CAKE DESIGNER Jazmine Nixon RECIPES Dean Brettschneider PROJECT EDITOR Wendy Nixon
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INSTRUCTIONS Make the ganache and set it aside to firm up. TO MAKE THE HEAD AND FEET: Trace the head and feet stencils onto baking paper. Lie the baking paper flat on a baking tray. Melt milk chocolate and spoon it into the middle of each stencil. Use a skewer to gently push the melted chocolate out to the edges of your stencil shapes. Refrigerate the chocolate until set. Bake the cake. Turn it out and leave it to cool completely. Heat the oven to 180°C. Divide the quantity of sliced almonds in half, setting aside half of them and placing the other half in a baking dish in the oven. Toast for 5–10 minutes, until the almonds begin to colour. (Make sure you keep a close eye on the almonds while they’re cooking because they will change colour quickly!) Remove toasted almonds from the oven and leave them to cool. Once cool, combine them with the untoasted portion previously set aside. Once the cake is cool, put it back in the half-sphere tin and use a serrated knife to cut any uneven rising off the cake to level it, then turn the cake out and place it on a serving plate. Use a serrated knife to cut the top of the dome off (2 cm off the top) to create a flat top. Cover the cake with ganache to a smooth finish. Once the chocolate head and feet are set hard, remove them from the fridge and carefully peel the baking paper away. Flip the head and feet over so the flat sides face upwards. Secure the head and feet to the top of the cake with a little ganache. TO MAKE THE CLAWS: From the 2 liquorice laces, cut out 18 lengths measuring between 1–1.5 cm and arrange 4 at the end of each top foot and 5 at the end of each bottom foot, as shown. From the leftover liquorice laces, cut 2 tiny circles and attach them to the end of the nose with a little ganache. Add chocolate button ears above the face. TO MAKE THE EYES: Melt white chocolate and spoon it into a piping bag. Cut a tiny portion off the tip of the bag and pipe 2 tiny white eyes. Carefully place a peppercorn on each. TO MAKE THE SPIKES: Randomly press sliced almonds into the ganache around the head, and feet, as shown.
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WHAT YOU NEED 1 chocolate half-sphere (20 cm) cake (see recipe, page 13) 1 quantity dark chocolate ganache (see recipe, page 21) 300 g milk chocolate 20 g white chocolate 140 g sliced almonds 2 liquorice laces 2 milk chocolate buttons 2 black peppercorns 1 skewer 1 piping bag
TECHNIQUES Melting chocolate, page 19 Levelling, page 18 Creating a smooth finish, page 18
STENCILS Side C: Emma Echidna – head and feet
WHAT YOU NEED 1 chocolate Dolly Varden cake (see recipe, page 13) 1 quantity buttercream (see recipe, page 20) rice crispy (250 g each Rice Bubbles & marshmallows – see recipe, page 14) food colouring: black fondant: 30 g black 300 g desiccated coconut 50 g white chocolate 1 liquorice log 1 clear wine gum 1 black 10 cm x 10 cm liquorice sheet 4 chocolate straws 3 giant spearmint leaves cooking spray, for moulding rice crispy 2 skewers 7 toothpicks 1 ziplock bag 1 piping bag
TECHNIQUES Colouring, page 24 Levelling, page 18 Colouring coconut, page 19 Melting chocolate, page 19
STENCILS Side D: Kurt the Cuddly Koala – koala hands & feet (for reference) & mouth
INSTRUCTIONS Bake the cake. Turn it out and leave it to cool completely. Make the buttercream. Put half a cup into a separate bowl and set it aside. Colour the remaining larger quantity grey. TO MAKE THE HEAD: Make the rice crispy recipe using 150 g of the Rice Bubbles and 150 g of the marshmallows. As soon as the mixture is cool enough to touch, spray cooking oil on your hands and tightly press the mixture into a ball shape. Set the head aside to cool and harden. TO MAKE THE EARS: Prepare 2 small round-bottomed ramekins (8 cm in diameter approx.) by spraying them heavily with cooking oil. Repeat the rice crispy recipe, this time using 20 g of the Rice Bubbles and 20 g of the marshmallows. As soon as the mixture is cool enough to touch, spray cooking oil on your hands and divide the mixture into 2 equal parts. Press the mixture tightly into the prepared ramekins, creating a well in the centre of each ramekin. Set the moulds aside for approximately 10 minutes until the rice crispy has cooled and hardened, then pop out the shapes. TO MAKE THE ARMS & LEGS: Repeat the rice crispy recipe using the remaining 80 g of Rice Bubbles and 80 g of marshmallows. As soon as the mixture is cool enough to touch, spray cooking oil on your hands and divide the mixture into 4 equal parts. From these parts make 4 teardrop shapes (about 8 cm long). Set the shapes aside on baking paper to cool and harden. TO MAKE THE TORSO: Place the cake back in the tin and use a sharp serrated knife to cut any uneven rising off the base of the cake to level it. Turn the cake out and place it upright. Using a sharp serrated knife, carve the bottom edge of the cake so it is rounded underneath to create a tummy shape. Place the torso on a serving plate.
Kurt the Cuddly Koala continues overleaf . . . 37
STENCILS Side B: The Harbour Bridge – chocolate bridge & bridge cake
continued Stick one end of a skewer into the rice-crispy head and the other end into the middle of the cake so that the head sits on the torso. Cut a slight curve out of the edge of each rice-crispy ear to match the shape of the head. Stick each ear to the head using a toothpick and buttercream. Attach the arms and legs to the torso using toothpicks and buttercream. Colour 200 g of the coconut grey. Cover the koala with grey buttercream, leaving spaces for the whites of the eyes, the mouth, chest and inside the ears to be added later. Have fun with this next part because it gets messy! Place the serving plate in a roasting pan or similar, ready to catch the mess, then press the grey coconut into the grey buttercream until the koala is completely covered except for the areas that you have intentionally left clear. Brush off any excess coconut. Carefully add the eyes, mouth, chest and inner ears with white buttercream, then press white coconut into them. TO MAKE THE EYES: Melt white chocolate, spoon it into a piping bag and cut a tiny tip off the pointy end of the bag. Cut 2 thin slices off the liquorice log and 2 thin slices off the wine gum. Using the white chocolate, stick a slice of liquorice to each slice of wine gum. Pipe a dot of white chocolate on each pupil, as shown. Stick the eyes to the koala’s head with the melted chocolate. Set the piping bag aside. TO MAKE THE NOSE AND MOUTH: Form the black fondant into a 3D rounded triangle nose shape, as shown. For the mouth, trace the mouth stencil onto baking paper and cut it out. Place your stencil onto the liquorice sheet and cut out a mouth. Pipe a tiny amount of melted white chocolate onto the underside of the mouth and stick it to the koala’s face, then attach the nose directly above the mouth with a toothpick. TO MAKE THE HANDS AND FEET: From the liquorice sheet, cut 4 squares measuring 3 cm x 3 cm each. Round the corners of the squares off. Make 3 cuts at one end of each square and round off the straight ends to create 4 claws. Use the melted chocolate to stick a toothpick to the back of each piece of liquorice. Once the chocolate hardens, push a toothpick into the end of each arm and leg. TO MAKE THE EUCALYPTUS BRANCH: Slide 3 chocolate straws over a skewer. Cut the end of the last chocolate straw on an angle and use the melted chocolate to stick the cut-off piece of chocolate straw halfway up the main branch. Attach 3 spearmint leaves to the chocolate straws with a little melted chocolate. Once the chocolate has hardened stand the branch up between the koala’s hands and feet, as shown.
TECHNIQUES
WHAT YOU NEED
Colouring, page 24 Melting chocolate, page 19 Levelling, page 18 Stacking & filling, page 18 Crumb coating, page 18 Creating a smooth finish, page 18
1 rectangle (24 cm x 35 cm) cake (see recipes, pages 12–13) 1½ quantities buttercream with Sno Creme base (see recipe, page 20) food colouring: blue 2 flat-based ice cream cones 250 g dark chocolate piping bag
INSTRUCTIONS Bake the cake. Turn it out and leave it to cool completely. Make the buttercream using Sno Creme. Place half a cup of buttercream in a separate bowl and colour it pale ice blue. Leave the remaining buttercream white. TO MAKE THE CONE PILLARS: Melt dark chocolate, then dip the outsides of the ice cream cones in the melted chocolate until they are completely coated. Stand the cones upside down to dry. Set aside the remaining melted chocolate. TO MAKE THE CHOCOLATE BRIDGE: Trace the chocolate bridge stencil onto baking paper. Stick your stencil to a baking tray with a little buttercream to hold it secure. Pour the remaining melted chocolate into a piping bag, then cut a tiny portion off the tip of the bag and thickly pipe the bridge shape. Put the tray in the fridge so that the chocolate will set. Level the cake and cut it in half lengthways. Spread white buttercream on one half and place the other half on top. Trace the bridge cake stencil onto baking paper and cut it out. Place your stencil on the cake stack and cut out the shape. Stand the sandwiched cake up on its flat edge. Crumb coat the cake with a thin layer of white buttercream, then refrigerate it until dry to the touch. Place the cake on a serving plate, then cover it with white buttercream, adding patches of pale-ice-blue buttercream ‘sky’ at the top and a little down the sides, to a smooth finish. Once the chocolate-cone pillars are dry, use a serrated knife to cut a slice off the side of each to create a flat edge. Press this flat edge into the sides of the cake. Once the chocolate bridge is completely set, remove it from the fridge and carefully peel the baking paper away. Press the chocolate bridge into the front of the cake, flat side facing out, using a little buttercream to stick it on if necessary.
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TECHNIQUES
WHAT YOU NEED
Rolling out fondant, page 21 Creating a smooth finish, page 18
9 cupcakes (see recipes, pages 12–13) 1 quantity buttercream (see recipe, page 20) fondant: 100 g yellow, 50 g white, 50 g red & 50 g green gel food colouring: black 1 giant spearmint leaf 1 chocolate straw 1 black 10 cm x 10 cm liquorice sheet 1 red M&M cornflour, for rolling out fondant 9 white cupcake wrappers 1 cheese grater 1 small paintbrush
STENCILS Side C: Why I Aus Cupcakes – Sydney Opera House #1 and #2, kookaburra, thongs, sunglasses & kangaroo
INSTRUCTIONS Bake the cupcakes and leave them to cool completely. Make the buttercream. To make the Australian cupcake toppers, trace the stencils for the Sydney Opera House #1 and #2, kookaburra, thongs, sunglasses and kangaroo onto baking paper and cut them out. PINEAPPLE: Roll out yellow fondant to a thickness of 5 mm and cut out an oval measuring 3.5 cm long. Use the finest edge of the cheese grater to imprint the oval with the grater pattern. Cut the giant spearmint leaf in half and cut the edges into spiky zigzags to make leaves. CRICKET: To make the bat, cut the chocolate straw to a length of 3.5 cm and then round off the edges. Cut a 3 mm x 20 mm length off the liquorice sheet for the handle. Set aside the red M&M, ready to be placed on the cupcake. SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE: Place your Sydney Opera House #1 stencil over the black liquorice sheet and cut the shape out. Thinly roll out the white fondant to a thickness of 2–3 mm, then place your Sydney Opera House #2 stencil on top and cut the shape out. Stick the white fondant to the liquorice backing with a little buttercream. Use a small paintbrush dipped in black gel food colouring to paint the dividing lines, as shown. KOOKABURRA: Place your kookaburra stencil over the black liquorice sheet and cut out the kookaburra shape using the tip of a sharp knife. I AUS: Thinly roll out white fondant to a thickness of 2–3 mm and cut out a circle 3 cm in diameter. Thinly roll out red fondant 42
and cut out a 1 cm heart shape. Stick the heart on the top right corner of the white circle with a little water. Use a small paintbrush dipped in black gel food colouring to write the words ‘I’ and ‘AUS’ on the white circle. BEACH TOWEL: Thinly roll out yellow fondant to a thickness of 2–3 mm and cut out a rectangle measuring 3 x 6 cm. Use a sharp knife to make 5 mm-long cuts on each end of the towel to create tasselled edges. Thinly roll out green fondant and cut into 4 lengths of 3 mm x 50 mm. Stick lengths on the body of the towel with a little water, as shown. THONGS: Thinly roll out yellow fondant to a thickness of 2–3 mm, place your thongs stencil on top and cut out the shapes. Roll a piece of the green fondant into a thin string and cut it into 4 equal lengths about 2 cm long. Attach the ends of the green strings to the yellow thong bases with a little water, trimming off any excess length. SUNGLASSES: Thinly roll out red fondant to a thickness of 2–3 mm, place your sunglasses stencil on top and cut out the shape. For the lenses, cut a 1 cm circle out of the liquorice sheet, then cut it in half. Stick the liquorice semicircles to the sunglasses with a little buttercream. KANGAROO: Place your kangaroo stencil on the black liquorice sheet, then cut out the shape using the tip of a sharp knife. Ice your cupcakes with buttercream to a smooth finish. Place an Australian topper on each cupcake.
WHAT YOU NEED 1 chocolate rectangle (24 cm x 35 cm) cake (see recipe, page 13) 1 quantity royal icing (see recipe, page 20) ½ quantity buttercream (see recipe, page 20) fondant: 500 g red, 5 g orange, 150 g white & 150 g black rice crispy (250 g each Rice Bubbles & marshmallows – see recipe page 14) gel food colouring: green cornflour, for rolling out fondant cooking spray, for moulding rice crispy alphabet cookie cutters 1 piping bag 1 grass tip (Wilton 233) 1 toothpick 1 ruler
STENCILS
TECHNIQUES
Side D: Up and Under – stitching, kangaroo
Rolling out fondant, page 21 Covering a cake with fondant, page 23 Levelling, page 18 Colouring, page 24
INSTRUCTIONS Bake the cake. Turn it out and leave it to cool completely. TO MAKE THE BALL: Make the rice crispy. As soon as the mixture is cool enough to touch, spray cooking oil on your hands and tightly press the mixture into an oval shape that is slightly pointed at each end. Set the rice-crispy ball aside to cool and harden, then use a serrated knife to carve off any irregularities so that the ball is symmetrical. Make the buttercream, then thickly spread it all over the ball. Roll out red fondant to a thickness of 5 mm and a rectangle of approximately 25 cm x 30 cm. Lie the fondant over the rice-crispy ball and use your fingers to smooth the fondant around the ball. Use a sharp knife to cut off any excess fondant, pressing the edges together neatly on the underside of the ball. Use a knife to gently indent 4 seam lines lengthways down the ball at evenly spaced intervals, as shown. Trace the stitching stencil onto baking paper and cut it out. Place your stencil on top of the ball and gently indent the outline and the stitch holes with a toothpick. For the inflator valve, roll the orange fondant into a small pinhead-sized ball and press it flat. Stick the flat circle to the top of the ball with a little water, placing it in the middle of the seam line inside the stencil outline. Use a toothpick to make a hole in the centre of the orange fondant.
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For the laces, thinly roll out white fondant to a thickness of 2–3 mm, then use a ruler to cut 6 strips measuring 5 mm x 25 mm. Pinch the ends of each strip together and place them across the top seam line of the ball, poking the pinched ends down into the stitch holes. TO MAKE THE KANGAROO AND ‘AUSTRALIA’: Trace the kangaroo stencil onto baking paper and cut it out. Roll out black fondant to a thickness of 5 mm, place your stencil on top of the fondant and cut out the kangaroo shape. Punch out the letters for ‘Australia’ using alphabet cookie cutters. Stick the kangaroo and the letters to the side of the ball, as shown, with a little water. TO MAKE THE FIELD: Level the cake and turn it over. Place the cake on a serving plate. TO MAKE THE GRASS: Prepare the royal icing and colour half of it light green and the other half dark green. Cover the bowls of icing with plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out. Fit the grass tip to the piping bag and fill the bag with one shade of green icing. Randomly pipe blobs of icing while pulling up and away from the cake, leaving gaps for the second shade of green. Refill the piping bag with the second shade of green and fill in the gaps. It’s fine if you don’t cover the cake completely, as the chocolate cake peeking through looks like dirt on the field. Finally, place the ball on the grass.