Box of Chocolates

Life is like a box of chocolates...


...you never know what you're gonna get!  Except if you're lucky, and someone is giving you a very special cake - filled with chocolates galore!  This particular cake is chocolate...with chocolate ganache filling, covered in even more chocolate ganache and topped with 2 full boxes of chocolate truffles - each with the number '30' piped in pink icing for the birthday girl who was turning - you guessed it - 30!  The "tissue" is modeling chocolate airbrushed with a pearl sheen.  Fondant lid, ribbon, gift tag and round 'box'.  A true chocolate lover's delight!

Cross Cultural Solutions - Photo Contest - Vote for me!

My heart in Africa...

Today I am writing about something other than cakes...

I volunteered in Tanzania 4 years ago through a company called Cross Cultural Solutions (CCS).  It was an amazing experience, and Tanzania definitely has a piece of my heart.

I am longing to return to this incredible country and to see the people I got to know there once again.  CCS currently has a photo competition on called "The Many Faces of Volunteering".   I submitted a photo from my volunteer experience and out of over 1,000 entries my photo was short-listed to the Top 50!

And then public voting began on Facebook!  (ugh!).   I think of myself as reasonably "well connected" but I had no idea how connected others were!!   I am currently in 9th place and would really love to be in the top 4 or 5, but desperately need more votes to get there...    To be able to have my volunteer tuition paid for and to volunteer again would truly be a dream come true.

If you feel like supporting me, just go to http://www.facebook.com/crossculturalsolutions   On the left hand side you will see  "Vote here - contest entries".  Click on that and "like" CCS.   Then vote for my photo!

It is currently on Page 1 (could move to Page 2 if I drop lower than 9th place).  It is a photo of a Maasai Woman gazing off into the distance (shown above) and my name (Setia Lindsay) will appear underneath it.  You can only vote once, and voting ends in a few days (Nov. 14, 2011)!!

So please vote if you have a moment!  Thank you!

Setia

Coffee Cup Cake - cake wreck? or ??

Coffee Cup Cake and Treats

What can I say?  Cakes take time.  Like any good thing, a well-made cake shouldn't be rushed.  In my experience, fondant or gumpaste accents that need to be able to stand on their own should have at least 2-3 days to dry, and a cake should settle for 24 hours (or at least overnight) before fondanting.

So, considering I filled, ganached, and fondanted this cake all within 1/2 hour, and only gave the plate/saucer and cup handle about 8 hours to dry...I can't very well expect perfection!  And perfect it certainly was not.  Although I have to say, despite very limited drying time, the gumpaste plate held up remarkably well.

A bit wobbly in appearance and somewhat lacking in symmetry, yet still offering that pleasant and inviting feeling that a good cup of coffee and a slice of cake should!