Happy Birthday to me

A shabby chic Happy Birthday to me

I made a disastrous attempt to make some chocolate mud cupcakes for my birthday.  Disastrous as in: they exploded in the oven kind of disaster.  Given that I’m nearly a fully graduated pastry chef I was shattered that I couldn’t seem to whip up a simple batch of cupcakes.  Having realised that I used the wrong recipe I breathed a sigh of relief, laughed at myself and decided to turn the novelty cake we were making in class into my birthday cake.

Pretty fondant flowers

We were given a brief six weeks ago which stated that we had to make and design a novelty cake for either a wedding or a birthday.  I originally decided to make a wedding cake but I now think the colours are not quite right for a wedding so it became my birthday cake.  The cake inside is a light style fruit cake which I masked in chocolate ganache before covering it in fondant and decorating with the flowers.

I built the cakes over two lessons and I was amazed that it all came together given it was the first time I had attempted to decorate a cake covered in fondant. 

I turned 29 this year so happy birthday to me – almost 30 – yikes!

Here are some things I’m looking forward to in the coming year:

·        Graduating from college as a fully fledged pastry chef (and having my Saturdays back!),

·        Going to the Gold Coast next month for a warm break from Melbourne’s winter,

·        Going back to England to see my family & friends

·        Spending more time in Howqua in the country,

·        Celebrating my second wedding anniversary J

·        Completing a 10km run in October,

·        Having my parents visit Australia in March,

·        My brother and his partner arriving to live in Melbourne for a while next year

·        Eating lots of cake and trying new recipes