped Chantilly rosettes around the top and decorated with maraschino cherries! Beautiful! With the white cake we built a birthday cake. This was much the same process as the mocha cake from last week, minus all the coffee. So again, 3 layers, butter cream between the layers and over the cake, then some very specific piping around the top and bottom in a specific colour scheme (either blue or pink), and *drum roll* piped roses!!! So I used a nail for the first time and more or less succeeded! They weren't as big or as beautiful as the teacher's, but for a first attempt, I was thoroughly impressed with them. I kind of messed up the other gel piping on the top, but it still looked awesome. I was very happy with it. I took a picture, but I decided since I was already bringing home the black forest, I probably didn't need to bring home the birthday cake as well. But one of my classmates who works across from me loved it and said she'd buy it, so that was cool! :)

We have a day off on Monday, which will be nice, and then I have no idea what's in store for next week!

Pretty Black Forest which we will be digging into on Friday with my sister and family!

Birthday cake! As you can see, the gel piped part is uneven, too far in, and just generally messed up, but otherwise pretty decent for a first attempt.

Different angle. *sigh* Those roses! So impressed... ;)

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