Monday, February 17, 2014

Chocolat~






I mentioned we were celebrating my daughter's birthday this weekend~
Mylène..her big sister was hosting for our family..
I was assigned dessert~
I wanted to make too many things..Susan's 3 level mousse.. another mousse cake I make 14 yrs ago.. cupcakes..a new cake recipe from Canadian Living~..
I knew I wanted to add Cadbury fingers around..instead of KiKats like last year..
And some macarons I had bought and frozen.I also wanted to try a new buttercream recipe  that goes with the cake..but wanted a shiny ganache top.
This is the cake that never ended:)
First of all I made the mousse cake..the mousse..done..the cake ..done..and I put the baked cake on a rack when done but went out and left it there..It was high and pretty and lovely..no worries..
No worries my eye..I came in after 1/2 an hr..and it looked like a pancake.:(
Onto cake number 2..my wish seemed to be coming true..I would make several cakes..:(
So I kept the mousse ..threw out the cake that was supposed to go w/..and started over with this one..
I put the rich mousse in the middle of 2 layers..(I kept it at 2 layers for the height of the Cadbury fingers.. Frosted the top with Ganache..the sides with the buttercream to hold the fingers..and rosetted the top to hold the macarons..
My Rosettes need perfecting..but..I love that 2D tip Chris made me buy:)The rosettes are "le fun".
Added Love..and then added Happy Birthday later in the day..
I am so indebted  to so many for everything I never learned before the  internet.

All in all the cake turned out just how I pictured it in my mind's eye and I was grateful.
Cake for 12~
Our lovely daughter turns 37..I loved her back then ..love  her now♥
The party was a fabulous party.

I mentioned Max  6..offered me a framed original this past week..
His stars are almost a trademak of his work..
In their office there are so many of his paintings on toiles..all mediums.


Makes us smile~
We're in the middle:)



53 comments:

  1. You could make this in a heartbeat Sue..~

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a beautiful cake! I can't imagine coming home and finding a pancake as opposed to the cake left to cool! So sorry to hear that your first one became a pancake....that would be so disappointing. The second cake...at completion is stunning!!!

    Love the artwork! ....Max's and yours with the cake!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow! You are a talented lady!! So beautiful, isn't it terrible when you have a cake disaster thank
    Goodness the second one worked so beautifully!!!!
    Mary x

    ReplyDelete
  4. Monique, I don't mind a bit you blaming me, especially when it results in a SPECTACULAR cake like this. Wow, I know your daughter loved it, what a sweet tribute to her.

    ReplyDelete
  5. look absolutely wonderful chocolate cake! Look perfect!!
    and I love the sweet and cute picture !!

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a professional looking cake! It looks like it could have been made by a pastry chef in one of Paris’ top patisserie! And to know that you included mousse au chocolat et aussi une ganache – quel délice! Un délice pour les yeux et pour le palais – c’est sûr! You asked me about the hand mixer my daughter gave me – my red Cuisinart. It works great – a lot better than my old one and it is super easy to clean.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Monique, OMG, your cake looks absolutely perfect. You know I can bake, but my cakes never look good-) You did an outstanding job! And happy birthday to your daughter!

    Hugs,

    Yelena
    P.S Thank you for a tea recommendation, I will definitely try it!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Amazing looking cake.... Max's family portrait is one that will be cherished. Wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I could grab that cake right out of my computer screen!! It looks so delectable, why must you tantalize us so??

    ReplyDelete
  10. The cake is so wonderful that I couldn't look at it for too long parce que pour moi il n'est pas permis de manger du chocolat. Thank you for showing Max's drawing, the details & colors & of course, the stars are wonderful~and especially the happiness. It runs in the family, n'est-ce pas?

    ReplyDelete
  11. What a stunning cake....the detail is incredible!
    Love the portrait...you can see the love in it.
    Happy Birthday to you all
    Shel x

    ReplyDelete
  12. Bonjour,

    Malgré les petits problèmes du début ce cake est "amazing" !
    Parfait devrais-je dire en Français, délicat, raffiné et il semble délicieux. Vos choix ont eu raison de vous car les Fingers rendent vraiment mieux que des KitKats et ces roses, que dire, sont-elles réelles? Car elles sont si belles!
    Ce gâteau est épatant, j'espère que votre soeur a été heureuse et flatée.
    Bonne semaine <3

    ReplyDelete
  13. Your cake should be in the window of a famous patisserie in Paris it is so stunning. Happy birthday to your daughter and Max's picture is just amazing. What a lovely family portrait of everyone under the stars.
    Sam

    ReplyDelete
  14. Wow! Your cake is a work of art! Hope your daughter had a wonderful birthday...loved Max's artwork. A lot of talent for his age. Takes after his grandmother.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thanks everyone:)
    I just loved making it..now ideas are twirling in my head:)

    ReplyDelete
  16. The cake is a stunner! The topping looks simple yet so elegant and beautiful. Perfect for the celebration.

    ReplyDelete
  17. My mouth is watering for a slice of that gorgeous chocolate cake. I can almost taste the chocolate mousse filling and the Cadbury fingers are a perfect choice. So beautiful, Monique. What a lovely birthday cake for your girl.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Masterful cake decorating... such a great cake for a special little person with all the best bells and whistles. It's adorable... a very luck child indeed.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I imagine everyone was stunned. Trouble with perfection like that, is that no mere normal cakes from now on. You will be expected to best that every year, every birthday, anniversary, etc. It really is the most beautiful cake I have ever seen.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Happy Birthday for your daughter Monique!I'm born in february too.The cake is amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Monique the more I look at Caro the more I see Max, Lucas is so Fred and Oli too(I think?)

    ReplyDelete
  22. The cake is absolute perfection Monique...and so is that delicious little girl with those beautiful kissable cheeks.
    I love the skating picture...just everything!
    Happy Birthday to C...
    Bisous xoxo
    .

    ReplyDelete
  23. Love Max's art! The cake is delectable! What is not to love about chocolate?:-)

    ReplyDelete
  24. FABULOUS!!
    Everything you do is artistic.

    ReplyDelete
  25. What a beautiful tender post. A cake that is a labor of love such as this one is so much more than just a cake. It is a celebration of love and family and all that means to each of us. I am sure your daughter appreciated it very much. I know I would!

    As for Max's artwork, how very precious! You are one very blessed Nana! xxoo

    ReplyDelete
  26. Oh my word, what a beautiful, beautiful cake. I am SO impressed, Nana! And Max's picture is all about love, isn't it? I am off to shovel again:)

    ReplyDelete
  27. Yes his pic is all about love:)
    I was so happy I could stand up on my skates:) I nearly fell over with relief:)
    Children have no fear..
    Unlike..me now:)

    ReplyDelete
  28. Magnifiques chocolats mais surtout superbe dessin d'enfant !

    ReplyDelete
  29. Oh so sweet! Lovely cake, and the little one with the hat and the Petunias in the background just melst my heart, Monique. The children's artwork is always one of my favorite things to see too. :)

    ReplyDelete
  30. That little girl is 3 months older than you:)
    She still melts my heart:)
    Like you melt your mom's:)

    ReplyDelete
  31. How wonderful - this is just gorgeous. I get my feelings hurt when I have a failure. I guess the answer is persistence. I have a 2D in my future.

    I also get my feeling hurt when the food is good and the photos are a failure.

    Happy Birthday to your daughter.

    M.

    ReplyDelete
  32. A beautiful cake! Splendidly decorated and so tempting.

    Happy Birthday to your daughter!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    ReplyDelete
  33. That cake looks beautiful and delicious and I'm sure it was a lovely birthday party :) That drawing is so cute and I love that at six he already has his trademark. So adorable












    ReplyDelete
  34. What a gorgeous cake - work of art may I say? Your daughter is very lucky to celebrate her birthday with a cake like that! :)

    ReplyDelete
  35. That cake is so beautiful that I sent the picture to my daughter who must have eaten 1000's of Cadbury Fingers for Tea. We would get the tin at Christmas and just keep filling it up the rest of the year. How clever of you to think of using them like this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Luckily I saved a tin:) and the rest are in it:)
      I LOVED these growing up..too much I think!
      Thank you Beryl..
      I find the add ons hide the errors:)
      The fingers are like a fence...
      I had used Kitkats last yr for the same birthday with the Smarties..

      Just tried something new..and with a bit of persitence..it worked..
      And luck..I have to say luck:)

      Delete
  36. That is a beautiful cake Monique! Did your daughter enjoy it? What talent you have. It is nice that you share your flops with us, gives us encouragement to try some recipes that we don't think we are ready for.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Everyone did..to my surpise the Alphabet Boys were enjoying the macarons too..Will add more next time..
      Once these 6 children are 5 yrs older..the 4 small boys ..and Adamo and Giuliana..
      We will need a whole box:)

      Delete
    2. I'm glad it was such a big hit, but then it looks like it would be! Have a great weekend. Hope you are getting or have had a break from the frigid weather. We will have sun and the mid 50s. Looking forward to that. We will be celebrating my birthday tomorrow and I have some belated valentine cookies, heart shaped Linzer cookies and some of your honey stamp cookies to give to the guests. Grandmas have to have goodie bags don't we?

      Delete
    3. HappyBirthday:) We are not far apart..but you fall under my daughter's sign..Pisces:)
      Yes we need goodie bags.

      60 candles for me..and you?

      Delete
  37. Thanks Monique. When do you celebrate ? 62 candles, ever wonder how this happened?

    ReplyDelete
  38. We did already..it was the 17th but we always doa combined family dinner with my daughter at my other daughters:)..
    Some yrs have flown by♥..

    ReplyDelete
  39. What a stunning cake! I love all the different types of chocolate involved - a chocoholics dream!

    ReplyDelete
  40. Your artistic talent shines in everything you do…the cake is absolutely beautiful. I hope you and your daughter had wonderful birthdays. Your grandson seems to be following in your footsteps with his art.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Thanks:)
    It was a great..day ..week..plus!

    ReplyDelete
  42. Beautiful cake, Monique! I will have to remember this for our upcoming combined celebrations :). I saw another cake with macarons used for decoration and love the idea. Your rosettes are beautiful and something I need to practice. I think I have a big 1M tip I still haven't triedl.

    So hard to come back to white and gray after seeing green and flowers in bloom. I need some tulips :)

    ReplyDelete
  43. Forgot to mention the adorable photo of M and talented picture by your other M :)

    ReplyDelete
  44. You need the 2 D..easy as pie ..
    It must be so hard..
    I bet you had a ball:-)

    ReplyDelete