My Chocolate Fantasy

When people are trying to figure out what kind of a wedding cake that they want at their wedding reception, they sometimes do some research on what their favorite celebrities have had at their weddings. There are a lot of different options available out there for wedding cakes, and even if your favorite celebrity’s cake costs forty thousand dollars to make, this doesn’t mean that an experienced wedding cake maker can’t make a cheaper copy of it for you. Some of the most popular wedding cakes out there are pretty elaborate and expensive, but don’t get discouraged by these facts; there are many great caterers out there who will be able to design a great cake for your wedding.
Donald Trump and Melania Knauss had an impressive five foot high, fifty pound, seven tiered orange and white wedding cake that had three thousand white icing roses on it. Obviously, not many people will want to be quite as elaborate as that with their wedding cake! Donald Trump was probably expected to go all out with everything in his wedding, and he has enough money to cover any costs, including his wedding cake. If you like the sound of his wedding cake though, you could probably scale it down to a regular size, and still be able to afford it.
Hip hop artists Kalis and Nas had a five tiered wedding cake that was covered in sugar roses and gilded in twenty four karat gold! There aren’t too many people out there who would want to spend that kind of money on their wedding cake, or even on their whole wedding for that matter.
Celebs Toni Braxton and Keri Lewis’ wedding cake was a popular one. They had a four tier cake that was designed to look like four Tiffany’s boxes, all painted robin’s egg blue. The store must have appreciated the celebrity endorsement.
The now split up couple, Denise Richards and Charlie Sheen had a multi flavored wedding cake that was quite popular. The cake had three layers: chocolate fudge, banana cream and white satin. This must have been appreciated by their wedding guests, because most people like at least one of those flavors. This kind of wedding cake would probably be the cheapest celebrity cake to replicate, and it would be very popular among your guests.
Leanne Rimes and Dean Sheremat’s wedding cake was a five foot, multi tiered, white chocolate and strawberry cake that was decorated with over thirty five dozen roses. This cake was a very popular and much talked about cake, and would again, not be too hard to make, as long as you cut down on the size and the amount of the roses used!
When Carmen Electra and Dave Navarro got married, they had a four tiered wedding cake that was layered with Oreo cheesecake, chocolate cake, and strawberry shortcake. It was decorated with the same crystals that Carmen had on her wedding dress.
Any of these cakes can be the inspiration for your wedding cake, as long as you don’t mind compromising on a few things to make it more affordable. However, if you can afford it, go all out and spend the money to have one if these popular wedding cakes.

All birthday cakes are unique, and can be made to your specifications and delivered to you anywhere in the UK. On our website, you can see a selection of birthday cake designs. We can create any birthday cake you desire and deliver it to any UK address.

Let your imagination run wild when you plan your birthday cake, because just about anything is possible. Your birthday cake can be filled with any type of filling you choose. Chocolate sponge cakes with fruits are very popular for birthdays; we bake delicious moist chocolate cakes that will leave your guests delighted.

Choose a chocolate birthday cake, or a fruit birthday cake, or a sponge birthday cake . . . or any other filling you like. We will make your perfect birthday cake using your chosen design in any size you like. You can have a one tier birthday cake in a round, square or any other shape. Just choose a cake in whatever size you need to cater for your number of guests. Alternatively, you can have a tiered birthday cake and it is the same story again with the design – you can have anything you desire.

Please browse our filling page for ideas. If there is anything special that you would like us to bake that isn’t shown on our site, please let us know and the chef will be delighted to prepare it for you.

If you have a special birthday cake to discuss, please feel free to phone one of our staff to discuss your birthday cake design. When designing an individual birthday cake, please give us reasonable time to complete your order. A birthday cake design chosen from the website will need a minimum of 24hrs to produce for you. Alternatively, all our UK shops have birthday cakes available for collection on the day, and all of these birthday cakes are made fresh daily.

Please drop in to any of our branches and choose the birthday cake that is most suitable for you. We can make small adjustments to the cake on the spot if you require. Otherwise, if your birthday cake order has to meet a certain specification at short notice, or for the same day, please call us and the chef will do everything possible to fulfil your requirements.

If you have any questions or queries about your birthday cake, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

A form of food made from flour and baked at very high temperatures to tickle your taste buds-that’s the cake for you. Ever wondered what birthdays would be like without the ceremonial cake cutting? Cakes may be prepared in different flavors thereby adding to the diverse variety of cakes available in the market today. From the baker`s to your home the delectable cake has made its way into your hearts. Gone are the days when cakes used to be strictly made at the baker`s. Today there are several recipes available and trying to bake one at home would be a delightful experience.Milk cake, sponge cake, chocolate cake, chocolate sponge cake, banana cake, pineapple cake are the few varieties which taste as good when they are home made. The exotic ones like black forest, truffle and other sumptuous variety often require professional skills. The cake once removed from the oven is allowed to cool and is topped with icing. Sometimes the topping may be done with cherries, sugar balls and wafers. Pastries are often richer with layers of sugar whipped cream.Cakes take centre stage in almost all events. The influx of western culture has enhanced its prominence in India. Be it a betrothal ceremony, wedding, birthdays or get together-cakes add a special touch of warmth to the celebrations. Cakes also make excellent desserts at a luncheon or a brunch party.Preparing time is lesser and the moments to relish them- well almost priceless. Not only do cakes make excellent gifts for special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries, the whole idea of getting hold of the recipe to bake one at home for family to relish can be an exhilarating feat.Today there are several outlets that are well known for well made cakes and pastries. Exclusive outlets for baked food especially yummy cakes rule the roost. With the ever growing fad among people to shop online, gifting cakes, flowers and other gift items by availing the online facilities is very in. These online marts not only help you choose from an assortment of goodies but also take the responsibility of delivering the same to the recipient.Cakes can also be gifted to business associates and colleagues on occasions mentioned above and also to acknowledge accomplishment. Cakes for celebrations, birthday cakes, anniversary cakes and dessert cakes .There are cakes to suit almost every occasion. Corporate birthday cakes are generally custom made.There is nothing quite like a cake to make you feel special on your birthday or anniversary. You may avail the benefit of shopping online and send cakes to India, for a special someone. You may have family living abroad and with these online marts it’s a lot easier to send cakes abroad either for friends or family.So the next time you wish to gift a birthday cake or anniversary cake, make sure to take a pleasure ride into an e-mart for an unexplainable and truly delightful experience.

Nothing puts a smile on a childs face like viewing their birthday cake for the first time. And lets face it, few things out there are as satisfying for us mothers either.

Decorating a special cake for your child can be so much fun. For our girls, whimsical themes and gelati colours are in order, and for our boys, bright, bold and colorful is all it takes to make a little man smile. 

But what icing is best for the type of cake you want to create? 

I categorize icing into 5 main types, and each one has its place in the cool cakes for kids arena. Understanding the types if icing will help you successfully plan your groovy cake design and save you a lot of heartbreak. 

#1: Buttercream 

Buttercream icing is a combination of softened butter, fine sugar and some sort of liquid flavor and coloring. It is essential to use a fine sugar when making buttercream icing as it melts very easily and importantly, contains small amounts of cornstarch which helps to stabalize the icing…This also explains why it doesn’t taste so good in coffee! 

Buttercream icing is so easy to work with as it’s smooth consistency makes it so suitable for use with piping bags. It is the perfect icing for little cupcakes as you can get it through the piping bag tips with only one hand, allowing you to hold and manoeuvre the cupcake with the other. 

#2: Ganache 

Ganache is a fancy French term that simply means chocolate melted with heavy cream. When warm you can pour it over the cake for a gorgeous shiny glaze, just watch your chocolate loving child’s eyes pop from their little faces as they peer over the counter top as you do this, its so cute. Ganache is so versatile, you can use it as a chocolate sauce for a pudding, dip strawberries in it, or just lick it off the spoon. You can make ganache into a frosting if you chill for a bit then beat it till fluffy, perfect for layer cakes. 

Best of all though, make sure that you pop a tiny bit of the ganache into the fridge for later. Once it has chilled you can scoop out little spoonfuls, roll into balls and dip into melted chocolate for yummy after party truffles just for you. 

#3: Glaze 

Glaze is the simplest of icings. It is simply some fine sugar, melted over boiling water with a little bit of liquid flavour, usually fruit such as a squeeze of lemon or scoop of passion fruit. It forms a very thin liquid consistency and is simply drizzled over the cake to form a hard crust when it cools.  i love the way it cracks when you bite into it, yum. 

#4: Royal Icing 

Royal icing is one of the most commonly used icings in cake decorating, it contains powdered sugar, egg whites and liquid. Its consistency should be similar to pancake batter and needs to flow easily in order to work it through a piping bag. You need to be quite confidant with your icing skills when using royal icing though as it sets very quickly. 

#5: Fondant Icing 

When it comes to really groovy cake designs fondant icing is my personal favourite due to its amazing versatility. You can make some seriously cool cakes with this as once made it is rolled out like pastry allowing you to cover cakes of all shapes and sizes. You can cut out shapes with cookie cutters, you can dye or even paint it with liquid food coloring, and as such the possibilities are endless. Fondant icing can be tricky though, sometimes having the tendency to sweat, so working at the right temperature is really important. 

Now that you understand these 5 simple icing categories go and plan your groovy cake that will put a smile on your child’s face, and the Best Mum on the Planet award on your forehead. Enjoy!

 

When most people think of Christmas, there are certain smells and tastes that immediately come to mind. A kitchen that tantalises the senses is a place that invites family to gather and to linger. Create that kind of kitchen this Christmas with these easy Christmas cakes recipes. Most of the cake ingredients are easy to find; you may already have them in your kitchen cupboards. 1. Holiday Fruitcake – This is a traditional Christmas cake that uses dried fruit, glace cherries, citrus peels, nuts such as pecans or walnuts, sugar, butter, milk, allspice, baking soda, flour, and eggs. 2. Apple and Carrot Pudding – A lower fat Christmas pudding, this recipe is still bursting with flavour. It has carrots, apples, raisins, breadcrumbs, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt, sugar, butter, and eggs. 3. Cream Cheese Pound Cake – This is great to serve with ice cream or fresh fruit but is tasty enough by itself. It has simple cake ingredients including butter, sugar, cream cheese, eggs, flour, and baking powder. 4. Pumpkin Bread Pudding – Give a new twist to pumpkin pie with this great recipe that uses eggs, milk, sugar, pureed pumpkin, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, bread cubes, chocolate chips, and brown sugar. 5. Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake – Especially for the chocolate lovers, this recipe calls for chocolate cake mix, instant pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, oil, water, baking chocolate, whipped cream, and nuts such as almonds. 6. Steamed Christmas Pudding – This unique recipe can use any filling from mincemeat to fruit. It needs self-rising flour, sugar, cinnamon, eggs, butter, sour cream, cream cheese, confectioner’s sugar, and your choice of filling. 7. Frozen Mocha Torte – As a frozen cake, this is a great recipe to make ahead of time. You’ll need chocolate wafer crumbs, sugar, butter, cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, chocolate syrup, instant coffee granules, hot water, and heavy whipping cream. 8. Plum Pudding – A delightful combination of brown sugar, butter, milk, flour, dates, raisins, currants, and candied fruit peel, this steamed pudding is great with custard, whipped cream, or ice cream. 9. Popcorn Cake – This is a favourite among kids and people of all ages. The simple cake ingredients are butter, marshmallows, popped popcorn, gumdrops, chocolate covered peanuts, and candy-coated milk chocolate pieces. 10. Crème Brulee – This classy Christmas recipe only needs eggs, white sugar, brown sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Impress your guests and keep your family hanging around the kitchen with these classic Christmas pudding and cake recipes. Using simple ingredients start your own traditions that can be passed down from generation to generation as your family feasts on these delightfully tasty treats.

The Christmas, carrot, chocolate and wacky cakes are all-time favorites. The texture, appearance and flavor of these cakes are all to crave for.
Cakes are one of the favorite desserts of people of all ages. It is always present in various kinds of gatherings. Some cakes are traditionally eaten in special occasions such as at Christmas Eve. Others can be eaten with different toppings and are available in a variety of forms.
Some delicious gourmet cakes:
The Carrot Cake
Carrot is the main ingredient of a carrot cake and consists of large amounts of sugar like sugar beets. It was used during the medieval age as sweet ingredient in sweet cake. The carrot cake is a sweet gourmet cake prepared through the mixture of grated carrot and butter. The process of cooking results to soft carrot and the cake has dense and soft texture. The carrots themselves improve and add to the appearance, texture, and flavor of the cake.
You could add ingredients to your carrot cake to make it more personal, depending on your taste buds. You could sprinkle it with raisins, nuts, coconut or pineapple.
The serving of carrot cake may be either plain, with glazed or topped with white icing. It can also be served topped with cream cheese icing and chopped walnuts.
A carrot cake with cream cheese icing is listed as number five on the top five fad foods of the 1970s according to the American-based Food Network in 2005. And carrot cakes are available in different forms such as sheet cake, cupcake, and loaf form. They are popular in the United States and in the United Kingdom.
The Christmas cake
Christmas cake is actually a fruit cake popular in Ireland, Japan, Philippines, United Kingdom, and other countries under the commonwealth. People in these countries normally give out fruit cakes as presents during the holiday season.
Christmas cake has several types. There are spongy to heavy, crumbly-moist to sticky-wet, light to dark and spongy to heavy. Some are leavened or unleavened, square or oblong, round shape, fairy cakes, dusting with icing sugar and more.
The Scottish Christmas cake is called Whisky Dundee and is a most loved traditional Christmas cake. It is made with Scotch whisky and feels crumbly and light on the palate. It has candied peesl and light fruits such as sultanas, cherries, currents and raisins. This cake is loved by those who are not fond of moist and very rich textured cakes.
Another Christmas cake is the apple crème Christmas cake. It particularly consists of rich mix of finely sliced apples. It is usually mixed with raisins and other fruit. It also has cream cheese, heavy whipping cream, and eggs.
Christmas cake in certain occasion is even added with coins as touch pieces for good luck. The coins may be 3d piece, silver, or six pences wrapped in grease proof paper packages.
The Wacky Cake
It was believed that Beatrice Fe O’Hearn was the inventor of the wacky cake recipe. The recipe was passed down to generations among her family and friends. The cake has been a favorite delicacy in many rural areas of the United States since in the late 1930s.
The wacky cake has spongy texture and cocoa based. This cake is unique in a sense that it does not contain eggs and milk unlike the other common cake and pastries. It has active ingredients such as cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, sugar, vanilla extract, vegetable oil, and white vinegar. You can also add brewed coffee. And wacky cake may be served plain or with toppings like confectioner’s sugar and icing.
A basic wacky cake recipe has cocoa, flour, baking soda, sugar, salt, vanilla, vegetable oil, vinegar and water.
The Chocolate Cake
Chocolate cakes are absolutely one of the all time favorites. There is a big selection of chocolate cakes, with varying ingredients. An important element in a chocolate cake is the intensity of chocolate, especially in devil’s food cake.
In the United States, the most common type of chocolate cake is the butter cake. The European chocolate Génoise Cake has a spongy texture with minimal amounts of fat. Other types include the flowerless chocolate cake and red velvet cake.
And the common butter cake recipe has ingredients of cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, flour, milk, sugar, salt, eggs, butter or oil, and water. Other additional ingredients are fruit juices, sour cream, syrups and melted chocolate for devil’s food cake.
Ingredients such as liqueurs, vanilla extracts, or liquid flavor i.e. coffee are used by many bakers to enhance and bring out different properties in the chocolate flavor. Also, numerous professional chefs and bakers have experimented unique flavors to chocolate cakes. Some examples of chocolate cakes with flavor combinations include Black Forest gateau, Bûche de Noël, and German Chocolate Cake.

Chocolate – the drink of the Gods, has forever been man’s sinful indulgence. Chocolate comes in many shapes and sizes, and it’s used for many recipes, but none surpasses the chocolate cake – first place in popularity.A chocolate cake can be made from any type of chocolate. It can be made from plain, dark chocolate or “bitter” chocolate that contains little or no added sugar. Cakes can be made from white chocolate, which tastes sweet and is very rich and smooth, almost with a melt-in-your-mouth quality. Cakes made with organic chocolate win hands down for they contain a very high percentage of cocoa solids. However, this type of chocolate is very expensive.Innovation is the buzzword in chocolate circles now and along with chocolate you will find varied other ingredients added to the cake to woo your taste buds. There is the chocolate and orange angel cake, the tangy cinnamon cake, the hot spicy chocolate ginger crunch cake made with ginger syrup and chocolate cake topped with a mildly tempering Banana Sauce to name a few. In fact, it seems that almost everything that is palatable in the kitchen can be used as a flavoring in chocolate cakes. Hazelnut is great in chocolate cake and is beetroot (used in chocolate layer cakes), redcurrant torte chocolate cake is fabulous and baked chocoate and rasin cheese cake.Chocolate cakes come with vast array of toppings and decorations. Since chocolate cake by nature has a rich taste, the toppings are deliberately kept light. You can have dates, almonds, honey toppings, fruit sauces or you can have decorations made with chocolate. You can peel off chocolate curls, scoop off chocolate balls or create designs with contrasting colored melted chocolate. When it comes to decorating with chocolate, the “Covertures” type chocolate with a glossy finish is the choice of many. There are plenty of options when it comes to decorating with chocolate. Anything made with chocolate is sinfully delicious.Chocolate birthday cake is one of the most favorite birthday cakes.

You can have your guests wondering who your baker is!  If you want to impress your guests at your next dinner party, bring out this wonderful Alaskan Molton Chocolate Cakes for dessert!  This recipe makes 16 little cakes so it is perfect for a crowd or dinner party.  Your guests will be impressed!

ALASKAN MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKES

2 tbsp butter, melted2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa3/4 cup butter, cut into pieces3 (4-oz each) premium semisweet chocolate baking bars, broken into chunks*1/2 cup whipping cream1 1/4 cups egg substitute**3/4 cup sugar2/3 cup all-purpose flourpowdered sugar for dusting

Brush 16 muffin cups with the 2 tablespoons of melted butter; sprinkle evenly with the unsweetened cocoa, shaking out the excess. Set into the refrigerator.

In a large heavy saucepan, place the cut-up butter and the chocolate chunks. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until all melted. Slowly whisk in the cream using a wire whisk; set aside.

Combine the egg substitute and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for 5 to 7 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add the chocolate cream and the flour, beating until well blended. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups filling each to about 1/4-inch from the top. Cover and return to the refrigerator for at least one hour (okay to do up to 24-hours).

Remove from refrigerator and bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 10 to 11 minutes or just until the edges of the cakes spring back when lightly touched but the centers are still soft. Remove from oven and let stand 3 minutes . Loosen cake edges with a thin knife and invert cakes onto a baking sheet. Transfer cakes to dessert plates. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve immediately.

*Do NOT substitute chocolate baking chips!!**Do NOT use regular eggs as they will not cook thoroughly!!

Enjoy!