Brownies with Coffee Buttercream and Salted Caramel Brownies med kaffesmörkräm och salt kolasås

It's hard to beat a good, chewy, fudgy brownie with a crinkly crust. What's even harder to beat is a brownie like that, topped with a coffee buttercream and a salted caramel sauce! In my book, this is a winner.

I had a chocolate craving the other night and tried out a new brownie recipe that only uses melted semi-sweet chocolate instead of cocoa powder. It almost resembles a chocolate lava cake in it's rich chocolate flavor, but with a more fudgy consistency. For a nicer presentation, I baked them in a pop over pan that my hubby's grandmother bought me years ago. I love the shape they got! 

Since I'm a lover of anything coffee and chocolate, I made a vanilla buttercream with some brewed coffee in it, and it turned out delicious. The salted caramel on top is just another bonus to an already yummy dessert! 

As a finishing touch, I garnished the brownies with gold dusted rose petals and dried rose buds. 

Om du älskar brownies, är det här receptet något för dig! En chokladdröm som toppas med en fantastisk kaffesmörkräm och salt kolasås. Garnera med rosenblad och torkade rosenknoppar för vacker presentation!



Ultimate Brownies
by Handletheheat

1 cup (170 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 sticks (170 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 ounces (113 grams) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated sugar
3 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup (94 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt


Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips, butter, and unsweetened chocolate. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute then stir. Continue heating in 30-second bursts, stirring between each burst, until the mixture is melted and smooth but not scorched. Remove from the microwave and let cool slightly.

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed until light and thick, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract. Stir in the cooled chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula. Add the flour and salt, folding gently until combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake until a tester comes out with moist crumbs still attached, 35 to 40. Do not over-bake. Let cool to room temperature. Serve at room temperature or chilled.



For the buttercream, I used this recipe and omitted the heavy cream and used cold brewed coffee instead.



Salted Caramel Sauce
by Bobby Flay

1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
¾ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste


Directions

In a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat, combine the sugar with 1/4 cup cold water and stir to combine. Cook, without stirring, until the sugar has turned a deep amber hue, approximately 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, warm the cream in a small saucepan. When the caramel is ready, slowly whisk in the warm cream and continue simmering the mixture until it is smooth, another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, then whisk in the butter, and then the salt, to taste. Serve warm.

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries Chokladdoppade jordgubbar

I love chocolate dipped strawberries! They're so easy to make, delicious, and present beautifully. 

I recently came across a picture of chocolate dipped strawberries that had been arranged with flowers, and loved the idea. All you need is some floral foam (you'll find it in a hobby store like Michael's or a florist), a bouquet of flowers, some ribbon, and of course, strawberries and chocolate. 

The easiest way to coat strawberries with chocolate is to insert a toothpick by the stem, and gently dip the strawberry in the tempered chocolate. Make sure you melt the chocolate carefully, since it will become thicker if exposed to too much heat and end up looking lumpy. If you want to add some color to the white chocolate, mix with a few drops of gel coloring, or buy already colored candy melts. Put the other end of the toothpick in a styrofoam block to dry. This will make the strawberries evenly smooth on all sides.

To make the arrangement, take the floral foam and arrange the flowers and the dried chocolate covered strawberries. Make sure you're not leaving too much space so you expose the foam underneath. Wrap a wide ribbon along the sides and secure with some tape, and voilá!

Vem älskar inte jordgubbar doppade i choklad? Nyligen såg jag en rolig idé, där någon hade gjort ett arrangemang av blommor och chokladdoppade jordgbbar, och var tvungen att prova. Allt du behöver är oasis (finns att köpa i blomaffär eller hobbybutik), blombukett, jordgubbar, choklad och band att knyta runt arrangemanget. Det viktiga att tänka på när du doppar jordgubbarna är att chokladen värms upp långsamt, så att den inte blir för tjock. Använd gärna en tandpetare som du sätter in i jordgubben för att underlätta doppandet. Lycka till!

Éclairs Three Ways Éclairs på tre vis

Éclairs have been on my mental baking bucket list for a long time. They are so beautiful to look at, and even more delicious to eat! The only problem is that they look incredibly hard to make, right?

If there's one thing I've learned from my late night baking adventures, it's that just because a dessert is fancy looking, doesn't necessarily mean that you need a pastry degree to pull it off. What if I told you that these are actually easy to make and not very time consuming? 

Let's look more closely at these beauties. Éclairs are made from a choux dough, the same that is used to make beignets, churros and cream puffs. The only ingredients are butter, water, flour, salt and eggs. That's it! The key to this pastry dough is to stir the ingredients together in a saucepan using high heat. This makes the dough really high in moisture and will later make it 'puff' in the oven. You also want to start baking them at a higher temperature, only to lower it after about half of the cooking time. This makes a beautiful crust and creates a little vacuum in the middle of the pastry. A vacuum that will later be filled with all sorts of yumminess.

I made three different kinds of éclairs. The first one is filled with a home made nutella, covered with a dark chocolate glaze, and topped with a gold leaf that I made out of fondant and dusted with a gold luster dust. The second éclair is filled with lemon curd and topped with a torched Italian Meringue. The third is filled with a vanilla custard (or Mousseline), topped with a sugar glaze, and decorated with a few dried rose bud petals. Of course, you can always use jam or store-bought nutella as a filling.

There are different ways to fill an éclair. Some people cut the pastry length-wise, pipe the filling onto the lower part, and then put the top part back on. I made three small, evenly-spaced holes underneath and piped the filling into them. It doesn't leave any visible marks, but makes sure you get some filling with every bite, which is exactly what you want!

To frost them, simply make your glaze, gently dip the top of the éclair, and let set.

You will find the recipe for the choux dough below. If you want some tips on fillings, check out this chocolate buttercream recipe and this vanilla custard. Or you can just have fun with flavors and be creative!

Jag har länge velat prova att baka éclairs, men har alltid tyckt att det sett svårt ut. Det visade sig däremot vara både enkelt och snabbt! Éclairs är gjorda på chouxdeg som blandas samman på  en varm spisplatta och sedan bakas på först hög, och sedan låg värme i ugn. Detta gör att de blir härligt spröda på utsidan, men mjuka och ihåliga på insidan. Till sist fylls de med en god kräm av något slag och toppas med glasyr. Jag gjorde tre varianter - en variant var fylld med egengjord nutella, en annan med lemoncurd, och den tredje med vaniljkräm. Här följer ett gott recept på chouxdeg, som kan användas till att göra bland annat éclairs, petit choux eller churros. Lycka till!

Choux Pastry
from Allrecipes

1/2 cup (113 g) butter 
1 cup (235 ml) water 
1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
4 eggs 


Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Grease a cookie sheet.

In a medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, stirring until butter melts completely. Reduce heat to low, and add flour and salt. Stir vigorously until mixture leaves the sides of the pan and begins to form a stiff ball. Remove from heat. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well to incorporate completely after each addition. With a spoon or a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip, spoon or pipe dough onto cookie sheet in 1 1/2 x 4 inch strips.

Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce heat to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and bake 20 minutes more, until hollow sounding when lightly tapped on the bottom. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Swedish Cinnamon Buns Kanelbullar

Happy Swedish Cinnamon Bun Day!

Today my Instagram feed was so full of cinnamon bun posts, I almost convinced myself I could smell the cinnamon! Of course I had to bake some of my own.

I used an easy and yummy recipe that I posted last year (you will find it here.) It makes the traditional Swedish cardamom buns, that are filled with a buttery cinnamon and sugar mixture, and sprinkled with pearl sugar. So delicious!

Needless to say, my Kindergartner was really happy about the surprise that was waiting for him when he came home from school!

Happy baking!


Glad Kanelbullens dag! Idag var mitt instagramflöde fullt med bilder på kanelbullar i alla dess former. Självklart var jag tvungen att baka egna! Jag använde samma goda recept jag lade ut här på bloggen i fjol (ni hittar det här.) Trevlig bakning!

Mini Double Chocolate Raspberry Cakes Minichokladtårtor med hallon

There's been this recipe by the Swedish master baker, Roy Fares, that I have been eyeing for the longest time. A chocolate cake with a hint of coffee, a to-die-for dark chocolate crémeux with raspberry puree, and a silky smooth milk chocolate meringue buttercream. 

Oh, and a chocolate glaze dripping down the sides. When it comes to cakes, there's no such thing as too much chocolate.

We had two good friends over for some late night fika this weekend. One of them, Charles, had just celebrated his birthday, and our friend Paul is moving back home to Los Angeles for a new job opportunity. This seemed like the perfect time to try out the recipe. Usually I would make one big cake, but I thought it would be fun to do something different and more personal.  (Besides, having a half leftover cake in the fridge when you're a stay at home mom is not the best idea...)

I'll be honest, mini cakes can be pretty time consuming, but they make for a beautiful presentation. Besides, doesn't it feel more special to get your own little cake?

Also, can we stop for a minute and talk about the chocolate crémeux? I'd never heard the term before, but learned that it means 'creamy' in French. I would describe it as a silky, smooth, and rich chocolate filling. It has a dark chocolate taste, almost bitter, but a sweet raspberry finish. I'm in love.

Big cake, little cake, doesn't matter. You'll love it!

Vi hade våra vänner Charles och Paul över på en fika i helgen för att fira en födelsedag och ett nytt jobb. Jag har länge velat baka Roy Fares berömda Double Chocolate Raspberrytårta, så det blev ett perfekt tillfälle! Istället för att baka en stor tårta, gjorde jag miniversioner som blev väldigt uppskattade. En fantastiskt god tårta som kommer att bakas igen. Receptet hittar du här nedan - du kommer att älska den!

Double Chocolate Raspberry Cake

by Roy Fares

Dark Chocolate Cremeux 

200g dark chocolate 64%

45g sugar (1/2 dl)

60g egg yolks (4st)

175g heavy cream (1 3/4 dl)

150g raspberry puree(1 1/2 dl)

(35g Cognac (2 msk) if you like)

1. Chop the chocolate and put in a bowl. 
2. Mix the egg yolks with sugar in a separate bowl. 
3. In a saucepan, boil the heavy cream and raspberry puree. Add it to the egg yolk mixture and stir. 
4. Pour it back into the saucepan, and on low heat, stir until the mixture thickens. Pour over the chocolate. (If using cognac, add to the chocolate mixture.)
5. Let stand for a few minutes and stir until a smooth creme.
6. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Cake

330g flour (5 ½ dl)

510g sugar (6 dl)

120g cacao (3 dl)

15g baking soda (1 msk)

7g baking powder (1 ½ tsk)

10g salt (1 ½ tsk)

10g vanilla sugar (1 msk)

165g eggs, room temp (3)

350g milk, room temp (3 ½ dl)

180g vegetable oil (2 dl)

350g hot coffee(3 ½ dl)

1. Preheat oven to 310 degrees. Butter and flour four 8" cake pans, and cover the bottoms with parchment paper. 
2. Sift together all dry ingredients into a bowl. 
3. In a seperate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and oil. 
4. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and blend until a thick and smooth batter. Add the coffee and mix well. 
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pans (about 410 grams in each) and bake on the center oven rack for about 40 minutes.
6. Check with a toothpick to see if it comes out clean and the cake is ready.
7. Let the pans cool.
8. If you can'r fit all of the pands in the oven at the same time, it is fine to let it sit until the first batch is done.
9. Let cool completely and remove from the pans. 

Milk chocolate meringue buttercream 

300g milk chocolate

450g unsalted butter, room temp 

10g vanilla sugar (1 msk)

150g egg whites (4–5)

220g sugar (2 ½ dl)

1 pinch salt

1. Chop the chocolate, and in a bowl, melt over a water bath. 
2. Set aside and let cool to room temp. 
3. Put egg whites, sugar and salt in a bowl, and heat over a water bath until the sugar crystals have melted. Whisk every now and then. Lägg äggvitor, socker och salt i en skål. 
4. Remove from heat, and with a whisk or kitchen aid, beat the meringue until it has cooled and stiff peaks form.
5. Add the butter while whisking, a little at a time, and then add the chocolate.

Chocolate Glaze

100 g unsalted butter

50 g water (1/2dl)

140 g dark choclate

1. Melt the butter and water in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the chocolate, and stir until the choclate is completely melted. 
3. Take off heat, set aside and let cool.

Gluten Free Health Bread Glutenfritt Nyttobröd

Believe it or not, sandwiches (or smörgåsar, as we say in Swedish) make a great fika! Even though we Swedes love something sweet with our coffee or tea, we also love our sandwiches. I usually eat mine with butter, cheese, ham, tomatoes and cucumber. When I'm back home at my parents' house, I'll even top my bread with liver paté and pickled cucumber. You'll just have to take my word for it, it's delicious.

If you ask me what foods I miss the most from Sweden, bread would be high up on that list for sure. I love my bread grainy and wholesome, which can be hard to find here in the grocery stores. So, when my cousin Anna-Karin recommended this recipe, I got really excited.

What I love about this bread is that there's no dough that needs to rise, and it doesn't take hours to make. You just stir the ingredients together and pour into a loaf pan, and bake. And more importantly, this bread is super healthy and gluten free, made with all sorts of nuts and seeds, like flax and chia. Bread that's actually good for you!

This bread would probably be really delicious with some dried apricots or cranberries in it. I might have to give that a try next time!

Bon appetit!

Ibland känner man för att fika med en god smörgås istället för något sött till kaffet. Något jag verkligen kan längta efter här i USA, är ett gott och nyttigt fullkornsbröd. Jag blev så glad när min kusin Anna-Karin tipsade mig om det här receptet. Det är ett jättegott glutenfritt bröd, fyllt med nyttiga nötter och fröer. Att brödet dessutom inte behöver jäsa, utan att ingredienserna bara blandas samman och hälls i en limpform, är ett stort plus!

Gluten free Health Bread

from Hembakat

5 eggs

100 g hazelnuts

100 g almonds

120 g flax seeds

150 g sunflower seeds

75 g pumpkin seeds

105 g sesame seeds

2 tbsp chia seeds

¾ tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

250 g cottage cheese

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 355 degrees F. Whisk the eggs until fluffy.
2. Mix all nuts and seeds together with salt and baking powder in a bowl. Pour the mix into the eggs together with the cottage cheese.
3. Pour into a loaf pan that has been lined with parchment paper.
4. Bake in the lower rack of the oven for about 50 mins. Let cool in the pan.

Glutenfritt Nyttobröd

från Hembakat

5 ägg

100 g hasselnötter

100 g sötmandel

1 ¾ dl linfrön

2 dl solroskärnor

1 dl pumpakärnor

1 ½ dl sesamfrön

2 msk chiafrön

¾ tsk salt

2 tsk bakpulver

250 g keso

Gär så här:

1. Sätt ugnen på 180 grader. Vispa äggen fluffiga med en elvisp. Blanda alla nötter, mandlar, frön, salt och bakpulver i en skål. Rör ihop fröblandningen med äggsmeten och keson.

2. Häll smeten i en limpform, ca 1 ½ liter, klädd med bakplåtspapper.

3. Grädda limpan längst ner i ugnen i ca 50 min. Låt den svalna i formen.

Pokémon Birthday Cake Pokémontårta

This weekend we got to celebrate our sons' buddy, Dany, who turned six years old. Dany loves Pokémon, so I made him a cake with his favorite character, Pikachu. (That's the yellow little creature, for all of you who don't know.)

It's funny, I talked to some parents at the party, and we realized we know nothing about Pokémon, even though it was a big hit in the late 1990's. We do, however, remember the Tamagotchi. We all had key chains with our own little pet that we had to feed, put down for naps, and potty train. Basically, we all unknowingly got ready for parenthood!

Instead of a regular vanilla cake, I tried a new recipe for a buttermilk cake from The Sweetapolita Bakebook, and I really liked it. I filled the cake with a strawberry mousse and covered it with a vanilla bean buttercream and fondant. The number six and Pikachu were made out of fondant as well.

Happy Birthday once again, Dany!

I helgen firade vi pojkarnas kompis, Dany, som fyllde sex år. Han älskar Pokémon och speciellt Pikachu, så jag gjorde en Pokémoninspirerad tårta till honom. Tårtan hade buttermilkbottnar (ungefär som filmjölk och kärnmjölk) och var fylld med jordgubbsmousse och täckt med vaniljsmörkräm och fondant. Figurerna var även gjorda med fondant.

Meringue Nests with Fresh Berries Marängnästen med färska bär

Meringues bring back so many childhood memories for me. My dad used to eat them crushed over vanilla ice cream, and my aunt would use them to make the most delicious dessert with ice cream, bananas, chocolate sauce and whipped cream, called Marängswiss. Meringues are one of those special treats that makes me feel like a kid, just the way cotton candy does!

These meringue nests are easy to whip up and makes a perfectly light dessert for these last days of summer. Delightfully crisp on the outside and wonderfully chewy on the inside, just the way I like them! Fill them with fresh strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and raspberries, and garnish with mint leaves.

Vi har fortfarande runt sommarvärme här i Washington, så en lättare sensommardessert som de här marängnästena med färska bär är perfekt. Marängerna är krispiga på utsidan, men sådär mumsigt sega i mitten. Precis som de ska vara. Fyll dem med hallon, jordgubbar, blåbär och björnbär och toppa med lite mynta. Det blir inte enklare än så här!

Meringue Nests with Fresh Berries

(from "bake" magazine, spring 2016)

Makes 8 servings

4 egg whites, room temperature

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

3/4 cup sugar

4 cups fresh berries

fresh mint leaves for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 215 degrees.
2. Beat egg whites, vanilla extract and cream of tartar until foamy. Add sugar, a little at a time, and beat until stiff peaks.
3. Make 8 mounds on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Using the back of a spoon, shape each mound into a nest.
4. Bake for 2 hrs, then turn off the heat and let it sit for another hour in the oven.
5. Fill the nests with fresh berries and garnish with mint.

Marängnästen med Fäska Bär

(anpassat från tidningen "bake", vårnumret 2016)

för 8 pers

4 äggvitor, rumstemperatur

1 tsk vaniljpulver

2 dl socker

0,5 tsk vinäger

9 dl färska bär

Färsk mynta till garnering

1. Sätt ugnen på 100 grader. 

2. Vispa äggvitor, vaniljpulver och vinäger till ett skum. Tillsätt sockret, lite i taget, tills marängsmeten är fast.

3. Gör åtta stora klickar på en plåt med bakplåtspapper. Gör fördjupningar i varje maräng med en sked. 

4. Baka i ugn i 2 h. Stäng sedan av värmen och låt stå en 1h till med ungsluckan stängd.

5. Ta ut marängnästena och fyll med färska bär och garnera med mynta.

First Day of School Party

It's a strange feeling when all of the sudden you have a kid in school. My little 'baby' now picks out his own clothes when we're out shopping, loves to eat 'fancy' cheese and smoked salmon, makes up his own jokes (they never make sense), and watches family game night shows. It's been a joy to have him home with me for the past five years, and to see him grow up to be this funny, little person with a heart of gold.

Needless to say, there were some watery eyes on first day of school. Mommy's eyes, that is. Thankfully, I kept myself busy by putting together a First Day of School Party for the kids and parents from the playground. The kids got to play and have fun, while we parents celebrated that we survived the first day!

I made two cakes, one vanilla cake with a chocolate buttercream and fresh strawberry filling, covered with a vanilla buttercream and chocolate ganache. The second was the traditional Swedish gooey chocolate cake, topped with a chocolate buttercream and an Italian meringue, that I garnished with white raspberries.

This was such a fun party, I think it needs to become a tradition! That is, until it's not "cool" any more...

An Old Fashioned Birthday Cake

My amazing hubby, Matt, turns 35 years old today! He's a hard working father, a caring husband and a wonderful best friend. And he makes mean cocktails. 

Some nights he will be working on making his own bitters and syrups, while I bake, and it's somehow become our "thing". We are having so much fun hanging out in the kitchen together.

So, for his birthday cake I wanted to surprise him by making a cake that resembles an Old Fashioned cocktail. A bourbon butter cake with an orange buttercream. I decorated this naked cake with fresh flowers, by inserting the stems (which I had first covered with florist tape) into straws, and then putting the straws in the cake. Hey, men deserve flowers too!

Happy Birthday, my love!

Chocolate Brownie and Lemon Cheesecake with Italian Meringue

I can't begin to tell you how excited I am that summer is finally here! We've had a series of rainy weeks here on the East coast, but we can finally switch out our rain jackets and boots for shorts and flip-flops. And of course, we need to make a summery dessert to celebrate!

This tasty goodness is a perfect composition of decadent chocolate brownie, creamy lemon cheesecake and a light Italian meringue. I mean, what's not to love?

I love rustic looking desserts, mainly because they're usually easy to assemble and let the ingredients be the star of the show. This was my first time using frozen raspberries, and I love how beautiful they look! They add a nice colorful touch to the dessert and pairs nicely with the lemon flavor, too.

In the making of this dessert I am especially proud of two things, 1) I didn't light the kitchen on fire using the blow torch, and 2) I restrained myself from eating half of the dessert before it made it to the table. I might have had a few "test bites".

Happy baking!


Fudge Brownies
from Passion for Baking

9 oz. (250 g) dark chocolate (55-60% cocoa solids)
½ cup (120 g) unsalted butter
4 large eggs
1 ¾ cups (350 g) granulated sugar
½ cup (60 g) all-purpose flour
3 tbsp cocoa powder
½ tsp sea salt
7 oz. (200 g) dark chocolate, chopped
1 tsp vanilla extract


Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a 9 x 12-inch (25 x 30 cm) baking pan with baking parchment.
2. Place the 9 oz. (250 g) chocolate into a heat proof bowl with the butter and melt over a pan of simmering water. Remove from the heat.
3. Place the eggs and sugar into a mixing bowl and stir with a hand whisk. Stir in the melted chocolate mixture.
4. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder and salt and fold into the mixture. Fold in the chopped chocolate and vanilla. 
5. Pour the batter into the lined pan and bake for 30 minutes, no longer. Let cool completely.

Lemon Cheesecake
from Passion for Baking

150 g sugar
Finely grated rind of 2 lemons
1 ¼ dl lemon juice (ca. 3–5 lemons)
3 large eggs
2 gelatin leaves
300 g cream cheese


Directions:

1. Combine sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and egg in a pan and heat it over low heat, stirring constantly. 
2. Add gelatin leaves in cold water for a few minutes to soften them. 
3. When the batter begins to thicken, squeeze water out of the gelatin leaves and have them up in the boiler. Stir well so the gelatin is completely dissolved. 
4. Pour the mixture into a blender. Let lemon mixture to cool for 5 minutes (or until the mixture is 60 ° C) before adding cream cheese. Then run the blender for a few minutes so that the lemon mixture is completely smooth. 
5. Pour it over the cooled brownies bottom and set the cake cool, for a few hours or overnight.

For the Italian Meringue recipe, check out this earlier post.

Hawaiian Birthday Cake

I recently had the great honor of making a surprise birthday cake for the Swedish Ambassador's Chef, Frida, whom I've become friends with through the Swedish community here. This is an incredibly talented woman who, before the age of 30, had already served her amazing dishes to both royalty and celebrities. No pressure, Eve!

Frida has always wanted to go to Hawaii, so her closest friends had planned a surprise Hawaii themed birthday party at Archipelago, a cool new tiki bar here in D.C. I was asked to make a cake to go with the theme, and the result was this coconut cake with a coconut and pineapple filling.

I had so much fun working with the design on this one, which included a few new "firsts" for me. The bottom tier is hand painted palm leaves on fondant. I used edible dusts that I mixed with vodka to create a watercolor consistency, and it definitely gave me an itch to try to paint more cakes. The second tier is a fondant cake that has been covered with confetti sprinkles, and then painted with a mixture of gold dust and vodka using a painting brush. Now, before you think "that's one boozy cake!", I should let you know that the alcohol evaporates and leaves no taste at all.

The Hibiscus flowers are made out of gum paste, which is a sturdier, more elastic and faster drying version of fondant. I  got a book by Alan Dunn, called Sugar Flower Skills, that has detailed step-by-step instructions. It is a little intimidating at first, but I can't wait to learn more!

Once again, Happy 30th Birthday, Frida!

Carolina's Baby Shower Cake

This past weekend has been filled with baby celebrations. One of my amazing sisters, Hanna, gave birth to a little baby boy, two of my friends announced that they are pregnant, and my dear friend Carolina had her baby shower. A total baby extravaganza!

I had the honor of making Carolina's baby shower cake. Carolina is Swedish just like me, and we first met five years ago at a Swedish baking event here in D.C. One fika, and we've been friends ever since.

The momma-to-be wished for a classic white cake with gold baby chucks on top. I had made the fondant baby shoes once before, after finding this great tutorial online, but this gold glitter version was so much fun to make. I kind of wish I had a pair in my size.

Congratulations to this beautiful couple! Our family can't wait to meet your little guy!