My Chocolate Fantasy

Just as you get different styles of venues and dresses, there are also different styles of Wedding cakes. Choosing the wrong wedding cake for your wedding style or theme is actually a very common wedding mistake. Brides sometimes see a cake in a magazine and then insist on having that specific one even though is doesn’t suite their style, theme or personality.

Different types of Wedding Cakes to consider:

The Classic Cake:

This will be a classic round or square cake with multiple tiers with cream or white fondant icing. Nothing daring or over the edge, just beautiful and timeless. Tiers can be stacked, freestanding or on pillars. Although fruitcake is being faced out, it is sometimes still being used especially if the bride and groom want to keep a part of the cake for their first anniversary.  In this case they will make one layer the fruitcake and the rest of the cake can be marble, caramel, white chocolate or carrot cake.

Simple iced with decorative flowers on top with ribbons bordering the base of each layer.

Black and White themed cakes are very much in style at the moment.

The Themed cake:

This cake is best described as the colorful, no fear, no rules imaginative cake.

This cake will be a reflection of your individuality and daring personality. If you like to stand out and probably want your cake to be remembered by your guests, then this is the way to go.

Find inspiration in your theme or your venue. If you are having a beach wedding, you might have a sandcastle cake or a cake with a scuba dive couple as the topper.

Multiple shapes such as squares combined with round and pyramid tiers are very trendy at the moment

Use your Honeymoon location as inspiration – If you are going skiing, try a snow-white cake in the shape of a snowy mountain. For a Parisian honeymoon, a sophisticated black and white cake with an Eiffel tower topper will be well suited.

The Cupcake:

Individual, beautifully decorated cupcakes stacked high are still very popular amongst brides. It is perfect for a buffet reception or a garden wedding. Because cupcakes have their own cases, they can be enjoyed while standing and is therefore perfect for a relaxed informal wedding reception. The sizes can also differ from muffin size (if this is perhaps your only desert) to mini cupcakes.

Heart shaped cupcakes with red and pink icing for a romantic theme.

Gluten or dairy-free cakes for guests with dietary requirements are also very important, as more and more people are being diagnosed with food allergies

The Chocolate cake

Imagine a delicious chocolate ganache exterior, decorated with chocolate swirls, shards and shavings, with a decadent fudge or caramel interior. Chocolate cakes are very fashionable, versatile and popular right now, but are recommended in very cool months or for air-conditioned venues.

Dark Chocolate mouse cake with fresh fruit, dipped in chocolate or dusted with coco or icing.

Color contrasted – butter cake or milk chocolate cake interior with dark chocolate outside and visa versa.

The Contemporary cake

This is a cake with a modern twist on the classic / traditional cake. It is ideal for a wedding in a distinctly modern setting, or for an artistic couple. With a ‘less is more’ mantra, these classic square cakes should be an innovative and contemporary work of edible art. For an elegant yet modern look, square shaped cake layers can be stacked slightly off centre in shades of ivory or white.

Add a fake ‘display’ layer to give the cake some height.

A Single layer cake, simple decorated with a highlight on top.

Match the exact color of your theme or highlight to the cake color

Adding a little ‘bling’ to your cake – such as Pearls or Swarovski crystals, will give it that wow factor.

Create unusual shaped stands using Perspex, metal or glass to give it a contemporary feel

The Croquembouche

The croquembouch is a hot trend. It isn’t just very tasty, but can be beautifully decorated with flowers and caramel sugar strings.

The Wedding cake gives you the perfect opportunity to add to your color scheme or theme, and that is why you should really put some thought into it and discuss your theme with your Cake maker.

Make the process of choosing your wedding cake fun and personal. Whether you are having a fun and funky theme or a romantic traditional celebration, it is very important to fit the style of the cake into your wedding.

This is one of the details in your wedding that allows you to step out of the box and have a cake that your guests will remember for a long time

You have your favourite cake; perhaps you have several. Have you ever wondered where yours fares on the top ten list of homemade cakes? Read on and find out.

1. Mile High Chocolate Cake.

For chocolate lovers this is the ultimate cake recipe. It consists of four dark chocolate layers with milk chocolate filling. It is rich and decadent and easy to make.

2. Fresh Coconut Layer Cake

Vanilla cake layers brushed with a syrup made from coconut water and sugar make for a moist and delicious cake. The frosting includes fresh toasted coconut for the most intense flavor.

3. Rum-Scented Marble Cake

Everyone likes a little rum, and finding some in your cake is always a nice surprise. This bundt cake has a choclate center flavored with rum, guaranteed to please.

4. Persian Love Cake

This is a cake to be remembered. Combining a lemon-cardamom chiffon cake with saffron and rose scented whipped cream, it also has pistachios and candied rose petals for a stand-out middle eastern effect.

5. Semisweet Chocolate Layer Cake with Vanilla Cream Filling

This moist dark chocolate cake has a delicious fluffy cream filling, reminiscent of Oreos or Hydrox cookies. Complete with a chocolate ganache, it is chocolate cake at its creamiest.

6. Mixed Berry Chiffon Cake with Almond Cream Frosting

Sometimes berries make for the finest dessert, especially when they’re in season. Excellent for a summer outing, this cake is filled with almond custard and raspberry preserves and crowned with a multitude of fresh berries.

7. Twelve Layer Mocha Cake

If you like a little coffee with your cake, here is a great recipe. With espresso soaked spongecake, hazelnut meringue, chocolate souffle’ along with coffee and mocha buttercreams, it may not be the easiest cake to make but it is well worth the effort.

8. Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cake with Cream Cheese and Butterfinger Frosting

The combination of chocolate and peanut butter is a favorite with many people. This cake uses golden brown sugar for an extra burst of flavor. And the vanilla cream cheese frosting is to die for.

9. White Chocolate Layer Cake with Apricot Filling and White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

You cannot have a top ten cake list without a white chocolate one making a showing, and this one is a real winner. Using apricots when they’re in season adds to the flavor. Walnuts pressed into the frosting make an ultimate finish.

10. Cherry-Cornmeal Upside-Down Cake

A variation on the familiar Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, this creation utilizes a more rustic flair. It is cooked in a skillet then turned out onto a serving platter, exposing caramelized sugar and fruit. A little balsamic vinegar on the side turns up the taste to a new level.

These are only ten of many favourite cakes from around the world. You can find a multitude of cooking websites that will list other cake recipes and cake baking products. However, the ones listed here can be completely satisfying in your hunt for the best homemade cakes to be found.

Gourmet cakes are baked sweet foods designed elegantly in classic style. It comes in round shapes, having different assortments and designs. Gourmet cakes are often served in celebrations, special occasions and festivities.
Gourmet cakes are both sophisticated and delicious. They can be birthday cakes, wedding cakes or holiday cakes. It is a great gift for any type of occasion.
Most common flavors:
• White Cake
• Marble Cake
• Cheese Cake
• Spice Cake
• Raspberry Cake
• Banana Cake
• Chocolate Cake
• Strawberry Short Cake
• Sour Cherry Cake
• Carrot Cake
• Raspberry Cake
• Lemon Cake
• and Zest Orange Cake
One can choose from the cake fillings available in cake stores like:
• Natural Preserves
• Fresh Fruits
• Bavarian Cream
• Fudge Filling
• Chocolate Mousse
• Chocolate Ganache
• Pineapple Charlotte
• Pear Mousseline
• Cannolis Filling
• Cream Cheese
• Mocha
• Cream Cheese
• Raspberry Mousse
Gourmet cake icings depend on the artistic design. Most ingredients they use would include the following:
Whipped Cream:
This is a non-dairy product which has a light kind of icing. It is not that sweet.
Butter Cream:
This is made from starch, having real unsalted butter.
Ganache
It has a rich chocolate taste. It can be melted into an icing and poured on a butter creamed iced cake.
Rolled Fondant:
This is a smooth looking sugar paste that can be rolled to cover butter cream cake.
Different Types of Gourmet Cakes:
Cheesecakes are made of cream cheese, cottage cheese and ricotta. It has a little flour component. Different flavors and toppings include key lime, strawberry, mango and kahlua. Cheesecakes can be decorated on top with fruits or nuts.
Rum or brandy cakes are a flavorful blend of sweetness and crème sherry subtle.
Muffin cakes have a tendency to dry out fast. It is much heavier as compared to other conventional cakes. Tea and coffee are good complements of banana or plain vanilla muffins. Muffins are usually served in tea parties.
Meringue cakes are good for formal occasions. It is made of fruit or ice cream.
Angel food cakes are fluffy and light because of beaten egg whites. It is recommended to dieters because the cake does not contain fat. Angel cakes can be drizzled with fruit sauce.
Chocolate cakes are the all-time favorite of adults and children alike. Different variations have come out such as:
• Chocolate raspberry
• Chocolate butter cream
• Chocolate hazelnut, etc
This cake is perfect for all occasions.
Coffee cakes are a smooth blend of chocolate, coffee and cream. It is ideal for a family gathering or tea party. This can be blended with walnut, banana and almonds. This cake is perfect to eat with hot tea or ice cream.
French pastries or gateaux are prepared with exotic and colorful flavors. Tarts are filled with cream, fresh strawberries and other fillings. Black forest and gateau Basque are one of the well-loved wonderful dessert cakes.
Some of the well-loved cakes are:
Red Velvet Cake – This is a smooth southern classic cake that is also one of Oprah’s favorites. It has a mild chocolate flavor, having a rich shade of red. Red Velvet Cakes are topped with frostings of thick cream cheese, making it more moist and delicious.
Chocolate Satin Cake – This cake is a two layered dark and moist chocolate filled with rich satin smooth ganache frosting. The sides are designed with chocolate crumbs.
Banana Split Silk Cake – It has caramel and roasted walnuts topped with dark chocolate ganache layers. It also has a white chocolate strawberry silk, white chocolate banana silk and strawberries on top.
Mocha Hazelnut Truffle Cake – This cake is an ultimate chocolate dessert. It is completely flourless and not too sweet. It is decorated with chocolate ganache and bordered with rosettes.
Best seller gourmet cakes include:
• Black Forest
• Chocolate Chip Cake
• Carrot Spice Layer Cake
• Chocolate Truffle
• Cappuccino Cake
• Strawberry Short Cake
• Chocolate Mousse
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Torte

Most people love eating sweets. This is why chocolates are a booming biz and have continued its prominence through time. If you know your way into making chocolate, you might as well earn from the process. It is easy to market such treat because you will find people who love it anywhere you go. All you need to remember now is how you will be able to market your products the right way and the most beneficial towards your end. The Four Ps of Marketing Consider this strategy when you are on the planning stage of your sweets biz. If you are just starting out and just want to make extra income through the product that you will also enjoy, here’s a brief explanation of this concept. Product The first P is the product. You have to know your product well, in this instance, your chocolates. To be able to tell people good things about what you are selling, you must know first and foremost everything about it. Yes, it is a good idea if you will take time to research about the scientific background of this treat. But you can also just focus on what you want to sell. You may want to focus on chocolate cakes. Or how about chocolates in gift baskets? There are many options that you can try for such reason. Place Where are you located? Who lives in your neighborhood? And how often do you think they will buy? You have to think about those things to be able to plan out accordingly what will be a big hit for these people. You must give them what they are looking for. You must present them with new ideas that you are very sure that they will like. It is a good thing that you are from the area. You no longer have to resort on hiring people to do a market analysis to know who these people are. Just spread your wings and increase your public relations. This will also increase the probability that these people are going to buy from you. Price You must offer your products at rates that your target market can afford. To decide easily about this matter, you must study your direct competitors. You no longer have to hire someone to do this. All you need is to buy their products to know about their pricing. You must not be too far away from their strategies. People are looking for quality products at rates they can afford. So the best thing that you can do is to give them what they are looking for. Promotion Your biz, however small it is, will not survive without venturing into promotions. As a startup of a small business, you can start the buzz about you through word of mouth. To achieve this, you must first come with a very good product. Give those out to people the first few days. If you are confident with what you are selling, for sure, people will also like it. They will be your good source of free advertising. Turn your hobby of making chocolate into a fun-filled and profit generating venture. Consider the abovementioned in starting up your biz. Create a noise for yourself and establish your name in the industry. In time, you will find your niche. You never know, your hobby can turn into one money-making road to your own success.

The Yuletide season has just set in and the mood is that of a merry one as people are busy planning out the perfect way to celebrate their Christmas. Personally speaking, the magic of the occasion never ceases to fill me with the same feeling of goodwill and blissful merry making as we happily indulge in more than just decorating the Christmas tree. Singing carols at friends’ places are always there, although it always seems like doing a new thing every time. The real attraction, however, is provided by the assortment of several well dressed cakes to mark this auspicious occasion. And talking about cakes, you don’t need to squeeze out time from your busy schedule to bake them either, as you can easily shop for celebration cakes over the Internet or at stores.

It is really amazing how times have changed, and all for the better of course. Although replacing the older method of baking cakes frantically, this new trend hasn’t replaced the custom altogether. While shopping for gifts to give out to friends and family, you can visit a bakery and order from some of the most attractive cakes baked ever. Things which could have been quite a challenge for you are now possible through a string of celebration cakes that come in all kinds of flavours and toppings for a real treat.

To add to the sparkle that is set through brightly decorated lights and a richly adorned Christmas tree, you would obviously want the food to be equally special. With celebration cakes, you can now have all that you could have desired. You can go for cakes with figures of Santa or the baby Jesus carved on the top. You can choose between options like chocolate cakes with rich fillings, lemon drizzle cakes with butter cream fillings, maderia sponge cakes and so on.

All that you need to do to fill your Christmas with these celebration cakes is to simply order over the Internet and receive the same through courier.

Cake decorating Halloween themes can be a blast. The cake actually has become an essential part of our celebrations today. May that be a birthday, wedding, anniversary, homecoming party or a house warming ceremony, with the festive food you will find a decorated cake on the dining table. So when it is Halloween time you will find a cake to match the festivities.

The tradition of Halloween dates back thousands of years to Celtic rituals. People believed that on once a year the human world and the other dark world of the spirits and ghosts overlap. It is possible for the spirits to return to earth. The date was fixed as October 31.

In the olden days the Celts celebrated their new year on November 1. Which was a official day marked as the end of summer and beginning of cold and dark winter in Ireland.

Over the years two Roman traditions were combined with the traditional Celtic celebration. The first tradition was commemorating the dead and the second was to honor the Roman Goddess of fruit and trees called Pomona.

The modern day celebration of Halloween is the mixture of the ancient beliefs and now it is celebrated to have fun.

The surrounding imagery for Halloween is a mixture of old customs and traditions and of course American filmmakers and graphic artists. They have come up with amazing characters. The common theme is dark and mysterious. It also involves skeletons, ghosts, mythical monsters. Bats, Owls and crows along with haunted houses and pumpkin men, black cats are very common things that are associated with Halloween.

All of these things are to be found on a cake decorating for Halloween. The house is decorated to resemble to the haunted house or for Dracula’s castle and the cake is decorated with spiders, black cats or bats.

You can get cake toppings with figures associated with Halloween. The figures could be that of Grim Reaper, or Halloween witch. You can have fun with these cake toppers. Cake decorating Halloween can be a family fun activity. If your children can join to decorate the cake the entire family can have lots of fun.

You get many more things to decorate your Halloween cake in the market. Few of them are Halloween Skeleton and hands that you can stick on the cake. You get some spooky looking rings that can be placed on the cake to add to the spirit of the season.

3D Halloween Luminaries Picks can add another dimension to your cake. The predominant color of the season is orange and black. If you have black icing on the cake and it is a chocolate cake and if you stick orange illuminated sticks on the cake it will really blend in with the atmosphere of Halloween.

Cake decorating Halloween can be a fun filled activity for the entire family and it can be a very enriching experience for all the members of the family.

Halloween cake decorating is fun for all ages. Halloween is all about haunted houses, carved pumpkins, and edible eyeballs. The spirit to honor the dead and trying to make sense of life after death has found its way into the Halloween spirit.

The American film makers have helped the haunted spirit and spooky figures of the Halloween a lot. Bats, black cats, ghosts, spiders, crows, witches and ghouls, everything that is spooky can be an ides that find its way into the Halloween cake decorating.

Vampires, aliens, zombies, mummies, werewolves, demons and mystical monsters these are some of the popular Halloween characters. But the symbolism in the modern times is inspired by the classic American films. They deal with fictitious characters such as Frankenstein’s monster, Dracula, the Mummy and the Wolf man.

When you are baking a cake for Halloween party you can be very creative. You can make the haunted house. If you are throwing a kiddy party then you can bake a chocolate cake. Cover the cake with black icing. You can pipe in white icing to make a spider web. If you can manage a big spider on the top, try or you can go in for artificial spider to complete the picture. The kids will live it.

Halloween cake decorating is fun if you are making a cake for elder children. You can be as graphic as you want. You can use different molds to bake the cake and make them look like human body parts. Use red, orange and black colors to decorate your cake. You can use readymade Halloween figures that are available in the market. Green monsters, spooky looking aliens can also make your Halloween cake decorating all the more spooky.

There are many superstitions in connection with Halloween. Bats and black cats are a major part of superstitions. One of the superstitions is if a bat comes in the house on the Halloween day that means that it is a sign. It is a sign of spirits and ghosts are near your house or they are already in your house and they let the bat come into the house.

If you spot a spider on Halloween it means a dead loved one is watching you.

All these superstitions will help you to Halloween cake decorating. You can cut a flat cake into a bat shape. Use black icing use red color for the eyes and paint white teeth. Put those on the cake.

Halloween cake decorating can be fun to do. There are lots of things particular to Halloween such as the carved pumpkin, lanterns and the popular ghost stories. You can pick up any idea. Bake the cake, at times two or three different cakes using different molds. And you can create the entire spirit of Halloween on the cake. Make use of readymade Halloween figures that you get in the market or just be creative and make some figures yourself. It does not matter they do not look perfect. All the aliens that we see in the cinema or read about in the books are never good looking. The messier the look the better, so just go for it.

There are numerous occasions comes in your lifetime to celebrate but, birthday has its own importance. As it comes once in a year it gives you an opportunity to invite your friends and relatives. But, in a birthday party the most important thing, other then the birthday person, are birthday cakes.

People purchase a lot of gifts for the celebrant but thrill that one can feel when he/she blows the candles is something special in itself. But when, you take the pictures of cake cutting or birthday boy/girl having it, in such events cake remains the centre of attraction. That is the reason there are so many pastry shops in the market.

But, before selecting any cake you must know the choice of the celebrant. Then, you can go accordingly for chocolate cake, strawberry cake, black forest cake, etc. If you want something different then you can try cakes that are adorned with silver or golden foils that give them a different look altogether.

If you want to give a bigger surprise to your loved ones, then you can select a suitable recipe and bake the cake yourself. It is not so difficult to bake cakes whereas it provides you an extra satisfaction. You can also decorate it with different types of sweets and confetti.

These cakes are available in different sizes also. You can go for a small one or for a huge one, as per your guest list. You can also select the different shapes of the cakes that suits the age and style of the celebrant. Like, if you are celebrating your kids’ birthday then you can take cake in the shape of any cartoon character.

You can also check the flavours, shape and sizes online, as there are several pastry shops offers you cake through their websites. Through, online you can conveniently order the cake as per your requirement.

Birthday cakes are available in different sizes, shapes and colours. So, you can easily select the cakes as per your need.

Easy cake decorating tips are not too hard to find. When it comes to cake decoration, many find it a very difficult task indeed. To bake a cake is easier than to decorate it. If you are trying to bake a cake for your kid’s birthday or you want to show off your new home to your friends and you have invited them for tea and you want to impress them further by your culinary expertise what better thing to do than serve delightfully decorated cake with tea?

When it comes to the cake decorating part the problem starts. If you are not very good with drawing then your problem is becomes all the more difficult. So what do you do in this situation? Well, here are few tricks of the trade.

It is easy to decorate a cake which has a flat surface. So make sure that the cake you bake, has a flat surface. In order to do that what you could do is after putting in the batter for the cake in the pan you should rap the pan on the counter for a few times. This will ensure that the air bubbles trapped in the batter are removed.

This will help to have a flat topped cake. But this is not enough. You have to make sure that the cake pan gets even heat. You could help your cake by rapping a wet and thick piece of a towel around it and join the ends together by a pin. As the oven starts heating the moist heat from the wet towel will help your cake to rise and bake the cake evenly. Once you achieve the flat top cake decorating it becomes all the more easy.

Now you can get icing kits in the market. You get different tips for the icing. So all you have to do is to follow the instructions on the pack of ready made icing pack and decorate your cake.

If you can make this into a family activity, your children will help you decorate the cake. This will help them feel great about themselves and even if the decoration is not perfect it will not matter!

Another attractive thing is the color combination of the cake. If you make a chocolate cake, decorate it with white color icing. Arrange some multicolored candies in any which way you want. Make arrows or just sprinkle them and you will be the greatest mummy in the world.

If you want to decorate cup cakes just a drop of mixed fruit jam will do the trick. Or you can place a slice of any fruit on the top. Here again if you pay attention to the color combination then you will have a winner on your hand.

You can go in the shop and look for some edible flowers and different things that are available in the market. Once you have that you can recreate many different designs by using those things. There are some books available in the market which tells you how to make those things step by step. Just follow the instructions and you can come up with some very fine looking cake decorations all by yourself.