A Double Birthday Celebration

Throwing a joint birthday celebration for people whose birthdays fall on the same month is just reasonable and less expensive. Like I said in my previous entry, we had a big group staying with us for couple of weeks during which the little boy and his dad's birthday were celebrated. For this occasion, preparations were easy. They booked a dinner with us and the restaurant and kitchen crew did the rest. They went ala carte and had two cakes for desserts. What a stress free celebration!

Cake Design Failure

The resort I work at go all out for guests staying for extended period of time. We provide  them complimentary services and great restaurant deals. This month, we had a large group staying for more than two weeks. During their time at the resort, we found out that one of the guests and his son were both having their birthdays. For this special celebration, they requested I make two kinds of cake. Three pound carrot cake iced with cream cheese frosting for the little boy. Another three pound chocolate cake frosted with vanilla butter cream for the dad which I will talk about in my next entry.

Helen's 40th

For some, turning 40 is a big milestone and  meant to be celebrated. Just like a female guest of the resort who marked her 40th birthday with a huge bang (not literally). She started her celebration in the morning, from the time they came down for breakfast. The restaurant crew had set up tables for her and her friends complete with a small flower arrangement and balloons. I made a two-tiered red velvet cake which was served to her at breakfast.

Never-ending demand for chocolate cake

I have finally gotten an assistant after three years! It may seem that my workload has been reduced but it's the opposite. Since I got somebody to help me, the resort has stopped outsourcing other bakery goods. The demands have skyrocketed and the requests for cakes are never-ending. Good thing the guests always request for chocolate cake, so frequent that I no longer turn to my recipe when I whip it up.

This is what happens when I don't have a particular design in mind.

My mind goes blank when it's slow at work and there aren't new challenges to face. This month is quiet. Not much is going on except for a handful birthday celebrations.

This cake I made for a guest on her birthday was simple.  It's a chocolate cake frosted with vanilla butter icing.  I couldn't  decide what to do with it as my mind was still unfocused as a result of over-resting during my two-day off.. Then I thought chocolate butter cream would do the trick so I played it by ear. I started piping around the cake until all the sides were covered and here's the result. I didn't think of it as a beautifully decorated cake but others thought the opposite. It was elegant, someone remarked. I was one happy baker.

Cake For A Joint Birthday Celebration

In the beginning of June, I was requested to make a four-pound chocolate cake for fractional owners of the resort. They were all turning the big 5-0 and wanted to have a joint celebration. This was a last minute request and I didn't have enough time to decide on the design. I thought a simple decoration would do.

Number Cake For A Three Year Old

The resort I work at has a good number of loyal customers.When someone chooses to hold birthday party at the resort, he gets a good deal on food and drinks. On top of that, he gets to enjoy a delicious treat free of charge.

For today's birthday celebration, I made a chocolate number cake for this little boy whose family are frequent guests at the resort.

Simple And Uncomplicated

Thinking of designs gets harder when there are demands for birthday cakes one after another. There are times when I have a spark of an idea and creating a nice looking cake seems like a piece of cake. Take this one for example. It didn't take long for me to come up with this design. The whole process from baking to decorating was completed in no time.

Carrot Easter Nest Cake

Ever heard of carrot cake frosted with dark chocolate butter cream? The idea popped into my head the last minute I was prepping for the big Easter brunch. Carrot cake was on the menu. I wanted to create Easter treats without jeopardizing what has been planned. I decided to turn carrot cake into an Easter nest.

My Chocolate Cake Collection II

Nothing beats a rich, moist and decadent chocolate cake for a birthday celebration which is why my chocolate cake collection is  growing fast. Since the new year began,  I have made countless numbers of birthday cakes and I'd say chocolate is still the most requested flavor of all. I made more than what is on this list but the picture quality is not blog worthy. So, here's what the resort's guests indulged on on their birthdays.

Clockwise:
1. Chocolate cake in chocolate butter cream with colorful M & Ms candy
2. Chocolate cake in dark chocolate butter cream decorated with white dots at evenly distance and  chocolate fan on top
3. Chocolate cake in chocolate butter cream. The side is decorated with white chocolate fan
4. Chocolate cake in chocolate butter cream, decorated with sliced almonds and topped with strawberry coulis

Less Is More

Here's another birthday cake requested by a male guest. I was informed that the cake would be for two people.  I figured a one pound cake would suit them just fine. The flavor? The person in charge of guest relations let me decide. That was easy. My go-to chocolate cake recipe has gotten rave reviews. I thought it would be the best option.

A Woman's Wish

You can't go wrong with chocolate cake. It's the perfect treat for every occasion. When a female guest came to the resort for her 50th birthday celebration, I thought chocolate cake would be ideal. My decision did not disappoint. The serving plate came back with nothing left on it.  

Carrot Cake At Christmas

We looked beyond the traditional Christmas cake this year as we got tired of the same Christmas treats we have had for the last two years. My manager wanted something simple but delicious, a cake that is moist and flavorful. She asked for a carrot cake as a replacement. Her decision did not disappoint. It was a crowd-pleasing dessert everyone loved at the event.

A Little Treat For A Birthday Girl

 Here's another  white chocolate and raspberry cake  made for a little ten year old girl. Each layer was filled and frosted with classic vanilla butter cream.

I didn't come up with the design. The parents requested I follow the design  in the picture they sent. Basically it's a princess cake. The original has a tiara on top. Instead of putting the headpiece, they asked if I could write the message "Happy 10th Birthday Elena".

White Chocolate And Raspberry Cake

White chocolate and raspberry cake is this year's favorite.  Since I made it for  a couple  on their wedding day, it has become the most requested cake.  

I didn't have all the things called for in the original recipe which made me do a bit of tweaking.  I normally use medium size eggs in baking. That went to my batter in place of large eggs.  I made my own self-raising flour because it's way cheaper than buying the original. Here in the tropics, getting access to fresh raspberries is impossible. I used frozen raspberries instead. Some suggests not to defrost frozen raspberries if used in baking. As for me, I  let it thaw  and leave in a strainer to drain all the liquid before adding it to the batter. This has always work for me.

The cake peaked while baking. I got rid of the dome (which I happily munched after everything is set) before filling and frosting the cake with vanilla butter cream. I can say this is one of the nicest cakes I made. Try it for yourself.

Cake Decorating Can Be Difficult

The resort where I work provides complimentary birthday cake to its guests. Guests can choose the flavors  they like.  I create it according to the needs and requirements of the person celebrating but decorating is all up to me. Occasionally, I can think of ideas in a snap. When there is a long interval especially during off season,  my mind gets sluggish. It takes time for me to come up with a nice design for a cake.

A Small Cake Decorating Mishap

This year's offseason  is unusual. There were less happenings at the resort these days compared to  the previous year when we catered for quite a number of parties long after the busy season has passed, I am getting bored. I am not used to experiencing slow days  at work too often as I enjoy hard work and being active.

At times like this when it is slow and quiet, baking something nice can keep my spirits high. When I got a request to make a chocolate cake for a guest and her girlfriends, I  was delighted. I have finally got something to get me motivated once again.

Gluten-free Lemon Coconut Cake

I'm new to baking gluten-free goodies. As a baker of a resort, I need to consider the guests food restrictions or preferences. This opened a door to a lot of opportunities. I learned to make gluten-free bread. Just as how I struggled during the early stages of my baking career, I found myself facing the same dilemma, only this time I am dealing with a dough so fragile that working with it is tricky. So, when asked if I could whip up gluten-free cake for a customer's birthday recently, I wondered if the process would be as challenging. There is no kneading and shaping involved. Perhaps I could manage. As it turns out, gluten-free cake making is a lot easier.

Easy Chocolate Mud Cake With Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting

This  deliciously decadent chocolate cake is rich, soft and moist. What I like about it is how quick and  easy it is to make. All you need is a bit of cooking and whisking and let the oven do the rest. Frost it with your favorite chocolate or vanilla butter cream. If you like it simple, just a dollop of whipped cream on top will do.

A Delicious Birthday Treat

Nothing beats a homemade cake. The amount of time and the effort I exert on each cake I make are incomparable to the joy and satisfaction I get from hearing how guests loved my creation. It makes me proud - to think that just five years ago, I was struggling to keep up  with the class where the majority has advanced baking skills. I am not an expert. I still think I need to hone my decorating skills. Now all I have to do is practice, practice, practice.