Can I brag a little bit? This was the cake I made for my baking practical.

[gizmonic]

I call it my Cosmos Cake. :)

To paraphrase Carl Sagan, "in order to bake a cake, you must first create the universe."

Astronomy was the theme for my baking practical. My cake represents what an amateur astronomer would see in the night sky.

The cake (sky) is dark chocolate and raspberry with a raspberry crème mousseline layer (colours in an aurora). Chocolate Almond Italian Buttercream rosettes on the top (the Rosette nebula), decorated with fresh raspberries and chopped almonds (various celestial objects). Surrounding the cake is a dark and white chocolate band (the Milky Way).



This was the plating (minus the cake slice) for my Cosmos Cake. It's a Crème Anglaise spiral galaxy with fresh raspberries and chopped almonds.


My project was a big hit. Yay for me! :) :bounce: :woohoo:

[hobbit709]

1. Chocolate AND Raspberries-I WANT!!!

[gizmonic]

10. I'd love to send ya a slice but I don't think it'll hold up in the heat!

:)

Even in the picture the rosettes are looking a bit melty!

[femmocrat]

2. I have never seen anything that scrumptious in the night sky!

It's a heavenly delight. :9 You are a star!

[gizmonic]

11. Aww, thank you!

:) :fistbump:

[TZ]

3. :drool:

What was that about astronomy? I was distracted by the delicious looking cake....:hi:

[gizmonic]

14. I haven't forgetten about the biscotti I promised you...

as you can see, I've been a bit busy with baking school! :)

Now that that's out of the way, I have a bit of free time in the evenings for some fun baking! So, biscotti will be on the way soon!

[Call Me Wesley]

4. I never get cravings for sweets,

but this did it. That looks exquisite and yummy, and not only for the astronomer's theme. ;)

:thumbsup:

[Monique1]

5. I love it and I am not a cake fan.

Great Job!

[gizmonic]

16. Thank you Monique1!

:) :fistbump:

[gizmonic]

15. Thank you CMW!

:) :fistbump:

[RandomThoughts]

6. Cake is easy way, or desert before meal.

With the ideas like this
East-birth(sunrise) south-adversity, west-death(sunset) North-rest.

Cake can be seen as walking counter clockwise

Like going from east to north to west to south that would be cake.
while east to south to west to north would be normal.


The Masons have some ritual where they walk from E S W N. Although I don't know if they know the meaning of why. But cake would be going the other way. E N W S.


It is also deserting someone, it is thought of that way many times, then again living life in rest without the struggles of adversity is usually deserting many people, not helping those like those that need help, food clothing, love, stuff like that.


Something I think on is in a way I am also working on getting some finances, but hope it would not be for cake.

[Call Me Wesley]

9. 33° - Best reply here.

:thumbsup:

Good vibes for your financial struggles. :hi:

[RandomThoughts]

20. Thanks,

(had a thought but not complete yet.)

[grace0418]

7. Holy boy that looks good.

Excellent work!

[gizmonic]

21. Thank you Grace!

:) :fistbump:

[EOTE]

8. Does it have billions and billions of raspberries?

I'm only counting about a few dozen. Hmmmph.

[gizmonic]

18. It's like the TARDIS...

More raspberries on the inside than on the outside! :)

[ThomCat]

12. Mozel Tov!

:applause:

I'm happy for you. Very creative and well done. :)

[gizmonic]

19. Thank you ThomCat!

:) :fistbump:

[Forkboy]

13. Secret ingredient: Stardust.

:)

That looks amazing, both taste wise and aesthetically.

[rucky]

17. WIN!

[Redstone]

22. Whoa. I don't even eat sweet food, but that made me hungry.

Redstone

[hippywife]

23. You did a splendid job, giz!

It's just beautiful, and great inspiration, too.

(I'd have given it a 30 but that fundie judge wouldn't budge. ;) )

[surrealAmerican]

24. Beautiful.

Raspberries and chocolate are my favorite flavor combination. That looks delicious.

[Sheltiemama]

25. Drooling here.

[sarge43]

26. Oh my

I could do a Al Pacino face down mega huff in that beauty.

You have a future in astrophysics.

[mnhtnbb]

27. Oh, yum. Come work in NC so I can indulge!

[LisaL]

28. Did it taste as good as it looks?

[TK421]

29. wow that looks good! and I'm a sucker for raspberries, so that doesn't help

[kentauros]

30. I can understand why it would be a big hit...

Great job! :thumbsup: :D

Now, how hard was it to get the chocolate band around the cake? That's one technique I've never tried, nor was it taught in the pastry classes I took years ago. I know we did some chocolate tempering, but I was never very good at it...

Rose Levy Beranbaum's "Cake Bible" is one book to have in your cookbook library, though :)