Gift box cake ! (For 10-12 persons)
For the cake
400g of cream cheese (I use 'Philadelphia' brand - 2 boxes)
600g pastry flour
510g unsalted butter
5g salt
15g baking powder
500g castor sugar
9 eggs
8ml of pure vanilla extract
Zest from one large orange
125g of Corinthians raisins
Note: You will need two 20cm diameter baking pans to bake this cake
For the decoration
500g of sugar paste or fondant (refer photo step 17 and see note below)
500g of gumpaste (refer photo step 19 and see note below)
200g of compound chocolate
1 heart chocolate mold (At ~Rs70 on Ebay: Here)
1 cake smoother (Refer photo step 18 / At ~Rs30 on Ebay: Here)
1 pearl mold (Refer photo step 22 / A ~Rs35 on Ebay: Here)
1 sachet of caramel chews (refer photo step 29)
60g of unsalted butter
5 tablespoons of milk
80g of icing sugar
2 tablespoons of Nutella
Pearlized sugar pearls (refer photo step 23)
Gel food coloring (green, red, pink, yellow and green) Purchased on Ebay: Here
Fondant cutters/ plungers (great variety available on Ebay)
Notes:
I purchased the sugar paste/ fondant at Tangs Way at B.Bassin at Rs105 (500g/ Brand 'Redman' )
I purchased the gumpaste at Tangs Way at B.Bassin at Rs125 (500g/ Brand 'Redman' )
Procedure
Step 1 : In your standing mixer bowl, mix butter, sugar and cream cheese on a low to medium speed.
Note: You may also use your hand mixer. I actually prefer to use a standing mixer when I am using more than 500g of flour.
Step 2: Scrape your bowl from time to time (stop your mixer first ) to ensure uniform mixing ! As soon as your mixture (butter/ sugar/ cream cheese) is smooth and fluffy (indicated by a paler yellow color), stop your mixer.
Step 3 : In a bowl add your flour, salt, baking powder (all sifted together if possible) as well as your orange zest and mix all together to obtain your dry ingredients mixture.
Step 4: To your butter mixture from step 2, add 1/3 of your dry ingredients mixture (step 3) and 3 eggs.
Step 5: Turn on your mixer again on a low to medium speed and allow the dry ingredients mixture (1/3) and eggs (3) to combine well with your butter mixture. Repeat step 4 and 5 until all dry ingredients and eggs have been added. As usual do not forget to scrape the mixing bowl when necessary .
Step 6: When your batter has become smooth and sexy, add in your Corinthian raisins and pure vanilla extract !
Step 7: Perform a final mix (low-medium speed) and voila, your cake batter is ready !
Step 8: Transfer your cake batter equally into your two baking pans lightly greased and lined with parchment paper. Flatten the surface using your favorite spatula.
Step 9: Bake your cakes in a preheated oven at 160 degrees Celsius for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a brochette pick comes out clean when inserted in the center.
Note: Below shows baking progression until done (right). Hot Hot Hot !
Step 10: Allow your cake to cool completely, turn it upside down on a tray and remove the parchment paper accordingly. Using a serrated sknife, cut the top dome to create a flat surface .
Step 11: Hmmmmmmmm !
Step 12: Mix your unsalted butter together with your icing sugar until the mixture has become very pale. Your buttercream is almost ready. Check next steps to see how we are going to flavour it !
Step 13: Add about 3/4 of your caramel chews in a small bowl together with 3 tablespoons of milk and a small amount of butter. Microwave for about 1 minute and quickly mix alltogether while still hot with a spoon until you obtain a thick caramel sauce. Wait for it to cool completely and add this sauce to your buttercream and mix mix mix !.
Step 14: Once the caramel sauce is well combined, add your Nutella and perform a final mix. Your flavoured buttercream (Nutella/ Caramel) is ready !
Step 15: Spread a generous amount of your buttercream on one of your cake and position your other cake on top as shown below.
Step 16: Now cover your entire cake with your yummy flavoured buttercream !
Step 17: Using your rolling pin, flatten your fondant to a thickness of about 5mm.
Step 18: Position your rolled fondant on your cake. Cut the excess part at the base using a knife and smooth the surface using your cake smoother !
Step 19: Get your gumpaste ready !
Step 20: Roll and flatten your gumpaste to a thickness of about 5mm using your rolling pin. Using your pastry ruler, measure one long band of about 4cm height and of enough length to position all around your cake . Using a damp brush ('glue' for the fondant), stick this band circularly on top of your cake as shown below (right).
Step 21: Color some gumpaste (~200g) using green gel food coloring, flatten the paste to a thickness of about 3mm and cut small bands that you will stick (using a damp brush) on your cake as shown below.
Note: You will use the remaining green gumpaste (from this step) when you will do your bow in step 25 .
Step 22: Using your pearls tool, create small bands of beads and stick them in between the gaps at the base of your cake .
Note: link for fondant tool is in the ingredients list .
Step 23: Color a small amount of gumpaste (~30g) in pink and using your favourite flower plunger, cut out small flower shapes and stick them as shown below. Do not forget to insert a small pearlized sugar pearl in the center of each flower !
Step 24: Cut out other of your favourite shapes and stick them on your cake. Be creative ...
Step 25: Time for your bow ! Cut out 12 green bands of gumpaste (14cmx3cm) and position a thin band of white gumpaste on each band as shown below. Then fold each band and cut the closed extremity in a triangular shape. Allow to dry and harden .
Step 26: While your bow`s parts are drying/ hardening, make a small rose out of red coloured gumpaste (~60g).
Step 27: Color some gumpaste in yellow color (~25g) and add more flowers to your cake. Let your creativity run wild . Now time to stick your bow ! You may use water (damp brush) or you may also prepare a "glue" icing mixture (icing sugar/ water in my case) to use as glue like I did .
Note: For the "glue" mixture, simply mix 20g of icing sugar with one small teaspoon of water. Mix well until you obtain a think mixture. If mixture is too think, add water (very small amount each time), else add icing sugar (1 teaspoon each time).
Step 28: Assemble your bow as shown below ..
Step 29: Melt your compound chocolate in the microwave (remove and stir at 30 seconds interval until fully melted).
Note: Compound chocolate is used here to ease the task as it does not need to be tempered !
Step 30: Transfer your melted chocolate into a piping bag and fill the cavities of your chocolate mold.
Step 31: Turn your mold (with the filled cavities) onto a clean piece of aluminium foil (excess chocolate falling will be re-melted and used for the final topping) and place your mold in the fridge for the chocolate to set .
Step 32: In a small bowl, add your remaining caramel chews with a small amount of butter and 2 tablespoons of milk and microwave for about 1 minute. Then stir vigorously until mixture is uniform.
Step 33: Allow your caramel sauce to cool down and place it in a piping bag. Eventually fill your "chocolated cavities" (3/4 full) as shown below !
Step 34: Take the remaining chocolate from step 31, melt again and fill the cavities (piping bag) while ensuring that all the caramel centers are covered ! Place in the fridge for about 12-15 minutes then once hardened, you can pop the chocolates out of your mold ! Your caramel center heart chocolate bonbons are ready !
Step 33: You may have one since they are quite irresistible !
Voila !
Always made with love ...
THANK YOU FOR WATCHING !...
