I made the mistake of telling my Mother and my Nanna..."I've made the Christmas Cake"
So they both asked if they could have some. Of course, i am a generous lady and they can have some of the cake. But as i stood looking at the ROUND cake i had made i became a little dejected. My plans for a Merry Snow Scene decoration were not going to happen - the cake, becoming 'the cakeS' were going to leave little room for decorative play.
Never mind. My cake decorating skills leave MASSES to be desired anyway. It isn't my forte. It isn't my 'area' of any skill or expertise. It was time...... to call in the professional>>>>> armed with a 'Charlie and Lola' apron and a whole lotta creative Diva, this 5 yr old's work was sterling.
To maintain the almond theme (Amaretto soaked cake) we started with white marzipan - only a thin layer. Thin wasn't a 'taste' choice - you must remember, i had bought the ingredients to ice just the ONE cake and 3 were taking up a little more ingredient than expected.
And the Ready-Roll icing was a similar story. Please don't underestimate how long this simple process took me. Oh My Lord.
The able assistant lost patience after the icing sugar and rolling pin stage so i was (thankfully) on my own at this point.
Then i realised EACH cake needed a cake base / board.... and in a moment of sheer brilliance i managed to find 2 cardboard packages from that evenings dinner and cut them up into the right shapes for each cake. We had a ready made pizza base so that was perfect for the half moon shapes, once wrapped in foil.
The cakes sat in tins for days like this. I am no domestic goddess NOR am i at all into Cake Decorating... but they worked out something like this:
Wide tartan ribbon around the edge of all of them. Left over Jane Asher gold stars from a previous cheat cookery project....
All strategically placed for a minimal effect. And the last cake had some gummy heart sweets placed in one corner.
The cakes sat in tins for days like this. I am no domestic goddess NOR am i at all into Cake Decorating... but they worked out something like this:
Wide tartan ribbon around the edge of all of them. Left over Jane Asher gold stars from a previous cheat cookery project....
All strategically placed for a minimal effect. And the last cake had some gummy heart sweets placed in one corner.
I am winning no prizes with these BUT i guarantee, the taste of these cakes will have the consumer totally forgetting the rather basic topping.
What's a girl to do? I went from having one big round cake, to 3 small odd shaped cakes.
What's a girl to do? I went from having one big round cake, to 3 small odd shaped cakes.It goes to show, you can have your cake and eat it too. Just don't think about how it 'looks' for too long.
And i leave you with this photo of Chef Extraordinaire.... because i have a sort of weird semi-smug Nigella look on me here - maybe it's that double chin????
Anyone for a few dieting posts come 2010?
And i leave you with this photo of Chef Extraordinaire.... because i have a sort of weird semi-smug Nigella look on me here - maybe it's that double chin????
Anyone for a few dieting posts come 2010?x mmmm, cake!
3 comments:
You don't need to diet Mrs, you're gorgeous and obviously very clever ( have I said that before?) for adapting to the changed cake circumstances. Sharing when it causes complication and slight inconvenience shows true Christmas spirit dwells in you.
Ho ho ho!!!
Ali XX
Hee hee, Little Fish looks so excited to be helping out! I could have done with a bit of help myself this weekend as I was icing my cake as well, but I was so short of time I opted for quite a simple design! It's up on my blog too if you fancy a look :)
For reasons that are too longwinded I took my Christmas cake out of the oven at 3.30am on Sunday MORNING, only for the wretched thing to gracefully glide rioght open from the middel like a blossoming flower. Too moist! Cut into (un-iced)chunks for that afternoon's Mince Pies and Mulled Stuff. Not a crumb left. Take two starts tonight. Coffee?
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