This little cake is for the birthday girl. Not a typical birthday cake for a child, but it involves all her favorite things: Chocolate with chocolate and more chocolate. I added the rabble of butterflies to give it a slightly girly feel.
My original plan was to make something involving lots of marzipan but I realized that was the cake I wanted to eat. My daughter however, doesn't give a fig for marzipan (yet). She is a fan of all things chocolate; ever since she discovered a bag of Hershey kisses at 8 months old, and then coated herself (and my ivory couch) with them.
So this is a four layer, high ratio chocolate cake, for which I will share the recipe at a later date since I have guests arriving in a couple hours. It is layered with whipped soft chocolate ganache and surrounded by a dark chocolate collar. The top has been stenciled with a little cocoa.
This was my first attempt at chocolate butterflies and they are so easy! I just printed out some photos of butterflies and slipped them under a sheet of parchment paper. I could still see the outlines of the butterflies and then I began to pipe dark chocolate over the outlines. With a few I piped the wings without a body to connect them, so I could manipulate the position of the wings on the cake. I placed my sheet of butterflies into the freezer to cool for about 10 minutes and then pulled them out and stuck them to my cake with a little more melted dark chocolate. That is it!
Now this cake is for eating! Hopefully I'll remember to get a photo of it sliced before the kiddo dives in.
Great cake and great blog! You've got yourself a fan.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Paula
Oh this is TOO cute!!! My little girl would love this as her birthday cake (she's 5 years old today : ) GREAT job! : )
ReplyDeleteGreat cake! the details with the butterflies are amazing!
ReplyDeleteYour creations are always so amazing! I love your blog! :)
ReplyDeleteTheresa
I want that cake for MY birthday!
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome cake! You have a true gift and eye for what you do! Love your work and your blog!
ReplyDeleteDear Not So Humble Pie
ReplyDeleteBy now you have to know how much we all adore you;however, this cake has really take the admiration over the top. I am turning 30 on Friday and I would love to prepare this cake for my party (yes I am cooking/hosting) but as my hubby is working until late the the eve, I wanted to take the stress off his shoulders and put them on mine. At least I can drink right? Anyhow, this is simply put beautiful! I would like to know if there could be caramel butterflies or sugar ones....I have never used sugar or caramel, but they would look beautiful also..
thanks in advance
insatiablehost
Ovo je zaista nesto posebno vi ste pravi umetnik!
ReplyDeleteThis is so cool!!!!
ReplyDeleteThis cake is SPECTACULAR! So elegant and beautiful. I'll bet it's delicious, too. The description made my mouth water.
ReplyDeletehttp://reneetbouchard.blogspot.com
this is so adorable!!!!
ReplyDeleteThe Insatiable Host,
ReplyDeleteDoing this with sugar or caramel:
Well, you can use this same technique (piping onto parchment paper) with royal icing and let them dry overnight to create sugar butterflies. I was planning on doing that this spring with tinted icing, thinking they would be very pretty.
Caramels and molten candy sugar would either be too soft or set up too quickly to do these en masse. You could technically do something similar with molten hard candy syrup. However, as someone who tends to burn themselves doing spun sugar, I'm thinking that's just a little too dangerous.
Would it be possible with fondant? Could fondant be tinted, cut out with a butterfly cookie cutter (plus some tiny bits taken out with teeny tiny cutters, some that are used to create tiny vegie decorations, I have some only because I spent some time buying all sorts of cookie cutters, including those that make interesting holes).
ReplyDeleteThen after being cut out, put into a wedge shape (placed on parchment paper that is lifted on each edge by something) and then dried.
Of course royal icing butterflies can be piped on parchment paper that is not flat. Maybe even molten sugar ones, but be sure to have a bowl of ice water nearby! That stuff is hot!
What about white chocolate? That could be interesting if put in a piping bag. This evening we went to Metropolitan Market and noticed a display right by the front door of nice melting chocolate, some of it white. It was to sell the chocolate fondue kits, but it could work for something like this. You can tint white chocolate if you use a gel food color.
Yes, you could cut them out of fondant, or marzipan too. You could also craft them from gum paste.
ReplyDeleteI've piped with white chocolate in the same way. Though gel color is water based, so you have to mix in an emulsifier to keep it from making the chocolate angry.
Royal icing butterflies can be done on flat parchment, you just do the wings separately and then assemble them later with more royal icing.
My goodness... when I'm hungry, I read your blog. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a stylish cake!
ReplyDeleteMy birthday is in October *wink*. :)
ReplyDeleteLucky little girl ~ to have a mother that makes such a beautiful cake.
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful cake and so elegant with the butterflies.
ReplyDeleteNot only do i love your food, I also love the photography. :) I am the forgetful type and never return to the same blog twice - but i have been back here 4 times already in the last week!! :D Nice cakes!!
ReplyDeletehi ms. humble...i found you thru foodgawker...this birthday cake is elegant & extraordinary. i have bookmarked your site (& randomly perused older posts...you are very talented!) & hope that you share this chocolate cake recipe shortly.
ReplyDeletehappy new year!!!
This is so beautiful. A work of art as much as a delicious dessert. I've tried piping chocolate once or twice and have had a lot of fun, but it always seems to veer off the path I want it to go. You clearly had no such problem though! Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteit looks very preety!! nice idea..
ReplyDeletewishing u a very happy new year :)
That butterfly cake is wonderful! I've tried piping chocolate once or twice and have had a lot of fun, but it always seems to veer off the path. I hope it goes right this time.
ReplyDeletepsp batterie
Magical cake... those butterflies look like they are really flying!!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful cake! Love the details!
ReplyDeletethis is beautiful! pastel colored white chocolate butterflies would be adorable as well :) i can't wait for the recipe, it sounds delicious! and it's so whimsical :)
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful! I'm planning to do something like this for my sister's birthday. She's the baker, but I'm making a cake for her this year. Should be fun. I was just wondering..how did you make the chocolate collar and get it to look so neat?
ReplyDeleteThe collar is dark chocolate spread onto a piece of parchment cut the same height and circumference of the cake. Once the chocolate has set up slightly but is still pliable, I wrapped it around the cake, allowed it to set completely and removed the parchment.
ReplyDeleteOkay, thank you very much!
ReplyDeleteI Want that cake! I love Butterflies.
ReplyDeleteAs for Shroedinger's Cat you could do a Cake Then Make a Giant Cat Cookie and a fake poison cup cookie.
Then all blog's followers would have to guess wether your cat is Alive or dead.
:p Ok I'm a little sadistic.
A dead cat cookie must be really a bad thing to do.
Ms. Humble,
ReplyDeleteI must admit that I found you because of your geeky science cookies, etc. but your work with cakes such as this one has captivated my interest in a completely different way. Phenomenal work and I love the write-ups. Truly a beautiful blog and so much fun to read. Thank you! :)
beautiful!
ReplyDeleteWhen is the recipe coming for this one? Ohh I'm just itching to make it! I'm making the red velvet Lamingtons this weekend, and can't wait!
ReplyDeleteI'll be making the red velvet Lamingtons over the weekend too! the recipe for the frosting just sounds so fantastic...I really would like the recipe for this little slice of heavenly chocolate though. It looks and sounds wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI've been waiting and sighing, sighing and waiting.... can we have the recipe now please? :D
ReplyDeleteThis cake is sooo pretty!!! I love all your food and the photography is awesome!!!When is the recipe for this coming out? I would love to try it!!! The lamingtons look gorgeous AND delicious btw. In fact everything on your blog does.
ReplyDeleteI was so inspired I made my own. It's not a patch on yours, but it impressed my friends! Thank you for the inspiration.
ReplyDeletehttp://madebybronwyn.blogspot.com/2010/03/another-butterfly-cake-for-thomas.html
beautiful....elegant..........just when I think I've given up on cake decoration I find new inspiration...thank you
ReplyDelete