What's in a name? That which we call a rose By anyother name would smell as sweet.....

Its been a while since I worked on a complex cake and finally got this opportunity. Aptly chosen for its sheer beauty and the attention it commands, I selected to make one of Peggy Porschen's amazing cakes with my own twist. I guess that was the easy bit!

Getting the color scheme and the roses right was an all together different ball game....specially the roses. For this 12inch square cake, I calculated approximately 170 roses would be needed and was close, I used up 168 of them! It took me over 2 days working over time on the roses... roll the fondant, cut cut cut and frill frill and again and again and again and again and again (I could go on and on and on and on!) until all were done. And then hang on, I couldn't just sit them on the cake, they had to be individually dusted with edible luster....hhhmmmmm! deep breath in and start again.

This is the final product...and very proud of the fact the roses came out well and the cake in all looked damn good.

Hocus ...... Pocus......time to focus

After a wonderful holiday for 3 months, I was a bit hesitant in getting back into handling fondant and was even considering mastering my skills only in butter cream. I got an opportunity in redeeming my faith in fondant by taking up this cake.

This cake was made for a dear friends son's 9th birthday a few weeks ago. The book is a triple chocolate mud cake and the wizards hat is a white chocolate mud cake with raspberries.
Details include urns spilling over with magic portion. As for the poor Imp, well I tried and tried to get the face but it didn't quiet get it right and so choose to cover it with yet another urn. So the story goes.....the naughty little Imp was so impatient and could not wait for Wizard Rishi (my friends son) to complete the magic portion and instead stuck his head right into it!!!

Rishi absolutely enjoyed the cake and even gave me a top score by saying & quote "this was the best birthday ever" ! That made it all worth while....and as for me giving up fondant.....hhhmmmm...guess that's not happening :)

Thank you

Recently I had to be admitted at the West-mead Hospital to undergo a procedure which was a very testing time for me in my life. I was sad and concerned and over ridden with emotions. I was able to come out of it with better control thanks to the Nurses at the post operative ward and the Day Surgery Clinic.

Today marks one week since the surgery and I decided I needed to thank them for their support, concern and dedication shown to me on the day of my surgery. So I baked a batch of Banana cupcakes topped with chocolate Swiss butter cream swirl ( that is the only suspicious bit..the all elusive SIMPLE SWIRL!!).

Thank you for being such dedicated and compassionate NURSES. Your compassion has touched me and helped me heal.

To be or not to be ....

from my not so perfect heart

Mummy,.....yes dad....love you too Viju Bhai and Vinu Bhai..... this was mostly how my kids and I spent our 3 months away from Sydney...with our loved ones. Sadly as all things must come to an end (in our case our chosen path to live away from family) we packed up and came back to pick up pieces of our life here. Its been a bit of struggle for me (specially given I am very close to my family) to try and fit back into the daily routine of school, playgroup and cake orders. Don't mistake me....its nice but I wish we were all together. So is it wrong to want it all?? well in my case I guess there is a price to pay in trying to gain ones own independence.....and what a sad price that is.
Trying to move on and continue is my primary task and what better way than to express myself through my favorite medium...BAKING. I created these tiny heart shaped bite sized pieces of chocolate indulgence specially for Valentines day..... remembering my family and thanking GOD for their presence in my life. So thank you Ma and Daddy and Viju Bhai and Vinu Bhai for all your support and unconditional love over the years. It has meant a lot to me. And thank you for showing my children what families do the best....LOVE EACH OTHER no matter what.