Cake

Some of you asked for photos.  Here's the birthday cake in progress and complete.
This was constructed following recipes in Tish Boyle's fabulous volume: The Cake Book.  With a minor exception of not owning a stand mixer (and leaving out a bit of rum and adding some strawberries on top), I actually followed the instructions for Coconut Meringue Cake pg. 294 which included Whipped White Chocolate Coconut Ganache (pg. 319) and Bittersweet Chocolate Glaze (pg. 306).  I've written about The Cake Book before (mentioned here and here and the shamrock cupcakes were made using the Devilish Moist Chocolate Cake recipe, a cocoa and hot water based-recipe which has become my go-to for chocolate cakes) and once again, it did not disappoint.  The end result was not very cake-y, after all, it is flour-less, and tasted like a giant coconut macaroon.  I was pretty excited, and the whipped white chocolate coconut ganache was a revelation.
The boys are pretty cute, too.

Back to pediatric stroke awareness tomorrow!

Rosy Rodents in Love

Groundhog Day celebrated late = Groundhog Day + Valentine's Day = Groundhogs in Love Party
Groundhogs in Love Party + Floraganza = dramatic rose things
I purchased rose water and rose syrup at the Asian supermarket in The City, intending to make a big batch of a signature rose cocktail for the party.  And then I tasted the water and syrup.  Truthfully, they taste like almost nothing.  Except that you can't taste them without smelling them.  And they smell like roses.  Too many of the same roses stuffed into a bottle.  Overly perfumy cloying fake roses* used to disguise some off scent and only making it worse.  It is not actually a bad smell.  But the overall effect is definitely not good.

So I made a batch of my signature spring party punch (pink lemonade and lemon zinger tea with a little bonus ginger and lemon), added a few drops of rose water, added a chunk of dry ice and let attendees dose with rum and rose to taste.  Collectively they added far more of the former than the latter, and I don't blame them.

Dianthus insisted on baking cupcakes (a great cocoa, boiling water, and oil chocolate cake recipe from Tish Boyle's fabulous  The Cake Book), and I let him talk me into the horrid looking marshmallow "cupcake toppers" because they were half price and I was throwing a Groundhogs in Love Party during Floraganza.

Oh, and for those of you pay attention to tradition will be happy to know that pork (aka ground hog) dumplings were eaten, pin the shadow on the groundhog was played, and the rodents came out to frolic.

*Even though I think it is not fake.  The only ingredient on the rose water is "distilled roses"