Happy 2013!

Today I'll present you my last cake for 2012. The cake is for our friends Ivelina and Plamen and for their guests. My friend Iva completely relied on me and left me to choose the idea for the New Year's cake. Immediately I decided to make the red mug cake with hot chocolate. Honestly, the idea isn't mine. I found similar cake somewhere in the net and I felt in love with it. Impatiently I waited for the time to make it. For me it brings some warmth and coziness. The cake is raw with ground cookies, a lot of dried dates, walnuts and almonds. The whole mixture is stuck together with cocoanut oil and covered with fondant.  I used chocolate frosting and mini marshmallows on the top to represent hot chocolate.

Happy New Year, my real and virtual friends! I wish you the Love of friends and family and Peace within your heart! I wish you Wisdom to choose priorities for those things that really matter in life! And last but not least, I wish you Health! Happy New 2013!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas,dear friends!

There is no time like Christmas for remembering special friends like you! Don't forget that during this magical holiday season love makes all things possible. Wishing you all the peace, joy and love of the season!

Happy birthday, Yana!

First I'll start my new post with my birthday wishes for Yana....Happy birthday! Be healthy and  happy young girl. Continue  keeping  and developing your talent because you are really very creative rising star!

Now it's time for the cake. Yana wasn't very pretentious about the cake. There was only one condition - there should be a photo on the top. The picture was created by Yana. She made a collage of important moments in her life - some of her creative achievements.

Today I have been a witness to her constructive spirit and creativeness. Definitely I was very impressed of what she presented. Congratulations and good luck!

Spice cake

Today I made some experiments with a spice cake. As you know I like very much to try something new, something different. That's why impatiently I started my new idea. Traditionally for a filling for a spice cake is used cream cheese frosting or buttercream.  And here came my new experiment . I used a little bit of cream cheese frosting. I added some sour cream (14%), some mascarpone (my favorite) , dessert cream and for flavor I added some strong coffee. Definitely today I wanted to escape from all traditional recipes and I arranged pineapple slices around the 8" spring form pan. The hole of each slice I filled with sweet cherries. I laid the first layer of my spice cake, I poured abundance of my coffee cream filling, then the second layer and on the top again abundance of coffee filling. Exactly how I like the cake - tender and flavored sponge cake base soaked in light and fluffy cream filling. The whole cake I sprinkled with ground cinnamon. I think that cinnamon is the most appropriate final  touch of each spice cake. I put the fondant square with the brown flowers on the top as an extra decoration.

I don't know if you like my idea for a spice cake but I would like to share something with you - it's yummy, very, very yummy. I liked it so much that I couldn't resist and I took a second piece...

Christmas party in the Bulgarian church

Today I'll present you what I prepared for the Christmas party in the Bulgarian church yesterday. I haven't had any idea how many people will come and definitely I couldn't make enormous amount of cakes. That's why I decided to prepare mini cupcakes for the kids. I made 100 of them praying that they will be enough. Imagine how sad it will be if there will be a child without a small bag with something sweet...Hopefully there were enough treats for everyone.

Here you can see some photos from my decoration work.

I made carrots and bran muffins. I put some icing on the top and after that I decorated with fondant.On the top I put a fondant snowflake. After that I wrapped each one in a separate bag...Everything was done but all the time I had the feeling that something is missing...of course, there isn't any cake. I couldn't stand anymore and immediately I started preparing not one but two cakes. Here is the first one - i tiny igloo with a Christmas tree, penguin, snowman and of course, a lot of presents.

And here is the second one - a Christmas moon sleeping calm before the Christmas day and a tiny cute baby. The Moon is made out of 3 layers of sponge cake in three different colors-white, green and red. Although the cake probably looks very simple I like it so much especially for the cute sleeping baby. I was incredibly happy when this idea came into my mind. The baby brings purity, sincerity and  love to me, to my heart. 

Definitely I couldn't give a piece of cake to all kids at the party but everyone of them receive a mini cupcake. I hope that everyone enjoy the Christmas party especially when Santa Claus came and brought to all of them a gift.

And all the parents received their gift too - seeing the sincere smile on the face of their kid (s).

Merry Christmas to everyone! Be healthy, be happy!

My cake for December 12, 2012

Have you noticed that the whole world is going crazy about tomorrow's date? Almost in all newspapers and in all TV news there is an article about December 12, 2012. People accept it mainly as a day of crucial importance for our mankind. Thousand of couples will get married on that day. They accept it as a symbol of eternal and everlasting love. Others react to this statement with a smile and with the words " It's easy to remember the date of your marriage". Influenced by all these reactions and news today I decided to make a cake dedicated exactly to this date. And here is the name: Cake 12.12.2012. No doubt it sounds funny and weird but let's look at on the other side - a message for love, respect and commitment.

I made the cake in the shape of a heart - symbol of love and passion. Besides the news how many people are getting married tomorrow, love is the only feeling that keeps the world united, that gives people strength and faith, courage and support. The clover on the top represents the hope that everyone of us is keeping in our hearts. The different forms on the leaves are the various transformation of love.

The cake has a raw base. That is my message to all of you for a healthy lifestyle. Of course, I added something wild and natural, and tasty and delicious - mixture with wild berries and mascarpone cream (My favorite filling). After that I spread tender cocoanut flakes on the top.

In the beginning I decided to make a cake without any icing and fondant, without any decorations - just abundance of berries and mascarpone cream. But while I was preparing the cake I was influenced by all these marriages and I decided to add the 2 color hearts around the cake just for fun...

Fresh fruit cake

That delicious cake is for the birthday of one of my friends - Iva. Happy birthday,dear Iva! I wish you all the best!

My friend decided to order a cake that corresponds to the taste of all members of her family. Her son adores the ladyfingers, her daughter doesn't like anything with cocoa and that's why I made a vanilla sponge cake with a lot of vanilla custard. My friend loves fresh fruit and her husband loves Iva. Now I think I satisfied everybody's taste:)

Have a great evening,Iva!Enjoy the cake!

Probably the cake looks familiar to you. I made similar ones a month ago for my young friends Angy and Marina...These cakes are delicious gift for all fresh fruit lovers!

Santa Claus

Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus,

Right down Santa Claus lane,

He'll come around when the chimes ring out

That it's Christmas morn again

Peace on earth will come to all

If we just follow the light

So lets give thanks to the lord above

That Santa Claus comes tonight!

The cake base was 2-layer traditional vanilla sponge but with cherry chips and delicious cherry aroma. I used cream cheese filling and all the decorations on the cake are made out of icing. Only the green leaves and the letters are out of fondant.

Bon appétit!

Cake for St. Nicholas' Day

Today I'll give you a little bit of information concerning the celebration of St. Nicholas. I make the long legend short...
The true story of Santa Claus begins with Nicholas who was born during the third century. His wealthy parents died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still very young. Obeying Jesus' words "sell what you own and give the money to the poor" , he used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the seek and the suffering. Nicholas was known for his generosity, his love for children and his concern for sailors and ships. As a Christian he was persecuted and exiled. Nicholas died December 6th and the anniversary of his death became a day of celebration, St.Nicholas Day.

The historical St. Nicholas is remembered and revered among Orthodox and Catholic Christians. Saint Nicholas is a patron saint of sailors, merchants, pawnbrokers and children. He is honored by a lot of countries in Eastern and Western Europe.

Every year for this day I made a cake for my son Nikola. My cakes were always thematic - fish, sea creatures, water...But this year my son "ordered" something different, something not typical for St. Nicholas' day. A cake with Angry Birds! Probably you can't see any relation with the saint, with the patron of sailors and protector of all in trouble and need. Me neither...But that is the desire of my son for his special day! That's why I can't discourage him from realizing his idea.

Angry Birds' Cake

Some more winter cakes

Today I'll present you two other ideas how to use the transfer sheets. I hope you will not be bored to tears with my new obsession . I hope I 'll stop pretty soon :)

First cake is a small one, 4 inch diameter but tall. I made it with 4 chocolate layers. They are stuck together with the mint flavor filling ( my other new obsession) which this time is definitely greener than the previous time. On the top I put some snowflakes for decoration.

The second cake that I decorated with transfer sheets are cut in separate pieces - some of them are triangles, some are with irregular shape. My pieces are very thin and in that way they break very easily. If you put more melted chocolate on the transfer sheet after that the pieces will be thicker and more durable. I didn't have time to way for the chocolate to set and that's why my chocolate layer is very thin. It depends on you what you are looking for. If the cake is for some special occasion you can cut the pieces with regular shapes, for example triangles or rectangles. On the top of the cake I made a charming snowman just for fun. Honestly my kids don't accept a cake without any fondant figure or decoration.

Rice Crispy dessert

Today I'll show you an idea for a dessert with rice crispy and chocolate transfer sheet. I found the idea somewhere in the net and immediately I decided to make the experiment. My kids adore rice crispy. That's why I decided that it will be interesting to mix chocolate and rice crispy.

During the preparation I took some pictures and I hope they will give you an idea how to prepare that easy and quick dessert.

• First, we start with melting the chocolate chips. You melt 2/3 of the desired amount and after that you add the rest. Continue stirring until all the chips are dissolved.

• After that, cut the rice crispy bars into tiny pieces and add them to the melted chocolate chips. Stir well.

• Spread the mixture on the transfer sheet.If you make thinner layer it will dry quicker. 

• After a while the layer will be dry and you can carefully peel it from the acetate.On the next picture you can see how it looks like.

Here I would like to apologize for the pictures but while I was taking them I didn't pay any attention that they are so awful. I was concentrated on the chocolate transfer sheet...

• Then break the sheet into pieces with different irregular shapes.

• You can fill a bag and make a nice surprise to your kid, to the neighbor's kid,to some friends...

• Enjoy it!

Christmas candies

Let's add something else to the Christmas cake and mousses...some homemade  marbled chocolate candies.