A typical weekend.....

hazelnut opera cake

Guess what I did on the weekend? I baked! ta da~

jess took some cross sections for me last night

I made a hazelnut opera cake for Eric's birthday that Jess ordered last week as a surprise for her brother. It was my first time making an opera cake, quite an exciting process and it wasn't as daunting as I had thought it would be to make :) and the clients were super happy.

six layers :D!

There was some freestyle involved, as an opera cake is not normally round, but this was a birthday cake so I made it round for the occassion, also a normal opera cake doesn't have dusting (which I regret putting on just before I rushed out to see the 15th anniversary demo of my aikido dojo).... I seem to be constantly in a mad rush even on weekends!!!!!!! also, I regret putting on the caramel coated hazelnuts in such symmetrical order, but again time didn't allow me to think..... still, the feedback was really flattering. Jess said "it tasted exactly like the opera cake we had at le bon choix except your layers are spongy and not crunchy wafers"...

a happy birthday boy

Thanks Jess!!! ofcourse mine is not as fancy and pretty as the one at le bon choix but I do prefer spongy joconde over crunchy wafers which was what I didn't like about the opera cake I had tasted. And I was able to adjust the sweetness to something bearable and balanced it with crushed hazelnuts in the butter cream layers :)))

I had a few orders outstanding and thought I could clear a few over the weekend... except my attempts to multi-task failed miserably... I basically passed out on Friday night and got up early Saturday morning to do the mini cheesecakes for Edith, but due to the rush I misjudged the cooking time and the centres weren't cooked grrrrrr it was impossible to fix. Luckily, Edith didn't need them urgently and was very understanding of my situation lol... so I have postponed them for a remake another day....

caramel and chocolate eclairs

Meanwhile, I was mega stressed out that I had to do Winnie's Caramel & Chocolate eclair order by Saturday arvo....in between going out to vote and driving parents around... eventually I got them done, a few hours behind schedule, but it was good to get them out!!! Took a night shot before they were picked up. I'm glad Winnie said they were the best eclairs she's tasted for a long time... !! awwwwwwww~ ok maybe the mad rush panic was worth it. Her mum upon pick-up thanked me for giving them the opportunity to donate to the cause :) it's my pleasure.

But, I still had to postpone a carrot cake order that's been on postpone mode for a month already!!!!! Bad idea to bake multiple things in one day...