Chocolate Cake with white chocolate frosting and marbled top

Can I get a yum yum? I've wanted to make this cake for so long and I finally had an excuse for it! Just in case it came out horrific I made a small 6 inch cake. This cake was for Santina's birthday so it was extra special. I started out with the small 6 inch pan of cake, let it cool and cut it into 3 layers. I then make the white chocolate frosting which was so good! I'm not a fan of white chocolate but today it made me a believer.

 I added fresh strawberries to each layer

mmmm.....

 I didn't really document the next few steps because A.it was too messy and B.I just simply forgot to take pics.

 The top was the most fun to do. I melted separately white, milk and dark chocolate with cream, dolloped it randomly on the top of the cake and swirled it with the rounded end of a metal skewer to give it the marbled look. Then I finished off the sides with almond slices which stuck easily to the dripping chocolates.

 And finally I made my personal message with chocolate dipped strawberries.

 Happy Birthday Santina! (PS I'm not offended that you left your cake at the office most of the weekend. The liqueur flavor you tasted was probably the strawberries fermenting...yum)

Caldwell, ID

Caldwell outreach. September 10th, 2011. Upon arrival after a 6 hour van ride we dropped off our luggage at the hotel. Some of us had time to shower. Others were not so lucky. Pastor Perez took us to a restaurant in the backside of a Mexican grocery store. It had sticky floors and false walls made out of 24 packs of beer. Each table was center-pieced with an ashtray of cumin, bay leafs and oregano, but it looked like weed to me. Santina and I split a giant...something. The name of it escapes me, after which she insisted on taking a picture in front of the "Bimbo" sign. Believe it or not she's single. That's right guys, and as you can see she's loaded with cash. But don't let this photograph fool you...she is no Bimbo and she's very frugal. She also has many other facial expressions so prepare to be amazed. So if you look like Mr. Clean or the Brawny paper towel guy shoot me and e-mail or comment below and I'll see what I can do for you. (Australian accents are a plus!)

Concert in the park

The innards of the church

Nachos and fruit punch.

I went on a walk Saturday morning and found these awesome flowers in a field by the hotel. It didn't look like anyone really owned the property so I helped myself. When I got back to my room I rinsed out the empty hotel shampoo and conditioner bottles, refilled them will fresh water and made my little home away from home. Martha would be proud.

Sappo Verde

Pho Van for my birthday! We had some sweet eatings...some kind of 7 types of beef for 2 people (plus buffalo wings). However I was bummed that we were there too late to get dessert. I was going to get a Ginger Creme Brulee but the lady was like "we ah close!" and I was like "shoot lady, is my burfday!" and she was like "the cooks awedy clean up the kichin!" and I was like "ugh...." so Jose took me to get some bubble tea at Karma Cafe which doesn't exactly rank on the same level as ginger creme brulee, but it sufficed.

Purple Flowers Green Ribbon

A few months back I took a Wilton cake decorating class at my local Michael's craft store. They offer 3 different classes, so naturally I signed up for the first class (because I had no previous skill). I learned how to make icing, how to ice the cake, some different frosting tips. That class wasn't so exciting...but the second class was on gum paste and fondant. YEAH BABY! I had so much friggin' fun I started buying gum paste by the 55 gallon drum! Okay not really. It's more like I was buying it by the 16 ounce bag...but whatever. I'll take a hyperbolism over literalness any day of the week. By the way why do we say "any day of the week"? Why not "any month of the year" or "any year of the decade" or "any second of the minute"?

Here's the second cake Emma and I created. She did all the baking this time.

I made tons of the flowers. Again there were not really "tons" of flowers, I imagine I would then have to purchase gum paste in 55 gallon drums if that were the case.

We are still trying to figure out how to put ribbon on frosting without moisture seeping through and darkening the ribbon. We've tried a couple ways. If anyone has any suggestions, by all means share them with us as we are desperately desperate to know the ways of master bakers and decorators!

We are so proud of our baby! Isn't she gorgeous? I can't believe how cheap we did it for. But it is good practice. It's kinda like when my husband was out of work and someone let him work at their mechanic shop for an ridiculously small amount of money per week on the basis that he would be learning auto mechanics for free. The only way I could sanely get through him working for dirt wages was by calling it his "internship".  Sheesh. I guess that's how I'm coping with this. We'll call it our internship. Our profits were exactly: Nothing. Oh well. It's beautiful though isn't it?