Wedding Cake Tasting!

Not only did my lovely friend Sue ask me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding, but she also asked me to make her wedding cake! She's had a few of my delicacies, and they must have left a good impression because she wants more. I was a bit dumbfounded when she asked me -- what an immense responsibility! After talking about it though I became really excited to make her cakes because she is somewhat unconventional -- there will be no white cake for her! And that works perfectly for me. While a vanilla cake can be absolutely delicious it is not nearly as much fun and spectacular as some of the concoctions I have made and wish to make in the future. She also does not want the traditional tiered cake, and has requested three cakes on three separate pedestals to create the illusion of a tiered cake. I think this is going to be spectacular, and a wedding event that everyone will remember!

Anyway, since she has decided on three cakes I decided that for her cake tasting I would make six small versions of cakes she is interested in having for her wedding. The day before the cake tasting mom and I made  red velvet, carrot, spicy chocolate, dulce de leche, ginger, and hazelnut mini cakes.

We both got up at the crack of dawn (9am for me), and got to work by 10am as I am useless sans my morning cup of coffee. Once I was sufficiently caffeinated I got down to business and made a carrot cake, which turned out perfectly! I was a touch worried that it was getting too done around the edges, and might not be baked evenly through. Turns out that it was perfect and I had absolutely nothing to worry about.  

Even though these cakes turned out so nicely I was still worried that they might not be cooked evenly through -- the sides might be crunchy, and the middle might be under-baked. So I decided on giving the next cake a water bath. Turns out that was a very, very bad idea. It looked pretty.....

but it just did. not. work. Must be that water baths are strictly for humans and cheesecake. After this lovely bath, my vanilla cake for the dulce de leche cake was a hot soggy mess. The bottoms refused to be released from their pans, and they came out all wonky and completely unpresentable. Since we had some extra of the dulce de leche filling (condensed milk baked for an hour that turns into the most scrumptious, gooey caramel) we smeared a layer on one of the unfortunate cakes, and made a very sorry looking cake.

So we made a new cake, and all the others ended up turning out perfectly! Ten hours later mom and I had ourselves a fridge full of the most adorable looking miniature cakes..and very sore feet.

Even though it was a long day, it was completely enjoyable and satisfying to bake all day. And I have to say that I was incredibly pleased with the outcome of the cakes. I will say though that after eating six slices of cake I have absolutely NO desire to eat cake for a very, very, very long time.