Monday, June 13, 2011

Scout was there too!

I had the pleasure of making 'Scout' the Dog for lil v! My friend's daughter who turned one yesterday.
When he approached me with the task, I immediately started buzzing with the idea of a three dimensional version of the dog. Becoming quite eager to experiment, I went and sought advice from the lovely Towina - a cake decorator and cake tin hire heiress (I call her).
My first attempt didnt quite turn out to my liking.... The poor figure's head fell off! On learning my lesson I went a little bit slower with the batter and made sure there weren't any apparent air bubbles and kept a close eye on the temperature of the oven.
I had a great time making Scout's colours! Shaping fondant into his beautiful blue collar, writing his name and painting his learning paws remind me of Art School.
Thank you Shanil and Nisha for entrusting me with such a honorable task. It was truly a great pleasure!

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Raw intentions...

Last night I spent some good quality time with a friend who has been helping me figure out a better solution to my daughter's wayward eating habits. We set out on a raw food venture and made this amazingly delicious Raw Cake!

If you have the time to experiment, you must try this cake. It is divine! I would also recommend you check out the creator of this amazingly divine cake. She goes by the name of Kate Magic. If you haven't already heard of her, you must check out her website! And if you have, I don't need to tell you, you need to buy her book, Raw Magic because you probably already have it!

I thank you Kate for sharing your recipe and your love for better living.

Below is a pic of our scrumalicious cake and the recipe for you to try!

Hi-Cake!

by Kate Magic

from Raw Magic, published by Rawcreation 2008

Time needed: 30 mins, 3 hours setting time
Equipment needed: blender
Makes 8 large slices
By popular demand, here is a raw chocolate cake recipe for you, so you can see what all the fuss is about. These cakes are so nutrient-dense, one slice is a meal in itself, packed with vitamins, minerals, proteins and healthy fats. Easy to make, and even easier to eat! Remember the Hi-bar? The first raw chocolate bar to be sold in the UK (and beyond!), made with cacao nibs and brazil nuts, this is the Hi-bar in a Cake.
Cake:

250 g cacao nibs
250 g brazil nuts
250 g lucuma
6 tbsp agave nectar
150 ml water

Icing:

2 avocadoes
30 g raw chocolate powder
2 tbsp agave nectar
60 ml water

Decoration:

2 tbsp goji berries
2 tbsp dried cranberries

Grind up the nibs and nuts separately in a high power blender or coffee grinder. Transfer to a mixing bowl with the lucuma and agave. With your hands, mix the all the ingredients so you have an even powder. Add the water gradually, kneading the mixture into a ball with your hands. It should end up as a fairly thick dough-like consistency. Press into a springform cake tin, and leave in the fridge to set for a few hours.
To make the icing, put the avocado flesh in the blender along with the chocolate powder, agave and water. If you haven't got chocolate powder, you can substitute carob or mesquite. Blend until you have a thick cream. Once your cake is set, you can remove it from the cake tin, and spoon the icing evenly over the top and the sides. Decorate with dried goji berries and cranberries sprinkled over the top. Uneaten cake can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.