7th time lucky!

We had Frank's party on Saturday. It was a low key food event - except for the cake!

Frank had requested a white chocolate smash cake (or pinata cake). I could have done the smart thing and bought one, but they are really expensive and to this day I have always made my kids their cakes and this time was going to be no different.

So armed with enough white chocolate to sink a ship I proceeded to gather information on how to erect this masterpiece - it looked easy enough? 

I searched the Internet for recipes - nothing.
Six failures and I was at the brink. 

It didn't help that it was the hottest day all month and that white chocolate (which is not really chocolate)is a bitch to work with. 

But I persisted and was not giving up till it was perfect (or at the very least de-moulded from a bowl).I'd been making F#@*%$! smash cakes all day and in a minute I was going to smash something else! 

Then a brief correspondence with my friend Bec(who had informed me that these cakes were actually called Pinata cakes).

She had perfected the smash cake earlier this year. 
A recipe scanned and a lovely offer of, "If it doesn't work this time, I'll make one for her tomorrow" and my determination set in.

I was not going to fail - what would I say to frank in the morning?

And somehow I found this recipe with the ever tricky white chocolate - under "Pinata Cake". 

12.30am SUCCESS!!!!! I swear it was like winning the lottery, my baby girl was getting her wish and her mother wasn't a loser!

This is the recipe that I found on the Internet (with a little guidance from Bec). Check it out here

How I did it:

Get a decent sized stainless steal mixing bowl 

Oil it with olive oil - genorously and wipe the oil around with paper towel

Pop the oiled, stainless steel bowl in the freezer - for 1 hour

Close to when that hour is up - melt your chocolate in a bowl over a little simmering water in a pan - making sure your chocolate is roughly cut up or the same size, stir constantly 'til it's just melted then take the bowl off the pan of water and keep stirring till its melted and just warm.

The human Balloon

Now grab your bowl from the freezer and pour some of your chocolate into it and swirl - trying to coat all sides (you may need to add more if it not coating the whole bowl) once its coated - hurry and get it back in the freezer

Check it in 40-50min - I noticed the top was really thick and the sides thin, so with a spatula I carefully smeared more of the chocolate I had leftover, around the sides

Stuck it back in the freezer for 20 min - then arranged my mound of lolly's, got the bowl out of the freezer and turned the bowl over the lollies and with a hair dryer, warmed the bowl very slightly, gave it a tap and hay presto it popped out perfectly.

Decorate and keep in the fridge till needed.

Good Luck - you'll need it!

The rest of the party was a breeze. An early trip to Haberfeid to pick up Frank's favourite rolls from here,grub sausage,fruit platter,gulliella's rocky road (best rocky road in town) and enough contraband to get them through the holidays.

Oh and a little treat from Haberfeild for mummy to celebrate getting through 12 years of extravagent birthday parties!

One down one to go!

©Michelle Schoeps 2013

All photos taken by Michelle Schoeps

p.s..Claire, good luck I want to see photos!