I used our best-seller moist chocolate cupcake recipe as the base for both the cupcakes and the main cake. Now, it is my first time EVER to try making my own fondant, as an effort to rise up to my brother's challenge. Trying a white-chocolate fondant recipe, I think this turned out beautifully, despite humidity problems where I am.
Here are the orchids drying out in their molds:
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| 5-petal petunias using silicon veiner mold and platinum dust and silver dragees |
Huge thanks to my sister, Cynthia, for all the wonderful cutters she sent me for my birthday.. At least you know they've been put to good use!
Here is the main cake to be placed on the very top of the tower, The 6-inch is a dummy cake made with my homemade white chocolate fondant while the real 9-inch cake base I couldn't risk sabotaging so I used Satin Ice White/Vanilla fondant. As you can see, the homemade one looks EXACTLY like the commercial fondant, BUT it was much cheaper, with better tolerance in humid weather (Satin Ice perspires rather quickly )and definitely a yummier flavor! The only plus to the commercial fondant was it was easier to handle and roll out.
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| Moist chocolate with white rolled fondant |
Next up is the garnishing for the cupcakes.. I hand-cut mini flip-flops from scratch (Thank God they didn't want Crocs!!) and attached white straps w/ flowerettes to match the beach umbrellas:
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| Havaianas, anyone? |
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| Actual size. That's a regular pen right there. |
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| 70 cupcakes x 2 flip-flops per pair x 2 straps per flip-flop = 280 straps!!! My aching back!!! |
After placing the teal orchids on buttercream frosting and slippers on a bed of graham cracker crumbs as faux "beach sand", we assembled the final tower with the cupcakes resting on teal ribbons.
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| flip-flops on the sand |
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| flip-flops in the shade |
Here is the final tower without the main cake. Unfortunately I wasn't able to take a final picture with the main cake on top. We kept the main cake indoors because rain was threatening to fall. So there, happy Hawaii to all!!
Special thanks to:
Cynthia Corpus (for the cutters),
Billy del Rosario (for the inspiration),
Nina Comsti (for the referral),
Lemuel & Eunice (for trusting me on your special day and Congratulations!),
Ella, Nick, Glen, Nicelle, Maymay, Jessa (my angels - for all the assistance)
And the RSR, CRP, CRR cake fund.
See you at my next cake project!
