Quilted Wedding Cake

A couple of weekends ago I got to do something fantastically exciting, a lot of fun and just a little terrifying. I made a wedding cake!  The bride showed me a few pictures she liked of quilted cakes and asked if I could make a simple elegant looking cake incorporating the theme colours of silver and coral.  While it was exciting to be making something for such a important occasion, I'd be lying if I said making this cake didn't make me nervous. The night before decorating the cake I woke up worrying about all the things that could go wrong, I didn't get much sleep that night but it all worked out well.

The three tiers of cake were chocolate mud cake filled and covered with a half milk chocolate half dark chocolate ganache.

Each of the cakes was covered in white fondant and decorated with edible pearls. I knew there was no way I'd be able to created the quilted pattern with a ruler, things like that never work out for me, so I used this awesome quilting gadget that created a perfect diamond pattern. I really enjoy the quilted effect and can't wait for another time to use it again.

The cakes all packed up ready to go. I used dowels in the two lower tiers to support the weight of the cakes.

To save the stress of driving a super heavy tall tiered cake an hour down the highway I assembled the cake at the location. It was still a huge relief when the cake made it there safely.

Boyfriend took some sneaky photos while I was putting the cake together.

I'm happy with how it all turned out, the look and colours matched the table settings and decor perfectly. Most importantly I hear the wedding was really lovely and everyone loved the cake.

Lemon Lime White Chocolate Mudcake

I started this year with the best intentions, way back at the start of January I sat down with a calendar and wrote down all those 'must try one day recipes' floating around my head. I had this Lemon Lime White Chocolate Mud Cake written down for January thinking its flavours would make a yummy summer cake. I acutally made this cake a couple of weeks ago and learnt something, this is not just a summer cake its a cake I would happily anyday or everyday even.

It baked perfectly forming a nice domed shape top, with a super moist inside. The lemon and lime flavor in the cake was nice without being to strong, but the real winner is the ganache. I love white chocolate so really fell for the ganache, with the subtle coconut, lemon and lime flavours it was amazing!

For the Lemon Lime White Chocolate Mudcake 
(for full recipe scroll to end of the post)
250 grams butter
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 teaspoons lime zest
180g white chocolate
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup self-raising flour
2 eggs lightly beaten

To make the Mudcake- Preheat the oven to 170 degrees c. Grease a round 20cm cake pan and line the base and sides woth baking paper, leaving a 2cm overhang at the top.

Add the butter, lemon, lime, chocolate, sugar and milk to a medium sized saucepan. Stir all the ingredients over a low heat until smooth. Transfer in a large mixing bowl and allow to cool.

Add the sifted flours and the eggs to the butter and chocolate mixture, stir until combined.

Pour the cake mixture into the prepared cake pan and bake for about 1 hour and 30 minutes, until cake tests done. Allow the cake to cool in the pan.

While the cake is cooling make the coconut ganache.

Turn the cake out of the pan top side up, cover with the white chocolate coconut ganache.

For the Coconut White Chocolate Ganache
140ml can coconut cream
360 grams white chocolate
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lime zest

To make the Ganache- Finely chop the white chocolate, combine the chocolate, lemon and lime  in a medium bowl.

Pour the coconut cream into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until smooth.

Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for about half an hour. Stir the mixture occasionally until spreadable.
Spread over the cooled cake.

Enjoy!

Lemon Lime White Chocolate Mudcake 
(based on recipe from Womens Weekly, Cakes Biscuits and Slices)
250 grams butter
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 teaspoons lime zest
180g white chocolate
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup self-raisin flour
2 eggs lightly beaten

To make the Mudcake

• Preheat the oven to 170 degrees c. Grease a round 20cm cake pan and line the base and sides woth baking paper, leaving a 2cm overhang at the top.
• Add the butter, lemon, lime, chocolate, sugar and milk to a medium sized saucepan. Stir all the ingredients over a low heat until smooth. Transfer in a large mixing bowl and allow to cool.
• Add the sifted flours and the eggs to the butter and chocolate mixture, stir until combined.
• Pour the cake mixture into the prepared cake pan and bake for about 1 hour and 30 minutes, until cake tests done. Allow the cake to cool in the pan.
• While the cake is cooling make the coconut ganache.
• Turn the cake out of the pan top side up, cover with the white chocolate coconut ganache.

Coconut White Chocolate Ganache
140ml can coconut cream
360 grams white chocolate
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lime zest

To make the Ganache

• Finely chop the white chocolate, combine the chocolate, lemon and lime  in a medium bowl.
• Pour the coconut cream into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until smooth.
• Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for about half an hour. Stir the mixture occasionally until spreadable.