Your Daily Sweets (2005-2012)

[jumanggy]

Tri2cook: Great use of sliceable curd!

You know, the steamed rice cakes you made reminded me of a Filipino snack called "Puto" (I know, it sounds awful). They are just subtly sweet and go with anything.

[Lior]

Oish!!! TRi2cook!! It looks so incredibly delicious! My kind of texture and flavor I wish I could gobble it all up! Yummy!!!

[gfron1]

This is my birthday cake to myself. The base is a burnt cinnamon dacquoise with a hint of madras curry. Two layers of chocolate genoise brushed with rum syrup. Surrounded with mango mousse - italian meringue style. Coated it milk chocolate mirror glaze and decorated with 64% Cacao Barry spheres, domes and funky stuff.

My analysis - technically, this is the best dessert I've ever made. The dacquoise and cake layers were perfect. The mousse was the best best I've ever made as was the glaze. The mousse and glaze had gelatin, and I often will have too much, but these were both perfect, meaning, they held up but you wouldn't know there was gelatin in there. I need to get better at pouring my glazes so I get smoother sides, and I need to figure a way to seal my sphere seams better.

And for those who care about such things, I used the upside down frozen cake technique that the US pastry team did when they created the orange exotic cake. Works like a charm every time.

[Lior]

Whose bday is it-I am confused! Well happy birthday to you as well!!!! Your cake looks just amazing!! And the curry! You just had to do that to me!! I am sure no one would agree to make a cake for you- it would be a very scary experience... But they apparently are happy to contribute ingredients- eggs and such!!

How lovely that you so enjoy life- may you be blessed with a long, healthy and happy one!

[alanamoana]

rob, what a great birthday present to yourself. your new chocolate skills are showing and the cake looks professional. i think the only way to get glaze smooth on the sides is to have a ton on hand and pour A LOT over the cake so that enough can stick to the sides. also, temperature is key so that it doesn't soften the mousse beneath it and drag it down the sides. i think the sides are always a little hard, that's why even the competition cakes have macarons or chocolate plaques all over the sides...decorate to hide mistakes...one of the best lessons i ever learned in culinary school!

how did you seal the spheres? when i was making easter eggs this year (my first time), i used an upside down sheet pan with a heating pad underneath...then i gently rubbed the edge of one egg over the warm sheetpan and quickly stuck it to the other half. it worked really well and the seam was barely visible.

at any rate, i just wanted to comment on how your skills are improving with every dessert you make!

[gfron1]

Thanks Alana. My super high-tech sphere merging skill...hold them above the stove burner until I saw them soften. My mistake was to soften only one side instead of both - so I put one soft onto one jagged, and should have gone softe to soft. It definitely was fun to make and to force myself to pay more attention to the decorative details - something I usually make secondary to the unique and interesting factors of my creations. I sure appreciate the compliment

[Lior]

I have squirrel molds thatI have to "stick" together. My method works very well. I use the hairdryer to heat a smallpart of my stainless steel table and then gently rub both halves on this warm spot till I see signs of melting. Then I stick them together. The hot spot stays warm for about 4 squirrels and then I give it another blow.

[jumanggy]

Whoa. Never mind the sides (as Alana says I've rarely seen them perfect, even in Lenotre): this is a flawless victory. Happy birthday to you! (and Tyler too?

(PS I am totally stealing the Exotic Orange Cake technique for next time too!)

[pastrygirl]

And for those who care about such things, I used the upside down frozen cake technique that the US pastry team did when they created the orange exotic cake.  Works like a charm every time.

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Upside down frozen cake technique!?! Sounds exciting. Do tell/link!

[Brigid Mary]

Wow. That's really gorgeous!! I have no idea what to say other than you're amazing!

[Mette]

On a slightly less classy note.....

...we've been baking cupcakes for the almost-4-year-old's birthday party - the offspring is very pleased with the result and waiting is difficult

Edited April 9, 2008 by Mette (log)

[Tri2Cook]

Awesome Rob! Nice work. It looks great but I want to hear about the flavor. Burnt cinnamon, curry, mango and chocolate sounds interesting. What was your verdict on the combination?

I love that upside down cake building technique too. I used it for the first time for the chocolate-cherry cake I posted a while back and was so happy with the results that I've been doing cakes that way since. I'm trying to come up with a way to construct a permanent pan to use for it so I don't have to build a spacer each time. There has to be a food-safe way to bond a metal or silicon disc to a springform bottom.

[gfron1]

HERE'S the link to the topic. And, HERE'S the original topic will worth bumping back to life. This technique is for those of us with abyssmal or emerging piping skills. Its near fool-proof. My learnings that have made it fool proof - make sure there are no wrinkles in your liner and pipe a not so thick mousse very generously to eliminate air pockets.

Do all of your baking in an 8" spring form. Then assemble your cake upside down in a 9" spring form (you can obvious adjust larger or smaller). Line the bottom with plastic wrap, and I also used cake collar on the sides. I then filled the bottom (soon to be the top) with a layer of mousse, added the top layer of cake, mousse, cake and so on, all the while filling the sides with mousse. Freeze that sucker hard! In the link above you'll see a cool technique of indenting the top and filling it - could have been a neat effect on this cake too, but I opted not. Then unmold your cake and coat it as desired (poured, sprayed, nothing).

T2C - These are some of my favorite flavors. I went subtle with everything except the cinnamon which had 2 heaping tablespoons in that little disc. I threw the cinnamon in the oven until it was smoking to really punch the flavor out hoping it would fight its way through the ultra creamy mouth-coating mousse. I was suprised at how many people commented on the power of the rum, which was no more than one tablespoon in the whole thing (tea totalers!). The curry was very subtle because I know from my past curry experiments (marshmallow, etc) that many in my circle don't care for it in their desserts. But, it was my cake, so I wanted some in there. I called this Raj's Express after a friend of mine from back in my Purdue days.

[AmritaBala]

why thank you david ross! that's sweet!

gfron1, awesome!!!

Mette, shes ADORABLE!

[Marmalade]

Usually just some 70% dark chocolate made and produced here in Ecuador, straight from Quevedo.

[Kim Shook]

Just beautiful stuff, everyone!

Renka - the Strawberry Mousse Cake is just lovely! It's a celebration of spring!

AmritaBala - your macarons are just gorgeous! I love the little decorations on them!

David - the Toasted Coconut Cake with the grilled pineapple really, really attracts me - one of my favorite flavor combinations!

Rob - happy birthday!!! You are just getting better and better with each new creation. I am so impressed and happy for you!

Mette - no apologizing! The cupcakes are adorable, as is your sous chef! I love that proud/greedy little smile! I really love the colors and the smoothness of your frosting! What are the little pearl-like decorations on the ones closest to the camera? Are they just dragees?

Well, here's my contribution - less along the lines of Renka and them and more along the lines of Mette ('cept I'm not FOUR !!):

It's a recipe by Warren Brown of CakeLove. From Cuisine at Home magazine. Chocolate Pound cake w/ Italian Meringue Buttercream. I was very proud of my Italian buttercream - this was my first try and it turned out beautiful. I'll be making this stuff often!

[Patrick S]

Greetings, egulleteers! I've been away for quite a while, but I check back in from time to time and I'm always impressed and inspired.

Last week I had some unscheduled time off of work and managed to spend a little time in the kitchen. One of things I made was doughnuts, using Alton Brown's recipe. They turned out great. The Homer Simpson in me was very happy.

ETA: Larger versions are available on my Flickr.

Edited April 9, 2008 by Patrick S (log)

[John DePaula]

Greetings, egulleteers! I've been away for quite a while, but I check back in from time to time and I'm always impressed and inspired.

Last week I had some unscheduled time off of work and managed to spend a little time in the kitchen. One of things I made was doughnuts, using Alton Brown's recipe. They turned out great. The Homer Simpson in me was very happy.

ETA: Larger versions are available on my Flickr.

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Delicious-looking and beautifully photographed, as usual, Patrick.

[John DePaula]

On a slightly less classy note.....

...we've been baking cupcakes for the almost-4-year-old's birthday party - the offspring is very pleased with the result and waiting is difficult 

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Wow, what a cute picture, Mette! The kids are precious and the cupcakes so bright and colorful.

[dystopiandreamgirl]

ginger cheesecake with a chocolate crust and chocolate bamboo leaves

[AmritaBala]

Greetings, egulleteers! I've been away for quite a while, but I check back in from time to time and I'm always impressed and inspired.

Last week I had some unscheduled time off of work and managed to spend a little time in the kitchen. One of things I made was doughnuts, using Alton Brown's recipe. They turned out great. The Homer Simpson in me was very happy.

ETA: Larger versions are available on my Flickr.

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Delicious-looking and beautifully photographed, as usual, Patrick.

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Ah, those donuts look stunning! Nothing homer-esque about them, LOL! =op

[AmritaBala]

Just beautiful stuff, everyone! 

Renka - the Strawberry Mousse Cake is just lovely!  It's a celebration of spring!

AmritaBala - your macarons are just gorgeous!  I love the little decorations on them!

David - the Toasted Coconut Cake with the grilled pineapple really, really attracts me - one of my favorite flavor combinations!

Rob - happy birthday!!!  You are just getting better and better with each new creation.  I am so impressed and happy for you!

Mette - no apologizing!  The cupcakes are adorable, as is your sous chef!  I love that proud/greedy little smile!  I really love the colors and the smoothness of your frosting!  What are the little pearl-like decorations on the ones closest to the camera?  Are they just dragees?

Well, here's my contribution - less along the lines of Renka and them and more along the lines of Mette ('cept I'm not FOUR !!):

It's a recipe by Warren Brown of CakeLove.  From Cuisine at Home magazine.  Chocolate Pound cake w/ Italian Meringue Buttercream.  I was very proud of my Italian buttercream - this was my first try and it turned out beautiful.  I'll be making this stuff often!

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That cake looks so rich and delicious! Good job on the italian meringue buttercream! It looks silky smooth.

[judiu]

ginger cheesecake with a chocolate crust and chocolate bamboo leaves

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WOW! Just...wow.

[AmritaBala]

Taking a break from all the fancy schmancy entremets I usually make =o)

Old fashioned Banana Pecan Cake

[oli]

Taking a break  from all the fancy schmancy entremets I usually make =o)

Old fashioned Banana Pecan Cake

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It still looks fancy schmancy. Its still shows.