Most of the time, whenever I’m baking, I’m in my happy zone. If I’m just making a cake for the sake of doing so, it’s no biggie if it doesn’t work out. (It’s been known to happen.) But, if I’m making a special cake for someone, I always get a tiny case of butterflies in my stomach. Just a little nervous flutter.
If you’re a caker, too, you know what I’m talking about. (Just take a peak at some of the forum posts on Cake Central.) The butterflies don’t go away until the cake is delivered and the recipient is delighted. Then, after I return home and clean up the disaster that I created in my kitchen, I’m itching to do it all over again. Call it a “caker’s high,” if you will.
I got my caking fix this week by making this cake for my coffee-loving friend’s birthday. The cake was a Mocha Mud Cake with Chocolate Buttercream. Although my guinea pigs co-workers thought is was really yummy, I’m still tweaking the recipe. Keep your eyes open for it in a future post. I made a fondant figurine of my friend seated by her beloved cup of coffee. (She’s a fan of Biggby Coffee, so the design on the cup is a bit of a riff from their logo.) Guess what? This cup of coffee was super-duper easy to make.
Using cereal treats, form a cylinder shape. Take your time to get the height of the cup right and to mold the shape of the cup, as best as you can. Then, taper the cup ‘s shape by carving the cylinder. Easy does it, though. It’s better to carve it, little by little.
Once you’re satisfied with the shape, set it aside. Next, roll out your fondant and cut it into a rectangular shape. Cover the sides of the cup with buttercream and apply the fondant. Smooth with your fondant smoother. Then, make a fondant rope for the lip of the cup and apply it with a dab of water. Decorate the sides of the cup as desired. Lastly, pipe a big ‘ol dollop of buttercream on top for the “whipped cream.” See how easy that was?
Do you get a case of the butterflies whenever you make a cake? Tell me about your “caker’s high.” I know I’m not the only one who’s addicted to it.
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